I didn't read the others two books of this series when I read this one and I don't regret doing it like this.

I actually owned the others two books as paperback for a few months now but was always put off by the size of them. You definitely need time and energy to go through it if Among the burning flowers is any proof of this. The book is around 200 pages so way less than the others two. And in my opinion, a good way to start with this series, to be sure you are in a mood for it before reading the massive books in the series then.

It's detailed, descriptive, heavy in politics and world building. A map could be great but as I read an Arc version it's not the definitive vision. Hopefully it will be added in the final version.

Great characters development and diversity. I liked most of the main female characters and how they are built. Lot of depth and substance.

I'll definitely read the other two massive books because this story is awesome. It's rich and well written. Its poetic and darkly beautiful. The feeling are well exposed and the world building seems to be massive if I based my impression on this shorter book.

If you like a good high fantasy with lot of politics, mythical creatures, knights and monster hunters, princesses (though those ones are pretty badass and not the patriarchal and sexist traditional kind) who own their wit and great plots, then go for it. I totally recommend this book and I'll go for the test of the series myself soon with pleasure.

I’m not usually a reader of novellas but I will read anything to do with the Roots of Chaos!
Among the Burning Flowers offered a great glimpse into a different area of this world. It is mostly based around how Yscalin fell under draconic rule and follows primarily Marosa Vetalda. We also get a few chapters from Estina Melaugo’s and Aubrecht Lievelyn’s point of view.
I would have loved to see more of Estina story. I felt her part did not really show us much or lead anywhere.
I liked Marosa’s story and character and really enjoyed the insight into this part of the story right before Priory starts.
All in all, it was as good as can be expected from a novella and of course Samantha Shannon’s beautiful writing and strong female characters made this a worthwhile read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Samantha Shannon returns to the world of The Roots of Chaos with Among the Burning Flowers, a novella that’s short in length but rich in atmosphere, emotion, and slow-burn political drama. This story delivers exactly the kind of grounded, character-driven storytelling Shannon does so well.

Set mostly in Yscalin, the novella follows three characters whose lives are quietly but inevitably pulling the world toward chaos. There’s Marosa Vetalda, a princess trapped in a gilded cage, whose strength is subtle but steady. Her isolation and resilience really hit home—she’s not your typical fantasy heroine wielding a sword, but her quiet resistance is powerful. Then there’s Estina Melaugo, a dragon-hunter carrying a whole lot of grief and grit, and Aubrecht Lievelyn, a prince with big political ambitions and more emotional complexity than we got to see in Priory.

What’s impressive is how this story deepens the world without feeling overwhelming. If you’ve read The Priory of the Orange Tree, you’ll pick up on a lot of cool context and foreshadowing, especially around Fýredel and the unraveling politics of Yscalin. But Shannon doesn’t over-explain—it flows naturally, and the emotional throughlines are strong enough to keep you hooked even if you don’t remember every little detail from the main books.

The writing, as always, is gorgeous—lush, lyrical, and full of quiet tension. The dragons are terrifying (in the best way), the palace intrigue is sharp, and the emotional stakes feel real, especially in Marosa’s chapters. Her journey was definitely my favorite—there’s something about watching someone so powerless slowly reclaim their agency that really resonates.

If I had one small complaint, it’s that I wanted just a bit more—more scenes between Marosa and Aubrecht, more space for certain twists to breathe. But that’s kind of the point of a novella, right? It’s a glimpse, not the full epic. And for what it is, it really delivers.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or just hungry for more dragon-fueled feminist fantasy, Among the Burning Flowers is a beautifully written, emotionally charged story that adds a lot to the world of Roots of Chaos. Quietly devastating and deeply satisfying.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read.
I’ve read the other two books in this series and was interested to see where this would take us. The answer: nowhere new.
This felt pointless, the plot was same as the others - rightful female ruler is suppressed and wants to show her worth, then the dragons emerge and destroy everything.
The conversations, the descriptions and the plot were just world-building. All very serious and dull.

“I am a winemakers’ child – I will not waste the fruits of my labour by tipping them on to the ground. So tell me, can you offer me a cup?’

‘It frightens me that our faith can be twisted so.’
‘As all faiths can in the wrong hands.’

I’ve had the Roots of Chaos duology on my shelves for the longest of times and met @sayshannon thanks to @jonathanballpublishers but actually starting these was so intimidating. As a guest of honour at Bloombsury Big Night In, I was ecstatic to read this early as Samantha had suggested Among the Burning Flowers as a softer entry into the world. This was simply mind-blowing. Being high fantasy, the world building is intricate and complex, and it takes a bit more time to fully understand the machinations of the characters and the wyverns. But once you understand, you are immersed in the lives of the 3 characters through those points of view, this story is told. You feel every desperate moment that they live through, every loss that they experience, the torture of every decision and the impact thereof. The writing is exquisite and the plot, brutal and violent. The sheer evil of some of the characters is astounding and your lips curl at every scene involving them, hating their very existence. It has piqued my interest, why is Fýredel behaving in the manner he is? What is the background to Yscalin’s history and is it really what has been communicated to the people? An impetus to pick up The Priory of the Orange Tree and a Day of Fallen Night as soon as possible so that I can have answers.

And how gorgeous are these covers? Among the Burning Flowers is going to illustrated by @rovinacai which is just another reason to pick this up when it releases in September this year.

Pick this up if you are wanting an epic high fantasy that you can read in a shorter space of time, although you are bound to spend time as I did, savouring the nuances of this fabulous read.

Among the Burning Flowers is one of my most anticipated releases of the year! I was ecstatic to find out it would be part of Bloomsbury’s Big Night In and we’d get to read it so early.

🐲Novella (288 pgs)
🐲Prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree
🐲Kingdoms and politics
🐲Dark and dangerous times
🐲Multiple povs
🐲Dragons!

The good news is that you don’t need to have read The Priory of the Orange Tree to read this – but you will definitely want to after! Among the Burning Flowers focuses on three side characters, who appear briefly in Priory, and their kingdoms and the events that unfold there. As always with Shannon, the world and culture building is superb; reading is a completely immersive experience. Also, there were even a few intriguing mentions of the “roots of chaos”. I’m really hoping there’s a follow up!

Shout out to the newly unveiled cover design! So eye-catching. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be some beautiful special editions to match the other books in the series.

🐲 Among the Burning Flowers is out on 11th September 🐲

This was an engaging expansion on one of the events happening in The Priory of the Orange Tree, and I enjoyed reading about the POVs of these characters that are side characters in Priory. There are three POVs, with Marosa’s being the main one, while the other two act as supporting POVs. I feel like I really got to know these characters. The only thing I wish we got was that we actually got to see Marosa and Aubrecht interacting with each other on page instead of just being told about it. It would have increased emotional investment in their relationship and how later events affect it.
It’s been great being back in this world. I think this short novel works nicely for fans of the series, even though I wouldn’t say it adds much new information to the series as a whole. It just has a closer look at what happened in Yscalin prior to what we see in Priory.
I’m not sure if I’d recommend starting with this instalment without having read at least one of the other two books. It’ll spoil some things for both Priory and A Day of Fallen Night, and the references to events and people from both books will not mean anything to a new reader. They might struggle more because of it. It can act as a little appetizer of what to expect, but I’d advise reading Priory first, to be honest, because it serves as the best introduction to the world of all the books in this series, in my opinion.
The pacing issues I had with the other books in the series weren’t as apparent here, probably due to the much shorter length. Both endings in the other books felt anticlimactic to me. Here I’m fine with how it ends as it pretty much stops where Priory starts off concerning this part of the events.
In general, I’d recommend this series to people who want to: get lost in a rich and detailed world, see the characters navigating and interacting in it, see different (religious) believes clashing, see how differently historical events are viewed by different cultures, explore some mysteries, read about interesting women, and get some queer romantic subplots, dragon content (there definitely could be more dragons) as well as political/court intrigue. If you’re fine being in it for more of the journey, you might really like these books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Among the burning flowers follow three different perspectives in this book: the future Queen of Yscalin, Donmata Marosa; her betrothed, the prince of Mentendon Aubrecht; and finally a draconic slayer named Estina Melaugo.

This book is set after A Day of Fallen Night, but before The Priory of the Orange Tree. The story is a insight into the downfall of Yscalin.

Among the burning flowers is has a rich and immersive worldbuilding, a beautiful prose that balances the density of the narration and characters that gives depth and realism to the story.

Samantha Shannon has this incredible power to make the reader feel so involved and part of the story. She can capture the human emotions and play with them.

This is a story of human resilience, lore, tragic events and beautifully written representation.
A story that gives the chance to the reader to introduce themselves on tiptoe in the world of Samantha Shannon.

The Priory of the Orange Tree was such an epic, sweeping saga that it's hard to not worry that the subsequent books will not live up to it. I thoroughly enjoyed A Day of Fallen Night and am so impressed with how Samantha Shannon creates such intricate, weaving stories. Among the Burning Flowers has certainly started off with a roar. I'm already hooked. I cannot wait to read the rest.

WE’RE SO BACK

It was so great to re-enter the world of The Priory, a book I read a few years ago and loved deeply, reuniting with some of the characters we already knew. And I had missed Shannon's writing-I think she is one of the most talented writers on the scene today! I recommend this read not only to the fans of the og book, but also to those who have never read Priory yet and are a bit intimidated by its length, this novella will already give you a background on the world-building and a taste of what's to come!

Thank you Netgalley, Tandem Collective and Bloomsbury Export for the copy! [AD/PR]

If you’re looking for an unbiased review, this isn’t it. I always have to say this. Do you know how much I love Samantha Shannon? Because I do. Deeply. Endlessly. And once again, she’s delivered a story that has completely consumed me.

Donmata Marosa, heir to Yscalin's throne, is trapped—held captive by her own father, King Sigoso, after a mysterious and catastrophic event - while clinging to the hope of escape through her betrothal to Aubrecht Lievelyn. Meanwhile, Estina Melaugo hunts the Draconic beasts that have begun to stir after years of slumber. But the greatest threat of all? The great wyrm Fýredel is awakening.

Technically, you could read Among the Burning Flowers as a standalone—Samantha Shannon herself recommends it—but why deprive yourself of the full, layered experience? The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night add a richness that makes this story all the more immersive. I can’t personally say what it’s like to dive in without them, but trust me, the payoff is worth it. No wonder everyone is feeling the urge to revisit Priory—this book deepens its legacy, making a reread feel almost inevitable.

Shannon has an unparalleled ability to blend intricate world-building with intimate, heart-wrenching character moments and masterful prose. She fills every page with tension, yearning, and emotion, effortlessly pulling readers into the highs and lows of her characters’ struggles. As someone who gets deeply attached to characters, I adored the echoes of our beloved Root of Chaos characters woven throughout, the legacies that linger, the brief but powerful nods to those who came before.

And Marosa—oh Marosa. I admire her and her resilience, like an aching fire in my heart that can never extinguish. Getting more insight into her story, alongside deeper context on Queen Sabran and our beloved Priory characters, was everything I could have wanted. I was entirely mesmerized by her, albeit enjoying the two other point of views in this book. Samantha doesn’t just tell stories; she makes you feel them, in your skin, bones and joints. She grips your heart, wrings it out, and leaves you utterly breathless and begging for more.

One of the things I absolutely adore about Samantha Shannon's works is the sapphic fantasy element that she weaves so effortlessly throughout her stories. The relationships, full of passion, complexity, and tenderness, feel both natural and refreshing, whilst giving space to breathe and be witty and funny, in the middle of chaos. She doesn’t just include a sapphic love story; she builds it with depth and care, giving it space to breathe and thrive within the larger, high-stakes drama of her worlds. It adds a layer of beauty and emotional richness that I simply can’t get enough of—each interaction and connection feels like fresh and anew, and I am here for it!

So yes, this is a love letter disguised as a review. You wouldn’t have anything else from me in regards to Samantha Shannon, would you?


Thank you Netgalley and publishers as always for the e-arc!

✨ Just finished "Among the Burning Flowers" by Samantha Shannon, and wow, what a journey! ✨

Shannon has crafted another richly detailed and immersive world, this time within the captivating tapestry of her "Roots of Chaos" series. The characters are complex and compelling, each with their own unique struggles and strengths, drawing you deeply into their lives.

The writing is as lush and evocative as ever, painting vivid scenes that linger in your mind long after you've finished reading. The intricate plot weaves together magic, politics, and personal growth in a way that kept me absolutely hooked!

If you're a fan of intricate fantasy with beautifully developed characters and a world that feels both magical and real, this book is a must-read. It's a testament to Shannon's incredible storytelling prowess.

Highly recommend diving into this one! 📚🔥

Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon. This is the first time that I am reading one of her books. It was the perfect toe dipper into her world as this is a prequel to her best-selling fantasy book The Priory of the Orange Tree.

ABF is only around 200 pages which is rather short against her normal 600+ page books but its wonderfully descriptive with a background of red pears, lavender and a dragon infested world that she conjures up. I will definitely be giving her other books a read in the future.

Donmata Marosa, the future queen, is kept a prisoner in her own home by her father, King Sigoso. She is counting down the days until she gets married to her betrothed, Aubrecht, but all sorts of Draconic mayhem break out before this happens.

Across the waters Estina Melaugo is a Culler. She hunts Draconic beasts who have starting emerging from caves and lairs after a slumber of over a thousand years.

The great wyrm Fýredel is stirring and life as the people have known for centuries is about to change. The lands will soon be ablaze with dragon fire.

Thank you to Tandem Collective and Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the eARC. This book releases in September.

The shortest book out so far from Ms Shannon at only 288 pages, I'm so used to be encased in her worlds for such a long time that I was surprised (and upset) to realise I'd reached the end so soon! But with this being a prequel, it could be a much easier entry point into the series for those who aren't sure about attempting an 800 behemoth.

We follow three different perspectives in this book, and whilst it took me a while (blame my brain for this) to click how each was relevant to Priory and Fallen, once I did I was utterly obsessed with seeing how these events came to pass and linked to the other two books. Getting to see the development of political alliances and to understand more the actions of certain characters was something I really appreciated.

This book is set after A Day of Fallen Night, but before The Priory of the Orange Tree., so there are mentions of certain characters that link between both books. We get to know some characters that were previously only mentioned by name as well as learning more about the motivations and lore behind actions of some more well known characters. I love that Among the Burning Flowers bridges this gap between the two larger books.

The three POVs in this book are: the future Queen of Yscalin, Donmata Marosa; her betrothed, the prince of Mentendon Aubrecht; and finally a culler (draconic slayer) named Estina Melaugo.

Despite this short page count, Samantha Shannon still delivers the deep relationships between characters (romantic and platonic), the intense action moments, and has me utterly absorbed and wanting more. Am I going to have to go back and reread Priory and Fallen?!

This short (for Shannon) novel demonstrates her fantastic writing style. She adds to an already lore-rich universe with beautifully written worldbuilding, character development, and a deeper understanding of the tensions present in this world. Yet another absolute marvel. Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

It was just so wonderful and easy to get lost in this world again.

I have the memory of a goldfish so I really struggled to figure out where it slotted in with the previous 2 books. It's set about 500 years after A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT and shows the origin story for Yscalin as we know it in THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE.

Though this is a lot shorter than the other books in the series, it still manages to have the same level of depth in the world building and character storylines.

I really enjoyed this addition to the Roots of Chaos world! I found that this provided a lot of additional context to the other two ROC books, particularly Priory. I always appreciate some good lore in my epic fantasy!!

Samantha Shannon does a great job of transporting you to this fantasy world of castles, princesses, dragons, and political intrigue. In many ways this novella felt like a dark adult fairytale, and I loved that aspect of it! I also loved the centrality of women to the story and how Samantha wrote their respective struggles in this turbulent fantasy world. This is a story of strength and resilience, and I always love the way Samantha explores these kinds of qualities in her characters.

My only critique is that this novella was a little too ambitious with it being multi-POV as well as trying to make it a possible entry point to the ROC world for new readers. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first point of contact with this world, and I think existing ROC readers are going to get a lot more from this than new readers will. I think Among the Burning Flowers either needed to be fleshed out into a full-length novel, or to have less POVs.

That being said, as an existing ROC fan, I loved what this added to the wider timeline of events/cast of characters we see across all three instalments, and I’m really looking forward to re-reading it with what I can imagine are going to be beautiful illustrations when it comes out!

Thanks so much to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this novella.

I rated this book 5 stars, because how can it be anything else than that. It was just amazing! This book brought me right back into the magnificent world the author created. She wrote this as another entry to the series; one that is shorter than her other books and may be more appealing to readers that aren't used to long epic fantasy books or just want to see how her writing is. For me personally (I read all published books in the series), I think it would be best to read it after ADOFN and before Priory, because their is a minor spoiler about ADOFN.
We already saw Marosa, Aubrecht and Estina in Priory and while I was excited to see more of Marosa and Estina, I wasn't the biggest fan of Aubrecht. For me, he kinda gave nothing. This book changed my opinion on him immensely as we saw more about his relationship with his family and Marosa and his thoughts and motives. And then Marosa. What a woman! And definitely my favourite of the three. It was fascinating to see how she survived the fall of Yscalin and to get more insight into her thoughts. We knew a bite about Estina's backstory because of Priory and it was really interesting to see her experience of the fall of Yscalin, as her social status was very different from Marosa.
The title is very fitting as the story deals with the fall of Yscalin and you quickly realise why it's called "Among the Burning Flowers". I'm really happy that the author decided to publish more in this world and I can't wait for the next installment.

This is a shorter book that I feel is perfect for a new readers entry into the roots of chaos world, it's not as big but gives you enough info and world building to drag you in and make you want to finally pick up that 15lb book!
Yes, it is that serious and I highly recommend starting here and binging the rest!

This was a fantastic delve in to the series and the story

The Priory of the Orange Tree was on my 2025 TBR, but I was waiting for this book as it’s the prequel and gives some more background and context for the first big book

This was a super fast, easy read (it’s the shortest of the series), and really set everything up for me and the next book clearly. I am now ready to dive in to the main storyline!

The world building was spot on and I am so excited to see more of it

The book can definitely be read before or after the other two books, I guess it would just hit a different way if you’ve read the other two first!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc 🫶🏻

I'm sorry, I wanted to love this but found it very static: so much of it is back story as characters remember what has happened in the past and I wanted a plot happening in the present. There was no tension or pull-through for me. While advertised as a prequel, maybe you need to read the later books first?