The Mask Falling

The Mask Falling

  • Downloads：5808
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-01-27 04:17:18
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Samantha Shannon
  • ISBN：9781635570328
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

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。

Editor Reviews

10/26/2020

Shannon’s gripping fourth Bone Season novel picks up where The Song Rising left off， with Paige Mahoney on the run after escaping imprisonment and torture。 It’s the year 2060， and Paige is hiding out in the Scion Citadel of Paris， recovering both physically and mentally from her trauma。 Paige finds work with the Domino Programme––a top-secret organization that seeks to overthrow the Scion branch in Paris––using her gift of dreamwalking to infiltrate the government and discover devastating secrets。 Accompanying her is Warden， her former enemy turned bodyguard。 Paige’s arc is deeply emotional as she works through painful memories， encounters fresh betrayals， and maintains her sense of duty to complete her missions no matter the cost。 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。 Agent: David Godwin， David Godwin Assoc。 （Jan。）

Publishers Weekly

Download

Reviews

，

A。S。 ，

Another excellent addition to the Bone Season series。 This one is simultaneously packed with a TON of action and an abundance of intimate dialogue between Paige and Arcturus。 It'd go from calm to chaos in a matter of pages。 It's clear the series is ramping up， and Shannon manages to weave even more into the story that now has loose ends to tie。 I am so excited to see where the next novel takes us。 Another excellent addition to the Bone Season series。 This one is simultaneously packed with a TON of action and an abundance of intimate dialogue between Paige and Arcturus。 It'd go from calm to chaos in a matter of pages。 It's clear the series is ramping up， and Shannon manages to weave even more into the story that now has loose ends to tie。 I am so excited to see where the next novel takes us。 。。。more

Lucy ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。Having just read all the other books in this series for the first time， I couldn't wait to get stuck into this。 And boy， I wasn't disappointed。 Shannon keeps up the relentless pressure of the storyline but， by moving the narrative to Paris， allows us to glimpse a whole new layer of Scion control。 I feel sorry for Paige - she never gets a break！ Shannon's series will be read for years to come and holds up as a shining example of contemporary fant Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。Having just read all the other books in this series for the first time， I couldn't wait to get stuck into this。 And boy， I wasn't disappointed。 Shannon keeps up the relentless pressure of the storyline but， by moving the narrative to Paris， allows us to glimpse a whole new layer of Scion control。 I feel sorry for Paige - she never gets a break！ Shannon's series will be read for years to come and holds up as a shining example of contemporary fantasy writing。 。。。more

Kristen ，

WAIT。 waitwaitwaitwaitwait。 I'd assumed this would come out this year and I thought I'd checked on it recently and saw that it wasn't coming out for a while but。。。 TODAY？！？！ Like。。。 TODAY TODAY？！？！ WUT？ I'm so behind and such a chaotic mess and I've been meaning to catch up on this series， so I guess now （read: soon） is that time！！！ Gotta finish The Diviners first and then dive into this！！！ WAIT。 waitwaitwaitwaitwait。 I'd assumed this would come out this year and I thought I'd checked on it recently and saw that it wasn't coming out for a while but。。。 TODAY？！？！ Like。。。 TODAY TODAY？！？！ WUT？ I'm so behind and such a chaotic mess and I've been meaning to catch up on this series， so I guess now （read: soon） is that time！！！ Gotta finish The Diviners first and then dive into this！！！ 。。。more

Lauren Don’tGoBrekkerMyHeart ，

How was this book able to destroy me holistically and eternally？ Umm because Samantha is a genius and a mastermind and a gem of a writer。 She’s amazing in my eyes。There’s not much I can say about this series without giving anything away。 It’s the fourth book in the series so that’s expected。What I didn’t expect was the rug to be torn out from under me。 For Paige to dreamscape into me and leave me feeling every single emotion of hers as if we were one and the same。 For the whole last fourth of th How was this book able to destroy me holistically and eternally？ Umm because Samantha is a genius and a mastermind and a gem of a writer。 She’s amazing in my eyes。There’s not much I can say about this series without giving anything away。 It’s the fourth book in the series so that’s expected。What I didn’t expect was the rug to be torn out from under me。 For Paige to dreamscape into me and leave me feeling every single emotion of hers as if we were one and the same。 For the whole last fourth of the novel to somehow tear me in half worse than The Song Rising。 How is that possible？I’m numb。 To put it simply。Thank you Samantha for creating such a dynamic world of mischief and rebellion， love and destruction， pain and tears。 I am officially counting down the months， days， seconds until the sequel。 Iconic。 Truly incredible。I somehow already have my favorite book of 2021 picked out， and I couldn’t be happier that it is one of Samantha’s。 I’m blown away and so content- even with the heart ache。 。。。more

Joanne ，

There are no words and not enough words to describe how exquisite this book is。 It delicately latches onto your heart from the start， pulling you in until it sprouts talons towards the end， piercing through until the last page。And what a finale。 What a cliffhanger to leave you reeling， like it's actually your spirit that has detached， left to aimlessly float until you receive the answers you so desperately need in the next book。 I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this fourth book in the Bone Season There are no words and not enough words to describe how exquisite this book is。 It delicately latches onto your heart from the start， pulling you in until it sprouts talons towards the end， piercing through until the last page。And what a finale。 What a cliffhanger to leave you reeling， like it's actually your spirit that has detached， left to aimlessly float until you receive the answers you so desperately need in the next book。 I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this fourth book in the Bone Season series， though I do also feel very vexed by how things turned out in the end。 We meet some interesting characters as well as seeing some familiar faces in a new light。 The setting of Paris is wonderful and I adored the building of trust between Paige and Warden throughout。 The ending is shocking and I am stunned by its events。 I can only hope I'm not left floating in the aether for long until we get the next book。 。。。more

DetectiveCarolBee ，

This will be amazing。

Minna ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Big thanks to NetGalley， Bloomsbury and to Ms。 Shannon for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book。 This review was requested but not required and all thoughts are my own。Despite the long wait for this book and the subsequent small struggles to remember details in the beginning I had no trouble getting back into the swing of things。 It's like getting into a hot bath when you're freezing: at first you feel like you're on fire but once you acclimate， OMG， there is just nothing better。The world Big thanks to NetGalley， Bloomsbury and to Ms。 Shannon for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book。 This review was requested but not required and all thoughts are my own。Despite the long wait for this book and the subsequent small struggles to remember details in the beginning I had no trouble getting back into the swing of things。 It's like getting into a hot bath when you're freezing: at first you feel like you're on fire but once you acclimate， OMG， there is just nothing better。The world Ms。 Shannon has created is so unique， so complex， and so purposeful。 Bits and pieces you thought fell by the wayside a book or two ago have a sneaky way of surfacing again much later。 This book does pick up right where the previous one left off， with Paige and Warden/Arcturus being smuggled into Paris。 Some very interesting questions are posed about who is actually running things （Scion， the anchor， Domino， etc） and how， and why。 Not all of these are answered and I think that's something we'll see more answers to down the line in future books。 I struggled a little bit with Paige's decision-making; she seems to trust the wrong people too easily and the right people too little。 I had to try to keep in mind that Paige was not only terribly ill but struggling with - and frankly， succumbing to - PTSD and her decision-making process wasn't at its best。 I think one thing that Paige definitely frustrated me with was refusing to admit that she （personally， not her Mime Order） needed help。 It was almost too late when her physical condition was finally diagnosed。 The Parisian "anormales" were awesome; the scenery underground really felt authentic。 It was a nice change from London。 Overall I saw some definite character development coming from Paige and Warden/Arcturus both， which was very welcome。 Not so much decision-making-wise， since Paige continued to make very rash， impulsive and reckless decisions almost consistently。 Sometimes those worked out but more frequently she was only saved by the preparedness （and bravery） of others。 No， I'd say Paige matured emotionally。 She finally gave thought to her father， and obviously to her situation with Warden。 And then there was that scene with Jaxon。。。 x_XI was worried that this would seem like a bridge book， seeing as how there are some 3 more projected books in the series， but it really didn't; it was almost non-stop action。 And somehow STILL ended on a cliffhanger *shakes head*。 I won't say more because this is a pre-pub review， but I was really left VERY concerned ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING that the next book won't be out for years。 Sigh。 Let me just say， if you've been waiting patiently （or not so patiently） for The Mask Falling， you will not be disappointed。 It is one heck of a ride。 。。。more

Amy Burt ，

We’ve had quite a wait for the 4th instalment of Samantha Shannon’s Bone Season series （and for The Priory I’ll forgive that wait ❤️）， it’d been quite a few years but I can safely say this， The Mask Falling was worth it， you can feel the time and thought and love put into this book。I won’t talk much about the plot because there’s a synopsis for that and I want to avoid spoilers， but this book is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least！ I’ve read a lot of books since The Song Rising and witho We’ve had quite a wait for the 4th instalment of Samantha Shannon’s Bone Season series （and for The Priory I’ll forgive that wait ❤️）， it’d been quite a few years but I can safely say this， The Mask Falling was worth it， you can feel the time and thought and love put into this book。I won’t talk much about the plot because there’s a synopsis for that and I want to avoid spoilers， but this book is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least！ I’ve read a lot of books since The Song Rising and without even a recap I was able to pick up where I left off， this book carries straight on from this （well， technically on from The Dawn Chorus） with a recovering Paige and Warden fleeing to Paris and i found it incredibly easy to step back inside this story。 I particularly loved Paige and Warden getting closer in this book， he is my favourite character and it was lovely to know more about him。 This book has such beautiful intimacy to it as these 2 guarded people open up to and learn each other， to the point that in this book Warden is referred to as Arcturus。 Paris is a delightful backdrop and again you can really tell Shannon has done her research without this information looking misplaced and gratuitous。 Talking of Shannon’s commitment， a lot pieces finally get out together in this book， a lot of questions are answered。 Like I said earlier， this book really takes you on an emotional journey so brace yourself for a lot of stress with this one！ There are some fantastic action scenes， tender scenes， wonderful world building and agony that will leave you shouting WHY？？？ at the book。Samantha Shannon is a fantastic writer for many reasons; the world building， the research， the writing， but for me what sets her apart is her commitment to the character。 Paige in The Song Rising is brutally tortured， including being water boarded。 PTSD plays a key role in this book， the triggers， a touch， a choice of words， even a position Paige lies in， takes her back to her torture room and we follow her through these inner battles and the victories。 When Paige is I’ll or injured， this becomes part of her story， it’s not something that just happens and is done， it’s something that makes life harder and so you follow that with her， Paige has a recurring cough that is often referred to and her pneumonia is treated throughout， similarly at one point she injured her leg， and it’s not a plot point， but it’s something that Paige feels and so you feel it with her。 A key example of this that I found so wonderful to read was at one point Paige’s body recovers enough for her period to start again。 I have read countless books with a female protagonist and yet this is the first time I have read this in a book and it took me aback because it just never happens， despite it obviously being something the character must experience on top of whatever else she is facing。 Not only does Shannon acknowledge that Paige is uncomfortable and in pain while life goes on and she still has to get stuff done， she also writes an exchange with Warden where he respectfully asks about it。 This is what I love about Shannon’s writing。Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of this book， I’ve been excited to read it for a long time and once again， Shannon has brought something wonderful into this world。 。。。more

Annarella ，

To be honest I thought this was the first in a new fantasy series and the discovered it was the fourth。That said I loved every moment and couldn't put it down even if I'm sure I didn't understand some references to the previous stories and some parts of the world building。I found the storytelling excellent and was enthralled loving the tightly knitted plot and this fascinating universe。The world building and the character development are excellent and I loved the characters。I'm happy I read this To be honest I thought this was the first in a new fantasy series and the discovered it was the fourth。That said I loved every moment and couldn't put it down even if I'm sure I didn't understand some references to the previous stories and some parts of the world building。I found the storytelling excellent and was enthralled loving the tightly knitted plot and this fascinating universe。The world building and the character development are excellent and I loved the characters。I'm happy I read this book because I have three to read and look forward to the rest of the series as I'm hooked。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more

Caro ，

90% of this book was absolutely brilliant and well worth the wait。 Unfortunately the ending was in my opinion poorly done and undid some of the great writing。 The whole series has been great so far though and I'm not giving up on it。 I fell in love with the first book and the series has only gotten better。This book is suspenseful from beginning to end。 Lots of action and revelations， some of which I had guessed already and some of which came as a surprise。 One of them， （view spoiler）[the identit 90% of this book was absolutely brilliant and well worth the wait。 Unfortunately the ending was in my opinion poorly done and undid some of the great writing。 The whole series has been great so far though and I'm not giving up on it。 I fell in love with the first book and the series has only gotten better。This book is suspenseful from beginning to end。 Lots of action and revelations， some of which I had guessed already and some of which came as a surprise。 One of them， （view spoiler）[the identity of the Rag and Bone Man （hide spoiler）] had me laughing out loud， I loved the reveal。 I guess I could have known， but it came as a complete surprise to me。On top of that， the world-building is as wonderful as ever and the characters continue to grow。 There were so many tender and heartbreaking moments between Arcturus and Paige。 Not to mention how she deals with the memory and physical consequences of her captivity。Among all of the darkness that surrounds Paige there were two great bright spots for me。 One was Arcturus， who gets to spend a lot more time with Paige here。 As they grow closer， we see more of his humorous side。And the second is Ducos， an agent for Domino。 It was great reading how again and again she acts mysterious and says she can't disclose much information， when actually Paige knows far more than she does。The only thing preventing me from giving this a 5 star rating is something near the end。 （view spoiler）[Shannon made Paige doubt something and I think it was a weak trick。 She fell for it ridiculously easily。 I excpected it would take more to convince her。 As a reader it was easy to see through it， and I think Paige would have too。 It seemed out of character to me and it felt forced。 I had a higher opinion of Paige and of Shannon than this。 It's a pity， since the rest of the book and series are so good。 The ending undoes some of that。 （hide spoiler）]I've fallen love with this series， but the ending of this book has dampened my enthusiasm a bit。 Still， much of the book was as wonderful as I have come to expect from this series and I hope the series picks itself back up after this。 。。。more

kaylie ，

my one demand。。。Paige calls Arcturus by his NAME AND NOT WARDEN my one demand。。。Paige calls Arcturus by his NAME AND NOT WARDEN 。。。more

Brittany ，

What the hell， Samantha！！！ Can't we get like 2 fucking seconds to breathe？！？！What am I supposed to do with my life for the next 2 to 3 years？Everything is different。 Expect the unexpected and side eye everyone。 Everyone。 I'm so distraught。 What the hell， Samantha！！！ Can't we get like 2 fucking seconds to breathe？！？！What am I supposed to do with my life for the next 2 to 3 years？Everything is different。 Expect the unexpected and side eye everyone。 Everyone。 I'm so distraught。 。。。more

Maellis ，

I was lucky enough to get a copy before its release date and I still can’t believe it。 Since March 2017， this is the book I’ve been thinking about every single day。 It might sound over the top but it’s how much I wanted it， how much I love this series， how much I needed to read about Paige and Warden/Arcturus again （my friends and colleagues can testify）。 I tried to take my time with this book and I think I did - I spent 5 nights reading it， 5 nights of pure enjoyment。。。 to be fair the last one I was lucky enough to get a copy before its release date and I still can’t believe it。 Since March 2017， this is the book I’ve been thinking about every single day。 It might sound over the top but it’s how much I wanted it， how much I love this series， how much I needed to read about Paige and Warden/Arcturus again （my friends and colleagues can testify）。 I tried to take my time with this book and I think I did - I spent 5 nights reading it， 5 nights of pure enjoyment。。。 to be fair the last one was， well， something else。So what did I love about this book？ Everything really。 The plot thickens， the new set of characters is amazing， some familiar faces open themselves up， some reveal their true nature， the writing style is stronger （oh my， how certain sentences touched my very soul）， and the setting is brillant - I live near Paris and I felt like Paige was so close to me。 The sense of familiarity was the best and I want to cry because I miss the peaceful times Paige and Arcturus got in the safe house。 Paige says it at some point， but it felt like home， for them and for me。 I will cherish this place and the time they spent in it forever - I feel like we won’t have that in the upcoming books， I hope I’m wrong。About the ending。 I’m in denial。 I’m hurt and I think I still haven’t grasped everything and realised the consequences of what happened。 My one piece of advice is that you need to read the last 80 pages in a row。 After chapter 21， you won’t be able to put the book down。 Trust me。Let me tell you something with complete honesty: The Mask Falling was worth the wait and it is without a doubt my favorite instalment so far。 It’s going to be really hard to surpass this one because how can you do better than that？ But I trust Samantha Shannon with every fibre of my being。 She’s a genius， I knew it but with TMF， she really outdid herself。 And broke my heart in the process but I’ll be fine， I will （🙈） So one last thing that I can’t say enough - thank you Samantha。 This series is by far my favorite and I’m so glad I learn from what you write， in your books and on socials media。 I’m definitely a lucky reader。 Merci 🧡 - & I forgive you for the heartache。 。。。more

Maira Bakenova ，

In seven days， Paige Mahoney and Arcturus Mesarthim shall return and break our hearts all over again。 The Mask Falling is the fourth book in The Bone Season heptalogy。 It is set in the parallel， not so distant future， in the world secretly dominated by the Rephaim and inhabited by the voyants， and there are seven orders of clairvoyance， and the Rephaim are not all bad， and。。。 you must know all of this already。 If you don't， it is a great time to start a new series！ The Mask Falling ties many loo In seven days， Paige Mahoney and Arcturus Mesarthim shall return and break our hearts all over again。 The Mask Falling is the fourth book in The Bone Season heptalogy。 It is set in the parallel， not so distant future， in the world secretly dominated by the Rephaim and inhabited by the voyants， and there are seven orders of clairvoyance， and the Rephaim are not all bad， and。。。 you must know all of this already。 If you don't， it is a great time to start a new series！ The Mask Falling ties many loose ends from the previous books。 In a way， here Samantha Shannon revisits book one， improves upon it， and reminds us why the series is called The Bone Season in the first place。 The most subtle hints scattered throughout the previous instalments resurface。 We see some familiar faces return。 Questions will be answered。 More questions will follow。 Reading Samantha Shannon's books is very similar to watching a movie。 A movie playing out on your mind's screen （you know what I mean）， conjured by her words and imagination。 It always takes me longer than usual to read her novels simply because I don't want the narrative/movie to end。 The Mask Falling is one of the books that has truly sung to me （you will know what I mean）。 It will heal your heart post the almost four-year wait， then shatter it to pieces， and leave you craving for more。 。。。more

donna ，

Than you Macmillan for the free arc via Edelweiss。 The roller coaster ride of Paige and Warden was exhausting。 I cried multiple times during the book。 It ended on such a cliff hanger。 Every time it looks like they are going to win another curve ball is thrown into the mix。 Characters come and go throughout the story。 You never know when you might see them again。 Best part of this book was we were in Paris my favorite city。

Gemma McGee ，

The Mask Falling makes me realise that the dangers that Paige is facing are greater than I ever thought。There is a lot to take in when reading The Mask Falling。 As there is;Underworld of ParisSpyingPaige RecoveryArcturus and Paige relationshipInformation for the Mime Order。Having all these different elements kept the plot entertaining with a great pace。 The moments of Paige recovery and her relationship with Arcturus gives emotional and heartwarming moments。I loved the action that the spying， an The Mask Falling makes me realise that the dangers that Paige is facing are greater than I ever thought。There is a lot to take in when reading The Mask Falling。 As there is;Underworld of ParisSpyingPaige RecoveryArcturus and Paige relationshipInformation for the Mime Order。Having all these different elements kept the plot entertaining with a great pace。 The moments of Paige recovery and her relationship with Arcturus gives emotional and heartwarming moments。I loved the action that the spying， and finding connection in the underworld brought。 One of my favourite moments is when Paige is using her dream walking abilities for spying。 It kept my heart pounding when you're worrying if she will get caught or not。There are several moments and revelation that did take me by surprise。 The ending especially。 I spent the last chapter going No， No， No， No， NO， NO， NO。Overall my rating for The Mask Falling is 4。5 out of 5。Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for gifting me an E-book copy for review。 。。。more

Lucie ，

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。The Mask Falling is my favourite book in the series so far！ 💛Following the events of The Song Rising， Paige Mahoney finds herself in the Scion Citadel of Paris， where the Domino Program has plans for her， while Paige has ambitions of her own。 I loved that this book was set in Paris: as someone who used to live there， I'm always a bit wary to read books set there， but Samantha Shannon did a fantastic job！ You could I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。The Mask Falling is my favourite book in the series so far！ 💛Following the events of The Song Rising， Paige Mahoney finds herself in the Scion Citadel of Paris， where the Domino Program has plans for her， while Paige has ambitions of her own。 I loved that this book was set in Paris: as someone who used to live there， I'm always a bit wary to read books set there， but Samantha Shannon did a fantastic job！ You could tell how much research she put into this book through her vivid descriptions of the city and how she tied French history to the history of clairvoyants and Scion。 Samantha Shannon expanded her world yet again: I found so interesting to learn how things worked in the Scion Citadel of Paris， from the governing body， led by the terrifying Benoît Ménard， to the inner workings of the criminal underworld。 If The Mime Order is your favourite book in the series， you are sure to love The Mask Falling！ Paige Mahoney still remains one of my favourite protagonists to read about， she feels so real， and I wish I could hug her and tell her that everything is going to be okay， she sure needs it。 The Mask Falling introduced a new cast of characters that I loved to get to know， as well as made me reacquainted with characters we hadn't seen in a while。 My only problem with the characters is that I still don't love Arcturus Mesarthim like everyone else。。。 I am so indifferent to him， whether he's there or not doesn't change much for me， and I don't know why。。。 I really enjoyed that the author took her time with the plot， starting by showing us how the characters were dealing with what happened in The Song Rising， as well as exploring this new Citadel。 Once the plot really got started， I flew through this book， because it was full of twists and turns， Samantha Shannon sure didn't hold back her punches。 The Mask Falling was a game-changer for this series， the stakes got even higher for the characters， and its ending left me shocked and speechless。 Overall， The Mask Falling was a fantastic fourth instalment that set up so many things for the series， I can't wait to see where the next few books will go！ It has amazing character development， a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat， and to me， it was the strongest book in the series。 。。。more

Marianne ，

Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。5 StarsWhat。 The actual。 Fuck。I should have known shit was going to hit the fan when what appeared to be the climax of the novel was over with about 150 pages left to go。 I mean， I actually did kind of guess， but still， I was unprepared。 Seriously， what the - ？I have so many questions。 Like， more than I had coming into the novel， which is unfortunate in a way， as it will probably be a while until t Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。5 StarsWhat。 The actual。 Fuck。I should have known shit was going to hit the fan when what appeared to be the climax of the novel was over with about 150 pages left to go。 I mean， I actually did kind of guess， but still， I was unprepared。 Seriously， what the - ？I have so many questions。 Like， more than I had coming into the novel， which is unfortunate in a way， as it will probably be a while until the sequel comes out， and I'm dying for answers。 Having said that， if the next novel is as good as this one， it will be more than worth the wait。At first I was a little sad that The Mask Falling didn't take place in London， and that some of my favourite characters from the previous two books probably wouldn't be making an appearance。 I got over this fairly quickly， however， because I was just so addicted to the story， and there were plenty of other interesting characters to enjoy - some familiar faces， and some new ones。 Also， though Scion London with its modern-Victorian feel is still my favourite setting in this fantastical dystopian world， France was also fun to explore， and the political side of things was fascinating。Honestly， I just didn't want to put this book down。 Not only was I compelled by its mysteries， but oh my God - everything was so tense。 The fact that Paige is still recovering from both the physical and mental trauma inflicted on her in the previous book only adds to the sense of danger （it's also， I might add， thoroughly explored in a way seldom seen in fantasy novels）。 My heart was racing for her almost constantly。 Paige has always been a badass， but in this instalment she really takes it to the next level。 She does have her vulnerable moments， however， and I liked her all the more for them。I love how hard it is to guess the motivations of the characters in this series。 So many mysterious backstories， so many hidden ulterior motives。。。you can never really be sure who to trust， outside of Paige's inner squad， and even then there is cause for second-guessing。 It's just so good。I am so excited to see where this story goes next。***Swiftathon - The Man - A feminist book/a book with a strong female character 。。。more

Erin ，

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest reviewMy Rating: 5 StarsLet me preface this by saying that The Bone Season series is an all time favorite of mine。 I’m talking top five of all time。 The overall world building， the heart pounding action， the romance…it all works for me。 That being said， I do let people know when they start the series that the first book was written a while ago and was Samantha Shannon’s first book。 There are a few info-dumps and the pacing of book one does I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest reviewMy Rating: 5 StarsLet me preface this by saying that The Bone Season series is an all time favorite of mine。 I’m talking top five of all time。 The overall world building， the heart pounding action， the romance…it all works for me。 That being said， I do let people know when they start the series that the first book was written a while ago and was Samantha Shannon’s first book。 There are a few info-dumps and the pacing of book one does suffer a bit as a result。 However， one of my absolute favorite things about this series is watching her develop and grow as a writer。 Each book gets better and better， and the plot gets more and more convoluted and twisted。 There are so many unknowns and so many individual elements for her to keep track of that I am absolutely blown away every time I delve back into this world。The Mask Falling is without a doubt， unequivocally， the best book in the series。 Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down， honestly。 Paige’s struggles and development as a character， her relationship with Warden， and the war she continues to wage on Scion kept me hooked from the first page to the last。 In this book， Paige and Warden travel to my absolute favorite city in the world， Paris。 Somehow， Samantha Shannon captured the magic of Paris all while changing bits of it to fit this new version of Earth that she has created。 I would also like to applaud the way she captured grief， trauma and recovery。There were near constant twists， turns and surprises as well as scenes that made me ugly cry， scream at my book （my poor neighbors）， and swoon。 I made many predictions throughout the book， and was right about one thing。 One。 I love being taken completely by surprise by books， but it rarely happens。 I am beyond thrilled with the pacing and overall intrigue of The Mask Falling。 I look forward to learning more about new characters as well as revisiting old ones that I missed in this book。 （I would like to formally petition for the return of Nick， immediately）At this point I feel like my review is an incoherent ramble as I attempt to form some kind of literate review of what will surely be one of my favorites， if not my favorite read of 2021。 If you have made it this far into the series， I have to assume that you love it as well and am happy to say that you will absolutely devour and adore this newest installment。 If you are reading this review despite the fact that you’ve never read any books in the series， I hope that my gushing has convinced you to start a series that continues to astound me more and more with each new release。 。。。more

Rebecca Tait ，

I couldn't put this down， I wanted it to last but I wanted to know what happened & read it in two days， but now it's over & I'm already dreading waiting to find out what happens next。 Samantha Shannon has created a world that it is a pleasure to get completely lost in。 So similar to our own that it is easy to imagine but different enough to take you somewhere else entirely。 Paige & Arcturus remain two of my favourite fictional characters & their supporting cast are awesome （in the traditional se I couldn't put this down， I wanted it to last but I wanted to know what happened & read it in two days， but now it's over & I'm already dreading waiting to find out what happens next。 Samantha Shannon has created a world that it is a pleasure to get completely lost in。 So similar to our own that it is easy to imagine but different enough to take you somewhere else entirely。 Paige & Arcturus remain two of my favourite fictional characters & their supporting cast are awesome （in the traditional sense of the word）。 There is a fine line between good & bad， hero & villain and this is pushed every which way in The Mask Falling。 I'm genuinely at a loss for what to read next。 。。。more

Marie ，

After escaping from the Citadel of London， Paige and Warden end up in Paris thanks to the Domino programme。 There， she is supposed to become a spy for the Domino programme， but she also wants to make contact with the Parisian syndicates and see if she could make an alliance。 This book did not disappoint with twist everywhere and a finale that will shock everyone。

Alicja ，

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC。 Samantha Shannon’s ‘The Mask Falling’ is probably my favourite one in the series so far。 Possibly because is set in Paris， and I loved the more international landscape in this fourth instalment of ‘The Bone Season’。 With more characters and more complex politics coming into play in ‘The Mask Falling’， the stakes have never been as high before。 All with different goals and ambitions， the characters are the driving force of this book， forcing Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC。 Samantha Shannon’s ‘The Mask Falling’ is probably my favourite one in the series so far。 Possibly because is set in Paris， and I loved the more international landscape in this fourth instalment of ‘The Bone Season’。 With more characters and more complex politics coming into play in ‘The Mask Falling’， the stakes have never been as high before。 All with different goals and ambitions， the characters are the driving force of this book， forcing Paige to navigate increasingly difficult landscape of wartime Paris， while at the same time still dealing and coming to terms with the aftermath of the events in the previous book。 It was good to see that Paige’s injuries or mental repercussions weren’t brushed off， but rather had played important role in ‘The Mask Falling’ from the beginning to the end。 Once again， the action picks up in the latter half of Samantha Shannon’s book， but that’s not too say that the first half isn’t intense – from the immediate fallout of ‘The Song Rising’ （also explored in the novella， ‘The Dawn Chorus’ which bridges the gap between both books） to exploring the current dynamic between Paige and Arcturus， her work for Domino Programme as well as the （possible） new alliance with clairvoyants of France， ‘The Mask Falling’ is fast-paced， and will definitely be a great read for those who have been following Paige’s adventures。 While ‘The Bone Season’ series wasn’t one that I was completely engrossed in since the very beginning， I’m finding myself enjoying each book more and more， perhaps also seeing how the author is growing and developing her narrative skills further， which is always great to see！ And considering the ending of the previous books， I shouldn’t perhaps be surprised with another cliffhanger。 I guess now I have to wait patiently for another instalment。 。。。more

Marissa ，

Just when you think things in Scion can't possibly get anymore twisty they do。 A wild ride but it reminded me why I enjoy this series do much。 Just when you think things in Scion can't possibly get anymore twisty they do。 A wild ride but it reminded me why I enjoy this series do much。 。。。more

Kori Sulewski （korireads） ，

In short， I am distraught。This was everything I wanted it to be and more。 My new favorite of the series， The Mask Falling is an absolute roller coaster from beginning。 Paige and Warden are two of my favorite MCs and this world was just blown completely open。 TMF expertly handles trauma and recovery while still being action-packed with incredible character development。 Simply Amazing。Thank you Bloomsbury for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review！

kath | novel + folk ，

Oh my GOODNESS

Michelle ，

I adore The Bone Season series。 I have listened to or read the first book in the series at least three times and plan to do so again。 There is something about the characters， the setting， and the story that have me coming back to it again and again。 So it comes as no surprise that The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021。 I had high hopes for the latest in Paige Mahoney's war against Scion， and Ms。 Shannon did not disappoint。I love that Ms。 Shannon doe I adore The Bone Season series。 I have listened to or read the first book in the series at least three times and plan to do so again。 There is something about the characters， the setting， and the story that have me coming back to it again and again。 So it comes as no surprise that The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021。 I had high hopes for the latest in Paige Mahoney's war against Scion， and Ms。 Shannon did not disappoint。I love that Ms。 Shannon does not gloss over the violence that comes with living on the streets and waging a guerilla war against a powerful enemy。 Given how lovingly she describes Paige and Warden， I know she cares about her characters。 However， because she is unafraid to show the darker side of life， I also know that she remains committed to authenticity。 This means that she is careful with her stories and characters。 She plots out every detail so that her fictional world is as realistic as the real one。 Moreover， she ensures nothing is stagnant。 Her characters grow and evolve。 Situations get more complicated， and decisions become agonizing。 If it weren't for the fact that the story involves otherworldly creatures and magic， the series itself could be contemporary fiction。The Mask Falling was never going to be an easy book to read because it starts after Paige escapes from her torture at the hands of Scion。 The damage they wrought on her body， mind， and spirit is immense， and Ms。 Shannon includes the slow and arduous process of recovery Paige must endure。 It isn't pretty， but every minor success Paige achieves after what she endured is a major victory。Of particular joy is the opportunity to see Warden and Paige together again in a confined setting。 Theirs has always been a complicated relationship， but in The Mask Falling， you see them overcome some of those complications to just be together。 Their banter is outstanding， but it is in their genuine compassion for each other where their relationship shines。 Together， they are everything I want them to be and more。And then Ms。 Shannon broke me。 Following the highest of highs and a victory like no other， The Mask Falling takes a wicked and vicious turn that had me contemplating throwing my Kindle across the room in anger and despair。 As one shock follows another， it was all I could do to contain my composure。 I finished the book gutted， an emotional wreck。Yet， I wouldn't want The Mask Falling to be any different。 Paige's story has always been one step forward， two steps back。 No victory comes without consequences， usually negative， and I don't see what happens at the end as any different。 In fact， I love that with the highest of highs， she includes the lowest of lows。 It is one more example of just how realistic the story is。Ms。 Shannon has the gift of storytelling。 With The Mask Falling， she solidifies that statement。 The characters are natural， the story fluid， and the descriptions luscious。 She plays your emotions like a harp， delicately plucking each one until you don't know where Paige ends and you begin。 It is going to be a long wait for the fifth book， but thankfully， this is a series that is just as rewarding on the third reread as it is on the first。 。。。more

Louise ，

4。75/5 RTC

Neonila ，

What a ride！Can't say that I was surprised that I absolutely loved this book， but I'm always astounded by the number of emotions Samantha Shannon can make me go through。These characters have become so dear to be， but， of course， they must suffer。 Don't get too comfortable with this series， all happiness will be snatched away。It'll probably be some time until we get to read the next book， but I honestly can't wait！ Who knows where this journey will take us next。 What a ride！Can't say that I was surprised that I absolutely loved this book， but I'm always astounded by the number of emotions Samantha Shannon can make me go through。These characters have become so dear to be， but， of course， they must suffer。 Don't get too comfortable with this series， all happiness will be snatched away。It'll probably be some time until we get to read the next book， but I honestly can't wait！ Who knows where this journey will take us next。 。。。more

Witch With A Book ，

Samantha Shannon as much as I love you， I hate you so much！ That damn cliffhanger。 I received this E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review。 First thing to just say is that the publisher needs to sort the formatting out as the random -1 and -0 in the book were annoying and the fact the text at points changed size。 Other then that， this book has been years in the making and it doesn't let you down。 I didn't do a re-read or anything before hand and did take me a few hours to get back i Samantha Shannon as much as I love you， I hate you so much！ That damn cliffhanger。 I received this E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review。 First thing to just say is that the publisher needs to sort the formatting out as the random -1 and -0 in the book were annoying and the fact the text at points changed size。 Other then that， this book has been years in the making and it doesn't let you down。 I didn't do a re-read or anything before hand and did take me a few hours to get back in to the swing of the characters， but once that was out of the way I was back to been in love with this series。 Everything is so well planned out， the character growth of Paige is amazing she keeps getting stronger as the series goes on but without losing who she is。 The PTSD was respectfully written in this book， which was a nice change。 For those who like romance it's there but it's more fluid storyline which comes in and out when needed。 All in all I am now going to put this book in a corner and sulk about the wait for the next one。 。。。more

Bryony Indecisive Reader ，

“Fear is a constant for us mortals， [。。。] but so is the knowledge that no matter what happens， no matter how careful and afraid we are， life does end。 So you might as well take every shot you get。”TW: Aquaphobia/Trauma/PTSD/Waterboarding/Torture/ArsonI’ll be honest， I hurt。 ‘2021 is bound to hurt，’ I thought， ‘why not start with a book that’ll hurt me too？’ I’m not sure I’ve quite gathered my thoughts together and I feel like I need to reread it already， but we’re going to try to review it anywa “Fear is a constant for us mortals， [。。。] but so is the knowledge that no matter what happens， no matter how careful and afraid we are， life does end。 So you might as well take every shot you get。”TW: Aquaphobia/Trauma/PTSD/Waterboarding/Torture/ArsonI’ll be honest， I hurt。 ‘2021 is bound to hurt，’ I thought， ‘why not start with a book that’ll hurt me too？’ I’m not sure I’ve quite gathered my thoughts together and I feel like I need to reread it already， but we’re going to try to review it anyway。 Before reading this， I reread the first three books in the series （and the short stories） and I’m so glad I did。 It meant that I refreshed my memory of what happened， who characters were and I got a new found respect for certain parts。 I can confirm I already want to reread them again given what we learn in this book。Given my refreshed memory of the London syndicate， I adored stepping into an unfamiliar setting。 It was fascinating seeing these two sister cities - formed from the same forced hiding， but developed in their own ways。 Seeing Paige try to navigate and find her own way into it was fascinating。 Not only was the physical setting interesting， but how the voyants are classified and treated was too。 I also loved seeing the real world weaved into the fictitious in this。 The series spans from one specific event that “caused” unnaturalness and I loved reading more about it and how voyants have turned up elsewhere in history。 For example， I love seeing which songs get banned because they’re “unnatural” and how historic buildings are treated。 I think books that incorporate real history into fiction are fascinating because you can imagine those stories playing out next to ours。 The characters in this were fascinating， both new and returning， and characters we’ve previously heard from a distance but may not have seen up close。 There were so many interesting additions to the cast in this book， both voyant and not， and they’re so interesting because it’s impossible to know whether or not they should be trusted。 Paige and Arcturus together and alone make my heart flutter。 Paige develops so much throughout the series， from a second-in-command and a slave to a queen and the leader of a revolution。 She shows that it’s okay to not always be okay - and sometimes that’s brave too。 But she also faces her fears and it’s incredible。 Arcturus has grown on my as my reread has gone on and now I think he’s the kindest soul。 He genuinely wants good。 And his relationship with Paige。 I just。。。Paige and their relationship resonates with me so much because Paige is demisexual。 They don’t fall into an easy romance straight away， it’s turbulent from the start。 But， by allowing herself time and allowing herself to develop feelings as friends who communicate， their relationship blossoms。 I loved getting to see her journey， her insights into what everything means to her。 I just want more。 And then the end。 For the last five， six chapters， my heart was beating uncomfortably fast。 Throughout the book， there are plot twists aplenty， but the end really went for it。 I picked it up at 11PM and the only think that stopped me from reading the last two chapters an hour and a half later was the fact I knew it would break me and I couldn’t read for an hour and then stare into the abyss for another two so late at night。 This is definitely Samantha Shannon’s strongest in the series。 It kept me on the edge of my seat for most of it， but I also adored the downtime。 Secrets are revealed and seeds are sown for what will undoubtedly be an epic three book conclusion to an already powerful series。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Mask Falling

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Mask Falling&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Mask Falling&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0