This book slapped. I’m really digging the novella style for the amazing world Samantha Shannon created. I devoured it in one sitting and will gladly take more. Marosa deserves the world.

having read priory like 3 years ago, jumping back into this world was definitely challenging. after i found my footing i was set. the fast pace, the intrigue, everything was up my alley. it took me so long to finish and not because it wasn’t interesting, but i needed to soak in and understand everything going on. and the plot twists?! so good. just overall enjoyable and fun to return to shannon’s writing.

"With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Take your first steps into the epic.

Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.

It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.

Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.

A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.

And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall...

A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree."

Prequel wyrm time!

If you've been waiting for your next fantasy book to get into you should most definitely make it Among the Burning Flowers! (This review will be spoiler free save for character names and themes contained in the book.)

I'm more of a recent fan of the Roots of Chaos series having burned through both Priory of the Orange Tree and its prequel A Day of Fallen Night this past year and have fallen in love with both. And now with Among the Burning Flowers it's easy to see just how far Samantha Shannon has come in both her series and her writing. Now I've got to gush about it for a bit!

As a book seller and a huge fantasy fan I get the question, "so where should I start?" a lot regarding the Roots of Chaos series and I love answering this question.
As Shannon has said herself, you can read in publication order (Priory, Fallen Night, Burning Flowers) where you can witness the epic that is Priory and then read about the events that lead up to it OR you can read chronologically (Fallen Night, Burning Flowers, Priory) and see the events unfold as the world did. In my opinion though this is the PERFECT book to start with if you've been wanting to get into the series.
Among the Burning Flowers is still a prequel to Priory though instead of taking place centuries before, as in A Day of Fallen Night, the story is set just 2 years before. This makes it a good starting point for newcomers as the story begins at the inciting incident for the events in Priory, touches on some of the events that took place during Day of Fallen Night, and then allows a glimpse as to what's to come in the future. It also helps that this book is just under 300 pages which makes it oh so perfectly digestible yet leaves you excited for what's next!

A huge advantage this book has is that it sets itself apart from the series for its tonal difference. Where the other books balance sorrow, hope, mystery, romance, etc. this book focuses on fear and chaos. Though there are only a couple of perspectives in the book, each character (especially Marosa) must deal with harrowing, impossible decisions that not only affect themselves but will have a greater effect on the world at large. I love when a book pushes hard decisions on its characters and I love being torn down to be built back up again. This book fortunately does both.
Shannon is exceptional at writing powerful and relatable characters. A way I've described Shannon's stories to friends and customers alike is that she takes traditional fantasy tropes and twists them every step of the way and puts powerful women in the forefront. You may know dragons but you've never seen them like this. You've seen monarchies and matriarchs but you've never seen them like this. You know fantasy but you've never seen it shine like this.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the E-ARC, very much appreciated!

thank you bloomsbury for the arc!

4.25/5
what a fantastic book! I’m so happy to be able to return to this world and learn more about parts that were just hinted at in priory. i loved marosa and aubrecht a lot and being able to see more about mentendon and yscalin was a treat! as always, shannon’s writing was so beautiful and easy to read. adore the voice that she give her characters. where i have problems is with melaugo. i have a hard time deciding why she and her story was added to what seemed to be a pretty strong story about marosa. it felt like far too many of melaugo’s pages were just her refusing to do things that she needed to do. i think maybe part of my problem was simply being unable to remember who this woman was in priory (my fault) but then i wonder if she was memorable enough to warrant a prequel for herself. in any case i would have loved to see her more in the second half! and to top it off, we get to see a little bit more of aubrecht! and let me tell you that i adore marosa and aubrect together. they are both so sweet! :)

and! and! and! i simply cannot wait to see the illustrations in the printed version! i think that's such a fun addition to this book!

(a small note: if you want to read this (you absolutely should!) but haven’t read priory of the orange tree, i seriously suggest you do! i think this is kind of being marketed as an “easy entrance” into this series but i think that is doing a disservice. i think that this relies heavily on previous knowledge of the characters and world to truly work as an entrance. but that’s just my thoughts! either way, i'm sure you'll enjoy!)

Shannon returns to the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree, setting it in the years before that book opens as the great wyrms start to re-emerge and threaten humanity. Focusing on the kingdom of Yscalin and its sequestered heiress Marosa , she paints a vivid picture of the volcanic kingdom, it’s devious king,, and it’s frightened but resolute princess. Suspense steadily mounts amidst the intrigue; ending on a real cliffhanger that will have fans anxious for more.

I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for high fantasy right now but I’m so glad that I decided to dive head first into this one!

I loved how we got to spend time with familiar characters but still felt like we were experiencing a whole new story within the greater world.

The world building is fantastic, and it makes sense considering Samantha Shannon’s other writing. I have read Priory but haven’t read the other book in the series yet, and this makes me want to dive back into that series (even though it intimidates the heck out of me).

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the ARC 🧡

It took me a bit to get into the world of Among the Burning Flowers, I suspect, because I have not yet read Priory of the Orange Tree. Though this is actually meant to be a prequel, it was published years after, so I assume we are meant to read Priory first. Oops.

Still, I was engrossed in the plot of this book immediately. I enjoyed Part 1 more than Part 2, mostly because Estina was one of my favorite characters. I just like the underdogs who are on their own and watching them survive and get their happy ending. I wouldn't say that Estina got a happy ending per se, but I do think by the end, she was in a better place than she started, imminent danger of being scorched by dragons not withstanding. Of course, Marosa didn't exactly have an easy time. Or even a somewhat decent time. I felt bad for her from the beginning, even before Fyredel. She'd been smothered and I really wanted her free. I do with the marriage between her and Aubrecht had worked out. I think they would have made such a good couple. Both selfless and concerned with the good of their people. They would have made great leaders.
There was a brief moment in the story when I thought Marosa had gotten through to Fyredel and he may even come to respect her, but we will see how that plays out.

It's crazy to think, compared to the rest of this series, but this book is compact. It follows three characters that readers will recognize from The Priory of the Orange Tree: Marosa, Aubrecht, and Melaugo.

While I did need a quick search to remember Melaugo, I was quite excited to learn more about Marosa and Aubrecht- and their stories were even more impactful than I imagined. It was heart-wrenching to learn more about their pasts, knowing what the future holds in the original book (which takes place chronologically after this book). Aubrecht's story broke my heart, but not nearly as much as Marosa's did.

While I'm so happy with the way Marosa was originally revealed, with that sneaky twist, in The Priory of the Orange Tree, I really loved learning how her kingdom, father, and people got to that point (where we originally met her). Even though I knew where her path was leading because of The Priory, it was so compelling to witness her grace, intelligence, and courage. I need to know what happens to her after The Priory now more than ever!!!

I read this story in publication order, which I recommend, but if you're looking for a way to dip your toes into this world without committing to the lengthy other two books, I think you can start with this book.

This short novel was a wonderful surprise. The Priory of the Orange Tree was one of my favorite books the year it was published and made Samantha Shannon an author to watch for. I enjoyed hearing the view points of Estina, Marosa, and Aubrecht. They were secondary characters in The Priory of the Orange Tree, but this was a welcomed opportunity to learn more about each of them. They proved themselves characters with stories that were begging to be told and I'm glad that Shannon made it happen! Be prepared to immediately grab The Priory of the Orange Tree for an immediate read (or re-read).

I think it’s safe to say Samantha Shannon is one of my favorite authors. After rereading and catching up on The Bone Season series this year, I was so excited to read this one! I really enjoyed Priory of the Orange Tree and haven’t read A Day of Fallen Night.

Short? Sapphic? Sign me up. And it’s illustrated!

This is a great starting point for anyone who is intimidated by the other ginormous books in this series. I enjoyed Samantha Shannon’s ability to get me to care about the characters in such a short amount of time when her novels are usually 3x the length.

I loved all of the interconnected details with Priory! I’m definitely going to have to reread this after finally reading ADoFN!

A short, sweet, and tragic prequel to the Priory of the Orange Tree. Samantha Shannon has not lost any of her worldbuilding ability since A Day of Fallen Night, and where this novella particularly shines is with the vivid characters (with Marosa being a standout) and the depiction of a city transformed from haven to nightmare prison. Fans of Shannon's previous works will want to pick this one up as soon as they are able!

This book is a perfect prequel to the series, I love that she’s added a novella which allows for people to dip their toes into the world and her writing style, it really builds a strong foundation for the world to come

This was such a rich, immersive read. The worldbuilding? Gorgeous. You can tell Samantha Shannon really knows how to create a layered, detailed fantasy world that feels lived-in and real. The writing was lush and poetic without being too heavy, and I loved how it explored rebellion, power, and identity in a really grounded way. It definitely leans more character-driven, so it’s not super fast-paced, but I was into that slow burn vibe. If I had to nitpick, I did wish for a little more emotional payoff between certain characters, but the atmosphere totally carried it. If you're into fantasy that feels big and bold but still personal, this one’s 100% worth sinking into.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me an ARC!
I am already a huge fan of Samantha Shannon’s works, and this latest installment has not let me down. Shannon is known for her elegant world building and story telling which is highlighted in this novel. This novel allows the reader to take a look into events that provide clarity for the main novel in such an easily digestible way. Between the beautiful artwork, diverse and strong characters and well developed plots, this is another amazing addition to Samantha Shannon’s works.

Loved the story telling and pacing of the book. It's been a few years since I read Priory so I was struggling to remember who was who and how they played into the story. Not sure if a short synopsis at the beginning or placing the glossary of characters at the beginning instead of the end would be helpful, but overall five stars, an absolutely fantastic!

A dark and tragic lead up to Priory of the Orange Tree combined with gorgeous illustrations throughout. I couldn't put this down!

I was so excited to read this one after Priory and Fallen Night (both were incredible) and Among the Burning Flowers did not disappoint. This novella, set before Priory, once again showcases Samantha Shannon’s unmatched worldbuilding. Every scene was so vividly described that I could picture it all perfectly. It felt incredibly immersive. Her characters had real depth without relying too heavily on inner monologue, which I really appreciated. It definitely was a perfect way to set us up for Priory and I’m so here for it. She mentioned this story occurred about 2 years prior to the start of Priory. Because it was short, the pacing felt quick and I love the cadence of her writing. I feel like I could read her work forever. Can’t wait for the next one. Five stars, highly recommend!

4/5⭐
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for letting me read this ARC!
Diving back into the world of Virtudom and all the characters we know and love from The Priory of the Orange Tree has been such a treat. This book gives readers more context of how the country of Yscalin fell to the rule of the wyrms and Fyredel years before the start of Priory. This added context gives us so much more to both the story and to the characters.
Marosa is such a unique character in that she seems weak and naive at first, but by the end of the book, she proves that she is capable of doing what is necessary to protect her people. Her strengths lie in her ability to keep calm in horrifying situations and plan strategies that will save her country from the rule of Fyredel. We also have a few chapters of Estina Meluago and Aubrecht, both deepening their characters and giving the reader more context of the worlds they live in.
This book is absolutely a must read for fans of the Roots of Chaos series. I liken it to Rogue One in the Star Wars series: filled with strong stories and amazing characters that will surely be a fan favorite.
Can you read it before reading either The Priory of the Orange Tree or A Day of Fallen Night? I don’t think so. There is too much context and references from both books that I feel it would be too confusing for new readers. I do think you could do either Priory, Burning Flowers, and Fallen Night or Fallen Night, Burning Flowers, and Priory as adequate reading orders.
I sincerely hope Samantha Shannon keeps giving us stories from this world!

all things considered i think that this was a really great companion/prequel to priory!! i think i would have much preferred to have listened to this vs reading it, i think it would have hit better for me, i will most likely go give it another try upon release. the biggest issue i have with this book is just how it flowed, it didnt grab my attention as much as i would have liked it to!