THE ROOTS OF CHAOS

Long ago, something disturbed the fragile balance between two magical forces. Now, every few centuries, the Dreadmount – a volcano in the land of Mentendon – erupts with fire-breathing wyrms, bringing plague and destruction wherever they fly.

Now humankind must rise to meet the threat of the Nameless One and his armies – but it will take a miracle to bring the divided countries of the known world together.

❀

Inspired by the legend of Saint George and the Dragon and other tales from around the world, the Roots of Chaos cycle is a fantasy of epic proportions.

In The Priory of the Orange Tree, follow Ead, who carries an ancient secret; Loth, a nobleman sent to investigate a suspicious disappearance; Niclays, an embittered alchemist, who seeks the key to eternal life; and Tané, a talented young dragonrider.

In A Day of Fallen Night, go back five centuries and meet Tunuva, a mage fighting to protect her family; Dumai, a godsinger on Mount Ipyeda; Wulf, a foundling with a mysterious past; and Princess Glorian, heir to the Queendom of Inys.

THE PRIORY OF THE
ORANGE TREE

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT

BOOK 3

Samantha has sold a third Roots of Chaos book to Bloomsbury Publishing. It does not yet have a release date.

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT

• Czech by HOST – coming Autumn 2024
• French by De Saxus, translated by Benjamin Kuntzer
• German by Berlin Verlag, translated by Wolfgang Thon
• Hungarian by Next21 Kiadó – coming soon
• Italian by Oscar Vault, translated by Benedetta Gallo
• Polish by Wydawnictwo SQN, translated by Kamila Regel
• Portuguese (Brazil) by Plataforma21, translated by Alexandre Boide
• Russian by Azbooka, translated by Galina Solovyova
• Spanish by Roca Editorial, translated by Jorge Rizzo
• Ukrainian by Vivat – coming soon

tRANSLATIONS

THE PRIORY OF THE
ORANGE TREE

• Croatian by Hangar7, translated by Luka Pejic
• Czech by HOST, translated by Lenka Kapsová
• French by De Saxus, translated by Benjamin Kuntzer and Jean-Baptiste Bernet
• German by Penhaligon, translated by Wolfgang Thon
• Italian by Oscar Vault, translated by Benedetta Gallo
• Polish by Wydawnictwo SQN, translated by Maciej Pawlak
• Portuguese (Brazil) by Plataforma21, translated by Alexandre Boide
• Romanian by Leda Edge, translated by Alexandru Szöllö
• Russian by Azbooka, translated by Galina Solovyova
• Serbian by Carobna – coming soon
• Spanish by Roca Editorial, translated by Jorge Rizzo
• Ukrainian by Vivat – coming soon
• Vietnamese by Sach Tuyet Dinh – coming soon

THE PRIORY OF THE
ORANGE TREE

NOMINATED FOR THE LAMBDA
LITERARY AWARDS 2020


‘A tour de force, and my new absolute favourite epic fantasy’ – Laini Taylor, author of Strange the Dreamer

‘I have been waiting my whole life for this fantasy. It's the kind of book you never want to end. Utterly unique, wild, and rich. Sheer perfection’ – Lisa Lueddecke, author of A Storm of Ice and Stars

‘The Priory of the Orange Tree is a brilliant, daring, and devastating jewel. Samantha Shannon has crafted an incredible world full of depth and danger, with characters I would follow to the ends of the earth. It was a privilege to read, and I'm in awe of her talent. I can't wait for the rest of the world to experience this book’ – Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen

‘An entirely fresh and addicting tale [...] A celebration of fantasy that melds modern ideology with classic tropes. More of these dragons, please’ – Kirkus Reviews ★

‘A masterpiece of intricate world-building with the depth, complexity, heart and soul of a timelessly relevant classic. Brilliant, diverse, feminist, subversive, thought-provoking and masterfully told, The Priory of the Orange Tree is epic fantasy at its finest. The scope of the book is staggering, as is Shannon's deft command of language [...] An absolute must-read’ – Karen Marie Moning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Highlander and Fever series

‘Nothing short of extraordinary. An audacious, ambitious, sprawling epic, set across a world like no other, The Priory of the Orange Tree takes everything you think you know about high fantasy, rips it apart and remakes it […] An absolute masterclass in story telling, from one of the most exciting and innovative fantasy writers alive today. With it, Samantha Shannon has set the bar stratospherically high. This is the book of 2019’ – Melinda Salisbury, author of The Sin Eater's Daughter

‘The Priory of the Orange Tree feels like a feminist successor to The Lord of the Rings – something I don't say lightly. Epic and awe-inspiring in its scope, its rich, diverse world captivated me. I loved each complex narrator, all wonderfully human heroes and anti-heroes, and adored sinking into the world Samantha Shannon has created with such heart and beauty. This deserves to be as big as Game of Thrones [...] An expertly woven saga that feels very relevant for the contemporary world we live in’ – Laure Eve, author of The Graces

‘An epic fantasy destined to be a classic. A world crafted with such intricacy and detail, I had to remind myself it was not a real place. The Priory of the Orange Tree is one of those rare novels that captures your imagination so completely you will read it over and over, until the cover cracks and the spine breaks’ – Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

‘An astonishing achievement. The roots of Shannon's world lie in real history, but its branches stretch far into the imagination. Many authors can paint different names onto familiar concepts; Shannon goes further, building new religions and histories and conflicts, with all the rich detail necessary to bring them to life’ – Marie Brennan, author of The Memoirs of Lady Trent

‘The Priory of the Orange Tree is the Platonic Ideal of a fantasy novel. A rich and stirring tale of magic and queens, swords and dragons, assassins and sorcerers, it is thronged with women: strong women and queer women, gorgeous women and powerful women, brilliant women and dangerous women. Men, too, of course. This story of good and evil, struggle and triumph, love and loss and return is beautifully written: complex but clear, and utterly immersive. I loved this book’ – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild

‘Epic feminist fantasy [...] with queer representation on the page, complex female characters, and a fantastical world that rivals Westeros, the pages simply fly by. Shannon has taken the fantasy epic and breathed new life into it, allowing women's stories to take center stage where they belong, even in a world nothing like our own’ — Buzzfeed

‘Shannon satisfyingly fills this massive standalone epic fantasy with court intrigue, travel through dangerous lands, fantastical religions, blood, love, and rhetoric’ – Publishers Weekly

‘A mesmerizing diversion for a cold February weekend’ – Washington Post 

‘The world building alone is a masterpiece, with religions, different lore and histories, as well as differing societal norms seeping into the pages of the book, coating it in a rich, spellbinding tale that takes hold of the reader and doesn't let go’ – Hypable

‘A magnificent epic. Crammed with subversion and feminism, and written with tough, poetic assurance’ – Metro

PRAISE FOR THE SERIES

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT

GOLD MEDALIST IN THE
IPPY AWARDS 2024

NOMINATED FOR THE
LIBBY AWARDS 2024


‘Shannon artfully builds on the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree with this masterful standalone prequel ... [and] skillfully grounds high-stakes fantasy action in human emotion and a mature exploration of duty, bodily autonomy, identity, and motherhood. Series fans and any reader looking for queernorm fantasy will be thrilled by this self-assured adventure’ – Publishers Weekly ★ 

‘As with its counterpart, A Day of Fallen Night is essentially a fantasy trilogy in one volume, allowing for deep exploration of each protagonist as they navigate a brutal cataclysm. This richly detailed epic roars to a satisfying conclusion; both Priory devotees and newcomers are in for a treat’ – Booklist ★ 

‘This story is epic in scope, but its density is the sort that pulls you in. The biggest pull comes from the humanity displayed by the central characters, whose hearts ache for their children and their futures in a world fraught with turmoil [...] The very real struggles these characters face, whether they ride dragons or bear the suffocating rules of monarchy, make this a consuming read [...] This is expansive, emotionally complex, and bound to suck you in’ – Kirkus Reviews ★

‘The novel overflows with characters whose wins you’ll cheer for and whose failures you’ll mourn. Shannon examines the relationship between mother and child, includ­ing the grief that comes with the loss of a child, the hope that a new generation brings and the frustration of try­ing to live up to your fore­runners' expectations. Her female characters are fierce, but they’re also vulnerable, clever and lonely. At times, her poetic prose overwhelms the senses with sumptuous detail and explosive energy. In other moments, she paints complex emotions with goosebump-inducing empathy’ – BookPage ★

‘Epic in scope, yet careful and tender in its depiction of personal grief, A Day of Fallen Night shows the heights of courage and depths of hope that people can find during terrifying, destruction chaos. A triumph of a book’ – Helen Corcoran, author of Queen of Coin and Whispers

‘Like a dragon in flight, Samantha Shannon takes you soaring through a tale full of fire and spirit. It is in that freefall that I fell utterly in love with these new characters. The novel draws strength from the power of a woman's choice, giving the characters a depth of fortitude that is masterful in its craft and execution. Shannon lays bare the intricacies of the world she's created with sublime skill, enrapturing the reader with political intrigue and momentous action, cleaved through with heart and passion. Simply put, Samantha Shannon hasn't just done it again, she's surpassed all that has come before and cemented herself as a legend of the genre' – Saara El-Arifi, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife 

‘In this stunning epic fantasy, lush with detail and nuance, Shannon weaves a tale of three powerful women that intersect in the most thrilling ways. Huge in scope, rich with emotion, and gorgeously queer, A Day of Fallen Night is the Roots of Chaos book fans have been waiting for’ – C. S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

‘An intricate epic; a lavishly glittering fantasy tapestry vividly depicting generations of compelling relationships and characters that feel legendary and human. A Day of Fallen Night both stands along and magnificent, and is a worthy successor’ – Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Demon's Lexicon 

‘A magnificent, sweeping epic. Shannon has created a world rich in intricate mythology, beautifully realised and complex, and placed at its heart bold and vivid characters. Their journeys sweep the reader along, compelled by a thrilling plot of peril and warfare, but utterly captivated by the heartfelt relationships, the simmering romances, the betrayals, the loss and the love. Highly recommended for hiding away from the real world and losing yourself in this one instead’ – Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne

‘Aching in its intimacy and undaunted in its chaos, never before has such terror presented itself so tenderly. A tremendous triumph. The Roots of Chaos series firmly plants Shannon as a master of the genre’ – London Shah, award-winning author of the Light the Abyss series

‘A Day of Fallen Night is a mythic and timeless meditation on grief, faith and the bonds of love and fealty that define us. An exquisite epic fantasy’ – Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

‘Shannon writes a feat of a book that should be recognized for its splendor as much as for its expert worldbuilding and electric characters. With A Day of Fallen Night, Shannon is guaranteed an entrenched position in the fantasy world and genre, and will surely be an author who is read for years to come’ – Michigan Daily  

‘No matter how far you travel on the back of your ichneumon, no matter how high you fly your dragon, no matter how deeply you dig with shovels or magic, you will never even come close to the edge of Shannon’s world’ – Autostraddle 

‘Like all the greats, Samantha Shannon has built a world with geography, rules that govern its characters’ lives and, above all, a history [...] Miraculously pacy, given its thumping scale, this is another gorgeous, glittering epic’ – Daily Mail 

‘Shannon’s prose is a symphony to experience, with beautiful sentences readers will find themselves pausing to revel in. But as with her scenes, not a word is wasted, and woven inside the words are details you won’t want to miss. Each character is distinct, including the side characters, which is no easy feat given such an expansive cast’ – The Portalist 

CONTENT
GUIDE

Alcoholism, cancer (implied), childbirth, child loss, climate change, death, depression, incest (mentioned), infertility, mind control, miscarriage, pandemic, pregnancy, reproductive coercion, suicidal ideation, violence, vomiting