Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
In the countries of the West, House Berethnet are lost in the details of their own legend, rolling words like boulders about their queen, Sabran the Ninth, being the sacred source of the monster’s bindings. Here, dragons had only to be mentioned and hatred sang bright in the people, like a defensive reaction to their name. Sabran is their last hope, but it’s difficult to see where that hope could possibly bear fruit when the lies about her ancestry are wearing thin, unveiling the truth beneath: that the legend of Galian Berethnet is merely a phantasm—a scrap of useless myth dancing on a string. I also have some... thoughts... about the gender politics of this world. On the one hand it's incredibly refreshing to see women just casually treated as capable and strong and competent. Love that! Love that it's just there and doesn't need to be commented on!! A rarity in high fantasy books. On the other hand, that also just... didn't make sense to me? There is so much wandering (fetch-quest style) and yet obstacles are removed with ridiculous ease. Over and over and over the characters just happen to find the object they need, or some coincidence leads to their miraculous escape, or they arrive in a huge city and immediately find the one person they need to find. The entire plot is built upon these obnoxious coincidences. It removes any tension or suspense because you always know that another miracle is right around the corner.
A return to the world of Samantha Shannon's Sunday Times and New York Times-bestselling The Priory of the Orange Tree If you do still feel compelled to read The Priory of the Orange Tree, I urge you to get the ebook. This isn’t worth getting carpal tunnel syndrome from lugging around the hardcover! Having been a fan of Samantha Shannon's series, The Bone Season, and in general being a fan of fantasy novels, I was eager to read her latest novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree. I have to confess, though, that some larger, high fantasy books have intimidated me and/or bored me to death previously. It takes the right kind of world-building and characters, mixed with a good plot, to keep me going. And wow does this deliver. As I'm less active on social media than I used to be, I just thought I'd answer a few questions in advance, to give you a clearer sense of A Day of Fallen Night.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.
Shannon is simply a master of the genre' C. S. PACAT , New York Times-bestselling author of DARK RISE The three main female characters were all equally adorable, admirable, and deserving of a central role. All very different but it was how their lives became entwined was the main appeal for this book even though their story, independent of each other, was unique, eventful, but also powerful. It was the stuff of legend, a tale destined to be enshrined in song”. and a song that needed to be sung. And so from the realm of the Orange Tree we travel east and west, to reveal how the lives of Ead, Tane, Niclays, Loth and Sabran become so dependent on each other as they face an evil buried for a thousand-years. A world on the brink of destruction. A world divided for many years. This prequel takes place 500 years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree. Each of the four geographical regions has its own historical, religious, and political beliefs. All of their beliefs are at odds with each other. 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.What this book does well: the love story. Despite the fact that this book has four perspectives, Ead's story is clearly the tentpole for the whole book. And Ead has an INCREDIBLE queer love story! There is such a dearth of f/f love stories in fantasy, particularly f/f love stories that don't fetishize lesbian relationships. We get a beautifully told romance between two complicated, well-developed ladies. I loved it. You know when people are rushing somewhere and your curious soul feels helplessly tugged along and then you get there and go, oh, I think I just hit a gold mine.
The three lead protagonists represent each major region of the world—East, West, and South—which have very different religions, political structures, and cultures. In the East, the mountain-dwelling Dumai trains as a godsinger, establishing a connection between humankind and the dragons that her society worships. In the West, Glorian is the young heir to the queendom of Inys who struggles with her royal calling. In the South, Tunuva is a warrior from the mysterious Priory of the Orange Tree, a religious organization who follow the Mother and are committed to defeating the Nameless One, an enormous fire-breathing dragon. Religion is a major theme in The Priory of the Orange Tree. The basis of the lore in this book revolves around various religions interpreting the same events in different ways and building their dogma around that. This theme had the potential to be insightful and powerful, but it was handled so poorly. So while the story borrowed from real-life conflicts, it did not bring anything perceptive or enlightening to the subject. WOW. Where do I even begin with this book? Firstly, thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an early copy of this book to read. But also how could you do this to me? Now I have to wait another month for everyone to get their hands on this so we can talk about it!
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 Priory of the Orange Tree—or POT as I’ll call it from now on because I’m lazy—is what they declare the stuff of legend, a tale destined to be enshrined in song. Because this? This is “ a brilliant, daring, and devastating jewel” and a unique, rich dragon of a book—both in size and magnificence. From “ a masterpiece of intricate world-building” to “ diverse, feminist, thought-provoking and masterfully told,” POT has been thrown many lines of acclamation and more and all are true and none are enough to paint this timeless, one of a kind yarn spun by such skilled hands. With stunningly flesh and blood queer characters with deep internal struggles, this book captures your imagination and traps you in its world. While Samantha Shannon already shined at creating strong, emotionally complex female leads in The Priory of the Orange Tree, the male characters were underdeveloped by comparison. In A Day of Fallen Night, Shannon avoids this problem by introducing Wulf, a young man from the North who becomes the fourth main protagonist in the second part of the book. Wulf strives to find his calling in a world that underestimates him, proving to be a multidimensional character every bit as compelling as the three female leads. I did appreciate the character growth of Niclays. He, Tane and Loth became dear to me and I was very invested in their story lines.
In April 2022, Shannon announced A Day of Fallen Night, a "standalone prequel," to The Priory of the Orange Tree. [2] The novel was published on February 28, 2023, by Bloomsbury Publishing. [3] Setting and Style [ edit ] The other things that bothered me were fairly minor but I'm curious to see if anyone else felt the same. The faith of the Virtues of Knighthood is predominant in several nations of the West, collectively called Virtudom. The faith of the Mother among the Lasians believes that rather than Sir Galian, it was Princess Cleolind Onjenyu who banished the Nameless One. The people of the East revere dragons as gods.
The plan is to select and read a book every month, then discuss the work during the month’s last week (to give everyone time to read it!). I will post some questions/quotes to get things started, but I would love for this to grow into an open discussion with and between you all. Whenever possible I hope to have the author, or another prominent voice on the subject, join the conversation. History & Myth: One more matter I have been obsessed with since the dawn of my curiosity is the accuracy of history and fluidity of facts upon changing the narrative. And Shannon explores this theme thoroughly and without flinching. I’m inclined to give her a standing ovation. Tané (POV): Yes, she is single-minded with all the wrong priorities, but at 19 she’s the youngest protagonist, and she stole my heart with her ambitious and courageous dragon’s heart. Ead (POV): A mage and strong warrior, with an open heart and open mind, she smells secrets and roots them out. I can’t even begin to explain the love I feel for this inspiring young woman. Prejudice & Clashing of Beliefs: Most importantly, though, Shannon has told a tale of both the struggles and beauties of our differences, asking, “ Would the world be any better if we were all the same?” Or are our contrasting views on life truly meant to be accepted and embraced and joined to form a picture none of us could see individually? As international relations become more a part of the day-to-day life these days, the importance of how people can come together despite years upon years of hostility and bitterness increases with an unsettling yet precious speed, and Shannon offers a path to acceptance of others’ differing identities while not losing our own.
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment