Scan barcode
emtees's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a unicorn - a big, fat fantasy book that is also a standalone.
The story takes place in a world with clear references to our own, but also a lot of creativity in the development of different cultures and religions. It is a planet-spanning epic that focuses on a huge cast of characters, including Tane, a young dragon rider who takes a dangerous risk to see her ambitions fulfilled; Niclays, an alchemist in exile determined to cross whatever lines he has to to get home; Loth, a nobleman sent against his will on a dangerous mission into dragon-controlled lands; and Ead, a mage and member of the secretive Priory of the Orange Tree, living undercover at the court of Queen Sabran of Inys, the last living descendent of the hero who claimed to have banished the monstrous Nameless One and whose bloodline is responsible for preventing him from returning. At a basic level, the story is about a threat to this world, the attempts of the various heroes to address it, and the complications caused by their different and sometimes violently opposed religions and cultures. On a deeper level, it is about a society coming to terms with the way the stories it tells itself are not always true. On a much less deep level, it is, for large stretches of the page count, a transparent MacGuffin hunt.
Oh, and it is labeled as “feminist fantasy” which is… true, I guess, but not in the way a lot of readers might expect. The Priory of the Orange Tree takes place in a world that strongly resembles the 16th/17th centuries of our own world, but without a lot of the sexist b.s. our world had, and it does sometimes touch on feminist themes, such as the misogyny inherent in a political system based on legitimate bloodlines and the ways that the roles of women in history and myth are twisted to fit a sexist narrative. (This didn’t always work for me; it’s a little difficult to pull off discussing themes of sexism in a world where, for the most part, that sexism is very muted.). But mostly it is a feminist book in the sense that all of the most active and accomplished characters are women, without a big deal being made of that fact. If you’re looking for feminist fantasy, you would probably enjoy this, but if you aren’t, it isn’t going to particularly stand out for that reason.
What this book does do well is just be a really interesting fantasy adventure. It’s not the ways in which it is groundbreaking but the ways in which it is basic where it excels. Despite a pretty slow pace, the plot keeps moving along by jumping back and forth between different characters, all of whom are doing exciting things while the reader tries to figure out how they fit together. There are some great fantasy locations (I loved the volcanic city of Carscaro especially), interesting magic systems, a lot of mysteries that unspool slowly over the course of the story, and both good and evil dragons to satisfy the needs of fans of both. The characters are diverse, complex and flawed, with all the main characters having major mistakes and prejudices to overcome, and the relationships between them are wonderful. I was especially pleased with the emphasis on friendships in this book; while there are some great romances (including a sapphic one which I didn’t seem coming and enjoyed even more for that reason; it’s so rare to get queer romances that feel like they developed organically), there are also a lot of epic friendships, and they are given just as much weight in the story. The pacing is a little rough towards the end, but up until then, I was very satisfied by how the long page count really lets the reader settle into this world and these stories.
The end of the book is satisfying without wrapping up every thread (in fact, unless I misinterpreted something, there was a huge issue left unresolved that could easily lead to another novel if the author was ever inclined to return to this world.). I know there is a prequel in this universe that I will be picking up soon.
The story takes place in a world with clear references to our own, but also a lot of creativity in the development of different cultures and religions. It is a planet-spanning epic that focuses on a huge cast of characters, including Tane, a young dragon rider who takes a dangerous risk to see her ambitions fulfilled; Niclays, an alchemist in exile determined to cross whatever lines he has to to get home; Loth, a nobleman sent against his will on a dangerous mission into dragon-controlled lands; and Ead, a mage and member of the secretive Priory of the Orange Tree, living undercover at the court of Queen Sabran of Inys, the last living descendent of the hero who claimed to have banished the monstrous Nameless One and whose bloodline is responsible for preventing him from returning. At a basic level, the story is about a threat to this world, the attempts of the various heroes to address it, and the complications caused by their different and sometimes violently opposed religions and cultures. On a deeper level, it is about a society coming to terms with the way the stories it tells itself are not always true. On a much less deep level, it is, for large stretches of the page count, a transparent MacGuffin hunt.
Oh, and it is labeled as “feminist fantasy” which is… true, I guess, but not in the way a lot of readers might expect. The Priory of the Orange Tree takes place in a world that strongly resembles the 16th/17th centuries of our own world, but without a lot of the sexist b.s. our world had, and it does sometimes touch on feminist themes, such as the misogyny inherent in a political system based on legitimate bloodlines and the ways that the roles of women in history and myth are twisted to fit a sexist narrative. (This didn’t always work for me; it’s a little difficult to pull off discussing themes of sexism in a world where, for the most part, that sexism is very muted.). But mostly it is a feminist book in the sense that all of the most active and accomplished characters are women, without a big deal being made of that fact. If you’re looking for feminist fantasy, you would probably enjoy this, but if you aren’t, it isn’t going to particularly stand out for that reason.
What this book does do well is just be a really interesting fantasy adventure. It’s not the ways in which it is groundbreaking but the ways in which it is basic where it excels. Despite a pretty slow pace, the plot keeps moving along by jumping back and forth between different characters, all of whom are doing exciting things while the reader tries to figure out how they fit together. There are some great fantasy locations (I loved the volcanic city of Carscaro especially), interesting magic systems, a lot of mysteries that unspool slowly over the course of the story, and both good and evil dragons to satisfy the needs of fans of both. The characters are diverse, complex and flawed, with all the main characters having major mistakes and prejudices to overcome, and the relationships between them are wonderful. I was especially pleased with the emphasis on friendships in this book; while there are some great romances (including a sapphic one which I didn’t seem coming and enjoyed even more for that reason; it’s so rare to get queer romances that feel like they developed organically), there are also a lot of epic friendships, and they are given just as much weight in the story. The pacing is a little rough towards the end, but up until then, I was very satisfied by how the long page count really lets the reader settle into this world and these stories.
The end of the book is satisfying without wrapping up every thread (in fact, unless I misinterpreted something, there was a huge issue left unresolved that could easily lead to another novel if the author was ever inclined to return to this world.). I know there is a prequel in this universe that I will be picking up soon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexism and Injury/Injury detail
A main character loses a pregnancy. There is some minor sexism at times, and a lot of battle scenes with related injuries.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<
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
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, War, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Classism, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Animal death, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Sexism, Confinement, Torture, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Incest, Child death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Excrement, Self harm, Vomit, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
Illness, epidemic.laurajeangrace's review
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
kayceeisbookish's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Racism
j3sslou_'s review
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
my first 5 star of the year!! i was so invested in this story, i loved it from start to finish!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Grief, Murder, Sexism, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
toffishay's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? No
4.25
This was such an awesome sweeping fantasy epic and I loved it! I am not normally a big fantasy reader, but I had heard awesome things and I am not disappointed. You get to read from the perspectives of four different character and it helps you get a sense of the world and get to know the people really well. The stakes also feel very real and I was on the edge of my seat more than once. It doesn't feel too long either, like I thought a book of this length might. It was very well-written and just felt very real. I could even see myself reading it again; maybe not too soon but it is a great time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, War, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Xenophobia, Torture, and Incest
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars, in an extraordinary--albeit unfortunate--case of 'it's not u, it's me.' the priory of the orange tree is a technically remarkable epic fantasy that deserves all the praises it's gotten, but also one that i regrettably lack any personal chemistry or sparks w/, and yes it hurts me to admit that.
never have i read a story so vast in scope, detailed in its lore & legends, steeped in religion. additionally, it's imaginative and fresh, and manages to expertly weave all its scattered narratives tgt (sidenote: this book actually reminds me of the poppy war in its worldbuilding, historical inspo, and fire vs water magic). unfortunately, i think its vast scope's a double-edged sword. bc of its sheer range, we constantly jump around from one location and narrative to another; coupling this lack of prolonged focus w/ the (understandable) 3rd person pov, no character--even the main ones--is explored deep enough for my liking, and ultimately i dont feel any real connection w/ them. this affects my enjoyment--or rather my experience of the book: i couldnt fully immerse myself in the book, despite all the adventures, new lands, dragons, escapes, and court intrigue. it was like i was watching it all happen from a detached distance, and didnt rly feel anything no matter what's happening, despite all the countless times the main characters were imperiled. and that's...not fun bc i highly value emotional connection and evocation in my books. another quabble, although a minor one, is the ultimate dragon-wyrm showdown, where i felt like the power imbalance didnt make sense: the wyrms could breathe fire while the dragons could only fly, and for the dragons to be at a disadvantage during the battle even tho they were water creatures literally fighting in the damn ocean???
honestly, this book's rly good. i particularly enjoyed the thought-provoking exploration of religious differences, themes of open-mindedness and duty, many morally gray characters (not loth tho, thats why i have a soft spot for him), worldbuilding, and feminist msg. it's also prolly the first book w/ pet-human bond trope that melts my hard heart. unfortunately, it didnt rly click w/ me, and the lack of emotional connection--that frustrating absence of some spark, a lil sth--makes this a rly-good-but-not-yet-great read.
never have i read a story so vast in scope, detailed in its lore & legends, steeped in religion. additionally, it's imaginative and fresh, and manages to expertly weave all its scattered narratives tgt (sidenote: this book actually reminds me of the poppy war in its worldbuilding, historical inspo, and fire vs water magic). unfortunately, i think its vast scope's a double-edged sword. bc of its sheer range, we constantly jump around from one location and narrative to another; coupling this lack of prolonged focus w/ the (understandable) 3rd person pov, no character--even the main ones--is explored deep enough for my liking, and ultimately i dont feel any real connection w/ them. this affects my enjoyment--or rather my experience of the book: i couldnt fully immerse myself in the book, despite all the adventures, new lands, dragons, escapes, and court intrigue. it was like i was watching it all happen from a detached distance, and didnt rly feel anything no matter what's happening, despite all the countless times the main characters were imperiled. and that's...not fun bc i highly value emotional connection and evocation in my books. another quabble, although a minor one, is the ultimate dragon-wyrm showdown, where i felt like the power imbalance didnt make sense: the wyrms could breathe fire while the dragons could only fly, and for the dragons to be at a disadvantage during the battle even tho they were water creatures literally fighting in the damn ocean???
honestly, this book's rly good. i particularly enjoyed the thought-provoking exploration of religious differences, themes of open-mindedness and duty, many morally gray characters (not loth tho, thats why i have a soft spot for him), worldbuilding, and feminist msg. it's also prolly the first book w/ pet-human bond trope that melts my hard heart. unfortunately, it didnt rly click w/ me, and the lack of emotional connection--that frustrating absence of some spark, a lil sth--makes this a rly-good-but-not-yet-great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, War, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Sexism, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Racism, Torture, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent
charliebriggs96's review
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
somberliving's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Let’s start with the good stuff.
I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation, something I have yet to experience in fantasy. For those out there worried it’ll trigger anything - there were no qualms or homophobia surrounding the relationship. No one batted an eye. I think this will be a good read for anyone wanting to escape to a world where being part of the LGTBTQ+ community isn’t a “burden” on a relationship.
Of course the feminism/women at the forefront of fantasy was amazing too!
But all in all, I felt like it was a bit slow… but also a bit rushed? It felt like the end happened so fast I didn’t have time to cheer on our main characters. That, plus I didn’t really established a connection with any of them because they seemed so dull. So when it came time to cheer them on I felt nothing, lol.
There was also so much lore that you needed to follow in order to understand the plot… which I personally found confusing, which removed me from properly understanding the actions/decisions of the main characters. So if you aren’t down to understand, then I don’t recommend.
All in all it’s an interesting read and definitely one I recommend if you’re into strong women powered fantasy.
I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation, something I have yet to experience in fantasy. For those out there worried it’ll trigger anything - there were no qualms or homophobia surrounding the relationship. No one batted an eye. I think this will be a good read for anyone wanting to escape to a world where being part of the LGTBTQ+ community isn’t a “burden” on a relationship.
Of course the feminism/women at the forefront of fantasy was amazing too!
But all in all, I felt like it was a bit slow… but also a bit rushed? It felt like the end happened so fast I didn’t have time to cheer on our main characters. That, plus I didn’t really established a connection with any of them because they seemed so dull. So when it came time to cheer them on I felt nothing, lol.
There was also so much lore that you needed to follow in order to understand the plot… which I personally found confusing, which removed me from properly understanding the actions/decisions of the main characters. So if you aren’t down to understand, then I don’t recommend.
All in all it’s an interesting read and definitely one I recommend if you’re into strong women powered fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, and Incest
More...