The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree

Author: Samantha Shannon

Series: The Roots of Chaos

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Format: Digital Purchase

Publish Date: February 2019

Read: July 2024

Favorite Quote: No woman should be made to fear that she was not enough.

Why does this book beguile? The Priory of the Orange Tree has been on my TBR since it came out in 2019. I wanted to read it, but at 800 pages, I was never quite ready to commit to a new fantasy world. After a friend read it and enjoyed it, I decided to give it a whirl.

Shoooooo buddy.

There are a bunch of characters, a few religions, multiple countries, different hierarchies/courts, oh - and DRAGONS (wyverns, actually, and I appreciate the distinction). For most of this book, I had very little idea of what was happening. The world-building was absolutely incredible. However, I felt like the world-building was the strongest aspect of The Priory of the Orange Tree. I didn’t deeply care about the characters; therefore, I was not outraged or concerned when things happened to them.

I did love how many badass female and queer characters featured in Priory. In this world, being a woman or being queer is no different than having brown hair or wearing glasses: it simply existed. That was a lovely utopian feeling, but I wonder if it contributed to a general lack of conflict throughout the characters’ lives.

Priory made me feel some pretty complex emotions about fantasy. The author seemed more interested in the history and mythology of the world she built than in the characters' interactions with it. Overall, the story was probably 3 stars for me, but I gave it a 4-star rating overall because the details of the world were so incredible.

Bonus: This book, adapted to screen, would probably rival Game of Thrones, if done well.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

If you’re interested in this, read*: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty