The Song Rising

October 10, 2016
The third entry in the epic Bone Season paranormal near-future series picks up where 2015’s The Mime Order left off, with dreamwalker Paige Mahoney taking her place as the underqueen of London’s clairvoyant community. With the totalitarian forces of Scion increasing their choke hold on their territories and seeking to expand their reach, Paige has to rally her people, taking the fight to Scion before it’s too late. But first they have to destroy the Senshield, the enigmatic technology capable of exposing the voyants wherever they are. Paige’s journey takes her across an increasingly dangerous Britain, where she’s forced to rely on unlikely allies, and into the heart of Scion’s strongholds, where she confronts an enemy that’s able to predict her every move. Shannon’s exploration of a futuristic, perilous Europe remains engaging and evocative, especially with the depiction of the so-called Unnatural Assembly and its tradition of catchy, almost folkloric nicknames. The narrative is fueled by a constant sense of tension, as well as both internal and external conflict, but some of the mythology related to the otherworldly Rephaim remains hard to grasp, somewhat diminishing the story’s overall strength. Agent: David Godwin, David Godwin Associates.

November 15, 2016

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.]--Tina Panik, Avon Free P.L., CT

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