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A review by catearca
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Samantha Shannon never misses.
ADOFN has not disappointed after the high of Priory. All the themes and explorations the author started in Priory were deepened in this prequel.
All the characters were instantly lovable, yet not flawless. Even the antagonists (yes even the dragons) had character and personality. The four main characters, mostly women, were distinct and important in their own way. They don't feel like tools used to tell a story, but the story itself.
I keep insisting that Samantha Shannon knows how to write friendships and relationships outside of the romantic sphere in a way that to me is so genuine and pure, she doesn't put romance above everything else. It shows in all the complex relationships characters have with each other, it's refreshing. Having said that every romantic relationship had me screaming at one point or another, either for them to "get together already!" or in one of the rare already established relationships, out of tenderness and love.
I'm so grateful we get to see in depth the world she clearly very carefully crafted. It's clear that places play a very important role in her storytelling - chapters are even named after the cardinal direction instead of character names - and it's evident in how they come alive on the page.Which makes it even worse when we inevitably see these places wrecked by the fire and destruction of the wyrms .
The last point I wanted to congratulate the author on, is how the story tells mother-daughter, or mother-son, relationships. Since the prologue, since the very first sentence even, we're told this is a story about mothers and daughters. And it shows that in many different ways. It's always about love, sometimes too much love, and what mothers do for their daughter and sons. It's about motherhood and also about being a daughter, and a granddaughter. It's about inheriting a legacy you never asked for, be it a throne, a duty or magic.
I could ramble on about this book for ages, so i will stop here. But in any case read it, read this book because it is magical and tender and will also leave you sobbing.
Oh, have I mentioned, there's dragons!
ADOFN has not disappointed after the high of Priory. All the themes and explorations the author started in Priory were deepened in this prequel.
All the characters were instantly lovable, yet not flawless. Even the antagonists (yes even the dragons) had character and personality. The four main characters, mostly women, were distinct and important in their own way. They don't feel like tools used to tell a story, but the story itself.
I keep insisting that Samantha Shannon knows how to write friendships and relationships outside of the romantic sphere in a way that to me is so genuine and pure, she doesn't put romance above everything else. It shows in all the complex relationships characters have with each other, it's refreshing. Having said that every romantic relationship had me screaming at one point or another, either for them to "get together already!" or in one of the rare already established relationships, out of tenderness and love.
I'm so grateful we get to see in depth the world she clearly very carefully crafted. It's clear that places play a very important role in her storytelling - chapters are even named after the cardinal direction instead of character names - and it's evident in how they come alive on the page.
The last point I wanted to congratulate the author on, is how the story tells mother-daughter, or mother-son, relationships. Since the prologue, since the very first sentence even, we're told this is a story about mothers and daughters. And it shows that in many different ways. It's always about love, sometimes too much love, and what mothers do for their daughter and sons. It's about motherhood and also about being a daughter, and a granddaughter. It's about inheriting a legacy you never asked for, be it a throne, a duty or magic.
I could ramble on about this book for ages, so i will stop here. But in any case read it, read this book because it is magical and tender and will also leave you sobbing.
Oh, have I mentioned, there's dragons!