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A review by wanderlustlover
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
5.0
Summer 2019 (Whispersync);
Laura told me to read this book months ago and I put it off while the end of the year ate me whole, but I set it aside, picking up both the kindle & audible on a sale day, and promised it would be the first book of my summer. This book was gorgeous. Truly, deeply gorgeous. Priory of the Orange Tree moved quickly before being halfway over into being a potential 5 star, and by the end had moved itself into being my favorite fantasy book of the year (tied neck-and-neck with Queen's Shadow for favorite overall of the year, too).
The world-building in this, across oceans as well as centuries, was breathing taking. I could absolutely see where all the divisions of land, old wars, and religions were, and I was so delighted and relieved when the reveals paid off in realistic, painful, beautiful ways, that absolutely made sense for how the dominoes would have fallen on on different continents through actions of wholly mortal, fallible, and inspiring characters.
I fell in love with every single one of our point characters. I fell in love with the lying warrior priestess. I fell in love with the trapped and scared, yet gorgeously brave, haunted queen. I fell in love with the dragon rider who crossed a whole sea to free her dragon regardless of how it could never free her. I fell in love with the young courtier who followed the words of his lover and fell out of his world and was irreparably changed by the choices he had to make. I fell in love with the exiled alchemist who loved so deeply the chains of his ghost echo in his every step.
This book is so rich, and I'm sighing just remembering it. I don't want to give a lot of spoilers due to this one being this year and the fact I need to talk another million people into reading it. Still, understand as a last leaving note, I've already picked up the first book in the author's other much longer series because I need to keep my eye on everything Samantha is writing in the future.
Laura told me to read this book months ago and I put it off while the end of the year ate me whole, but I set it aside, picking up both the kindle & audible on a sale day, and promised it would be the first book of my summer. This book was gorgeous. Truly, deeply gorgeous. Priory of the Orange Tree moved quickly before being halfway over into being a potential 5 star, and by the end had moved itself into being my favorite fantasy book of the year (tied neck-and-neck with Queen's Shadow for favorite overall of the year, too).
The world-building in this, across oceans as well as centuries, was breathing taking. I could absolutely see where all the divisions of land, old wars, and religions were, and I was so delighted and relieved when the reveals paid off in realistic, painful, beautiful ways, that absolutely made sense for how the dominoes would have fallen on on different continents through actions of wholly mortal, fallible, and inspiring characters.
I fell in love with every single one of our point characters. I fell in love with the lying warrior priestess. I fell in love with the trapped and scared, yet gorgeously brave, haunted queen. I fell in love with the dragon rider who crossed a whole sea to free her dragon regardless of how it could never free her. I fell in love with the young courtier who followed the words of his lover and fell out of his world and was irreparably changed by the choices he had to make. I fell in love with the exiled alchemist who loved so deeply the chains of his ghost echo in his every step.
This book is so rich, and I'm sighing just remembering it. I don't want to give a lot of spoilers due to this one being this year and the fact I need to talk another million people into reading it. Still, understand as a last leaving note, I've already picked up the first book in the author's other much longer series because I need to keep my eye on everything Samantha is writing in the future.