A Day of Fallen Night: A Roots of Chaos Novel (The Roots of Chaos)

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Attention to semantics is vital not only to the politics of Shannon’s writing but also to her naming system in the Roots of Chaos cycle. The names in her novels are derived from older forms of existing languages or from extinct languages, such as Gothic and Sumerian. It may take the entire course of writing and editing to get the names right, but the detail in the results is undeniable. Dumai—“from an ancient word for a dream”—is taken from an old form of Japanese; Tunuva Melim, drawn from old Persian and Siberian, translates as “splendid strength”, a name befitting the finest spear-woman in the Priory. This is a story about finding yourself even when the world is ending. How to find hope, where to find the will to survive, and how to live unafraid in the face of death. Though this is a far-off world, these choices are present in our world today, in various forms, making their journeys heartbreakingly relatable. New generations bring both hope and frustration, while older generations cling to a way of life they refuse to give up. And over and over the cycle repeats, until something happens to force change. History is twisted to support beliefs that maintain certain societal structure, and often lessons are simply ignored in the pursuit of power. Love, pregnancy, greed, ambition, betrayal, survival, war, dragons, magic, grief, chaos and adventure is what you get from ‘A Day of Fallen Night’. Wulf: I haven’t really talked (typed?) about him, because I was focusing on the women, but he’s one of my favourites! He’s so sweet, and I just wanted to hug him too! Her actions lead to significant changes in Seiiki. Nikeya, the first Warlord of Seiiki, takes charge and advocates for openness with dragons to everyone, not just Clan Noziken. This shift mirrors Dumai’s belief that power shouldn’t be concentrated in the hands of a few; it should be accessible to everyone. Dumai’s bravery and sacrifice shape the future of Seiiki, ushering in a new era of inclusivity and opportunity for all. Wulfert “Wulf” Glenn/Armul Melim

Let his last day, his last choice, be the truth.” Wulf’s defiant assertion in the face of accusations highlights his courage and the theme of identity, emphasizing the power of self-definition. I stayed up reading this book until I was actually drifting off! Having to put this book down was so hard, especially as it’s better in large chunks, so you can get fully into it!Yes, A Day of Fallen Night features LGBTQIA+ characters and explores themes related to LGBTQIA+ identities and relationships. Should I read Priory of the Orange Tree or A Day of Fallen Night first? Both characters are magnificent, bold in battle and in love, as they lead the Priory’s warriors against the mighty dragon Dedalugun. Their enemy is the product of Shannon’s life-long love of dragons, which began when she first watched the 1996 film “Dragonheart” with friends for her sixth birthday. Although one friend had to leave the cinema screening after the sword-fighting became too intense, Shannon maintains “Dragonheart” is “the best thing I’ve ever seen”. Cornelia Funke’s children’s novel Dragon Rider was the step which led to protest: a staunch refusal to sing the lyrics “and the dragons are dead” in the hymn “When a Knight Won His Spurs” at her primary school. Little surprise, then, that the legend of St George and the Dragon, a story Shannon has described as having “roots infested with rot”, was re-imagined in The Priory of the Orange Tree. The intricate world building mainly from the east to west was so impressive. This was such an ambitious tale that expanded the story into spherical regions with their own traditions, political landscape, religions and practices, myths as well as cultures. Samantha Shannon’s best-selling novel “The Priory of the Orange Tree” brought readers into a world where magic lies hidden in the fruit of the earth. In her newest novel, “A Day of Fallen Night,” Shannon has yet again invited us to eat of the not-so-forbidden magic fruit. “A Day of Fallen Night,” a striking standalone prequel to “Priory,” interweaves the stories of three women — Tunuva, Glorian, and Dumai — from three wildly different fantastical cultures. Yet they are united through their devotion to their loved ones and quests to hunt down the demonic wyrms which threaten their world. “A Day of Fallen Night” sometimes struggles with the magnitude of its scope, but above all it is a striking, women-led addition to the world of modern epic fantasy.

Shannon's writing is beautiful and efficient, it shows us each part of the world in lavish prose and clearly explains every action. You can tell how much her craft has improved, the very structure, the very bones of this story hold firmer as we move towards the end with a pace of perfection. It's a slower-paced, denser read than Priory, however I believe it to be the more entertaining and engaging.

Shannon is simply a master of the genre' C. S. PACAT , New York Times-bestselling author of DARK RISE I’ve met several women who told me their fantasy worlds were misogynistic when they were writing them, and after reading Priory, they realised they didn’t have to be,” says Shannon, who adds that she has even edited The Bone Season, to remove “small instances of sexism” that were indicative of her assumptions about fantasy when she first wrote her debut novel. Jasmine Throne (L) and Iron Widow (R). (Orbit/Penguin) i really struggled to like any of the characters in this book. while it took me a while to properly connect to anyone in priory, fallen night was significantly worse. of the characters (and there’s quite a few), i only really liked glorian. i liked her mother at the beginning, but she became boring and irritating the further in i read. Although this reunion doesn’t completely heal her or compensate for the lost years, Tuva finds solace. His departure doesn’t shatter her; she can move forward without the burden of his mysterious disappearance. Throughout the novel, she confronts her grief, trying to understand it and survive. In the end, she learns to live with it, leading to a stronger bond with Esbar. Together, they defeat the wyrm Dedalugun. Glorian Hraustr Berethnet