After the success of "The Priory of the Orange Tree," Samantha Shannon returns with a prequel, "Roots of Chaos: A Day of Fallen Night." The story, which takes place 500 years before the first book, introduces a completely new cast of characters, including Sabran, Glorian, Dumai, Tunuva and Wulf. The book is a standalone story that can be read before or after "The Priory of the Orange Tree." It follows the group of characters as they navigate their roles in the reawakening of an ancient evil.

As one of my favorite reads from last year, "The Priory of the Orange Tree" was a masterpiece of worldbuilding with complex, vibrant characters. In this prequel, Shannon delivers those same strengths, and I found myself rooting for the characters once again.

Despite my high expectations going into this book, I found that it didn't resonate with me as much as the first one did. Perhaps it was because I was hoping for a more in-depth exploration of the world or because the pacing felt a little off. The book could have also been shorter. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the epic fantasy elements Shannon delivered, particularly the dragons.

If you're a fan of "The Priory of the Orange Tree," then "Roots of Chaos: A Day of Fallen Night" is worth a read. It delivers excellent character development, worldbuilding, and of course, dragons.