Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

The Mime Order

Author: Samantha Shannon
Series: The Bone Season #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Format: ebook
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Source: egalley received from publisher via Netgalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

My Review:

So last year when I read The Bone Season I was a little disappointed. Not that I didn’t like it, I did. But I wasn’t blown away like everyone else seemed to be. But I was definitely still interested enough to continue the series. The Mime Order blew it out of the water. This book. This series. Oh my gosh, so much epicness.

So there is a lot going on in this book. A lot of British words that I had to look up. A lot of words specific to this world. I mean, there’s a freaking glossary at the back of the book. So this book does require a certain level of concentration. The world-building is spectacular, but it can be a lot to take in. Don’t get scared off by it. I promise if you stick with it, you’ll catch on and then you’ll be blown away.

This book takes place right where the first one left off, in a train, escaping Sheol I (a penal colony). Coming back from her experiences in the brutal camp leaves Paige asking lots of questions and trying, for the first time, to truly fight back against Scion (the evil government) and their allies. Her Mime-lord (gang leader), Jaxon, isn’t really a fan of this new Paige and wants her to go back to being the obedient gang member that she was before her experiences. No such luck. I loved how stubborn and determined Paige was. She was so passionate about helping her fellow voyants (people who can see the aether, or the spirit world…are you starting to see what I mean about all the new terms?) and that passion really made me want to root for her.

WARDEN!!! Oh my gosh. I started to fall in love with Warden in the first book and was definitely swooning over him, but I’m not sure I would have labeled him with book boyfriend status. Well he crossed over that line in this one! Warden is so sexy, so complex, so tortured, so perfect. My only complaint is that we didn’t get to see enough of him. I really hope he plays a bigger role in the next book because hot damn.

The plotline is so intense and well-done. There’s never a dull moment in this book. Maybe it’s not always high action, but it’s always high stakes. Samantha Shannon doesn’t make anything easy for Paige. This girl has to fight and claw her way through this book. Pay attention as you’re reading. There are lots of little hints dropped, small details that will later become very important. I absolutely loved how all these little details were woven into this one epic story.

This book took this series from mediocre for me to spectacular. I cannot wait to continue on with the series (although this is a seven book series so it’s going to be a long journey…) to find out what’s going to happen next. We are, of course, left on a cliffhanger, although not the worst one in the world. More like a shocking fact that leaves you gaping and also kicking yourself because you totally should have known that. If you haven’t started this series yet and are a fan of fantasy, I highly recommend it. It’s technically adult, but it has great crossover appeal for fans of YA. Get on it and let me know what you think!

Have you read this one yet? What did you think? Were you swooning over Warden? Did the ending shock you?