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A review by astropova
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I don't know how to put into words how much I loved it, but I will give it a try. In my opinion, it is easily on par with Lord of the Rings (which I also adore very much) and shines with its many captivating female characters, an aspect in which LotR is sorely lacking. And based on my experience, Priory is what the Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones series wishes it could be.
I loved exploring the world through the adventures of our POV characters and seeing the world through their eyes and their biases. And I loved watching as many of those biases were extinguished as their stories began to intertwine. I thought that the descriptions and development of the characters was one of the strongest things about this book. And all of the twists and turns and revelations in the storyline were so great! My single gripe is that I felt like if we had seen and connected more with Kalyba, then *~*certain events*~* may have been more impactful. As it was, it felt like her later appearances fell a little flat and felt like missed opportunities.
I also thought that the pacing was spot-on. In such a long book, it would be easy to feel like you're slogging through it and not much is going on, but Shannon somehow avoids that entirely. She masterfully splices together the different storylines, knowing exactly where to break them off and how to start the next scene to keep you captivated. It was SO HARD to put this book down and it's been a while since I read a book I could say that about. I didn't notice how quickly the pages flew by until, alas, it was over.
The setting and world-building were super cool! I loved how different each of the nations were, yet fit together believably into one cohesive world. I really wish we got to see more of the West and South, since the bulk of the time spent there was in Inys. The brief foray into wyvern-occupied Yscalin and the limited view of the journeys South left me wanting more. I feel like there is so much more to tell about Mentendon. We meet the people of Hroth for like 5 seconds, but they seem pretty cool! I want to KNOW what lies beyond the Gate of Ungulus!
At the same time, I feel like Shannon has masterfully pulled off the herculean effort of feeding you *just* enough tastes of this massive and complex world to teach you exactly what you need to know and when you need to know it, without feeling like an overwhelming info-dump. Often you are learning about new places when the characters are also experiencing them for the first time, so you feel like you're right there adventuring along with them.
In conclusion, I really hope Shannon continues to write in this universe because I would so eagerly devour more!
I loved exploring the world through the adventures of our POV characters and seeing the world through their eyes and their biases. And I loved watching as many of those biases were extinguished as their stories began to intertwine. I thought that the descriptions and development of the characters was one of the strongest things about this book. And all of the twists and turns and revelations in the storyline were so great! My single gripe is that I felt like if we had seen and connected more with Kalyba, then *~*certain events*~* may have been more impactful. As it was, it felt like her later appearances fell a little flat and felt like missed opportunities.
I also thought that the pacing was spot-on. In such a long book, it would be easy to feel like you're slogging through it and not much is going on, but Shannon somehow avoids that entirely. She masterfully splices together the different storylines, knowing exactly where to break them off and how to start the next scene to keep you captivated. It was SO HARD to put this book down and it's been a while since I read a book I could say that about. I didn't notice how quickly the pages flew by until, alas, it was over.
The setting and world-building were super cool! I loved how different each of the nations were, yet fit together believably into one cohesive world. I really wish we got to see more of the West and South, since the bulk of the time spent there was in Inys. The brief foray into wyvern-occupied Yscalin and the limited view of the journeys South left me wanting more. I feel like there is so much more to tell about Mentendon. We meet the people of Hroth for like 5 seconds, but they seem pretty cool! I want to KNOW what lies beyond the Gate of Ungulus!
At the same time, I feel like Shannon has masterfully pulled off the herculean effort of feeding you *just* enough tastes of this massive and complex world to teach you exactly what you need to know and when you need to know it, without feeling like an overwhelming info-dump. Often you are learning about new places when the characters are also experiencing them for the first time, so you feel like you're right there adventuring along with them.
In conclusion, I really hope Shannon continues to write in this universe because I would so eagerly devour more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, and Dementia
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture