An ebullient, gloriously complicated fantasy ... The characters feel grippingly real. Shannon unravels her tangled tale in galloping prose ***** * Daily Telegraph *
Like treasures unearthed by mudlarks, Samantha Shannon's alternative world is studded with fabulous language ...With a sharp eye on the politics of identity, Shannon transports us into a world where the oppressed are pitted against one another in the struggle for survival ... Explosive * Daily Mail *
Easily the most politically engaged of any of the contemporary dystopian fantasies ... Ever since HG Wells' The War Of The Worlds there has been a slight aversion to looking at the global consequences of such dystopias and Shannon seems to be taking that wider view ... There is so much intrigue and escapade, character development and imagination here ... We have four books to go. I am more than willing to wait * Scotland on Sunday *
A whopper of a denouement ... Shannon's brilliance is that she is not afraid of change, both for her characters and her setting ... The 25-year-old remains a name to watch * Independent *
The third book sees feisty heroine Paige Mahoney take on the dangerous role of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population * Daily Express *
My recent shore-side reads have included Samantha Shannon's The Song Rising * Red *
PRAISE FOR THE MIME ORDER: A riveting page-turner ... She creates a convincing world defined by its own invented logic * Mail on Sunday *
It goes hell-for-leather, all poltergeists and grisly murders and pitched battles in the catacombs of Camden * Sunday Times *
Thrusting readers back into the world of Paige and a more detailed journey through future London. The novels are hugely imaginative ... Part Hunger Games dystopia, part urban fantasy * Independent on Sunday *
A triumphant blend of Orwellian dystopia and China Mieville nonconformity ... Shannon's ability to take classic tropes, such as forbidden love and dystopian societies, and give them a well-knuckled twist is to be admired ... Set to become a trailblazer for young talent * Independent *
Shannon has continued to build on this imagined world with intricacy, and Paige's voice comes through to deliver a suspenseful story * Washington Post *
