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angelsfw's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
themelleh's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Torture, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
lifeinsilver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia
brittanyboston18's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Outing, and Alcohol
cstein's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Cursing and Alcohol
kers_tin's review
- 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
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
kat__z8's review against another edition
- 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
I read this book over the span of three weeks, which would usually guarantee a gradual loss of interest were it with any other book. But Priory is one of those rare books that just satisfy me whether I devour it in a few sittings or over a month.
It's a book that's at once immersive and jam-packed with actions and magical quests. It had been so long since I encountered a high fantasy world crafted with such care and details to every single aspect that matters. The countries? Splendid. The religions, myth and lore? Breathtaking. The people, the races and different creatures? Marvelous.
I said this book had more, and I seriously think this is where Shannon won compared to other old classics (sorry, LOTR!). The world here is just so rich and the characters and cultures so diverse, as is fit for our world. I could tell Shannon put so much effort in researching that much of the culture it's inspired from bled into the writing and I just felt so spoiled, the world building in this book was such a treat and feast for my senses!
We have multiple POVs of characters who are all queer (Ead—lesbian, Tané—aroace, Loth—ace spec, Niclays—gay, and of course we have Queen Sabran, who is a prominent character even without a POV—bisexual). Shannon painted a world that's optimistically accepting and unapologetically feminist. Sure, there were still some sexism and heteronormativity left, but it's more closely tied to classism and there are constant fights by the characters against the system. There were also some small but very refreshing traditions like using a gender neutral term for one's spouse—a companion. Female characters were seen in position of power and it was no big deal. It's just a really refreshing and hopeful world despite the looming threat of the Nameless One.
Finally, I just want to say that this book did take me some time to get into. The plot was clear from pretty early on, and like any other fantasy books, we get the typical quest to defeat the final enemy almost at the end of the book. In the meantime, I would just enjoy the trips and adventures these characters took me on, sometimes wide-eyed at certain plot twists.
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
zannayo's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, and Deportation
smithreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, and Torture
khylababyla's review
- 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 is by far one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. If you are trying to break into more adult fantasy rather then YA fantasy this is a great starting point.
Also do not let the size of this book intimidate you. It’s a much quicker read then I anticipated and is broken up into sections that make it easier to manage.
Graphic: War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Homophobia and Religious bigotry