- Fiction
- Fantasy
- Feminism
- Romance
“The Priory of the Orange Tree” is a captivating fantasy novel set in an Eastern/Western civilization, weaving together an array of diverse characters: a queen, a dragon rider, and a mage, all in a world rife with political intrigue and threatened by an ancient evil poised to return. Blending politics with high fantasy, romance, feminism, and LGBTQ+ elements seamlessly, this book is sure to enchant readers from the first to the last page.
While the book features many main characters, summarized at the back of the book, the story primarily revolves around Queen Sabran, dragon rider Tané, and mage Eadaz du Zãla uq-Narã. These characters hail from different parts of the world, with distinct religions and political structures. Despite their differences and initial opposition, the story is ultimately about uniting these diverse peoples, though it takes time.
Anyone who has seen this book knows it’s a hefty one. The writing is highly descriptive yet powerfully captivating. Despite the book’s length, I remained engrossed throughout. Shannon is informative, delving into details that become crucial to the novel, especially as everything comes together near the end.
The novel portrays numerous poignant themes: love, LGBTQ+ representation, power dynamics (especially around royalty), myths, truth, and much more. These elements intensify the story’s impact.
Initially, I wasn’t sure what to make of this book, but the cover intrigued me. The bright yellow cover with a blue foiled dragon entwined around a tower was so beautiful, I just had to know more. The novel did not disappoint, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I found myself getting attached to the characters, feeling strong emotions for them, and understanding each one in a way that made me feel torn about whom to root for. With so many characters and frequent perspective shifts, I occasionally found myself confused about who I was reading about and had to remind myself, but this is the only negative aspect I found.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel, especially if you love dragons. The story is strongly female-led, making it appealing to feminists, but I believe men who enjoy fantasy will also appreciate it.
I would definitely read more of Samantha Shannon’s books. I’m particularly interested in the prequel, “A Day of Fallen Night,” which also has a beautiful cover. These books will have a prominent place on my bookshelf. Overall, I loved this read. It was exactly what I needed: a strong fantasy book with interesting lore, political intrigue, and much more—a “Lord of the Rings” feeling but with a greater focus on women. I’m excited to see more from Samantha Shannon in the future.
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