Book Review: The Roots of Chaos series by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree 

a review by Jodey Brand 

"Reading," Ead said lightly. "A dangerous pastime."

Surmises Eadaz du Zālaq uq-Nāra, one of our central lead characters, in a rather accurate and relatable statement about how I feel about this book. And when I say dangerous, I mean dangerous in a way that I did not move from my bed for hours on end while reading this behemoth of a tome. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, carrying it with me while I vacuumed and mopped, cooked dinner and subsequently ate that dinner, cleaned the kitchen after making that self-same mess, brushing my teeth… the list is exhaustive but the point is that Priory was unputdownable. Sitting down to review it seems like an insurmountable task with the amount of thoughts and feelings I have about it — but I think that gives a good context to how deep my love for it goes. 

Priory is as much a tale of world-ending cataclysm as it is one of religion, deeply nuanced in its approach to one mythological tale being split into two different schools of thought; The Six Virtues that mythologises the Saint; and the Priory of the Orange Tree, followers of the Mother. And then there are the other major players, heathens from the Erysr in the South that worship the Dawnsinger, and those from the East who worship dragons. Despite themselves, the one thing that unites all corners of the land is combined hatred and fear of wyrms and the return of the Nameless One. 

To reduce Priory down to the basest of premise: after a millennium of peace and tranquillity, the Nameless One, odious and bestial, is rumoured to reawaken as fire-breathing wyrm attacks (among other portents) increase across the world. The Nameless One threatens to destroy the world and the only thing holding back his return is the sacred blood of the house Berethnet, a line of ancient queens who hold the power to keep him bound (allegedly). Samantha Shannon uses this central plot point and pieces together a sprawling tapestry with an amazing cast of characters, political and religious intrigue, history and magic, love and loss. Although the Eastern dragons and Western wyrms — from Nayimathun of the Deep Snows to Fyredel the Leader of the Draconic Army — are spectacles in their own right, the beating heart of Priory is the characters we follow. This is where the strength of Shannon’s writing comes to play. 

Our central characters include Eadaz, an undercover mage from the Priory tasked with protecting Queen Sabran. Eadaz not only has her own POV but acts as a lens for Sabran whose voice is otherwise hidden from the reader. As you read on, learning of Eadaz’s past and her machinations in the court, a love story unfolds as Sabran and Eadaz intertwine. On the other side of the world we follow Tané, an aspiring and soon to be Dragon Rider. Her path is a tumultuous one, filled with heartbreak and loss, but also with power and magic. All the while we have two POVs that act as their counterparts, Arteloth ‘Loth’ Beck, a recent exile from Sabran’s court and Ead’s best friend; and Niclays Roos, an exiled and disgraced anatomist and alchemist now residing in the East. Despite my favourite characters being Ead and Tané, I never found myself wanting to skip Loth or Niclays's chapters (as I sometimes tend to do in multi-POV books), with each of them having their own tales of heartbreak and discovery unfolding as they all begin to converge towards the end. 

Shannon has a masterful nuance to her worldbuilding in Priory, and one such nuance is one that is incredibly important to me; the ease in which she includes Queerness in her world. Both WLW and MLM relationships are represented in the world, all of them built carefully and lovingly, with their own moments of joy and sorrow. Queer characters in Priory are not just a box being ticked or a game of inclusivity bingo — they are fleshed out and well written, and slotted into the world simply without it being the central focus. No grandeur, no fanfare, just existence. 

A gorgeous tale with a steady build up that leads to an epic ending, Priory may look like a lot to take in, but Shannon snares your soul and captures your heart in a spellbinding story that gives you moments of jaw-dropping awe, chest wracking sobs, and heart-warming smiles. Be prepared to experience the full spectrum of human emotion reading Priory, and be prepared to completely and utterly fall in love with it. 

A Day of Fallen Night 

a review by Jodey Brand 

“I love you as the rain loves the earth. As the mountain loves the sky. I will love you when the star returns, and when the black waters swallow the world.” 

If you thought I was insufferable over The Priory of the Orange Tree, then you’ve got another thing coming. The way I feel about A Day of Fallen Night is the same as Priory but tenfold. Fallen Night does everything Priory did, but better. Samantha Shannon sweeps you back into that same world with a new cast of characters who are just as easy to fall in love with. It is clear that Shannon has done her homework writing Fallen Night — the worldbuilding is fleshed out and richer than it was in Priory. 

Dare I say that A Day of Fallen Night is one of the very few epic/high fantasy novels that doesn’t suffer from that first 100-page slog. There is an ease and subtlety to Shannon’s writing that spoon-feeds you what you need to know and when you need to know it. The opening chapters introduce us to our new cast through perspectives we never see from again (though the characters remain staple throughout the rest of the story) which invites intrigue and piques interest. We’re then thrown back into the world we know and love from Priory but 500-years in the past. The inner historian in me relishes in the subtle spelling changes made to places and things (Ascalun in Fallen Night vs Ascalon in Priory; Karkaro vs Carscaro; Eldyng vs Elding) which shows such a fine attention to detail on how historical records change and adapt with linguistics and interpretation through time. I would be remiss to not mention the maps in Fallen Night — they are simply divine, so detailed and easy to read allowing you to seamlessly and easily follow our characters’ journeys as the story progresses. 

Oh, the story? You mean one of the most brilliantly plotted and phenomenal intertwining of characters from across continents and oceans to somehow weave into one another’s lives? That story? Fallen Night is slow building, the plot driven by politics and religion through the lens of our central characters Tunuva Melim, a mage and Tomb Keeper from the Priory haunted by her past and fearful for the future; Dumai, a godsinger at the High Temple of Kwiriki in Mount Ipyeda whose life so far may have been built on a lie; Glorian III the reluctant crown-princess of Inys; and Wulfert ‘Wulf’ Glen, Hrothi warrior whose past is shrouded in mystery. Each character, rich and complex in their own right, represents a major power in the world (South, East, and West, respectively), and serve as unique and varied perspective on the events unfolding across the globe. They all face their own trials and tribulations and as the story progresses we see their lives begin to intertwine with some pretty huge plot points and revelations that left my jaw on the floor. 

Much like Priory, the same casual Queerness exists in Fallen Night. Most of our main characters are Queer in some way, shape or form and yet at no point is it central to the plot, but these very same Queer people are central to the story and to the world itself. The world Shannon has built is home to all, and it was nice to find pieces of myself in these pages — my heart skipped a beat and I had to re-read the titles ‘Duchet’ and ‘Lade’ a few times to comprehend there was some nonbinary representation in amongst the world I love so deeply. To feel seen in work that I hold so dear means more than can be put into words. 

The essence of A Day of Fallen Night is family — it is a story about mothers and daughters (and the occasional son), and the visceral and unbreakable connection between them. All on the backdrop of a cataclysmic dragon war of times past and the apparent resurgence of those very same age-old enemies. A tale of politics and religion, of love and loss, joy and sorrow, A Day of Fallen Night carries the mantle of its predecessor and holds it higher than before. Samantha Shannon is an incredible talent and a master at her craft; the Roots of Chaos world forever has a place in my heart and I wait (rather impatiently) on the edge of my seat to see what she does next.