I'm just going to start off by saying how impressed I was with The Bone Season. It's not every day I come across a book that blows me away in the world-building department. I am notoriously hard to please when it comes to settings and research, so when I give an author props for world-building, I mean it more than anything. The details here are fantastic--the magic system, the cities, the government, the different species--it's pretty mind blowing. And the best part is that it never feels heavy and overwritten. When it comes to details, it's easy to go overboard with the exposition and descriptions, but I never felt that way. It's why some readers complained about Stormdancer. And they might not like The Bone Season for similar reasons, but to me it never felt heavy handed. The only thing I wish is that there had been more excitement in the first chapter. I didn't like it at all. Books are supposed to start off with a bang and this one just fizzled into action. The first chapter is loaded with infodumping, and I understand why some readers are hesitant to continue. But I hope if you are one of those people, you decide to, because once you get past the first twenty pages, you are in for a treat.I often criticize books for unlikable characters. For me, the perfect characters are the flawed ones. The ones that feel real. You want them to be characters that readers resonate with, but you know they have to be real people as well, and that means they have to screw up and make mistakes. They have to have a true character arc and learn something and grow with the story. Once again, I feel that this was accomplished in The Bone Season. At least with the two main characters, Paige and Warden. Warden grows a lot. I can't imagine any reader liking him in the beginning, and you are not supposed to. But by the end he just did something to my emotions in a really powerful way. Paige, on the other hand, was at times infuriating. She wasn't a weak protagonist--on the contrary--she opened her mouth a few times when I felt she shouldn't have. She managed to get herself into trouble without thinking and planning first. She had to be rescued (I HATE heroines who have to be rescued). And yet I still liked her. She was loyal, determined (to her detriment), and a supportive friend. I had issues with the side characters though. They needed more development. It's hard because the book was pretty long already, but I wanted more development with the syndicate characters. I wanted more from the other unnaturals and the Rephaim. I wanted more Jax and Nick. There are just SO many characters with small roles. If you have memory issues and you don't read and finish this in a few days, you are going to have problems. I wish I had taken notes. I believe the entire story is supposed to be spread out into seven novels. That's a lot of story. My only worry is that there is not enough material to make that many books worth it. The Bone Season has an incredibly engaging plot. And to me it never felt excessively long or drawn out. I love fantasy novels, and it has been some time since I read one that engaged me the way this one did. The magic system was pretty awesome and Paige's talent, dream walking, was super exciting. I guess to some this book may have been boring, but I loved it. I don't do plot summaries in my reviews, but I don't think a review of this novel is complete without a little idea of what this book is about. So with that...there is a ruling government called the Scion who is in control of all London. They've outlawed magic, and anyone that has a magic talent is arrested, and most likely put to death. Or so they think. In reality, most of them are sent to a penal colony developed in the city of Oxford where they are forced to work for a species called the Rephaim. There is no escape. While Paige is there, she uncovers more mysteries and things about her world she could never have imagined. So, if you are into strong world-building, if you like a very vivid novel with YA crossover appeal but adult themes, if details are important to you, I think you will probably enjoy The BOne Season. I can understand easily why the film rights to this book have been sold already; it would make a great film. I hope it's big. I hope it sells, and I hope a lot of people get their hands on this one. It is well worth the time investment.
