Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

57 reviews

katharina90's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

A bit hard to get into at first. Too much was introduced or hinted at in the first few chapters which made it difficult for me to orient myself in this fictional world. 

Eventually I did enjoy the story and I appreciated the diversity in characters which is so often lacking in fantasy novels authored by white folks. 

The book reads pretty young (almost but not quite YA) and the writing wasn't always my cup of tea. Some issues with pacing, and both plot and characters could have been more complex given the 800+ page count.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Death, War, Kidnapping, and Torture

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This book is huge. That's why I was quite scared about even starting it. I finally did when I thought I had the time to finish it, but I was surprised by how slow the book starts off. I didn't know what to expect going into this book, I only knew that there are dragons and that there is a sapphic relationship.

Well like I said, it starts off quite slow and because of that it took me way longer to read it than I thought it would. I was interested in the world & characters, but still the book was a bit exhausting to read for the first 100-200 pages.
I absolutely understand why people would dnf this book, because there is so much information and worldbuilding and also there are 4 different POVs of people that do not have anything to do with each other (yet). You really have to be attentive while reading as well, because otherwise you will just loose the plot and interest in reading it at all.

Still I'm very glad I pulled through because this book is so amazing!! I don't think I have ever read a book with such excellent world building. There are so many storys in this universe that could be told and I'm honestly hoping that Samantha Shannon will write them all. I definitely would read them!

A backstory for Tané & Susa, or a story about Eadaz's upbringing in the Priory would be so fun to read about. The full love story between young Jannard & Nicklays I would definitly read. Even a sequel about Loth & Morgan and how they figure everything out, or about Eadaz's new life. And one of the storys that would interest me the most would be a backstory of The Unceasing Emperor & the Sea Maiden (I have my own suspicions of who she is, but I would love to read the full story!)

Anyways, I feel like this book is the introduction. It is the main story that has all the fighting and stuff. Now I just want to know more about the whole world! I honestly think that is a great compliment to the author, since I have just read 800 pages, for me to still want more says a lot.

I am definitely interested in reading Samantha Shannons other works now as well. :) I just hope they will be a bit easier to get into.

The writing in this book is also really good. I tabbed so many quotes and just great parts throughout. I would love to read a book of legends or something along those lines about the different parts of this world. I think Shannons writing would fit that very well, and also it would be super interesting to read (especially because I love myths and legends).

Another amazing thing about this book are the different themes handled in this book. I think I would have to reread it, to actually understand everything that is in here, but basically it's about faith and about alienation. About othering people you don't understand. And about teamwork and helping each other, about finding together to fight towords a common goal. It's about overcoming prejudices and while acnoledging the reasons for their existance. It's a book about change, and how it can be a good thing. This book is so unique and unlike I've ever read.

I would definitely recommend this book, but if you plan on reading it, don't expect a light read and know what you're in for. I do think it's worth it (it was for me), but in the end every reader has to decide that for themselves.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Violence, War, Classism, Infertility, Infidelity, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content

wackly93's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Confinement, Blood, Sexual content, War, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide

willontheinternet's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

The world-building, the character development, the imagery and the detail were all phenomenal in this book. Sure, sometimes it's slow and I question if it had to be 800 pages, but I enjoyed reading this in three days.

Looking forward to the next book in the series whenever it comes out. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Torture, Body horror, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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’m going to do my best to condense this absolute unit of a book into a succinct review. Here goes -

Likes:

All my favorite fantasy tropes: magical weapons, quests, DRAGONS, political intrigue, royals, spies, mages, witches, religion and myth. It’s all there. It’s also queer-normative with a gorgeous sapphic romance subplot and other world…EVEN WITH pressure to continue a bloodline happening in several ways. 

The depth of portrayal around how religion and myths get told and perpetuated was excellent. No one point of view was fully accurate in portraying the world these characters were functioning in and also none of the points of view were portrayed as morally superior to any other. It is clear where each of these societies gets their dominant views and the shortcomings of each come through, yet the ending is hopeful and ultimately collaborative.

The prose is beautiful. Some lines struck right to my heart. I’ve included a few in the slides for your enjoyment.

There’s a plague!

Dislikes:

This story would have hit harder as a trilogy. I was desperate for more details of particular parts of this narrative: Tane training with her dragon, the Unending Emperor, Niclays and Jannart’s backstory. 

Because it’s all in one book, some of the parts of the story felt a little rushed or too tidy. I suppose if your biggest gripe is that you wanted more, that’s a good thing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Child death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

cstein's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Could benefit from additional and repeat explanations of various imagined words, a large cast of characters and their connections to one another, and the histories and geographies of several fictional countries. Some relationships and events (specifically, what should have been the climatic battle) were more or less convincingly fleshed out. Nonetheless, an engrossing escapist read that kept my interest for weeks.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Torture, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, War, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcohol and Cursing

mostlyvoidpartiallystars's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

Beautiful romances, heart rending tragedies, terrifying magic, political webs...this book has everything a good fantasy epic needs. 

This book doesn't shy away from death, treachery, or despair, but there is still room for the tension of love, hope, and even triumph. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Xenophobia, Misogyny, and War

Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Kidnapping

Minor: Sexual assault and Infertility

sophie42's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Infertility, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Classism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Abandonment, Colonisation, Medical content, Vomit, Blood, Confinement, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Animal death

smithreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Blood, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Gun violence, Torture, and Infidelity

perleerose's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The world building is great, though some of it is taken word for word from our own world, namely Seikki and how it reflects a period where Japan closed its borders to the whole world except the Dutch and they were only allowed onto one island. Knowing this makes the world building a little less amazing, but all art is drawn from some sort of inspiration. People talked this book up as some great queer rep but it honestly felt lacking to me. I was expecting more obvious and proud rep I guess. The characters don’t really change at all in the book which was disappointing

The biggest change was a couple of them momentarily questioning their faith but that’s it

Also the entire plot is resolved in the span of about 60 pages at the end, which is awfully rushed obviously. The book was at best mid.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Dementia, Infertility, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Murder