Intoxicating . . . Fans will be calling for more.” —NPR.org
“Real entertainment. Shannon has continued to build on this imagined world with intricacy, and Paige's voice comes through to deliver a suspenseful story.” —The Washington Post
“Stunning and exciting . . . The Dark Mirror is a masterpiece of a fantasy/thriller, a dark and inventive addition to a series that will go down as an all-time classic.” —Bookreporter
“Shannon expands the world of her Bone Season series in this pedal-to-the-metal fifth installment . . . The stakes are high, the pace is rapid, and Shannon's gift for evocative prose makes the shadowy streets of Venice come alive . . . Series fans will be thrilled.” —Publishers Weekly
“Impressively multilayered.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A road map for resistance, an ode to perseverance, and a bright shining ball of hope in a bleak time, The Dark Mirror is both a fantastic next step in the larger story of Shannon's Bone Season universe and a necessary reminder that everyone has a role to play in saving the world-or, at the very least, making it a less overtly dark and frightening place than it is at the present moment . . . A deeply satisfying read on an emotional level.” —Paste Magazine
“This series is the best . . . Paige Mahoney has my whole heart . . . Nobody writes like Samantha Shannon!” —Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES series
“Epic, riveting, emotional and devastating. The Dark Mirror is a remarkable continuation to the incredible series, masterfully crafted, deeply romantic and heart-wrenching. You will lose yourself in this magnificent world, and hold these characters close to your heart.” —Sue Lynn Tan, USA Today bestselling author of DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS
“Richly imagined . . . Once again, Shannon makes lavish use of spectacular and storied settings . . . In complex scenes of healing, strategizing, death-defying action, delicate negotiations, and passionate love, Shannon's powers remain at full impact in this brilliantly realized, keenly relevant freedom-fighter saga.” —Booklist
“A compelling and atmospheric novel set in a world where reality and illusion intertwine . . . Shannon brings her signature world-building and intricate storytelling to this new story.” —Glamour
“Good news: Paige Mahoney, the voyant Mime Queen, is back . . . Crackles with action and Samantha Shannon's trademark lush prose and high-stakes emotion.” —Daily Mail
“I can't wait to see where the journey takes her next and what the final showdown will look like.” —British Fantasy Society
“Transports readers to a world of intrigue and danger.” —Woman's World
2024-12-12
In this long-awaited fifth installment of Shannon’s Bone Season series, the threat to the clairvoyant community spreads like a plague across Europe.
After extending her fight against the Republic of Scion to Paris, Paige Mahoney, leader of London’s clairvoyant underworld and a spy for the resistance movement, finds herself further outside her comfort zone when she wakes up in a foreign place with no recollection of getting there. More disturbing than her last definitive memory, in which her ally-turned-lover Arcturus seems to betray her, is that her dreamscape—the very soul of her clairvoyance—has been altered, as if there’s a veil shrouding both her memories and abilities. Paige manages to escape and learns she’s been missing and presumed dead for six months. Even more shocking is that she’s somehow outside of Scion’s borders, in the free world where clairvoyants are accepted citizens. She gets in touch with other resistance fighters and journeys to Italy to reconnect with the Domino Programme intelligence network. In stark contrast to the potential of life in the free world is the reality that Scion continues to stretch its influence, with Norway recently falling and Italy a likely next target. Paige is enlisted to discover how Scion is bending free-world political leaders to its will, but before Paige can commit to her mission, she has her own mystery to solve: Where in the world is Arcturus? Paige’s loyalty to Arcturus is tested as she decides how much to trust in their connection and how much information to reveal to the Domino Programme about the Rephaite—the race of immortals from the Netherworld, Arcturus’ people—and their connection to the founding of Scion, as well as the presence of clairvoyant abilities on Earth. While the book is impressively multilayered, the matter-of-fact way in which details from the past are sprinkled throughout will have readers constantly flipping to the glossary. As the series’ scope and the implications of the war against Scion expand, Shannon’s narrative style reads more action-thriller than fantasy. Paige’s powers as a dreamwalker are rarely used here, but when clairvoyance is at play, the story shines.
Though it falters a bit under its own weight, this series still has plenty of fight left.
