Another excellent installment of the bone season series, these keep getting better and better! Shannon has incredible storytelling powers, creating underground and backalley worlds with sumptuous richness that feels utterly believable

I have loved this series for so long and it was so excellent to be back in this world. My favourite thing here was spending more time on the relationship. There's a bit of a wait for it, but when it arrives, it's beautiful and heart wrenching and so perfect. All in all this was a fantastic continuation of the series and only served to remind me how brilliantly done this whole series is - the politics, the magic, the love story - it's epic in the best way and reduced me to tears multiple times. Highly highly recommend,

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing an advanced review copy.

Avoiding providing spoilers while reviewing The Dark Mirror is incredibly difficult: I will try my best here. Just know that if you love the first four volumes, the Dark Mirror won’t disappoint: it is an excellent continuation of the series, expanding the universe, characters and stakes and showing them in a different light. The rest of this review is just a few points that standout for me about this book and series.

Goodbye Paris, welcome to the free world. From the Czech Republic to Italy, the focus is to a world without Scion or On the Merits. The rules are changing and become uncertain under freedom and secrecy. It feels like the ground can fall under each of your steps and everyone you meet could be a new enemy while Scion is still looming, hungry for more control. But watching people living freely shows that a world without Scion is possible. Hope is there.

New locations were carefully selected by Samatha Shannon. One of the elements that got me hooked to the series is the choice of real locations. I kept checking Google maps to find and mark them: I can get a view of the building but also follow the Paige steps on the map. That is one thing that is remarkable: the way the characters move, is incredibly accurate and you can almost use the novels as a tour guide. I did it for Oxford, London and Paris and will probably plan a trip to Italy in the near future.

Usually I lose interest in romance quite quickly. I was rooting for Nick and Zeke at the beginning but since Paige is the narrator, this storyline got put on the side. This leaves us with Paige and Arcturus and if you know them, you know that their relationship status is “it’s complicated”. I really want to slap them but Samantha Shannon got me with one sentence: I had to stop reading because I didn’t know if I should clap or cry (and reading the rest of the chapter, I opted for the second option). Kudos for getting me there.

As for the story, while previous volumes contained elements of spy thriller, it really feels like one here. Organizations are working with or against each other, everybody must choose a side, identities change or are uncovered. I was on my toes all the time and felt that not a moment was wasted: the pacing is well executed between action scenes and quiet moments. Like Paige, I also need to recover and catch my breath before the next roller coaster moment. Samantha Shannon’s craft is here at its best.

At last one last question remains, is everything really about to change? The answer is “yes” but you will need to read it to find what and how.

I was over the moon when I got the chance to read one of my MOST anticipated book of 2025, the fifth installment of The bone season by the brilliant Samantha Shannon.
Paige, my poor Paige, went and is still going through a lot, having lost six month to amnesia, Arcturus and being suddendly in the free world. When a new Scion threat comes up with the Operation Ventriloquist, threatening to invade Italy, she and her allies will do anything to save Arcturus and stop Scion.

I loved reading this book. If the first four book were set in the Scion world, The dark mirror bring Paige and us with her in Prague, the Alps and finally in Italy where the book is mainly set. Seeing Prague, Venice and Rome, letting Paige in a free world, letting discover her things normal for us, like latte, jeans, music and banned in Scion is was incredible and surreal.
Like the previous book Paige can't catch a breath. This book is filled with surprises, shocking revelations, secrets and it was such an emotional rollercoaster my heart couldn't take it. Not only the book is filled with action, but also emotional moments.
It was such a pleasure meeting Nick and Maria and having the relationship between Paige and Arcturus deepen and becoming more and more intense and serious. They are my favorites!
I love how the world Paige knows expands including new and old new allies and enemies and organizations.

I truly loved everything in this book. I cried, I laughed and now I'm even more eager for the next book.

Well, I won't go into too much detail on the plot to avoid giving spoilers, but The Dark Mirror continues on from where we left Paige in The Mask Falling.

As always, I love Samantha Shannon and I do think she just gets better and better. This is excellent.

this book was brilliant. I think it's my favourite book in the Bone Season so far.

My heart - this was such a rollercoaster. As with all things Paige, it was emotive, witty, clever, urgent. But we can also see how Paige is growing.

Speaking of growth: This book felt slightly different to the other bone seasons books. There was even more maturity and power in Samantha Shannon's writing. It's amazing to see how far her writing has come, and how that continues to evolve and improve this series.

The structure felt a little different, though not too different, from the other books. It was refreshing, not disjointed or out of place, it slotted in so well with the plot and narrative. It was still packed full of events, but there's even more political intrigue in this book, and SS does a great job of making it all make sense, fit with the story, and take you through it.

SS's ability to take the story to new places, literally and figuratively, is brilliant! I can feel the chest pieces being moved to set up for the final books, and this read has got me even more pumped for them! I recommend this series to anyone who wants something, action packed and addictive: it's a fantasy, urban dystopia, thriller.

What a ride.

Thank you Bloomsbury and Net Gally for the ARC(turus) (pun intended).

I've been committed and in love with this series since The Bone Season was published back in 2013.

It's been 12 years and 5 books and I can confirm that The Dark Mirror has secured my deep obsession with this world and these characters.

It's been a long wait (and not just for the book if you catch my drift 😉) but completely worth it.

The main highlights for me (without spoilers because you all need to experience this yourself)

Paige's growth. It may have been 11 years since book one was published but Paige is still 20. But after everything we have accompanied her through in the first four instalments, the fifth really shines a light on her self awareness. Is she still reckless? Well, she wouldn't be the Paige we all know and love if she wasn't.

The friendships - old and new, that's all I can say.

The romance - yup.

I will confirm I did cry, had my heart in my throat numerous times and as always with this series, the last 20% is NON STOP.

I will admit I was rather missing Scion at first (weird, right?) but Paige experiencing the free world was an absolute treat. Lattes? Champagne? Drones?!?

I also really loved that we got a bit more snark in this book, and not just from our favourite dreamer.

One piece of advice: as with all parts of this series, there are A LOT of moving parts. This is very political and the world building is deep (and solid) but would highly recommend a reread of the first four. I had just done that and it was a lot easier for me to digest it all.

Finally, that one hit hard Samantha. Harder than I thought it would. You know what you did.

The Dark Mirror, book 5 in The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon releases 25 February 2025 and if you've been on this journey too, you are in for a fantastic adventure.

This is, without a doubt, one of the easiest 5 stars I’ve given.

I am astounded by this book. I’ve always hyped up the complexity of Samantha Shannon’s worlds, but this book truly just amps it up to another level, if such a thing is possible. Never before have I found myself almost sobbing because of how CLEVER a book is, but the absolute riot of emotions this book wrought from me was almost overwhelming. Samantha just knows how to write the most manipulative, scheming, heart wrenching, intimate, and tense moments that ring true to their core. Half the time I don’t know whether to love or hate the entire cast of characters. It’s just…a perpetual limbo, not knowing who or what to trust. And my god did I eat it up.

This is one I’ll be thinking about for years to come. I barely feel like this review even touches upon the overwhelming love I have for this book, but trust that if you’ve read this far into the series, you’re about to experience an absolute ride with this one.

This was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, with Shannon deftly navigating every twist and turn. An excellent installment in a series I love with my entire heart.

Samantha Shannon does it again and absolutely grips me for 48 hours straight. This book is everything, my favourite instalment in the series for sure. The Dark Mirror is eventful, exciting, tender and hopeful. I adored my time with this book and even weeks later I can confirm this was 100 stars out of 5.

It's been some time since the last installment of the Bone Season, to ensure I got the best experience with The Dark Mirror I committed and reread the entire series first. Wow am I glad I did.
With all of the world-building, jargon an intricate plot weaving my limited memory didn't stand a chance!
I would also recommend picking up the newly edited versions which are noticeably refined.
Note that you absolutely cannot read these titles out of order!

With enemies old and new at every turn, Paige discovers the world outside of Scion and traverses the free countries of Europe in search of new allies in the war against the Suzerain. The Dark Mirror leans hard into espionage with several new collectives, each with their own motives and infinite chances of betrayal.

Many of the characters we love and hate return for another epic showdown in yet another beautifully described location. I have to believe Shannon has been visiting the cities before writing about them, the detail doesn't detract from the pacing and yet you can perfectly visualise each location.

The continuation of the relationship between Paige and Warden is almost physically painful to read with the emotion Shannon packs into the pages, especially as we read from only Paige's perspective. Her amnesia will leave you wanting to shake those memories back into her as we know what she's forgotten.

My one complaint remains the same as with The Mask Falling, whilst I appreciate the reasons for incorporating other languages into a storyline spanning multiple countries, it is extremely frustrating to have characters momentarily converse in Italian, French and Polish. These moments may not include pivotal information, but upon translation they did give more insight to the character's personality or opinions. Something I only made effort to do whilst reading on an e-reader and would miss entirely in a physical copy. Please please stop doing this!

Now begins the arduous wait for book six of the promised seven in The Bone Season. I adore this series.

The Dark Mirror was everything I wanted it to be, and so much more I didn’t know I’d wished for.

I first started reading The Bone Season when it was originally published, having followed every book, novella, pamphlet, revised versions, and with the cliff hanger that The Mask Falling ended on, this has been my most anticipated release to date.

Samantha Shannon has absolutely outdone herself, and it’s a joy to see how her writing has grown with her over the years.

(I’m trying desperately to avoid any spoilers below!)

The reunions filled me with an unbelievable amount of emotions, like seeing old friends being reunited. The death had me in tears in a way that I just never imagined it would have done. Paige facing her fear of water, and what that ultimately leads to discovering had me on the biggest emotional rollercoaster I think I’ve ever experienced when reading a book.

Also, the hidden diamond of the book - Maria. The amount of times I was laughing to myself over some of her one liners, the amount of personality you get to see from her is one of my favourite things of TDM.

There is always an element of nervousness when you love a series so much, and you’ve been waiting for the next instalment, you’ve had time to think, theorise, discuss, reread and try and find foreshadowing, but so many thinks shocked me (in the absolute best way to be shocked as a reader).

I always stood by The Mask Falling (closely followed by The Mime Order) being my favourite, but without a shadow of a doubt, The Dark Mirror has taken that spot.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, and author Samantha Shannon for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved reading this. I loved being back in Paige's head- it felt like returning to an old friend. The scope of Samantha Shannon's vision is huge and I'm already excited for book 6

“You should not be surprised by your strength. I never am.”

I feel so incredibly lucky and grateful to have received an eARC of The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon, it did not disappoint and certainly made the wait for February 2025 more bearable.

The book dove straight into the action, and it was so nice being back with Paige and reading all of her witty remarks and comebacks. It was so great to spend more time with Maria and meet some amazing new characters, as well as becoming reacquainted with older ones.

Some books pass over characters past trauma, but I’m so glad that we were reminded occasionally of everything Paige has been through, it always makes her character so much more realistic and relatable to me.

The beautiful depictions of the different European cities visited by the characters made me imagine readers seeing a piece of their homes in every chapter. It was so interesting to see Paige discovering things in the free world for the first time, like a cappuccino, the internet and even clothing like jeans.

I will say finally though that it felt like maybe there was too many different organisations and new characters with different aliases introduced at once, it could just be me being slow but I really struggled to keep up with some of the new organisations at times. I think rereading the book in physical format when it’s released will definitely help with that for me though.

Another beautiful book in my favourite series, it certainly didn’t disappoint and I’m so excited to see where this series goes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

In The Dark Mirror, Paige Mahoney finds herself navigating the free world for the first time in over a decade, only to realise that half a year of her life is shrouded in mystery. As she embarks on her journey back to the revolution, she travels to the enchanting city of Venice, where she uncovers a perilous secret that could alter the course of the war between humans and immortals.

Paige's mission to assist the Domino Programme in unravelling the ominous Operation Ventriloquist becomes a race against time. As the plot thickens, she discovers that Arcturus Mesarthim—the one person capable of restoring her lost memories—may also hold the key to Italy's salvation.

The world-building in this book is incredibly satisfying, as it delves into the complex relationships and tensions between the Scion voyants and their counterparts in the free world. The intricate layers of the narrative keep readers engaged, while the dynamic between Paige and Arcturus adds depth to the story.

The Dark Mirror masterfully blends intrigue, suspense, and rich character development, making it a compelling read for fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction alike. The stakes are high, and the twists will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

God I have so much to say about this book but that’s impossible without spoiling it.

This instalment of the bone season was just as outstanding as the other and this time we find ourselves in Italy instead of France.

Paige is as badass as ever of course however we are still following her trauma journey and watching her change and develop as a character (it’s crazy how much character development there is and how well it has been done throughout the series).

As well as this we have HUGE developments in her power which I loved and finally we find out more about her golden chord with Arcturus.

I had so many theories for this book, one of which was spot on but it was so well paced and plotted that I was never certain I knew what would happen next.

The only thing I will confirm is that it doesn’t end on a huge cliffhanger (so you’re left wanting the next book but not angry which is fab) I’m so excited to see where the next book takes Paige’s story.

Ouch, my feelings! Be prepared to have your heart wrenched in multitude of different directions for 500 pages in the 5th installment of The Bone Season series.

The Dark Mirror is a complex maze, built on the foundations of cleverly seeded half-truths and betrayals. Samantha Shannon is it's architect. Cleverly woven plots and sub plots had me guessing wrong every time throughout this book, only to be thrilled by the twists and turns of Paige Mahoney's on going battle with the Anchor. Who can she trust? I adore that this book challenged me to think outside the box. And still had my jaw dropping regularly.

I loved that this installment balanced pulse racing plot twists with moments of heart wrenching character development. The world building expands considerably too; Shannon beautifully represents these real world locations through the exploratory eyes of Paige. If these characters, their complex world and their nail biting plight haven't fused into your soul yet, they will be by the end of this book.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the eARC. The Dark Mirror will be out in February and I will be expecting to reread and reread it with you all then.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬: dystopian fantasy, queer cast, healing from trauma, memory loss, learning to love again, secret organisations and institutions, criminal underworld, set in Italy, Poland, Czech, slow burn romance, betrayal, influences of Greek mythology, fifth book in a series

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dark Mirror was a novel of webs and lies, threads and spies, that had you captivated from the very first pages down to the last word on the very last page.

With The Mask Falling leaving the reader hanging off a brutal cliff, The Dark Mirror wasted no time throwing the reader right back into the world of The Bone Season. By fully diving into the espionage plotline this book was steeped in suspense right from the beginning with brilliantly crafted action scenes set in swindling heights or deep underground as well as a rescue mission for the history books.
Whilst taking over a new battle ground in the free world, the novel still felt incredibly familiar at the same time. Be it because flashbacks that intertwined this instalment with the previous ones, revelations of past events or with reunions of old friends and foes. Or because the great sense of humour of our protagonist Paige (and Maria).
Nevertheless, it also had its own unique character due to its setting in the free world, which was a joy to discover in all its details or due to first meetings of new characters and institutions. But of course, in true the Bone Season fashion, these new faces and places also had you constantly questioning what you’ve read and, in a way, felt since you genuinely could trust no one and no one can be trusted.

Speaking of the free world, something that I personally found incredibly interesting was to be a part of how Paige was introduced to things like a *latte* or a *pair of jeans* for the first time in the free world. It truly made you realise how much power and control Scion has as an invading nation. But the reason why I found little element this so interesting was because even though I am just “the reader” and not the actual character living in and with this nation, I was strangely just as surprised to discover these things as Paige was. This just showed what an incredibly captivating writer Samantha is, making even the reader forget the existence of things that are part of *our* daily lives.

But it did not only had you captivated on a story level but also on an emotional one, since this was an incredibly emotional, raw and vulnerable book. Much of this novel was about Paige slowly finding back to herself and her strength. And after having spent the past few novels intricately getting to know her this was an incredibly emotional and delicate experience to share. Bu it was not only that. The Dark Mirror was also a journey of two lovers learning to love again by finding their way back to each other, both physically and emotionally, whilst collectively healing from trauma.
There was also one particular passage about a memory from Paige´s childhood in this novel, that spoke about the impact and the legacy of people that have already left us in this life but how they are never truly gone, which genuinely touched my quietly grieving heart.

Along with that, this novel challenged your own intelligence and cleverness just as Paige´s was challenged by her enemies. In particular, because The Dark Mirror was speckled with references and easter eggs connected not only to the previous books but also to the Greek myths this series is inspired by, therefore making you develop one theory after the other. It ultimately made reading this novel an incredibly immersive reading experience since you paid attention to every fine detail no matter if it was a single word, a reaction, a smell or even just the quietest of sounds. Each of these details were then individual and unique to whichever character it was that one decided to pay special attention to. In the end, this made you develop and even deeper connection with the characters and in a way, making their emotions your own in some moments.

In addition to that and as mentioned a few lines ago, The Dark Mirror truly deep dived into the world of The Greek myths. You genuinely could see and grasp the glowing threads that link Paige, Arcturus and Jaxon to Persephone and Hades, Orpheus and Eurydice as well as the symbolism of the narcissus flower and the pomegranate seed. With these threads in your own hands, you were once and even more able, to see and further reveal how the character trades of these ancient figures shape this cast of characters. Which inevitably meant that, Jaxon once again twisted you mind against your will. No matter how strong you thought you were.

In its entirety, The Dark Mirror was a masterpiece and without a doubt worth the wait. It touched the reader right in the heart and had one yearning for more at the end. Lastly, no matter if regarding the setting, the storylines, the plot twists or the character arcs or just the writing itself, Samanatha Shannon truly outdid herself with this instalment.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury UK for an early copy of this novel, it’s now my favourite one of The Bone Season series.

An easy five stars from me! Samantha Shannon perfectly balanced some killer action scenes with some heartbreaking character moments. After waiting on that cliffhanger for several years I was perfectly satisfied with the direction she took the series. This book made me cry, and I rushed through to the end in almost one go because I was so compelled to finish it. Fans of the series are going to love it. I have no notes for improvement. Perfection!

An utterly enthralling fifth instalment to this epic dystopian series. The world is further expanded and a whole slew of new characters are introduced along with some old favourites making an appearance.

I’ve been reading this series for over 10 years and can honestly say every book is better than the last.

Paige & Arcturus just have my heart - even though it was very nearly crushed in this book! And I just cannot wait to see how Shannon wraps the series up over the next 2 books.