Did not disappoint! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and read it again. Samantha Shannon world building skills are truly something magical. Brilliant. Fabulous. All immersive. Breath Taking. Amazing.

Although Samantha Shannon had declared that The Priory of the Orange Tree was a standalone novel, it is testament to the world she created that it has called back to her and drawn her back in to tell some of the other stories of her world, It was also a fantastic read, turning a number of fantasy tropes on their heads and introducing us to some badass female characters in Tane the dragon rider, Ead the warrior mage - as well as Queendoms, enchanted swords, evil witches and of course lots of dragons.

So when her prequel appeared on NetGalley, even at a somewhat intimidating nearly 900 pages, I leapt at it.

Shannon offers us four separate stories from her world 500 years prior to the events of The Priory and those stories revolve around the central moment of the eruption of the Dreadmount volcano, the prison into which The Nameless One had been banished in mythology.

I loved Tunuva's story, and I think that is because of her age: as a forty-nine year old reader, seeing a fifty year old woman wielding a spear, trained as a warrior to defeat The Nameless One, a powerful mage in the Priory - and having a passionate romantic and sexual relationship with Esbar, another member of the Priory and destined to become Prioress. Life in the Priory, the hidden and secret community dedicated to the magical orange tree which is the source of their magic, siden, felt fleshed out here more than in The Priory - and it was surprisingly brutal in its rules: beneath the nurturing matriarchy, outsiders who stumbled across the Priory were kept prisoner or executed; punishments focussed on isolation and withdrawal for months.

Dumai had the most traditional hero journey, perhaps: like so many fantasy heroes, she is plucked from an isolated community - in her case of Godsingers on a mountain - and a hidden past is revealed to her which leads her to a series of adventures and quests. So far, so Star Wars. In Dumai's case, she is initially revealed to be the daughter of the Emperor and becomes a dragon rider, waking all the other dragons of Seiiki. In terms of romance, I felt that she had the most tender relationship with the courtier Nikeya even if she were the daughter of her enemy at court.

Wulfart Glenn, also, is that staple of fantasy, a foundling: he is discovered by his fathers with a wolf looming over him at the edge of the Haithwood a semi mythical pagan haunted hawthorne wood - and home to the witch Kalyba in The Priory. To save him from superstition, he is put in service to Bardholt Hraustr, the northern King of Hroth who had married Queen Sabran the Ambitious of Inys but stayed in the North for most of his reign. Wulfart became part of his retinue and his lith, trusted warriors.

Finally, we have Glorian, the teenage daughter of Queen Sabran and King Bardholt. Like Sabran in The Priory, she is simultaneously powerful as a Queen yet powerless as her obligation to bear the heir is overwhelming: the belief is that only the bloodline of the Berethnets keeps The Nameless One at bay. Her position is doubly powerless as she is a minor throughout most of the novel subject to her mother's and later her regent's wishes, and also terrified of being either a tyrant or a weak Queen as her great grandmother and grandmother had been. She was, if I'm honest, my least favourite character but perhaps had the strongest arc as she becomes Glorian Shieldhart.

The novels opening chapters were strangely distant in the tone - almost as if recounting mythology rather than narrating a story, which is itself perhaps appropriate: these are characters and events that had become mythology by the events of The Priory. But it was a little disconcerting as we are given a lot of rather heavy infodumps about Dumai's mother's flight to the Imperial Palace or Glorian's ancestors and how a tyrant's reign followed by a weak reign had nearly destroyed the kingdom. Those opening chapters felt bereft of dialogue, I think, felt distant and perhaps in need of a little more of an editor's eye...

In terms of plot, the novel literally centres on the eruption of the Dreadmount and the return of wyrms to the world after 500 years, an event that happens in the middle of the novel - and the plot really picks up at that point. There is a wonderfully tense section where only a handful of people are aware of the arrival of the wyrms and the rest of the world is sceptical; then there is an onslaught of dragon attacks and the novel become genuinely apocalyptic. The five dragons that flew from the Dreadmount bring the world to its knees both individually - they are almsot kaiju like in their size - as well as through a combination of draconic hybrid creatures and a burning red plague that they spread - and certain points made about the plague and mask wearing and closing borders really reminded us that the novel was being written according to Shannon over the last three years, in a world encountering covid.

Could the opening half of the novel have been pared down a little? Yes, probably. Dumai probably did need the time to move into her new role. The story of Siyu - essentially Esbar and Tunuva's daughter, born to Esbar and fathered by a man but named for Tunuva - and her elopement with the father of her child seemed to drag a little... but Canthe's presence in the Priory as an outsider but one with her own magics was vital. And some of the plot developments felt a little contrived and overly reliant on coincidence.

There was however fantastic representation of sexuality here: Wulf, brought up in a homosexual gay household, found love and romance with both men and women; Dumai has no interest in men, and in the later chapters of the book reveals her revulsion at the idea of heterosexual sex, and is uncompromisingly Sapphic; Esbar and Tunuva both bore children with men but loved each other. Glorian? Glorian - when of age sexually if not dynastically, which is troubling in itself - has sex because she must simply in order to maintain the lineage and bloodline but appears to have little if any desire or need for it and would probably be somewhere on the ace spectrum. And not a single one of these relationships is a plot point or an issue - save Glorian's. It is a world beautifully accepting of sexuality, as was the same world in The Priory. In fact the cruelty of the enforced heterosexuality of the Inys throne and the shackles that the mythology places on the queens actually felt palpable in this novel and is explicitly alluded to: who owns the Queen's body?

In reflection, I felt this was a stronger book than The Priory personally - although what it has done is prompted me to consider re-reading it, to see whether my reading is different in light of my deeper understanding of the world. If that is not a sign of a great prequel, I am not sure what is!

This book is like my most anticipated read of 2023 and i felt super blessed to be able to read it earlier and enjoy it thoroughly.

It was so easy to get back in to the world and the writing style.
The start was slow but even though for me it's an established world it's nice to get that slow start again to get me right back in the world. also it was nice after rereading priory of the orange tree to recognise some of the "historical" characters.

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT was one of my most anticipated novels since Samantha started working on it in 2019. PRIORY is one of my favourite books: I started a reread--not a small feat, considering the size--before Covid hit in 2020, then continued on during the first lockdown as something comforting to cling to. It's the sapphic, dragon-filled epic fantasy I wish had been around when I was younger, and means a great deal to me.

PRIORY is an achievement that struck new ground in what could be done in terms of subverting sexism and reader expectations in the genre, with the potential to become a SFF classic. That said, A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT is a triumph.

More epic in scope, and darker in themes--PRIORY covers over a year, while ADOFN covers four years of an escalating conflict--Samantha has dug deeper into themes revisited from PRIORY. Parenthood, with an emphasis on mothers, is an important theme throughout this book, in how it shapes people both as parents and children. This is strongest in Tuniva's storyline, but also in Glorian's, both in what she will have to do as future Queen of Inys and in how she's shaped by her parents, Sabran VI and Bardholt I (shout-out to Bardholt as an incredible father figure), The intense pressures of marriage and the childhood as duty for the Inysh Queens is more sharply critiqued in ADOFN through the circumstances in how it comes about for Glorian, made even more tragic by the truth revealed under the Berethnet lie that we learn about in PRIORY.

It was also fantastic to see more of the inner workings of the Priory in ADOFN, and to see older characters come to the fore who are radically difficult in personality to Niclays in PRIORY. We're getting more older women in fantasy, and it was wonderful to follow Tunuva and to see her in a long-established relationship with Esbar. Ead in PRIORY is mostly a devout follower of the Mother and her teachings, having grown up in the consequences of the Great Sorrow/Grief of Ages, and it was intriguing to see a group who had been training for the worst for five hundred years but beginning to doubt after such an extended length of peace.

And how peace is shattered. This is one of ADOFN's strongest qualities, in my opinion. In following the conflict over four years as it escalates, and to see how four years of relentless assault by the wyrms, makes for a stark glimpse into the desperate lengths people will go to survive and endure, and how fragile that determination hangs in the balance.

Andlook: I adore Ead and Sabran, Dumai and Nikeya's dynamic and relationship (with excellent reasons for the initial hatred!) is a joy to watch unfold over the course of the novel, beautifully interwound with Dumai's plot line that will make you reconsider Tané's storyline in PRIORY with fresh eyes.

As ADOFN is a prequel, there is, of course, the question of which to read first: ADOFN or PRIORY? As someone who is obviously coming to ADOFN after PRIORY, there's still much to be gained by going in with subsequent knowledge that the world survives. Things alluded to in PRIORY are given a sharper perspective in actually witnessing them happen in ADOFN, or knowing context or secret knowledge that the PRIORY characters will never learn. Character dynamics in ADOFN have impact on character relationships and connections in PRIORY. When I finished ADOFN, I was struck by the intense desire to reread PRIORY (again), which made me considerable TBR metaphorically scream in anguish.

There are more novels to come in this world, and judging by how magnificently Samantha pulled off ADOFN, I can't wait to see what more revelations are to come in future instalments.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for this early copy.

I remember enjoying Priory of the Orange Tree and loving that it was a stand alone novel. I thought wouldn’t end up tied to a huge series of books. Well, here we are!
A day of Fallen Night is a prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree, though I would still read that first if you are new to this world.
In short, I enjoyed returning to the lovely sisters of the Priory, learning more of Inys and the Witch of the Wood, and of course Dragon gods and Wyrms. However, some of the plot seemed obvious which I won’t spoil here.
Dragons I love, but someone giving birth then immediately riding a horse in to battle pulled me out of the fantasy some what. Having just had a child myself perhaps I was a little sensitive, but that part was just too fantastical for me!
Overall I did really enjoy this book, though long, the story keeps you immersed in the world well, and it wasn’t until the last 10% or so of the story I started to get a little bored.

Hello! Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing I had the amazing chance to read one of my most anticipated releases of 2023: "A Day of Fallen Night" by Samantha Shannon.
Set in the same world as “The Priory of the Orange Tree”, although 500 years earlier, this novel starts the Roots of Chaos series.

It is the year 509 and in the four corners of the world the story of four characters is unfolding. They are unaware of each other, unaware of how the world really works, unaware of their history and the fact that the center of the earth is awakening…

Dumai, in the East, is a God-singer; she was born and raised on Mount Ipyeda, in Seiiki. Together with her best friend Kanifa she looks after the Queen Bell. Playing it is forbidden, because it would wake the gods from their rest, a very serious crime.
Dumai is 27 years old when her life changes completely: she discovers she is the daughter of the Emperor of Seiiki, the new heir to the throne and the protagonist of an intricate and dangerous political plan.
In the West Glorian Berethnet, 15 years old, heir to the throne of Inys, lives carefree her life as a teenager. Her mother is Sabran VI, the queen who saved Inys and made it powerful again. Glorian is Princess of Inys and of Hrót, in the North, through her father, King Bardholt I. Glorian is a Berethnet, heiress of the Saint, but has the ice and iron of the North in her veins, sadly dampened by her mother's detachment, never satisfied, never affectionate. Glorian's life will change soon too: her marriage has been announced and with it the obligation to procreate the heir who will keep the Berethnet family alive, according to the will of the Saint, to continue the chain that keeps the Nameless One imprisoned.
The third narrator is Wulfert Glenn, adopted son of two barons of Inys; he lives in the North at the court of King Bardholt. There are many rumors about Wulf - mostly malicious - that he is cursed, since he was found, as a newborn, by Baron Glenn on the edge of Haithwood, the home of the legendary witch of Inys.
Tunuva Melim is the narrator of the South, an initiate of the Priory of the Orange Tree, the secret society founded by Cleolind Onjenyu to protect Lasia from the Nameless One, whom the Mother defeated despite the stories handed down by Galian Berethnet, the Saint of Inys.
Tunuva is 50 years old, she is in a relationship with Esbar uq-Nāra, the future prioress, the first two to live a relationship out in the open (the sisters of the Priory must give all of themselves to the Mother and cannot be distracted by other feelings).
Despite the presence of Siyu, daughter of Esbar (who bears the name of Tunuva), the woman carries an absolute and indelible pain. The quiet life of the Priory is shaken by the arrival of a foreign sorceress, Canthe, and the escape of Siyu.
509 is also the year that the Dreadmount, the volcano that created the Nameless One, erupted again. Five fearsome creatures have emerged from his mouth, thus the nightmare begins…

What I have told you of the plot is not even a tiny piece of what happens in "A Day of Fallen Night". The novel covers about 3 years of history, from 509 to 512, of the four corners of a large word, extremely rich in history, culture, and legends, real and fake.
A masterful work done by Samantha Shannon from every point of view. I can only kneel to her skill, to her precision, imagination, study, and dedication.
“A Day of Fallen Night” is the fruit of Shannon's desire to expand a world that has much to offer and it shows.
Despite the 880 pages, I would dive back into this world to continue discovering the history of characters, events, and the truth behind the many legends we learn.
Samantha Shannon did not just write a fantasy epic, she wrote a history book, an epic book, a book about women, a book without discrimination.
It is almost frightening to think about the aim of this novel, for it is a mammoth work inspired by the historical events and geography of our world, adapted into a complex and beautifully layered fantasy world. I can only say that I was struck by this novel and by the author.

Through her female characters, Shannon tackles issues of considerable importance.
She talks about motherhood; the one desired, but end too soon in tragic ways, or the one forced, imposed, feared, which sadly become the only value of a woman. All Berethnets, regardless of their wisdom or political prowess, have a single task that guarantees their value and their role: the birth of a daughter, the next link in the chain whose sole purpose will be to procreate another girl. A chain considered sacred, but which hides, at its base, a cruel and unjust intent. The same duty of any heir to the throne, when female, to guarantee a succession, even when the thought of a man's touch feels oppressive.

Shannon talks about pain, any kind of pain, the one caused by the loss of children, loves, relatives; the one causes by physical and mental wounds, or by separation. She speaks of a myriad of emotions, of strength, of courage, of injustices. She talks about truths and lies, legends and myths, magic, lots of magic.
She talks about love, so many kinds of love and - oh- all so sweet! There is passionate love, unrequited but always respectful love, friendly love, family love, motherly love, love put to the test, love for the gods.
Impossible not to mention the representation, so natural, so right. Starting a book written by Samantha Shannon, from this point of view, is like taking a breath of fresh air after breathing smoke.
I'm not talking just about sexual representation, but also about age. Very often, female character of fantasy books, even if adults, rarely exceed the age of 30; instead Shannon created characters like Tunuva and Esbar, who at 50 are two of the strongest and most unrivaled female warriors in the Priory.

From a stylistic point of view, I cannot help but kneel to Shannon again. Following her on social media, I know that she is a passionate scholar of languages, of the etymology of words and of history, for this reason the chosen terms and expressions have not gone unnoticed. Whatever aspect you decide to consider - from the most general to the most particular - behind this book there is a meticulous study.
Even the most little detail is used for an intricate and detailed word building. A mosaic in which each small piece not only fits perfectly with the events narrated in the book itself, but they are only a part of an extensive and majestic work defining the entire story of the magnificent and complex world of the "Roots of Chaos series".
Despite the length, the book flows, the narration enchants, the descriptions come to life before our eyes, the events conquer (I have found myself thinking about the characters in every moment).
While I had devoured "The Priory of the Orange Tree", I had to calmly savor "A Day of Fallen Night". I'll be honest, at first I feared that a reader's block was on the way, but Shannon's elegant, careful, flowing, romantic and poetic style, as well as the events, did not allow me to let go of the book. Be aware that the first part is a sort of introduction to the characters and the historical situation of the moment, thus it is more static; but the pace is consistent with the events and will adapt as the situation evolves.

I think anything I could say about “A Day of Fallen Night” is an understatement. This book is an experience that must be lived to understand it; it is pure epic, it is historical chronicle, it is an anthropological study, it is alchemy, it is magic.
I don't know if you know this, but a third book has been announced, another prequel. I know what I would like to read about, but really any historical period is fine with me, there are so many things to explore in this world!

A more bloody prequel to Priory that follows a group of mostly queer women from different cultures tackle new wyrm enemies. Overall enjoyable, better than the 1st book but suffered from a sudden end.

I’ve only very recently read Priory of the Orange Tree (I know, I’m SO late it’s unbelievable) so I didn’t have to wait long for another magnificent book from the author. The brilliant world created in PotOT is even more richly filled in A Day of Fallen Night, and I absolutely loved each and every one of these new characters as much as I did in the first book. Just absolutely wonderful and I’d honestly like to go back to the beginning and read it again.

This book was everything I could have wanted. I read Samantha Shannon's first book in 2022 and was delighted that she was writing a prequel. Shannon's world-building is at another level to most authors. You can see how much research she does for her books and it must take her years to map out all of the characters, their family trees, and the history/lore of the world. The characters are so likeable too, each chapter is written from another's point of view and often when this is done, there are some chapters I get bored by but not with this book. I couldn't wait for every single chapter. I am so glad this was a huge book as I never wanted it to end!

Samantha Shannon never disappoints! This novel holds extensive world building, full of creativity and attention to detail, alongside a varied cast of characters, each with their own distinct personalities and life paths. It was a pleasure to learn more about the characters themselves and the history of the world they’re living in. A wonderful combination of politics, drama, action and intrigue that subverts gender roles and embraces powerful women in all their forms, in all their stages in life.

Deeply embedded in fantasy, with dragons and magic galore, this was a long but immersive read and it wasn’t long before I was attached to all of the different characters that we see in the North, South, East and West. Although this is technically a prequel, it can definitely be read as its own standalone novel.

Though I did find the beginning a little confusing, trying to work out who all of the different characters were and which regions they belonged to, it was worth it to later lose myself in the narrative. These strangers are interconnected in ways they aren’t even aware of, through dreams, through family, through history and beliefs and I felt so much warmth for them all. There was so much love in this novel, evident in all its forms, and a lot of focus on family and duty as well and what it means to be royalty or a leader. What a beautifully complex book!

What a novel! When you can’t think you loved anything more than the first and then boom here we go! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this title.

It is great to be back in this world again. I love the Game of Thrones feel you get when reading this but it is not just any old Game of Thrones it is a a fantastic piece of feminist, lgbtqi literature. You do not have to have read The Priory of the Orange Tree to read this, but I would just because it is written so well . Thank you Net Galley and Bloomsbury for my advanced eArc.

I am finding it hard to articulate just how I feel about this book and how good it was. An epic, sweeping saga, with all the intrigue and magic of game of thrones but queer and feminist and frankly gorgeous. I adored this book and it was so wonderful to be back in the world of the Priory. I have had the largest book hangover since finishing this, it's immersive and beautiful and utterly addictive. I couldn't put it down once I started.

Very long book but definitely worth it !!

The female characters *Chefs kiss*

The world spot on!

Thank you netgalley for the arc copy!

5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for theARC.
I was yearning for a long time to have courage to read 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚏𝚃𝚑𝚎𝙾𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚎and having it gifted on Christmas, I dove to it straight away and to this prequel arc immediately after.  I do think this had a big impact on how much I loved the story. I had the concepts,lore and mysticism already present in my head but much like the storyline, Ikept switching in thinking if I would have preferred to read this first ornot.  I still am not sure of the answer. To start, AOFN takes place 500 years before the events in 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚏𝚃𝚑𝚎𝙾𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚎which brings some familiarity and a satisfying resolution to the cataclysmsthat we already know of.

The author sticks to the same formula as in Priory, eitheryou love it or not: multiple POV that keep switching, strong diverse characters,a feeling of impending doom - all laced together with imaginative andinteresting lore.

 The language and writingstyle used is amazingly descriptive which contributed to having an immersiveexperience whilst reading this story.  But saying this, there were some instances wherethe surroundings were not explored equally and the imagery I had in my headsuffered a crack from this. For instance, I would have loved to know more aboutthe North realm and instead, this location was only used as a political device(which made sense, I would have liked just a bit more about it).

I felt there was a disproportionate ratio of moments wherethings felt not as interconnected as it should to moments that made me gaspwith the twist. I feel that this was more seamlessly done in Priory.

The plot pacing felt off at times butmassively improved halfway through it as I expected it would, but I think some people will struggle with this aspect.
The characters are wonderful, passionate and immensely humanized,despite some having incredible supernatural powers, and the author does paint abeautiful ode to women and diversity. This had my heart swell in pride and joyand is the main reason I put Roots of Chaos on a pedestal.

Surprisingly enough, and as much as I loved her character, 𝚃𝚞𝚗𝚞𝚟𝚊was not my favourite. 𝙶𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 was such a fantastic character to follow from the start of the book and her complexity and growth were out of this world. The power and holiness of HouseBerethnet were challenged with the good, the bad and the ugly and her flaws and strengths felt more raw than any other character.  

This book is epic, enriched with complex politics, incrediblelore (DRAGONS!). It’s witty, smart and incredibly feminist, respecting wisdomand representation, touching on motherhood, aging and choice. I am very honoured to have read such a fascinating tale andI will definitely re-read this one, alongside Priory.

I will be posting this review on my instagram once I recive a copy of this book,.

I was so excited to return to the world of the Priory, and A Day of Fallen Night certainly did not disappoint. Shannon brings her expertly woven world and story lines together for another epic adventure filled story & managed to make me fall in love with a completely new bunch of characters. It's a story filled with politics and warring religions, set in an epic and expansive world and for this reason it is near impossible to sum up without giving away some kind of spoiler, so I'm not even going to try.

For those of you who have read Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Night will feel like returning home, whilst also allowing you to visit new places & meet new people. The story is told from multiple perspective set in the North, West, South and East of Shannon's world, each bringing their own unique perspective, skill set as well as adding to the overall mystery and tension of the story. Our main narrators were Glorian in the West, the Daughter of Sabran who doesn't see her role as a Berethnet as something to be proud of. She would rather she wasnt praised for her future ability to bring the next Berethnet daughter and heir into the world, but would prefer to live a life like her fathers, the life of a warrior, someone not to be coddled but rather show her promise as a ruler through battle and exploration. Tunuva in the South, a daughter of the Priory she spends her days training and waiting for the time she and her sisters will be called upon to protect the land from the Nameless One. She loves her life, but carries a great loss that she can never truly shake. Dumai lives in the East. She has only known the life of a God-singer in the Seiikinese mountain temple, but when someone visits from her mothers past, they set into motion a chain of events that Dumai could never see coming, one that see's her travelling from to other corners of the world, and coming face to face with the God's themselves. Wulf in the North, Wulf's character is one we see travel throughout the book with him being pledged to Glorian's father & he is our only male main pov. He is an orphan, found in the woods and raised by his adoptive family, but there have always been whispers about his heritage, whispers of witchcraft that follow him wherever he goes. He just longs for a life of normality with those he loves.

There are multiple other POV's that Shannon treats us too throughout the story who all pop up at the pivotal time to share their stories, but the above four are the one's we spend the most time with, and those whose character arc's have the most impact on the story and world itself. As usual, Shannon links our characters together in ways we could never imagine and it's only when the foreshadowing falls into place that we see the genius of her storytelling and the true depth to her characters.

This story is set roughly 500 years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree and Shannon did a brilliant job of making her world similar enough to the first book, whilst also making it different enough to be historically accurate. There were slight differences in the language as well as the overall world, which just added an authenticity to the story. But what really shone through were the little crumbs that she leaves in throughout to show how the world we are in would lead to the one in Priory. The hints and foreshadowing in this book are brilliant, and for those who are reading this before Priory you are in for a treat when you see how brilliantly she set the world and characters up for that book.

The story is epic and spans years as well as continents, so Shannon gives us plenty of time to get accustomed to her world and characters before bringing any true danger and heartbreak to the story. She's written this so anyone new to the world could start with this book and have no issues with the worldbuilding, places, people and religions that are involved so there was a bit of repetition from Priory but, as someone who didn't have time to re-read the first book, I loved it because it meant that I never struggled to get my bearings and means that new readers can read the books in any order with ease. I also love how normalised queerness is in her world, it's never something commented on, simply the norm & there were so many queer characters in the story, including multiple members of our main POV's. Shannon's writing style effortlessly brings her characters and world to life, and she has this knack for writing scenes that epic in description that they make the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end. Her descriptions of physical battles are just as epic as her descriptions of political battles, as well as the simple quieter scenes she writes and there was no part of the story where I found myself bored, because her writing style ensures you stay glued to the pages.

When I say this story is epic I am in no way over exaggerating. Shannon puts so much time and effort into introducing us to the different corners of her world, their different politics and religions, the players and who we should be paying attention too. It is heavy in detail, which is definitely needed for you to get the full impact of the story, but it's definitely not for everyone. As a fan of an intricate & well built world I couldn't get enough of all the information Shannon throws our way, but it was a story I had to take my time with. It took me nearly two weeks to read because I couldn't power through like I usually do, every bit of information, every character interaction is important to the story and because of that you have to pace your reading to ensure you miss nothing.

I truly adored this book and loved how it linked in with The Priory of the Orange Tree. Everything from the characters to the world was epic. Shannon has built a world I think I would never tire of coming back to, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

This was really good. It was quite a long book but i think it brought a lot to the story and world building

Just wow.... if you loved POTOT then this prequel will just blow you away. I loved being back in this world and was so absorbed. Samantha knows how to lure you in and keep you there, which is obvious from the amount of us that have read these two huge volumes, but they are worth every page.

Samanatha Shannon has done it again. A masterclass of world-building and epic fantasy.
It hooks you in from the very first page, making you never want to leave this world she builds up around you. A fantastic read that I dodn't want to put down.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Before I get into the review, I would like to recommend a reading order. While the author says that you can start with any book, I feel that the prequel reveals a lot of things right away that we learned only quite far into The Priory of the Orange Tree. For example, one POV already starts in the Priory. This book also seems to be written with previous knowledge in mind. While everything does get explained eventually, I had the feeling that it skims more over some lore. Also, starting with The Priory won't spoil a lot for this book as by then (500 years later) the events become half-forgotten legends. You do know more than the characters, but I felt that it didn't take away from the enjoyment as there was still plenty to uncover about the story.

Ultimately, I think picking up this book first would work too, but I would guess that the author wrote this one knowing most people that would pick it up already read The Priory and as such had to make sure to accommodate them.

Now let's get to the review.

In The Priory, the problem for me was that I loved one of the POVs, still enjoyed a lot of another, but the other two were very pushed in the background and pretty much there just to offer a way of seeing what the two main POVs couldn't. This book offers four full-fledged POVs that all have the same weight and I didn't feel like I wanted to skip any and get back to the important one. Although, I also felt that not any of them were as outstanding as the main one from The Priory.

All the characters were likable and original. They all had some strong personal story to deal with while being important parts of the overarching story of the whole world, and it made them very alive and relatable.

The worldbuilding was again outstanding. I love the variety of beliefs and religions and how they clash. It played a big part in the story. I enjoyed the magic system and how it is very tied to the world itself.

One thing that was a bit weaker was the way the storylines were tied together. It felt a bit forced and too unlikely in the way it played through. But that was mostly just one point in the book and it didn't bother me much.

I also felt that while I appreciated the slowness of The Priory and actually felt sad that the ending was a bit rushed, with the prequel I felt the other way. Those 880 pages took me forever to read, and I felt like some moments were redundant.

All in all, this was a very solid 4* all the way through.