Samantha Shannon

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.

A Day of Fallen Night

Miranda Watson

And somewhere, a woman awoke with a cry as the figure in her dream flaked to pieces and blew away like ash, and with it, the long thread between them, leaving her alone.

‘History may record the end of my line as a tragedy,’ the Grand Empress said, ‘but a house that crushes its own daughters beneath its foundations - that is no house at all. Better it burns with the rest.’

She sang as if the Mother could hear every word - and perhaps she could, in her bed of stone. Perhaps she would smile in her sleep. When she could sing no more, Tunuva Melim rose and placed a kiss upon the coffin. ‘Mother, we are your daughters,’ she said softly. ‘We remember. We remain.’

Another perfect sacrifice, chained to her legacy.

The one duty she could never refuse. This had been her only purpose, from the cradle - to yield more life, even though she was alive. To give more than herself, because she alone was not enough. She saw the cruel truth of it now. The relentless, violent circle of monarchy.

When she returned, she brought slices of fresh bread and nettle cheese, a goblet of mulled wine, and braised pheasant legs, weltered in a spiced red sauce.

The food was rich with flavour. Flatbread dipped in olive oil, white beans stewed with chopped almonds and fiery salt-cured sausage, cheese and dates, served with a dry red wine.

The oranges flickered like candles on the boughs. One tumbled with a flutter of petals, straight into her waiting hands. Light shone through its rind, stemming from the heart in its core.

A princess for the West. One lost in the East. In the South, a third girl was born, between the other two. This girl was not destined to wear a crown. Her birth did not stitch the wounds in a queendom, or gift her with any right to a throne.

Giulia Langella

This is on page 241. There’s 863 pages.

Kaitlyn

Surely nothing else could break their family apart.

‘Given the urgency of the situation, I wondered if Mistress Kiprun might be able to see me today.’

‘The alchemist is now known as Master Kiprun. He has been away, but should return within a few days.’ 

Keira Ostrosser

The sky was a freshly scraped hide, raw and stretched.

Wulf could hear no more. He grasped her by her hands, and he said, “Lie with me.”

Wulf wondered what poor bastard had ever pissed lilac. 

“I’m not your enemy. Not unless you give me reason.” 

Nikeya sank up to her collarbone, all her dark hair fanning around her. Against her will, Dumai imagined winding her fingers through it. 

“Not as much as you might think,” Kanifa said, with a faint smile, “else I might have stopped loving you long ago.”

Sophia 

“Live, Wulfert Glenn, my dearest friend. I will see you in Halgalant.”

She wheeled her horse, and charged to war. 

Glorian took hold of her ibelly with both hands. I see now, she thought. I see now, Papa. All those who give life are wariors.

She felt a sudden, desperate fury. Her heart pounded not only with feat, but overwhelming frustration. If she could do this, the price to Inys would be paid. Her body would be hers at last, as it had never been. She moved from the pallet to the floor, lifeward. 

“Glorian, what are you doing?” Florell asked as she shifted on to her knees, hands braced on the floor. 

 “I am Queen of Inys,” Glorian ground out. “Even I kneel before the Saint.”She reached back, panting. 'Hold me. Helisent, Florell, help me.’

A warrior posesses her own body, she had once told her father. Inys has mine. She had to possess her own body in this moment– for Sabran, and for Inys.

This book is again just too long. As someone who really prefers books over 600 pages, this story was just soooo drawn out. There was no reason for it to be this long. While I did like all the characters in this story better than the first, I still think there were too many povs which caused the story to get so bogged down. Truly NOTHING happened for at least 300+ pages of this book. And then when the final conflict comes about, it’s dealt with in such a lazy, easy, obvious way that had nothing to do with any of the characters. It basically just came down to nature… so boring as the final climax. I didn’t hate my time reading this book, but it should say something that it took me about 6 months to read…

Katie Allard

ah yes, dragons, dragons (evil) and women having complex relationships as both daughters and mothers

I missed this world like an old friend. Cried my eyes out for Kanifa, my goddess Dumai deserved the world, Esbar is my mother and Glorian is my queen. Wulf is the little dumb brother that you can't help but love. The only thing I really couldn't roll with is that they treated dragons as if they were horses, letting anyone ride them. To be a dragon rider should've been a special, sacred thing, and neither Nikeya (you beautiful strong poet) nor Kanifa were close to the gods enough to deserve that.

Enjoyed the characters and story.  It makes me want to reread Priory to see how these characters are remembered.   I had to take some breaks while reading due to the length, which made the overall experience more enjoyable than forcing myself to get through it.

Jenny Engel

Ian de Villava

this one didn’t pull me in as much as the first, but i still love this world and the writing is incredible.

Got attached to the characters and this one had better world building than Priory 

Miranda Hall

A wildly fantastic epic driven by strong, complex, and fascinating women. Shannon melds multiple storylines together with ease and builds out the massive world she has taken on with brilliance - it’s even better than Priory of the Orange Tree. If Shannon continues this arc, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the next in this series.

Markedly, I love the way she handles women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ characters - she writes them as real people and treats them with equal dignity to anyone else. 

I would still recommend reading Priory first even though this is the prequel - there’s a lot of context that will help to orient readers to the breadth of this novel

Daphne Li-Chen

A wildly fantastic epic driven by strong, complex, and fascinating women. Shannon melds multiple storylines together with ease and builds out the massive world she has taken on with brilliance - it’s even better than Priory of the Orange Tree. If Shannon continues this arc, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the next in this series.

Markedly, I love the way she handles women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ characters - she writes them as real people and treats them with equal dignity to anyone else. 

I would still recommend reading Priory first even though this is the prequel - there’s a lot of context that will help to orient readers to the breadth of this novel

I LOVED THIS BOOK. FANTASY GALORE WITH CASUAL QUEERNESS AND WOMEN IN POWER!!!!

britt

i got a wee bit bored in the third act but it was a slay. luv glorian, tunuva, and dumai with all my heart.

Standalone prequel to “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, A Day of Fallen Night 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.

“I know whose bone and blood I am. I am the chosen of the Saint, the fruit of his unending vine, the iron of the eversnow. I am the daughter of Sabran the Ambitious and the Hammer of the North, and I will rule this realm without fear. My reign will be remembered for centuries to come.”
---------------------------------

I am in love with this series.
In. Love.

Both books in the series so far have completely swept me away and had me turning pages breathless, and that is saying something considering how chonky and long they actually are. 

As in the first one, this prequel also moves along multiple POVs, each enticing, detailed, and unique in its own way. The world, the dynamics, and the characters are set up masterfully that it is even more satisfying to witness the pieces finally coming together across the board. I completely stand by my first reaction, which was along the lines of “Game of Thrones, but written by a woman (and therefore better).”
However, as cleverly linked as the two books are, they also work great on their own. It doesn’t matter whether you pick them up on chronological or release order, both would be a great reading experience in my opinion. Just really well done.

I do hope the series will continue, as the second book has not disappointed when it comes to action, originality and quality. I need more of these stories.

I can confidently say that The Roots of Chaos has become solid favorites for me in the epic fantasy genre. Much much recommended if you enjoy high fantasy.

I preferred Priory and it's characters but this was still so good. The start is a bit slow but once I got through it I couldn't put it down

Rose Donovan

Mila Challenger

THIS BOOK 
IS SO GOOD
The way this book is honestly one of the most gripping things I have ever read in my life-
Ok spoiler free review- this is pure incentive to read this book.
1) THE CHARACTERS
In a very general sense, the diversity between the povs and the mcs is genuinely one of the things that I loved the most. I genuinely felt so attached to all of them, something that has barely happened to me in my recent reads.
My favourite character by far had to be Tunuva- her personality was literally glorious as well as her backstory. To have one of the povs not be a classic 16/17 year old chosen one was actually so refreshing, and her relationships with Esbar and Siyu are so beautifully written. 

2) THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS 
HOW CAN PEOPLE SEEM SO REAL?
I loved how this seemed to be an epic story of legend but completely subverted that by having characters who genuinely did have flaws and made honest mistakes, but which clearly sets up the world and the glorifies figures of old which are so revered in Priory.

3) THE WORLDBUILDING 
I am on my KNEES for Samantha Shannon’s worldbuilding. 
Genuinely.
That scene where all the characters (apart from a couple) happen to be in the same place and you realise none of them can understand each other because LITERALLY NONE OF THEM SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE?
GLORIOUS.
The cultures and the countries are so intricately woven and learning about the religious lore as well as the geopolitical plot was an absolute pleasure.

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE.
I recommend it to any fans of Priory, for those who love a great (albeit long) read and tragically magnificent characters and lore.

altlovesbooks

"to hold the risen fire at bay
until the night descends"

How do you make a sequel to something intended as a stand-alone novel? Fans of the series demanded a new book, but things were fairly contained within Priory of the Orange Tree, so how do you square the circle? I quite like the author’s approach here; rather than making a direct sequel to the events of the first book, she marched 500 years into the past and created another stand-alone. Fans get their sequel, there’s no expectations to live up to, and you can continue building out the (extensive) lore you introduced in the first book. A win all around, that I think the author knocked out of the park to boot.

There be spoilers here after this point. 

(view spoiler)[Despite being an all-new cast of characters, there’s just enough familiarity here to hit the ground running with the (many) different viewpoints. Glorian, daughter of Sabran the Ambitious and King Bardholt of Hróth, is having a hard time finding her feet and her place within the role forced upon her. All her life she had her own ideas of how she wanted to live her life, but the older she grows, the more she realizes that duty comes before all else in the Queendom of Inys. Over at the Priory, we’re introduced to Tunuva and Esbar, sisters training to slay wyrms that haven’t appeared in generations. Discontent is rumbling through the Priory as some younger sisters start questioning why the Order still exists. When Siyu escapes the stifling confines of the Priory, Tunuva is sent to bring her home, but her return brings unwelcome change to the Priory. Finally, in Seiiki, Dumai of Ipyeda is a godsinger at the High Temple of Kwiriki, daughter of Unora of Afa, and heir of more than she knows. When her family comes knocking, she’s compelled to leave the mountain home she knows and loves in order to serve the kingdom. But as the world starts to tremble, it is her godsinger heritage that ultimately calls her to duty in service of the sea dragon Furtia. 

The scope of this book is quite a bit larger than Priory of the Orange Tree I think. Lots more places, tons of minor characters and references, but not to the point where I felt overwhelmed and lost. I think reading Priory of the Orange Tree first gave me the structure I needed to be able to sort through everything thrown at me here. There’s quite a bit more politics in this one as well, particularly in the Inys sections, but I’m such a sucker for grand political fantasy that I loved it all. It has a bit of a slow start, and I was starting to wonder where things were headed initially, but about a third of the way through things start ramping up quickly and I had a hard time putting it down. The ending was incredibly satisfying as well, and while a lot was happening at once, it didn’t have the same frantic feel as I thought Priory of the Orange Tree had at the end.  (hide spoiler)]

I hope the author decides to do more stand-alone books within this universe, because I thought this one was fantastic. Everything had a purpose, the writing was excellent, and I loved basically everything about it. Great fantasy, great work.

I am still so in awe of the world building in this series. I think this book was so much better than the first, but that very well could be due to me already knowing and loving the world Samantha Shannon created. I cannot describe how refreshing it is to dive headfirst into a fantasy series that is so inclusive - and this book even more than the last. This series is worth the read, without a doubt. Finishing this makes me want to skim through the first book again! 

Tess Martinez

I have such a deep love for these books. Shannon writes so beautifully. I think the value in this story is the characters and their interactions with each other, and getting that first hand account of the lore that is shared throughout Priory of the Orange Tree. This book is for people who want the gritty details, who are curious about the journey even if they already know how the story ends. 

Alli

A fantastic read again. Such a detailed world that sweeps you away. 

Alissa 

Just as good as Priory of the Orange Tree. Made me feel all the feelings. This is what high fantasy is to me, despair and hope rolled into one. Highly recommend.

Kiersten

despite eagerly waiting to read this book, i actually didn't read the summary before purchasing. after reading priory of the orange tree last year, all i wanted was an extension of the world samantha shannon created and hoped to sit with it, regardless of where it would take the story. i was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with the ancestors from priory, all of which existed almost half a century prior to their existence. a day of fallen night was honestly so difficult to put down? i don't remember the last time i was this eager to continue reading something and actually have it linger in my mind when i wasn't able to have time to sit down and read. one of my gripes with priory is that the narrative voices felt weak, but here the characters whose voices were used to tell the story were much clearer. it made the book feel it has more intent and direction, which also helped to build the tension better—something priory had difficulty establishing.

the threads of subplots happening were really interesting, too. and it felt like a more intimate look at the world-building because there was more intrigue embedded in the plot. it essentially is a story about a quest to find out how to vanquish evil, but strung within the heart of the story were questions surrounding purpose, identity, notions of truth/myth and the will of each characters in deciding how they would take their fate. shannon explored the many facets of these things through her characters and it was heartfelt in such that her characters carried dimension to body the story. and honestly... i had some moments where i did want to tear up a little because shannon made it a point to focus on family in the story, too. whether by blood or by choice, it resonated a lot especially when they had each other to lean on in times of grief and despair.

while i do think shannon was able to execute such a long-winded narrative pretty well, there were some parts where it felt like the pacing was sputtering a bit? it made sense to include these parts, but it did slow down the action a bit and made it confusing to read about. especially the part where canthe/kalyba is concerned, as her role of a powerful witch makes it so convenient for her to overpower everyone that it became a bit... boring to read her parts when her true motivations weren't explored or revealed anyway.

but overall, it was an absorbing and captivating read! i do love high fantasy epics and samantha shannon delivers well. really hoping for that Other prequel with the cleolind-neporo-kalyba prequel a few years from now, if not a sequel to priory itself. i would like to see how generations farther down the line deal with the cyclicality of such destruction and deal with the fragile balance of earthly and heavenly presences amidst in their lands.

gabi

despite eagerly waiting to read this book, i actually didn't read the summary before purchasing. after reading priory of the orange tree last year, all i wanted was an extension of the world samantha shannon created and hoped to sit with it, regardless of where it would take the story. i was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with the ancestors from priory, all of which existed almost half a century prior to their existence. a day of fallen night was honestly so difficult to put down? i don't remember the last time i was this eager to continue reading something and actually have it linger in my mind when i wasn't able to have time to sit down and read. one of my gripes with priory is that the narrative voices felt weak, but here the characters whose voices were used to tell the story were much clearer. it made the book feel it has more intent and direction, which also helped to build the tension better—something priory had difficulty establishing.

the threads of subplots happening were really interesting, too. and it felt like a more intimate look at the world-building because there was more intrigue embedded in the plot. it essentially is a story about a quest to find out how to vanquish evil, but strung within the heart of the story were questions surrounding purpose, identity, notions of truth/myth and the will of each characters in deciding how they would take their fate. shannon explored the many facets of these things through her characters and it was heartfelt in such that her characters carried dimension to body the story. and honestly... i had some moments where i did want to tear up a little because shannon made it a point to focus on family in the story, too. whether by blood or by choice, it resonated a lot especially when they had each other to lean on in times of grief and despair.

while i do think shannon was able to execute such a long-winded narrative pretty well, there were some parts where it felt like the pacing was sputtering a bit? it made sense to include these parts, but it did slow down the action a bit and made it confusing to read about. especially the part where canthe/kalyba is concerned, as her role of a powerful witch makes it so convenient for her to overpower everyone that it became a bit... boring to read her parts when her true motivations weren't explored or revealed anyway.

but overall, it was an absorbing and captivating read! i do love high fantasy epics and samantha shannon delivers well. really hoping for that Other prequel with the cleolind-neporo-kalyba prequel a few years from now, if not a sequel to priory itself. i would like to see how generations farther down the line deal with the cyclicality of such destruction and deal with the fragile balance of earthly and heavenly presences amidst in their lands.

I don’t have the proper words or writing talent to fully express how much I loved this book. I think I loved it even more, having already read The Priory, because I was able to dive into the story right from the start. It was such a treat to fall right back into this world again. It was incredible to experience this world from the perspective of a prequel. I am in love with these new characters. Shannon writes Queer characters in such a heartfelt way - it makes me so happy. And I especially appreciate the older characters in this book, and the way in which older women are described. Rich, vibrant, vast worlds and societies. There were many tears shed through reading this. 

I’m a little torn on how to review this book. Is it fair to compare it to Priory of the Orange Tree when the author has stated it’s a standalone book? I honestly can’t imagine anyone picking this book up without having read (or intending to read) Priory first. That being said, I do think this book stands on its own, but there are many little details that feel more significant when you’ve read Priory. 

I’ll start with the things I liked. I liked all of the POV characters, and there was never one that I wanted to skip. I felt equally invested in each story, which is a rare thing in fantasy with multiple POVs. My favorite was Tunuva, and Dumai was a close second. 

I liked that we got to learn more about the world beyond Inys, especially in Seiiki. However, some bits of world building felt a little weak (e.g. saying a character had their hair in a “Lacustrine” style, and then not explaining what that style is). 

I really enjoyed seeing more of “Canthe” in this book and the development she got as a character. 

The POV characters never really came together like in Priory, so in the end it felt like I was reading 2-3 different books with parallel stories. Also, because there was a worldwide event happening, every character had to spend a chapter realizing and reacting to what was going on, which left me anxious for the plot to advance. 

Many of the fantastical events in the book felt like they would have happened regardless of the characters’ actions, so all they had to do was survive until the conflict was resolved on its own. 

Finally, the story of this book felt very similar to Priory’s. It felt like a remix with a different cast of characters rather than a whole new story. I was a little bored near the end because I knew, from reading Priory, how things would shake out. 

Ultimately, I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the last. It had an anticlimactic ending, but there were some great moments and characters that made me enjoy the book overall. But it absolutely did not need to be 800 pages long, and I wish it had been unique enough to feel like a fresh new adventure. 

Cloudface

I’m a little torn on how to review this book. Is it fair to compare it to Priory of the Orange Tree when the author has stated it’s a standalone book? I honestly can’t imagine anyone picking this book up without having read (or intending to read) Priory first. That being said, I do think this book stands on its own, but there are many little details that feel more significant when you’ve read Priory. 
I’ll start with the things I liked. I liked all of the POV characters, and there was never one that I wanted to skip. I felt equally invested in each story, which is a rare thing in fantasy with multiple POVs. My favorite was Tunuva, and Dumai was a close second. 
I liked that we got to learn more about the world beyond Inys, especially in Seiiki. However, some bits of world building felt a little weak (e.g. saying a character had their hair in a “Lacustrine” style, and then not explaining what that style is). 
I really enjoyed seeing more of “Canthe” in this book and the development she got as a character. 
Now for the things I didn’t like:
The POV characters never really came together like in Priory, so in the end it felt like I was reading 2-3 different books with parallel stories. Also, because there was a worldwide event happening, every character had to spend a chapter realizing and reacting to what was going on, which left me anxious for the plot to advance. 
Many of the fantastical events in the book felt like they would have happened regardless of the characters’ actions, so all they had to do was survive until the conflict was resolved on its own. 
Finally, the story of this book felt very similar to Priory’s. It felt like a remix with a different cast of characters rather than a whole new story. I was a little bored near the end because I knew, from reading Priory, how things would shake out. 
Ultimately, I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the last. It had an anticlimactic ending, but there were some great moments and characters that made me enjoy the book overall. But it absolutely did not need to be 800 pages long, and I wish it had been unique enough to feel like a fresh new adventure. 

This review contains unpopular opinions. 

I can’t remember the last time I read such a thick book. Shannon knows how to build a world and entice her readers just enough to keep them hooked. The first half to two-thirds were slow going, but it was very satisfying to watch all the characters finally come together and finish an 800 plus page tome. The ending is hard to describe because it wasn’t exactly anti-climactic, but it also made me ask the question, “What was the point?” It took a great celestial event to resolve the conflict, and the only thing the characters did after all their searching to find that answer was to keep as much death at bay as possible. Other than that, they had very little to do with the outcome. I understand this book is a prequel to another novel that’s already been published, but I think I still expected more input from the characters. I cared about their fates, their heartaches, their joys, but I feel like unless I read the next book I won’t be 100 percent happy. I’m not ready to invest in that many pages until I get feedback from someone else who’s read both. The maps were helpful, I sometimes looked at the index, but there are some details that are still fuzzy in my mind. A pronunciation guide would’ve been appreciated too. Much as I admire Shannon’s world building and refrain from info dumping, a little more detail would’ve been helpful. I can appreciate that there was a character with a name similar to mine! My overall feelings towards this book can be summed up into a plain cheeseburger, satisfying but not very exciting. I do plan on gifting this to Sarah since it’s on her TBR and she’s read its sequel.

Adelia French

This review contains unpopular opinions. 

I can’t remember the last time I read such a thick book. Shannon knows how to build a world and entice her readers just enough to keep them hooked. The first half to two-thirds were slow going, but it was very satisfying to watch all the characters finally come together and finish an 800 plus page tome. The ending is hard to describe because it wasn’t exactly anti-climactic, but it also made me ask the question, “What was the point?” It took a great celestial event to resolve the conflict, and the only thing the characters did after all their searching to find that answer was to keep as much death at bay as possible. Other than that, they had very little to do with the outcome. I understand this book is a prequel to another novel that’s already been published, but I think I still expected more input from the characters. I cared about their fates, their heartaches, their joys, but I feel like unless I read the next book I won’t be 100 percent happy. I’m not ready to invest in that many pages until I get feedback from someone else who’s read both. The maps were helpful, I sometimes looked at the index, but there are some details that are still fuzzy in my mind. A pronunciation guide would’ve been appreciated too. Much as I admire Shannon’s world building and refrain from info dumping, a little more detail would’ve been helpful. I can appreciate that there was a character with a name similar to mine! My overall feelings towards this book can be summed up into a plain cheeseburger, satisfying but not very exciting. I do plan on gifting this to Sarah since it’s on her TBR and she’s read its sequel.

Amazing. I didn't think it could get better than the priory but it did and it's got even more queer rep. Absolutely loved it! 

marissa 

Immaculate world building. Absolutely loved getting to return to the world that I discovered in Priory. So much amazing queer representation, romance, adventure, high stakes end-of-the-world doom.

The only thing stopping me from giving it 5/5 is that I didn’t feel as attached to the characters this time. In Priory I felt both attached to the world AND the characters, but this book felt more dense, and broader in scope, so at times I was trying to keep everyone and everything straight. 

Rachael Bahr

Immaculate world building. Absolutely loved getting to return to the world that I discovered in Priory. So much amazing queer representation, romance, adventure, high stakes end-of-the-world doom.

The only thing stopping me from giving it 5/5 is that I didn’t feel as attached to the characters this time. In Priory I felt both attached to the world AND the characters, but this book felt more dense, and broader in scope, so at times I was trying to keep everyone and everything straight. 

A Day of Fallen Night

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