I want to say thank you to @say_shannon for not just giving us this series but also for not finishing this book on a cliffhanger. I swear my heart wouldn't have been able to handle that!

This series keeps on getting better. Paige suffers everywhere she goes. This book is no exception. We get to visit Poland, Czechia, cross the Alps, Italy, and as we learn more about the free world, we also see some old players back. Verča was a brilliant addition, and I loved seeing more of Maria in this instalment.

This book reads like a rollercoaster, when it slows down, you know there is heartbreak coming your way around the bend. I don't want to mention Arcturus, but how to not talk about him. Just listen to this song I added, and you'll know the vibe of this book. As always, Samantha Shannon uses love to beat me with it, and my masochistic bumbum enjoyed it.
And you know when the book is amazing? When you can not stand to even read the villain... and we get several of those, absolute hate...

I’m unwell. How can Sam make me so sick with tension BOTH over the incredibly fast paced, high stakes, secret mission action scenes AND the moments when TWO IDIOTS WON’T KISS

Thrillingly plotted and audaciously executed, the character and relationship work is once again supreme. The politics and spiritual warfare is also flawless, as is the excruciating exploration of tension and trauma. Sam does not miss a beat.

Exploring new spaces both in terms of relationships and countries, a disoriented Paige finds herself on a quest to recover her mysteriously stripped memory and find out who may have betrayed her. Moreover, she must recover Arcturus and the truth of what is between them in order to face down the might of Scion and the Sargas once again. And yet she can never forget there are more players on the board, both allies and enemies.

Samantha Shannon never misses. The Dark Mirror is perfectly crafted, from the pacing of the story, to the character development, loads of questions were finally answered and the installment is woven magnificently within the wider narrative. It's obvious Samantha has painstakingly plotted every chapter, with loads of twists, turns and revelations.

Scion is threatening to spread across Europe, somehow manipulating politicians to bow to them. I loved seeing what the world outside Scion looked like, that some people are just living normal lives. In past books, news has come from abroad, so Scion never felt it existed in isolation, but now we see the contrast between these two worlds.

Paige has been through a lot. In the current political environment, you might be wary of picking up a book where the protagonist has suffered through torture and betrayal, but I felt The Dark Mirror could be the start of a more hopeful tone for the series.

After the revelations at the end of The Mask Falling, I was desperate to know what happened next. While Paige is certain Arcturus betrayed her and that the safe houses will have fallen with the knowledge he holds, everyone else around her has doubts. It was such a deeply woven deception, and those that know Arcturus, and everything he believed in, aren’t so quick to believe. As a reader, I clutched to those doubts. None of us want to believe he was working for the bad guys all along.

Much of this felt like an espionage thriller, with secret identities and missions to uncover secrets. Paige has to cross mountains and visit ancient monuments, the action unfolding like a film. I feel like having the Alps and Venice features add to that feeling since they were common locations in Bond films.

The limits of first person narrative are starting to show though. There’s only so much of the continental threat that Paige can experience for herself, so a lot of information is recounted through dialogue. This isn’t the first series I’ve read, where the world grows outside the confines of its writing style. I’d love to read more first hand accounts of what’s going on, rather than so much being relayed.

Samantha Shannon does not pull her punches. This book kept me stressing the entire time, with so much action and emotion. I am continually impressed by Shannon’s mind, and the level of depth and creativity that each book has.

*spoilers for the previous books here*

The Dark Mirror is another step up from the intensity of the previous books. With Paige now being in the free world, suddenly the action takes place on a larger scale, with a greater understanding of the danger that our characters face. I feel like this book is setting up the beginning of the end, with a lot of groundwork being laid. You can really feel the narrative start to shift.

Paige continues to be an outstanding main character. I’d always felt drawn to her grit and determination, but in this book you clearly see her compassion and love for people. I appreciate that Shannon never hides the darker parts of Paige’s character, including her trauma.

In a world of toxic relationships, I’m so glad to have the healthy representation in Paige and Arcturus. The gentle giant returns, with his emotional intelligence and maturity. This book really was the most romantic yet; it’s well written and fits into the larger narrative perfectly too.

This series continues to be one of the best fantasy dystopian out there. Deeply layered and beautifully crafted, I really enjoyed this instalment.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc.

I am a huge fan of The Bone Season series and was super excited to receive an ARC of The Dark Mirror in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fifth installment of the series and it just keeps getting better. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the next book.

This review is for The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon which will be released in the UK on the 25th February! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Bone Season series has been one of my favourites since it first came out, and has now cemented itself as one of my top 5 series after the authors preferred texts was published. It’s fantasy in a modern world with a supernatural twist. As soon as I saw Dark Mirror was available for request, I knew I had to jump at the chance, and I’m so glad I did.

It has lived up to and exceeded every expectation I had of it and I couldn’t have asked for anything more (except maybe more Arcturus but I digress). Paige’s character development throughout this series has been so good, and in this one it was even better. You see her struggle with her mental health after surviving torture, as well as then having to deal with being kidnapped and not remembering anything for 6 months, AND THEN having to save the world again cause she’s a badass. You see her outside of the Scion controlled world, and learning how to re-acclimate to the ‘free world’ around her.
You see her start to heal after all of this as well, starting to conquer the new fear of water. And her relationship with Arcturus is so sweet, he is literally perfect in every way and you cannot change my mind.

It’s pretty fast paced, especially towards the end and some of the twists were so unexpected! I cannot wait for the next one, but know it’s going to be a long time 🥲 It was filled with action, mystery and badass women. I couldn’t put it down and binged most of it in one day. Would highly recommend this series to any fantasy readers out there!!

The Dark mirror
By Samantha Shannon
Release date 25th February 2025
Rating 5 stars [9.5 Cawpile]

This book all I can say is wow. I love when Samantha Shannon delves back into the bone season world because it really is like coming home to a place of should I say ease no probably not with what happens in this book and this world but it does.

I adored this book so much I cannot put into words how much when all I needed was to come back into the world to find out what happened after the last book and this one did not disappoint I burst into tears during a certain chapter if you know you know and texted a friend and was like you need to read this book because I was crying. Now I will sit rocking waiting for the next one again.

I don’t want to give too much away because we are into book five now but know that if you have not picked up the bone season where have you been because this series will always pull me back no matter what and it is still as stunning as ever. The description of the spaces always feels my heart with joy. I am patiently waiting for the next one…

It’s romantic, heartbreaking, breathtaking, breathstealing and high action what more would you want.

Instagram post up 16/02

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
If I could give more than 5 stars I would easily do it.
Every time I think Samantha has written her best book yet, she goes and outdoes herself again. The Dark Mirror is the beautifully crafted fifth book in the Bone Season series, and it is more than worth the wait.
The plot is masterfully crafted, it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. The way Samantha brings this world and the characters to life is insane, I will never cease to be amazed by the way she writes, her mastership of intricate plotlines and beautiful prose is impressive.
My heart was so full after reuniting with the characters. There were tender moments and heart-wrenching moments and I sobbed quite a few times, but through the laughter and the tears I enjoyed every moment I spent in this book.
I can’t wait for the 6th book, I will be rereading The Dark Mirror and coming up with theories as I wait for the next one.

My recurring thought whilst reading this... please can someone just give Paige Mahoney a break? She deserves it and goodness knows she needs it!

The Dark Mirror is a brilliant return to the Republic of Scion and beyond. It is action-packed and tension-filled, emotional and satisfying. I read this not long after finally getting around to reading The Mask Falling, and thank goodness with that shocking cliff hanger. Those of you who have been waiting 4 years, I promise it is worth the wait! It sees the return of beloved characters from the series, including some who didn't make much of an appearance in The Mask Falling that I was very happy to see. And thankfully, although there is still so much up in the air by the end of this book, there is no insane cliff hanger to torture you, just lots to anticipate! If it's been a while since you were in this world, again my kindle version came with a brilliant Glossary and 'People of Interest' section that I can highly recommend. It's a complicated world, with syndicates and evil organisations galore, but this primed me to jump straight back in.

Fans of the Bone Season will love it; I feel like the series is just getting better. I will be patiently (/eagerly!) awaiting the next installments.

Wow! what an instalment of the Bone Season series! Samantha Shannon's writing style is second to none and her ability to weave deep stories and rich characters in to her novels is amazing! I absolutely loved this instalment and it has left me wanting more -- so I have to now re-read all the previous books and add this one to my pre-orders!

A very easy five stars - I love this entire series and this instalment was no exception. The world is vast and incredibly detailed and with this instillment we got to see eve more, with additional factions and agendas entering the picture. The characters are also incredibly well fleshed out - even smaller side characters have agency and feel distinct. I also love The ongoing consequences Paige suffers from her pervious exploits - often these types of books breeze past that and it is pretty jarring- no such issue here. The romantic angst was almost painful at times but very real as both Paige and Arcturus tried to deal with the horror around them and were desperate not to hurt each other. The ending was explosive, could not put the book down (trying to avoid spoilers!) and now I am desperate for the next book in the series.

TDM is just as good as the other book in this series. Although it goes even further, and gets even bigger!!

Samantha Shannon doesn't slow down. She doesn't do "second book syndrome" books. She constantly delivers the same excellent quality, if not better. Her writing is always beautiful and clever, her pacing always spot on - you will never ever get bored while reading these books. The plot is always so well developed; I can only imagine how much planning it takes to have every single detail fit in perfectly, often together with miniscule details from several books before. It's precision like no other.

But truly, it's the characters that make TBS series for what it is. They are painfully real, raw and honest and terribly flawed in every possible way. They could be me, and they could be you. Once you get to know them, they stay with you. At the back of your mind, like a golden cord...

EXCELLENT!!!

THE DARK MIRROR is a fifth instalment that brings a vibe shift as the series enters its second - and final - half.

Having read this right on the back on a re-read of the previous instalments (using the updated editions), I noticed how different this book felt in terms of tone and setting to the other books. It is still clearly in the same series with the same core cast and powers, but this is also the first book where the descriptor "dystopia" feels more apt than "fantasy."

Where previously, there had been only a few distinct groups playing for power - Scion, the Ranthem, and the Syndicate - there are a lot more in this book. While THE MASK FALLING does expose cracks within Scion itself and introduced Domino, they were smaller players in the overall battle.

In THE DARK MIRROR, we find ourselves in the free world in the midst of a battle between Scion and the free world, which is split into factions. Domino is the obvious one , but there is a second organisation at play. By contrast, there isn't an organisation of voyants in the same way as in the Scion cities (the one that is introduced late in the book feels very different to these as it's not criminal, and also somehow so much less sympathetic an organisation. I disliked them more than Domino!)

Voyants are, of course, still the focus of this series but it definitely felt different having so many "rotties" in the book - and not just as the odd secondary villain. Here they are much less black and white - potential allies or potential enemies, and pretty much all unreliable either because of uncertain allegiances or because they're spies (and often both.)

I did rather enjoy this change of tone. It took me a while to get used to how different the free world and situations (and Paige's position within it all) were compared to previous books, but once I had, it felt like the book was setting the series up for the race towards the end. It's a seven book series and, being on book five, we're now firmly in the final section. As such, THE DARK MIRROR is reflecting that by flinging to world and players and stakes wider.

There are a few big reveals in this book but it felt more like there were new questions being posed. The reader is now familiar enough with the world to learn more - and to have that learning shaken. This also adds to the sense that the end is coming on apace. To match this, the finale is the biggest battle yet, for the first time combining voyants, Rephs, buzzers and conventional weaponry. It's a pretty epic, with a high cost, and gives hints of what more could be to come.

The book has been described as the most romantic instalment yet, and that is true. It is certainly not the biggest part of the book - or anywhere near that - but Paige and Arcturus have a lot of stuff to work out (and decisions to make) in the wake of THE MASK FALLING. That gives the book a strong emotional throughline as they deal with their own demons and work out what they want from their relationship going forward.

The inspirations from mythology are also a lot more explicit in this one, including a summary of the key myth. As someone who's struggled to see this series as a retelling/reimagining, no matter how loose (I think it's just too big a series for it to be clear as there's so much other stuff going on that feels a lot more important to what the overall story is!), it was nice to see this inspiration the author's talked about being referenced. Perhaps it will become clear how it is a retelling when it's all concluded?

In all, I very much enjoyed this instalment - and having now read the re-edited previous books, would say I'm now firmly a fan of the series overall.

Another stunning offering from Samantha Shannon. Waiting between books, I lose interest a bit but wham, a new book comes out and I am in love again. The story develops well and takes you in new directions but is ultimately very satisfying.

5 Stars

Another banger.

I just want to talk about the structure of this series for a second, because it's so well done. In The Bone Season we are predominantly in Oxford, in one of the Scion prisons for voyants, though we also get a taste of Scion London and the syndicate at the beginning and in flashbacks. In terms of genre, it's a paranormal dystopian, with dark academia vibes. The Mime Order takes place entirely in London, fully immersing us in the Syndicate, and it's both a thrilling mystery and a revolutionary tale, with steampunk-esque vibes, that delicious mix of futuristic and Victorian aesthetics. Then we have The Song Rising, which introduces us to other parts of the UK in this world, and is a heist novel with an industrial revolution-y kind of aesthetic. In The Mask Falling we venture out of the UK into Scion France, and suddenly we're in an espionage novel, which is also a romance, and everything glitters like Versailles. We get to learn about the French counterpart to the Syndicate/Mime Order and French politics and how they differ to what's going on in Scion England (the UK).

So, naturally, The Dark Mirror is the first novel to take us to the free world outside of Scion. It also has its own flavour genre-wise - though all the books feature political intrigue, this is very much the political intrigue novel, with many international factions playing a role in how the story unfolds. It's also the Grand Tour novel, because while Paige is mostly in Italy, she does get to visit a few other European countries too!

The thing about this series is, that while each book clearly has its distinct flavour, the elements of the previous books are not dropped, only built upon. The Dark Mirror is the most political novel to date, but it maintains the espionage romance of The Mask Falling, the travelling and heist elements of The Song Rising, the gang drama of The Mime Order (Paige and Jaxon will knock heads in any country) and the paranormal dystopian vibes we've had since the start of The Bone Season. There is so much going on but it is done seamlessly, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Five books in, The Mime Order is my confirmed favourite of the series so far. Not because it's necessarily better than the other books (I mean, we get more Ognena Maria in the later books, always a win) but because its vibe is my personal favourite, and I just love the London setting so much it literally made me cry. But The Dark Mirror might be my second favourite, purely because of the last 30% of the story.

Oh my god, that last 30%. It's a wild ride, that's all I'll say.

My favourite character in this series is Jaxon. He's awful. I laugh at him when he fails. I also laugh sometimes when he succeeds, because I love a character that just refuses to die. I also love his and Paige's dynamic, because they despise each other, and know they should have killed each other by now, but they're also deeply attached and have this twisted father-daughter relationship which is both very amusing and weirdly endearing. The scenes between the two of them in this book are some of my favourites in the series.

My other favourite characters other than Paige and Jaxon are...well, everyone else. But especially Nick and Maria, who also get a lot of page-time in this book! This series very much has a revolving cast of characters, which means you never know who's going to turn up when. It was great to see more of Maria and Nick after they didn't really feature in The Mask Falling at all. The vibes were immaculate.

I also think this is the book where Arcturus became a favourite of mine too. The first time I read The Bone Season books, I didn't like him until The Mask Falling, but this time round (reading the revised versions) I liked him from the beginning, he just wasn't a fave. In The Dark Mirror, my feelings for Arcturus can be best described as the 🥺 or 🥹 emoji depending on the chapter. Someone wrap the gentle giant up in a blanket and let him be a big burrito until he feels better, okay?

If books 6 & 7 are just as good as the previous books, this might officially be my all-time favourite book series. But even if they aren't, five 5* books in a row plus two 5* novellas makes this a favourite series regardless. I'd say I can't wait for the sequel, but actually I can. Art takes time and I want this series to be the best it can be!

Whoa did this book take me on a wild and emotional ride. Shannon really knows how to put her characters, and through that her readers through the ringer, and although I was sat on the edge of my seat for most of the book, I also enjoyed the moments of lightness that Shannon allowed to shine through. Please note that this review will contain spoilers for the previous books.

I felt as broken as Paige reading this book. She is someone who has lived through so much hardship. From watching her home Country destroyed by the Rephaim, to her multiple tortures at the hands of Nashira and other Sargas. It’s hard not to want her to succeed, not to hate the people she hates, love the people she loves. We spend so much time in her head, viewing this world through her eyes it’s hard not to, despite her not being wholly good. In fact none of the characters are simply good or bad, they are all grey in some way. Only shown as heroes or villains by the side they are fighting for. There were a few moments in this book, ok maybe more than a few, that had me in tears, and that’s all thanks to Shannon’s ability to make Paige an empathetic character, one with aggressive tendencies I’ll grant you, but one that you want to get their happy ending, in whatever way that will occur.

One of the strengths of this series for me is the relationships Paige forms. Be they friendships, romances, unlikely and tense alliances or enemies, each alliance adds a little something else to the story. We do have a few returning faces in this book, ones that I desperately missed in the last and these allowed Shannon to add a little lightness to Paige that I think was missing in the previous book. But we also see her most complicated relationship rearing it's head, that between her and Jax. Jaxon is one of those characters that you hate, whilst also not being able to help respecting in a way. His desperate need to survive has lead him to make some truly terrible decisions, ones that put Paige and the people she loves at risk, but he is also the closest thing she has ever had to a father, to someone who loves her for her power, someone who isn't scared of her. It's a relationship I have both dreaded and eagerly anticipated rearing it's head, and I thought Shannon did a truly brilliant job of showing the complexities of it through this book.

The perfect blend of urban and dystopian fantasy. Shannon creates a terrifying version of our future world, but makes it one you can visit. I’ve been lucky enough to travel Europe a few times in my life, and you cannot deny that Shannon puts the work into creating these cities on the page. The Dark Mirror transported me to Venice with its canals and streets you can get lost in, to Rome and even Orvietto, a lesser known town I was lucky enough to visit. Even without this prior knowledge Shannon makes it hard not to feel transported there, which really allows you to just lose yourself in the story. And it's not just the locations she brings to life effortlessly, it's her characters, and the magic system she created. I mentioned the intricacy of the characters above, and that's absolutely true, but Shannon gets you so invested in these stories by making characters that you will love, and others you will hate. Her descriptive writing also lends itself to the voyant magic system she brings to life, everything from the epic battles, to the smallest use of power is written so it plays like a movie in your head, and that's just one of the reasons why these books keep me hooked.

Normally it would be hard for a series like this to keep its readership. Not only for how intricate it is, but for the wait in between books, I think it was 4 years between this and the previous book, but Shannon makes every single installment worth the wait. Yes, I absolutely benefited from re-reading previous book, but I think even going straight into this I would have been able to get my bearings fairly easily. For me, this was largely in thanks to the strength of Paige, as well as the rest of the cast of characters. It’s a complicated story in so many ways. The magic system, the characters, the history of the world and the Rephaim themselves are all elaborately woven through but, and this shows the true strength of Shannon’s writing, never in a way that overwhelms you. And it should, there is so much information fed to us, so many pivotal details, so many characters to keep track of, but Shannon writes her stories in a way that ingrain all of these things into your brain, hard wires them into the plot itself until all the pieces fit together effortlessly.

I've loved the relationship between Paige and Arcturus through this series, not only the romantic aspects, but the strength that they give one another. They are two people who should never have formed a connection as strong as they did, but their shared trauma brought them together in a way few others could understand and, while in the previous book we saw Arcturus watch over Paige after her torture, their positions were almost flipped in The Dark Mirror. It's a romance that started as enemies to something more, but has now become a bond so much deeper than love, one that follows them through good and bad. It's a true slow burner, and the thing I love is how Shannon manages to entwine it into the story, meaning that it never detracts from the plot in anyway, if anything it amplifies it, it adds to the danger and the trauma, whilst also giving us something to look forward too, a glimmer of hope in the darkness, much like they are to each other.

I feel like this series just gets better and better with each book. Shannon has created such an intricate story based on a desolate future world and after 5 books I am so unbelievably invested in it. I know we're not going to get the happy ending I want, but boy am I enjoying the ride and I am eagerly anticipating the next installment.

I adored this just as much as I enjoyed the rest of the series - it's testament to her incredible writing that I understood where we were in the story and remembered what had happened before within the first few chapters! Just as good as the rest of the series so far.

Being honest - as required - I've only got through 10% due to a problem with my arc copy, but I have absolutely loved what I've read so far. The Free World. New characters. Paige's vulnerabilities.
I've pre-ordered the book a d will be reading it straight away, so I will be able to give a full review then.

I will have to come back and write a proper review from this when I’ve recovered from this.

But in the meantime I will say, as a die-hard lover of this series - this one is the best yet. I struggled a little in the first 30%, but after that I was in a complete chokehold. I laughed, I cried, I threw my kindle across the room. There were so many things foreshadowed in previous books that came to pass in this one. It was so masterfully written.

I am reeling. Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the E-ARC.