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A review by hanarama
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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? No
4.0
This was on my tbr for forever. All I knew going into it was that it was Sapphic and it had dragons. I really loved this read.
It reminded me so much of the classic fantasies, such as Tolkien. Slow moving, a world steeped in magic and history. Shannon's world building feels very deep and even after 800+ pages it feels like there is a lot left to explore.
Though there are 4 PoV characters, the emotional heart of this story is Ead and Queen Sabran. Their slow-burn romance and devotion to each other carries much of the book.
I docked the book a star though because I felt like the plot was at times too slow and at others there was little exploration where things could have been built up more.
It reminded me so much of the classic fantasies, such as Tolkien. Slow moving, a world steeped in magic and history. Shannon's world building feels very deep and even after 800+ pages it feels like there is a lot left to explore.
Though there are 4 PoV characters, the emotional heart of this story is Ead and Queen Sabran. Their slow-burn romance and devotion to each other carries much of the book.
I docked the book a star though because I felt like the plot was at times too slow and at others there was little exploration where things could have been built up more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Dementia, and Pregnancy