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A review by manikahemmerixh
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
4.0
Priory started off slow for me, but by the end I could see why people love it so much. The chapters move around the fantasy world and follow different characters, and there were some that I cared for (and was intrigued by) more than others, but the further into the story I got, that mattered less as stories interconnected. I actually knew little about it going in, only that people said you shouldn't be scared by the length of it. I have to agree, although it is long, I've read shorter books that felt much more cumbersome. The most daunting thing about this story would probably be all of the names and made-up creatures, but there's a glossary, a list of characters, and even a timeline in the back (which frankly, every fantasy should take note) so you can refer to that if you feel lost.
The rest of the novel is actually quite easy to follow. The story moves quick, it doesn't dwell too much on specific battles or trying circumstances. The stakes are high, but if you're an anxious reader, this is a good fit for you because it doesn't keep you hanging on issues for too long. At first, I thought that maybe things were brushed by too quickly, but I came to appreciate it once I realized it was a consistent pattern. Also, the book is already just over 800 pages long, so there has to be some line drawn about what is superfluous vs. needed to give the reader a well-rounded picture. I wouldn't say that all of my questions were answered by the end, but I wasn't left unsatisfied.
The rest of the novel is actually quite easy to follow. The story moves quick, it doesn't dwell too much on specific battles or trying circumstances. The stakes are high, but if you're an anxious reader, this is a good fit for you because it doesn't keep you hanging on issues for too long. At first, I thought that maybe things were brushed by too quickly, but I came to appreciate it once I realized it was a consistent pattern. Also, the book is already just over 800 pages long, so there has to be some line drawn about what is superfluous vs. needed to give the reader a well-rounded picture. I wouldn't say that all of my questions were answered by the end, but I wasn't left unsatisfied.