Priory of the Orange Tree

The Unseen Nook&Canny reviewed Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Not my genre

3 stars

I gave it a try. I did. And partly I enjoyed reading it.

I liked Game of Thrones, I liked Wheel of Time. I don't have issues with dragons, magick or mages but this one was just boring for most of the time. Only the last mile so to say it got interesting.

A complete unnecessary element is the love-story between Ead and Sabran. Adds no value to the story.

Having said that. I admire that the author created a world driven by women. And then .. I have read better books when it comes to that.

No, I won't read the second book. The story has ended .. for me.

Flauschbuch reviewed The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (The Roots of Chaos, #1)

Great work of fantasy - highly recommended

5 stars

This book is often compared to "Lord of the Rings". I think that's somewhat misleading because while there are some superficial parallels it's very different. While LotR is an attempt to create a modern saga, Priory of the Orange Tree is a modern take on high fantasy. It has something in common with LotR: I devoured it in the span of a week, just like when I first read LotR. The world-building is tremendous and must have required years. The book has everything: knights, royalty, pirates, dragons, vikings and witches and takes place in several distant places at once. I also liked the author's depiction of the various religions and how none of them had the complete answer. The characters are flawed but in a realistic way - good people in odd places who have to overcome prejudices and preconceptions. The scope of the tales is epic and even though …

This book is often compared to "Lord of the Rings". I think that's somewhat misleading because while there are some superficial parallels it's very different. While LotR is an attempt to create a modern saga, Priory of the Orange Tree is a modern take on high fantasy. It has something in common with LotR: I devoured it in the span of a week, just like when I first read LotR. The world-building is tremendous and must have required years. The book has everything: knights, royalty, pirates, dragons, vikings and witches and takes place in several distant places at once. I also liked the author's depiction of the various religions and how none of them had the complete answer. The characters are flawed but in a realistic way - good people in odd places who have to overcome prejudices and preconceptions. The scope of the tales is epic and even though the book is long I felt it could and perhaps should have been longer. Not all of the fascinating places and characters in this story get the attention they deserve. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and immediately proceded to the prequel.

OriginalBarbas reviewed Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A great book and (hopefully) more to come

5 stars

This is the first book from Samantha Shannon I have read, and I have really liked it. The overall story is very good, the characters are very interesting and the worldbuilding has many layers (as it should).

I like how each chapter starts by having a geographical distinction, which helps situate the different characters in the map. It also cements the differences between each region and the lore.

Another important topic of the book is the rupture with other fantasy novels in the importance of the women in the plot (which is good) and the prominence of queer characters in it (which is also good).

I am looking forward to more works from the same author and I imagine that I will be reading them as soon as I know that they are released.

Captain_Janegay@bookrastinating.com reviewed Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

👍🏽

5 stars

Honestly, you don't know what you're missing in fantasy until you read this book. An author who genuinely succeeds in not recreating patriarchy in a fictional world, and then it's a fantastic, gripping story to boot.

kiplet reviewed The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (The Roots of Chaos, #1)

Eh.

2 stars

Sags tiresomely when it doesn’t race through suddenly ancillary quests for plot coupons: an Anthropologie®-curated fantasy with a girlboss gloss that insists I see a dragon without doing the work to show me anything like a goddamn dragon. www.longstoryshortpier.com/2022/11/26/matter-awfully-stern