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blicksam's review against another edition
4.0
a rare one-off fantasy that 1) doesn’t leave you unfulfilled and/or 2) seems rushed. hell yeah.
zikiriki's review against another edition
5.0
The world building was rich, the action and pacing were well done... I fell hard for several of the main characters... my one critique is that the ending felt rushed and that the climax resolves rather quickly after such a long period of suspense building up to it. However, I absolutely enjoyed this and will be reading more of Shannon's work!
chloelliss's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
The Priory of the Orange Tree is the most beautifully written fantasy books I have read as of yet. The story is vividly portrayed and each character is written so well, with so much personality. I love Tané, Ead and Sabran; three strong female characters, who defied many odds including the typical sexist tropes of high fantasy.
The only issue I have is the last 100 pages. The Nameless One has been feared for 1000 years, yet it felt like it’s appearance in the book lasted pages with minimal damage. The true villain is the Witch Kalybra. She was the perfect complex villain with a brilliant backstory. I just wished her and the nameless one had more time on the page; their union would have been devastating.
I also hate Niclays, just thought I would throw that in this review.
But overall, I adored this book!
The Priory of the Orange Tree is the most beautifully written fantasy books I have read as of yet. The story is vividly portrayed and each character is written so well, with so much personality. I love Tané, Ead and Sabran; three strong female characters, who defied many odds including the typical sexist tropes of high fantasy.
The only issue I have is the last 100 pages. The Nameless One has been feared for 1000 years, yet it felt like it’s appearance in the book lasted pages with minimal damage. The true villain is the Witch Kalybra. She was the perfect complex villain with a brilliant backstory. I just wished her and the nameless one had more time on the page; their union would have been devastating.
I also hate Niclays, just thought I would throw that in this review.
But overall, I adored this book!
sarahboudereads's review against another edition
5.0
This my second re-read of this book, and it was just as wonderful -if not better- as the first time. I love the way Samantha Shannon is able to tell such an epic tale without boring me once, I love the characters SO MUCH it hurts. ALL the stars.
joeldrama's review against another edition
5.0
such a beautifully rich world full of intricate, complex, and incredible characters
amyrobertsonreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hannahgruber's review against another edition
3.5
i really did like this, especially for fantasy, but i’m disappointed at how rushed the ending felt, and that all the main characters had plot armor. i also thought it was too literal, like shannon spelled it out but could’ve had a little more tact and just shown some things
from my notes: i like the premise and setup of this book but we are SPRINTING to the finish. also it feels like convenience is getting the main characters out of situations, which i don’t like. like all of a sudden this king decides to ignore the red sickness and just decides to have this alliance with inys? it makes no sense, he gets nothing out of it. also why does everyone pass out until they become convenient to the plot again?
from my notes: i like the premise and setup of this book but we are SPRINTING to the finish. also it feels like convenience is getting the main characters out of situations, which i don’t like. like all of a sudden this king decides to ignore the red sickness and just decides to have this alliance with inys? it makes no sense, he gets nothing out of it. also why does everyone pass out until they become convenient to the plot again?
lynniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.5
mayhemreading's review against another edition
4.75
Samantha, girl, I think you need to revise.. HOWEVER, you gave me a LESBIAN romance that I can finally fuckin get behind!!! So I forgive you!!
taylor_w's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0