Review by melongin - The Priory of the Orange Tree

melongin 's review for:

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

4.25

adventurous reflective tense slow-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: Yes

I read this book simply because it was listed on a queer reading list. It was definitely a challenge to take on given the size of it, but nothing I hadn't done before. It took me almost a year to read due to pausing during the school year and some bouts of depression. But this book was a breath of fresh air during the days I did read it.

If I only count the days I was actively reading, it took me 15 days to finish. I was dragged into the intrrictar fantasy world each time I cracked it open. For about the first 10 chapters it was slightly hard to follow as there was a lot of world building and many character introductions on top of the story being told from 4 different perspectives. At first I wondered why the author didn't just split it into 4 different books with each narrated by one of the 4 main characters. But as the story progresses and characters started running into each other or chasing the same mangica object, I finally realized why the author wrote it the way she did.

The story is so beautiful and yo really are immersed into this unique fantasy world. I liked having the 3 pages of maps at the front and I regularly referenced them to understand where characters were. I enjoyed how the story didn't shy away from different religions and beliefs and in fact how

countries disagreeing on who or how their religious leaders did things being a main part of the story

There was much character development in people being forced to challenge their beliefs and learn to work alongside people they used to deem 'less than' or 'crazy' in the name of saving the world.

The gay bits were also quite enjoyable. I really liked

Ead and Sabran's relationship. It was beautiful and their love felt so pure and soft.

I'm going to take a break and read some shorter pages books before I take on reading the prequel, but I can't wait to dive into the World of the Priory again. And I'm already considering rereading Priory of the Orange Tree. I know I'll probably pick up on so many new things the second time around.

Content Warnings