is this hyped 850 page new fantasy release worth the hype?! 

I remember Samantha Shannon addressed the "rushed" ending in one of her insta q&a's because so many reviewers had brought it up and she said that it was meant to mimic the feelings of the characters and how the characters themselves felt frantic. looking forward to reading this installment! i also feel like she gets better and better with every book!

regan I am LOVING these new clips of you getting ready and talking politics/worlds goings ons, it adds such a nice new layer to your vlogs !!!

You’re right about Priory. The author tried to squeeze to much into the second half. Obstacles were created and then overcome in the next paragraph - ‘all was lost,’ (again) oh no it’s ok now…’ I enjoyed the first half and the world building though. Got Fallen Night on my tbr shelf!

I read Priory over almost a month and I loved it. Maybe that extra time I took to savor it all impacted my opinion, but I found it masterfully written and well-paced. I’m so excited to read this next installment of Samantha’s Roots of Chaos series!

If you're interested in reading more about gender bias you should read "Invisible Women" Caroline Criado Perez. It is an incredibly frustrating but eyeopening read. Especially the whole medicine thing is so frustrating to me as a biologist. "Menstrual cycles decrease our changes of getting significant results", yeah but there called real life circumstances you just have to account for it. I also have to account for all kind of interfering factors, it's part of biology and you learn to deal with it. I could literally talk about bias in science (not just for gender), and how "traditional" research methods are extremely limiting for literal hours.

Your reading vlogs have been the highlights of my weeks lately. Thank you

Me: 400 pgs in, coming back to this video bc I wanna know what your thoughts are haha. 😅 I’m loving it so far!!! I agree about Priory- I liked but didn’t love it. For those complaining about length- like, could it be shorter? Mayyyybe. I think everything I’ve read so far needs to be there. Could it have been broken into smaller books?? Perhaps.

Your reflections on women’s rights being a shockingly recent thing is so true. As a young woman, my grandmother worked for a law office, but was fired once she got pregnant. She ended up being an important part of my grandfather’s business, but it remains scary the types of things that were legal before they became law.

Halfway through right now and loving it - I'm always so impressed by Samantha Shannon's writing and I'm so excited for her updated version of The Bone Season this summer! Now that she's got more experience under her belt I'm expecting it to be stunning. Sidenote - I've been pronouncing Wyrm like "worm," no idea what it's supposed to be haha

I adore watching your reading vlogs they are so cosy and very calming 🥰📖📚💕 Samantha Shannon is my all time favourite author LOVED A Day of Fallen Night ✨

I did not read the Priory yet (nor this one obviously) but I love watching your vlogs in general. I'm then just skipping the book parts but still enjoying 🙈 So thank you for taking us with you through your days!

What a fun review. I'm 500 pages in and recognize many of your pros and cons. A minor disagreement on the themes. Although Shannon really makes her work center around women in a very beautiful and amazing way, I think the theme is parenthood, as Barthold and the same-sex Barons couple who are two dads are also explored :)

I love the cooking montages you add in ♡♡

I have to say, I’m not done this books yet and I’m at your check in in the bed at liken 250 pages left and I’ve also not read priory yet and I need to take a pause! Having not read priory yet I need to take a step back! This has been such an amazing book for me of high fantasy and worldly politics and it’s gotten me back into reading’ I’ll finish this video when I’m also done the book!

Having watched F1 for over 10 years, I'm very excited to see you watching qualifying and the race! Its incredible how the sport has grown in the US with 3 races in the 2023 season. I also enjoyed Priory and looking forward to picking up the new book.

You should do a video on fashion and where you get your clothes!

If you have the time, I just finished the latest Cozy Club podcast episode, and you mentioned having sensitive dry skin. I'm super interested in the products you use if you'd like to link them in the description. You're skin always looks amazing! (:

I didn't realize you're a fellow Texas Girl! I live in North Texas and yes! It is time for the fun frilly dresses again!

Love a lengthy vlog!

Can't wait to read Day of Fallen Night! Are you and Monica going to release the videos with your podcast? Love both of y'alls content 💙

I love your reading vlogs so much. Looking forward to picking up Day of Fallen Night. Excited to see a fellow Formula 1 fan too! #TeamRedBull

From what I’ve seen, reading Priory first is recommended only cause the prequel will spoil stuff. I personally am reading rereading Priory first cause I forgot most of it haha. Love hearing your thoughts! ❤

Pain and Prejudice is such a good book that addresses the issues in the medical system and how it continues to overlook women. It shocked and depressed me but it’s such a good read!

Girl. The lamp! Must have that lamp!!! I’m pretty sure I heard you say at some point it’s from target? But I can’t find it. If you ever get the bug to find a link I would be even more in love with you!! 😂

I love your sofa❤❤❤

nice vlog, I am not familiar with that book or author, but i enjoyed the documentation you did with some other daily scenes.

I love Stardew Valley, I have a co-op farm with a couple friends and it gets so addicting for sure!

Weirdly enough this motivated me to pick up my copy of priory of the orange tree 😅

I knew it took a long time for women to be included in medical studies bUT THE 1990S???? Thank you for sharing that fact and invigorating us to get involved with our communities! Also now I can't wait to read these two books :)

I started listening to your podcast. Is there a discord or anything to chat about specific books. Your podcast is geeat.

Not sure if I’m the only one, but I think the “wyrms” you are referring to I pronounced “worms” in my head. Where did you get “rens” from? Is it something the author has addressed?

I always love watching your vlogs ❤ but can you tell me where you got that Blue dress in the beginning 😮??

that dress looks beautiful. where is it from?

I LOVE Stardew Valley! I'm actually attempting to 100% my farm on Switch... but I'm not rushing it. I'll get there eventually. :) I have Priory of the Orange Tree on my TBR. I also like political fantasy stories and queer stories, so I'm excited to get to it soon. I cannot believe it was only 1993 when women were required to be included in clinical trials! That's horrifying! It reminds me of how the heart attack symptoms everyone knows are specifically AMAB men's symptoms, which is super dangerous for women and trans folks.

Love the olive coloured stripey jumper 😍 where is it from??

Love your floral prairie dress😍 do you mind sharing, where it‘s from?

What order do you recommend reading these? Which to you is best?

Shannon Chakraborty's newest book is centered on motherhood. It's hilarious. I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

While I did not like Priory at all it seems like this prequal I likely would have enjoyed a bit more if I had started with this one. I still don't LOVE how thicc these books are-they look so unnecessarily dense hahaha

Which book do I read first 😂decisions decisions😊

Okay so now that you’ve finished, do you think a person new to the series should read Priory first or this one?

I always look for books with queer relationships. I get tired of solely heteronormarive stories. The medical industry is still heavily patriarchal in that "women's issues" don't get the same amount of attention or progress.

Did you ever think to create a channel about cooking?😋

Reagan and F1? Omg.

this is totally not the topic of your video, but i noticed you have the mirror visitor series on your shelf! i was wondering how you feel about this series now. i absolutely loved the second book but have been grappling with the... err... problematic (to put it extremely generously) descriptions of poc in books 3 and 4. i know you commented on this at the time and i haven't heard you mention the series at all since then. it feels so frustrating to me because it seems like it would have been so easy to have a sensitivity reader (or literally any decent editor) call out those issues, yet i think it was overlooked by having a very small publisher. which is completely not an excuse. anyway i just feel so conflicted about this series because there is so much to love but when it gets bad GAWD it's just so bad. and i really feel like racism has not been called out in a meaningful way - not at all to imply that you should be the one to do it, just that i am really surprised critics and the literary community have been pretty mum about this.

❤📚

I believe that women specifically were kinda excluded because they had the potential to get pregnant and people had no idea the effect that would have on the fetus (not a good enough reason imo, but their excuse nonetheless)

Priory is one of the books I resent most. She spent the first 250pgs on characterization with zero plot, and because of it had to rush the whole third act which really weakened the book. The final showdown battle lasted 9 fucking pages lmao 🤦‍♂️ that's it. 9 pages. I'm hoping this book is better but I'm not hopeful so far.

Can I ask where you live? What do you do for a living? 😁

I wasn’t really fond of the Priory but I’m reading the new one now. It’s almost 900 pages. Girl it’s just,MEH! I’m almost 3/4’s through and I’m so bored!!!

That is not a cup of tea 😉

Priory this is really good series and so authentic and unique 💚💚❤️💙❤️‍🩹❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹💜📙💘🤍📙💔📖📖🤎🤎🤎💛💙💚💚💙💙💓🤍📙💘🤍📙📖🖤🤎❣️💜💜❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹💕❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥💕💕❤️‍🩹💜❤️‍🩹❤️❤️💙💙📚📚💔📖🤎🤎

this vlog makes me wish i enjoyed priory of the orange tree 🥲🥲

SO EXCITED!! 💓❣️❣️💙❣️❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹💞📖📚📚📙💗💘💘❤️‍🩹❣️💙💓💜❣️❣️💙❤️💙❣️💓💘💙❣️💙💔💚❤️❤️💓💙❣️💙❤️‍🩹📖📚📚📙📙💛💛💛💜💜💜💔💓💓❤️❤️❣️❣️💚💚💛🧡🧡❤️❤️💛💚💙🤎🤍🖤💜💜💜❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹❣️💗💗💖

I still have to read Priory 🥲