The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

May contain spoilers for book one The Bone Season

The Mime Order The Bone Season Book Two
Written by Samantha Shannon
Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Paperback published September 1st 2015
528 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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★★★★★
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.
Welcome back to Scion London, where Paige finds herself an enemy of the state having escaped Sheol and leading a small group of imprisoned Voyants to freedom, with the hope that many more will now follow in her wake. As the sinister and heinous leader of the Rephaim, Nashira will refuse to simply allow Paige to go free, coveting her gift of being The Pale Dreamer while the Rephaim begin to infuse their race into the world. With no where to turn, Paige realises she must return to Jaxon and the Seven Seals, taking her place as his mollisher once more to secure her safety against the Scion employed Vigiles, oppressive guards who have been sent to find the Sheol fugitives.

The Mime syndicate is in ruin, when a rival Mine Lord is murdered along with his band of vigilantes. Paige becomes the main suspect, which Jaxon believes is the prime opportunity to secure his most prized possession. With the introduction of a new prototype that will peruse those with unnatural abilities, the Voyants of Scion will need to unite to fight against Scion. But animosity towards the new alliance will come from those who Paige has underestimated, her claims of the Rephaim will be challenged, alliances will be tested and if Paige wants to change the world, she'll need to take control of her own fate first. No matter the consequences.

ponderings of a booknerd

Hope is the lifeblood of revolution.
Without it, we are nothing but ash, waiting for the wind to take us.
After having escaped the confines of Sheol, Paige has reclaimed her freedom and is back in Scion, determined to protect the Voyants of London from the oppressive rule. The Bone Season briefly introduced readers into the world of Scion London, the hierarchy between the levels of clairvoyants and the relationships between the sectors. The storyline begins soon after The Bone Season, where Paige has escaped Sheol leading a small group of Voyants to freedom, leaving Warden behind. She's determine to expose Scion for what it is, a cruel and oppressive reign that has sold the Voyants into a life of slavery and death. Paige is fierce. She's still on edge from her time at Scion and debating whether to return to Jaxon and the Seven Seals, but as her face is plastered throughout the city her decision is made and Jaxon may be her only chance at survival. As a rival Mime Lord and his group are brutally murdered, Jaxon sees the opportunity to take the city for himself and expects Paige to be by his side, now that she is in his debt.

But Exposing Scion and the Repahim is Paige's main priority and despite Jaxon's intent to silence her, Paige forges on and plays the Mime Lord at his own game. It was glorious. Yet again the most endearing quality of the series is the vivid world around them. I loved exploring London from it's opulent lifestyle to it's seedy and dangerous slums, in which most of the Voyants dwell. Readers gain the insight into rival Voyant gangs and learn to appreciate Jaxon's lure and protection, siding with Paige's decision not to go it alone. As the storyline builds, tensions arise between Paige and Jaxon with the latter attempting to keep her on a tight leash which only makes Paige more determined to expose their world.

The Mime Order flowed effortlessly. Samantha Shannon is a natural storyteller, immersing readers into her vividly imagined world from the very first page. Despite conflicting reviews, I found the storyline easy to follow with both installments but it certainly keeps readers on their toes. It's intelligent young adult bordering on new adult due the age of the characters and Paige being nineteen. Likened to Sarah J. Maas but without the dramatic shift between character relationships, I absolutely adore this series and simply can't recommend it highly enough. It's not a typical fantasy, but an epic fusion of fantasy, dystopian and science fiction with a touch of romance to keep the storyline fresh and adding intensity. The final few chapters are nothing short of breathtaking, they left me lost for words and with a mixture of pride and self high fives all round. But expect a twist that may or may not shock or delight.

the final verdict

This is by far one of the best series I've discovered thus far. Vivid, beautifully imagined and unique in a flooded expanse of fantasy books that all seem to engulf non fantasy readers. It's nothing short of phenomenal and book three just can't come soon enough. Buy it. Loan it. Beg for a copy. You won't be disappointed.
Read an excerpt from The Mime Order here and enter to win a copy.

24 comments

  1. I don't think I have ever seen a negative review for these books lol it sort of fills me with dread that I won't like it, because everyone else loves it. But I will suck it up in time and get to reading these ;) I wish I had more hours in a day to read to be honest!

    Great review Kelly, thank you for sharing :)

    - Wattle @ Whimsical Nature

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    1. So do I Wattle, so many books and never enough time. This is one series well worth making the time for though, it's phenomenal. The characters, the vivid world building and the writing is absolutely delicious! I can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  2. First of all, this cover is just TOO GLORIOUS. I'm not sure how I feel about the typical oppressive government setting -- side note, I have this vibe dystopian is being resurrected as a genre but hiding under other genres like fantasy and sci fi -- but YA bordering on NA that is not romance always makes me interested.

    Thanks for dropping by The Devil Orders Takeout!

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    1. I really like the new style of cover, but a bit sad that it doesn't match book one really. It might be one of those series I'll have to wait until they're all out and purchase the matching copies. It's very much mature young adult, but will definitely appeal to the wider reading audience. One of the best series I've read in a long time and drama free at that.

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  3. I've read the excerpt before and girl I loved it! It was so easy to slip right in the story and feel like I was actually Paige! Now that is talent. I'm glad you liked this one so much girl. I always take your reviews to heart so I'll be adding this one to my shelf! Thanks for an awesome review.♡

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    1. Thanks Keionda, you're such a sweetheart.

      Yes, you need to add this series and grab a copy of both books as soon a humanly possible. You'll be blown away how awesome it is. And the romance is barely there, but super intense and steamy too. I can't wait to see what you think of it!

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  4. Fantastic review Kelly! I'm so glad that this second book did not fall victim to the "second book syndrome" :) The author sounds amazing too. I know of another female author who is a natural storyteller, Marissa Meyer. That woman can hold my attention and make me travel to alternate realities effortlessly. The Mime Order sounds like a fascinating escapism, I'll be adding the series to my TBR. I hope I can get to all these wonderful books you've recommended to me soon!

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    1. If you only buy one more book this year Claudia, let it be The Bone Season. It's absolutely incredible. I'm not a big fantasy reader, but this series has completely blown me away. It's a fusion series with a little paranormal thrown in with the clairvoyants but so fantastically written. It's glorious!

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  5. Gah. I'm in for a pulse-pounding read again, aren't I? These type of books kill me! But heck, I'm so looking forward to reading my copy. Uhm. I barely saw any mention of one certain Warden. I'm worried...

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    1. Ohh he's in there all right Joy but, you'll have to pick up a copy to find out. I found The Mime Order to be more about Paige and her fight to do what is right for the London Voyants before all else. If you liked her in The Bone Season, you'll absolutely love her character in this one.

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  6. I am glad to see that you liked this one so much! I loved it even more than the Bone Season. I read the first two books earlier in the year and I can't wait for book three. Great review! :)
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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    1. Me too Krystianna. I loved The Bone season but The Mime Order was incredible and Paige really came into her own as a character. Book three just can't come soon enough.

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  7. * squeals * I'm sooo glad you loved it! The Mime Order moved a little slow for me in the beginning, but it definitely didn't take long to pick up. I love epic battle scenes, and I was jumping for joy after I read that AH-MAZING battle between her and the other Clairvoyants. Let's not forget my beautiful Arcturus, and that cliff-hanger! I really wish Bloomsbury would move their ass and push the third book already.

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    1. The wait is so incredibly painful. I think I'm anticipating this even more than I was Queen of Shadows. If I could sit down and list all the things I look for in the perfect read, this series so far ticks all of those boxes. Gosh how I love it!

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  8. Thanks for sharing! I really should check out this series. I see the first book at my library all the time. I was always surprised to see it in the adult section though. I don't know why...haha

    -lauren

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    1. I think it's only because the characters are over eighteen, but it reads as mature young adult. The series is incredible Lauren, I honestly just can't recommend it enough.

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  9. To say that this is one of the best series you've read is really, really a big deal and a big thing to say, especially coming from you, Kelly :D I know that Jeann loves this, too. I usually like Brandon Sanderson's stories (especially his stormlight archive which is really really slow) so it may really have been unfair of me to give this up on my first try because of the slow pace. I'll reread it again from the very start and just enjoy the story and immerse myself as much as you guys have!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. I can see why you might have put it down, as the start is pretty underwhelming. But after that shaky start there's an incredible storyline that builds, the vivid world building and an incredible character in Paige. Please, please, please give it another try Faye, I can almost guarantee you'll fall in love with the series too.

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  10. Ahhh! I'm really glad to hear that this was so good, Kelly! I really enjoyed the first book and I've been meaning to get to this one, but it's so hefty I figured I'd wait until I had more time. I'm really happy though that the story was just as good as the first one. I'm excited to read those last few chapters especially. :)
    Lovely review!

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    1. It looks like a HUGE read, but I breezed through it so quickly Nick. I ate it up within two nights and was reluctant to put it down at all. This is definitely one series that you clear your calendar for Nick, I can't wait for you to read it!

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  11. Okay, with most of you really enjoying this, now I really need to get started on The Bone Season, but for a non-fantasy reader like me, I feel like it's going to be such an overwhelming read, and I'm scuuurred, haha!

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    1. I'm not a fantasy reader either, but I felt it was more dystopian based with paranormal elements than actual fantasy. Both are such phenomenal reads.

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  12. Okay, I'm kinda skimming your review bcause I still need to read this! Read and totally loved The Bone Season, but have yet to read this one. Need to get to is ASAP!

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    1. You do Sarah, you really do.

      It's even more incredible than The Bone Season, and that ending will absolutely blow you away. Gosh, I'm so excited for you to read it now and see what you think of it.

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