Book #77 The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Did you read my last post? Where I mentioned starting a book without having any clue what it is about? Yeah this was another one of those, I was on the library waiting list for so long I forgot what this book was about (if I ever even knew!). The title made me think of murder mystery like The Lovely Bones or similar but NO, wrong!

Set in the not too distant future, 2059, Paige Mahoney is a nineteen year old young woman working high up in the ranks of the criminal underworld. Scion London is under control of a police force (Scion) whose main objective is the apprehension and sometimes execution of clairvoyant persons. Paige has a very rare clairvoyant talent called dreamwalking which makes her services very valuable. Too valuable. 

After making a simple mistake Paige is captured and arrested. She knows she will either be sent to The Tower and tortured for the rest of her days or executed but what is in store for her is so much worse. She is sent along with prisoners from The Tower, some who have been there for 10 years, to the mythical city of Oxford. Turns out Oxford is being used as a voyant prison compound, controlled by a humanlike alien race called the Rephaim.  They are strong, cruel and terrifying but they value the voyants highly, or at least the voyant's gifts.
 
Only one Rephaite keeper, Warden, steps up to the task of being Paige's master. He will be in charge of training her to use her gift. Paige is terrified of him. Although he is standoffish and distant he is not cruel and abusive like the other masters. Soon, Paige begins to realize Warden has motives of his own, motives that are not inline with his ruler and betrothed.  The pair need to learn if they can trust each other in order to accomplish their goals: Paige her freedom and Warden... well I can't say.

The Bone Season is probably one of my favorite books this year. I thought the plot line was interesting and different. The characters were bold, compelling and surprising. I love Paige. Even though she has suffered so much she cannot stop pushing forward. She is bold, cocky and sarcastic even in the face of her enemies. Warden is great too. He is so strong, commanding and very mysterious. Even some of the members of Paige's underground crew were fascinating. I've heard this is book one in a proposed seven book series and I for one cannot wait!

Quotes:
“his thumbs ran over my cheeks. Our foreheads touched. My dreamscape scorched. He set fire to the poppies”