The Mime Order (The Bone Season)

I enjoy this series even though it is soooo dark. But how our heroine can handle that much physical abuse is kind of over the top. That said I eagerly await the next book, but SEVEN? I think lots of our favorite characters are gonna die.

Great sequel to the bone season! The twists and turns are awesome. The main character Paige really evolves as a character! love a good feminine lead. All in all, 5 stars! Can't wait for the third to come out!

I was sadly disappointed in this follow up to the Bone Season. I very much enjoyed the Bone Season and found it to be engaging, interesting and different, however this second book was a complete let down. The story starts right where the first book left off with Paige and the others escaping on the train heading toward London. Once they get there however boredom ensues and we suffer through many pages of filler material where nothing much happens. I hung in there hoping it would get better but the more I read the more I began to dislike the characters I'd previously loved and the world they lived in....this book deals mostly with the mime lords and mime queens and underlord this and underqueen that (tedious really) and very little on the Rephaim and Warden. I gave up less than halfway through and started skimming but even that was a waste of time. There are so many good books out there to read...I don't like to spend time on books that don't keep my interest and unfortunately this one just got bogged down in details that were completely unnecessary to the story and seemed to exist just to fill pages. I understand that this is a 7 book series but it's one that I won't be continuing...very disappointing as I loved the first book.

I was sadly disappointed in this follow up to the Bone Season. I very much enjoyed the Bone Season and found it to be engaging, interesting and different, however this second book was a complete let down. The story starts right where the first book left off with Paige and the others escaping on the train heading toward London. Once they get there however boredom ensues and we suffer through many pages of filler material where nothing much happens. I hung in there hoping it would get better but the more I read the more I began to dislike the characters I'd previously loved and the world they lived in....this book deals mostly with the mime lords and mime queens and underlord this and underqueen that (tedious really) and very little on the Rephaim and Warden. I gave up less than halfway through and started skimming but even that was a waste of time. There are so many good books out there to read...I don't like to spend time on books that don't keep my interest and unfortunately this one just got bogged down in details that were completely unnecessary to the story and seemed to exist just to fill pages. I understand that this is a 7 book series but it's one that I won't be continuing...very disappointing as I loved the first book.

This was a very dark continuation of this saga. While I enjoy the premise of the story line, it was at times hard to follow. The main character remains a strong individual who overcomes some interesting odds.

The book absolutely broke my heart at the end. Jaxon Hall, why did you betray her like that? Gag, now I can't wait for the next book. The first half was sort of draggy, but as it went along, the book REALLY picked up pace.

Paige is such an amazing protagonist. One of my favorites, for sure. I love reading her pov. Can't wait for more.

So Shannon's earlier book The Bone Season was somewhat of a let-down for me. My friends adored the thing so I thought I would give Mime Order a chance.

To be frank for about 80% of the book I regretted the decision. After a melodramatic but pointless prologue the book begins immediately after the end of Bone Season, and quickly sees Paige return to London to deal with the supernatural politics of her unnatural creed. The weird thing is I wanted more London in Bone Season, but I wasn't happy with the world portrayed in Mime Order. Everything seemed too organised, I was thinking that if the unnaturals were a big like gangs then they surely would be somewhat informal (i.e. not having a set ruler.) The world of Mime Order felt more like try-hard Harry Potter which was a shame.

Second problem in a similar Potter vein, was the shear weight of the terminology, Shannon seemed like a big linguistic show-off playing around with all these 'mancers' but the effect was one of making the book gimmicky and lacking substance. The plot meandered around endless meetings with various unmemorable characters (seriously I could only tell you about Paige, Warden and Jaxon if you asked me right now) except for some brief moments of interest when that certain someone showed up again (sorry spoiler (c'mon not really))

The final redeeming feature was the climactic ending. In fact I suspect this book was written largely as filler to build to a well written ending, which was genuinely so good I almost added a star. Here is hoping that the rest of the series is ALL crafted so well because overall this book was a drag.

The Mime Order is the spellbinding second installment in Shannon’s seven book series and this is just the beginning of a new literary phenomenon. TMO is beautifully written and allows readers to delve even further into the world of Scion, a trip that they surely won’t forget. I was a bit worried originally how this series could encompass so many novels, but I should never have doubted Shannon because this book is damn near perfect. Things are just starting to heat up for Paige and her friends and I don’t want to miss a single moment.

Paige has escaped Sheol I, but she’s not even close to being free from the clutches of Scion. She’s now the most wanted criminal in the area and her face is everywhere as the world searches for the Dreamwalker. To make things even worse, a deadly crime causes the Unnatural Assembly to cast an eye upon Jaxon and Paige. Not only that, but now it seems that the Rephaim are no longer content with hiding and they’re not pleased with Paige.

I just don’t even how to describe how much I enjoyed The Mime Order, but I do know that this was even better than The Bone Season (a feat that’s hard to top considering TBS was one of the best books of 2013). I started off my year right by reading TMO and there wasn’t enough time in the day for me to read this book. Every time I start reading, I just wished I could put life on pause and reading without any interruptions.

The Mime Order is slow-paced and yet I was completely addicted from the first few sentences. The action and romance are small portions of the novel, but it’s the incredible world-building, character development and prose that kept me hooked. I loved watching Paige dissect Scion’s secrets layer by layer and show readers what lurks in the shadows of this civilization. Scion is not just your average dystopia, it’s far better and I can’t wait to see more of it in the following 5 novels.

Though I really enjoy following Paige and Warden on their journeys, I’m so glad that we get to see more of the side characters. Characters like Nick, Eliza, Zeke and countless others are given the opportunity to shine and I found that I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters much more than I thought I would. In book one, I didn’t care much for anyone beside the main cast of characters, but now I have so much love for all of our heroes and heroines.

Just reading Samantha Shannon’s prose is enough to remind me why I love this series so much. I would reread this series just to give me something to devour while I wait for book three. There’s something so ethereal and dream-like about the writing in TMO that makes me feel as if dream-walking and psychics are legitimate. I love all of the imagery in this novel especially when it involved moths and butterflies; I’m so glad that the artist in charge of the cover decided to highlight these extended metaphors on it.

Can I just say that I love Paige and Warden’s relationship so much? It’s truly not fair that Shannon keeps on teasing us with their relationship, in each book we’re only given a smidge of romance and it’s just not enough. The few scenes that we do get are heart-pounding and so memorable, but I just need more Warden-Paige page time in the subsequent novels.

I loved The Mime Order and it was everything I wanted it to be, much to my delight. From start to finish, this book is truly something special and I know that readers will simultaneously loathe and love Shannon after that cliffhanger TMO ends with. I need, need, need, need book three more than air at this point and I just know it will be bloody brilliant.

Wow, I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN! Initial overall thoughts: If you loved The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) then you will LOVE The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2)! Drop what you're doing and carve out a day, afternoon or several bus rides to dive into the depths of the world of the Scion and get ready to lose yourself to the world of Samantha Shannon!

Where do I start? This is a hard review to write only because I want to do TMO justice and I can't really divulge all of the wonderfulness because of spoiler-y-ness. I mean come on, I seriously finished this in about 7 hours and it was a whirlwind of amazingness! I will warn that the first 60-70% felt rather slow for my general taste but because of Shannon's amazing writing/world building/characters I really did not mind it especially when she gifted us readers with the last 30-40%! Hold on to your seat because that part is AH-MAZ-ING!

Let me start by saying that Samantha Shannon is a true master of her craft! She can spin a web so intricate that you feel as if you have actually fallen into a world so real that you can actually touch, hear, feel and smell everything around you! Oh, I could read her words forever. Honestly, because she is such a talented writer that is what helped me through the slow start.

Secondly, the characters just get better! We learn so much more not only about Paige and Jaxon (who I seriously love, but I hate...I love to hate him) but also from our secondary characters who really seem to fill in and wow, I love Shannon for giving them some depth! Warden to me is still mysterious but OMG how much do I LOVE him. Again, Warden does not really come back in until the last 30% of the novel but when he does it's SOOOOO worth it! There is one scene...and, well, you will know when it hits you! It's perfection.

Honestly if you're still on the fence about this book, trust me (and many others) when I say, this is worth the read! It's slow to start but it's absolutely stunning and one that I would hate for you all to miss out on! So what are you waiting for?

Paige Mahoney returns to the streets of Underworld London. Having broken out of the clairvoyant slave pens that are Sheol I, Paige has no desire to go back to working for Jaxon Hall, Mime Lord of One Four. But the longer she stays on the streets, the more she sees that alone she accomplishes nothing, not even staying alive.

Jaxon takes her back as his molisher, but many of the advantages Paige had hoped for are slow coming and she has no time. Warden is trapped and needs her help. Liz and the other survivors from the train seem to have vanished. And when the Underlord himself is killed, it is Paige who is blamed.

This book is the second arc in the trilogy, and it reads like one. Slower than the first book, Paige consolidates her power to take on Nashira and destroy Scion. Love the world build. The characters are fully developed and, as is with people, no one is perfect. While the loose threads are wound up at the end, the threat Paige is under despite her victory feels very real and we continue to learn that the plot that seemed so simple in the beginning, is truly full of machinations that would make Machiavelli proud.

I never should have waited this long to read this book, but at the same time I'm super glad since I have an ARC of The Song Rising that I can jump into as soon as possible. The world that Samantha Shannon has created is vast and extremely complex and layered and I love how she introduces it to us. This book focused mostly on the Syndicate and the interworkings of London's Underground.

This book allowed us to get a deeper understanding of where Paige came from before The Bone Season. This was also the beginning of her revolution. I truly felt like this book gave us more insight into what is at stake and what Paige is up against. Going forward there are a lot of moving parts and aspects that Paige and her gang have to work with or against and I'm beyond excited to see how Samantha Shannon achieves this.

One last think I want to briefly comment on is how much I love these characters. There is so much to each one. So many layers and backstories to understand and Samantha Shannon is doing an amazing job and slowly letting us into their minds and their stories. I loved the extra insight we got into characters such as Ivy and Warden. It really helped widen the world and the true corruption that the Rephaim have caused with Scion. Without spoiling anything, the end of this book contains an action by one of the characters that I did not at all see coming. I was not at all prepared for it and that fascinates me. It makes me want to go back through the book to see if there are hints or if it was meant to catch us completely off guard.

I am so glad I have The Song Rising to read after finishing this. Plus I love that we still have 5 more books (counting Song Rising) to read to tell Paige's full story! This series is slowly turning into on my all-time favorites, right up there with Harry Potter. I just love how expansive the world is and how complex and layered the characters and their relationships are.

Once again Samantha Shannon has blown me away with her writing. I've just finished The Mime-Order and am feeling sort of speechless at the moment so excuse me if this review is slightly all over the place but wow. I spent the past year anticipating the moment when I could get my hands on this book and dive back into the world Samantha Shannon so vividly painted in The Bone Season and when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better it did. She took the world she built so uniquely in the first book and built on it even more. Looking back now on both books I've noticed that the first book was definitely more of an introduction into the main characters, the main main character Paige's past as well as how Scion came to be as she knew it, and the Rephaim without giving too much away about them. The sequel I felt built more on the workings of the Rephaim and the syndicate. It was kind of like the knowledge of all three came full circle in a lot of ways, but with questions that were still left unanswered for another time to keep the reader wanting more.

I absolutely loved this book! The character development as well as the development of the world in which the books are set was completely on point. I love how strong the main character Paige is, how stubborn, independent, caring, ambitious. Apparently there is a first time for everything because I don't have a single bad thing to say about the main character (so far anyway seeing as how this is only book two of an expected seven book series) and I didn't when I read the first book either. I love how Samantha Shannon paints this horrifically cruel world that has these small bits of a beauty in them. There's something so tragic yet hopeful in the story and it's pulled me in from the first book through now. Not only that but the subtle romance in it is the best because it's there but at the same time it's not. She doesn't go all out with the romance in her books, doesn't shove it in your face. She pretty much just goes here's some forbidden romance for you to fawn over and then moves on to the life or death conflicts going on in the world for the characters. (I must admit, however, that the romance is a favorite part of mine in this story though. Probably because I love Warden a tad too much.) This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and just when I thought I had it figured out I find out that I so didn't. It completely exceeded my expectations. And let me tell you that you're in for one shocker of an ending with a cliffhanger, a revelation, questions unanswered, and wanting the next book now instead of next year when you finish this book. I know that's how I feel right now!

Let me says this, Samantha Shannon is a genius! The world she's created is so unique and the potential for it as the books go on is amazing. I for one am waiting VERY impatiently for the next book.

The Mime Order picks up right where The Bone Season left off. Like the series opener, this installment is a slow burn. However, the slow pace is worth it because the world building continues as we follow Paige’s struggles. She sees the world that she fought so hard to return to differently now that her eyes are open. It’s a dark and oppressed world full of lies, hidden agendas, and two-faced people sitting out in the open. One wrong move can end in death, especially for Paige since she’s now on the most wanted list. It really allowed us the time to fully understand what Paige is facing at every turn.

It was interesting to get more detail about some of the characters we know from the previous novel, such as Jax and the various big players of the syndicate. Learning the history of The Rephiam as Warden knows it is fascinating, and I’m sure it will play a big part as the series continues. Learning the politics of the syndicate was also interesting, especially as we begin to see how deep the corruption has seeped. The slow pace might be something that won’t pull everyone in, but it allows us to see what Paige and company will be facing as they become immersed in the war. The story becomes fast paced toward the end, and we see how Paige’s decisions come back to bite her. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, new and old, every step of the way. I can’t wait for the third installment!

Seven orders of clairvoyance. A hidden world of magic in a corrupt alternate London. An alien race with opposing factions. Scion London split up into six districts, each ruled by a different Mime Lord/Queen with different clairvoyant powers. The Mime Order is a highly detailed, descriptive and imaginative world, featuring another glossary, three maps and a syndicate list.

The Mime Order builds upon the foundation set by the first book, opening up the world of Scion London, the competing agendas between Mime Lords/Queens, clairvoyant powers and the inner workings of the Syndicates. Once I scanned the Recaptains summary and Samantha Shannon’s Character Summary, I was ready to immerse myself into this world.

It picks up where The Bone Season left off, as Paige begrudgingly resumes her position as her Mime Lord’s mollisher (or heir). As Jaxon prepares to take the underworld for his own, issuing orders to Paige and his Seven Seals to investigate other gangs and compete errands, Paige also has an agenda of her own – to build her own influence within the clairvoyant underworld and aligning herself with Warden and the Rephaites.

This is a world with constant, competing priorities and struggles: unexplained gang murders, Paige on the Wanted list, opposing Rephaite alliances, magic, death, betrayal and a brewing revolution. It’s a completely immersive, dark and gritty world filled with hidden powers and competing agendas. As much as I loved how richly imagined and detailed the world was, there were times when the plot stalled in favour of the world building, making it a rather slow and arduous read.

Paige has undergone a fair amount of character development since the first book, which had me totally rooting for her in this one. With the escape from Sheol I under her belt, she’s on the tide of power and revolution, and she’ll stop at nothing to be the change in the corrupt world of Scion. I admire Paige for her drive to succeed, her influence, self belief and tenacity. This is a girl who leads with her head, knowing how to achieve what’s in her heart. Seeing someone like Paige being suppressed by the flamboyant, arrogant and cocky Jaxon Hall was a pain that needed to be endured, however temporary it was. I’m looking forward to Paige’s development in the next few books, as a force to be reckoned with.

I was hesitant to support the romance in the first book, as it was reminiscent of stockholm syndrome. However, seeing the irrefutable chemistry between Warden and Paige in this book, and how they just cared for and complemented each other so well, I’m convinced that the two would make a great pair. They’re both intelligent, purposeful and driven, both focused on a similar agenda – to make a better London. It’s a slow burning and tantalising romance, which never takes over the plot of the story.

The last quarter of the book moves at a frantic pace, as everything that is built upon in the early half of the book finally arises. It will all be worth it just for these pages, as the scale of the clairvoyant powers are revealed and demonstrated in the most epic psychic battle I’ve ever read. Dreamscapes, auras, reaching out with your mind will all come to play, making it an epic and thrilling experience.

The Mime Order is a stunning sequel, expanding the world of Scion London, showing us more of the seven orders of clairvoyance and laying out a gritty, corrupt and richly imaginative world run by Mime Lords and otherworldly Rephaites. Although it’s a bit slow at times, it features more world building, character development and a epic ending. Fantasy readers who love to immerse themselves into a richly built world would love this series.

Check out happyindulgencebooks.com for more reviews!

“The Bone Season” and “The Mime Order” (the first two books of this series) take place in the not too distant future in London.
The clairvoyant community (syndicate) is struggling for existence/equality while the government (Scion) is working to eradicate all forms of clairvoyance through execution or by imprisoning the clairvoyants in Sheol I, — a “prison community” controlled by the Rephaites (immortal beings of the Netherworld who feed on the aura of clairvoyants). In “TBS”, Paige Mahoney (the protagonist and a clairvoyant) is caught and imprisoned in Sheol I, but finally escapes.

In “TMO” we find Paige (whose clairvoyant powers continue to increase/strengthen) being pursued by Scion, and, the evil and powerful Rephrait, Nashira. The clairvoyant syndicate is in turmoil with infighting; some of the factions are secretly conspiring with the government. In “TMO”, much more is revealed and learned about the clairvoyant syndicate and the history/origin of the Rephaites (some of whom are siding with the clairvoyants).
This is a “page turner” filled with intrigue, conspiracies, suspense, other world powers, class warfare, evil, love and edge of seat action. The characters are unique, well developed, and unforgettable. “TMO” builds to a jaw-dropping climax with a major surprise that segues into the next sequel.

Supposedly, there will be 7 books in this series and (as with most series) needs to be read from the beginning for the full enjoyment and continuity of this story. Shannon has provided maps, a glossary of terms, and an index of the clairvoyants; all of which are helpful and make this epic all the more enjoyable.

Kudos to Samantha Shannon for a compelling and captivating read. She has me hooked and anxiously awaiting the next book. 5 Stars

After reading the first book in this series, The Bone Season, I instantly picked up my ARC of The Mime Order and delved right back into Paige and her adventures in Scion. In The Mime Order, Paige goes back with her work with Jaxon Hall, her mime-lord. She originally didn't want to go back to Jaxon, but after being talked to a lot by Nick and considering the fact that she is one of Scion's most wanted, she knows that she needs protection so she goes back to him.

That was one of my favorite things about this book-learning more about the illustrious Jaxon Hall. Not much was really learned about him from book one, though he really started to become one of my favorite characters of all time while reading this sequel. Just the way he talks and acts, like he's upper class and the world revolves around him because he knows at the end of the day that he will always get what he wants. Plus, Jax seems to always be one-or sometimes two-steps ahead of everybody.

Nick plays an important role in this book as well. After learning more about him from Paige's memories in the first book, we now know that she did have quite the crush on him until finding out that Nick has a massive crush on Zeke, another one of the Seven Seals. I really loved the friendship between Paige and Nick; they've known each other for so long and Nick is actually the one that got Paige into this underground world of Scion and got her the job with Jaxon Hall. Nick is always there for Paige, always protecting her and if she is in trouble, he is there as soon as he can be.

I found the use of propaganda and penny-dreadfuls in this novel to be very interesting, especially when Paige and the rest of the survivors from Oxford publish one. I recently found out that this is going to be quite a lengthy series, and I'm so excited about that! The Bone Season series has quickly become one of my top favorites, because it's set in a futuristic London and it's filled with suspense, magic, and epic friendship and romance. This sequel was just as entertaining if not more than book one, and I'm excited to see what's in store with book three-especially after this ending. Sadly, this review is much shorter than my review for book one, but I'm scared that I'll give away too much! Just know that this is a series that you MUST check out!