Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Mimetički poredak by Samantha Shannon

29 reviews

alexalovesbooks's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Mime Order is a testament to how I personally prefer succeeding books in a series to be, as it enriches the reading experience of the series by fleshing out the world, lore and plot. I remember how it felt to read this installment the first time - it surprised me in many ways, but also cemented my regard for Samantha Shannon's storytelling. Getting to have that experience again with this preferred text version was uniquely satisfying; I still harbor the same feelings, though dialed up a notch given how cool it is that the author was able to take the bones of the already brilliant tale she's told and just make it (somehow) even better. 

I'd prefer not to go into spoilers about the actual plot, though if I could, I'd certainly have plenty of moments to gush or scream about. But I find myself still feeling like it's best to dive into this book (and the rest of the series) without knowing too much about how things will play out. What I can confirm is that readers will get the following things from this sequel:

  • additional world-building, centered primarily on the London Syndicate and its dealings; 
  • more intimate knowledge of Paige Mahoney, our heroine and narrator, as she makes sense of her recent experiences and decides what to do about her new new knowledge going forward;
  • encounters with other characters we know and love (or love to hate) (or just plain hate) 
  • multi-layered plot (with one unique to this novel, and a few building on previously started threads) with a mix of action, mystery and romance (more on this in the next bullet point)
  • a deeper development of a certain romantic (or leaning romantic, at this point) relationship that still got me deep in my feels with the slow burn/secrecy/strength of their mutual regard

No words I use will be adequate to express how incredible this installment is, though it does cement the fact that The Bone Season is an all-time favorite series of mine. The second act of Paige Mahoney's story - jumpstarted in Oxford, kindled in London - is thrilling from beginning to end, and I can't wait to dive into the next book.

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msmichaelag's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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beau_b_reading's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I started reading the Bone Season series, like many probably did, after reading The Priory of the Orange Tree (and its prequel). Thirsting for more of Shannon's work. I wasn't expecting the series to be as good, it was her debut after all, but I'm still finding it quite enjoyable. No doubt the revisions helped it a lot, I'll make sure to keep reading the author's preferred text. 

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deedireads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I recently read The Bone Season and absolutely loved it; it was exactly the kind of epic urban fantasy I didn’t even know I was craving. This is the second book of the series, which is planned for seven books (the fifth of which just came out two weeks ago). I had a great time once again, and even though I can objectively recognize the second book syndrome, I didn’t care; my enthusiasm is just as high.

The fact of the matter is that the pacing of this one wasn’t as good as The Bone Season; I felt like I waited a really long time for the meat of it, which all came at the end. Things aren’t helped by the fact that we have a whole different setting filled with characters we barely knew from book one. That meant there was a lot of re-expositioning to do, all while we are wondering about the main plot burbling behind the scenes. Basically, it was definitely a bridge book to set up the rest of the series, linking our two main settings (and groups of characters) together.

And yet I can’t complain. I still had fun! Plus, when you have seven books planned, naturally you’re going to have stages of the story that feel like this along the way. This book is clearly setting up a LOT of room for the rest of the series to run, which I find extremely exciting!

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scgood's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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elisabeth23's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to carry on with this series because I enjoyed the first book in the series and wanted to see what was going to happen to Paige and the gang after they escape from Oxford. However, this book had a lot of information dumping and I was just getting bored.  

This book is based on Paige Mahoney, and she 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 now the most wanted person in London. As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mine-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.  

I felt like this was the first book in the series rather than the second book in the series. We were back at square one, I was very lost and confused for most of the book. I was expecting this to be about Warden and Julian and Paige and the survivors. It was a complete information overload and my head was hurting. I missed The Warden, and it shouldn’t have taken thirteen chapters to see him again. Another issue I have with the book and with Samantha Shannon’s writing is very big reveal or twist is very anti-climactic, I was just waiting for the reaction to be Holy Mother of Mary, and it just didn’t happen, it was just sort of crept in and then we moved on. Plus, I would have loved for this to be dual POV or even multiple POV with Warden and Jaxon having their own chapters, especially towards the start of the rebellion. 

Paige saved this book from being 2 stars. Her character development was the only thing that was keeping me sane. I loved that she was like yeah I've changed, I'll play all my cards right but I'm going to save everyone if I can because everyone should be trying to help anyone in need. I’m so glad she won that fight with Jaxon but I'm assuming he isn’t going to leave quietly. The ending got me back into it and wanting to know what the hell was going to happen. I’m assuming the Rag King is Jaxon, that’s my prediction before I carry on with the next book in the series.  

Overall, I was disappointed in this book and hoping that it’s the odd one out in the series and I enjoy the other books in the series.  

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gdulecki's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Samantha Shannon I love your brain!!!! I have been eagerly awaiting this copy from the library, it was on order for forever, and once I started if I wasn’t actively reading, I could not stop thinking about this story. I am sitting here reeling over the implications of the final pages, and I am so glad the next book is in transit to me because I need to know what happens right now!!

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bookishsamurai's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

After devouring The Bone Season, I eagerly dove into this book, and it did not disappoint. This book builds on the world in the first book, with a darker, more intense atmosphere that draws us deeper into
the world of London Underground, the clairvoyant society, intrigue, and manipulation.

Paige's journey is one of resilience. Her struggles with the weight and consequences of her mollisher position in I-IV, and the harsh realities of the world she returned to after Oxford; are depicted with incredible depth. As she navigates the new political landscape, her internal conflict and determination kept me hooked. Her relationships with her people continue to evolve, with trust and loyalty constantly being tested.
This book was just unputdownable. I loved learning the truth about how even though
they were out of The Colony, it didn't mean they would stay safe. Or alive.
The last few chapters were well worth the buildup to them. And even though we knew what was coming, we didn't really know all of it. 
Samantha masterfully explores themes of power, ambition, and the consequences of the choices made by those in positions of influence. The plot is rich with suspense and twists (especially in the latter part of the book) that leave us questioning everything until the very last page (iykyk).

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seastheday's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I have a deep love for Paige & most of the Seven Seals. I wanted to learn the world of the Syndicate in the first book so badly. I was incredibly excited for this book to understand who Paige was before & after Oxford.
I always knew Jaxon was a mf rat. When he said (I’m paraphrasing) that he knew more of Paige’s outings than she realized, I knew he was a rat. And I’m so so so sure that he was dying for money because he couldn’t sell Voyants since Paige was “home”
I loved her growth as a person, humanitarian, vigilante, savior, & dreamwalker. This book was nothing short of action packed, intriguing and difficult to put down. This is growing to be one of my favorite series, and I hope it only gets better from here.

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