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Book Summary and Reviews of The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

The Mask Falling

The Bone Season #4

by Samantha Shannon

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2021, 528 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree, the stunning fourth novel set in the world of Scion.

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...

The Mask Falling is a gripping, fantastical new addition to this "intoxicating urban-fantasy series" (NPR.org) that will leave readers begging for more.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[G]ripping...Shannon expertly blends genres to create a story that is at once a political thriller, a dystopian epic, and a paranormal adventure. This bold series installment will leave fans eager for more." - Publishers Weekly

The constant slew of injuries, action scenes, and near-death escapes, which further shift the series' genre from fantasy toward the dystopian realm, distracts from the excellent worldbuilding that is the tale's beating heart...Thrilling, indeed. A tantalizing, strategic setup for the next installment, which has all the ingredients to be a knockout." - Kirkus Reviews

"Keenly imagined...Atmospheric and unnerving...Once again, the predicaments are complicated and suspenseful, the new and returning characters are intriguing...For all its superbly choreographed action and paranormal inventiveness, this is, at heart, a gripping tale of trust and love, valor and sacrifice, and equality and justice." - Booklist

"Shannon's worldbuilding remains strong, and Paige is still an appealing heroine. Existing fans will cheer, while those new to the series should absolutely start with book one." - Library Journal

This information about The Mask Falling was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Samantha Shannon Author Biography

Samantha Shannon was born in West London in 1991 and started writing in abundance when she was twelve. She studied English Language and Literature at St Anne's College, Oxford, from 2010 to 2013, specialising in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Principles of Film Criticism. She is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Season series. Her work has been translated into twenty-six languages. Her fourth novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, was her first outside of The Bone Season series and was a New York Times bestseller. She lives in London.

Link to Samantha Shannon's Website

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