48

Ah, number 48! This novel is very hard to categorize. It could be older YA, a bit sci-fi, a bit urban fantasy, a bit steam punk and more than a bit enjoyable.

"The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon is the first in a planned series of 7 books. If you don't have patience for authors who take their time world building, don't bother with this one. The story unravels this world, a very complicated one, rather slowly. Paige Mahoney is a special young woman, with very special powers that allow her to dreamwalk inside other people's heads. She can reach the aether. And her skills allow her to work for a criminal overlord in Scion-London. Until she gets caught and hauled off to a city that everyone thinks is dead. Instead it is a penal colony for other folks with special powers and it is run by beings who came to Earth from the aether. And of course, they have their own agenda and a "traitorous" rebel group that wants to stop them from inflicting more damage to the Earth.

This is Shannon's first novel, and as she was only 21 when it was published, I fully expect her writing voice to change a bit as the story progresses. The Bone Season isn't the best book I've read so far this year, but it is far from the worst. If you follow the link, it seems most reviewers gave it a 3 star rating, and I would say that is very fair.

I look forward to reading more of Shannon's stories and I fully expect the few rough spots I sensed in the book will be handled better the next time out.

I also read a collection of short stories from Lisa Shafer and left reviews for her on Goodreads and Amazon. I'm eager to see the world building she does in the full length novel these short stories are inspired by. And who doesn't love the title, "The Chocolate Smuggler's Notebook?"

This is my last post of the week, and yes, it is only Monday. I'm on VACATION at 3:30 today. And I very excited and very happy to enjoy a nice long holiday.

Until December....toodles.