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sofetto's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is incredibly slow until around halfway through, at which point the book suddenly rushes towards the finish line. The plot is messy, and times where there should be resistance in the plot for example, when they break into the castle to rescue Sabran while they are wanted, there is absolutely nothing in the character's way. This makes it really odd - characters are able to face these apparently insurmountable challenges with barely a scratch (except where it suits the plot) and it really took from my enjoyment of the book.
Only two characters are actually well developed, and these were my least favourite characters - Tané, who had drawn me in, was essentially reduced to a cardboard cut out by the end.
Incredibly disappointing, and I wish I had DNF'd when I originally took a break from it because there was not much to like about this at all.
Only two characters are actually well developed, and these were my least favourite characters - Tané, who had drawn me in, was essentially reduced to a cardboard cut out by the end.
Incredibly disappointing, and I wish I had DNF'd when I originally took a break from it because there was not much to like about this at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Body horror, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia
ribbonroad's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy
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
pawanithereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
How do you review a 830 page book that took your breath away? That's right, you don't. You just sing songs in it's praise.
Priory of the Orange Tree is one of the best multi-plot books I've read and I absolutely loved how every plot was connected and how beautifully it all came together in the end.
The entire politics and just the manner of how a queendom works is very well captured.
This book such incredibly written complex characters. I loved the strong female characters. How the characters react to different situations or how well do they manage their responsibilities is very realistic. I went from hating Sabran Berethnet to loving her and I there is no other character that I love and hate at the same time as I love and hate Niclays Roos.
This book contains a mixture of different myths and folklore and in my opinion, it does justice to them. The world building was incredible. I can say it was almost flawless. The differences between the East, West, South and North, magic working with nature, if was all so beautiful.
I also loved the diversity in the book but the best thing was the wlw and the mlm relationships. They were absolutely beautiful.
But Priory is not a book for the faint hearted. A lot of things that you don't want to happen will happen, characters you love will die and you will be introduced to a lot of gruesome subjects.
The book is definitely worth a read. Even though is a giant, you will not feel overwhelmed nor will you be bored while reading it.
Priory of the Orange Tree is one of the best multi-plot books I've read and I absolutely loved how every plot was connected and how beautifully it all came together in the end.
The entire politics and just the manner of how a queendom works is very well captured.
This book such incredibly written complex characters. I loved the strong female characters. How the characters react to different situations or how well do they manage their responsibilities is very realistic. I went from hating Sabran Berethnet to loving her and I there is no other character that I love and hate at the same time as I love and hate Niclays Roos.
This book contains a mixture of different myths and folklore and in my opinion, it does justice to them. The world building was incredible. I can say it was almost flawless. The differences between the East, West, South and North, magic working with nature, if was all so beautiful.
I also loved the diversity in the book but the best thing was the wlw and the mlm relationships. They were absolutely beautiful.
But Priory is not a book for the faint hearted. A lot of things that you don't want to happen will happen, characters you love will die and you will be introduced to a lot of gruesome subjects.
The book is definitely worth a read. Even though is a giant, you will not feel overwhelmed nor will you be bored while reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Infertility, and Panic attacks/disorders
astropova's review
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
zara_broadfield's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
reocalabra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Minor: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
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