SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hello everyone. I’m about to start reading The Priory of the Orange Tree. But should I begin with this one, or read A Day of Fallen Night first? I’ve tried googling, but I find mostly no clear recommendation. If you have read them both, what order do you recommend, and why? Thank you! -Ellie

A Day of Fallen Night = Book 0 = published 2023
The Priory of the Orange Tree = Book 1 = published 2019

I haven't read A Day of Fallen Night yet, but since The Priory of the Orange Tree was written first, I would recommend reading it first. (I really loved it.) I think you would have a better understanding of the prequel that way. This is just speculation, though, so hopefully you will also get some input from those who have read both.

I haven't read A Day of Fallen Nights so you should ignore this post but I would be surprised if starting with it would be the best way to go. Prequels are mostly for readers who enjoyed the first book to flesh out the backgrounds of beloved characters. I think that's usually the appeal.

Yeah, CBR. Reading in publication order is quite a good argument.

I started The Priory last summer and read about 20%, then put it on hold don't remember why. Now I'm reading the prequel (55% in) and find that some worldbuilding is kinda easier to understand. I'm enjoying the book and looking forward to tackling The Priory again as soon as I'm done with it.

If I'm not mistaken, the prequel is set years and years before The Priory (haven't figured out yet how many), so the characters are all different, I think.

For some reason I always prefer chronological order to publication one.

Following a chronological order may be challenging if the series is still in progress. (Like this one.) Some authors feel free to jump around and infill, or in this case provide a prelude. Or the publisher decides to accept a book rejected earlier because it is now part of an established series.

C.S Forester’s Hornblower series was filled in with no particular order, and I keep having to explain that to new readers. He hadn’t planned a series, and thought the first trilogy was as far as he could go.

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series wasn't written in a timeline either.

I suggest reading Priory first. Day of fallen Night is set ~500 years before Priory so there will not be any spoilers. I think you will understand Day of Fallen Night better because you will have already been introduced to the world building. I read them in this order and they were both amazing! I think that is the order that S. Shannon intends for you to read them in.

So far it seems fairly convincing to me that I should read them in the order they were published and not in the chronological order, based on what you have written in your comments! At least it seems it will not be too confusing whatever order I decide to read them in, so I guess I will go with it. I'm really looking forward to reading them. Thanks a lot guys!

Just finished A Day of Fallen Night and Audible version has an interview with Samantha in the end. Quote: "With this series I was more interested in creating like a cycle of standalones where you can hopefully pick them up in any order."

So it seems we’re OK whichever order we choose)))

Olga wrote: "Just finished A Day of Fallen Night and Audible version has an interview with Samantha in the end. Quote: "With this series I was more interested in creating like a cycle of standalones where you c..."

Thank you! :D