Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

37 reviews

navierreads's review

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, War, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse

questionable_reader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gaslighting, Confinement, Body horror, Pregnancy, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death, War, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Outing, and Infidelity

Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, and Torture

cecinamo's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

This book is absolutely amazing! It’s like Lord of The Rings, just with more dragons, the gays and queens.  I seriously recommend this book to anyone who reads! Samatha Shannon literally transports you into the book. The words just vanish while you watch Ead, Sabran, Tané and Loth fight their own battles, that slowly merge into one. A song that I think describes the way this book feels is Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine. I could go on about this book for FOREVER, I strongly recommend it!!!!! >o< 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Incest

theirgracegrace's review

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

The size may look daunting at first, but the depth and wealth of this book is beyond that of many series, much less individual books. Priory is an epic fantasy that stretches across a world divided by their love or and hatred for dragons. In the West, a handmaiden to a queen protects her from a plot while nursing hidden secrets of her own, and a young man is sent on a dangerous mission to an enemy land. In the East, a young woman trains to be the next dragon rider of her people and an old alchemist in exile seeks eternal life in a foreign land. The story travels the length and breadth of the world, culminating in an epic battle to determine the fate of the world. My only gripe with this amazing book was that certain plotlines were solved a bit too quickly and handily in order to get to those end chapters, and everyone seems to be able to speak each other's language with very little explanation. Absolutely cinematic-quality descriptions, heart-wrenching moments, surprise reversals and twists of fate make this a book for every fantasy lover out there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Vomit, and Excrement

Minor: Cannibalism, Incest, and Abandonment

the_bees_books's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

My favourite book. 
This book is for the kids who didn't want to be princes and princesses, this is for the kids who wanted to be knights and dragon riders, royalty and sorcerers. 
This is a story for those who never felt they were enough and proof that you are, if you choose to believe it. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Mental illness, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Infertility

marleywrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.5

I had 320 highlights for this book, and I didn’t even highlight everything I wanted to. I’ll have to do a reread to highlight them anyway. 

I rated this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I was very invested in this story, starting around the 20% mark. The first 20% took me awhile to get into, but then we were flying. So if you’re trying this book for the first time, give it some time to get started. 

Overall, I loved the characters and the complex world building. I’m almost sad this is technically a stand-alone because the book could so easily keep going. However, I was very satisfied with the ending we got. 

This book was funny, as well, which surprised me. I didn’t expect to find humor in these pages but I did! 

Another aspect of the writing I really enjoyed was the descriptions. Shannon has some serious skill when it comes to descriptions! I was blown away by the intricacies of this world and the magic system, as well as the rich history in this story.  

I appreciated how many queer relationships there were in this story, and I’m glad that it was a relatively normal thing in this world. 

Now for the spoilered section:

I’m head canon-ing Loth as asexual. I love him and will not hear otherwise. 

I also am thrilled with Sabran and Ead’s relationship. Like thank you Ms Shannon, that was perfect!! 

I love Ead’s powerful friendships in this story, they saved her as much as she saved them. 

I wasn’t sold on Roos until like, 90% into the story. But now I am happy for him. His love with Jannart is one of my favorite parts of this book. 

The witch of the woods character, Kalyba, damn! I did not see her coming! She could have had another several chapters, she could have her own book. Oh, I wonder if that’s in A Day of Fallen Night 😂 I haven’t read that one yet. 

The dragons were so cool. I wish we could have had even more dragons. I loved Tané’s fierce love for her dragon and all of the. dragons and would have loved some fluffy dragon ride scenes. 

Connecting with the East at the end for the battle against the Nameless One was great, but confusing. Their emperor agreed so quickly and without the marriage proposal. It felt unbelievable after how much build up we had telling us that the East is completely closed off to everyone else.

This was a great book, which I read as a buddy read with my friend. It took me a month to finish it when usually I finish books in just a few days. I was surprised it took me so long but I felt like I wasn’t making progress so I think that discouraged me overall to keep pushing, even though I loved the story overall. 

Amazing book, would probably read again to see what I missed the first time! 🐉

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, War, Animal death, Death, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Incest, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Minor: Child death

hey_al's review

adventurous fast-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

5.0

This book has everything. Dragons, magic, queer folk, powerful women, etc. Definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads and I can't wait for the prequel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, and Emotional abuse

themelleh's review

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

It took me a while to read this because I was moving and hit a slump. Also the first half is pretty much world building and setting up the second half. But then I have been voracious and determined to clear the books in my still reading pile and I’ve manage to hack away at this over the last two weeks.

I was so invested to the point where my hand gripping my hair and audible gasps had my partner asking if I was okay (I was not). 

Very much looking forward to the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Infertility, Violence, Death of parent, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Abandonment, War, Confinement, Blood, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Alcoholism, and Animal death

kaitlyng's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Pregnancy, Death, Blood, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Stalking, Death of parent, and Torture

aleshamiller's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, War, Infertility, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Child death, and Confinement