Download PDF The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon Books

Product details Hardcover 848 pages Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing (February 26, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1635570298

The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon Books Reviews

• If you’re not big into long reads, and you’re perfect novel is roughly 250-300 pages long, uh…you might have a hard time here. But if you’re willing to give it a go, there’s something oh-so-satisfying about a self-contained, one-volume fantasy epic. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. There’s no Game of Thrones-esque situation where you’re endlessly waiting for the next book which may or may not be over 1000 pages. The whole story is there, in one big volume, no waiting for sequels. I didn’t realize just how sequel-fatigued I’ve been until I sat down and made my way through this book. No mentally steeling myself for a cliffhanger followed by a two-year-wait. I haven’t felt this way about an epic fantasy novel since Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Who knew you can have an entire world confined to one volume! Hurray!
  
  Priory is nothing less than epic. In one book, Shannon manages to create an entire world, complete with over a thousand years of history, various conflicting religions, generations upon generations of royalty, dozens of nations, and a sea full of pirates. Pirates! There is pirate action in this book! Are you not convinced? I mean, there’s dragons - and not just one sort of dragon, either. Also, did I mention the whole book has a very, very strong feminist bent to it? How much more convincing do you need? If you like dragons, if you like epics, if you can make it through 800 pages, then you need to read Priory of the Orange Tree.
• This book was so worth the 4 year wait. I remember when Samantha Shannon was talking about writing something that was not of The Bone Season world. It wasn't until she finally announced that it was a book that was going to involve dragons, forbidden magic, and romance where I was finally like I need this in my life. Now 4 years later I can finally say that Priory of the Orange Tree was everything I needed in a Epic Fantasy and more.
  
  Samantha Shannon creates such complex and rich worlds filled with influences from all over the world and it shows heavily in this book. It is something that I appreciate very much because it shows how much time she went into her research for this novel. The world of Priory is vast in scope and we get to see most of it in just this one book but even after finishing this behemoth of a book I am left wanting to explore more of it. I just want more and I hope and pray that we do.
  
  This particular story follows 4 main points of view. We follow Ead, Tane, Niclays, and Loth. We also follow some minor side characters but it's these four that really bring the story to life. It's refreshing to know that all four have their own journey and their own emotional arcs. No one copies the other. I enjoyed the reading from each of their perspectives but I do have to say I have a soft spot for Ead and Tane. Every time they hit the page I smiled. That is not to say I didn't enjoy Loth or Niclays.
  
  To wrap this up I will just say that this novel hit all my weaknesses and checked all my boxes and I just want more stories in this world. Whether it be with the same cast of characters or new ones.
• What can I say? This is the BEST FANTASY BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE.
  
  Let me elaborate.
  
  First of all, this book had the best character development that I have ever read in a story. The characters felt so very very real to me and I made instant connections with them (I either loved them or despised them). Next, the storyline takes twists and turns that are simply flawless. This book went to places that had me either crying with sadness or smiling with joy. For me, the ending felt right and wasn't too "and they live happily ever after." Shannon could easily (and hopefully!) write another book as a sequel or even a spinoff of it following some of the characters after the events that occurred in the book.
  
  If you couldn't tell already, I really really adore this book and can certainly see myself rereading this beast of a book later in my life just to see my beloved characters again and enter back into a world full of magic, dragons, suspense, love, heartbreak and elation. A must read for everyone.
• Samantha Shannon masterfully constructs a fantasy world underscoring many of the same issues important today -- feminism, religion and the dangers of fanaticism, distrust of outsiders, etc. Notably, the story takes place in a sophisticated, complex political climate, where there are not simple answers to everyone working together in harmony, ringing true to the globe today. Personal identity themes are also embedded throughout -- homosexuality, religion/skepticism, and the value of friendship to name a few. It's intriguing how much of society is matriarchal, allowing Shannon to explore a world where misogyny has not abounded for centuries. The story itself is very well interwoven between many characters and lands, and I found myself completely engrossed. You might feel a little confused and overwhelmed at the beginning because there are a lot of names and places to digest, but as you keep reading it all builds, connects, and becomes interwoven.
  
  I read a lot of fantasy, and would recommend this one as worth your time.
• I devoured this book in defiance of all schedules and productivity. The joy of discovering and exploring historical analogues with DRAGONS and WITCHES and LESBIANS was incandescent. Just really marvelous stuff and I was charmed through and through. Any book with a section heading "Thine is the Queendom" cannot help but be perfectly wonderful. Will be recommending all over the place!