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viccreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Spoilers Censored
My Favorite Quotes:
-"You have not seen death, my lord. You have only seen the mask we put on it." p. 127
-"It would light a flame of scandal, and the fire would rise until it scorched them both. But Ead called fire her friend, and she would plunge into the furnace for Sabran Berethnet, for just one night with her." p. 387
-"Very well, Your Majesty. Loth can be Duke of Flattery, and I'll be Duchess of Deceit." p. 542
-"Piety can turn the power-hungry into monsters, Ead said. They can twist any teaching to justify their actions." p. 550
-"I am not your queen, Sabran whispered over her skin, but I am yours." p. 562
-"Do not deny yourself the privilege of living." p. 643
-"Loth swallowed the cork of dread in his throat. May Cleolind watch over us all, he said" p. 760
This behemoth of a book took me on an ENTIRE journey. I read this expecting great world-building, political fantasy, and to be ensnared by the world within, and it hit the mark.
The Priory of the Orange Tree is what I would aspire to be as an author in terms of world-building. The mythology, legends, religion, political workings, and belief systems are so detailed and entwined within the story that I didn't find myself having to flip back through the pages to remember a small detail or re-read a world-building aspect to move through the rest of the story. I was fully immersed in the world and all of its inner-workings.
I wish I could adequately explain the plot of this book, but it is so complex and composed of sub-plots that form the web that weaves into the full plot of this book that I would do it a disservice if I were to try.
The Parts of The Book I Wasn't Expecting
- It's told from 4 different POVs throughout the book.
- It has SOLID diversity and representation throughout the book (both with POC main characters and LGBTQ+ relationships)
- The sadness and loss that appears frequently throughout the book
What I Liked
- I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building. I loved learning every myth, legend, religion, magic system, belief, secret society, and political system. It immersed me fully in this world without a doubt about how the world worked and what the people in this world believed.
- I enjoyed that this story had mostly women starring as the political and military leaders, and it wasn't something that was a focal point (in terms of main conflict) within the story.
- One of the main characters didn't want children!! I absolutely LOVED this. As someone who isn't fond of children and isn't bounding with joy at the thought of having one, I was so excited to see a character who rejected the motherly role forced upon her and admitted her fear and reluctance. This was in stark contrast to the many other fantasy novels featuring female MCs that I've read where the badass, female MC's "happy ending" always ends with a child. There's nothing wrong with children or badass women having children, but I have often found myself reading the end of a story where the MC has a child and it feels wrong within the story -whether it conflicts with the personality of the character or the timing in the character's life.
- The book didn't divulge all of its secrets. This may come off as a weird plus, but I liked that there were hints and mentions dropped hinting at an entirely different sub-plot or a major secret that were never brought to the surface or revealed. This is closer to what would actually occur in real life. Not every secret will be revealed. Not every answer will be given.Enemies may drop ominous words about their relations with an ancestor, but OH too bad you don't get to know that - because you don't have to know everything in this world and it would be disappointing and too "neat" for everything to have been wrapped up that way.
- I liked that this book did not have an intense love plot focus. I worried I might struggle with a book that wasn't love-centered and was heavily political fantasy, but I LOVED the story. I was more invested in the war and main plot than any of the romance sub-plots which thoroughly surprised me.
What I Struggled With
- I'm not a huge fan of multiple POV books. This book was better than most I've read, but I struggled forming attachments to each individual character and their story/world when there are multiple POVs. Especially with how often the POV shifted in the beginning of the book, I found myself not caring at all about some characters and wishing to skip to a certain character's POV - which made some parts of the book feel slow and drawn out while others were exciting and interesting. This might just be the nature of this type of book and something I don't naturally mesh with well - and that's fine! It was just something I struggled with in the beginning that made me take days to finish the book instead of binge reading it in a few sittings.
- I didn't care for Sabran or Niclays. I'm not sure if I was supposed to start out hating them and slowly have it turn to a weird adoring, but that change never came. Sabran was fine, but I didn't connect with her love and redemption arc. Her relationship was nice to see, but I didn't find myself emotionally tethered to them. I actually rooted for Ead to stay loyal to the Priory and abandon Sabran, because they didn't have chemistry and it didn't make sense to me for her to abandon her home and life's purpose for someone that was rude to her most of the time and in love with someone completely different like 3 seconds before they got together. Niclays was thoroughly despised throughout the entire book. I did not care about his "redemption arc" if it even ever existed. He was a selfish man from the beginning which changed to a bitter, mean man which changed to a broken (although free) man. I didn't like any version of him and continuously hoped he would die throughout the book.
-The only other thing I wasn't fond of with this book was how many of the moments that I believe were intended to be heart breaking and sad just...weren't. I felt like many of those scenes went by too fast without being able to even feel true sadness at the loss- Kit's death for instance. I enjoyed Kit's character, but his death was over and done with in 1 page. 1 page. We didn't even see any mention of Kit's crush being told about his love or any loss felt. The death was presented to us and then swiftly skirted over leaving me wishing more emotion could've come out of it.
Even with the aspects I didn't enjoy, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree. It was on my TBR for a long time and a challenge to myself to read such a thicc boy. I wouldn't recommend this book for people just getting into reading or anyone looking for an easy, fast-paced read, but if you are down for a well-detailed, well thought out journey in an AMAZING world with diverse characters, relationships, and beliefs that is the definition of good political fantasy - then this book is written for you.
My Favorite Quotes:
-"You have not seen death, my lord. You have only seen the mask we put on it." p. 127
-"Piety can turn the power-hungry into monsters, Ead said. They can twist any teaching to justify their actions." p. 550
-"Do not deny yourself the privilege of living." p. 643
This behemoth of a book took me on an ENTIRE journey. I read this expecting great world-building, political fantasy, and to be ensnared by the world within, and it hit the mark.
The Priory of the Orange Tree is what I would aspire to be as an author in terms of world-building. The mythology, legends, religion, political workings, and belief systems are so detailed and entwined within the story that I didn't find myself having to flip back through the pages to remember a small detail or re-read a world-building aspect to move through the rest of the story. I was fully immersed in the world and all of its inner-workings.
I wish I could adequately explain the plot of this book, but it is so complex and composed of sub-plots that form the web that weaves into the full plot of this book that I would do it a disservice if I were to try.
The Parts of The Book I Wasn't Expecting
- It's told from 4 different POVs throughout the book.
- It has SOLID diversity and representation throughout the book (both with POC main characters and LGBTQ+ relationships)
- The sadness and loss that appears frequently throughout the book
What I Liked
- I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building. I loved learning every myth, legend, religion, magic system, belief, secret society, and political system. It immersed me fully in this world without a doubt about how the world worked and what the people in this world believed.
- I enjoyed that this story had mostly women starring as the political and military leaders, and it wasn't something that was a focal point (in terms of main conflict) within the story.
- One of the main characters didn't want children!! I absolutely LOVED this. As someone who isn't fond of children and isn't bounding with joy at the thought of having one, I was so excited to see a character who rejected the motherly role forced upon her and admitted her fear and reluctance. This was in stark contrast to the many other fantasy novels featuring female MCs that I've read where the badass, female MC's "happy ending" always ends with a child. There's nothing wrong with children or badass women having children, but I have often found myself reading the end of a story where the MC has a child and it feels wrong within the story -whether it conflicts with the personality of the character or the timing in the character's life.
- The book didn't divulge all of its secrets. This may come off as a weird plus, but I liked that there were hints and mentions dropped hinting at an entirely different sub-plot or a major secret that were never brought to the surface or revealed. This is closer to what would actually occur in real life. Not every secret will be revealed. Not every answer will be given.
- I liked that this book did not have an intense love plot focus. I worried I might struggle with a book that wasn't love-centered and was heavily political fantasy, but I LOVED the story. I was more invested in the war and main plot than any of the romance sub-plots which thoroughly surprised me.
What I Struggled With
- I'm not a huge fan of multiple POV books. This book was better than most I've read, but I struggled forming attachments to each individual character and their story/world when there are multiple POVs. Especially with how often the POV shifted in the beginning of the book, I found myself not caring at all about some characters and wishing to skip to a certain character's POV - which made some parts of the book feel slow and drawn out while others were exciting and interesting. This might just be the nature of this type of book and something I don't naturally mesh with well - and that's fine! It was just something I struggled with in the beginning that made me take days to finish the book instead of binge reading it in a few sittings.
-The only other thing I wasn't fond of with this book was how many of the moments that I believe were intended to be heart breaking and sad just...weren't. I felt like many of those scenes went by too fast without being able to even feel true sadness at the loss
Even with the aspects I didn't enjoy, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree. It was on my TBR for a long time and a challenge to myself to read such a thicc boy. I wouldn't recommend this book for people just getting into reading or anyone looking for an easy, fast-paced read, but if you are down for a well-detailed, well thought out journey in an AMAZING world with diverse characters, relationships, and beliefs that is the definition of good political fantasy - then this book is written for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
Minor: Dementia and Suicidal thoughts
byrdies's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Alcoholism
Minor: Misogyny, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury
charliebriggs96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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? No
4.0
Ok, this book I spectacular and a fantastic read with what seems like to me (I am not POC, so please correct me if I am wrong) great diversity. Of course, it’s a beefy book, but that didn’t overwhelm me once I started reading it. I just took my time and got on with it. However, sometimes the pacing did seem off, only because sometimes time passed without it being mentioned, and it is noted like 100 pages later.
Let’s talk about magic: I usually find magic systems either over-complex or utterly lazy. This, however, has a great magic system that makes complete sense. It almost gave me full metal alchemist vibes with the whole idea that your power is limited to how much you received to gave. I liked that also it heavily implied the yin and yang of energy. You cannot have one without the other. I enjoyed that.
Let’s talk religion: it’s a big part of this book, so it has to be mentioned because I think you can take this book and look at the world and see the similarities between the two. We as humans are prone to jumping the gun when it comes to faith, what is heresy and what is not and so on. Someone else’s religion, if not shared with your own is terrible, and evil, or at the very least a bad omen of sorts. Which is what this book shows, is utter bullsh*t. Every religion has the same underlined meaning and teachings, which can be said for the beliefs and faiths within this book. And I think Shannon did a great job at exploring that.
Let’s talk about the characters: Shannon did an excellent job at making an array of characters that you desperately love, come to love and then hate or despise right off of the bat. I have never in my life hoped for someone’s death more than I did with Niclays. As soon as he did what he did (when you read, you’ll know what I mean
Let’s talk about magic: I usually find magic systems either over-complex or utterly lazy. This, however, has a great magic system that makes complete sense. It almost gave me full metal alchemist vibes with the whole idea that your power is limited to how much you received to gave. I liked that also it heavily implied the yin and yang of energy. You cannot have one without the other. I enjoyed that.
Let’s talk religion: it’s a big part of this book, so it has to be mentioned because I think you can take this book and look at the world and see the similarities between the two. We as humans are prone to jumping the gun when it comes to faith, what is heresy and what is not and so on. Someone else’s religion, if not shared with your own is terrible, and evil, or at the very least a bad omen of sorts. Which is what this book shows, is utter bullsh*t. Every religion has the same underlined meaning and teachings, which can be said for the beliefs and faiths within this book. And I think Shannon did a great job at exploring that.
Let’s talk about the characters: Shannon did an excellent job at making an array of characters that you desperately love, come to love and then hate or despise right off of the bat. I have never in my life hoped for someone’s death more than I did with Niclays. As soon as he did what he did (when you read, you’ll know what I mean
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Torture
troisha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Infertility, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Torture
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Dementia, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Vomit
goldengirlbookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Violence, and Xenophobia
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.5/5
This reread went SO MUCH BETTER than I expected! I remember being very indifferent about this book when I first read it (it was a case of it's me, not the book). I didn't remember a solid like 50% of this LMAO. What I did remember happened a lot faster than I was expecting, especially Aubrecht and Kit's deaths, I definitely thought those had happened much later .
I love Ead. She and Tane are definitely my favorite in this book. Also Tane is ace in case you were wondering. I totally fell for these incredible warrior ladies, especially Ead. We see had damn badass she is ALL THE TIME and I was here for it. One day I'd like to sit and read this book with my eyes, but alas that will probably be when I retire LOL.
The mythology and world-building is absolutely incredible. There is so much of it too, so be prepared. But it is absolutely necessary and done so well. The cast of this book is incredibly diverse in racial identity/ethnic identity and sexuality. The only thing I wish was there were nonbinary or trans characters.
Also there are dragons!
This reread went SO MUCH BETTER than I expected! I remember being very indifferent about this book when I first read it (it was a case of it's me, not the book). I didn't remember a solid like 50% of this LMAO. What I did remember happened a lot faster than I was expecting, especially
I love Ead. She and Tane are definitely my favorite in this book. Also Tane is ace in case you were wondering. I totally fell for these incredible warrior ladies, especially Ead. We see had damn badass she is ALL THE TIME and I was here for it. One day I'd like to sit and read this book with my eyes, but alas that will probably be when I retire LOL.
The mythology and world-building is absolutely incredible. There is so much of it too, so be prepared. But it is absolutely necessary and done so well. The cast of this book is incredibly diverse in racial identity/ethnic identity and sexuality. The only thing I wish was there were nonbinary or trans characters.
Also there are dragons!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Dementia, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
hunt_rian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Infertility
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