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. The Priory of the Orange Tree is a 2019 fantasy novel by writer Samantha Shannon. [1] The novel was published on 26 February 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing. Shannon describes the novel as a "feminist retelling of Saint George and the Dragon." The worlds of this book are vivid and real and evocative, as are the characters. Each point of view fills me with different fears and biases, and these contentions are what bring them to life. When all their beliefs were overturned, it was so easy to slip in each of their minds and gauge their reactions. A Day of Fallen Night is a standalone prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, you can read either one first. I would say Priory is the gentler read and is a softer introduction to the world, however ADOFN is (in my opinion) the better of the two. It is truly such a brilliant read and I now love Samantha Shannon and the world of Priory even more. A return to the world of Samantha Shannon's Sunday Times and New York Times-bestselling The Priory of the Orange Tree

In The South, we are introduced to Tunuva, a sister of the Priory. Tunuva is an older character with many established relationships and memories of the past. She's a brilliant character, kind and loyal to a fault, always there and ready to protect her family. Ultimately, this is Tunuva's weakness, her love and gentle heart. Although she is a great warrior, faultless with a spear as she fights alongside her ichneumon, Ninuru, her heart holds her family above all else. Esbar and Siyu, the child in her past, and all her family in the Priory mean everything to her. But are characters realistic and well-realized? No. Even though they make sense, they're flat af. And boring. Most of them can be described in two words - "strong" and "justice" (while Niclays can be described by "damaged" and "melancholy"). And while these things are by no means wrong, they do not make a complete character. Shannon has driven inspiration from folklore and teachings of all over the world and woven every thread in the tapestry that is POT; here are some I’ve managed to deduce—subjects in the book are in italic:

Reviews

As you've probably already garnered from the above summary, the scope of The Priory of The Orange Tree is majestic, brimming with detail and ideas and teeming with characters, languages, and perspectives. Though this is a single novel, it feels rather like several books meticulously stitched together. In lesser hands, it would be a bewildering welter. Fortunately for us, Shannon possesses the inerrant skills to make it all come together so splendidly. Most of the original cast aren’t born yet, but some of the new characters are their distant relatives, which I hope will give you a sense of connection to them.

At its core, A Day of Fallen Night is a story about mothers and daughters, and that visceral, unbreakable connection. It’s a theme that resonates throughout the story’s disparate narratives, in multiple tiny ways, in storylines that will break your heart. It’s intergenerational, multiple POV, and stunning in a way that is still intimate, emotional and accessible. Samantha Shannon has truly outdone herself with her second book in the Roots of Chaos series. I can’t wait to read what is yet to come.Overwhelmed by a sense of their own destinies, their differences become lightweight. This is a danger, a disaster, a calamity—and they alone can stop it. A queen who doesn’t want to conceive although it’s her to be or not to be; a girl who spent her whole life to earn the red cloak of a slayer and refuses it because; a dragon rider who was not told anything about dragons by her teachers; a gal able to win marital duels in a full Victorian dress; the living Kinder Surprise Egg (now, that was rich!). I could continue, but I’ll spare you. The most important effect of this is that the most dramatic turns of events instead of being riveting were hilarious in their absurdity. As a start, why all the authors try to sabotage my eye health by writing books could be only carried by heavyweight champions. Lately I read Imaginary Friend and Institution, I even took them to my training sessions and my torturer trainer made me lift them like heaviest dumbbells (I lifted them at least 500 times and they start to call me Dwayna –Dwayne Johnson’s little sister-) The only person I truly liked appeared for a couple of chapters (still, I am grateful for the respite, Donmata Marosa and I am seething that your potential has been wasted and your personage abandoned in a most careless way).

The book was well structured and divided into parts that could easily be read as separate books without feeling the need to finish in one go. The writing style was perfect for the genre, and although some of the names like ‘the nameless one’ could have been more imaginative, this book overall was an explosion of imagination. Now, this is not in reference to the character lying prone, wounded in the face. It's about another character. Why would you use a pronoun here? It's very easy to just use a name. The pronoun, given the context of the scene, invites confusion. There is an INCREDIBLY easy fix for this!!!! We know the long line of Berethnet queens from Priory, but there are very few who compare to Glorian. We even know a piece of Glorian's story, from the history of Priory, but there is still much that we do not know. Knowing this piece of her only draws tighter the chains that bind Glorian to her story, she grows evermore imprisoned as we read on and on. The role of queen is not one she desires, the eternal vine of Berethnets is not a destiny she wants to claim. When I finally had the time to dive in I was pleased to find the writing style to be beautiful and easy to read. The different kingdoms, religions, hard-to-pronounce names and creatures became easier to remember as I went on.

Customer reviews

If Priory of the Orange Tree is like a loaded potato, A Day of Fallen Night is like a Dodger Dog: Distinguished by its length, you can only eat so much before you run out of bun and condiments. In the end, you're just left with too much dog. A magnificent, sweeping epic. Shannon has created a world rich in intricate mythology, beautifully realized and complex.” Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne As I'm less active on social media than I used to be, I just thought I'd answer a few questions in advance, to give you a clearer sense of A Day of Fallen Night. You know when people are rushing somewhere and your curious soul feels helplessly tugged along and then you get there and go, oh, I think I just hit a gold mine.

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. There is so much wandering (fetch-quest style) and yet obstacles are removed with ridiculous ease. Over and over and over the characters just happen to find the object they need, or some coincidence leads to their miraculous escape, or they arrive in a huge city and immediately find the one person they need to find. The entire plot is built upon these obnoxious coincidences. It removes any tension or suspense because you always know that another miracle is right around the corner. A well-written high fantasy with multiple amazing characters with strong female power, an epic war between good and bad and lots of magic, dragons! So what are you waiting for? This is intriguing, exciting, entertaining formula of best fantasy book needed to have!Wulf is our point of view in the North. He's such an engaging character, an intriguing man trying to escape the mysteries of his past. He serves as a warrior under King Bardholt, fighting against the rumours of the Haithwood, trying to be someone his family will be proud of. Wulf is also an incredibly loyal character, much like Tunuva, a fierce defender of those he loves, and a caring friend.