Member Review
Review by
Livia C, Reviewer
Thank you, thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of one of my most anticipated reads of 2023.
ADOFN was one of the best book I've read this year. Or ever. Samantha Shannon outdid herself.
The story is told by multiple POVs, spanning generations, religions, traditions and places. Tunuva, a fifty years old sister of the Priory, with a new generation of sisters who fight to believe in their purpose against the wyrms, since it's been a while since their appearances. In the North, Sabran is the proud queen of her queendom and she has married King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Now their daughter Glorian follows her footsteps. In the East Dumai has always lived in a Seikenese mountain temple, the dragons are sleeping for centuries, but a visitor from her mother's past uphend her future. Wulf, on the other side, is a young soldier, whose past is ready to change everything. When a disastrous eruption from Dreadmouth brings ruins and devastation, these women will have to face the world and be prepared to do anything.
With masterful storytelling, deep and complex characterization and a intricate plot spanning seas, times and spaces, the story is long and wonderful and even though the book is huge it never bores or lags, never. It's fascinating, deep, full of twists and interesting characters and it was such a pleasure following them in their physical and physicological growth, through losses and discoveries, adventures and secrets, sacrifices and gains.
The story is raw, complex, brilliant and her creativity and characterization are truly magnificent. It's a queer book, wonderfully and brilliantly queer. I fell in love with Glorian, Dumai, Wulf and Tunuva, following the main characters' journeys and growth. It's a story that touches important themes like family, loyalty, motherhood (lost, found, forced) growing up, the pressure to live to someone's expectations, the courage of being oneself. It's about love and war, dragons and gods, magic and destiny, fights and adventures. The scope is huge, magnificent and every single character is skillfully written in their complexity. I can't wait to hug my copy.
ADOFN was one of the best book I've read this year. Or ever. Samantha Shannon outdid herself.
The story is told by multiple POVs, spanning generations, religions, traditions and places. Tunuva, a fifty years old sister of the Priory, with a new generation of sisters who fight to believe in their purpose against the wyrms, since it's been a while since their appearances. In the North, Sabran is the proud queen of her queendom and she has married King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Now their daughter Glorian follows her footsteps. In the East Dumai has always lived in a Seikenese mountain temple, the dragons are sleeping for centuries, but a visitor from her mother's past uphend her future. Wulf, on the other side, is a young soldier, whose past is ready to change everything. When a disastrous eruption from Dreadmouth brings ruins and devastation, these women will have to face the world and be prepared to do anything.
With masterful storytelling, deep and complex characterization and a intricate plot spanning seas, times and spaces, the story is long and wonderful and even though the book is huge it never bores or lags, never. It's fascinating, deep, full of twists and interesting characters and it was such a pleasure following them in their physical and physicological growth, through losses and discoveries, adventures and secrets, sacrifices and gains.
The story is raw, complex, brilliant and her creativity and characterization are truly magnificent. It's a queer book, wonderfully and brilliantly queer. I fell in love with Glorian, Dumai, Wulf and Tunuva, following the main characters' journeys and growth. It's a story that touches important themes like family, loyalty, motherhood (lost, found, forced) growing up, the pressure to live to someone's expectations, the courage of being oneself. It's about love and war, dragons and gods, magic and destiny, fights and adventures. The scope is huge, magnificent and every single character is skillfully written in their complexity. I can't wait to hug my copy.
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