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ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
I think, if it's possible, I loved A Day of Fallen Night even more than Priory of the Orange Tree! As I was before, I am in awe of the worldbuilding. One of the things I loved most is not something big, but it stood out to me, in the way that queerness was casual. The way people in the priory weren't chained to the duties assigned to them based on their gender at birth, learning a character is no longer a Mistress but a Master. These moments were simply part of the story and not hurdles that had to be crossed. And of course our narrators. It's not usual that I enjoy the POV of all characters in a book with a rotating cast, but I really liked all of them (Tunuva and Dumai being my favorites though). I cannot wait to hopefully see more of the Roots of Chaos series! Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
Minor: Religious bigotry
readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Forced pregnancyboba_n_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I wish I could stay in this world forever. To say I loved this book is an understatement. It’s definitely going to be in my top 5 of the year and maybe of all time.
Shannon pulls you right into this world and keeps you engrossed in it to the bitter end. I loved learning more about the history of this world and the predecessors of the MCs in The Priory of the Orange Tree. This standalone prequel is definitely more gay and has more dragons, and that just made this book even better. Now I want to reread Priory knowing all of the history from A Day of Fallen Night.
All this being said—read this book. If you love high fantasy, dragons, court politics, strong female MCs, and opposing religious beliefs, this is the book and world for you. Samantha Shannon, I sincerely hope you write about this world again.
Shannon pulls you right into this world and keeps you engrossed in it to the bitter end. I loved learning more about the history of this world and the predecessors of the MCs in The Priory of the Orange Tree. This standalone prequel is definitely more gay and has more dragons, and that just made this book even better. Now I want to reread Priory knowing all of the history from A Day of Fallen Night.
All this being said—read this book. If you love high fantasy, dragons, court politics, strong female MCs, and opposing religious beliefs, this is the book and world for you. Samantha Shannon, I sincerely hope you write about this world again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An incredible book - arguably better than Priory in some ways.
Can be read before or after it, and the story is still wonderful.
Lots of diverse characters, mixed in with adventure and tragedy - it’s a fabulous read, worth the time it takes to read.
There were aspects that I wasn’t so keen on (mostly about the plot) but because it is linked to Priory the history cannot be changed.
Overall a very enjoyable read. Another fabulous tome!
Can be read before or after it, and the story is still wonderful.
Lots of diverse characters, mixed in with adventure and tragedy - it’s a fabulous read, worth the time it takes to read.
There were aspects that I wasn’t so keen on (mostly about the plot) but because it is linked to Priory the history cannot be changed.
Overall a very enjoyable read. Another fabulous tome!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Infidelity, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury
donatio's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I had high expectations for this book after Priory and it did not disappoint.
The characters and the world were well-fleshed-out, I came to care about them deeply. There were no plot holes and it set up Priory nicely.
The writing was beautiful, I only found that it was quite slow for me but towards the end it got better.
Representation of everyone (gender-equality, POC, LGBTQ, etc.) was there, just like it ought to be.
I loved the themes, motherhood, religion and duty, and how they were explored.
The characters and the world were well-fleshed-out, I came to care about them deeply. There were no plot holes and it set up Priory nicely.
The writing was beautiful, I only found that it was quite slow for me but towards the end it got better.
Representation of everyone (gender-equality, POC, LGBTQ, etc.) was there, just like it ought to be.
I loved the themes, motherhood, religion and duty, and how they were explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Cancer, Alcohol, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Miscarriage
alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Confinement, War, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Animal death, Child death, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Chronic illness, Vomit, Suicide, Cannibalism, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
bashsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
This book is soooo long and the space & energy for writing a review is so short, yet I shall forge on. A Day of Fallen Night is just as incredible as The Priory of the Orange Tree - if not moreso. Although I read Priory over a year ago now, slipping into this prequel was much easier than getting into the first book. The worldbuilding and the lore came back to me quickly, prodded along by the fact that this is meant to be readable as a standalone. Sometimes that quality can be repetative when you read multiple books in the same universe, but here it was just a boon.
A short list of things I liked about this book:
A short list of things I liked about this book:
- Always amuses me that Shannon not only made Fantasy Catholicism but also made it canonically false.
- Addition of nonbinary rep - including nonbinary titles! I love the terms Mastress and Lade.
- Addition of other trans rep - there are at least two trans men & just like the gay relationships, no one bats an eye at them.
- Thrit, I am emotionally invested in this secondary character, he is the best.
- Gay-on-gay-on-gay violence at one of the climaxes
where all the narrators run into each other.
No complaints, 100% recommend, I can't wait for the next book in this universe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Blood, Religious bigotry, Violence, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Body horror, Infidelity, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide, Cannibalism, and Mental illness
elioreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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: War, Child death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
A Day of Fallen Night was everything I ever wanted and more. (Yes, I think it surpasses Priory in every way.)
The story follows 4 main narrators (Tunuva in the South, Glorian in the West, Wulf in the North, and Dumai in the East), each grappling with similar themes of leadership and loyalty and love. Their world is tested with the eruption of the Dreadmount, releasing terrifying creatures and sending the continents into an age of darkness and sorrow. Each storyteller must fight for themselves and find strength for their people.
I wept and I screeched and I was thoroughly engaged.
The writing was SO lush and beautiful. The story flowed perfectly, with explosive & cinematic action scenes alongside simmering romance and gripping political maneuvers.
A consistent theme was motherhood, and each major character reflects on their relationship to their mother, considers children of their own, and grapples with the weight of lineage. There are beautiful parallels between characters who have no control over their own bodies and characters with the freedom to explore their identities.
There’s also some seriously beautiful work around grief and loss. Characters mourn and sink into depression and learn how to keep moving forward with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
There’s darkness, but also so much compassion. While there are death and war and monsters, human brutality is not a pivotal part of this world. Characters are open with each other. Lovers forgive each other. Even potential political villains are - for the most part - willing to listen and have certain moral boundaries.
The dragons … oh, the dragons. You understand just enough about them and the origins of their power, their ambitions, and their wrath. But they are ancient & terrifying & godlike in the best possible way.
The history is creative, brilliant, and so thought out. We don’t get every single detail, but it’s clear to me that Shannon has built this world with work and care. And the queerness of this world is so rich. We get to see all sorts of relationships - and I won’t say more to keep this spoiler-free, but each romantic arc is delightful and diverse.
I think this story was a level up from The Priory of the Orange Tree. If you have not yet read Priory, I would actually recommend starting with A Day of Fallen Night. I think it sets up the events & world quite nicely - and you’ll enter the world with zero anticipation or spoilers from the Priory plot.
Each page felt essential and moved the plot forward – yes, much of the book is slower-paced, but the chapters were generally short and punchy. There were some plot points I didn’t care for as much as others, but I was never bored. In fact, it was usually quite the opposite: I’d feel a loss at the end of a chapter (wanting to continue with a POV), but then find myself enchanted once more a page into the next perspective. I didn’t think there was a weak narrator.
I was SO invested; it was hard but worthwhile to savor this book and not devour it. There are hints sprinkled throughout and carefully curated threads with brilliant payoffs. I thought Glorian’s arc in particular was absolutely masterful.
Don’t laugh at me - I think the book could have been longer. Because of the time skips, certain moments were so fast. And I think I can confidently say Shannon doesn’t enjoy writing battle scenes (honestly, I don’t enjoy reading long battle scenes, but I can see other epic fantasy readers feel disappointed by the lack of longer action).
Overall, this book was beautiful. The world, the characters, the poetic language … It was everything I dreamed of in an epic fantasy journey.
CW: death (incl. death of parents and child death), war, murder, animal death, pregnancy, adult/minor relationship (political), grief, religious bigotry, fire, terminal illness, suicide, misogyny, sexual content
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual content, War, Abandonment, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
Thank you Bloomsbury for the arc in exchange for an honest review
Shannon delivers yet again! Epic and absolutely impossible to put down from start to finish. Vibrant, beautiful and devastating all at the same time. Samantha truly is one of the best high fantasy authors of our generation.
"MOTHER WE ARE YOUR DAUGHTERS WE REMEMBER WE REMAIN!" The way Shannon handles grief, death and child birth is done so well. As well as the romance. There is an already established relationship that I loovveeeed. An enemies to lovers plot line that gave everything I wanted. This book had it all.
Building upon the epic story within the Roots of Chaos Cycle. We see how much of the events of Priory took hold. How the East and West began their animosity towards each other.
The world building, characters arcs and plot line are top tier. Shannon has become not only one of my favorite authors, her books ADOFN and Priory are in my top ten favorite books of all time.
You do not want to miss out on this Epic High Fantasy.
Fav Quote
"The world is not always kind. But we will try, as long as we can. All of us. All women can be sisters. We will be yours.
Cw
Blood
Gore
Death of a parent
Death of a Child
Birth trauma
post pardum depression
Mild sexual content
Death
Fire
Shannon delivers yet again! Epic and absolutely impossible to put down from start to finish. Vibrant, beautiful and devastating all at the same time. Samantha truly is one of the best high fantasy authors of our generation.
"MOTHER WE ARE YOUR DAUGHTERS WE REMEMBER WE REMAIN!" The way Shannon handles grief, death and child birth is done so well. As well as the romance. There is an already established relationship that I loovveeeed. An enemies to lovers plot line that gave everything I wanted. This book had it all.
Building upon the epic story within the Roots of Chaos Cycle. We see how much of the events of Priory took hold. How the East and West began their animosity towards each other.
The world building, characters arcs and plot line are top tier. Shannon has become not only one of my favorite authors, her books ADOFN and Priory are in my top ten favorite books of all time.
You do not want to miss out on this Epic High Fantasy.
Fav Quote
"The world is not always kind. But we will try, as long as we can. All of us. All women can be sisters. We will be yours.
Cw
Blood
Gore
Death of a parent
Death of a Child
Birth trauma
post pardum depression
Mild sexual content
Death
Fire
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Child death, and War
Moderate: Sexual content