A review by nikkitheninth
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

“No woman should be made to fear that she was not enough.”

i definitely understand the acclaim priory has garnered for itself in such a short time. i already knew from reading the bone season that samantha shannon is a master at worldbuiling, but she definitely amped it up for this epic high fantasy tale.

it took me the first 10-15% to get my head wrapped around the world and the multiple character POVs, but i was definitely flying thru it after that. i felt it was actually quite a fast read for an epic high fantasy once i was familiarized, as shannon uses a more accessible cadence in her writing that i was expecting.

she has a masterful way of weaving multiple characters' stories and paths into their harmonious (or chaotic) alignment of the bigger narrative. i found myself gripped and needing to find out what was going to happen next as i became invested in most of the ensemble cast. the dragon/wyvern lore was quite creative and intriguing, and i'm quite curious to see where the next book will take us.

could it have been tightened up? maybe. but sometimes you gotta enjoy the long epics for what they are.

while i think the bone season is still my favorite by shannon (paige and arcturus >>>>), this definitely gave it a ran for its money!

“When history fails to shed light on the truth, myth creates its own.”
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