The Priory of the Orange Tree Book Review
- Kori
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
Two years ago (almost to the day), I fell in love on vacation...with Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree!
What I hate more than taking so long to write a review is how long it took me to pick it up. Like many, I was intimidated. I’d never dove into an adult epic fantasy book before and didn't know if this whopping 804 page tome would be part of a larger series. Luckily, it is a standalone (with one prequel published and another coming soon) and has an extensive character list and glossary, as well as two gorgeous maps. She's got everything!
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Category: Epic Read
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Rating: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 stars
Characters: 5/5 stars
World: 5/5 stars
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 all her life to be a dragonrider, 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.
PLOT
As mentioned above, this book is EPIC—in content and sheer size. Though Samantha Shannon had me hooked from the first sentence, I started my reading experience slowly, taking notes and tabbing names. But soon enough, the information started sticking. Then I began falling in love with Shannon's writing style, and I started using my tabs for all of the quotes and lines I adored.
“Ead knew the scent of a secret. She wore it like a perfume.”
While Ead and Sabran are the stars of this story, there are two more POVs that were just as important. In the West is Loth, Sabran’s best friend, whose mission to investigate a disappearance starts to feel like a suicide mission. In the East, we find Niclays—a curmudgeonly alchemist from the West who’s trying to make the most of his exile until he's forced to leave another home.
I got so much pleasure from watching their subplots further the overall plot from every corner of the world as their roads merged and the epic battle came to a head. My only teensy complaint is that while the battle was action-packed, it felt a bit short and rushed.
Here you'll find dangerous quests, political intrigue, military strategy, and a dash of romance that fits perfectly into the narrative without overtaking the plot.
“My heart knows your song, as yours knows mine. And I will always come back to you.”
Woven into the narrative are beautiful messages about learning and confronting history, mental health journeys, spiritual crises, how we let differences divide us, and stories—as well as their power to inspire heroism and terrible things alike.
“When history fails to shed light on the truth, myth creates its own.”
CHARACTERS
Often with multiple POVs, we dread getting to certain characters' chapters. I didn't feel that way with this book. I appreciated each of the four main characters—some for their strengths, others for their personality, and others for how they infuriated me. I enjoyed experiencing their pasts, relationships, and growth. As some were confronted with new ways of thinking and being, or had the foundations of their faith shaken, others were forced to admit wrongs, effect change, and make amends for their ancestors’ actions.
“You know I take the Knight of Courage as my patron. There is courage, I think, in open-mindedness, and thinking for oneself. If you are a witch, then perhaps witches are not so wicked after all.”
One of my favorite things about this book was the mental health representation. I love the message that characters don't have to do big things to be strong; sometimes stength looks like holding on amidst great hardship.
“I do not sleep because I am not only afraid of the monsters at my door, but also of the monsters my own mind can conjure. The ones that live within.”
Readers can look forward to beautiful friendships, self-discovery arcs, forbidden romance and a badass romantic dance scene, tragic losses, evil politicians, familial bonds, betrayal, and fun banter, like the following gems:
“Do you not see that this is a divine mission?"
"No, I do not, you witless cabbage.”
––––––
“Your kindness will not be forgotten.
"Please forget it. I've a reputation to uphold.”
WORLD
“The world could end and he would find a way to keep reading”
“Reading,' Ead said lightly. 'A dangerous pastime.”
The world of The Priory of the Orange Tree is fraught with danger, but the most dangerous thing about this book is how it will suck you in and make you lose track of time. Much of the hype around this book was for its worldbuilding, and I must say it's some of the best I've ever read.
Despite a millennia of peace following the fall of the Nameless One, the East and West still struggle to set aside their opposing views. While the East reveres dragons, the West considers them monsters that must be hunted to extinction. Eventually, they come to learn that the world is formed of shades of grey, and that histories and stories change over time.
While they sort things out, readers are taken on a journey across oceans and mountain ranges, through deadly caverns, on ships and the backs of magical creatures, and even through history, in search of secret societies, lost lore, and magical items.
There is something for everyone in this world. Shannon draws inspiration from legends like Sir George and the Dragon and King Arthur. She also blesses us with an interesting magic system and pantheon, pirates, assassins, mages, alchemists, and—perhaps most importantly—DRAGONS! Getting lost in this world was a such a joy, and I can't wait to go visit again and learn more about its history.
TL;DR
Priory of the Orange Tree garnered a LOT of hype, all of it well deserved. This is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read, and even with a slightly rushed ending, it's a five star for me. It will always have a special place in my heart, and I'd gladly reread it––for the story, the characters, and the countless lines that made me fall in love with Samantha Shannon's writing style.
If you're intimidated by its size, don't be. Shannon has provided plenty of information in the back of the book to help prevent confusing different characters, societies, and histories. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy in general, as well as newcomers looking to dip their toes into high fantasy.
