#BBNI2025

I did not understand if this is the prequel, sequel, something in between...?
As always Shannon has a beautiful writing style and prose, but I was confused all the time

Although this is the weakest of the Priory-universe books, the old adage holds true: even a bad pizza is good. In this case, the character development and intrigue isn’t as strong (of COURSE there’s something dodgy going on with the extremely shifty king) and manouvering characters into where they need to be for the opening of Priory of the Orange Tree means that the ending feels rushed and abrupt. I did enjoy the world building- as I always do in these books- and you will find no finer writer for lush, vivid description. Worth a read but have Priory lined up for immediately after.

thank you bloomsbury publishing for this ARC

another incredible installment in the roots of chaos saga. set three years before priory of the orange tree and being only around 288 pages its the perfect introduction to the world. however, i would still recommend reading a day of fallen since its set before this book and there were some mentions of those characters in this book, the same can be said about the priory.

this book like the others in the saga is rich in worldbuilding but through the pov of tgree characters its broken down so can be understood and explored throughout the characters. reading this book made me even more aware and encapsulated by this world and i would love to reread priory at some point.

in terms of plot its quite similar to that of the other two books so if you love them you'll be sure to enjoy this book. personally i like these books for the rich worldbuilding and the addition of this book only builds to that for me but if your wanting something new maybe you might not want to pick this up. overall i really enjoyed returning to this world of fire-breathing dragons and ofc marosa vetalda.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Another fantastic standalone installment to the roots of chaos saga. Set a few years prior to the events in Priory, we follow the fall of Yscalin as Fýredel wakes up from his sleep.

I loved Marosa and found her to be such a strong, resilient character.

This would be a good introduction to this world as it relatively short so not as intimidating as the other 2 novels.

Whilst it’s short it does pack a punch and fleshes out this world even further.

I love this series (and author) so much and can’t wait to read more!

As expected, this was beautifully written and I loved being back in the Roots of Chaos world again. I am, however, a little conflicted with this book.

On one side, I love that we got a whole back story for Marosa, who is such a compelling character that I loved from the first page. This series really has some of the best strong but soft female protagonists that I have ever read!

On the other side, I feel like this book would have been better served as a single POV telling her story, rather than peppering in a couple of chapters from Melaugo and Aubrecht as I felt a little underwhelmed by their stories and wanted more (though I appreciate their stories have to tie in with their appearances in The Priory of the Orange Tree). I kind of questioned why they were included at all because Marosa’s story was the clear focal point of the book.

That said, Among the Burning Flowers is a good taster for those who want to start the series but are intimidated by the size of the full length novels. I would still recommend A Day of Fallen Night as an entry point to the series, if people aren’t put off by the size of the novels, because it is such a magical read and the events and characters from that book are referenced a lot in this book. I personally enjoyed already having the context for when POV characters from A Day of Fallen Night were mentioned here.

Though I didn’t enjoy the three POVs equally, I still enjoyed the book overall and would recommend to those familiar with the series and those who just want to dip a toe into the Roots of Chaos world. I now need to re-read The Priory of the Orange Tree to see more of my girl Marosa!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for access to this eARC!

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon!

I read The Priory of the Orange Tree 2 years ago and I didn’t remember a thing when I started Among the Burning Flowers. I wondered if it was necessary to have read A Day of Fallen Night as I hadn’t, but you don’t.

It is sold as a standalone that you can read before The Priory of the Orange Tree and I agree. There are some characters that you’ll find in Priory that you’ve read about in this book so it makes Priory less daunting.

I also feel like it is a nice way to get into the world and understand what is at stake without starting a big book.

There are only 3 characters that you follow in the novel and the story is rather easy to follow.

It made me want to reread Priory as the world and intrigue are interesting and well-written!

As a huge fan of Samantha Shannon I was not disappointed! It’s everything I love about Priory of the Orange Tree but much shorter. The character and world are well developed and I didn’t want the book to end. Samantha Shannon please write a sequel to Priory!

Wow!

I admit I haven’t read the books for which this is the prequel. Despite being a prolific reader I am often put off by books more than around 600 pages - usually just because of the practicalities. (I much prefer a physical book where available). However, since reading this prequel I will not be waiting before I dive into them.

The world was like nothing I’ve read before, and the clear depiction of heart break, love, and suffering was a triumph. I was just lost in the world, and cannot wait to delve into the other books. Excellent.

Thank you Samantha Shannon, Bloomsbury Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a shorter novel compared Samantha Shannon's other novels. I found it as an easier entrace to this series after being intimidated by Priory.

The writing is beautiful. The fall of Yscalin is so brilliantly wrought and filled with emotion and pathos. This book was exquisite. Rich and immersive worldbuilding, beautiful prose that strikes the perfect balance between flowery and accessible, and such emotional depth.

It's this level of world building that really sets Samantha Shannon apart as an epic fantasy author. To have so many characters have a developed backstory that was never used, just to give depth to the world is a commitment to detail and realism.

Overall, Among the Burning Flowers is a powerful, if bleak, addition to the Roots of Chaos universe!

Through the years, I’ve always been planning to pick up Samantha Shannon’s The Bone season series due to a lot of raving reviews from my fellow book bloggers. But such plan was forgotten after life got in the way and my other hobbies took over. Fortunately, in this year of 2025, fate has other plans for me, and I came across this ARC while I was browsing the Netgalley titles. It was not the author’s name that caught my attention at first but that lovely cover had me giddy and so when I checked it out, the giddiness became an excitement because the author’s name was familiar. I was like, holy shit, this is a sign from the book gods. And so, there I was immediately putting in a request for Among The Burning Flowers. It did not matter that it’s a prequel for her ongoing The Roots of Chaos series.

I’m glad that as my first Samantha Shannon series, Among The Burning Flowers did not disappoint. It’s a novella but I enjoyed it nonetheless even though the first few pages were difficult to get into. I understand that if I have just read the The Priory of the Orange Tree, I wouldn’t have encountered such difficulty. Anyway, once you get the hang of Shannon’s manner of writing and you already get the hang of the important characters, the story becomes more and more thrilling as it progresses. In Among The Burning Flowers, there were three main POVs: Marosa’s, Melaugo’s, and Aubrecht’s. All have wonderful narratives although Melaugo’s kind of weird because her POV does not add anything of value to the story’s plot. Yes, her perspective and her journey as an orphan-pickpoket-smith apprentice-culler-etc was interesting to follow, I just find it weird because her story seems out of place and anti-climatic even. I don’t know if her story would somehow be relevant to the main novel of the series but if we are talking about this novella only, I was left hanging with Melaugo’s story. Anyhow, this small issue will surely be answered once I read Book 1 of the series since I’ve read some of the reviews that in order to fully understand this book, one must read The Priory of the Orange Tree first.

Melaugo’s confusing POV aside, I really enjoyed Marosa’s and Aubrecht’s perspective. Marosa, a princess and the heir of the Yscalin Kingdom is a prisoner of her own father. Though she may appear meek and obedient, she’s actually hiding a silent cunning to free herself from her father’s cold manipulation of her life. And Aubrecht, the unfortunate heir to the Mentendon Kingdom, is Marosa’s fiancé whose only dream was to protect his loved ones and get to know Marosa well. Such interesting characters. Shannon has done well by getting away from making stereotypical bratinella princesses and arrogant princes. But the best thing about Among The Burning Flowers is its plot wherein the world is being beseeched by the Draconic Army, composed of dragons, wyverns and their monstrous underlings, to wreak havoc onto the world. What’s more bewitching is that the series’ plot centrally revolves about the battle of religions and yet, this did not feel sanctimonious and preachy. It was rather dark, bleak, and hopeless, a tone that I like in a fantasy story. I just wish that the author added more bloody scenes in the book to make it more palatable. Heh.

Summing this up, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night. I sincerely hope that I would enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this book with its interesting cast of characters, endearing dark fantasy story, and vicious dragons.

Samantha Shannon returns with a mesmerising prelude to The Priory of the Orange Tree in Among the Burning Flowers, a beautifully crafted and emotionally charged tale that sets the stage for epic destruction and courage. With fire-breathing dragons stirring once more, the threat to humankind is imminent, and the shadows of war begin to creep across Yscalin's sunlit valleys and fields of lavender.

At the heart of this sweeping tale is Marosa Vetalda, trapped in a gilded cage beneath her father’s harsh rule, and her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, whose ideals shine bright across the mountains of Mentendon. Their hope for a new and better world burns alongside the darker threads of Estina Melaugo’s quest, as she tracks the ancient beasts whose awakening may doom them all. The looming presence of the great wyrm Fýredel adds weight and urgency to an already tense and intricate world.

The writing is lyrical and compelling, rich with history, emotion and depth. What truly elevates this book are the illustrations, which are simply stunning. Each one captures the majesty, danger and beauty of Shannon’s world with striking detail and atmosphere. They are a joy to linger over, adding an extra layer of immersion to an already unforgettable story.

Among the Burning Flowers is a powerful, sorrowful and richly imaginative beginning to the saga. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy and for those who already cherish The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I absolutely loved Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon! If The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night left you spellbound, this prequel is going to sweep you right back into that incredible world.

Set two years before Priory, this novella explores the lives of three characters who were more in the background in Priory, and it brings them to the forefront with intensity and heart. Shannon’s writing is, as always, masterful; her worldbuilding rich, her tension gripping, and her ability to blend history, politics, and personal stakes utterly brilliant.

In just a few chapters, she made me feel everything: grief, curiosity, frustration, awe. This story adds so much emotional depth to the world we already love.

I was lucky enough to meet Samantha a while back and get one of my books signed—not this one, sadly—but she is one of the most genuine and relatable authors I’ve had the pleasure to meet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of Among the Burning Flowers.

This book was excellent and I was able to jump straight back into the world after quite a bit of time since reading the other two Roots of Chaos novels.

I loved that this was a shorter more focused read on an important event within the Roots of Chaos universe whilst still maintaining the beautiful writing and world building that Samantha Shannon is able to achieve so flawlessly.

I really enjoyed making all of the connections between the characters and references as someone who has read both other books in this series, but it’s also great that you don’t need to have Read any at all making it a great entry point into the universe, especially if you are a little wary of the size of the other two books.

I was surprised at first that this was going to be much shorter but it worked so well and is just as effective as the other two much longer books and it feels like so much depth is achieved even with the shorter word count.

Well worth the read if you enjoyed the other two books or if you are looking for a shorter taster of the series without committing to the longer novels.

4.5 stars

I loved this so much and it was such a treat to read a shorter novel set in this world. Being back in the world of the Priory was brilliant and I loved having Marosa as our focus, I found the world of Yscalin very intriguing in Priory and this is such a great introduction to Priory and it’s events for those who are intimidated by the size of Priory.

The writing is beautiful and the world-building rich and immersive. The fall of Yscalin is so brilliantly wrought and filled with emotion and pathos. As it is about the fall, there is a lot of sadness and sorrow, especially at the climactic ending. I think Marosa’s character development and story arc is so gripping. We also get Aubrecht some way into the novel which is great. He is an absolute sweetheart and must be protected at all costs.
I knocked a 0.5 star off because while Estina’s story was gripping and gave us some context for the cullers, it didn’t feel like a natural fit in a novel this short. I also found my brain tripping over the fact that she is only referred to by her surname Melaugo which, to my neurodivergent brain, is visually similar to Marosa and I had to keep double checking whose chapter I was reading at the start.

Overall, Samantha has done it again and if you are a fan of the Roots of Chaos books then you’ll love this return to this world just as much as I did 😊

Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon is a beautifully written and thought-provoking tale that captures the imagination from start to finish. Shannon’s storytelling is captivating, blending lush world-building with compelling characters and high-stakes drama. The setting is vivid and rich with detail, transporting readers to a world that feels both fantastical and grounded in real emotional stakes.

The characters are multifaceted and well-developed, each facing personal struggles and growth throughout the story. Shannon masterfully weaves themes of power, love, and sacrifice into the narrative, making every decision and interaction feel meaningful. The pacing is strong, though at times, the plot could have been a little tighter in certain sections.

Overall, Among the Burning Flowers is a fantastic entry in Shannon’s work, filled with rich emotion, intrigue, and well-crafted world-building. It’s a must-read for fans of high fantasy and those who enjoy stories that challenge and inspire. I can’t wait to see where the author takes this world in the future.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. Really, thank you. I have been obsessed with the Roots of Chaos series ever since I first read Priory, and this story—set slightly before and right at the beginning of it—was just so good. Here, we see the rise of Fyredel from an entirely different viewpoint, primarily that of Marosa Vetaldas. As the Princess of Yscalin, she provides a first-hand account of how the dragon comes into power again. I absolutely loved her as a side character in Priory and was ecstatic to find out that I’d get some of her backstory. Shannon does not disappoint—Marosa's viewpoint is engaging and highly compelling. It was also interesting and fun to read the POVs of Estina Melaugo and Aubrecht Livelyn, who were also side characters in Priory.

I recommend this book to all Roots of Chaos fans, you will not be disappointed. If someone is unfamiliar with the Roots of Chaos books, I would not suggest starting with this one though, as I found that my knowledge of Priory (and A Day of Fallen Night) helped me understand the story better.

This was an amazing read and a definite 5 stars for me. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

A deeply satisfying sidequel to the original Priory tale, Burning Flowers explores some of the beloved side characters - namely the Donmata Marosa, a beleaguered princess - and explores the events from their perspective, allowing an enjoyable recontextualisation. It's best enjoyed after reading the original work, but contains just as much action, spectacle, and heart as the other pieces in the Roots of Chaos tapestry.

Summary: this is a great addition to the Roots Series. It's full of emotion, tension, and action. I can't wait to read this again with the beautiful illustration artwork alongside the artwork that is Samantha Shannon's writing.

With three different points of view, the narrative structure was surprising for such a short novel - yet it worked well. The introduction of characters felt a little long for a 300-page book, but once the story gained momentum, it became an intense and gripping read.

Some scenes are unforgettable. There is one around around half way, in particular, that stood out for its vivid and haunting imagery - I'm still thinking about it weeks after reading it. I also enjoyed the perspectives SS chose to tell the story of Yscalin, Morosa in particular. It added even more depth to the series’ lore. And I'm always down for more Roots of Chaos lore. (I desperately want the full story of Kalyba, but that's something else entirely.)

Emotionally, this book is hard-hitting. It’s dark, full of dispear and hopelessness. But in a good way. And I didn't go into this book expecting otherwise.

I’m unsure how effectively this book functions as a standalone or entry point for the series. It gives a lot of spoilers and references to adofn. Like, a lot. But this is the down side to prequels/mid-series additions, you already tend to know the ending.

This story reignited my love for The Priory of the Orange Tree and left me curious to see how readers who experience the series in a different order will interpret it. It's also really encouraged me to do a re-read of the series as whole.

Overall, Among the Burning Flowers is a powerful, if bleak, addition to the Roots of Chaos universe, and I can't wait to see what other people, both already in the fandom and new to it, will think. As well as the illustrations, I can't wait to read this again with all the artwork alongside!

I don’t think it’ll shock anybody to discover that I adored this one - I’m a sucker for anything Samantha Shannon writes. You can imagine how excited I was to be approved for a galley!

This is set a couple of years before the events of Priory of the Orange Tree and details the awakening of the wyrms. It added so much more context and detail to an already very rich world that Samantha created and also gave my favourite side character some much appreciated page time (love u Donmata Marosa).

I think if you’ve never read the series before, you could totally use this as a (relatively short) entry point, but I do think you’d miss a lot as opposed to if you’d already read Priory or even A Day of Fallen Night! This has just fuelled my desire to re read the others now, which is doing my ever-increasing TBR no favours.

Ritornare nel mondo di A day of fallen night era un mio desiderio da quando avevo finito il libro, ma il priorato mi intimidiva per la sua mole; ecco in soccorso Among the burning flowers.
In questo breve racconto veniamo introdotti alla trama principale, ossia quella di The Priory of the orange tree e facciamo la conoscenza di alcuni attori che saranno presenti nelle sue vicende. Più che un libro o racconto a sé questo volume può essere considerato come un'introduzione, una piccola infarinatura per chi ancora deve leggere il successivo oppure un'aggiunta per quelli che sono in pari con le letture.
I personaggi principali di questo racconto sono 3: Marosa, Aubrecht e Melaugo. Le loro storie si intrecciano senza mai sovrapporsi e ci mostrano la vicenda da 3 diversi luoghi e 3 diversi punti di vista.
Lo stile di Samantha Shannon è sempre molto affascinante da leggere, alterna lunghe e poetiche descrizioni a discorsi carichi di tensione.
L'unica pecca che ho trovato è che, visto che ho letto una versione in anteprima, non erano presenti mappe o lista dei personaggi e questo mi ha creato un po' di confusione, almeno al principio.
Comunque è stata una bellissima lettura e mi ha fatto venire una gran voglia di iniziare il prossimo volume (prima di dimenticare di nuovo tutti i nomi).
Grazie a Tandem collective global, Bloomsbury publishing e NetGalley per la copia in anteprima.