Having loved Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night, this one was a bit confusing for me.
It's a prequel to Priory, set in Yscalin and how it fell to Fýredel. It's pacy, well-written, however.. it felt a bit unnecessary. The narrative arc was a bit flimsy, so it doesn't stand on its own as strongly as the previous two books did. I liked reading it, but unfortunately, afterwards I was left with the feeling of 'why was this necessary'?

I really enjoyed this as a huge Priory fan but I think the advertising stating this is a standalone novella is really misleading. The story very much just **ends** (obviously as it goes straight into priory) but this makes it just a… very long priory extended prologue.

I really enjoyed and I’ll absolutely be recommending to my followers who have read ADOFN/Priory, but not on its own

Absolutely loved this novella, and a glimpse into two characters we only see hints of in Priory of the Orange Tree. My heart absolutely breaks for them both

Bloomsbury, I have no idea how you approved me, but I am endlessly grateful you did. Please tell me which tattered bits of my soul you'd like in exchange. thank you NetGalley for hosting this book!

I read this book once. Then, in less than a week, I reread Priory of the Orange Tree, and A Day of Fallen Night, in some desperate miraculous time I forced into my time of being a teacher. So much dug in deeper with this small outlook into both Marosa and Yscalin, and Estina. I am certain that we will find something out about the Hatha tree in the next prequel (or its connection to the haithwood), and certainly about a certain new fruit, maybe.....

And then I read this book again. And I can't wait to buy my copies. Copies, multiple. I've screamed about this book so much to others, and I will continue to do so eagerly.

Honestly, Samantha Shannon does not miss!
I loved the shorter length just as much as Priory and ADOFN. ATBF gives context and background to Priory which I think ties in so beautifully that you could read those two in either order. It introduces characters we met in Priory from a different perspective and really enriches the world, showing the prejudices and political manoeuvring from a different angle. Among the Burning Flowers is a perfect intro to the Roots of Chaos world for anybody who has been put off by the longer books. As always, we get Samantha Shannon’s beautiful writing style, her strong female lead and a heartbreaking story of survival that had me biting my lips (my lips are literally bleeding such is the emotional impact 🫠).
There were some brutal moments, like Ysabel’s and Rozia’s bodies, and the immersive writing really pulled me in so I was devastated on Marosa’s behalf. The vivid descriptions only added to this, imagining the heat, the scents and the colours was easy and enhanced the reading experience so much.
I already had this on preorder but after finishing the ARC, I’m ready to reread the other Roots of Chaos books and live the story all over again! Thank you so much!

With Among the Burning Flowers, Samantha Shannon returns to her fascinating Roots of Chaos universe and delivers a dense, emotionally profound novella set between the prequel A Day of Fallen Night and the main work The Priory of the Orange Tree. Although the book is comparatively short at just under 300 pages, Shannon once again manages to impress with atmospheric worldbuilding, complex characters and political tension.

The plot follows three perspectives: Marosa Vetalda, Crown Princess of Yscalin; Aubrecht Lievelyn, future High Prince of Mentendon and Marosa's fiancé; and Estina Melaugo, a Culler who experiences the burgeoning threat of dragons up close and personal. Marosa's point of view is particularly striking. Her role as a political prisoner desperate for freedom is portrayed in an impressive and moving way. The iconic encounter with the great wyrm Fýredel is one of the emotional highlights of the book and demonstrates Shannon's talent for intense scenes.

Aubrecht's narrative emphasises the political powerlessness and personal despair in a changing world. His tireless struggle to help Marosa is touching and adds depth to the story. I perceived Estina's perspective initially as somewhat detached, but it gains importance as the story progresses through her connection to the people of Yscalin and her personal love story. This subplot provides a balance of drama and emotional warmth.

Samantha Shannon's lyrical yet precise writing style contributes significantly to the dense atmosphere. Fans of the Roots of Chaos series in particular will appreciate the numerous links and details that deepen the worldbuilding even further. The well-integrated cross-references and glossaries illustrate the author's careful planning and enrich the reading experience.

If you want to immerse yourself in Samantha Shannon's complex universe, Among the Burning Flowers is a gripping, well-told story that fits in perfectly with the other volumes. My recommendation would be to read the series chronologically: first A Day of Fallen Night, then Among the Burning Flowers and finally The Priory of the Orange Tree. This allows the story to unfold in all its depth and emotionality.

Conclusion: Among the Burning Flowers is an atmospheric and moving novella that fans of the Roots of Chaos series should not miss. It shows once again why Samantha Shannon is considered a master storyteller and world creator - despite its brevity, the novella convinces with great narrative power and emotional sensitivity.

It was so good to go back to the world of the Roots of Chaos series. It’s one of my favourites, and I’m always in awe on Samantha Shannon’s beautiful writing and how real all her characters feel. Having recently reread Priory, I was able to fully immerse myself in this, and for those that feel intimidated by the chunky books in the series, this is a perfect place to start. I can’t wait to read anything else she writes in this world.

I loved this (as per usual) and adored that it was (significantly) shorter than the other two books currently in the series! it felt a lot less daunting to start, and once I had, I absolutely flew through it!

we follow a multi-pronged story, as with all the books in this series, mainly following aubrecht and marosa - who are mentioned in Priory - as well as a few other points of view. it was thrilling to see how exactly the events of Priory were as a result of the events that occurred in this book, and I loved how both Aubrecht and Marosa were characterised and written!

Once again, a novel rich with description and worldbuilding with intricate, fleshed out characters that you real world root for - im utterly beyind excited for the next books in this series; and will have to fill the Samantha Shannon shaped hole in my reading schedule with more of the Bone Season series!

thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for so kindly providing me with the e-arc!

Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon is a lush, powerful triumph—both emotionally resonant and thematically rich. Shannon weaves a tale of resistance, identity, and love with lyrical prose and stunning worldbuilding. Every page feels deliberate, soaked in tension and beauty.

The characters are layered and unforgettable, their relationships pulsing with depth and nuance. Shannon balances political stakes with intimate moments, crafting a story that feels both epic and deeply personal. The pacing is tight, and the emotional weight builds steadily toward a devastating, satisfying conclusion.

This is storytelling at its finest—bold, immersive, and unforgettable. Among the Burning Flowers is a masterwork of fantasy and feeling, earning every bit of its 5 stars.

An exciting and engaging novel that expands upon and gives additional detail to the epic 'The Priory of The Orange Tree' story.

This fast-paced prequel is a worthy addition to the 'Roots of Chaos' series and provides interesting context and alternative character perspectives, which I found to be totally gripping. I just wish it could have been longer! (A common malady I seem to have on finishing any book in this series!).

This is a much shorter novel than Priory, and as such, it could be a good entry point to the series if it feels too daunting to start with the 800+ page Priory! However, I would recommend reading the novels in order of publication date to avoid spoilers for some of the gasp-out-loud moments within the story!

I love this epic fantasy series and look forward to future instalments!

I'll also give a shout-out to the incredible cover artwork. These books are simply stunning.

Huge thanks to netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book set to be published in September 2025. I loved it!

“Marosa had not seen the stars for weeks, such was the reddish haze of it.”

For such a short book (Samantha Shannon-wise), this story really packed a punch. It’s a heartbreaking story of survival, which adds so much depth to the original The Priory of the Orange Tree story.
I loved Marosa - her strength and commitment to her people was admirable, and the love she has for Aubrecht is fierce. I hated to read their story knowing what was coming.
I really enjoyed learning more about places and practises we saw in passing in Priory but didn’t get to fully expand. We learnt more about their religions/myths and their history.
I can’t wait to reread this, and then go straight into Priory.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing and the Author for this ARC read. I'm so grateful to receive it and....
All I can say is WOW!
This story is a prequel to The priory of the orange tree and focusses on the life of Donmate Marosa, This tells us more in-depth about her life before. Explaining about the place she lived and the isolated life she led. Then it introduces us to her friends which gives us more depth into her character and what the mean to her.
The story details about the first days of the eruption and what happened to her. Changing their world forever.
The second half of the story focusses on `after' and how she started her new life and how she became the person she was (in the priory)
After reading this book I felt like I needed to read The priory of the orange tree again, as it brought back so many memories of this book and some insights to characters that I had never thought of before.
The writing is quite complex and you do have to keep your wits about you to remember who is who (like the main book) I feel its not a book to dip in and out of but something to sit and read wholly, Maybe a holiday book, where you can sit, read and be uninterrupted.
If you have not read The priory of the orange tree, this can easily be picked up,
I would say this series could be compared to Game of thrones meets George and the Dragon vibes.
Personally I would like more dragons in the whole series but just because I love dragons.
A solid 4 star read for me, I would recommend.

I have yet to read a Samantha Shannon book that I don't enjoy. A perfect little filler, this book goes to show how deeply the worlds crafted by Shannon are thought about

ARC review to follow!

This was such a tease! I need a full length book featuring these characters!

I was incredibly excited when I got accepted for this ARC. I had a great time with Priory so my standards were high for this one.

Now it didn't disappoint, at all. I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first and getting familiar with the world building. It did help that there were only 2 povs each time, which made it easier to get into the story. I loved reading each chapter, very interesting to read more about the world. It was nice seeing the names of familiar characters again, especially since I finished Priory not that long ago.

At times it felt like I was missing information or import parts of the story because of the time skips. It caught me off guard for sure.

Overall it was just a really good read.
++ Sapphics !!

I can't wait for this book to be released so I can see the illustrations.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Great prequel book to priory. Awesome world building very in depth storytelling I absolutely loved it

Another Samantha Shannon 5 star read. Just when you think this authors books can’t get any better she produces another one that is even better. I am not going to say any more because you all need to emerge yourselves in this world.

I feel a bit selfish because I can't deal with such a short book from Shannon, her stories really come to life when fully fleshed out. But having said that, this prequel added some lovely nuance to the Priory universe and was thoroughly enjoyable as always

Thank you to the publisher, the author and netgalley for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a long time to start this book, but only because Samantha Shannon and her Roots of Chaos series are so hyped that I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it. But I couldn’t wait any longer, so I started and finished it in just a couple of days. I liked it. It’s a very good book, solid, but it doesn’t stand on its own and there are a couple of issues I want to explore here.

The first issue is with what the author herself said. In a video, she states that Among the Burning Flowers could serve as an entry point to the series if the two previous 800+ page books felt too intimidating. She also suggestes it could be read as a standalone. I disagree. Despite having read both The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night when they were first published, I remembered almost nothing by the time I picked up Among the Burning Flowers. And because of that, I was lost, confused. I remembered vague echoes of names and events, but nothing truly clicked and I remained confused for the rest of the novel. I didn’t know one in five words because of the rich and expansive world Shannon has created, but in this book, the worldbuilding is non-existent. It relies entirely on the groundwork laid in the previous books. So no, this is not a standalone, and I don’t think it’s a good entry point into the Roots of Chaos series.

The second issue I had is with the pacing. The story starts very slowly. It doesn’t really pick up until about 35% into the book. After that, I couldn’t put it down. But for such a short book, I wish the plot had started moving sooner.

Lastly, I definitely preferred reading some POVs over others. I could read an entire novel about Malaguo, I loved her sections the most.

Overall, this is a great book. The characters are complex, the writing is exquisite, and it made me want to reread The Priory of the Orange Tree. I loved that.

Among the burning flowers is a prequel which takes place roughly 2 years before the start of the priory of the orange tree,
We follow 3 POVs:

- the future queen of Yscalin, Marosa, who is prisoner in her palace and under her father, the king’s thumb.
- her betrothed, Aubrecht, who is destined to rule his kingdom across the mountains, Mentendon.
- Malaugo, a former urchin turned Draconic beast hunter.

I loved Marosa’s story!!! Gimme 5 more of them 😍 there were some audible gasps and pearl clutching moments, which I won’t go into detail about, to avoid spoilers.
Aubrecht was almost too perfect for me, so I distrust him - I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop and for him to show his true colours.
Malaugo was SUPER intriguing, however she was only in the first half of the book so I feel robbed of more of her POV 😂

Despite being a bit difficult to get into because of all the different cities/religions/characters, once I had a grasp on all that, I was hooked. This book has without a doubt made me want to pick up Priory, in fact I downloaded it the second I finished! Very keen to see what happens next. Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for the ARC!!!