Member Review
Review by
Sara B, Reviewer
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon.
Thank you Netgallery and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for an e-book arc for an unbiased review.
Where to even begin!
Anyone who knows me will say The Priory of the Orange Tree is firmly in my top 5 books of all time. And that has The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in 1st & 2nd spot respectively.
So ADOFN had a lot to live up to. Did it succeed?
Absolutely. In fact, I would say some of the minor niggles I had with Priory weren't in ADOFN. Not only was I blown away by the scope of the book, but also, despite its size, how I suddenly realised I was completely immersed in that world. That I didn't even realise how quickly those pages were flying past until I was nearly at the end.
This felt like a book that was smoother, more solid as a whole than Priory. It obviously was a different era, a different dynamic overall, and while it brought elements of Priory, it very much stands on its own.
Like Priory, we have political intrigue, we have religious factions, we have family dynamics, and of course dragons, and they all interplay into a gorgeous story.
We have three women at the heart of it all, with side characters that don't detract from them, but actually help further their stories.
We have queer characters, and the thing I loved the most was, it was just there. It wasn't something that was heavily announced or used to titillate. It was simply a part of who people were. It felt absolutely right for the story as a whole, as while it isn't necessarily needed for the overall plotline, it is still core to parts of the story.
This book has storytelling that is masterful. Despite a quite intricate plotline, I never felt I was losing threads - which for a book this size is a testament to how well this is written. Samantha skillfully navigates what could become laborious for the reader.
This tome of a book truly is deserving of all the praise I've seen for it so far. What Priory brought, ADOFN has elevated it. You need tissues because you will cry. And possibly scream. But you'll also laugh, and have joyous moments.
The Roots of Chaos series has a worthy second book.
It is infinitely gorgeous, has a book cover that is delicious, and left me feeling breathless as I read the final word.
A epic fantasy novel that deserves all the plaudits. I feel my review cannot do it justice. Release day cannot come soon enough.
5/5 stars 🌟 and if I could add more, I would.
Thank you Netgallery and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for an e-book arc for an unbiased review.
Where to even begin!
Anyone who knows me will say The Priory of the Orange Tree is firmly in my top 5 books of all time. And that has The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in 1st & 2nd spot respectively.
So ADOFN had a lot to live up to. Did it succeed?
Absolutely. In fact, I would say some of the minor niggles I had with Priory weren't in ADOFN. Not only was I blown away by the scope of the book, but also, despite its size, how I suddenly realised I was completely immersed in that world. That I didn't even realise how quickly those pages were flying past until I was nearly at the end.
This felt like a book that was smoother, more solid as a whole than Priory. It obviously was a different era, a different dynamic overall, and while it brought elements of Priory, it very much stands on its own.
Like Priory, we have political intrigue, we have religious factions, we have family dynamics, and of course dragons, and they all interplay into a gorgeous story.
We have three women at the heart of it all, with side characters that don't detract from them, but actually help further their stories.
We have queer characters, and the thing I loved the most was, it was just there. It wasn't something that was heavily announced or used to titillate. It was simply a part of who people were. It felt absolutely right for the story as a whole, as while it isn't necessarily needed for the overall plotline, it is still core to parts of the story.
This book has storytelling that is masterful. Despite a quite intricate plotline, I never felt I was losing threads - which for a book this size is a testament to how well this is written. Samantha skillfully navigates what could become laborious for the reader.
This tome of a book truly is deserving of all the praise I've seen for it so far. What Priory brought, ADOFN has elevated it. You need tissues because you will cry. And possibly scream. But you'll also laugh, and have joyous moments.
The Roots of Chaos series has a worthy second book.
It is infinitely gorgeous, has a book cover that is delicious, and left me feeling breathless as I read the final word.
A epic fantasy novel that deserves all the plaudits. I feel my review cannot do it justice. Release day cannot come soon enough.
5/5 stars 🌟 and if I could add more, I would.
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