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A review by helenecats
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Epic book! I don't usually read fantasy, but as I enjoyed the Stormlight Archive during the pandemic, and I saw rave reviews of The Priory all over Bookstagram, I thought I'd give it go.
It was really good escapism, and refreshing to read about so many strong women (including some who love each other). I also appreciated the world-building, and was glad I read it on my Kindle, as there were a lot of words I did not know. I only realised when I finished the book that there was a glossary at the end, as well as a very, very long list of all the characters mentioned.
It wasn't exactly a 5-star read for me due to a bit too many characters, and the pace was a bit off - some sections I absolutely devoured, and others took me days to get through as I kept putting the book down. In total, it took me 2 and a half months to finish those 832 pages.
There could have been a bit more humour in it too (compared to Brandon Sanderson's dialogues which often made me chuckle)
Overall, I would definitely recommend to fantasy fans, and to people looking for more bi/sapphic representation. I will probably read the prequel at some point, but I need to go read shorter books for now. Would love to see this adapted as a TV series, but I can't imagine how expensive it would be to portray all the draconic creatures, the costumes etc.!
It was really good escapism, and refreshing to read about so many strong women (including some who love each other). I also appreciated the world-building, and was glad I read it on my Kindle, as there were a lot of words I did not know. I only realised when I finished the book that there was a glossary at the end, as well as a very, very long list of all the characters mentioned.
It wasn't exactly a 5-star read for me due to a bit too many characters, and the pace was a bit off - some sections I absolutely devoured, and others took me days to get through as I kept putting the book down. In total, it took me 2 and a half months to finish those 832 pages.
There could have been a bit more humour in it too (compared to Brandon Sanderson's dialogues which often made me chuckle)
Overall, I would definitely recommend to fantasy fans, and to people looking for more bi/sapphic representation. I will probably read the prequel at some point, but I need to go read shorter books for now. Would love to see this adapted as a TV series, but I can't imagine how expensive it would be to portray all the draconic creatures, the costumes etc.!