A review by mackreads324
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

4.0

Priory of the Orange Tree is a fantasy book that felt, to me, like a fantasy book should. Intricate world building, lore that kept you interested, and characters that made you root for them all somehow all at once. The worlds felt fantasy and familiar all at once. The politics and religion were huge elements of the story, but not boring.  Is the book long? Absolutely. But I didn’t find it slow, or any information superfluous. I think it could have even been split into separate books to spend more time exploring this world. reasons why I docked stars are: the main tool the book uses for lore and story background is the “let me tell you a story” trope. Which is useful, but gets old. And also, for as much buildup as the book contained, I felt the resolution came fast and found me wanting.