Synopsis:
Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion’s downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim’s puppet empire.
The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim-her former enemy-at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.
As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she 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…
Rating: 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
“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.”
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon
The Mask Falling was one of my most anticipated books of the year. After the long wait after its predecessor, The Song Rising (2017) it was a joy to dive back into the world of the Bone Season series. As a 7-book series, the fourth book – The Mask Falling was a bridge between the whole series and exceeded my expectations.
This novel starts right after the exhilarating journey of its predecessor, The Song Rising. This time, instead of being set in England, where the previous three books were, The Mask Falling takes place in Paris, France where the anchor of Scion is an extension of London’s citadel where Scion also a part of the system and world.
Despite the anchor presiding over Paris, there were also new threats from Paige’s left and right and the pressure that Paige faced, she was also in a state of shock an PTSD after her torture in The Song Rising. I was glad that the author did not glaze over Paige’s recovery – instead, she gave us a look into Paige’s fragile, yet strong persona as she managed to survive yet again.
I enjoyed Paige’s interactions with Warden/Arcturus – her companion throughout the novels and a loyal and steadfast Rephaim who was always there for her and respected her decisions.
Old and new characters – such as those in the Domino program, a free-world organization that specialized in espionage was nicely added into the series. The Mask Falling consisted of lovely mix of action and peace.
Paige is a strong female character that I can sympathize and feel for. As a refugee/immigrant in England, she had spent the majority of her formative years in London. Now, as she ventures through the city of Scion Paris, you see how she learns more and develops as a character while learning how to balance her new role as an agent and as the Underqueen/Black Moth… or as herself, Paige Mahoney.
My favorite parts of the novel consisted of Paige’s outsmarting her enemies and making deals as Underqueen. Furthermore, Paige discovers a deeper, more sinister part of the Paris’s underground and how they worked through their own system.
In all, The Mask Falling increases the stakes of the world of Scion and its rulers – Nashira Sargas and her followers as Paige and her friends battle it out via her revolution and Dreamwalking gift – which I believe we have more to learn about in the next three books in the series.
Thank you to Pansing Books for sending me a review copy of The Mask Falling in exchange for an honest review.
The Mask Falling is now available at all good bookstores.
The Fiction Magnet 