Underqueen Ascends Amidst Ashes

In the aftermath of a brutal power struggle, Paige Mahoney rises as Underqueen of London's clairvoyant syndicate, the Mime Order. The city is a battlefield, both physically and ideologically, as Paige's authority is challenged by loyalists to her former mentor, Jaxon Hall, and by the ever-present threat of Scion, the totalitarian regime. Haunted by betrayal and the scars of her past, Paige must unite a fractured underworld, all while grappling with the knowledge that her own mentor is now her enemy. The city's winter is harsh, and so is the climate of fear and suspicion. Paige's leadership is tested immediately as she faces sabotage, dissent, and the looming shadow of a new, insidious threat.

Hidden Enemies, Hidden Threats

Paige's world is upended when she discovers Jaxon Hall, her former mime-lord, has allied himself with the Rephaim and Scion, becoming a formidable adversary. The revelation that Jaxon was the original traitor who doomed the Ranthen and scarred Warden, Paige's Rephaite ally and complicated love, shakes her to the core. Meanwhile, Scion's grip tightens with the introduction of Senshield scanners—devices that can detect clairvoyants—forcing Paige and her allies into a desperate race to adapt. Trust is a rare commodity, and Paige must navigate a labyrinth of old wounds, new alliances, and the ever-present risk of betrayal from within.

Senshield: The Unseen Menace

The syndicate reels as Senshield scanners, once large and avoidable, are now hidden in everyday objects, making the city a minefield for clairvoyants. Reports of disappearances and sudden arrests mount, and Paige realizes the threat is existential: Senshield can now detect the first three orders of clairvoyance, and its reach is growing. The only hope lies in finding and destroying the core that powers the system. As paranoia spreads, Paige's leadership is questioned, and she must make hard choices—balancing mercy and justice, unity and survival—while the city's underworld teeters on the brink of collapse.

Fractured Loyalties, New Trials

Paige's authority is tested in a public trial of Ivy Jacob, a former ally complicit in the grey market that sold voyants to Scion. The trial exposes deep rifts within the syndicate, as some demand blood while others plead for mercy. Paige's decision to show clemency, tempered by caution, alienates many but preserves her own moral compass. Meanwhile, she is forced to expel the last of Jaxon's loyalists, severing old ties for the sake of the revolution. The cost of leadership becomes clear: every act of mercy or ruthlessness shapes the fate of the movement and the soul of its leader.

The Ironmaster's Trap

Acting on intelligence, Paige leads a team to destroy Senshield's core, only to fall into a trap set by Hildred Vance, Scion's ruthless Grand Commander. The mission ends in disaster: several voyants are killed, and Paige's aura is used to recalibrate Senshield, making even more clairvoyants detectable. The syndicate's trust in Paige is shaken, and she is forced to confront the limits of her power and the depth of Scion's cunning. The failed raid marks a turning point, as martial law descends on London and the revolution is forced underground.

Manchester's Frozen Crossing

With martial law declared and Senshield now able to detect four orders, Paige orders a mass exodus into the Beneath—the labyrinthine sewers and lost rivers of London. The syndicate's survival depends on the mercy of the mudlarks and toshers, outcasts who control the underground. A grim bargain is struck: one life in exchange for sanctuary. As the voyants descend into darkness, Paige's leadership is battered by resentment, violence, and the ever-present threat of discovery. The revolution's flame flickers, but Paige's resolve hardens as she prepares to take the fight beyond London.

The Scuttling Queen's Bargain

Fleeing London, Paige and her closest allies travel to Manchester, seeking the source of the portable Senshield scanners. They must win the trust of Roberta Attard, the Scuttling Queen, who rules the city's voyant community with caution and skepticism. Attard's refusal to risk her people's safety for Paige's cause forces Paige to seek help from more dangerous quarters, including Attard's vengeful sister, Catrin. The journey north is a test of endurance, loyalty, and the willingness to make alliances with those whose motives are far from pure.

Factory Infiltration and Betrayal

With the help of Catrin Attard and a renegade Vigile, Paige's team infiltrates the heavily guarded SciPLO factory, where the portable Senshield scanners are made. The mission is fraught with peril, and betrayal is close at hand: Catrin uses the opportunity to assassinate the Ironmaster, Emlyn Price, igniting chaos in Manchester. The team escapes with proof that the scanners are being shipped to Edinburgh for activation, but the cost is high—trust is shattered, and the revolution's enemies multiply. The true nature of Senshield's power remains elusive, and the stakes grow ever higher.

Portable Scanners, Portable War

In Edinburgh, the team discovers that the portable Senshield scanners are being linked to a mysterious core, likely powered by Rephaite blood and a bound spirit. The city is on edge, and the arrival of Scion's Second Inquisitorial Division signals that war is imminent—not just against voyants, but against the free world beyond Scion's borders. As the revolutionaries race to uncover the core's location, they are pursued by Vance and her army, and the cost of resistance becomes ever more personal and devastating.

The Grand Commander's Shadow

Hildred Vance, master of manipulation, orchestrates a campaign of psychological terror against Paige, culminating in the public execution of her father. The trauma of the past and the present collide as Vance recreates the horrors of the Dublin Incursion, pushing Paige to the brink. Yet in her darkest hour, Paige finds clarity: the only way to destroy Senshield is to let herself be captured and taken to its source. The revolution's fate now hinges on a single, desperate gambit.

The Vaults and the Spaewife

Seeking refuge and information, Paige descends into the Edinburgh Vaults, where she meets the Spaewife, leader of the city's voyant community and aunt to a lost friend. Amid omens and tarot readings, Paige finds both solace and warning: her path is fraught with danger, and the line between lover and devil is perilously thin. The Vaults become a crucible for Paige's resolve, as she prepares for the final confrontation with Scion's might.

The Core's Secret Revealed

Through a combination of dreamwalking and stolen memories, Paige and Warden discover that Senshield's core is a spirit bound by Nashira Sargas's blood, hidden within the Westminster Archon. The revelation is both a triumph and a curse: the only way to destroy Senshield is to shatter the core, but doing so will require a sacrifice. As the revolutionaries prepare for their final move, the cost of victory becomes clear—no one will escape unscathed.

The Fall of Senshield

Allowing herself to be captured, Paige endures torture and isolation in the Archon, clinging to the hope that she can reach the core. With the help of allies and a traitor within Scion, she escapes her cell and confronts Hildred Vance in the tower. In a final act of defiance, Paige shatters the core, releasing the bound spirit and destroying Senshield. The price is nearly her life, but the revolution is given a new chance. The city's chains are broken, if only for a moment.

The Price of Revolution

The aftermath of Senshield's destruction is bittersweet. Allies are lost, including the loyal Alsafi, and the revolutionaries are forced to flee. Paige is no longer Underqueen; her reign ends as she is smuggled out of England, separated from friends and family. The cost of victory is measured in blood, trauma, and the knowledge that the war is far from over. Yet hope endures, as new alliances are forged and the fight continues on foreign shores.

The Archon's Chains

Imprisoned in the Archon, Paige is subjected to relentless torture and psychological manipulation. Jaxon Hall, now Grand Overseer, offers her a devil's bargain: betray the Mime Order and live, or die for her principles. Nashira Sargas tempts her with the promise of survival in exchange for surrender. Paige refuses, choosing integrity over self-preservation, even as the executioner's blade looms. The true enemy is not just Scion, but the darkness within.

The Devil in the Skin

In her final hours, Paige is forced to confront the possibility that the greatest threat to her soul is not Scion or the Rephaim, but the capacity for darkness within herself. Jaxon's words haunt her: all of us are devils in the skins of men. The line between survival and monstrosity blurs, and Paige must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for freedom. The revolution is not just a battle for the city, but for the soul.

The Final Gambit

With the help of double agents and the last of her strength, Paige escapes the Archon, shattering Senshield and crippling Scion's power. The victory is pyrrhic: the city is in chaos, the revolutionaries are scattered, and Scion prepares for war on a global scale. Paige, Warden, and their closest allies are forced into exile, tasked with carrying the flame of resistance to new lands. The revolution is far from over; the next battle awaits.

The Crossing to Tomorrow

As Paige and Warden cross the Channel to France, leaving behind the city that made and unmade them, they carry with them the scars of war and the hope of a future free from tyranny. The Mime Order survives, battered but unbroken, and new alliances beckon on foreign shores. The revolution's song rises anew, promising that as long as there are those willing to stand, the fight for freedom will never be silenced.

Characters

Paige Mahoney

Paige is the heart and soul of the revolution—a dreamwalker whose rare gift makes her both a target and a symbol. Scarred by betrayal, loss, and the trauma of her past, she is driven by a fierce sense of justice and a deep-seated need to protect her found family. Her relationship with Warden is fraught with longing, mistrust, and the ever-present threat of manipulation. Paige's journey is one of self-discovery: she must learn to balance mercy and ruthlessness, vulnerability and strength, and to confront the darkness within herself. Her arc is defined by sacrifice, resilience, and the refusal to surrender hope, even when all seems lost.

Arcturus Mesarthim (Warden)

Warden is a Rephaite who defies his own kind to aid the human resistance. Marked by centuries of pain, loyalty, and guilt, he is both Paige's greatest ally and her most dangerous temptation. His relationship with Paige is a delicate dance of trust, duty, and forbidden desire. Warden's sense of honor and his willingness to endure suffering for the greater good make him a tragic figure, torn between the world he was born to and the one he chooses. His arc is one of redemption, as he seeks to atone for past betrayals and to help Paige realize her potential as a leader.

Jaxon Hall

Once Paige's mime-lord and mentor, Jaxon is revealed as the original traitor who doomed the Ranthen and scarred Warden. His intellect, charm, and ruthlessness make him a formidable adversary, and his shifting allegiances keep everyone guessing. Jaxon's psychoanalysis reveals a man driven by survival, pride, and a hunger for knowledge and power. He is both a mirror and a warning to Paige: the cost of sacrificing one's soul for victory. His ultimate betrayal is not just of others, but of himself.

Hildred Vance

Vance is the Grand Commander of Scion, a master of psychological warfare and the embodiment of the regime's cruelty. Her black eyes and unyielding will make her a figure of dread, and her ability to anticipate and manipulate her enemies is unmatched. Vance's relationship to Paige is that of hunter and prey, but also of teacher and student in the art of survival. Her arc is one of relentless pursuit, culminating in a final confrontation that tests the limits of both women's resolve.

Nick Nygård

Nick is Paige's oldest friend and confidant, a healer haunted by the loss of his sister and the burdens of leadership. His loyalty to Paige is unwavering, but he is not afraid to challenge her when necessary. Nick's arc is one of quiet strength, resilience, and the struggle to find hope in the face of overwhelming darkness. His relationship with Paige is a touchstone, grounding her when she is at risk of losing herself.

Eliza Renton

Eliza is Paige's mollisher, a medium with a sharp wit and a deep need for acceptance. Her journey is one of self-assertion, as she steps out of Jaxon's shadow and claims her place in the revolution. Eliza's loyalty is hard-won but unshakeable, and her courage in the face of danger inspires those around her. Her arc is defined by growth, sacrifice, and the forging of a new identity.

Maria Hazurova

Maria is a pyromancer and one of Paige's most trusted commanders. Scarred by the Balkan Risings and the loss of her homeland, she brings a pragmatic, sometimes ruthless perspective to the revolution. Maria's relationship with Paige is one of mutual respect and challenge, as she pushes the Underqueen to make hard choices. Her arc is one of endurance, rage, and the search for meaning in the ashes of war.

Terebellum Sheratan

Terebell is the sovereign-elect of the Ranthen, a Rephaite faction opposed to the Sargas. Her relationship with Paige is fraught with suspicion, manipulation, and the constant weighing of human worth. Terebell's psychoanalysis reveals a being driven by ancient grudges, political necessity, and a grudging respect for Paige's potential. Her arc is one of uneasy alliance, as she tests the limits of trust and loyalty.

Alsafi Sualocin

Alsafi is the Ranthen's spy within the Archon, a figure of quiet courage and sacrifice. His willingness to risk everything for the revolution makes him a linchpin in the final act, and his death is a profound loss. Alsafi's arc is one of redemption, as he seeks to atone for past failures and to ensure that Paige's sacrifice is not in vain.

Hock (Bernard Hock)

Hock is the High Chief of Vigilance, a voyant who has sold out his own kind for power and survival. His relationship to Paige is one of contempt and projection, as he embodies the dangers of self-hatred and complicity. Hock's arc is a cautionary tale: the cost of betraying one's own soul for a place in the regime.

Plot Devices

Senshield and the Core

Senshield is the central plot device—a system of scanners that can detect clairvoyants, powered by a bound spirit and Rephaite blood. Its evolution from visible threat to hidden, portable menace mirrors the increasing paranoia and danger faced by the revolutionaries. The search for the core, and the revelation of its true nature, drives the narrative and forces Paige into ever more desperate gambits. The device is both literal and symbolic: the machinery of oppression, the chains that must be broken for freedom to be possible.

Betrayal and Shifting Allegiances

The narrative is structured around betrayals—personal, political, and existential. Jaxon's treachery, Vance's manipulations, and the constant threat of spies and double agents create a climate of uncertainty. Foreshadowing is used masterfully: early warnings about trust and the cost of leadership pay off in devastating reversals. The revolution's greatest threat is not just Scion, but the erosion of trust within its own ranks.

Psychological Warfare and Trauma

Vance's campaign against Paige is as much psychological as physical, using trauma, memory, and manipulation to break her will. The narrative structure mirrors this, with dreamscapes, flashbacks, and hallucinations blurring the line between past and present, reality and nightmare. The revolution is fought not just in the streets, but in the soul.

Sacrifice and the Cost of Freedom

Every major victory in the novel comes at a terrible price: lives lost, innocence shattered, relationships broken. The structure of the story is cyclical—each act of resistance leads to greater repression, each sacrifice to a new beginning. The revolution is not a single battle, but an ongoing process of loss, renewal, and hope.

The Language of Flowers and Codes

The use of floriography—coded messages using the language of flowers—serves as both a practical tool for the revolutionaries and a symbol of the hidden networks of resistance. It is a reminder that even in the darkest times, beauty and meaning can be found in the smallest details.

Analysis

The Song Rising is a masterclass in the anatomy of resistance: it strips away the romanticism of revolution to reveal its true cost—betrayal, trauma, and the constant threat of annihilation. Samantha Shannon's narrative is both epic and intimate, balancing the fate of nations with the inner lives of her characters. The novel interrogates the nature of power, the seduction of survival at any cost, and the danger of becoming the very monster one fights. Paige's journey is a crucible: she is forged by loss, tested by temptation, and ultimately defined by her refusal to surrender her humanity, even when victory seems impossible. The book's central lesson is that freedom is never given, only won—and that the fight for it is unending, demanding not just courage, but the willingness to face the darkness within and without. In a world where oppression adapts and endures, hope is not a feeling, but an act: the choice to rise, again and again, from the ashes.

Last updated: September 20, 2025