Review
“Mesmerizing.” ―Washington Post
“A timelessly relevant classic. Brilliant, diverse, feminist, subversive, thought-provoking, and masterfully told, The Priory of the Orange Tree is an absolute must-read.” ―Karen Marie Moning, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Highlander and Fever series
“A brilliant, daring, and devastating jewel . . . An incredible world full of depth and danger, with characters I would follow to the ends of the earth. I’m in awe of [Shannon’s] talent.” ―Victoria Aveyard, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Red Queen series
“An epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ . . . A rich and engaging high fantasy novel that puts women and their stories front and center, The Priory of the Orange Tree will pull you into its magical world from the first page.” ―Bustle
“An intricately realized and feminist fantasy . . . one might even be tempted to dub Samantha Shannon, ‘The female George R.R. Martin.” ―Hypable
“This magnificent epic of queens, dragonriders, and badass secret wyrm-slaying priestesses is a tour de force, and my new absolute favorite epic fantasy.” ―Laini Taylor, NYT bestselling author of the Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
“Spellbinding . . . extraordinary . . . A well-drawn feminist fantasy with broad appeal for fans of the epic and readers of Zen Cho, Naomi Novik, and V. E. Schwab. Highly recommended.” ―Booklist, starred review
“A celebration of fantasy that melds modern ideology with classic tropes. More of these dragons, please.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“An astonishing achievement.” ―Marie Brennan, award-winning author of The Memoirs of Lady Trent series
“An epic fantasy destined to be a classic.” ―Kami Garcia, #1 NYT bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable
“The Platonic Ideal of a fantasy novel . . . This story of good and evil, struggle and triumph, love and loss and return is beautifully written: complex but clear, and utterly immersive. I loved this book.” ―Nicola Griffith, award-winning author of Hild
“The Priory of the Orange Tree isn’t our grandfathers’ epic fantasy novel. It is a clever combination of Elizabethan England, the legend of St. George and Eastern dragon lore, with a dash of Tolkien. Shannon’s feminist saga has enough detailed world-building, breath-taking action and sweeping romance to remind epic fantasy readers of why they love the genre in the first place. Modern sensibilities integrate seamlessly with genre tropes . . . Readers will beg for a sequel.” ―Shelf Awareness
“Shannon satisfyingly fills this massive standalone epic fantasy with court intrigue, travel through dangerous lands, fantastical religions, blood, love, and rhetoric.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A fascinating epic fantasy set in a rich, well-developed world. Shannon has created fertile narrative ground.” ―New York Journal of Books
Gifter –
Nice book
I purchased this book as a Christmas gift. The book arrived as expected
My new favorite book –
I know this book looks big and scary but trust the journey.
I have to say walking into this book I really didn’t know what to expect. In return I received a beautiful story with developed plots and even more developed characters. There’s diversity in terms of BIPOC and sexualities as well. Sure, there was a character that I hated and dreaded their chapters (Nicalys) but he served the story as a whole and had such a great character arc. I reccomend this book to everyone, especially if you like Game of Thrones and love strong women.
Rhi –
Great representation
-4/5 Stars -1/5 Steam Rating -Queer Representation; Alternating POV; Feminist Fantasy Sometimes there’s just nothing better than a book written to showcase the strength of women! This story is written from four alternating POV and builds a world full of political intrigue, magic, dragons, and a war again good and evil. So much of this book was built upon a dichotomy; which built an interesting storyline. I also applaud the author for the representations within this book; not only do we have a solid feminist fantasy, we have one with queer & BIPOC representation! One of my favorite things about this writing though was the authors choice to k!ll off several characters. It added another layer to the story, since you never know if your favorite characters will be harmed. I’m also every thankful for the maps, it was so nice to be able to visualize all of the locations. While I really enjoyed the story, there were definitely parts that dragged a little for me. I also wish we were give a bit more at the ending of the book, I really would have liked to see how it all shook out a few years in the future; I was left with a few questions.
Zac –
Absolutely phenomenal
This story is an amazing read. The previous review is quite long and arduous. If you’re an avid reader of high fantasy, want a carefully constructed world with multi-dimensional characters and (meaningful) representation, or just want an extremely well-researched and written tale of heroism, look no further. Shannon takes legends of old and turns them on their head, with wonderful results. A previous reviewer doesn’t seem to share this sentiment. Completely fine, just don’t enter this journey expecting a YA fantasy novel. Completely worth the purchase and time spent reading.
One To Fifty Two –
Hated this book
Let me begin this review by stating that I had honestly never heard of this book before May. I didn’t realize it had such a popular and cult following. I didnt know it had so many 4 and 5 star reviews. This book was a buddy read with some of my favorite people: @laurenreads._ , @book.club.bi , @literarysquirrel , @literaleah , and @cleverblondebooks . I’m not exactly sure how it was the book that we selected to read but basically it got selected, I ordered it, and all of a sudden this monster 800 page book showed up on my doorstep. I immediately was intimidated. This was going to take forever. In fact, I didn’t even really read what it was about until I had the book in my possession… oops? . After I did that, and we started the book journey that would take us 2 month or 84 years (whatever way you want to take it)to read, and I initially got kind of excited! I saw the reviews, I saw elements of LGBTQIA+, and it remind me of Game of Thrones… needless to say, I was in! I was oh so wrong. Soooooo wrong. . I hated this book. Let me rephrase, I hate this book. It is so boring. It is 800 pages of nothingness. The plot is pointless, the characters are flat, and there is literally nothing that makes you care. I did listen and read this book at the same time, which I’m pretty sure is the only reason I made it through. Samantha Shannon writing so pretentious and obnoxious. Things would literally happen to her characters and I would just be like, “oh.. well, that sucks.” . Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone I hate. It’s awful. Don’t read it. Seriously. It’s bad. Sorry Samantha but… no thanks. Never again. The best part was reading it with my girls. They, on the other hand, are 5 stars!