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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Alright, this book was reallllly slow at the beginning. The characterization was incredible, but I was kinda bored..😅 But the last third was fast and adventurous and exciting and so emotional. I really loved the characters, relationships, and the world. The beginning just seemed a little long.
The interview at the end was really wonderful.
Umm thoughts towards the end:
RAHHHH IS IT HER??? Dumaii became the maiden officiant? It has to be her, right? I still want her and Glorian to meet. She’d be the perfect older sister. I hate that her sister was eaten. Ugh she was so innocent. but I’m so happy Nikaya got to see her. She also is so good as the war lord.
Idc what reasons Canthe had, she sucks.
Tuneva was an awesome character to have. I love including older characters.
I need Wulf and Glorian to raise Sabran. I need it. WAIT. SIYU DIDNT DIE. SHE AND WULF ARE BESTIES. No wait. He can’t leave. He needs to be a part of their lives. I love their friendship.
Also, I’m an audiobook reader, so forgive my misspellings.
Also, I’m an audiobook reader, so forgive my misspellings.
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Samantha Shannon has written a behemoth that keeps your attention at every turn! The story follows many characters in the world Shannon created in her first book in the series, The Priory of the Orange Tree. In A Day of Fallen Night, the book she says is book #0 in the series, she takes a step back to share the origin of some of the myths, histories, and the dynamics that shape the series.
Her careful, thoughtful writing of each character shows through in the way that each unfolds before the reader as a complex, complicated individual. The experiences feel authentic and honoring of those with similar lived realities. Seeing how much research goes into Shannon’s writing, I’m not surprised that she draws us into a work of fiction that teaches us something real and important about the world we live in.
Her careful, thoughtful writing of each character shows through in the way that each unfolds before the reader as a complex, complicated individual. The experiences feel authentic and honoring of those with similar lived realities. Seeing how much research goes into Shannon’s writing, I’m not surprised that she draws us into a work of fiction that teaches us something real and important about the world we live in.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
I actually love this book a little too much to leave a super well thought out review tbh! I’m always nervous following up on a series in which I loved one book, and that was doubly true here because The Priory of the Orange Tree has a very special place in my heart as one of the very first books I read as a freshman in college sitting outside around campus all the time when I was still getting back into reading, and one that reminded me of just how much I love fantasy! So I read A Day of Fallen Night in the last few weeks of my time as an undergraduate to come full circle, and I was so happy that I enjoyed it just as much as I remember loving Priory!
Here’s an incomplete list of the things I loved about this book because I can’t manage to be more coherent than that: the slow burn of the multiple character perspectives until everything comes together beautifully, the expansive world and political landscape, how invested I was in each POV character’s journey, the character relationships (I looove Tunuva and Esbar so much, Dumai and Nikeya had me on the edge of my seat, and I really enjoyed Glorian and Wulf’s very sweet friendship too!!!), the explorations of choice, motherhood, and duty, all of the political complexities and navigations, the epic fight scenes, and of course, above all else, the dragons. I don’t care how old I get nothing will ever be cooler than dragons and Shannon used them fantastically, both as otherworldly companions and gargantuan threats!!! Literally this is what fantasy is all about to me, and this series is a huge blueprint of everything I love, from the depth of worldbuilding to the feminist themes to the well-built romances that shape the characters deeply. Oooooh I love it!!! For the last 200+ pages I kept having to put the book down for a minute and then pick it back up again right away because I was so invested and therefore STRESSED!!! Also I cried. I know not everyone is going to enjoy an 800+, slow-building fantasy book with so many characters and that’s fine, but also those people are incorrect. Peak epic fantasy to me!!!
Here’s an incomplete list of the things I loved about this book because I can’t manage to be more coherent than that: the slow burn of the multiple character perspectives until everything comes together beautifully, the expansive world and political landscape, how invested I was in each POV character’s journey, the character relationships (I looove Tunuva and Esbar so much, Dumai and Nikeya had me on the edge of my seat, and I really enjoyed Glorian and Wulf’s very sweet friendship too!!!), the explorations of choice, motherhood, and duty, all of the political complexities and navigations, the epic fight scenes, and of course, above all else, the dragons. I don’t care how old I get nothing will ever be cooler than dragons and Shannon used them fantastically, both as otherworldly companions and gargantuan threats!!! Literally this is what fantasy is all about to me, and this series is a huge blueprint of everything I love, from the depth of worldbuilding to the feminist themes to the well-built romances that shape the characters deeply. Oooooh I love it!!! For the last 200+ pages I kept having to put the book down for a minute and then pick it back up again right away because I was so invested and therefore STRESSED!!! Also I cried. I know not everyone is going to enjoy an 800+, slow-building fantasy book with so many characters and that’s fine, but also those people are incorrect. Peak epic fantasy to me!!!