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

adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Wow what a journey!! I buddy read this with two friends and that was definitely the right choice. This book is so massive that I don’t think I could’ve read it by myself. 

The world building was amazing. The world was expansive and so incredibly detailed. I would really love to see more books or short stories set in this world. Specifically, I want a prequel of everything with Cleolind, Galian, and the founding of Virtuedom. We did find out the truth, but I want more!! Also, I want to see more of the other countries (especially the Empire of Twelve Lakes!!!). I need more books set in this world!

The characters were likable and complex. Each character’s perspective was strong and I enjoyed each of their arcs. I even got teary eyed when
Niclays visited Jannart’s grave at the end. That really hurt 😭💔
However, this was not a character driven story, so I didn’t feel very connected to the characters. I liked them, but I was not deeply invested. I’ve realized that I enjoy character driven books a lot more, and I need to be invested in the characters to love the book.  

The plot was very interesting, the set up was good, but the pacing was all over the place. The beginning was so slow, and it took a long time in this already very long book for any action to occur. When the action did start, the story moved along very quickly and a lot of things happened off-page. I was okay with that sometimes
(I’m glad we didn’t get multiple chapters of Loth trekking through the mountains and being depressed over Kitston’s death... that would’ve been torture),
but we skipped over some of my favorite elements of fantasy books (like the training and strategizing for the big battle). This led to the ending feeling very rushed and somewhat anticlimactic. Things just worked out because we had 200 pages to get the characters together, fight the last battle, and wrap up 4 POVs. Most of this book was set up and the action was very limited. Looking back, the set up was very necessary and every chapter was important. I just wish we had more time for the climax. Am I saying this 800+ page book needed to be longer? Yes. Maybe it should’ve been a duology or even a trilogy. 

The magic in this world was so interesting, but a bit underdeveloped. It was one of the vague magic systems where you aren’t sure what the all rules and limitations are. The magic just did what it had to do to service the plot. I had so many questions by the end.
How did Tané master siden so quickly? How did she not run out of her siden during the battle? How did the jewels work? How did Ead and Tané know what to do with the jewels when there is very little written record of the jewels even existing?! What did they do with the jewels at the end of the book?!!??!!!! How do all the different types of magic work??
I need answers!!! 

I think a lot of my criticisms could have been avoided if the story was longer. I can’t believe I’m saying that when this book is already massive. There was just too much going on to cram into one 800 page book. Even with my criticisms, I enjoyed the book, and I’m glad I read it. The world was stunning, the characters were complex, and the plot was interesting. If you’re a more of a plot person then I think you’ll love this!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings