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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
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:
Complicated
I was invested even when I was confused! Definitely a bit of a haul
Samantha Shannon writes an absolutely cracking story, but she doesn't hold your hand or wait for you to keep up. The result is then a pretty hectic experience for the first couple hundred pages, that eventually settles into a rhythm that is difficult to put down.
I liked the selection of narrators in this and the wide range of experiences they represented, as well as the core message of motherhood that was so effectively carried throughout.
It's a super long read, and I struggle to see exactly why I needed to be published in one giant volume, but I'm glad to have read it all the same.
I liked the selection of narrators in this and the wide range of experiences they represented, as well as the core message of motherhood that was so effectively carried throughout.
It's a super long read, and I struggle to see exactly why I needed to be published in one giant volume, but I'm glad to have read it all the same.
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
No
If you enjoyed a priory of the orange tree and haven't picked this one up yet you're doing yourself a disservice. It's sooo good I was completely invested from the start and have barely been able to put it down.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
***WILL HAVE PRIORY SPOILERS TOO***
3.7? Rounding to 4/5.
There was simply no reason this book needed to be 850 pages but I digress. Similar to the first, I definitely liked it but wasn’t like omg this is amazing.
Tunuva, Esbar, the the Priory:
I really did enjoy their relationship. Esbar ate Siyu up when she came back from Carmentum fr fr. And she needed to hear it too !! Not surprised she was fucking a rando outside the priory like what else would you expect from a young girl raised in such a secluded culture. Her karma was that horrific childbirth fr, and Anyso dying. Obviously they were going to kill her baby daddy but I was surprised that it was actually Canthe who ordered it to happen like I fully expected the Priory to kill him. Also they never addressed that Canthe was the one who unburied him and moved his body for Siyu to find but obviously she was?
I truly think Esbar is a good Prioress. When the other prioress died and Canthe was like oh but actually she said I could stay :) I was like girl you are lying through your teeth how could they believe you ?!!
Side note: I feel like if you didn’t read Priory first you wouldn’t have picked up on it but it was SO fucking obvious that Canthe was the Witch of the woods. Like the second I saw her character I was like oh yeah okay so thats Kalyba.
Dumai & Nikeya:
I really enjoyed her story and character depth as compared to Tane in the Priory book.
Never for not a single second did I trust Nikeya and after finishing this book I still don’t. She had a redemption arc but I still never really cared for her character. Loved her and Dumai’s love affair tho!!
Also Kanifa falling to his death in such an unoriginal way was a let down even tho it was so obvious that he was going to die saving / protecting Dumai.
There was simply no way the River Lord didn’t kill emporer Jorodu.. like Seiiki is just as shady with its politics as the West.
Glorian:
*sigh* why must the Inysh royal family simply be nothing but a cum dumpster in these books. Especially knowing in Priory how their bloodline simply doesn’t keep the nameless one away it’s just so unfortunate.
The connection between her and Dumai was a bit confusing for me to follow at first because I knew there was interference somehow but it ended up making sense I guess? Lord Robart was giving Crest family level of annoying (in Priory) like bro why are you so fucking stupid and dumb like literally shut up and die (and he did :) ! )
Also the way they were just throwing out random hoes for this bitch to marry like who the fuck is Prince Guam Velvida ? (Guma Vetalda). Not surprised he was shady and musty.
Wulf
My bisexual king <3
I knew there was going to be tea with him and high key should have seen it coming he was Tunuva’s son but I simply didn’t. Also didn’t realize he was immune to the red sickness but made sense considering the siden/magic in his blood.
High key thought they were going to blame / suspect Wulf for the murders of Sabran and Bardholt because of his sus origins/background but thankfully that didn’t happen. Can we also talk about the shit they put that poor man through ?? Einlek was like sooo you just survived the wyrm attack on the Ashen sea but I’m actually going to need you to go back across for me <3 like ??
Also not him literally risking his life to have sex with Glorian. Loved it. Him being Sabran’s dad is so cute <3 but also why did it take like 570 pages for them to fuck !
Simply loved him and Thrit being lovers like so cute. Obviously sucks he doesn’t get to be in his daughter’s life but I’m happy he still had some bussy to keep him company
As a Prequel:
I LOVED getting the lore for the red sickness and its origins.
As I started reading I was like wait yeah Carmentum def isn’t in Priory so I wonder what happens.. well RIP them lmao.
Nayimathun (Tane’s dragon) being in this book was a fun Easter egg.
Also picked up on that Glorian’s vision of Fyredel waiting to eat her child is the same is the same vision that Sabran has in the early chapters of Priory. Enjoyed that origin story/plot.
Very interesting Glorian got pregnant by Wulf, a brother of the priory.. interesting implications / background as it relates to Priory of the Orange Tree book (i.e., Edgar writing it into priory law that a sister must always protect the Queen or Inys aka why Ead is stationed at Court in Priory)
Overall, felt a little bleh at times and I don’t think this book needed to be as long as it was but I did enjoy it and I loved the foundation it laid for Priory. Still glad I read Priory first but def could see why it would be fun to read this first. Obviously will be reading the next prequel she just announced.
3.7? Rounding to 4/5.
There was simply no reason this book needed to be 850 pages but I digress. Similar to the first, I definitely liked it but wasn’t like omg this is amazing.
Tunuva, Esbar, the the Priory:
I really did enjoy their relationship. Esbar ate Siyu up when she came back from Carmentum fr fr. And she needed to hear it too !! Not surprised she was fucking a rando outside the priory like what else would you expect from a young girl raised in such a secluded culture. Her karma was that horrific childbirth fr, and Anyso dying. Obviously they were going to kill her baby daddy but I was surprised that it was actually Canthe who ordered it to happen like I fully expected the Priory to kill him. Also they never addressed that Canthe was the one who unburied him and moved his body for Siyu to find but obviously she was?
I truly think Esbar is a good Prioress. When the other prioress died and Canthe was like oh but actually she said I could stay :) I was like girl you are lying through your teeth how could they believe you ?!!
Side note: I feel like if you didn’t read Priory first you wouldn’t have picked up on it but it was SO fucking obvious that Canthe was the Witch of the woods. Like the second I saw her character I was like oh yeah okay so thats Kalyba.
Dumai & Nikeya:
I really enjoyed her story and character depth as compared to Tane in the Priory book.
Never for not a single second did I trust Nikeya and after finishing this book I still don’t. She had a redemption arc but I still never really cared for her character. Loved her and Dumai’s love affair tho!!
Also Kanifa falling to his death in such an unoriginal way was a let down even tho it was so obvious that he was going to die saving / protecting Dumai.
There was simply no way the River Lord didn’t kill emporer Jorodu.. like Seiiki is just as shady with its politics as the West.
Glorian:
*sigh* why must the Inysh royal family simply be nothing but a cum dumpster in these books. Especially knowing in Priory how their bloodline simply doesn’t keep the nameless one away it’s just so unfortunate.
The connection between her and Dumai was a bit confusing for me to follow at first because I knew there was interference somehow but it ended up making sense I guess? Lord Robart was giving Crest family level of annoying (in Priory) like bro why are you so fucking stupid and dumb like literally shut up and die (and he did :) ! )
Also the way they were just throwing out random hoes for this bitch to marry like who the fuck is Prince Guam Velvida ? (Guma Vetalda). Not surprised he was shady and musty.
Wulf
My bisexual king <3
I knew there was going to be tea with him and high key should have seen it coming he was Tunuva’s son but I simply didn’t. Also didn’t realize he was immune to the red sickness but made sense considering the siden/magic in his blood.
High key thought they were going to blame / suspect Wulf for the murders of Sabran and Bardholt because of his sus origins/background but thankfully that didn’t happen. Can we also talk about the shit they put that poor man through ?? Einlek was like sooo you just survived the wyrm attack on the Ashen sea but I’m actually going to need you to go back across for me <3 like ??
Also not him literally risking his life to have sex with Glorian. Loved it. Him being Sabran’s dad is so cute <3 but also why did it take like 570 pages for them to fuck !
Simply loved him and Thrit being lovers like so cute. Obviously sucks he doesn’t get to be in his daughter’s life but I’m happy he still had some bussy to keep him company
As a Prequel:
I LOVED getting the lore for the red sickness and its origins.
As I started reading I was like wait yeah Carmentum def isn’t in Priory so I wonder what happens.. well RIP them lmao.
Nayimathun (Tane’s dragon) being in this book was a fun Easter egg.
Also picked up on that Glorian’s vision of Fyredel waiting to eat her child is the same is the same vision that Sabran has in the early chapters of Priory. Enjoyed that origin story/plot.
Very interesting Glorian got pregnant by Wulf, a brother of the priory.. interesting implications / background as it relates to Priory of the Orange Tree book (i.e., Edgar writing it into priory law that a sister must always protect the Queen or Inys aka why Ead is stationed at Court in Priory)
Overall, felt a little bleh at times and I don’t think this book needed to be as long as it was but I did enjoy it and I loved the foundation it laid for Priory. Still glad I read Priory first but def could see why it would be fun to read this first. Obviously will be reading the next prequel she just announced.