Sarah O'Connor

“We will all be stories one day, and I’d want someone to believe we existed. Wouldn’t you?” (Shannon 582).

For fifty years Tunuva Melim has been a sister of the Priory, trained to slay wyrms even though the younger generation has started to question the Priory’s purpose when no dragons have been seen for hundreds of years. In the North, Princess Glorian, daughter to Queen Sabran the Ambitious and the King of Hróth, prefers to live in the shadows of her parents since she fears she will never learn how to rule the Queendom of Inys as her mother does. In the East, Dumai has spent her life as a godsinger on Mount Ipyeda worshipping the dragons that have slept for centuries until a mysterious figure from her mother’s past finds her on the mountain. Wulfert Glenn, housecarl to the King of Hróth is dedicated to protecting Inys even though many around him see him as a heathen since he was discovered in the mysterious woods as a baby near his adopted home. When the Dreadmount erupts an age of terror, violence, and strange wyrms emerge that these characters will have to find the strength inside of themselves to save humanity.

There is so much to say about A Day of Fallen Night, too much really to put into a review without spoiling anything. What I will say is that it was well worth the hype. I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree and I was so excited to learn that Samantha Shannon decided to write a prequel book, now I can only hope that she writes even more in this universe!

I loved all the characters in this book but definitely favoured Dumai. I loved the world of Seiiki, the descriptions of Mount Ipyeda as well as of Dumai dragon riding Furtia Stormcaller, as well as the dark intricacies of court-life as Dumai finds herself thrown into it. In comparison, Glorian’s unexpected place on the throne and her struggles and fears over keeping power and ruling Inys at sixteen were heartbreaking. Tunuva’s quest to protect her sisters, lover, but dedication to her family was beautiful to see. The women of this book were the real strength, I loved the differences of their worlds as well as seeing how they worked past their individual challenges in order to succeed in their shared worry over the eruption of the Dreadmount. The only perspective I wasn’t really fond of was Wulf’s. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it, I liked his character as well as his journey, but I just wasn’t as interested in the story as I was the women.

There are many different themes in this book. Motherhood is a large one, but I think the most important theme was finding pride in and discovering oneself. Each of the characters face a certain expectation on who they should be, how they should act, and certain assumptions and duties they are expected to fulfil based on the roles and titles they hold in their life. It’s a quest narrative, both in the literal sense as well as a metaphorical quest on each of these characters discovering who they are and finding peace and comfort in that which I thought was beautiful.

I hope Samantha Shannon never stops writing because I will literally read anything she publishes (as well as hoping she’ll write more in this world!).

Publication: February 28th 2023
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Pages: 880 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Bought (Epic Books)
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Adult, Queer
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:

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.