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A review by rachelditty
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
A really well-built world full of cool characters and such interesting plot. I was super into this for the first four parts, when everything was a mystery and I still had to put pieces together. I think the last two parts dragged a little for me, mostly because it was less about figuring things out and more about executing the plan at the climax of the story, but even when I wasn't as hooked at the end I was still having run reading.
I wish the final battle had dragged on for a while longer--it seemed way too short in my opinion. I also really wish Sabran had gotten to deliver the final blow with Ascalon. Don't get me wrong, Tane and Ead tag-teaming the Nameless One was cool, but I wanted Sabran to get her own sort of liberation from this beast that had been haunting her childhood and her childbed since she could remember. I wish it had been Tane and Ead with the stones and Sabran with Ascalon.
I also want to know SO MUCH MORE about Cleolind and Galian--I know the next book is about the Grief of Ages, but I hope the third installment is just about Cleolind and Galian and Kalyba. I want to know so much more about them. I couldn't help but feel bad for Galian when we got to know more about his history, how the woman who raised him had tricked him in such an awful way. I also felt bad for Kalyba when she was killed, because she did treat Sabran with this strange, saccrine kindness, and did seem almost remorseful about what she was doing. I want more of these three. And about the three trees!!
I'll be honest, I wasn't as hooked on Sabran and Ead's relationship as I wanted to be. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I know my friend REALLY loves them; I don't know why they didn't get me the same way.
The endings for all the characters felt very fitting. I'm glad Tane and Niamythun are still riding, and that she's getting to hunt down the Golden Empress. I thought Niclays was going to die at the end of the book, but I'm really glad I was wrong. Loth being implied to be in cahoots with the now-queen Marosa was unexpected, but I liked it. And Ead getting to be Prioress? Yes.
Overall a very enticing read that was just fast enough to keep me interested but still detailed enough that I was able to put pieces together alongside the characters. Really cool. Excited to read the sequel!
Some quotes I liked:
"'All stories grow from a seed of truth,' Tryude said. 'They are knowledge after figuration,'" (p. 21).
"Her heart was a trapped butterfly. The water in you is cold, her teacher had once told her. When you hold a weapon, you become a faceless ghost. You give nothing away," (p. 121).
"'You have not seen death, my lord. You have only seen the mask we put on it," (p. 127).
"'You wear so much armor by daylight that, by night, you can carry it no longer. By night, you are only flesh. And even the flesh of a queen is prone to fear,'" (p. 203).
"'Can we not both agree that no more of her friends should be cut from her side?'" (p. 205).
"'Damn you to the womb of fire.'
Sigoso smiled. 'I am there,' he said, 'and it is paradise,'" (p. 218).
"The roar of the crowd grew so loud, so fast, that it seemed to Ead to transcend sound and attain a physicality," (p. 293).
"'The threat comes from beneath, not from afar,'" (p. 309).
"'You have let me unburden myself, even though my fears are selfish. The Damsel has granted me the child I begged of her, and all I can do is... quake,'" (p. 330).
"'...the love of your life was an abject coward even as a boy. I fear death too much to seek it.'
'Well, I can only be grateful for the softness of your spine. I confess to fearing your death, too.'
'I remind you that you are two years my senior, and that the arithmetic of death is against you.'
Jannart smiled. 'Let us not speak of death when there is still so much life to be lived,'" (p. 346).
"'If I had convinced myself I was no sinner, I would never have kissed the lips I long to kiss,'' (p. 347).
"'I don't want to carry on! Do you not understand? Does nobody in this world understand, damn you? Is no one else haunted?'" (p. 434).
"'The one who wears the chains is a thousand times greater than the one who wields them,'" (p. 451).
"'This part, small as it appeared at first, was forged in the fire of her own strength, and resisted her cage. And I understood... that this part was made of steel,'" (p. 499).
"...spilling guts like a cutpurse spilling gold. Death came for them like a desert wind," (p. 527).
"'Margaret,' he said, 'you are my child. I forgave you all your sins on the first day of your life,'" (p. 580).
"'During my... adventure, I learned what it was to be a heretic. It felt as though my very existence were under assault. If Inys can be the first to cease using the word, I think it would have done this world a very fine service,'" (p. 604).
"Each day, each step, each tick of the clock took him closer to that golden possibility. He was tired of having half a soul," (p. 653).
"In death, its branches reached for the stars, as if they might hold out silver hands and help it stand again," (p. 656).
"How to paint a portrait of Sabran, who had been in his life since he was six. Since a time when all they had worried about was how many adventures they could fit into a day," (p. 740).
"Seek not the midnight sun on earth/ but look for it within," (p. 789).
"'I will teach my heart to beat again.'
It hurt to leave him in the dark. Still, leave he did. Those bones had long since let him go," (p. 790).
"'Some truths,' he said, 'are safest buried. Some castles best kept in the sky. There's promise in tales that are yet to be spoken. In the shadow realm, known only to a few,'" (p. 804).
I wish the final battle had dragged on for a while longer--it seemed way too short in my opinion. I also really wish Sabran had gotten to deliver the final blow with Ascalon. Don't get me wrong, Tane and Ead tag-teaming the Nameless One was cool, but I wanted Sabran to get her own sort of liberation from this beast that had been haunting her childhood and her childbed since she could remember. I wish it had been Tane and Ead with the stones and Sabran with Ascalon.
I also want to know SO MUCH MORE about Cleolind and Galian--I know the next book is about the Grief of Ages, but I hope the third installment is just about Cleolind and Galian and Kalyba. I want to know so much more about them. I couldn't help but feel bad for Galian when we got to know more about his history, how the woman who raised him had tricked him in such an awful way. I also felt bad for Kalyba when she was killed, because she did treat Sabran with this strange, saccrine kindness, and did seem almost remorseful about what she was doing. I want more of these three. And about the three trees!!
I'll be honest, I wasn't as hooked on Sabran and Ead's relationship as I wanted to be. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I know my friend REALLY loves them; I don't know why they didn't get me the same way.
The endings for all the characters felt very fitting. I'm glad Tane and Niamythun are still riding, and that she's getting to hunt down the Golden Empress. I thought Niclays was going to die at the end of the book, but I'm really glad I was wrong. Loth being implied to be in cahoots with the now-queen Marosa was unexpected, but I liked it. And Ead getting to be Prioress? Yes.
Overall a very enticing read that was just fast enough to keep me interested but still detailed enough that I was able to put pieces together alongside the characters. Really cool. Excited to read the sequel!
Some quotes I liked:
"'All stories grow from a seed of truth,' Tryude said. 'They are knowledge after figuration,'" (p. 21).
"Her heart was a trapped butterfly. The water in you is cold, her teacher had once told her. When you hold a weapon, you become a faceless ghost. You give nothing away," (p. 121).
"'You have not seen death, my lord. You have only seen the mask we put on it," (p. 127).
"'You wear so much armor by daylight that, by night, you can carry it no longer. By night, you are only flesh. And even the flesh of a queen is prone to fear,'" (p. 203).
"'Can we not both agree that no more of her friends should be cut from her side?'" (p. 205).
"'Damn you to the womb of fire.'
Sigoso smiled. 'I am there,' he said, 'and it is paradise,'" (p. 218).
"The roar of the crowd grew so loud, so fast, that it seemed to Ead to transcend sound and attain a physicality," (p. 293).
"'The threat comes from beneath, not from afar,'" (p. 309).
"'You have let me unburden myself, even though my fears are selfish. The Damsel has granted me the child I begged of her, and all I can do is... quake,'" (p. 330).
"'...the love of your life was an abject coward even as a boy. I fear death too much to seek it.'
'Well, I can only be grateful for the softness of your spine. I confess to fearing your death, too.'
'I remind you that you are two years my senior, and that the arithmetic of death is against you.'
Jannart smiled. 'Let us not speak of death when there is still so much life to be lived,'" (p. 346).
"'If I had convinced myself I was no sinner, I would never have kissed the lips I long to kiss,'' (p. 347).
"'I don't want to carry on! Do you not understand? Does nobody in this world understand, damn you? Is no one else haunted?'" (p. 434).
"'The one who wears the chains is a thousand times greater than the one who wields them,'" (p. 451).
"'This part, small as it appeared at first, was forged in the fire of her own strength, and resisted her cage. And I understood... that this part was made of steel,'" (p. 499).
"...spilling guts like a cutpurse spilling gold. Death came for them like a desert wind," (p. 527).
"'Margaret,' he said, 'you are my child. I forgave you all your sins on the first day of your life,'" (p. 580).
"'During my... adventure, I learned what it was to be a heretic. It felt as though my very existence were under assault. If Inys can be the first to cease using the word, I think it would have done this world a very fine service,'" (p. 604).
"Each day, each step, each tick of the clock took him closer to that golden possibility. He was tired of having half a soul," (p. 653).
"In death, its branches reached for the stars, as if they might hold out silver hands and help it stand again," (p. 656).
"How to paint a portrait of Sabran, who had been in his life since he was six. Since a time when all they had worried about was how many adventures they could fit into a day," (p. 740).
"Seek not the midnight sun on earth/ but look for it within," (p. 789).
"'I will teach my heart to beat again.'
It hurt to leave him in the dark. Still, leave he did. Those bones had long since let him go," (p. 790).
"'Some truths,' he said, 'are safest buried. Some castles best kept in the sky. There's promise in tales that are yet to be spoken. In the shadow realm, known only to a few,'" (p. 804).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Gore, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Grief, Infertility, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content, War, Blood, and Child death