"A Day of Fallen Night" is the prequel to Samantha Shannon's "Priory of the Orange Tree." Having just finished Priory, I was looking forward to this book. It did not disappoint. The story is multifaceted, rich, layered and complex and the characters were well-developed and engaging. Like Priory, it is a long book but upon reaching the final pages, it is not nearly long enough, as I did not want the story to end. Fantasy writing at its finest!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to read this stunning book. This prequel to Priority of the Orange Tree is just a rich in world building and characters as it’s predecessor. I loved learning more about how elements that were in Priority were before it’s time. I just love this world so much, I wish I could live in it, but like not during battle, you know? 4.5 ⭐️

A Day of Fallen Night feels wildly expansive — so much so that it appears a little inaccessible, especially through a digital galley. Like The Priory of the Orange Tree, it spans multiple characters, each with their own stories, yet it also feels more difficult to parse—though a prequel, either my memory is faulty or there is nothing that grounds the storyline. The first portion of the book was so insurmountable that I still haven't overcome the obstacle of wading through all of its 800+ pages. Frankly, the lack of physicality detracted from my overall reading experience, so I may revisit this in the future when I'm more able to concentrate on it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to read this book early. I don’t even know where to begin; this book absolutely took my breath away. From the first pages I was hooked and while I wanted to savor it and take in the beautiful prose and intricacies of the story, I could hardly put it down. Sometimes, it is wonderful to escape to a fantasy world with no parallels to the real one, but other times there is the fantasy novel that has the scope and heart to take real-world concerns and make them feel even more personal than they already are. The latter is the case with A Day of Fallen Night. The Priory of the Orange Tree was raved about for being the feminist high fantasy we were waiting for and ADOFN exceeds all expectations as successor. The thematic threads of bodily autonomy paired with the depiction of multiple forms of love from duty to platonic to romantic is what renders this a new classic in my eyes.

I came to love each narrator and their development as the story progressed. Glorian, in particular, was a favorite each time she graced the page. It was through her eyes that I recognized the anguish so many women feel when their choice is taken away from them. I weeped through her final chapters. As always with Shannon’s books, I loved that queerness is the norm and that we could see loving couples grow old together, such as Tunuva and Esbar. Dumai’s journey was just as heartwrenching and I loved to see her growth as she grew in power but never losing who she truly was. Wulf is an incredibly unique character, even within the Priory universe, and his selflessness throughout the story was heartwarming. I hope to see more of him in Shannon’s future works in this universe because I do not feel like his story is yet done. Each character’s journey was amazing to watch unfold and they developed beautifully. With a book of this size and scope, there might be fear of overwriting, but I believe the pacing to be perfect as the book built gradually to its climax. Each chapter, each word was necessary to do these the characters the justice they deserve.

I am so grateful to be able to read and love this book.

SAMANTHA SHANNON YOU SON OF A GUN. I. WOW. Need I say more?

How do I even begin? At the beginning of 2022 I read Priory, and that book changed reading for me. No book has ever made me feel the way reading that book did. So, obviously when I found out it was getting a prequel, I lost any of the little remaining sanity I had left.

A Day of Fallen Night is everything. I cannot recount everything, but if you loved Priory you’ll love ADOFN!

How do you start a review for a book this phenomenal? A Day of Fallen Night has become quite possibly the greatest book I've ever read. In a book with a page count of roughly 850 pages, you'd think somewhere in there the plot would feel like a slog. I can wholeheartedly say that this book never lacked in it's pacing. Samantha Shannon found the perfect balance between plot, world-building, and character development.

The novel follows three main POVs (and a fourth, but I'm hesitant to talk about them since they're not in the synopsis...) Tunuva Melim, a sister of the Priory for fifty years. Trained to fight wyrms, but lacking in proof, the younger generation of sisters begin to question the faith of the Priory. Glorian Berethnet, daughter of Sabran and the new King of Hróth, must live up to the expectations set before her by her mother and her country. Dumai of Ipyeda, raised on a mountain-top temple for worship of the slumbering gods of the East.

Every single story-line was so compelling that I have no favourites. Every character had subtle and realistic character development throughout the story - every one of them ever-evolving. Not even just the main or principle side characters, I mean that Every. Single. Character. felt real from the moment they were introduced. I won't say too much for fear of spoilers, but there was a point in this book where I had to stop reading because I realized that I felt paternal pride for a FICTIONAL CHARACTER. Shannon writes about pain, love, and grief in a beautiful way, giving a real, raw insight into feelings you may not have had the chance to experience yourself.

Her world is so beautifully constructed and politically intriguing. In reading some other reviews (it's been 2+ years since I read Priory, and I have a terrible memory) I found that one pointed out that there are subtle spelling changes, mostly in the names of the cities. The historical accuracy that Shannon brought into this book makes me so unreasonably happy, and thank you kind reviewer who noticed that. It's so subtle you wouldn't think of it, but it just makes this world feel all that much more real. She also brought in touches from a very globally

And a small thing that always makes me happy in books: It's inclusive. There are so many characters in this book that are queer in some way or another, but that's never the focus of the novel. Shannon brings in gender-identity and sexuality without it ever feeling like the focus of the book, and it's wonderful.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the eARC!!!! A true dream come true after loving Priory so so much.

Many thanks to the Author and Publisher for this ARC I was honoured to read!
I haven’t read the Priory Of The Orange Tree yet, but I absolutely loved this title. The lyrical writing and world completely captivated me. The world building, and everything were beautiful, it’s a title I look forward to reading again.

*This review is specifically for this ARC/galley*

The formatting for this pdf was so poor. I couldn't read it. I'm excited about this book and loved Priory of the Orange Tree, but unfortunately this ARC was poorly put together and very hard to read.

This took me a lot longer to read than it should have, because I finally came down with COVID in the middle of it, which laid me up for a week and half. Bad times.

I'm so glad that I got an ARC of this. I loved the original Priory of the Orange Tree and this was just as good (and gay) as the original. I would say that, as a prequel, it's not essential for reading with the first book, but it does flesh out the world greatly and sets the stage for the first book. Highly recommended.

Did I have to take notes as I read? Yes. Did I love it? Also yes. Do I think you should pick it up if you love high fantasy? Absolutely, I do!
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pages: 880 (she thick 🤩)
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Read if you like
🧝‍♀️ Epic, High Fantasy
🔨 World Building
⚙️ Complex Characters
💁‍♀️Tall FMCs
⚖️ Religion, Politics, & Women Shaping History
🌈 LGBTQ Representation
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Thank you to Bloomsbury USA, NetGalley, and the incredibly talented Samanatha Shannon for this ARC! Be sure to pick it up on its pub day Feb 28, 2023!

This is well written and not surprisingly, will probably be enjoyed by those that read Shannon's previous book. This will sell well and get many 5 star reviews.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

Thank you to Bloomsbury and the author for a physical copy as well as an egalley of this book.

This book is quite hefty, so I’m taking my time with it to truly appreciate how amazing I know it’s going to be. Review to come.

There is no doubt that Shannon can write an immersive and expansive novel. Like Priory, ADOFN follows multiple character arcs, which can be difficult to follow, but the author was exceptional at creating distinctive voices and stories.

I think that if you didn’t like Priory, it’s unlikely you will like this one. It’s long, slightly arduous at points, but gratifying in the same way that Priory was. It is not easy to keep someone’s attention for 800+ pages, but Shannon wields storytelling like knife through softened butter. It feels so effortless and smooth.

My favourite aspect of this world is the way that Shannon continues to have casual queerness.

Samantha Shannon has truly outdone herself. I did not think it was possible for this book to surpass The Priory of the Orange Tree, but it has. I would do disgusting things for a physical galley of this book tbh. It’s perfection. 20/10 no notes

Another fantastic installment! Since I didn’t remember a ton of specifics about Priory, I found it so fun to rediscover this world. Despite its close-to-900 pages, ADOFN enthralled me from the opening chapter (I was even a bit sad to move from the mothers who are introduced in the prologue to their daughters for the rest of the book, that’s how hooked I felt with just a few pages). I think fans of Priory will be equally as pleased with ADOFN, and new readers would be able to jump in fairly easily without having read Priory. However, ADOFN does have similarities to Priory in that some of the climaxes of the novel are over too quickly after all the buildup, or the chapters jump straight to the middle of the action instead of allowing the reader to see exactly what caused it. Also, one major plot point felt a bit unexplained to me (being vague to avoid spoilers). But overall I really enjoyed this one and am excited to see where else in the history of this world Shannon will take us next!

I loved the Priory of The Orange Tree and was really looking forward to this prequel— and it didn’t disappoint! There is less mystery because we know a lot from the POTOT, but the different viewpoints are so compelling that they keep you going through this thicc book. As we know with this author, there is no straightforward happily ever after, but the emotional resonance is so well done that even if that’s my preference when I read, I don’t care in this case. It’s masterful. Is it too much to hope for yet another prequel about Cleolind?

An absolute masterpiece!

Samantha Shannon has done it again. This is an amazing prequel and wonderfully written.

I was so excited to receive a copy of A Day of Fallen Night! I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree and it is one of my favorite books so I was so excited to see that Samantha Shannon wrote a prequel and it did not disappoint! The story follows three different women and every story line was interesting. It took a while to get into it because there was so much back story but everything was so interesting and I loved all the different characters and all the world building! Definitely would recommend especially if you’re already a fan of Samantha Shannon!

Okay. This cover for starters. Second this is not the book I thought it was going to be but I was sucked in none the less. I love this world and all the little antidotes that make it unique, but I feel the same as I did in Priory, you really need to pay attention when reading this because all of the revels are at the end of chapters and subtle. I loved the story building and how we got more background, but this one kind of hurt my head.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I read Priory of the Orange Tree at the beginning of the year, and it took me a while to pick up because I was intimidated by the sheer size of it, but by the time I finished reading it, I was enthralled with the world and characters that had been woven in the story. The prequel does not disappoint, and in my opinion, is even better than the book first introducing us to this epic fantasy world.

I loved all of the characters, and there was no point-of-view that I was wishing would be over already. Some I did like more than others, but that's to be expected. There are four main POVs, following Glorian, Wulf, Tunuva, and Dumai, and as the story progresses, their individual plotlines drift towards each other to create a really really good book. As I read I would whisper my thoughts under my breath, as if the characters could hear me and see how utterly stupid they were being or how totally awesome. And like Priory, it's gay. My gaydar was going off left and right as characters were introduced and I was not wrong about any of them.

If you are at all a fan of Priory, pleeeease pick up this prequel. It's still a standalone story, which I appreciated greatly, and it gives a lot of history on the world given that it takes place 500 years prior to Priory (heh look at my play on words i'm so smart). Five out of five stars, excellent book!