Scan barcode
hannahpings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
my god i fell in love with this book and these people and this world. i never wanted it to end and i'm so sad it did. every single one (not an exaggeration!) of its characters had significant depth and nuance, and felt authentic in a way i wasn't necessarily expecting. i'm not going to be able to forget about any of them any time soon, and i wouldn't want to. it's also seeped in the lore and complex politics that i was craving after its predecessor.
i also loved priory––i think it was fantastic––but for me, there's been a marked improvement in samantha shannon's writing between the two. a day of fallen night gives itself time to breathe, has pitch-perfect pacing, and doesn't fall prey to the same "and then all this happened btw and now we're here" telling-not-showing issue that priory does.
this book made me feel a way i haven't felt in 20 years at least. i truly cannot wait to read all 868 pages again
i also loved priory––i think it was fantastic––but for me, there's been a marked improvement in samantha shannon's writing between the two. a day of fallen night gives itself time to breathe, has pitch-perfect pacing, and doesn't fall prey to the same "and then all this happened btw and now we're here" telling-not-showing issue that priory does.
this book made me feel a way i haven't felt in 20 years at least. i truly cannot wait to read all 868 pages again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Child death, Religious bigotry, War, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, Vomit, and Adult/minor relationship
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A Day of Fallen Night is not just epic in length - a whopping 868 pages to be exact - but epic in just about every other way.
The worldbuilding is intricate down to the tiniest detail, and the care that Samantha Shannon took is evident on every single page. I can't imagine what the research process was like for this, but, as with The Priory of the Orange Tree, I can say that it must have been exhaustive (and no doubt exhausting too). I am in awe of the scale of it. Belief, politics, geography, history - it's all here and all believable.I would have liked a fuller map of Hróth, though!
The plotting is also immaculate. The way Shannon has created her POV characters and how she has crafted every twist and turn of the plot to bring them together and apart is masterful. I will say that at times the characters felt more like pieces in the elaborate chess match that was Shannon's plot, rather than fully fleshed-out human beings. And the dragons and other magical creatures determined to be dangerous? Let's just say I didn't find their evil natures entirely convincing, given that they seem evil just for the sake of it.
There are four characters - dubbed "storytellers" in Shannon's extensive notes and glossaries - whose points of view we see. Tunuva, a middle-aged sister at the Priory of the Orange Tree, Glorian, the adolescent heir to a fabled queendom, Wulf, a young man sworn to a Northern King, and Dumai, a twenty-seven-year-old apostle at an ancient mountain temple.
Of all of them, the ones I liked best were probably Tunuva, Glorian and Wulf. Dumai I couldn't really warm to, although she was very interesting as a character.
Speaking of characters, this novel has a huge cast - I appreciated the index at the back, which I found an excellent way of keeping track of the characters and their relationships with one another and their worlds. I did feel that some of the smaller characters got lost in the bigness of it all. Of the secondary characters, I probably appreciated Nikeya most. And Canthe (who I suspected from the start as having a hidden agenda, it was almost too simple when her big reveal happened, thrilling as it was to read ).
Aside from feminine agency and power (similarly dominant in Priory), the themes of environmentalism, religion, and belief also come through very strongly. The overarching plot point of the novel is analogous to world events of the last few years (the threat of climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, most evidently ). Overall this was effective, although I do feel it was hammered home just a bit too much at times.
LGBTQIA+ representation is done well throughout. There are trans and non-binary folk in the large cast of characters, and a range of different sexualities among minor and major characters also. Within the world Shannon has created, this gender and sexual diversity is normalised, which is refreshing to read about. Although this is an imagined world in terms of ethnicity there is still a range of skin tones from white to dark-skinned, which I know many will appreciate.
Although it has its flaws, this was overall a satisfying and highly enjoyable read.
The worldbuilding is intricate down to the tiniest detail, and the care that Samantha Shannon took is evident on every single page. I can't imagine what the research process was like for this, but, as with The Priory of the Orange Tree, I can say that it must have been exhaustive (and no doubt exhausting too). I am in awe of the scale of it. Belief, politics, geography, history - it's all here and all believable.
The plotting is also immaculate. The way Shannon has created her POV characters and how she has crafted every twist and turn of the plot to bring them together and apart is masterful. I will say that at times the characters felt more like pieces in the elaborate chess match that was Shannon's plot, rather than fully fleshed-out human beings.
There are four characters - dubbed "storytellers" in Shannon's extensive notes and glossaries - whose points of view we see. Tunuva, a middle-aged sister at the Priory of the Orange Tree, Glorian, the adolescent heir to a fabled queendom, Wulf, a young man sworn to a Northern King, and Dumai, a twenty-seven-year-old apostle at an ancient mountain temple.
Of all of them, the ones I liked best were probably Tunuva, Glorian and Wulf. Dumai I couldn't really warm to, although she was very interesting as a character.
Speaking of characters, this novel has a huge cast - I appreciated the index at the back, which I found an excellent way of keeping track of the characters and their relationships with one another and their worlds. I did feel that some of the smaller characters got lost in the bigness of it all. Of the secondary characters, I probably appreciated Nikeya most. And Canthe (
Aside from feminine agency and power (similarly dominant in Priory), the themes of environmentalism, religion, and belief also come through very strongly. The overarching plot point of the novel is analogous to world events of the last few years (
LGBTQIA+ representation is done well throughout. There are trans and non-binary folk in the large cast of characters, and a range of different sexualities among minor and major characters also. Within the world Shannon has created, this gender and sexual diversity is normalised, which is refreshing to read about. Although this is an imagined world in terms of ethnicity there is still a range of skin tones from white to dark-skinned, which I know many will appreciate.
Although it has its flaws, this was overall a satisfying and highly enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Death of parent, Colonisation, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Gore, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
Strong scenes depicting supernaturally inflicted violence (ietinybluepixel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Child death, Pregnancy, Body horror, Grief, Gore, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Infertility and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Suicide
amschelly153's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Stunning read, compelling and adventurous.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Animal death, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
dragongirl271's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, and Child death
Minor: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Cancer, and Cannibalism
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I bought this as soon as it was released, of course. Because Samantha Shannon is an absolute star of [epic, feminine, sapphic] fantasy and one of my favorite authors. I really couldn’t wait to dive into this prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree, which was one of my top ten (though if we are being honest, probably my number one favorite) read from 2020. It took me a few months to be ready for it (almost 1000-page novels are not something to enter into unless fully ready), but this seasonal turn into winter was the sign I needed and the time was finally right to sink into this cozy (as in fantasy a comfort genre, not because it has a particularly comforting plot) chonker of a novel.
I’m not even sue how to give a summary of this book, as it really embodies the vibes of “epic.” We are in the same world as Priory, but half a century earlier. The story is told from four primary perspectives. Tunuva is a member of the Priory, blessed with the magic of the Orange Tree, and trained from birth for the task of defending the true history and legacy of Cleolind (the real defeater of the Nameless One), and the world at large, in the case of its return. Dumai, raised in a temple to the sleeping gods high in the mountains by her mother, finds out that her parentage is far different from, and greater than, she’d ever known…and she must take up a mantel within the court and ruling family of Seiiki. Glorian is the young heir to the Queendom of Inys (yes, the same one the Sabran leads in Priory), happily growing up in the shadow of her imposing parents. Wulf is a young karl in the service of Glorian’s father, whose unknown past and childhood friendship with Glorian sets him up to play a central role in the interconnectedness of the separate nations and storylines. When the Dreadmount erupts, it ushers in an age of violence, sickness, and fear that threatens the existence of humankind and these narrators must fight with everything they have to maintain hope and help their peoples survive.
Look, I can sum this entire review up with just one line: Shannon is the queen of fantasy. And she just keeps getting better. I mean, I loved Priory. And I have long loved The Bone Season and cannot wait for more of Paige’s saga there. But this? This was a whole other level. I loved every single narrator. I loved their perspectives and their complexities (strengths and flaws). I loved how deeply developed they were internally and in all their other relationships and the climates within which they lived. I am really not sure that I can put into words how much the variety of female realities represented in this novel affected me. There were older women at the forefront, with direct addressing not just of menstruation, but also menopause and related sexual urge changes. There was pregnancy and childbirth and postpartum bodies and depression, all of which was not just not glossed over, but major aspects of the storyline and the experience of the women involved in how living that alongside a world-ending crisis of this magnitude feels. There was early motherhood and mothering of adult children, with the variety of different challenges each presents. There was motherhood as it lives on even after the loss of a child. There was motherhood as a requirement and as sacrifice and in defiance and to right previous mothering wrongs. There were incredibly soft and comfortable queer vibes (sapphic and asexual, with passion and connection that are meaningful, but still so light, ohhhhhh it’s lovely). There were women that didn’t want to bear a child or have sex, and while their choices on how to respond to the social structures that expect and require that were different, that representation too felt full and real, as sometimes that pressure is fought and sometimes its given in to. It was all just…right. I felt seen in so many ways and even in the choices I haven’t made myself, the breadth of exploration of womanhood and motherhood was stunning. That all is a major reason why, for me, Shannon is queen of fantasy: the strength and diversity of women are central and there’s not a single one-dimensional female character in the bunch.
I also loved the world-building. It’s just magnificent. Shannon has created something so massive and real here. And while this builds in together with what she began in Priory in physicality, this prequel also adds further context, in a way that both complements and expands. The tone of the writing is expansive and familiar all at once and the stories weave together in ways that are so smooth and well-paced. The scoops large. And while I could see an argument for some editing down, a bit, I can’t way I’d have wanted that. This is the kind of unfolding tale that you get lost in, that you allow to soak into yourself, and so you want every bit of that slower (but evenly) paced development, because it gives you more time in this world, with these characters. And for what it’s worth, though it’s long, it’s never dull. There is always something happening, whether it be interpersonal relationship growth, political maneuvering, discoveries of evils growing and betrayals occurring, or battles against dragons and the malformed animals they twisted to their service. And when the narratives do start to converge, it’s so good. Because you know it’s coming, in some form, and are waiting for it. And yet, every time there’s a crossover, it never hits that point of formulaic; there always remains some aspect of the unexpected. And as they drift apart again, and then spin back together, sometimes with just the barest touches, it’s just achingly well done.
SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH. SKIP TO THE NEXT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID IT! Finally, I appreciated, so much, the ending. The fact that what truly “saved the day” was not a chosen one/person or an act or a perfect deus ex machina, but a foretold celestial event that no one could prevent or make come faster…I was completely here for that. The message that these characters were all fighting, with everything they had, with the barest hope, against a seemingly unbeatable foe - and even for those that had an inkling of the foretold event that would hopefully end things, that’s still a fight for survival until something greater, promised only by a legend/dream, arrives to stop it… That is a totally “other” kind of strength. And it’s a style of denouement that is very uncommon in fantasy. I really appreciated the way it was used here. Plus, the way it explains the small riddle that is the title – loved that.
I feel like, when I usually write reviews, I add in details about which characters I liked most, which plot points were best, what the language was like…and with specifics. And as I’m looking back over this so far, I have none of those specifics here (except for the part about the way the plot “ends”). It’s all more general impressions and overarching reactions and themes. I’m not sure then, if this is a good review or not. But, it’s the truth that I have. I loved it all. And it contains so much that details that minute really become impossible to include, because there’s no time, no space, for it all.
The many ways this book, this series, is an ode to the myriad and (generally) unheralded strength and power of women is unmatched. Plus, it was very cool to see how the threads of this story set the groundwork (and became the legends of yore) for Priory. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel reading a prequel after what it comes before, but it turns out, I liked the experience. To repeat myself, because she deserves it…this novel is epic and Shannon is a queen.
“All women can be sisters. We will be yours.”
“…but a house that crushes its own daughters beneath its foundations, that is no house at all. Better it burns with the rest.”
“A flower in a world of ash is proof that life endures.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content and Animal death
broken_biscuits's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
I really loved this read. I found it to be much better than priory of the orange tree-- I was much more invested in these characters, and the pacing was better. Just high quality work on all fronts, including actually great queer representation (which I'm very picky about). Really showcased how the whole idea of a monarchy rests on the objectification of women-- even those in great power. The interpersonal dynamics and exploration of motherhood in all its complexity was beautiful. Definitely gnarly in a lot of ways, so be warned about that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
the_reading_wren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow, what a story! Darker and more brutal than Priory, but beautiful and wise as well. A great foundation for the Roots of Chaos series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, War, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Gore, Abortion, Excrement, Infidelity, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Suicide, Confinement, Mental illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Classism
yikeslou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Samantha Shannon has done it again with a book I'll never be able to stop thinking about ever!!! I have too many screaming thoughts for a coherent review. But this was without question a 5 ⭐ epic with everything I've ever wanted in a fantasy novel: war, tragedy, comedy, found family, lesbian milf warriors, trans scientists, ace aro princesses with mommy issues, religious fervor, the SLOWEST BURN I'VE EVER READ... more to come as I wake sweating in the night thinking about the Roots of Chaos. I can never thank Shannon enough for making this into a series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think it was a great followup. I don't typically enjoy prequels because they are inherently tragic, but I think it played with tragedy well while still giving us an interesting story. I also got really attached to the characters. It did drag a bit at parts, but I knew it would given the length. Overall I liked it and I really want a book about our three tree mothers. I need to know the full story. But if we ge the next gen story like she has been teasing that works for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and War
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Animal death, and Religious bigotry