Published Date: August 2013/ Revised Editions published 2023
Pages: 624
Summary
The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.
In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.
When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.
My thoughts
First off, I know this is a remastered version but to write this story at 19 is hugely ambitious and she did it incredibly well.
This is a captivating blend of urban fantasy and dystopia, not my usual genre but I’m glad I gave this book a chance. I had previously read Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree and adored it so knew I had to try her other series. Set in a future London ruled by a tyrannical regime, we are introduced to Paige Mahoney, a young woman with extraordinary psychic abilities. However, these abilities are feared, and those that can harness these powers, are in constant danger.
Not all of us know what we are. Some of us die without ever knowing. Some of us know, and never get caught. But we’re out there.
Trust me.
Paige, a clairvoyant, is forcibly taken into a dangerous world of shadowy organisations and supernatural powers. As she navigates this perilous realm, she must confront her own destiny and the sinister forces that seek to control her.
What Shannon does very well is world-building, and in my mind the England I know was overrun by this future dystopian version. I was completely engaged with the plot and I began to care deeply for our characters. This was a perfect blend of driving the plot forward, whilst understand our characters, who they are, what they want. I became invested, and that meant I felt their hurt. This is not a happy story. This is raw and political, a very difficult landscape to manage, many opposing sides and a desperate need for survival.
While the novel’s pacing can be uneven at times, I didn’t mind at all because the character development is strong. Paige is a compelling protagonist, flawed and relatable, as she grapples with her newfound powers in an incredibly oppressive society, that would happily see her dead.
You cannot kill death. What fire can scald the sun? Who can drown the ocean?
Now this is book one of seven.. yes you heard me right. Though not as long as the likes of Sanderson or Hobb, seven is still big but the books are so worth it. So far the first four are out, with number five due in February 2025. Each of these books have been four or five star reads for me and the ache of having to wait for more is killing.
I don’t want to share too much as the plot continues and weaves through the books but if you enjoy political intrigue, criminal underground, corruption and revolution, I believe you will enjoy this one.
I loved the writing, there is also some humour and the beginnings of a romance, but this is very much an urban fantasy in a very perilous time of oppression. Any smidge of romance, although very beautiful, is also very brief and definitely not the focus of this story.
If you had offered me the world, I would not have been able to fully describe it – just as I could never explain how I breathed while I was sound asleep, or how my heart kept beating. I just knew he was calling me
Would I recommend?
Yes, yes and yes! The perfect balance of plot development, world building and dialogue. Samantha’s writing is phenomenal and she has me on the edge of my seat.
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