My mixed feelings about the last few books aside, I have to give credit to this series because my reading mojo has been whack for a long time. And yet I blitzed through four of these books in a week (three of them in two days) so, yeah, I'm happy about that.

I'm also happy about where we've left things with this instalment. I have to believe (I h a v e t o) that our two main protagonists have finally kissed and made up for the last time. There was a lot of good progress made and even though they are separate at the end of book five it's for good and well-communicated reasons. For once.

Something I'm also happy about? Jaxon. I can't believe I'm saying this but he really, actually -- for once! -- made this story better. I have to believe he will one day fail to be fourteen steps ahead of everyone and constantly getting away with his psychotic bullshit but nevertheless.. I found his machinations and double crosses almost endearing. Especially when stacked up against all the other characters double and triple crossing each other or being double and triple agents for this that and the other organization (like holy shit enough I cannot keep this straight). Things are almost too big and convoluted now that we've entered the world stage vs just London or just Paris.

Which leads me to my first complaint of the day. The first half of this book? I couldn't really care much for it. There were too many long passages and discussions about background or past information and goings on, descriptions of places, meetings with certain figureheads, and I was pretty done with it. Like immediately. I worried I really might have found my end with this series -- especially with those rough early scenes between Paige and Warden before they figured their shit out, the double whammy was too much! But the latter half did bring things back together. And I'm glad for that.

It's hard to speculate on what comes next, and that's made even harder because I'm only so invested at this stage, but hopefully by the time we get some information about book six I'll have some excitement back for what awaits.

Overall, though, I can see why so many people are fans of this series and these characters. Maybe by the end of it all I'll even be one of them.

In this highly anticipated fifth instalment of the Bone Season Series, Paige Mahoney has been kept prisoner, all her memories of the last six months wiped. Paige finds herself outside of Scion at last but with no idea where she is, how she got there, or who to trust. She reunites with an old friend and gets in touch with the Domino programme once more. Domino sends Paige to Venice to help unravel Scion's top secret new plan. In her investigations to Operation Ventriloquist Paige finds out that Arcturus has also been imprisoned for the last six months by the Sargas and his intel may be the exactly what Domino needs to save Italy from the Anchor.
The Dark Mirror is an exciting new instalment of the Bone Season Series full of action, suspense, intrigue and intimacy.

Another fascinating read! The story follows the plot seamlessly. Perfect! It's hard to write a review without posting spoilers, but Samantha Shannon is a fantastic author. Thank you for the chance to read this.

Okay WHERE DO I EVEN START WITH THIS? I’m literally sitting here and going - okay SAM. On the other hand I’m pounding my fists against the ground.

While you don’t HAVE to reread the previous books I do think that a quick refresher might be helpful if you don’t remember everything. Shannon does leave little tidbits to remind you of things that have previously happened to help spark your memory. So even if you don’t, those should be enough.

I’m still flabbergasted the timeline has only been a YEAR. Poor Paige. I love her so much.

I love her story in this book, and I am REALLY excited for her story in the next book. So much happens in this one, plot lines from previous books are wrapped up, and yet new ones also begin.

There is a lot to admire in this book, and I feel like it’s hard to contain in one review - but I’m going to try my best.

This book deals with the theme of trauma very intensely. While it is mostly centered on Paige and Arcturus, we do get to see bits and pieces of how others have handled their trauma. And it’s all different types too.

One of the things I loved about this book was how delineating the line is between Scion and the Free World. But as in one moment during this book Paige points out some people look away even when danger is right on the doorstep. She implies that you can’t bury your head in the sand.

There is a staggering amount of super emotionally charged scenes in this book between all the different characters. I loved getting to see Nick and Maria and Paige together. And I adored Verca.

On top of that there are a few new characters who come to the table, and I’m definitely guessing we’ll be seeing more of them in the future.

This was a fantastic installment in this series, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Look, all you really need to know is that I sent my roommate, who had read the other four, a pile of keysmash texts during this because EVERYTHING is a spoiler so I couldn't say more! I started this back when I got approved on kindle but the formatting made it impossible for me to handle. I figured out the netgalley app had the PDF with proper formatting just Thursday and plowed through the second half in a day. The first half is also, in many ways, a bit of a pause and reset (although there's definitely danger! and Paige ofc gets herself beat up) to set up for the second half but it's just so so good. Enough things are resolved but at the same time, the world is spiraled off on a different trajectory entirely by the end of the book. I spent the last third feverishly reading at the expense of all else. Another great addition to the series!

Honestly Samantha Shannon can do no wrong for me. I adore this series and I am so excited to see it continue. I love the writing, the characters, the worldbuilding. All of it is fantastic.

I find middle of the series books hard to review without spoiling things so I’m keeping this short and sweet.

I can’t wait for the next book

Thank you for the opportunity to review! I feel like the highlights of many of my past reading years have been reading this series from Samantha Shannon - so many key moments for Paige that I can remember at different coffee shops or ramen bars. I'll follow her everywhere! I can't wait to read more, and I'm so glad the quality just keeps improving - even though I loved the beginnings too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for letting me read an e-ARC of The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon! I absolutely loved and devoured this one far faster than anticipated, which should say something considering how long this chunky book is!

We open with Paige in a strange place outside of Scion and with the last six months wiped from her memory. We hit the ground running as she escapes the clutches of her unknown captors and works to get her bearings, and, hopefully, her memories back. What follows is non-stop action. Paige Mahoney is not known for being a character who gets much of a break or downtime to breathe and the same is true for much of this novel. Readers, and Paige, are granted a sweet, sweet reprieve from life-threatening action for two blissful chapters as the plot and world slows down just a smidge for a few days (in-book time, of course). Naturally, time doesn’t stop when we want it to, and the adventure and fight to be free of Scion’s clutches continues on.

I held my breath for at least the last quarter of the book and couldn’t put the book down until the very end. My only complaint about this book is that I finished it a month before its release and now I’ll have to wait for at least another year for the next book to release! All of my personal sadness aside, this was a phenomenal read and I’m once again convinced there’s nothing Samantha Shannon can’t do.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Pub for this earc

I LOVED this book.
It’s been so long since I started a review like this so if you don’t read the whole review, just read that part.
If you’ve been with this series for as long as the rest of us, you will love The Dark Mirror
The writing still as amazing as ever. The plot is PERFECT. The characters are the same we love and but also grown
OMG. Paige & Warden. I’m saying nothing. You MUST read it yourself. But come to me when you get to THAT scene. I don’t remember last time I cried so much.

Perfect continuation to the series and I need the next book out before I’m old and grey.

The best installment in the Bone Season series yet. Action packed with fantastic character development, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing on where this series is going to end up going.

I have been counting down the minutes to read this! So full of adventure and continued world building with complex characters and emotional relationships

I am astonished. You know when you’re reading and a book just consumes your every thought? This is the most stressful 500 pages you’ll ever read but Samantha Shannon knowwwws how to write it well while also sprinkling in some tender moments in between (*cough* one of my favorite chapters of all time). My EMOTIONS. Masterfully plotted and full of brilliant characters and world building, this series is an absolute masterpiece and I’m so sad already for the wait for book 6.

Thank you Bloomsbury for the ARC!

Great continuation in this series! Has been one of my most anticipated books coming out in 2025 and its lived up to the hype!

I have spent the last four weeks in the world built by Samantha Shannon - the criminal world of the Seven Dials, the dark and creepy prison in Oxford, the magical yet terrifying cities of Paris, Rome and London. I feel bereft to have to wait for Book Six to come out. This is the BEST fantasy series I have read in years. Shannon has created rich complex characters, vile antagonists, heroic leaders with a moral compass, and a chosen family that I would want to be a part of. Love love love love love! Do not miss this entire series!!!

The dystopian sci fi fantasy Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon has been one of my favorite series for a few years now, and I wait for the next installment like a little kid waiting to open presents - thankful to Netgalley for keeping me in this world where clairvoyants “Voyants” are oppressed and held prisoner by the monstrous Rephaim. Paige is a fierce female MC to root for as she fights the power. This is an in depth sci fi supernatural world steeped in Greek mythology inspo and I will re-read the entire series when every last volume is published (I am trying to be patient).
I can’t believe what is happening to Paige and arcturus- Samantha Shannon has me caught in her web of suspense.

I cannot thank Bloomsbury Publishing enough for sending me this wonderful ARC. I’ve been itching to read the next instalment since November 2020 and my god did it not disappoint.

One thing is clear from The Dark Mirror is that The Mask Falling was truly a transitional book in this series. Samantha did a fantastic job subtly moving the plot in a way that made the divide between the first part of the series and the second half less abrupt. It’s something you notice after having picked up this fifth instalment and things start to feel very different and somehow larger right from the beginning. The main question we’re left with by the end of book four is answered almost immediately in the first chapter and whilst it did make me feel glad that we knew immediately, it did not leave me any less stressed by what is revealed in that initial chapter.

We leave Paige at the end of The Mask Falling believing to have been betrayed by the person she trusts the most, realising he was being controlled, discovered the fact that she is in fact not the only living dreamwalker*. Then right after, narrowly avoiding being killed by a bomb which she believes to have killed Arcturus, then truly being betrayed by a fellow Domino agent we know by the name of Cordier. Samantha leaves both readers and Paige herself very little space to breathe as we reach the climax and end of The Mask Falling, making the wait for The Dark Mirror even more excruciating than one would have expected, but also makes it so worth it. *Having discovered that she is not the first dreamwalker the Rephs have found, see Emma Orson in The Mask Falling, she has also had to come to terms with the fact that Cade, the man we previously knew as David, is also a dreamwalker and a very powerful one at that. His questionable allegiance makes him such a difficult character to truly parse out.

This revelation leaves us readers what this means for Paige’s future as well as questioning the idea that she is unique due to her gift. However, what The Dark Mirror does incredibly well is show us how Paige isn’t just special for her ability to dreamwalk, but for who she is and what she has gone through. Whilst I would say that this book was less taxing on her physically in some ways compared to the first four books, she is still put though a lot of emotional turmoil that makes up for it. I won’t hide the fact that it made me cry a handful of times, and all for different reasons. The Paige we see here is a quieter version of herself, but the Paige we all know and love isn’t well and truly gone. She is just finally given the space to start process everything that has happened in the past year as well as properly look forward and plan for the syndicate’s future as well as the rest of the world under Scion in regards to dismantling it. Without giving too much away, we learn about other 3rd parties that we previously weren’t aware of at all, as well as more on Domino as we also get to start exploring the free world along with Paige.

Samantha Shannon has done it again, and I’m absolutely blown away! Picking up 'The Dark Mirror' felt like coming home—straight into the heart of the world Paige Mahoney has been fighting so hard to survive in. The story had me hooked from the start. Paige waking up in the free world with half a year missing from her memory? I was immediately intrigued!

Venice is the perfect backdrop for this chapter of Paige’s journey, full of mystery and danger. The secrets of Operation Ventriloquist had me glued to the page, and the tension as Paige uncovers the truth is perfectly balanced with the thrill of reuniting with old allies. I especially loved the chemistry between Paige and Arcturus—so much respect and unspoken emotion between them! Every scene with the two of them was electric.

Shannon’s world-building continues to amaze me. Every detail feels purposeful, every setting vibrant and alive. But what really stood out in this book was the character work. Paige’s growth is so raw and compelling, and the connections between the characters felt deeper than ever.

This book is everything I love about Shannon’s writing—action-packed, thought-provoking, and deeply emotional. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next! If you love immersive fantasy, do yourself a favor and read this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The copy currently shown for this book is pretty minimal because most of it would be a spoiler, so I’ll avoid spoilers myself. The big things to note: Paige is somehow out of Scion for the first time in over a decade and she is dangerously alone– her closest allies are missing. You’ll probably get the most out of this book if the other volumes are reasonably fresh in your mind, but that was not the case for me and I still enjoyed it.

Before I talk in more detail about my reactions to the book, a disclaimer: I consider my ratings for mid-series books to be probationary– depending on the rest of the series, this number could go up or down.

Ok, now with that out of the way, THIS WAS FANTASTIC. It was such a reminder of how mesmerizing this world is and how invested I am in Paige’s story. I honestly forgot how much I enjoyed the previous books because it’s been so long since I read them and since we had an odd sort of hiatus when the author rewrote the first volume. The book is written in such a way, with plenty of context clues, that we can dive back into the action without too much fuss but amazingly the book isn’t bogged down in the weighty exposition that was my chief complaint about the first volume. We see a number of familiar characters return, which is very satisfying. A lot happens here to advance the plot, and it feels important. This is not just a middle volume where nothing happens.

I’m still confused about what may have been changed from the original edition of Bone Season when the author released her preferred edition. There are plenty of references to the first book in this one that could be hints of revised sections– I’m hoping someone might write a thorough comparison to satisfy my curiosity! Most importantly, if you haven’t read the author’s preferred text, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Hey so this was insane! Like in the best way. I loved every minute of it. I was on a weekend away at a cabin with friends when I read this and they really didn’t see me a lot because this book was all I could think about. Thankfully, they understood and supported me on this emotional rollercoaster of a reading journey.

I find it can be difficult to write a review for a novel this far into a series without giving away spoilers, but I will do my best.

The Mask Falling was a tough act to follow for The Dark Mirror, and it rose to the occasion. The various settings in this book are stunning, easy to visualize, vibrantly painted pictures of the places Paige travels. The characters continue to grow in depth and complexity (along with my love for them). One thing I’ve always said about this series, and continues to be true for The Dark Mirror, is that the people in this book respond to the events that take place like they are real people. This may not sound significant at first, but I didn’t realize how rare that concept is until I began reading this series. The trauma Paige experiences is abundant, and she responds like that is true. Although characters in The Bone Season series have supernatural powers, they are human, and Paige’s human-ness draws me to her so much more deeply than a character who walks away from physical or emotional trauma as if nothing that wild happened would. She’s the perfect combination of strong, imperfect, and lovable.

Although The Dark Mirror is the fifth installment in this series, each book stands out as its own essential chapter of Paige’s story. They do not fall into the trap of being the same plot over and over like many series beyond a trilogy do. They are woven together in a way that makes me say “wow, how did Samantha Shannon even think of that?” in big and small details. The plots of the books and the little details in the friendships and romances that grow between characters pull my heartstrings and have kept me thinking about the story long after finishing the book. I’ve even gone back and re-read some of my favorite chapters because I love it so much.

Samantha Shannon has mentioned that the next two books are full of big reveals and my response to that is “...and this book wasn’t?!” I feel like I learned so much about the characters I adore and saw so many connections made that a re-read will be absolutely necessary in order for me to grasp it all.

I recommend this series to anyone who will listen to me, so that includes family, friends, and library patrons.

I know this book isn’t even out yet, but I can’t wait to read book 6!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would.

Wow...I wish I could just end the review there. This is was something else. I feel like this series flies under the radar but it is so good! Please more people read this!