A Day of Fallen Night
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- Create Date：2023-02-26 09:17:47
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Shannon Samantha
- ISBN：1526619768
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Summary
The stunning， standalone prequel to the New York Times bestselling The Priory of the Orange Tree。
Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory。 For fifty years， she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One， and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose。
To the north， in the Queendom of Inys， Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth， narrowly saving both realms from ruin。 Their daughter， Glorian， trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be。
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries。 Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple， trying to wake the gods from their long slumber。 Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate。
When the Dreadmount erupts， bringing with it an age of terror and violence， these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat。
Intricate and epic， Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree， showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come。
Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory。 For fifty years， she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One， and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose。
To the north， in the Queendom of Inys， Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth， narrowly saving both realms from ruin。 Their daughter， Glorian， trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be。
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries。 Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple， trying to wake the gods from their long slumber。 Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate。
When the Dreadmount erupts， bringing with it an age of terror and violence， these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat。
Intricate and epic， Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree， showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come。
Reviews
Magen
，
‘A Day of Fallen Night’ is the prequel to Samantha Shannon’s ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’。 It’s the most epic of epic fantasies， reading like a story you’re being told around a campfire。 This book is almost 900 pages but you hardly notice because there’s such a steady progress and movement from one plot to another。 Samantha Shannon has such a way with worldbuilding—this book isn’t just a fantasy with dragons。 It’s a generational story about mother and daughters and their bonds through years a ‘A Day of Fallen Night’ is the prequel to Samantha Shannon’s ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’。 It’s the most epic of epic fantasies， reading like a story you’re being told around a campfire。 This book is almost 900 pages but you hardly notice because there’s such a steady progress and movement from one plot to another。 Samantha Shannon has such a way with worldbuilding—this book isn’t just a fantasy with dragons。 It’s a generational story about mother and daughters and their bonds through years and history。 Split into multiple POVs， the story splinters out， creating and connecting so many storylines that lead us to what will happen in ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’ five hundred years later。 Immersive and captivating， a must read for fantasy fans。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sarah
，
What a masterpiece。 You know it’s good when you think: oh no， only 400 pages left！Rich in characters， lore， intrigue， political scams。
Rachel
，
I adored my time with A Day of Fallen Night。 This is epic fantasy at its finest， with a story spanning years and continents and dozens of characters。 While I enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree， I found A Day of Fallen Night to be even stronger in its storytelling。 I fell in love with each of these characters and didn't want the book to be over—and as I came to the end， I actually cried。I also want to note how well the representation was handled in this novel。 Samantha Shannon clearly took so I adored my time with A Day of Fallen Night。 This is epic fantasy at its finest， with a story spanning years and continents and dozens of characters。 While I enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree， I found A Day of Fallen Night to be even stronger in its storytelling。 I fell in love with each of these characters and didn't want the book to be over—and as I came to the end， I actually cried。I also want to note how well the representation was handled in this novel。 Samantha Shannon clearly took so much care and research to depict a whole swathe of cultures and sexualities and genders， and all of it felt vital and essential to the story。 This is how it's done。I am so grateful to have read this book， and though I'm sad to say goodbye to the characters， I know it isn't forever， because I'll be rereading very soon。Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
sara
，
thank you so so much to netgalley + bloomsbury for an ARC to review！ <3as a HUGE fan of "the priory of the orange tree，" I was stoked to have gotten a chance to read an ARC of this prequel！ it has all the aspects that'll have high fantasy readers completely in love with the story and its characters， from the characters themselves to the dragons to the world politics。 I went in with high expectations and the goal to have zero comparisons to 'the priory' considering this is a prequel set 500 years thank you so so much to netgalley + bloomsbury for an ARC to review！ <3as a HUGE fan of "the priory of the orange tree，" I was stoked to have gotten a chance to read an ARC of this prequel！ it has all the aspects that'll have high fantasy readers completely in love with the story and its characters， from the characters themselves to the dragons to the world politics。 I went in with high expectations and the goal to have zero comparisons to 'the priory' considering this is a prequel set 500 years before 'the priory' takes place， but I just wasn't too invested。 I felt really overwhelmed with the characters and the vague introductions to each of them as well as the sloooow pacing （the first 100-175 pages was so hard to get through which is understandable considering this book is almost 900 pages）。 I was definitely struggling to keep up with the slow story and the characters that just weren't catching my attention。 but a major aspect of this book that kept me reading was the world building/politics and samantha shannon's writing！！！！ I may not have vibed too well with this one， but I'll never say a bad thing about samantha shannon's ability to create a world like this one and do it WELL。 。。。more
Jasmine
，
A Day of Fallen Night is just as epic as The Priory of the Orange Tree but takes a while to get going。 This prequel takes place 500 years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree。 Each of the four geographical regions has its own historical， religious， and political beliefs。 All of their beliefs are at odds with each other。 There are rumours that the Dreadmount has erupted， spewing forth wyrms and other destructive creatures。 The Nameless One has not been a threat for centuries。 Now， t A Day of Fallen Night is just as epic as The Priory of the Orange Tree but takes a while to get going。 This prequel takes place 500 years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree。 Each of the four geographical regions has its own historical， religious， and political beliefs。 All of their beliefs are at odds with each other。 There are rumours that the Dreadmount has erupted， spewing forth wyrms and other destructive creatures。 The Nameless One has not been a threat for centuries。 Now， these creatures are wreaking destruction wherever they land。 It’s up to each leader to find the best way to defeat these dreadful beasts before everything lies in ruin。 When I read Priory， the story immediately sucked me in， and I felt an instant attachment to nearly every character。 I rooted for most of them every step of the way。 However， with this book， it took a while for me to become invested in some of the characters’ lives。 And there are a lot of characters in this chunky book （although there is a helpful character list at the back）。 I eventually came to cheer for all the big players and might have even been teary by the end。 Wulf， Glorian， Nikeya， and Dumai all have wonderful character arcs。 The pacing wasn’t as consistent as Priory， either。 In that one， it felt like things were always happening， so the book never seemed slow despite its length。 But even though this one had a slow setup， it was totally worth it。 Samantha Shannon knows how to hook her readers。 The first major twist had me gasping; the story really took off from there。 Since this is a prequel， it can be read first or as a standalone。 But， I’m glad I read Priory first for the context it provided。 This one might have been a tad daunting without having some background on this world。 I don’t want this review to sound lukewarm because there were many instances where I was completely hooked and stayed up late to read it。 It’s just hard to live up to the expectations set by the first book。 Nevertheless， let the wait commence for the next Roots of Chaos novel。 Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with physical and digital copies to review。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more
Om4im
，
omg I received my pre-order copy 4 days before the release date in Au！！！ I'm so excited。 Gods above， please clear my schedule so I can read it。 omg I received my pre-order copy 4 days before the release date in Au！！！ I'm so excited。 Gods above， please clear my schedule so I can read it。 。。。more
Lillian
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 SPOILERS。 SPOILERS！ WOW！！！ I loved this more than "The Priory of the Orange Tree" — the characters were better written and much more likeable （read: not annoying like Nicklays）， and I'm so glad Shannon gave each of them a love story， in one vein or another。 I'll be honest， I lived for the romances in this — Dumai and Nikeya （I'm actually crushed）， Tunuva and Esbar， Wulf and Thrit。。。 I wrote this in my review for TMD， but I found that the romances grounded the story and added realistic elements t SPOILERS。 SPOILERS！ WOW！！！ I loved this more than "The Priory of the Orange Tree" — the characters were better written and much more likeable （read: not annoying like Nicklays）， and I'm so glad Shannon gave each of them a love story， in one vein or another。 I'll be honest， I lived for the romances in this — Dumai and Nikeya （I'm actually crushed）， Tunuva and Esbar， Wulf and Thrit。。。 I wrote this in my review for TMD， but I found that the romances grounded the story and added realistic elements to the overwhelming， all-consuming fantasy。 GOD it was so good。 Dumai is my favorite character。 I was invested in her story， growing up in the East on the isolated mountain to becoming a princess and then a dragonrider。 I loved the conversations she had with the dragons， loved her relationship with Furtia。。。 she was complex and complete。 She battled with her thoughts and perspectives on Nikeya （real） and spent so much time thinking about how best to serve her people and her Gods。 All around a great character。 Nikeya was hard for me to trust too。。。 I was worried she had ulterior motives and would sabotage Dumai。 The fact that she was called "Lady of Many Faces" reminded me of Arya from GoT。 I'm so sad we lost Kanifa。 What the hell。 （Which brings me to another point I wanted to make， that the deaths in "A Day of Fallen Night" hit a lot harder than those of "Priory。" The characters were harder to lose。）Glorian。。。okay！！！ Ms SHIELDHEART。 I liked her a lot。 I liked that she rode into battle， that she always said Hroth was her heart。 Shannon did a good job of having the reader empathasize with Glorian while also recognizing that the battles she faced were drastically different from those of Dumai and Siyu。 Loved that Siyu ended up being the first mage of the Priory to serve the Queen of Inys。。。 reminded me of the beloved Ead :） I was sad when her parents died。 I LOVED her father。 I loved their relationship。 I was so so so sad to see him go。。。 the last description of him holding Sabran。。。 wow。 Yeah。 Ouch。 Siyu was the least fleshed out of all the three young women who guided the story; the daughter of Esbar in the South， Siyu was very rebellious and often questioned the purpose of the Priory since it had been years without battle/appearance of the wyrms。 I understood why she tried to leave but I was angry at her for doing so。。。 and then also angry at Esbar for treating her daughter like a stranger even though I understand the rules of the Priory。。。 loved loved loved Tuva。 Oh， Tuva。 The heart of the Priory。 The sun， the warmth。。。 I loved how she loved Siyu， and Esbar， and Wulf。。。 wow， their reunion got me。 UHG I have so many thoughts but mostly I'm still reeling and also grieving。 I will say that I thought the comet coming and the disappearance of the wyrms was incredibly UNDERWHELMING。 Like。。。 okay。 ？？！！？？！？！ For more than 60% of the book it felt like we were gearing up towards something to only have it washed away so quickly。 I NEVER TRUSTED CANTHE BTW。 NEVER EVER。 PS Did we know that the Priory （and others with siden magic） were immune to the draconic plague？？ I forget。 I'm going to be sad about Dumai for the rest of the day。 。。。more
daisy
，
i pre-ordered this ages ago idk why it wasn't already on my tbr shelf 😔 i pre-ordered this ages ago idk why it wasn't already on my tbr shelf 😔 。。。more
Cranky Librarian
，
Samantha Shannon helped rekindle my love for fantasy with The Priory of the Orange Tree that I finally managed to finish by midnight of last year。 I was fortunate enough to be so late to getting back to my fantasy roots that A Day of Fallen Night was going to be released in two months from finishing Priory。 I don’t know what I would have done if I had to wait years for another chapter of this legend of a story。Another tome， one that I know I will have to reread， once I reread Priory because it’s Samantha Shannon helped rekindle my love for fantasy with The Priory of the Orange Tree that I finally managed to finish by midnight of last year。 I was fortunate enough to be so late to getting back to my fantasy roots that A Day of Fallen Night was going to be released in two months from finishing Priory。 I don’t know what I would have done if I had to wait years for another chapter of this legend of a story。Another tome， one that I know I will have to reread， once I reread Priory because it’s definitely a must。 I’m sure I missed small details， and some things in Priory make more sense now having read ADOFN。 If you love history and mythology， you’ll love this story。 If you love badass women， you’ll love this story。 If you love well developed characters weaving together their own story， you will love this。 The author has a way of taking such care with every single word she puts onto paper， and you will find yourself holding your breath to see what comes with her very next line。 We are truly lucky that ADOFN was released in one volume。 What a ride。 You literally have women from all directions on a map creating the foundation for all that is to come。I don’t want to give anything away。 But just know that if you loved Priory as much as I do， you will not be disappointed。 And I do hope that there is another installment in The Roots of Chaos Series。 I could live in this world of high fantasy， dragons， women who love women， and so much lore。Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lisa Anybookanytime
，
What an adventure。 Even without having read The Priory of the Orange Tree， I loved this。This detailed， multilayered adventure was an incredible reading experience， with a mind-blowing range of locations， histories， beliefs， politics and language。**No spoilers*"What I liked - The story is strongly feminist， without making every male character bad or stupid。 Strong queer representation and different family structures shown in such a way that it is simply a fact， with no explanation required or pr What an adventure。 Even without having read The Priory of the Orange Tree， I loved this。This detailed， multilayered adventure was an incredible reading experience， with a mind-blowing range of locations， histories， beliefs， politics and language。**No spoilers*"What I liked - The story is strongly feminist， without making every male character bad or stupid。 Strong queer representation and different family structures shown in such a way that it is simply a fact， with no explanation required or provided。What I loved - Dragons and ichneumon （bear-sized， mongoose-like talking creatures that can be ridden）！ I believe the ichneumon were in Priory as well。Iconic moments that were just goosebumps all over （I loved Glorian in particular， she had some awesome scenes）！What I struggled with - The invented language and names slowed my reading （pretty normal for high fantasy， especially when you're out of practice）。 Remembering the differences between each POV。 I kept notes on family trees， religions， locations （reading Priory first might have helped， plus I could have used the list of characters at the back of the book）。 The ARC had no maps， so my understanding of the geography was fuzzy。Overall， I honestly have to commend the pacing - once the action started， it did not stop。 For a book of over 800 pages I was impressed with how many gasp out loud moments I had。 But it did take me about 150 pages to really settle in， as the range of locations and characters took a while to be introduced。One last thing - this was one of the few books I've read where I felt the epilogue was perfect。 I often feel like epilogues either spoil a story， are unnecessary， or should be part of the main chapters， but this epilogue nailed it for me。 Maybe it's because this is a prequel and the author knew what needed to be written to provide links forward to Priory？ Or maybe she's just a great author！ I'll let you know if my theory is correct when I've read it！ （But if you've read Priory， I'd love to hear your thoughts！）AD-PR Thanks to Better Reading Australia for the gifted ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Baylee
，
thank you to netgalley and bloomsbury publishing for the advanced reading copy of a day of fallen night by samantha shannon。 this long awaited sequel to priory of the orange tree。 a beautiful and long books about magic， spys， dragons， royalty， exiled peoples。 you could not ask for more with this beautifully written novel that has been destined for many years。 four women must find the strength to protect human kind from the threats that plague their lands。 an absolute must read sequal。
Cassidy Washburn
，
I'm saying it now！ Samantha Shannon is a master at writing standalone fantasies！ A Day of Fallen Night will suck you in right from page one with its excellent world building and some of the best pacing I have ever seen。 Not one POV was better than the others。 Every single one was full of action， intrigue and hints of romance。 I finished this 850 page book in only two days。 If that isn't a testament to how good this novel is， I don't know what is！ I'm saying it now！ Samantha Shannon is a master at writing standalone fantasies！ A Day of Fallen Night will suck you in right from page one with its excellent world building and some of the best pacing I have ever seen。 Not one POV was better than the others。 Every single one was full of action， intrigue and hints of romance。 I finished this 850 page book in only two days。 If that isn't a testament to how good this novel is， I don't know what is！ 。。。more
Avani ✨
，
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book， although it being a prequel， I did not enjoy a lot as much as the first one but joining the dots， a lot of things start to make sense。
Eleanor Slater
，
I am so glad I was sent an advance reading copy of this book！！！ I have longed to return to the world of The Priory and had been hoping against hope the prequel would be on par - and thank the gods it was！！！ A Day of Fallen Night wove four narratives together beautifully， holding the balance between them， building pace and tension， connecting dots and filling in gaps between stories。 It was over 800 pages long and it was too short - I could have read more and been so happy！ I won’t give any spoil I am so glad I was sent an advance reading copy of this book！！！ I have longed to return to the world of The Priory and had been hoping against hope the prequel would be on par - and thank the gods it was！！！ A Day of Fallen Night wove four narratives together beautifully， holding the balance between them， building pace and tension， connecting dots and filling in gaps between stories。 It was over 800 pages long and it was too short - I could have read more and been so happy！ I won’t give any spoilers in this review because you all need to read it and have the best time - there is magic， there are dragons， there is a kick ass cast of characters and a beautifully rendered world in which a story as old as time unfolds perfectly。 You don’t need to know any more。 。。。more
Laura
，
As a prequel to the Priory of the Orange tree I knew this would be a wonderful book， but I doubted it could be a better book。 。 。 I was wrong。 I am so grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for access to an eARC in exchange for this fair review。 This was my most anticipated read of 2023 for certain。 While I loved it， I should clarify that the first 1/2 was a challenge to read， especially as an ebook without a clear map of the world and easy access to the list of characters in the back。 Despite its As a prequel to the Priory of the Orange tree I knew this would be a wonderful book， but I doubted it could be a better book。 。 。 I was wrong。 I am so grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for access to an eARC in exchange for this fair review。 This was my most anticipated read of 2023 for certain。 While I loved it， I should clarify that the first 1/2 was a challenge to read， especially as an ebook without a clear map of the world and easy access to the list of characters in the back。 Despite its size， this would have made for easier reading if I could have held a physical book and easily flipped back and forth early on to keep track of the worlds and its key players。 It is a lot to take in。 In reading Priory I also had the assistance of the audio book to keep me on track in the early chapters， whereas here I did not。 So to me it makes sense that it took almost two weeks to get 50% in。 I was allowing myself time to absorb， time to read other books when I felt like it， and time to get to know the characters。 I knew we were headed to a point where it would click， and indeed it did。 I read the second 50% in two days！ The book follows 4 main POV Characters over 2 years， culminating in a last stand of sorts between multiple kingdom and queendoms to save their world from the evil beast that are waking up and wish to destroy them。 The book has its share of epic battle scenes and fantasy quest tropes， but what makes it so beautiful is the characters。 Shannon has found a way to build characters such that you feel the impact of their experience in ways you might only get previously from following them through a long series。 We see their faults and growth and come to care for them deeply， all within a single stand alone book。 Their stories are beautifully interwoven though many of these characters never appear together。 All make sacrifices and experience loss， but do so because there is "some good in this world worth fighting for" and yes ， this is worthy of that LOTR allusion here。 The story is also beautifully inclusive， embracing love in just about every capacity， all while scathingly problematizing the politics of religion and birthright and the heartless demands producing an heir requires。And yes， of course， there are dragons 🐉 If you love fantasy - read this book。 。。。more
Rach A。
，
CANT STOP SCREAMING AND CRYING this was everything。 Samantha Shannon has written a masterpiece。 You can see the way her writing has developed from Priory - I fully believe this is an even greater work of art than Priory was。 It is incredible。 Each character’s story/POV is so engaging， I don’t think I can even choose a favourite。 （Okay that’s a lie， #TeamGlorian）。 But I loved every single one。 This book is darker than Priory I feel which I think reflects the period of time it was written in， name CANT STOP SCREAMING AND CRYING this was everything。 Samantha Shannon has written a masterpiece。 You can see the way her writing has developed from Priory - I fully believe this is an even greater work of art than Priory was。 It is incredible。 Each character’s story/POV is so engaging， I don’t think I can even choose a favourite。 （Okay that’s a lie， #TeamGlorian）。 But I loved every single one。 This book is darker than Priory I feel which I think reflects the period of time it was written in， namely pandemic and descending-into-fascism world。 It deeply explores the violent and vicious impact of the responsibility of motherhood， the pain of childbirth， the grief of losing a child， the way structures see women as wombs only。 It brings in the pain and death and suffering of a pandemic/plague， of war， of feeling helpless in these situations but yet still fighting against your impossible enemy。 It is a deeply human book that closely examines characters emotional states and relationships during these times of horror and I just thought it was exceptional。Alongside this we have ELDER QUEERS kicking butts， enemies to lovers sapphic romance， so。 many。 dragons， and so much more worldbuilding adding onto our knowledge of this incredible world。Magical。 Outstanding。 Never going to stop thinking about it。 Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Australia for the ARC！！ Content warnings: childbirth， loss of child， child marriage， grief， mass death， fire and fire injuries， graphic descriptions of war/battle， plague， sex， parental death， postnatal depression， violence， miscarriage （mention）， reproductive coercion 。。。more
Katherine
，
I devoured this in a few days Fantastic
JoannaReads
，
First of all， a massive thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my advanced copy of A Day of Fallen Night - this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to read it beforehand✨I was blown away when I read The Priory of the Orange Tree and this book was no different。 Honestly， Samantha Shannon is out of this world incredible！ Five stars for this epic， breathtaking fantasy book…Even though this is a chunky book， at nearly 900 pages， I knew t First of all， a massive thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my advanced copy of A Day of Fallen Night - this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to read it beforehand✨I was blown away when I read The Priory of the Orange Tree and this book was no different。 Honestly， Samantha Shannon is out of this world incredible！ Five stars for this epic， breathtaking fantasy book…Even though this is a chunky book， at nearly 900 pages， I knew there was nothing to worry about because of how beautifully written Priory was。 As usual， I was so captured by the writing that I wasn’t even paying attention to what page I was on。 The worldbuilding was done so beautifully; the descriptions and setting almost felt real。 The way that Shannon （yet agin） has woven the characters and storyline together is utterly flawless。 How she is able to convey characters and their choices， which in turn affect characters on the other side of the world， is phenomenal。 No detail has been missed。 I really enjoyed the use of multiple narrative voices and how we come to realise how everyone’s tale is woven together。 We watch them grow， learn and face the wyrms that have returned into the world。 The characters are so complicated and deep。 I loved all of the main characters: Tunuva， Glorian and Dumai！ We travel along their respective storylines with them and slowly they begin to intercept each other。Overall， an incredible fantasy book with exceptional worldbuilding and attention to detail。 Highly recommend if you’re wanting a diverse read with powerful female characters！ 。。。more
Brews。and。Books
，
This book was so unexpected and amazing。 Shannon did an excellent job building tension throughout the novel。 I was so unexpectedly surprised at how often I was at the seat of my pants。 This book stands alone as a strong world builder for the land that Shannon created and the characters she bases future histories on。 The high fantasy elements are so clear and well down， a perfect immersion into the world while still focusing on plot and character growth。 Each of the characters were wonderfully mi This book was so unexpected and amazing。 Shannon did an excellent job building tension throughout the novel。 I was so unexpectedly surprised at how often I was at the seat of my pants。 This book stands alone as a strong world builder for the land that Shannon created and the characters she bases future histories on。 The high fantasy elements are so clear and well down， a perfect immersion into the world while still focusing on plot and character growth。 Each of the characters were wonderfully mixed and complex， and I felt for each of their choices and battles they fought within。 I will say that I wasn't the biggest fan of Priory， I felt like the pacing on it was a bit off and it lent itself to too much world building and not enough character and plot development and then rushed the end。 I can say this book sometimes rushes over parts， but it makes more sense in this novel。 Reading Priory first let me have some foreshadowing that I didn't before， it let me see some characters for who they really were， and it let me have fun knowing what would come in 500 years。 But I don't think it's necessary to read Priory first。 This book is excellent if you want to read about the world Shannon created， but want it to be a bit more fast paced and a bit better about the overall trajectory of the story。 Overall， I am so impressed with the characters。 I want a novel only about the East now， because in both novels their story stood out as the strongholds。 Shannon， you convinced me。 This book is amazing。 4。25/5。Longer Review to come。 。。。more
Karen Hammond
，
A great follow up to the Priory of Orange， continuing the epic great story。Samantha Shannon can certainly write a great story。
Jill
，
A Day of Fallen Night is the long-awaited second instalment in Samantha Shannon’s Roots of Chaos Series。 This is， in fact， a prequel， set just under five hundred years before Shannon’s original book， The Priory of the Orange Tree。 It is possible to read the series （so far， at least） in any order。 Although I have read Priory， my memories of both plot and characters were hazy going into this novel。This book is very much one to add to my “books I expected to like， but inexplicably didn’t” shelf。 I A Day of Fallen Night is the long-awaited second instalment in Samantha Shannon’s Roots of Chaos Series。 This is， in fact， a prequel， set just under five hundred years before Shannon’s original book， The Priory of the Orange Tree。 It is possible to read the series （so far， at least） in any order。 Although I have read Priory， my memories of both plot and characters were hazy going into this novel。This book is very much one to add to my “books I expected to like， but inexplicably didn’t” shelf。 I found it incredibly difficult to get into and the various characters difficult to distinguish and remember。 Please note， however， that there is an extensive glossary of characters， terms and geography at the end of the book - not so easy to access when you’re reading an e-ARC！ I also felt that the plot lost some of its momentum as the book progressed。 The pacing was also somewhat strange at times - events which I would have expected to take many chapters were resolved unexpectedly quickly。 Perhaps that is an inevitable consequence， however， of this being a single-volume tale rather than a muti-book saga。I suspect that I will be in the minority with my reservations。 Most people who enjoyed The Priory of the Orange tree will， I imagine， adore this book。 Taking a step back and reviewing the book objectively， there is much to admire。 It is refreshing， in such a male-dominated genre， to see so many strong and interesting female characters。 This is very much a feminist tale。 Those looking for Sapphic fiction need also look no further。 Not a book perhaps that resonated with me， but A Day of Fallen Night is sure to thrill other fans of the author。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Snowleesi
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With thanks to Edelweiss and Bloomsbury Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。"A Day of Fallen Night" is an immense， slow-building fantasy novel set 500 years before "The Priory of the Orange Tree。" It is set during the time referred to in "Priory" as the Grief of Ages， a half-way point between the first and the second appearance of The Nameless One and his assault on humanity。 The period of years "Day" covers is no less traumatic， however， an age of terror and violence brou With thanks to Edelweiss and Bloomsbury Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。"A Day of Fallen Night" is an immense， slow-building fantasy novel set 500 years before "The Priory of the Orange Tree。" It is set during the time referred to in "Priory" as the Grief of Ages， a half-way point between the first and the second appearance of The Nameless One and his assault on humanity。 The period of years "Day" covers is no less traumatic， however， an age of terror and violence brought on by The Nameless One's greatest servants， leaders of his Draconic Army。 Those who read "Priory" will already be familiar with this tale， but not its intimate details， nor its human experience。 We access that depth via four POV protagonists - Tunuva， a middle-aged member of the Priory; Glorian， a young princess of Inys and the sole figurehead of her religion; Wulf， a king's retainer with a mysterious past; and Dumai， a godsinger raised on a mountain then called to leadership。When the Dreadmount explodes， birthing the harrowing wyrms， these four characters will have to find the strength to protect humanity from complete ruin。"A Day of Fallen Night" shows definite sharpening of Samantha Shannon's skills。 One of the issues I certainly had with "Priory" was that I had clear preference for two of its four POV characters。 In "Day" not one of the four was less compelling than the other。 Not once did I wish that I was done with one character's chapter to catch up with another。 Shannon also proficiently demarcates “Day” as set centuries before “Priory，” whether it be in different political situation， lost or warped knowledge， or such tiny details are changes in spelling of some proper names （Ascalun， anyone？）。 In my opinion， "Day" is an improvement over "Priory，" which is already a quite spectacular book。 Yet， "Priory" felt too long， the ending too rushed。 "Day" is perfect， the story's pacing *just* right， the character development on point。 Read "Day" if you enjoy complex high fantasy， with layered characters and motivations， centuries of history and lore。 Read it if you enjoy political novels， feminist novels， LGBTQ+ friendly novels， stories about mothers and daughters， coming-of-age stories。。。 There is so much to recommend this book， so much to draw you in， and keep you there， enthralled。 。。。more
Trisha Sliney
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A Day of Fallen Night is a stunning and masterful read。Shannon takes everything wonderful about Priory of the Orange Tree and improves upon it tenfold in this prequel。 The characters were， in my opinion， so much more endearing， lovable， and enjoyable to follow。 No one is doing characters like Samantha Shannon。 Not only do we get diversity in race and sexuality， but also in age and maturity。 One of our main points of view is from a 50+ year old bad ass warrior woman in a healthy and beautiful sap A Day of Fallen Night is a stunning and masterful read。Shannon takes everything wonderful about Priory of the Orange Tree and improves upon it tenfold in this prequel。 The characters were， in my opinion， so much more endearing， lovable， and enjoyable to follow。 No one is doing characters like Samantha Shannon。 Not only do we get diversity in race and sexuality， but also in age and maturity。 One of our main points of view is from a 50+ year old bad ass warrior woman in a healthy and beautiful sapphic relationship。 Who else is doing it like Samantha Shannon？！？ NO ONE！ The growth each character undergoes is masterful。 In particular， one character who starts as the most naive and annoying becomes the biggest badass in the entire series！ Perhaps even one of my favorite fantasy heroines of all time！ My biggest issue with Priory was the pacing。 The parts that were slow were VERY slow and the most climactic parts were over before we had time to really feel the gravity of the situation。 Fallen Night has taken the pacing issues of its predecessor and says “just you wait。” The war between dragons and man takes place over nearly half the book。 We get way more dragons and， somehow， in a book with far lower stakes， you feel the danger and terror so much more than the first！That being said， one gripe I have with Shannon’s writing that I felt in Priory and still feel in Fallen Night is her relationship with action scenes。 Shannon seems to get lost in her own beautiful and poetic prose so much that the action sequences tend to suffer。 Instead of really feeling like you’re there with the characters as they find themselves in the throes of danger， it feels more like someone trying to describe it to us in the prettiest way and the momentum of a scene is very often cut short in favor of dramatic one-liners。 There were many scenes that were slowly building to a dire situation where you’re asking yourself “how are they gonna get out of this one？” And without missing a beat， Shannon tends to cut the scene by finishing it with; “And they ran away！” I think this is just her writing style， Shannon seems to care more for the dramatic one-liners than making you feel like you’re really there in the moment， but I can’t really complain because obviously it works for her。 Those dramatic one liners really can be excellent。 That being said， the sheer amount of war and destruction makes up for the edging， especially when compared to Priory where I feel it’s more of a problem due to the lack of pay-off。 If you’re thinking of picking up this series and find yourself wondering which book to start with， I highly recommend starting with Fallen Night。 It’s by no means an easier read， you very much are thrown into the deep end（sink or swim！） but with the better pacing， more lovable characters， and improved dramatic tension， I think this is a great place to start。 My copy is full of tabs， underlines， and comments in the margins due to Shannon’s STUNNING Tolkien-esque prose。 I don’t recommend for those just getting into fantasy， but if you’ve picked up lord of the rings， game of thrones， or the stormlight archive and loved them， The Roots of Chaos series is a must！！ Five stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
leah drago
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i'm in awe of this book and the world samantha shannon created。 priory of the orange tree is one of my all time favorite books and this was just as beautiful and even gayer。 i started slow just in between other reads but then i found myself unable to put it down。 i loved seeing how certain aspects of what i read in priory were developed in the world's history and i loved this new set of characters so much and I truly cannot put into words how amazing this book is i'm in awe of this book and the world samantha shannon created。 priory of the orange tree is one of my all time favorite books and this was just as beautiful and even gayer。 i started slow just in between other reads but then i found myself unable to put it down。 i loved seeing how certain aspects of what i read in priory were developed in the world's history and i loved this new set of characters so much and I truly cannot put into words how amazing this book is 。。。more
Jill
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Meh。 Netgalley review to follow
Il confine dei libri
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Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:https://ilconfinedeilibri。blogspot。co。。。Hello！ Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing I had the amazing chance to read one of my most anticipated releases of 2023: "A Day of Fallen Night" by Samantha Shannon。Set in the same world as “The Priory of the Orange Tree”， although 500 years earlier， this novel starts the Roots of Chaos series。It is the year 509 and in the four corners of the world the story of four characters is unfolding。 They are Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:https://ilconfinedeilibri。blogspot。co。。。Hello！ Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing I had the amazing chance to read one of my most anticipated releases of 2023: "A Day of Fallen Night" by Samantha Shannon。Set in the same world as “The Priory of the Orange Tree”， although 500 years earlier， this novel starts the Roots of Chaos series。It is the year 509 and in the four corners of the world the story of four characters is unfolding。 They are unaware of each other， unaware of how the world really works， unaware of their history and the fact that the center of the earth is awakening…Dumai， in the East， is a God-singer; she was born and raised on Mount Ipyeda， in Seiiki。 Together with her best friend Kanifa she looks after the Queen Bell。 Playing it is forbidden， because it would wake the gods from their rest， a very serious crime。Dumai is 27 years old when her life changes completely: she discovers she is the daughter of the Emperor of Seiiki， the new heir to the throne and the protagonist of an intricate and dangerous political plan。In the West Glorian Berethnet， 15 years old， heir to the throne of Inys， lives carefree her life as a teenager。 Her mother is Sabran VI， the queen who saved Inys and made it powerful again。 Glorian is Princess of Inys and of Hrót， in the North， through her father， King Bardholt I。 Glorian is a Berethnet， heiress of the Saint， but has the ice and iron of the North in her veins， sadly dampened by her mother's detachment， never satisfied， never affectionate。 Glorian's life will change soon too: her marriage has been announced and with it the obligation to procreate the heir who will keep the Berethnet family alive， according to the will of the Saint， to continue the chain that keeps the Nameless One imprisoned。The third narrator is Wulfert Glenn， adopted son of two barons of Inys; he lives in the North at the court of King Bardholt。 There are many rumors about Wulf - mostly malicious - that he is cursed， since he was found， as a newborn， by Baron Glenn on the edge of Haithwood， the home of the legendary witch of Inys。Tunuva Melim is the narrator of the South， an initiate of the Priory of the Orange Tree， the secret society founded by Cleolind Onjenyu to protect Lasia from the Nameless One， whom the Mother defeated despite the stories handed down by Galian Berethnet， the Saint of Inys。Tunuva is 50 years old， she is in a relationship with Esbar uq-Nāra， the future prioress， the first two to live a relationship out in the open （the sisters of the Priory must give all of themselves to the Mother and cannot be distracted by other feelings）。Despite the presence of Siyu， daughter of Esbar （who bears the name of Tunuva）， the woman carries an absolute and indelible pain。 The quiet life of the Priory is shaken by the arrival of a foreign sorceress， Canthe， and the escape of Siyu。509 is also the year that the Dreadmount， the volcano that created the Nameless One， erupted again。 Five fearsome creatures have emerged from his mouth， thus the nightmare begins…What I have told you of the plot is not even a tiny piece of what happens in "A Day of Fallen Night"。 The novel covers about 3 years of history， from 509 to 512， of the four corners of a large word， extremely rich in history， culture， and legends， real and fake。A masterful work done by Samantha Shannon from every point of view。 I can only kneel to her skill， to her precision， imagination， study， and dedication。“A Day of Fallen Night” is the fruit of Shannon's desire to expand a world that has much to offer and it shows。 Despite the 880 pages， I would dive back into this world to continue discovering the history of characters， events， and the truth behind the many legends we learn。Samantha Shannon did not just write a fantasy epic， she wrote a history book， an epic book， a book about women， a book without discrimination。It is almost frightening to think about the aim of this novel， for it is a mammoth work inspired by the historical events and geography of our world， adapted into a complex and beautifully layered fantasy world。 I can only say that I was struck by this novel and by the author。Through her female characters， Shannon tackles issues of considerable importance。She talks about motherhood; the one desired， but end too soon in tragic ways， or the one forced， imposed， feared， which sadly become the only value of a woman。 All Berethnets， regardless of their wisdom or political prowess， have a single task that guarantees their value and their role: the birth of a daughter， the next link in the chain whose sole purpose will be to procreate another girl。 A chain considered sacred， but which hides， at its base， a cruel and unjust intent。 The same duty of any heir to the throne， when female， to guarantee a succession， even when the thought of a man's touch feels oppressive。Shannon talks about pain， any kind of pain， the one caused by the loss of children， loves， relatives; the one causes by physical and mental wounds， or by separation。 She speaks of a myriad of emotions， of strength， of courage， of injustices。 She talks about truths and lies， legends and myths， magic， lots of magic。She talks about love， so many kinds of love and - oh- all so sweet！ There is passionate love， unrequited but always respectful love， friendly love， family love， motherly love， love put to the test， love for the gods。Impossible not to mention the representation， so natural， so right。 Starting a book written by Samantha Shannon， from this point of view， is like taking a breath of fresh air after breathing smoke。I'm not talking just about sexual representation， but also about age。 Very often， female character of fantasy books， even if adults， rarely exceed the age of 30; instead Shannon created characters like Tunuva and Esbar， who at 50 are two of the strongest and most unrivaled female warriors in the Priory。From a stylistic point of view， I cannot help but kneel to Shannon again。 Following her on social media， I know that she is a passionate scholar of languages， of the etymology of words and of history， for this reason the chosen terms and expressions have not gone unnoticed。 Whatever aspect you decide to consider - from the most general to the most particular - behind this book there is a meticulous study。 Even the most little detail is used for an intricate and detailed word building。 A mosaic in which each small piece not only fits perfectly with the events narrated in the book itself， but they are only a part of an extensive and majestic work defining the entire story of the magnificent and complex world of the "Roots of Chaos series"。Despite the length， the book flows， the narration enchants， the descriptions come to life before our eyes， the events conquer （I have found myself thinking about the characters in every moment）。 While I had devoured "The Priory of the Orange Tree"， I had to calmly savor "A Day of Fallen Night"。 I'll be honest， at first I feared that a reader's block was on the way， but Shannon's elegant， careful， flowing， romantic and poetic style， as well as the events， did not allow me to let go of the book。 Be aware that the first part is a sort of introduction to the characters and the historical situation of the moment， thus it is more static; but the pace is consistent with the events and will adapt as the situation evolves。I think anything I could say about “A Day of Fallen Night” is an understatement。 This book is an experience that must be lived to understand it; it is pure epic， it is historical chronicle， it is an anthropological study， it is alchemy， it is magic。I don't know if you know this， but a third book has been announced， another prequel。 I know what I would like to read about， but really any historical period is fine with me， there are so many things to explore in this world！ 。。。more
Emily
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4。5⭐️ roundedPlease note， I have not read the Priory of the Orange Tree。 Set 500 years before Priory， A Day of Fallen Night is a beautifully written， politically & religiously dense novel full of intrigue & action。The overarching plot was well thought out & it kept me reading late into the night。 I liked how the different POV’s were used to control the pacing & to give you better insight into the background & how the different areas are woven together。 The pacing was pretty slow， but I knew that 4。5⭐️ roundedPlease note， I have not read the Priory of the Orange Tree。 Set 500 years before Priory， A Day of Fallen Night is a beautifully written， politically & religiously dense novel full of intrigue & action。The overarching plot was well thought out & it kept me reading late into the night。 I liked how the different POV’s were used to control the pacing & to give you better insight into the background & how the different areas are woven together。 The pacing was pretty slow， but I knew that going in & my investment in the story more than made up for it！ I really liked all the main characters， especially Tunuva！ Due to her character’s age， she felt the most well developed & her backstory absolutely broke my heart！ （Would also not say no to an ichneumon of my own）。 Parts of Glorian’s storyline were definitely uncomfortable to read， however everything was handled with great care。 Dumai & Wulf we’re both great， strong characters。 I appreciated Shannon not shying away from tough topics with all the cast， it payed off very well。Starting out without the base knowledge I assume you would have from Priory was definitely confusing！ I would say I felt extremely confused about everything for the first 15-20% of the book， but after that initial set up， everything was fine！ This is an extremely well thought out， complex world with a lot of different cultures & backstories， but Shannon never drops the ball & having that context later on in the book makes the masses of world building worth it。Despite this being an 880 page book， I flew through it without ever really struggling。 This is definitely a testament to Shannon’s writing， it is filled with beautiful prose & plot that made me want to keep going！ The short chapters & switching POV’s definitely helped too。Clearly I don’t really have any faults with the book， but 1/2 a star off the full 5？ Only because I was very very slightly disappointed with how everything came together！ 3 of the 4 different storylines came together in a relatively satisfactory way， if not in a pretty convoluted way， to be honest for me the Tunuva part was the bit that was stretched a bit too thin！ But I was mostly disappointed in the way the Dumai storyline was interwoven， I really feel like there could have been something more substantial there & maybe a missed opportunity！ But it’s such a minor issue in an overall great book！ Thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC。 。。。more
Phoebe
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In my opinion， this was even better than Priory。The characters were more compelling， especially Tunuva and Glorian， although Dumai and Nikeya had their moments （I like Samantha Shannon's characters who are women better than the men， another reason to prefer this to Priory！）。The most disturbing thing about Priory is how much violence exists and is socially sanctioned even in a progressive fantasy world（not just progressive by the standards of fantasy， but like， progressive compared to our real wo In my opinion， this was even better than Priory。The characters were more compelling， especially Tunuva and Glorian， although Dumai and Nikeya had their moments （I like Samantha Shannon's characters who are women better than the men， another reason to prefer this to Priory！）。The most disturbing thing about Priory is how much violence exists and is socially sanctioned even in a progressive fantasy world（not just progressive by the standards of fantasy， but like， progressive compared to our real world）。 I think Shannon was haunted by how she left the Priory characters in various duty-bound traps and needed to write A Day of Fallen Night to let the same stories play out in different ways。 A Day of Fallen Night is even more disturbing， not just because Shannon digs deeper into how the characters fates are determined by their social realities but also because we know from Priory that 500 years later many of those social realities won't have changed at all。 The societies in A Day of Fallen Night are woke。 In the Priory of the Orange Tree， men do housework and are respected for it。 A lesbian mom can name her baby after her lover。 In Inys， gay and trans people of any social status are treated identically to cis and straight people。 Yet violence is not just allowed， but required and expected to defend their ways of life。 That feels extremely current and real to me。 The focus is not on how tradition enshrines morally reprehensible values， but rather on how much people can justify to protect what they've been told is true。*Spoilers coming up。。。*A notable example of the above is Glorian's marriage to Prince Guma， which everyone is horrified by but almost no one is willing to take action against。 Sometimes， having so many story arcs means that Shannon doesn't do them all justice。 Tunuva's struggle between two forms of love， and between grief and duty， was very moving to me。 It's powerful to watch a character making the wrong choices for very sympathetic reasons。 However， I expected more at the end。 The parallels to the story of the Melancholy King （also mentioned in Priory） set me up for a Greek tragedy level of unavoidable betrayal and loss which Shannon didn't deliver。 Esbar forgave Tunuva instantly because Shannon had already forgiven her。 My biggest frustration， though， was with Dumai and Nikeya's storyline。 I can admit that I was obsessed with Dumai and Nikeya in the same way I was briefly obsessed with the L Word Generation Q。 I love hot relatable messy lesbians。 So my expectations were high and specific。 Shannon set them up well--Dumai had a complicated relationship to duty， restraint， luxury， and freedom， and Nikeya had the potential to be a great foil for Dumai's chosen one arc。 As the book went on， I could no longer understand why they liked each other。 Dumai never gave Nikeya what she deserved， and Nikeya repeatedly called her out for it and then continued to literally follow her around randomly professing her love。 Then the end absolutely enraged me。 Dumai decides to skip out on all responsibility by perishing gloriously， leaving Nikeya to deal with her entire destiny but without the glamour。 Somehow， that's supposed to be a fitting resolution for Nikeya， because she's "a flower grown for court" ？？ Relieve my girl from her eldest daughter syndrome！ Even WORSE， years later Dumai randomly shows up in disguise to say hey， with no indication of what their relationship will be going forward， if any。 So Nikeya doesn't get to move on and have love and support and hot sex from someone else， AND Dumai somehow not only got away with abandoning her family， her country， and her wife， but didn't even have to die to do it。 Unjust， and sad。Glorian's story gets the most satisfying， and also most painful， resolution。 Having Einlek pressure her to betroth baby Sabran is really upsetting。 Glorian has been through hell and still isn't free， and from Priory， we know her descendants won't be for 500 years。 Glorian also goes through remarkable growth throughout the book， and yet still can't see a way out of the lies that ruined her life and will ruin her daughter's。 Heartbreaking。 She honestly could have had her own book。 Overall， a high 4 stars， because I couldn't put it down and I'm still thinking about it weeks later。 。。。more
rachsbookss
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The queen of high fantasy is back， and she absolutely killed it。 After finishing Priory of the Orange Tree， even though I loved it， I thought that I’d had my share of high fantasy， but as soon as I picked this one up I was hooked。We’re back in the world of the Priory， this time with even more narrators and deep， beautiful characters。 I will warn you that this book is bordering on ridiculously long （my paperback ARC was 870 pages）， but each interwoven story is crafted beautifully and although it’ The queen of high fantasy is back， and she absolutely killed it。 After finishing Priory of the Orange Tree， even though I loved it， I thought that I’d had my share of high fantasy， but as soon as I picked this one up I was hooked。We’re back in the world of the Priory， this time with even more narrators and deep， beautiful characters。 I will warn you that this book is bordering on ridiculously long （my paperback ARC was 870 pages）， but each interwoven story is crafted beautifully and although it’s an intimidating read， I absolutely think it’s worth your time。For those wondering， you can read either A Day of Fallen Night or The Priory of the Orange Tree first， but Samantha Shannon recommends starting with ADOFN， although it doesn’t really matter in my opinion。 Either way， you're in for some incredible writing， captivating characters， and endless entertainment in Shannon’s fantastical world。All fantasy lovers have to give this a go， especially if you liked The Priory of the Orange Tree。 Check trigger warnings of course， I gave this book 4/5 stars。 。。。more
Katie
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It is great to be back in this world again。 I love the Game of Thrones feel you get when reading this but it is not just any old Game of Thrones it is a a fantastic piece of feminist， lgbtqi literature。 You do not have to have read The Priory of the Orange Tree to read this， but I would just because it is written so well 。 Thank you Net Galley and Bloomsbury for my advanced eArc。
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Day of Fallen Night
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Day of Fallen Night&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Day of Fallen Night&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0