I do first want to say that this is a prequel novella and I have not read the work that this prequel is based on. You don't need to have read it to3/5
I do first want to say that this is a prequel novella and I have not read the work that this prequel is based on. You don't need to have read it to read this book, however I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if I had done so.
I thought the writing in this story was woven beautifully, I loved the glimpses of this world that we were allowed to see, however I always wished for more. This in particular I feel could've been rectified if I had already read the novel set in this world. A novella felt too short. We moved quite abruptly through the events of the story and I constantly wished for a slower pace. I also found the characters a little lacklustre because of this, I felt that we were never truly allowed to sit with them and get to know them fully. There were some that held promise, but I never connected to them in the way that I wished to.
My primary thought after reading this is that I wish I had read Dark Woods, Deep Water, the novel that this prequel stems from, first. However, I did find the author's writing to paint a very poetic picture, I just couldn't connect entirely to this particular story as it felt too short and too rushed. I wanted more time to see more of the intricacies of the court politics, I wanted more cunning and more scheming. Whilst I do think the main character grew a lot from the beginning to the end of the story, I ultimately still desired more wit and cleverness from her actions.
Thank you to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review....more
Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.
This was amazing! I cannot properly express 4.75/5
Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.
This was amazing! I cannot properly express how much I adored, adored, adored this book! I enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes (which I also loved so, so much)! The characters, the town of Murk, the bookshop, the pure comfort this story exudes. Everything was phenomenal and so delightfully atmospheric!
Our beloved orc, Viv, gets injured whilst her and the other mercenaries are pursuing a powerful necromancer. Unable to fight on her injured leg, she resides for a while in the seaside town of Murk so that she can have a (supposedly) peaceful recovery. Here we meet a loving and lively cast of characters, all with their own interesting lives and stories.
Viv is younger in this book (as it is a prequel to Legends & Lattes) and I liked seeing a more reckless and youthful side of her, but she is still very much the Viv we know and love. This story adds so much to Legends & Lattes and to what we know lies in Viv's future. It attaches a fascinating history to her as each person she comes across in Murk changes her, some only in little ways, others in big ones. (Fern and Potroast, the gryphet, quickly became favourites of mine!)
Sometimes, it'll never be the right time. And sometimes, we aren't the right people yet.
This book perfectly balances the cosiness and the adventure. It definitely has higher stakes and more conflict than in L&L yet it never loses that great sense of comfort that both books nurture. That is the one thing I could say over and over and over again about this book; it is astoundingly comforting. I loved all the community of Murk, every single character brought such life to it. And, for me, a bookshop is the ultimate place of comfort. There could have been no better setting for this story. Travis Baldree is the master of making his books feel like a warm hug.
"Then why does this have to be the end of it?" "Because I'm headed down the hill, and you're headed up it. I'm just glad we chanced to meet on the way."
I adored how storytelling was used in this book, I loved how many bibliophiles there were in it. It's very simply a story for those who love books. It's a story about connections and growth and the hopeful yet sorrowful echoes of what is yet to come. It's about finding a home and knowing that you'll have to leave it. It's about having the knowledge that leaving, that closing the book, doesn't mean that the story is over. Endings are not always the end. Your story goes on.
This was such a wholesome and sweet book. I was hooked all throughout, I never wanted to put it down. It's the type of story you simultaneously want to devour and want to make last forever. If I could be enveloped in this story for all my days, I would be! It's as simple as that. Please let my praises stir you so that you go and pick up a copy in November when it's out! It's worth it a million times over. Please never stop writing, Travis Baldree!
See you in the story past the story.
Thank you Pan Macmillan for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review....more
1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: 4.25/5 Pythia by Olivie Blake: 4.5/5 (my favourite by far) Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: 3/5 The Hare Average Rating: 3.5/5
1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: 4.25/5 Pythia by Olivie Blake: 4.5/5 (my favourite by far) Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: 3/5 The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew: 3.75/5 X House by J.T. Ellison: 2.5/5 The Ravages by Layne Fargo: 3.75/5 Four Funerals by David Bell: 2/5 The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang: 3/5 Weekend at Berties's by M.L. Rio: 3.25/5 The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant: 3.25/5 Phobos by Tori Bovalino: 4/5 Playing by Phoebe Wynne: 4.25/5...more
Mother, we are your daughters. We remember. We remain.
Samantha Shannon has done it once again! I enjoyed A Day of Fallen Night even more than4.5/5
Mother, we are your daughters. We remember. We remain.
Samantha Shannon has done it once again! I enjoyed A Day of Fallen Night even more than The Priory of the Orange Tree, it was such an incredible read. In a book with such an epic scope it's hard to find a place to start when reviewing, but I will nevertheless attempt explaining how infatuated I am with this book in my mere words.
First of all, the world. The world is unconquerable, Shannon's skill and immense love of history shines in every structured choice she made whilst creating it. It is lush forests and desolate plains, ravaged by the ice of the North and the sun of the South, it boasts so many fascinating geographies, civilisations, religions and cultures. It's a sweeping tale that spans the Grief of Ages (a time Priory readers will recognise from the world's history) with perspectives from all across it's vast map.
Dumai is our perspective in the East. She's a godsinger on Mount Ipyeda, her world a world of snow, harsh winds and perilous climbs. She learns never to goad the mountain, to learn when to reach towards the sky and when to be mindful of the shifting ground beneath her feet. And, inevitably, this is the battle of Dumai's storyline; she is a kite meant to soar with the winds, yet she is tangled in the politics of a land she was not born to understand. She is a secret, she is a legacy, she is the whispering voice, she is the mountain climber, she is the wind, she is the godsinger. We are lead across the East as we fly beside her, spectators to her momentous story. From the mountains, to court, to journeys Dumai could never dream possible, we haunt her like water ghosts as we traverse the mysteries that lie inside her. Dumai holds engrossing relationships with all those around her, a devoted bond with her mother, a heart-warming friendship with Kanifa, a complex and entertaining relationship with the silver-tongued Nikeya. I adored every moment of her story, I think it was perfectly written.
In The South, we are introduced to Tunuva, a sister of the Priory. Tunuva is an older character with many established relationships and memories of the past. She's a brilliant character, kind and loyal to a fault, always there and ready to protect her family. Ultimately, this is Tunuva's weakness, her love and gentle heart. Although she is a great warrior, faultless with a spear as she fights alongside her ichneumon, Ninuru, her heart holds her family above all else. Esbar and Siyu, the child in her past, and all her family in the Priory mean everything to her. I loved glimpsing more of the Priory itself and the people in it. Priory readers will recognise these characters as ancestors of ones we already know. It's a fascinating place to simply exist in, and I loved seeing more of the South. It was always riveting when we discovered places we have not yet been to in this world, as well as places that did not exist in Priory because of the changes throughout the world's history. The Republic of Carmentum was one of these compelling new discoveries. Through Tunuva we see the most siden magic, a magic of heat and day and fire. I have always adored the careful balance of this world's magic system and was delighted to see so much magic throughout the different perspectives.
Wulf is our point of view in the North. He's such an engaging character, an intriguing man trying to escape the mysteries of his past. He serves as a warrior under King Bardholt, fighting against the rumours of the Haithwood, trying to be someone his family will be proud of. Wulf is also an incredibly loyal character, much like Tunuva, a fierce defender of those he loves, and a caring friend. His childhood friendship with Glorian slowly became one of my favourites. Although I cannot say too much about the plot of Wulf's story, know that it is enrapturing, never ceasing to elude and devour you. We trek the furthest in Wulf's perspective, seeing corners of the world we had not dared venture before. As I mentioned with the Republic of Carmentum, Hróth is another land we have not seen before, and (as a person who loves cold, icy lands) I treasured every moment inside of it. Hróth provided many unique obstacles and difficult terrain. It was a brilliant choice to establish so many varying geographies and cultures so that we could see how similar things affected each land differently and in which ways the lands each chose to combat them.
As hard as it was to decide, as I adored every single character with all my heart, I eventually decided on a favourite. We find that favourite within our perspective in the West, Glorian Hraustr Berethnet. She is strong and iron-willed, clever and defiant. She is the shield of Inys. We know the long line of Berethnet queens from Priory, but there are very few who compare to Glorian. We even know a piece of Glorian's story, from the history of Priory, but there is still much that we do not know. Knowing this piece of her only draws tighter the chains that bind Glorian to her story, she grows evermore imprisoned as we read on and on. The role of queen is not one she desires, the eternal vine of Berethnets is not a destiny she wants to claim. Here, Shannon explores the most important storyline of them all. Here, Shannon (with her passion for women in history blazing brighter than any flame) explores monarchy through the lens of what women in monarchies were forced to endure and provide to continue these bloodlines. Here, Shannon is at her best. I could write essays upon essays just on this topic and how essential it is to be explored like this, but I fear I cannot without dragging huge spoilers from the depths of every part of this novel, so I won't. But know that it is done incredibly, with parallels that illustrate deeper these monstrosities, and profound moments that will wrench your heart from your chest. Glorian's story is the story of A Day of Fallen Night for me. As important and entertaining as all the others are, Glorian's story is indomitable.
All of the characters are incredible, complex and alluring, and their plotlines are all captivating as they intertwine and parallel and subvert. Unlike Priory, you will be completely immersed in every single character's perspective as your love and adoration for each character only ever grows.
We will all be stories one day, and I'd want someone to believe we existed.
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.
A Day of Fallen Night is a standalone prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, you can read either one first. I would say Priory is the gentler read and is a softer introduction to the world, however ADOFN is (in my opinion) the better of the two. It is truly such a brilliant read and I now love Samantha Shannon and the world of Priory even more.
Priory is known as a sapphic fantasy staple, and I wholeheartedly agree with this. But A Day of Fallen Night boasts an even higher count of sapphic relationships, alongside it's other incredible representation. Out of our four main characters, two are sapphic, one is achillean, and one is aroace-spec. There are also several other queer characters as well as trans and genderqueer characters. Samantha Shannon could I possibly love you more?
Let us give the world a reason to remember us.
Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review....more
I am emotionally devastated, Adam Silvera why do you always do this to me? But also don't stop, it's incredible! This review is going to be all o4.5/5
I am emotionally devastated, Adam Silvera why do you always do this to me? But also don't stop, it's incredible! This review is going to be all over the place because I simply cannot get over this book.
Prequels always have a unique sense of grief that they're able to inflict upon you. I think it lies in the omniscience of the reader. Therefore reading the tiny links in this story to characters like Mateo and Rufus etc makes their story to come even more heartbreaking and this one all the more poignant, too.
Valentino and Orion's story is heartbreaking enough by itself (this added factor just wedged the knife in a little deeper) but their story is not only a heartbreaking one, it's also poetic and hopeful and beautiful. All the thoughts in my head right now are of the ending and many other aspects of this story that I can't talk about without spoiling it, but what I will say is that I thought the structure of this novel was brilliant. It's an incredibly character-driven story, as Adam Silvera's books usually are, and it allows us the simplicity of existing beside these characters, of following their very real, very tragic stories.
What I love so much about the Death-Cast stories is that they are exactly that, so very real. The world-building of Death-Cast is amazing and I loved seeing the differences in the world between this book and They Both Die at the End. The world is so clearly thought out and you can see its growth as it changes, as something like this would if it existed in our world. But, amongst this dystopian-esque world are human stories. This is one of the many compelling factors in these books, we follow the human experiences of these people, the world is only their backdrop, the focus is them.
The dynamic of the two main characters is very different in this story to TBDATE (due to a number of spoilery factors I won't elaborate on as well as their personalities and who they are) but it also holds the same messages and comforts as they navigate this End-Day (the very first End-Day). I've always said that They Both Die at the End, and now The First to Die at the End, hold a rare comfort within them; it's not a jagged, distressing sadness, but a warm, inevitable one.
And that's one of the things we know whilst reading, we know the inevitability of their fates. This book actually adds an element of mystery to this factor, too, but generally speaking we know how the story ends. I find this the most captivating factor of these stories, the fact that we are telling a tale already with the knowledge of its ending. That just because we already know how it ends, it doesn't mean the story isn't important, it doesn't mean the story isn't worth telling.
And it's true. We all know, as we exist on this earth, that we will eventually die. No one has escaped it and no one has hidden from it, it is as certain as anything. But that doesn't mean that the things that we do now, that the lives that we live now, are not important. It's a sentiment that even alone would make me cry and Adam Silvera adds to this even more with his beautiful tales.
The characters are caring and heartfelt and you can't help but want to hold them in your arms and protect them from the world. I also adored the tales within the story that one of our main characters (a short story writer) tells us, they were breathtaking and read as if they were myths. The story of the Golden Heart was so moving and I'll never forget it.
Thank you Adam Silvera for another masterpiece! I find such comfort in these stories (even though I end up sobbing and sobbing and sobbing) I highly recommend you pick this one up!...more
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