Published: January 2021
Pages: 544
Summary
Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and sent to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between factions that seek Scion’s downfall and those who would kill to protect the puppet empire.
The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles.
As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them–and could end with them . . .
My thoughts
Another fantastic addition to The Bone Season series! Where long book series can often fall away or feel drag on on, that is absolutely not the case here. The Mask Falling is just as action packed and filled with plot as book one.
The first few chapters of this book are on the slower side but that is needed. We saw how book three ended and Paige was in rough shape. She needed to slow down to heal her body but also heal her mind. Through this we see her relationship with Warden grow. The character development is fantastic, when I compare Paige to book one she is no longer the same person. She has changed but because the reader is brought on that journey with her, the incremental changes slowly develop Paige so it doesn’t feel jarring. She doesn’t act or behave in a way we wouldn’t expect because we’ve been with her every step of the way. It’s very believable, and even in books of magic, there needs to be believability when it comes to how the characters portray themselves.
To be on book four and still have a wonderfully, captivating plot that is filled with political intrigue and twists and turns. My attention was grasped and I desperately need book five in my hands.
The world-building continues to astound, with vivid descriptions of a dystopian world on the brink of war. There’s so much complexity and a wide range of characters all battling their own thoughts, grappling with their identities and the weight of their actions and decisions. We have old characters returning and new ones we haven’t seen before. They all have their own ambitions and plans and throughout the story we start to see these connections come to light.
“I am of the considered opinion that for every person, there exists a book that will sing to them. I trust that you will find yours.”
But don’t get me wrong, I mentioned this book starts slower but once the action starts.. it does not stop. Shannon packed a lot into this book and my anxiety was raised throughout most of it. There were moments I had to put it down but I also couldn’t stop reading to find out what happens next.
Besides my own heart racing at some delicate moments, this book touches on very emotional themes. Throughout this whole series, Shannon does a wonderful job addressing love, loss and exploring the power of hope and unity. I feel like I am in the room with them and I am feeling their pain and determination. For an author to evoke such emotion and have the story so immersive, is praise to Shannon’s writing skill.
Also, the elephant in the room.. Paige and Warden. I am not a romance reader (to set the scene). I enjoy a small romantic subplot in the wider plot and it was so good to see more of their relationship and spend time together. There were some very sweet, feet-kicking, butterfly-belly moments. Not many but just enough to satisfy my small romantic need. And in such books where our main characters go through so much pain and heartache (Shannon, what have you got in store for them?) it is so nice to see them have some selfish moments of joy.
Although we do have an ending of sorts, the plot continues into the next book and when I finished this I was filled with questions and thoughts and how these characters come into play.
“Who can break you now, Black Moth, now there is nothing left to break?”
Would I recommend?
Yes! I love this series so much. It is a wonderful blend of urban fantasy, dystopian world and so much politics. There is a wide variety of characters, all with their own priorities and this series will definitely keep you on your toes! I am so thrilled to read more but also gutted there are not many books left.
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