Scan barcode
sinaprst's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
that was the very first thing that came to my mind after i finished this yesterday. this had been on my bookshelf for the last 2 years or so, because the 800+ pages intimaded me so much, but they were so worth it, this was hands down one of the best (fantasy) books i have ever read, i adored every second of it:
i mean it has dragons, sapphics, magic, pirates, female warriors, i could literally not ask for more
the world building was amazing and felt incredibly real to me and the characters were so flawed but adorable at the same time, the romance was an immaculate slow burn, the villains felt complex and well-rounded to me, the plottwists had me literally gasping and the ending was one of the most satisfying endings i have ever read (and i am usually very picky when it comes to that).
but what stood out the most to me in retrospect was how refreshing it was to read a fantasy novel that has great (queer, POC and female) represenation and that could do without racism, homophobia or violence towards women. not only are there two queer characters and three POC characters among the main four, but the book depicted and mentioned several queer relationships and POC characters in the background aswell. additionally, everything was represented in a very casual way that did not feel out of place or forced like any of it was a big deal.
overall, i would (and will) recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy read, especially if you`re looking for one that does not center a white men and does not feature hate towards any minorities
definetly a 5/5 stars for me
Edit: someone recently pointed out to me that one of the storylines is literally Arthur and Merlin from the BBC series and I cannot unsee that now, it's just so true
recommended reading ambience: https://youtu.be/6nRFaOFcbpk?si=1x-Hn4IvbV5NKwSX
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide and Alcohol
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kaitlyng's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
brittanyboston18's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Outing, and Alcohol
cstein's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Cursing and Alcohol
kat__z8's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I read this book over the span of three weeks, which would usually guarantee a gradual loss of interest were it with any other book. But Priory is one of those rare books that just satisfy me whether I devour it in a few sittings or over a month.
It's a book that's at once immersive and jam-packed with actions and magical quests. It had been so long since I encountered a high fantasy world crafted with such care and details to every single aspect that matters. The countries? Splendid. The religions, myth and lore? Breathtaking. The people, the races and different creatures? Marvelous.
I said this book had more, and I seriously think this is where Shannon won compared to other old classics (sorry, LOTR!). The world here is just so rich and the characters and cultures so diverse, as is fit for our world. I could tell Shannon put so much effort in researching that much of the culture it's inspired from bled into the writing and I just felt so spoiled, the world building in this book was such a treat and feast for my senses!
We have multiple POVs of characters who are all queer (Ead—lesbian, Tané—aroace, Loth—ace spec, Niclays—gay, and of course we have Queen Sabran, who is a prominent character even without a POV—bisexual). Shannon painted a world that's optimistically accepting and unapologetically feminist. Sure, there were still some sexism and heteronormativity left, but it's more closely tied to classism and there are constant fights by the characters against the system. There were also some small but very refreshing traditions like using a gender neutral term for one's spouse—a companion. Female characters were seen in position of power and it was no big deal. It's just a really refreshing and hopeful world despite the looming threat of the Nameless One.
Finally, I just want to say that this book did take me some time to get into. The plot was clear from pretty early on, and like any other fantasy books, we get the typical quest to defeat the final enemy almost at the end of the book. In the meantime, I would just enjoy the trips and adventures these characters took me on, sometimes wide-eyed at certain plot twists.
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
smithreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, and Torture
anxieteaandbiscuits12's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Alcohol
bel017's review against another edition
- 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
The story is told from the viewpoint of four different characters, which were woven together well - I was never confused as to whose viewpoint I was reading. I did get confused in some of the historical plot and side plots, but it's a huge cast of characters, with two different sides giving the same characters different names, and some having the same or similar names. The confusion didn't diminish my enjoyment though. I enjoyed it so much that, even though I literally just finished it I am very tempted to just turn back to the beginning and start all over again.
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, and Abandonment
caroluvr's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol