Barely a breath later than the ending of The Song Rising is where we pick up. Paige Mahoney, keeper of troubles long and wide, forced to flee under the cover of night. I had assumed at some point we might slow down just a hair while Paige recoups her strength and plan her next steps. Nope. Off to the races despite coming off fresh from her torture tour, she’s infiltrating all the things. 

Never in my life did I believe Paige Mahoney was 20 as I do when contemplating the sheer pace this girl functions at. (Also I might be a smidge jealous.)

We have secrets revealed, all of which chip of what Paige think she knows about the world around her. In another country, with few trusted allies, she’s got to figure out how to stop the second colony before it’s too late. 

Samantha Shannon does an excellent job of teasing out the inevitable only to turn it back at the very last second in ways you don’t see coming. We finally get to see the true meaning of Paige’s card reading. The question is whether it’s enough to break rebellion or fuel it to burn it all to the ground.