Let me start with a disclaimer: I am obsessed with the Bone Season series. This is my second journey into the Roots of Chaos universe, after A Day of Fallen Night. The first thing I was eager to see was Samantha Shannon’s signature, excellent writing style, which held my attention—even without following Paige making the “wrong” decisions.
In the Roots of Chaos series, world-building is one of its greatest strengths. However, I did find myself wishing for a slightly slower pace to better absorb the background of the world and its cast of characters. I definitely recommend making use of the appendices at the end of the books: they’re invaluable for gathering more information and deepening your immersion. A dedicated companion book would be incredibly helpful, and I’m sure it would be a treasured resource for many fans if ever published.
Among the Burning Flowers serves as a great introduction to the Roots of Chaos series, especially for readers unsure about diving straight into the heavyweights A Day of Fallen Night or The Priory of the Orange Tree (I have the hardbacks—trust me, you can skip the gym if you're reading one of those!). Its length is manageable, the pacing sharp, and it gives just enough to help you decide if this fantasy world and characters is for you. It’s a self-contained story providing you a taste and will likely leave you wanting more.

🌸 Amongst the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Bloomsbury, and the author for the arc!

Stepping back into the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree felt like returning to something grand, sweeping, and so beautifully dangerous - and Amongst the Burning Flowers does not disappoint.

This prequel novella gives us a closer look at the world before it all fell apart, and I’m so delighted it centred on Marosa Vetalda! She was one character I desperately wanted more of in Priory, and this story gave her the nuance, depth, and agency she truly deserved. From palace walls to political games, her quiet strength absolutely shines here.

We also get the prickly, loyal Estina (dragon hunter extraordinaire!) and the ever-intriguing Aubrecht - both adding layers of complexity to this tension-laced tale. And of course, the ever-present, slow-burning threat of wyrms rising again… 🔥

Samantha Shannon continues to weave queerness, world-building, and emotion into her storytelling so naturally. Her prose is rich and atmospheric, and while this was shorter than a full novel, the stakes felt epic.

A gripping glimpse into the calm before the storm - equal parts tragic and beautiful. If you loved Priory, this will make the world feel even bigger, and more heartbreakingly real.

Beautifully written and you absolutely don't have to read the Priory of the Orange Tree to enjoy this read.
This book has so many characters and so much to absorb, I will need to re-read this at some point to enjoy the true detail. I will see if reading the original series makes a difference to the experience or not. I will probably keep coming back to this book the fantasy writing is excellent.

Thank you to Samantha Shannon, NetGalley, and the publishers at Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC.

I read the first few chapters of this as part of the Bloomsbury Big Night In Readathon.
This is a series I've wanted to get into for a long time and definitely plan on reading the full series.
I very much look forward to going back to this when I have some time and finishing the rest of the book.

This relatively short book tells the story of the fall of Yscalin through the perspectives of three characters—Aubrecht, Marosa, and Estina—who also appear in The Priory. Contrary to what the author may suggest, I would actually recommend reading The Priory first, as it greatly helps in understanding this story.

While I continue to enjoy Samantha Shannon’s imaginative world-building and her writing, my main issues with her books originate here as well. Like in her other works, readers are inundated with information—lore, extensive backgrounds for even minor new characters, world history, and excessive scene descriptions. Much of this detail isn’t essential to the plot and often overshadows both the characters and the narrative itself.

Although the book contains a few emotional, high-stakes moments, I found the plot fragmented and struggled to follow its flow due to the overwhelming exposition. Even though each character has a distinct narrative voice, I couldn’t connect with any of them. They lack depth and development, and their dialogue often feels flat.

As a reader, I need to feel a connection to the characters and their motivations first. I also prefer to discover the world gradually through the story, rather than being inundated with exposition as if I were reading a Wikipedia article. This is what ultimately puts me off Shannon’s books: unless she improves these aspects, I doubt I’ll be able to enjoy her stories, because the reading experience feels no more engaging than looking up a summary online.

A brilliant next instalment of the Priory of the Orange Tree series - full of complex court intrigue, danger for Princess Marosa trapped in her tower with a madman father possessed by a dragon and terror for her people trapped in a city occupied by malevolent wyverns. On the outside, Prince Aubrecht tries desperately to send help but all else has failed. It's left on an exciting cliffhanger and I can't wait to read more!

Wow! My first dive into The Roots of Chaos series was absolutely phenomenal, and any worries that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as The Bone Season (a personal favorite!) vanished almost immediately.

As a prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, ATBF masterfully introduces key characters and lays the groundwork for the epic events to come, with the before and after of Yscalin succumbing to the devastating rule of dragons.

The characters truly stole the show for me. Marosa is an incredible, albeit tragic, protagonist, and experiencing most of the narrative through her eyes was deeply immersive. Aubrecht's perspective offered a fascinating glimpse into his burgeoning story arc, setting the stage for future developments. My one minor wish was for more of Melaugo; she had all the makings of a favorite character but seemed to disappear around the halfway point. However, this isn't necessarily a drawback, as Samantha Shannon skillfully uses this to emphasize Marosa's growing isolation and entrapment in the latter half of the book.

This was a truly brilliant read, and I'm already itching to dive straight back into this rich and complex world!

Among Burning Flowers is a beautifully written book but I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I expected. I read Priory when it first came out and loved it, but it’s been too long since and I struggled to reconnect with the world. I recognised names and places, but I couldn’t quite piece together how they all fit, which made it hard to fully engage with the story.

I don’t think this one quite works as well as a standalone. I think I needed Priory fresh in my mind to get more out of it. If I’d taken the time to reread before starting this, I think I would have loved it and easily given it 4 or even 5 stars. Unfortunately, I spent too much of the book trying to remember who was who, and that pulled me out of the story. Despite this I still enjoyed it, but it just didn’t quite hit right for me this time.

As of writing this, I think it’s been four years since my last tenure in the world of the Roots of Chaos so, just in time, Among the Burning Flowers is being released to remind me just why I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree when I first read it.

In the land of Yscalin, Donmata Marosa finds herself not only corralled at the whims of her controlling royal father, but imprisoned in her palace as vanquished draconic forces begin to rise again. Across the sea in Mentedon, its de facto ruler Aubrecht Lievelyn faces a battle of duty between his country and his fiancé, Marosa, trapped in her impenetrable castle fortress. For monster-hunter Estina Melaugo, the rising bestial horror seems to be an implication of what is to come. And as Yscalin appears teetering on the precipice of destruction the dread wyrm Fýredel threatens to rise again…

While Among the Burning Flowers is a fun return to the world of the Roots of Chaos – it’s a big world, so it’s fun to see some different part of it – I do disagree with the marketing for this book. Much of the advertising copy promotes it as an accessible introduction to the world of Virtuedom, and while it is definitely accessible, clocking in at several hundred pages shorter than the previous instalments, external character work and worldbuilding as established within The Priory of the Orange Tree are essential to really knowing what’s going on. Unless you know who these characters are – each POV is from someone who previously appeared within Priory – Among the Burning Flowers doesn’t really stand as its own book without this previous background reading. Still, the POVs are pretty enjoyable overall, even if they are there to just add another perspective to the events of Priory: Marosa and Melaugo are the two most compelling, for while it’s fun to see Mentedon through Aubrecht’s eyes as opposed to from a distance through Sabran in Priory, he isn’t quite as compelling as the female POVs. Overall, it’s fun to see Yscalin and Mentedon from the perspective of its citizens as opposed to external travellers, but Among the Burning Flowers is very much a companion-piece to Priory, which is definitely the best starting-off point for the series (and reminds me that I still need to read A Day of Fallen Night).

Among the Burning Flowers was a captivating read, rich, intense, and brimming with intrigue. As someone new to the series, I found it a compelling entry point, though at times a little overwhelming. The sheer number of character introductions made it slightly hard to keep track, and a more streamlined approach might have helped ease me in.

That said, the characters themselves were phenomenal. Each felt vivid and distinct, and the emotional stakes were high enough that I genuinely rooted for some to triumph and hoped others would meet a satisfyingly brutal end. The world-building was exquisite, immersive without being overbearing, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish.

What truly sets this book apart is its emotional resonance. It’s not just character driven; it’s a journey. There’s plenty of action, but it’s the emotional arcs and personal stakes that give the story its weight. It’s a tale of survival, ambition, and consequence told with such finesse that I couldn’t help but be swept along.

Thank you so much for the arc. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 Stars

How could I possibly ever explain how Samantha Shannon can write a story that's both poetic and devastating at the same time ughhhhh!!! It was SO nice to be back in this world and that ending honestly gave me goosebumps, and I bet everyone will feel the same and want to desperately pick up Priory again!!

I do think the length left some some things to be desired BUT this was also so lovely to read while we wait for another book (hopefully another 800+ pages pls) and I can imagine bumping my rating up after re-reading Priory again!

Thank you SO much Bloombury UK + Netgalley for the e-arc, I'm truly so grateful!!!

What a gift this book is to the world of fantasy! Among the Burning Flowers is the long-anticipated prequel to the Priory of the Orange Tree. It also takes place after A Day of Fallen Night, and it unfolds in a second wave of Grief as the Draconic Army rises and the wyrms (dragons) stir again...

Long has Fyredel, the Great Wyrm, hovered beneath the warm blanket of Earth... But when he wakes, the flowers will burn, and All must decide where to cast their partisanship within history and learn how to nurture their Fate.

The story follows Marosa Vetalda, who is the daughter of the King. She is controlled by her father with the threat of a much more ancient enemy at her door. Aubrecht Llevelyn, her betrothed, attempts to walk the line between loyalty and strategic self-preservation as he seeks to invest in the longevity of his own people. Lastly, Estina Melaugo, who is a wyrm (dragon) hunter senses a deep evil moving within the Earth, makes a move to free humankind from a plague that has begun afflicting the human race. As the players flit across the stage in a delicate dance of diplomacy and strategic inquiry, Marosa must uncover why the wyrms hate humankind and discover the sacrifices she must make to save her faith and stay alive.

Among the Burning Flowers is a beautiful prequel that is not hallmarked by bloody battles or colliding armies, but instead, a battle of wills and the strength it takes to endure a hopeless world. This new novel sets the stage for the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree and explains how the sociopolitical landscape shifted for the story of The Priory to unfold. This book explains so much about the background of Shannon's Roots of Chaos, and it is an indispensable addition for veteran fans of the series and newcomers alike. The books can be read in any order, but I appreciated reading this after I read The Priory because I felt like I had a firmer grasp on what was going on and what was at stake.

Thank you so much to Samantha Shannon, NetGalley, and the publishers at Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC. This is sure to be one of the biggest fantasy books of this year, and it is delightful from start to finish! I read it in one sitting with my heart pounding against the delicate threads of political movements and dark conspiracies. Among the Burning Flowers will make you burn for more! Shannon's prose is stunning, and every cultural reference is an emerging artifact of a rich, complex world that deserves a future rooted in graphic novel and film development efforts! Among the Burning Flowers is a master class in how fantasy deserves to be written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, I have not yet read The Priory of the Orange Tree, and so I didn't realise quite what I was in for when requesting Among the Burning Flowers.

The story is told in two halves: the Before and After, by three main characters: Marosa, Albrecht and Melaugo, and their unique stories concerning Fýredel, an ancient wyvern, who seeks to bring the world under his dominion in an act known as the Grief of Ages.

It took some time to get into the book as I was overwhelmed by the myriad of characters and locations (which would have been easier to get my head around if I had read The Priory of the Orange Tree.) Nevertheless, Samantha Shannon is an incredibly gifted writer with a talent for world building, characterisation, and a unique, memorable plot that will delight existing fans of her works.

4.5 stars

Samantha Shannon is quickly cementing herself as my favorite fantasy author of all time.

Among the Burning Flowers follows three characters who play pivotal roles that directly impact the epic and transformative events that occur in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

This was the shortest installment in the series to date—just a little under 300 pages—but that didn’t lessen how important and powerful the story was. This book could have been 1,000 pages or it could have been 50; Samantha Shannon has this superpower where her books are always atmospheric, the worlds are rich, and the characters are dynamic and fully fleshed out.

This was a story about survival, and the things you have to sacrifice to make that happen. You saw this when following Marosa, who was my favorite character. She was put in an unfathomable situation and handled it with grace, poise, and courage. At the same time, you could feel the burden and pressure she was under to maintain a sense of calm and control in a situation where she had none. Marosa was such a standout character in Priory, even though she didn’t have much page time. I always wondered if there was more to her than met the eye, and I’m so happy Samantha decided to write her story. I think she might be my favorite character from the entire Roots of Chaos series so far.

The other two characters we followed didn’t play as big a role in the story, but they were still important in showing the full narrative from multiple angles. There was something so pure and heartbreaking about Aubrecht’s chapters that emphasized the concept of what could have been. Weirdly enough, the dynamic between him and Marosa was both extremely tragic and deeply romantic, in a star-crossed lovers kind of way.

I really enjoyed Melaugo’s chapters because they offered a perspective we wouldn’t have gotten from the other two characters. However, I wish she had played a more significant role in the book. I don’t think her POVs were as justified as the other two, even though I still enjoyed them. I think she should have had more chapters.

Among the Burning Flowers is another fantastic installment in the Roots of Chaos series that further cements Samantha Shannon as a force to be reckoned with in the epic fantasy genre.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release!

“Among the Burning Flowers” is a prequel to “The Priory of the Orange Tree”, the first book in Samantha Shannon’s expanded Roots of Chaos universe. At only 288 pages, this felt like a novella since the other books in the series are well over 800 pages. It is understandably shorter since it serves to give readers background of how the kingdom of Yscalin first fell to the Nameless One & its draconian army, and how the darkness then spread towards the neighbouring kingdom.

This serves as a great companion piece to Priory as it takes place two years before the events in Priory happened, though prior familiarity with the first book would provide readers with a lot more background to work with, especially when it comes to the line of succession for Inys kingdom and its reincarnation of queens. I love how Shannon continues to expand the lore for the ‘verse, and the characters within this are amongst my favourites from the series. As with the previous books, we get multiple POVs from some of the main players in this installment, and Marosa Vetalda — the heir to the Yscalin kingdom — is now one of my favorite characters from the series. (Fair warning, though, a happy ending won’t be imminent considering the chaos that awaits readers in Priory.)

If you have yet to dip your toes into this series, this will serve as a good entry point. That said, reading them sequentially makes more sense timeline-wise: start off with “A Day of Fallen Night”, continue with “Among the Burning Flowers”, and finish it off with “The Priory of the Orange Tree”. We would then only have to hunker down and wait for the next published book in the series (hopefully soon, please and thank you Ms. Shannon 💋).

Among the Burning Flowers is a powerful return to Samantha Shannon’s world of Priory of the Orange Tree. I loved getting to witness the events that ultimately set the stage for its sequel, and it was interesting to see some of the characters from the PotOT- especially Marosa. I think she was probably my favorite character out of both books, and that’s saying something considering how much I loved Ead.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun story in one of my favourite worlds.

I love The Roots of Chaos Series so I was so excited to get this ARC and thankfully I wasn't disappointed.

This being a prequel to Priory but a sequel to A Day of Fallen Night was actually interesting because you can see how Influenced these characters are from the events of ADOFN but get some nice Insight into what was happening in Yscalin during the events of Priory.

I liked the story, Marosa and Aubrecht are characters I really enjoyed and could emphasize with a lot.

Melaugos Story on the other hand felt kind of out of place and unnecessary. Yes she is an yscalin character that appears in Priory but she is such a minor character there and even more unimportant character here that I really don't understand why it was added. She isn't even in the second half of this book you just get an introduction chapter and character found their place in the world chapter and it messes with the pacing of the book. The only thing the Melaugo chapter did achieve for me was convince me that Samantha Shannon is improving her Action/fight scene skills which is nice to see but still didn't need that.

Overall I had a good time with it, I still really like Shannons writing style and especially the way she describes the emotions of character and I am inpatiently waiting for the Cleolind book.

Among the Burning Flowers is a brilliant addition to the Roots of Chaos series, one of my all-time favourites, so it’s no surprise that I absolutely loved it.

As a direct prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, this novella offers a fascinating glimpse into the events leading up to the world we know from the main novel. There's a slight overlap in the timeline, which makes the connections even more satisfying to uncover. Watching the early stirrings of Fýredel’s awakening unfold added a rich layer of context to the overarching story.

Marosa Vetalda is a name fans will recognize, but until now, she’s remained somewhat of a mystery. This story shines a welcome spotlight on her life and on Yscalin, bringing more depth to both the character and the wider world. Exploring another region and time period expanded the lore in a way that felt both fresh and meaningful.

While this is a much shorter read than the previous two standalones, it still manages to deliver a compelling slice of history. Of course, I’ll always crave more from this universe, but Among the Burning Flowers offers just the right amount of insight and intrigue for anyone who’s already fallen in love with The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this eARC.

As with everything Shannon writes, I really enjoyed Among the Burning Flowers. I love this world and it's always worth it to re-immerse in it. If you're a fan of The Priory of the Orange Tree, I'm sure you'll enjoy this new addition to the Roots of Chaos family, even if it is on the shorter side.

I adore Samantha Shannon and the priory series and this book was no exception. A little strange to be reading something of hers so short, but still good nonetheless.
What I love about SS is the incredible world building and the characters she creates - I think because this book is a lot shorter, there isn’t as much as that, and so there felt like there was something missing within the storytelling. But this was still an excellent book to read.
Samantha Shannon, I hope you never stop writing fantasy!