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A review by sinaprst
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
why haven`t i read this sooner?
that was the very first thing that came to my mind after i finished this yesterday. this had been on my bookshelf for the last 2 years or so, because the 800+ pages intimaded me so much, but they were so worth it, this was hands down one of the best (fantasy) books i have ever read, i adored every second of it:
i mean it has dragons, sapphics, magic, pirates, female warriors, i could literally not ask for more
the world building was amazing and felt incredibly real to me and the characters were so flawed but adorable at the same time, the romance was an immaculate slow burn, the villains felt complex and well-rounded to me, the plottwists had me literally gasping and the ending was one of the most satisfying endings i have ever read (and i am usually very picky when it comes to that).
but what stood out the most to me in retrospect was how refreshing it was to read a fantasy novel that has great (queer, POC and female) represenation and that could do without racism, homophobia or violence towards women. not only are there two queer characters and three POC characters among the main four, but the book depicted and mentioned several queer relationships and POC characters in the background aswell. additionally, everything was represented in a very casual way that did not feel out of place or forced like any of it was a big deal.
overall, i would (and will) recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy read, especially if you`re looking for one that does not center a white men and does not feature hate towards any minorities
definetly a 5/5 stars for me
Edit: someone recently pointed out to me that one of the storylines is literally Arthur and Merlin from the BBC series and I cannot unsee that now, it's just so true
recommended reading ambience: https://youtu.be/6nRFaOFcbpk?si=1x-Hn4IvbV5NKwSX
that was the very first thing that came to my mind after i finished this yesterday. this had been on my bookshelf for the last 2 years or so, because the 800+ pages intimaded me so much, but they were so worth it, this was hands down one of the best (fantasy) books i have ever read, i adored every second of it:
i mean it has dragons, sapphics, magic, pirates, female warriors, i could literally not ask for more
the world building was amazing and felt incredibly real to me and the characters were so flawed but adorable at the same time, the romance was an immaculate slow burn, the villains felt complex and well-rounded to me, the plottwists had me literally gasping and the ending was one of the most satisfying endings i have ever read (and i am usually very picky when it comes to that).
but what stood out the most to me in retrospect was how refreshing it was to read a fantasy novel that has great (queer, POC and female) represenation and that could do without racism, homophobia or violence towards women. not only are there two queer characters and three POC characters among the main four, but the book depicted and mentioned several queer relationships and POC characters in the background aswell. additionally, everything was represented in a very casual way that did not feel out of place or forced like any of it was a big deal.
overall, i would (and will) recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy read, especially if you`re looking for one that does not center a white men and does not feature hate towards any minorities
definetly a 5/5 stars for me
Edit: someone recently pointed out to me that one of the storylines is literally Arthur and Merlin from the BBC series and I cannot unsee that now, it's just so true
recommended reading ambience: https://youtu.be/6nRFaOFcbpk?si=1x-Hn4IvbV5NKwSX
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide and Alcohol