Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory’s purpose.
To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother’s past is coming to upend her fate.
When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.
Intricate and epic, A Day of Fallen Night sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree, showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come.
Buy a copy of A Day of Fallen Night here.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Absolutely loved this book. A long-awaited prequel that doesn’t disappoint. Powerful female characters, rich emotions, intriguing storylines. The reader gets a strong sense of the word that has been created and waits patiently as the individual storylines and events weave together to create a tale that is thought-provoking, entertaining and completely enjoyable. Catherine, NSW, 5 Stars
An epic fantasy tale and a marathon read. Once I had started to place how all the characters and their histories were related, I got into this hard-to-put down prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree and found it taking over my life. The characters were well portrayed, and I did develop my favourites; the descriptions of the landscapes made it feel like I knew where these places were. It felt like going back in time to an earlier human history, one which we could easily pass on in tales to our children. The heroes are not unscathed – I felt a mixture of sorrow and great relief. But has it all ended here? We must wait and see. Kirsten, WA, 5 Stars
An epic fantasy saga, following in the tradition of Lord of the Rings and The Belgariad. True fantasy with magic, witches, dragons and the war between good and evil. Written in four parts, north, south, east and west, and as the saga develops the four sides of the world are drawn together. Working under the four points of the compass, four female characters are developed, and as the war between good and evil progresses these four characters draw closer together. They are all supported by additional characters in their roles. This huge novel is the second in a series – I had not read the first novel but that did not stop my understanding of the plot and characters in this part of the saga. Assisting in keeping track of the characters was an appendix, “The Persons of the Tale”. Also of much assistance was a glossary of terms; as in any good fantasy, the author has developed her own languages to help emphasise the societies of this new world. An enthralling fantasy saga with clear development of the dramas occurring. I look forward to reading future books from this author. Ainsley, QLD, 5 Stars
This was superb! Set 500 years before the first book, this is an epic fantasy! A Day Of Fallen Night is definitely a complex read and so detailed you feel like you are right there among the characters. It is a standalone prequel. It’s a story about dragons, gods, family, mothers and daughters and their unbreakable connection. Loved the fire-breathing dragons and ichneumon. A truly magical experience. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store next. Peter, SA, 5 Stars
Firstly, I’ll acknowledge that this is a long book but, having read the earlier book in the series, I was prepared for this. The story was beautifully written and incredibly detailed and the characters were engaging. The various plots and subplots were very well developed. A wonderful book for lovers of fantasy. Susan, NSW, 5 Stars
I’ve not read The Priory of the Orange Tree, or other high fantasy for a while, but thoroughly enjoyed this read. This detailed, multilayered adventure was an incredible reading experience, with a mind-blowing range of locations, histories, beliefs, politics and language. What I liked: The story is strongly feminist, without making every male character bad or stupid. Strong queer representation and different family structures shown in such a way that it is simply a fact, with no explanation required or provided. What I loved: Dragons and ichneumon (bear-sized, mongoose-like talking creatures that can be ridden)! Iconic moments that were just goosebumps all over (I loved Glorian, but no spoilers)! What I struggled with: The invented language and names slowed my reading (normal for high fantasy). Remembering the differences between each POV. I kept notes on family trees, religions, locations (reading Priory first might have helped). The ARC [advanced readers copy] had no maps, so my understanding of the geography was fuzzy. Lastly, I have to commend the pacing – once the action started, it did not stop. For a book of over 800 pages, I was impressed with how many gasp-out-loud moments I had. Lisa, QLD, 5 Stars
This book by Samantha Shannon was brilliant. I found it to be a complex fantasy novel with many different characters – at first is took a while for me to grasp who was who and how they fitted into the storyline; however, once I was able to do this, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Not being one to usually read fantasy novels, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. Turned out this was a fantastic, gripping story. The different roles of the women definitely added to the story and had me enthralled at how they were the heroines and warriors. A big book, but it was an easy read in the end with a great thrilling ending. Would highly recommend this book. Christine, QLD, 5 Stars
This stunning prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree drew me back into a world filled with myth and legend, told through a number of central characters in different parts of the world who face a shared challenge. I loved the strength of Glorian, the empathy of Tunuva and the loyalty of Wulfart. There is depth and complexity to this novel and you can see how the different values and beliefs of each society inform their worldview. Charlotte, WA, 5 Stars
At first, I was absolutely daunted by the size of this book and a genre I’ve never really explored before. I kept chipping away at it, eventually getting my head into what was happening, having never read any of Samantha Shannon’s books. I found it very useful in the rear of the book to have the persons of the tale (storytellers) and glossary to explain anything I was having trouble deciphering. A magically written book based on strong women. I really like the character Dumai, with her devotion to family, value of friendship and a strong bond with her mother. Overall, I enjoyed the book and it has given me a thirst to read more Samantha Shannon and fantasy books in general. Vanessa, SA, 4 Stars
A Day of Fallen Night is a refreshing break for lovers of the fantasy genre who are seeking a reprieve from the commitment of other series that span multiple books. As a prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, it is set far enough into the past that readers of The Priory benefit from Shannon’s world-building and storytelling, while newer readers to the series can still enjoy a story with beautiful scenery, interesting characters and fast-paced excitement. Although it is easy to fall in love with the variety of characters, character development is sometimes neglected, possibly due to the length of the book. Platonic and intimate relationships sometimes appear from nowhere, and during devastating events, characters aren’t given the opportunity to grieve, instead they move on with some resolve that feels forced due to the pace of the book. Despite this, you will still flick through pages to see when your favourite character will appear next. Overall, it is an enjoyable read that breaks the stereotype of fantasy series built upon a patriarchy and will leave you wanting to learn more about the world Shannon has created. Abby, NSW, 4 Stars
I’m just over halfway through this book and I’m really looking forward to having time to read the rest. I struggled with the names of characters and also that chapters go from North, South, West and East, rather than characters names, so that was a little confusing (doesn’t help that I’m dyslexic). I had to refer to the back of the book a few times in the author’s notes. But the further I read, the more the story and characters came together for me. This is a wonderful fantasy book and I love the fact that the main characters are strong women. I can’t wait to see where this goes. Sue, WA, 4 Stars
Myths and dragons, dangers and secrets. The daughters must protect their kingdoms from the wyrms after the eruption of the Dreadnaught. Fire and eruptions, powers, ice, sky and earth, traitors and loyalty……. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy to review. Never having been a convert of the fantasy genre, I felt overwhelmed at the length of the book. A little hard to get into and understand who was who amidst all the unusual names, but after a time, and figuring out North, South East and West and their kingdoms and rulers, I became quite absorbed. A race to save the world from the beasts within. Actually, I loved it!! Di, NSW, 4 Stars
The setting of the book is well thought out and developed. The mythos is interesting. The three separate threads in the world could have interacted more. The characters had strong and distinctive personalities. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy high fantasy. Marg, QLD, 3 Stars
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