None
5 stars
At the surface a traditional fantasy story with a slow start and a lot of characters. But it has a lot of beautiful moments that make it stand out for me.
Hardcover
English language
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
Nook&Cranny 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.
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.
Lars SGS reviewed Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
En bok jeg aldri igjen får lest for første gang
5 stars
Samantha Shannon vever et nydelig teppe av tråder vi kjenner igjen fra vår kulturelle forståelse av konsepter som "Vesten" og "Østen", og forteller en vakker og majestetisk historie om kjærlighet, ære, politikk og ikke minst drager.
Jeg vil ikke si mer, jeg vil at du selv skal finne ut hva boka handler om, og at du forteller meg i etterkant hvilke segmenter som fikk deg til å gråte.
Samantha Shannon vever et nydelig teppe av tråder vi kjenner igjen fra vår kulturelle forståelse av konsepter som "Vesten" og "Østen", og forteller en vakker og majestetisk historie om kjærlighet, ære, politikk og ikke minst drager.
Jeg vil ikke si mer, jeg vil at du selv skal finne ut hva boka handler om, og at du forteller meg i etterkant hvilke segmenter som fikk deg til å gråte.
👍🏽
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.
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.