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cheekybritlit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Death of parent
claudiaswords's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75
I loved mostly everything about this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page and moment of reading it. If you know me, you know I love pirates and dragons and magic and this book has all three and more.
I think my favourite thing were the characters, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Ead and Loth and Meg and Tané and Sabran and Niclays. I adored seeing their growth and change, most of all I felt adrenaline when their stories began to mix and tangle together, when the marvelous web Samantha Shannon was spinning started to get more and more intricate. Because the second thing I loved most was Samantha Shannons writing and world building. I can’t express how delighted I was at the backstory of the kingdoms in this book, their folklore stories and characters made the world feel utterly real.
I’ve said it before in this review but I feel it necessary to repeat, I enjoyed reading every single page of this book. At first I was intimidated, it is a long, high fantasy standalone (for now) and it felt daunting, but as soon as I started it I was gripped and found the characters delightful to read, the plot intriguing and the world building fascinating. The only reason why thi isn’t an immediate 5 stars is because of the death of a certain character that I felt wasn’t necessary and made me very sad. This rating might change because honestly it is a very minor thing compared to all the things I loved about the book.
I think my favourite thing were the characters, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Ead and Loth and Meg and Tané and Sabran and Niclays. I adored seeing their growth and change, most of all I felt adrenaline when their stories began to mix and tangle together, when the marvelous web Samantha Shannon was spinning started to get more and more intricate. Because the second thing I loved most was Samantha Shannons writing and world building. I can’t express how delighted I was at the backstory of the kingdoms in this book, their folklore stories and characters made the world feel utterly real.
I’ve said it before in this review but I feel it necessary to repeat, I enjoyed reading every single page of this book. At first I was intimidated, it is a long, high fantasy standalone (for now) and it felt daunting, but as soon as I started it I was gripped and found the characters delightful to read, the plot intriguing and the world building fascinating. The only reason why thi isn’t an immediate 5 stars is because of the death of a certain character that I felt wasn’t necessary and made me very sad. This rating might change because honestly it is a very minor thing compared to all the things I loved about the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.0
This was on my tbr for forever. All I knew going into it was that it was Sapphic and it had dragons. I really loved this read.
It reminded me so much of the classic fantasies, such as Tolkien. Slow moving, a world steeped in magic and history. Shannon's world building feels very deep and even after 800+ pages it feels like there is a lot left to explore.
Though there are 4 PoV characters, the emotional heart of this story is Ead and Queen Sabran. Their slow-burn romance and devotion to each other carries much of the book.
I docked the book a star though because I felt like the plot was at times too slow and at others there was little exploration where things could have been built up more.
It reminded me so much of the classic fantasies, such as Tolkien. Slow moving, a world steeped in magic and history. Shannon's world building feels very deep and even after 800+ pages it feels like there is a lot left to explore.
Though there are 4 PoV characters, the emotional heart of this story is Ead and Queen Sabran. Their slow-burn romance and devotion to each other carries much of the book.
I docked the book a star though because I felt like the plot was at times too slow and at others there was little exploration where things could have been built up more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Dementia, and Pregnancy
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: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Infertility, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, and Dementia
a_novaturient_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
ohmygourd's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Dementia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Miscarriage, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Medical content
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, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Dementia
saestrah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the flaws of the main characters are definitely centre stage, in a way that really promotes growth as the story develops. you see each character at their worst as well as at their best, and it adds huge authenticity to their characterisation (especially so for the characters that narrate the story). in terms of the main romance (spoilers ahead) although the romance isn't as centre-stage as the overarching plot, their development is so genuine and true to character. it doesn't feel forced or shoe-horned in, but a natural progression of their relationship. one of the best parts of their relationship, as rare it is in lgbt literature, is that the story doesn't end when the main couple get together. as a reader you get to see their relationship develop after the first kiss and see how both characters are tested in their trust and love with one another. there are aspects i would have liked to have seen teased out further, but for an already incredibly long book which isn't meant to be romance-heavy, i also didn't find it lacking. i know the author is hoping for a sequel and i'll keep my fingers crossed for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
valpuri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Dementia
astropova's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I don't know how to put into words how much I loved it, but I will give it a try. In my opinion, it is easily on par with Lord of the Rings (which I also adore very much) and shines with its many captivating female characters, an aspect in which LotR is sorely lacking. And based on my experience, Priory is what the Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones series wishes it could be.
I loved exploring the world through the adventures of our POV characters and seeing the world through their eyes and their biases. And I loved watching as many of those biases were extinguished as their stories began to intertwine. I thought that the descriptions and development of the characters was one of the strongest things about this book. And all of the twists and turns and revelations in the storyline were so great! My single gripe is that I felt like if we had seen and connected more with Kalyba, then *~*certain events*~* may have been more impactful. As it was, it felt like her later appearances fell a little flat and felt like missed opportunities.
I also thought that the pacing was spot-on. In such a long book, it would be easy to feel like you're slogging through it and not much is going on, but Shannon somehow avoids that entirely. She masterfully splices together the different storylines, knowing exactly where to break them off and how to start the next scene to keep you captivated. It was SO HARD to put this book down and it's been a while since I read a book I could say that about. I didn't notice how quickly the pages flew by until, alas, it was over.
The setting and world-building were super cool! I loved how different each of the nations were, yet fit together believably into one cohesive world. I really wish we got to see more of the West and South, since the bulk of the time spent there was in Inys. The brief foray into wyvern-occupied Yscalin and the limited view of the journeys South left me wanting more. I feel like there is so much more to tell about Mentendon. We meet the people of Hroth for like 5 seconds, but they seem pretty cool! I want to KNOW what lies beyond the Gate of Ungulus!
At the same time, I feel like Shannon has masterfully pulled off the herculean effort of feeding you *just* enough tastes of this massive and complex world to teach you exactly what you need to know and when you need to know it, without feeling like an overwhelming info-dump. Often you are learning about new places when the characters are also experiencing them for the first time, so you feel like you're right there adventuring along with them.
In conclusion, I really hope Shannon continues to write in this universe because I would so eagerly devour more!
I loved exploring the world through the adventures of our POV characters and seeing the world through their eyes and their biases. And I loved watching as many of those biases were extinguished as their stories began to intertwine. I thought that the descriptions and development of the characters was one of the strongest things about this book. And all of the twists and turns and revelations in the storyline were so great! My single gripe is that I felt like if we had seen and connected more with Kalyba, then *~*certain events*~* may have been more impactful. As it was, it felt like her later appearances fell a little flat and felt like missed opportunities.
I also thought that the pacing was spot-on. In such a long book, it would be easy to feel like you're slogging through it and not much is going on, but Shannon somehow avoids that entirely. She masterfully splices together the different storylines, knowing exactly where to break them off and how to start the next scene to keep you captivated. It was SO HARD to put this book down and it's been a while since I read a book I could say that about. I didn't notice how quickly the pages flew by until, alas, it was over.
The setting and world-building were super cool! I loved how different each of the nations were, yet fit together believably into one cohesive world. I really wish we got to see more of the West and South, since the bulk of the time spent there was in Inys. The brief foray into wyvern-occupied Yscalin and the limited view of the journeys South left me wanting more. I feel like there is so much more to tell about Mentendon. We meet the people of Hroth for like 5 seconds, but they seem pretty cool! I want to KNOW what lies beyond the Gate of Ungulus!
At the same time, I feel like Shannon has masterfully pulled off the herculean effort of feeding you *just* enough tastes of this massive and complex world to teach you exactly what you need to know and when you need to know it, without feeling like an overwhelming info-dump. Often you are learning about new places when the characters are also experiencing them for the first time, so you feel like you're right there adventuring along with them.
In conclusion, I really hope Shannon continues to write in this universe because I would so eagerly devour more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, and Dementia
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
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