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aidamaria_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon is one of the biggest books I’ve read so far. Was it worth it? Yes! Although I’m still not sure how to feel about the ending, somewhere between content and slightly frustrated? Either way, the worldbuilding is awesome, the women are fierce and the magic system is really interesting. And of course: dragons. 🐉
.
.
However, if you’re a huge romance fan, you should be aware that’s not the main focus of this book. Despite multiple fascinating characters of different backgrounds and ethnicities, the story is mainly plot driven. If I had to pick one, I’d volunteer to be Loth’s companion. That man is too pure for his world and the loyalty to his loved ones blew me away. Anyway, I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves to read books like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones with a feminist twist.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, War, and Lesbophobia
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon:
Writing: 4.75⭐️/5
The writing in this novel is some of the most gorgeous writing I’ve read in fantasy in a while. It is artfully crafted in a way that was honestly enjoyable to read. A few sections of the action did feel a bit rushed, but really and truly a stunningly written novel.
Characters: 4⭐️/5
The characters are vibrant and interesting. At some points, I lacked an ability to fully connect with them in a way I would have liked. In short, it was hard to feel immersed in the character’s emotions, because I never really fully got into their skins. Despite that, Shannon creates a beautiful canvas of diverse characters who all have strong goals and captivating personalities. I personally would have loved a bit more time with the characters in their elements (seeing Tané and her dragon more, etc.) so that once they had fallen from their dreams a bit, I felt more connected.
Plot: 4.5⭐️/5
Assassins, blasphemy, dragons, prisoners, pirates, magical fruit, and a lot of badass female characters: what more could I ask for from a high fantasy novel? Honestly, the world itself is so intensely beautiful that at certain times I felt bitter that we didn’t get more time with certain characters. Shannon seems to have used in media res a lot throughout the novel, and, personally, in a newly built fantasy world, I would love a bit more backstory (even as flashbacks) to understand more about the characters, where they come from, and how the plot progression impacts their “normal.”
Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5
So much action packed into the last bit of the novel. I think the pacing feels a bit rushed given the rest of the novel. Overall, satisfied but with a bit of a bittersweet feeling.
Who Should Read This?
- Those who love a vibrant high-fantasy novel with amazing worldbuilding
- Anyone who loves multiple narrations that weave together
- Readers looking for a fantasy read that’s edged with LGBTQIA-friendly romances
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, War, Violence, Miscarriage, Murder, and Suicide
liaandersson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Where to begin?..
This could quite well be the best fantasy that I have ever read. There are tons of aspects which I adored and it is easier, for both you and I, if I take it in order.
Religion: Virtudom and the South have religions stemming from the same historical people, the differences being how these people are portrayed and what their acknowledged accomplishments were. These religious differences put a strain to the fragile relationship between the South and Virtudom. I think this is a terrific analogy of how for example, the real world has countries fighting over which is the one true religion, when the truth is there is no single right one. All of them are right, if they are right for a certain individual. I hope you will understand my sentiment once you have read it, I have a hard time conveying the message through writing.
Mislabeling: There are several instances where foreigners (in relation to the ethnic group discussed) call certain groups by derogatory terms or even slurs. It is, in my opinion, a well-executed representation of modern slurs as well as the misgendering of queer people. The reoccurring scenario where one 'foreign' individual calls another by a negative slur/term, which is then corrected as if someone was misgendered.
Queer: There is plenty of LGB representation among the main cast, as well as scattered information about historical figures and secondary characters. Still, there are no canon trans characters, even though I imagine some of them to be such. Other than the L, G AND B there is not much representation to see in regards of ace/aro, polyamory, intersex, trans and so on.
History: I loved how the history of the fictional world was incorporated as storytellings between characters, and other creative solutions. It took me a hundred pages or so to connect the dots between all the historical people and their relevance, but a bit of switching from the index back to the story here and there eventually solved all of those problems. It was all very much worth it before I even got halfway through the book.
Worldbuildning: Shannon managed to incorporate western, eastern and African fantasy. I loved to see how they all interacted with each other and enhanced one another. I don't believe I can have much to say about whether it was well represented or not, but I do hope it was done as best as could be.
A fair warning that this book, at least in my opinion, is more driven by the characters than by the plot. Due to this, I have heard the common opinion that the ending of the book is quite abrupt, while I think it is quite satisfactory, from the perspective of the character's developmental arcs.
Have a fun read!
Religion: Virtudom and the South have religions stemming from the same historical people, the differences being how these people are portrayed and what their acknowledged accomplishments were. These religious differences put a strain to the fragile relationship between the South and Virtudom. I think this is a terrific analogy of how for example, the real world has countries fighting over which is the one true religion, when the truth is there is no single right one. All of them are right, if they are right for a certain individual. I hope you will understand my sentiment once you have read it, I have a hard time conveying the message through writing.
Mislabeling: There are several instances where foreigners (in relation to the ethnic group discussed) call certain groups by derogatory terms or even slurs. It is, in my opinion, a well-executed representation of modern slurs as well as the misgendering of queer people. The reoccurring scenario where one 'foreign' individual calls another by a negative slur/term, which is then corrected as if someone was misgendered.
Queer: There is plenty of LGB representation among the main cast, as well as scattered information about historical figures and secondary characters. Still, there are no canon trans characters, even though I imagine some of them to be such. Other than the L, G AND B there is not much representation to see in regards of ace/aro, polyamory, intersex, trans and so on.
History: I loved how the history of the fictional world was incorporated as storytellings between characters, and other creative solutions. It took me a hundred pages or so to connect the dots between all the historical people and their relevance, but a bit of switching from the index back to the story here and there eventually solved all of those problems. It was all very much worth it before I even got halfway through the book.
Worldbuildning: Shannon managed to incorporate western, eastern and African fantasy. I loved to see how they all interacted with each other and enhanced one another. I don't believe I can have much to say about whether it was well represented or not, but I do hope it was done as best as could be.
A fair warning that this book, at least in my opinion, is more driven by the characters than by the plot. Due to this, I have heard the common opinion that the ending of the book is quite abrupt, while I think it is quite satisfactory, from the perspective of the character's developmental arcs.
Have a fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Infertility, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Abandonment, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement, Toxic relationship, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Vomit, Colonisation, and Confinement
Minor: Confinement, Torture, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and Cursing
storykath's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I ended up having very mixed feelings about this book, but overall I enjoyed it enough to give it a high rating.
Things I loved:
Dragons!! Good and evil dragons! Yes! Any story with dragons is going to capture my imagination, and I loved the variety of dragons and the characters' attitudes towards them, which felt real and engaging.
Multiple POVs: with this being such a long book with so many things happening, it was refreshing to cycle through multiple characters/locations/plots. This also meant that it took longer to feel like I had a good handle on all the moving parts in the novel, but it came together seamlessly enough as I went on.
Going along with that point, I found the pacing to be smooth and engaging. I've seen mixed reviews about the pacing of Priory, but it all felt natural to me. Of course the pace varied depending on what was happening, but it rarely felt out of control.
I have mixed feelings about:
The worldbuilding. Some aspects of the worldbuilding had wonderful nuance and ingenuity; I loved the concept of the dragonriders and the division of the East from the rest of the world. Other areas came across as more hastily put together. While kingdoms like Yscalin, the Erysr (really anything that wasn't Seiiki or Inys) are less relevant to the story, we only really learned surface-level details about them, and it often felt like they existed in service of the more central locations. The naming of places and characters was a mixed bag for me too - there are wonderfully unique names like Eadaz and Sabran alongside names like Margret and Arbella that jarred me with their similarity to real-world names. Additionally, the themes of politics and religion swung from 'insightful and nuanced and thought-provoking' to 'simplistic and rushed and unrealistic', although I will say that they fell into the former category more often.
On a similar worldbuilding note, the queer representation was a mixed bag, in my opinion. I was very much looking forward to reading a queer-inclusive fantasy, and we did get established M/M and F/F relationships. Minor spoilers ahead in my issues with these relationships. I was disappointed that both queer romances fell into a 'forbidden love' trope. If Shannon wants to establish that queer relationships are normalized in this universe, it would have been effective to have at least one character in a current, non-secret, same-gender relationship. I think there was one nobleman who made a passing mention to his husband, but I can hardly count that. I often found myself getting confused about whether it was the power difference between the partners that was the issue, or if it was the queerness, since the latter is a more accessible example in the real world. The relationship between Ead and Sabran was wonderful to read and very sweet, and while I know the book wasn't focused on the romance, I wish that more time could have been spent developing their relationship beyond just being romantic/sensual together. I feel like we missed out on seeing them just...being people in a relationship in the everyday sense.
The writing style itself. There was some absolutely beautiful prose in this novel, and I generally quite enjoyed the descriptions of architecture, nature, sensations, etc. At other times, especially in the description of emotions or characters, the writing felt clunky and tell-y (as opposed to show-y). I was immersed in the narrative one minute, and the next I was completely removed by a sentence or description that felt glaringly juvenile or simple. In a novel as long and complex as this one, there are a lot of opportunities for inconsistencies in character behaviour and writing style to come in and cause issues, and I feel that Priory fell victim to this at times.
Deaths for the purpose of other characters' development. I can understand that character death was inevitable in this novel, given the events of the story. However, many of the deaths of supporting characters felt like they occurred purely as a device to advance the plot or provide some kind of fuel for a main character. See Arbella dying to free up a spot among the Ladies of the Bedchamber, Kit dying in a random avalanche to harden Loth up, Susa dying to weigh Tané with guilt. Before their deaths, I had interest in these characters, where they'd go, what they'd do, but their deaths felt out of place and made me feel as though those characters had little purpose in the actual narrative.
Final thoughts
This is a beast of a book (approx. 16 hours of reading for me), and while it didn't meet all of my expectations, it was an accessible fantasy with an engaging premise, diverse characters, and a dynamic plot. I couldn't always totally lose myself in the story as a result of some of its shortcomings, but it's one that I would read again in order to pick up on more details and see more clearly how the strings of the narrative pull together.
Things I loved:
Dragons!! Good and evil dragons! Yes! Any story with dragons is going to capture my imagination, and I loved the variety of dragons and the characters' attitudes towards them, which felt real and engaging.
Multiple POVs: with this being such a long book with so many things happening, it was refreshing to cycle through multiple characters/locations/plots. This also meant that it took longer to feel like I had a good handle on all the moving parts in the novel, but it came together seamlessly enough as I went on.
Going along with that point, I found the pacing to be smooth and engaging. I've seen mixed reviews about the pacing of Priory, but it all felt natural to me. Of course the pace varied depending on what was happening, but it rarely felt out of control.
I have mixed feelings about:
The worldbuilding. Some aspects of the worldbuilding had wonderful nuance and ingenuity; I loved the concept of the dragonriders and the division of the East from the rest of the world. Other areas came across as more hastily put together. While kingdoms like Yscalin, the Erysr (really anything that wasn't Seiiki or Inys) are less relevant to the story, we only really learned surface-level details about them, and it often felt like they existed in service of the more central locations. The naming of places and characters was a mixed bag for me too - there are wonderfully unique names like Eadaz and Sabran alongside names like Margret and Arbella that jarred me with their similarity to real-world names. Additionally, the themes of politics and religion swung from 'insightful and nuanced and thought-provoking' to 'simplistic and rushed and unrealistic', although I will say that they fell into the former category more often.
On a similar worldbuilding note, the queer representation was a mixed bag, in my opinion. I was very much looking forward to reading a queer-inclusive fantasy, and we did get established M/M and F/F relationships. Minor spoilers ahead in my issues with these relationships.
The writing style itself. There was some absolutely beautiful prose in this novel, and I generally quite enjoyed the descriptions of architecture, nature, sensations, etc. At other times, especially in the description of emotions or characters, the writing felt clunky and tell-y (as opposed to show-y). I was immersed in the narrative one minute, and the next I was completely removed by a sentence or description that felt glaringly juvenile or simple. In a novel as long and complex as this one, there are a lot of opportunities for inconsistencies in character behaviour and writing style to come in and cause issues, and I feel that Priory fell victim to this at times.
Deaths for the purpose of other characters' development. I can understand that character death was inevitable in this novel, given the events of the story. However, many of the deaths of supporting characters felt like they occurred purely as a device to advance the plot or provide some kind of fuel for a main character.
Final thoughts
This is a beast of a book (approx. 16 hours of reading for me), and while it didn't meet all of my expectations, it was an accessible fantasy with an engaging premise, diverse characters, and a dynamic plot. I couldn't always totally lose myself in the story as a result of some of its shortcomings, but it's one that I would read again in order to pick up on more details and see more clearly how the strings of the narrative pull together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Medical content
marscantread's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! The world building and character development were amazing, but the narrative does have some inconsistent pacing (this didn’t bother me too much, but it would be a fault for someone who enjoys books with a very well developed plot). I also really liked the sapphic side romance and the cast of characters had great diversity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Cursing
josie9's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Child abuse and Cursing
mckenna_la's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, War, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
stwriter92's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've had this book on my Kindle for a very long time, though I only just thought to crack it open and read it and I am so very glad I did. It was nice to read a fantasy that was not a part of a huge series. I feel like most fantasy I have read has always sprawled across several books. While Priory isn't exactly a short book, I did enjoy how self contained it was. The story itself follows several different threads that slowly weave together to form a rich tapestry of political intrigue, love stories, and the destruction and rebuilding of beliefs.
I had been impressed with Samantha Shannon's Bone Season series, but this took my admiration for her to a completely different level. Every single character in this tale was so deeply thought out and complex. I felt sympathetic towards each one, regardless of whether or not I agreed with their actions and their beliefs. I think what I love most about Ms. Shannon's stories is the rich worlds she crafts. I noticed this both in Priory and in The Bone Season series. She is able to craft not just a story but a complex and beautifully designed world for that story to inhabit. At its base, Priory is a very simple story. A world must band together, despite their differences, to take on a common enemy. It isn't a brand new idea when it comes to stories. However, Ms. Shannon breathed new life into this story with the well crafted characters, the clash of belief systems, and the fascinating lore.
The only thing really stopping me from giving a full five stars was the fact that sometimes the story seemed to sprawl out a bit too much. In particular, I did not really see the point of the character of Niklays Roos. He did not really seem to be anything more than a pawn for the plot. His character, in my opinion, felt a little forced, as if he was put there after realizing that a catalyst was needed for the story to continue onwards. I also felt like the pacing was a little inconsistent as we approached the end. Throughout the majority of the book, there was a buildup to a great battle, but that great battle felt a little lacking. The "big bad" himself seemed quite one dimensional at best and did not really live up to the expectations that were set for him. The ending itself, felt too fast paced to justify the grand buildup and left me a little unsatisfied.
Despite this, I still did enjoy reading this novel. I still do recommend it to anyone that is a fan of fantasy (and, like me, of dragons).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infertility, Pregnancy, Murder, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Grief
reading_gives_serotonin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, War, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity and Emotional abuse
kfox's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Pregnancy