A review by mwaltos
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense 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? Yes

5.0

Despite its gargantuan size, I soared through A Day of Fallen Night. Having read The Priory first, I had already fallen in love with the cultures and setting of the Roots of Chaos series. For this reason, I found the novel to be immediately compelling, but I imagine that people that read the prequel first will experience the same delayed sense of investment that I felt when reading the Priory as I tried to wrap my head around the politics, religions, cultures, and landscape of this world. Regardless, I assure potential readers that Shannon rewards her audience for their patience, no matter the starting point. Personally, I did not reread The Priory in preparation for this book, and I found that the prequel reiterates the most important lore sufficiently to welcome both newcomers and returning fans to this world. 

 

Regardless of the depth of the world building, a narrative is nothing without strong characters. Fortunately, Shannon takes as much care in the development of her characters as she does in the creation of her setting. Impressively, I found each character POV to be equally engaging, and Shannon does a great job of including little cliffhangers at the end of each switch in POV that help maintain a wonderful sense of tension that is especially welcome in such a long book. From this diverse collection of perspectives, we see how various cultures, nations, and organizations attempt to address the rise of the vanguard of the Nameless One, which is referenced as the Great Sorrow in The Priory. Throughout this chaotic and apocalyptic upheaval, the protagonists’ struggle with societal expectations, the conflict between duty and self-fulfillment, and the political machinations of rival sects. What makes the Roots of Chaos series stand out amongst its well-qualified rivals in the fantasy genre is its ability to critique the systems of power and predominant ideologies or religions that divide the narrative’s different societies from each other and sow internal conflict within the societies. Additionally, while all the trappings of a medieval high fantasy story are present here, this is also a world where queer folks exist visibly and peaceably, and women are not ubiquitously sequestered to the domicile. Shannon shines a spotlight on how monarchical succession subordinates queer relationships and strips women of bodily autonomy, but she has also crafted a world where queerness is much more normalized than our contemporary times and women more consistently hold positions of influence within the mainstream power structures. She uses the power of speculative fiction to interrogate the meaning of parenthood and family, coming up with a vision much more expansive and inclusive than what we see today in real life. 

 

In addition to all this wonderful thematic depth, this book also hits all the fantasy tripes I adore. We have talking creatures, magic weapons, magic people, court intrigue, elaborate combat scenes, intricate clothing, and plenty of romance of all types. I’ve heard complaints about pacing choices for this book, but I personally always felt like scenes were pushing the plot forward. Some character development sections in the middle may feel a bit sluggish in comparison to the start and ending, but I found that they ensured that I was sufficiently invested in the characters to be properly impacted by the most climactic moments once they finally arrived. This series has cemented itself as my favorite depiction of dragons—which in itself is no small feat—and I can’t think of higher praise for a book that features dragons so centrally. If you are in the mood to immerse yourself in the lore of a book of this size, A Day of Fallen Night will reward your diligence.