The Song Rising
(Bone Season #3)
by Samantha Shannon
fantasy
fantasy
copyright 2017
read in September 2017
rated 7/10: well worth reading
It took me a while to get into The Song. That's because it continued from the last book, in the same setting, I have forgotten quite a few of the characters! So it was a relief when the heroine left London and met new -- to her and to me -- characters.
In London I was thinking, read to pass the time. The new locations helped me "follow" -- catch up with -- the plot. The ending is well worth reading.
The writing is a bit choppy: short sentences, I think I mean. Sometimes that is a bit... almost... annoying. Perhaps it's a good way to reflect the tension of the plot?! I notice it but I know that I could not do any better. I could not write an entire novel. The story flows well, even while I can see an abruptness in the style. (Sometimes.) Which, for all I know, could be deliberate!
There is a claim that there will be seven books in the Bone Season series. The Song extends out of London. Then ends with a natural expansion to even further areas. With the promise of an even broader spread of leaders of "the resistance".
Every broadening of the scope of a series is risky. Will the readers like (or accept) a new set of characters? Will it be a natural progression -- or a tacked-on means to continue the income stream?! So far... it works well.
The heroine has grown -- and clearly has room for further growth. The villains are down but not out. It looks as though both goodies and baddies will continue into future books. I expect new locations, new challenges -- mostly familiar characters.
I'm looking forward to book four :-)
===
30apr19: I read this book again. I was 20 or 30 pages in before I realised that I had read it before, that's not a good sign :-(
There are two things against this book -- two things from *this* reading. (1) I enjoy fantasy for the fantastic elements... in this case, the use of magical powers is essential to my enjoyment. There is very little magic in the first half, it's largely the heroine being worried. Which leads to (2) This book has no lightness. It is serious, suffering, under constant threat with occasional sudden death. Not what I want, not in my current mood !
Then, in the second half, the main goodies move out of London. There is action. There is magic. There is a single line of almost humour. The second half is far more enjoyable than the first... enough to make it worth reading the book. And the ending... yes... again, leaves me wanting to read book four :-)
===
30apr19: I read this book again. I was 20 or 30 pages in before I realised that I had read it before, that's not a good sign :-(
There are two things against this book -- two things from *this* reading. (1) I enjoy fantasy for the fantastic elements... in this case, the use of magical powers is essential to my enjoyment. There is very little magic in the first half, it's largely the heroine being worried. Which leads to (2) This book has no lightness. It is serious, suffering, under constant threat with occasional sudden death. Not what I want, not in my current mood !
Then, in the second half, the main goodies move out of London. There is action. There is magic. There is a single line of almost humour. The second half is far more enjoyable than the first... enough to make it worth reading the book. And the ending... yes... again, leaves me wanting to read book four :-)
====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====
"We must learn from our past mistakes so that we can improve our new mistakes" … per Ginger Meggs
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====
"We must learn from our past mistakes so that we can improve our new mistakes" … per Ginger Meggs
No comments:
Post a Comment