A Day of Fallen Night
- Samantha Shannon
- Albany, WA
- April 8, 2023
GOODREADS BOOK BLURB:
In A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.
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.
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.
SERIES / GENRES:
FIRST WORDS:
Her name was Dumai, from an ancient word for a dream that ends too soon. She was born in the last glow of the Sunset Years, when every day poured soft as honey in the city of Antuma.
MY REVIEW:
absolute favourite:
☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
A Day of Fallen Night more than met my sky-high expectations after The Priory of the Orange Tree. While I absolutely loved The Priory of the Orange Tree, it did take some time to figure out what was going on. There is so much to learn about this massive world with so many characters, religions, and working pieces that it was hard to follow and figure out what was important. Once I was swept up in the story, it was hard to put down, and I could not get enough. The best part about A Day of Fallen Night was I already knew this world, so with only a short adjustment period to meet the new characters, I was already obsessed from almost the beginning.
As it was with The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Night has strong female and queer representation. I cannot rave enough about reading high fantasy with female characters who are more than their appearance or gender. Spending time in a world where queer relationships aren’t special is also incredibly refreshing. Unless your ability to procreate sustains a centuries-long curse preventing the return of a massive dragon, no one in this world cares who you love or what your relationship looks like. Offspring are adopted or arranged by other means, and not one single person makes a fuss about queer people. Reading the Roots of Chaos series feels like finally exhaling a breath you didn’t realise you’ve been holding for years.
The pacing is a little off sometimes, but I think that has more to do with the massive cast of characters. I kept getting caught up in one place before being cut out at the knees to move to a different perspective. It was a little disorienting but quickly forgotten as I became just as absorbed in this other character. I wouldn’t have given up any of these characters for a more cohesive story. Shannon can do no wrong in my eyes.
Shannon said writing each instalment in this series takes about three years. I was fortunate that I read The Priory of the Orange Tree right after A Day of Fallen Night was published so I could return to this world with very little delay. So while I wish there was another book available now, I’m already excited about getting to reread these books when the third one comes out.
As it was with The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Night has strong female and queer representation. I cannot rave enough about reading high fantasy with female characters who are more than their appearance or gender. Spending time in a world where queer relationships aren’t special is also incredibly refreshing. Unless your ability to procreate sustains a centuries-long curse preventing the return of a massive dragon, no one in this world cares who you love or what your relationship looks like. Offspring are adopted or arranged by other means, and not one single person makes a fuss about queer people. Reading the Roots of Chaos series feels like finally exhaling a breath you didn’t realise you’ve been holding for years.
The pacing is a little off sometimes, but I think that has more to do with the massive cast of characters. I kept getting caught up in one place before being cut out at the knees to move to a different perspective. It was a little disorienting but quickly forgotten as I became just as absorbed in this other character. I wouldn’t have given up any of these characters for a more cohesive story. Shannon can do no wrong in my eyes.
Shannon said writing each instalment in this series takes about three years. I was fortunate that I read The Priory of the Orange Tree right after A Day of Fallen Night was published so I could return to this world with very little delay. So while I wish there was another book available now, I’m already excited about getting to reread these books when the third one comes out.
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