SFF

The Song Rising

by Samantha Shannon
Bloomsbury USA. (Bone Season, Bk. 3).Mar. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9781632866240. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781632866264. FANTASY
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In this third installment (after The Bone Season and The Mime Order) of Shannon's projected seven-book series, Paige Mahoney's reign as Underqueen faces new threats from Scion's ever-emerging cast of leaders. Fans will be rewarded with more character backstory, and new double agents on both sides of the insurgency. When those within the Mime Order are branded enemies of the state and discover that their spiritual powers are being harnessed for warfare through a device called Senshield, the novel hits its stride, effectively mirroring current debates on immigration, violence, and equality. It is within the descriptions of this clairvoyant world that Shannon's writing shines, and as the revolution progresses, the loss of key Mime Order members will be acutely felt by readers of the previous books.
VERDICT This is a solid addition to the series, with two exceptions: the capture of the Underqueen includes gruesome waterboarding torture scenes that some will prefer to skip, and the perpetual question of will-they-or-won't-they between Paige and Warden (the series' male protagonist) remains unresolved.[See Prepub Alert, 10/3/16.]
Reviewed by Tina Panik, Avon Free P.L., CT , Nov 15, 2016
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