|Page Turners| The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree sat on my bookshelf for months before last week, when I mustered up the courage to pick it up and start reading. To be fair, it is HUGE! There are 848 pages in the novel, which is set in a fantastical world under threat of the Red Plague and the return of the Draconic Army (made up of wyrms and wyverns). The world is also filled with court affairs and political maneuvering, and is told in different perspectives. Before I give my actual review, I would just like to say that those 848 pages went by fast! I was so immersed in the world that they flew by, so to anyone who is afraid of starting the book because of its sheer size, don't worry and just start!

Now, on to the important things:

Do We Want to Turn the Page?

Warning! This next section may contain spoilers about the book. Also, all ratings are based entirely on my opinion and WILL be biased and subjective.

I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree, so much so that I already want to read A Day of Fallen Night, from the same "The Roots of Chaos" universe. It definitely obtains five stars from me, because I could not help but fall in love with all the different characters, with my favorite (main character) being Ead. Ead had such a distinct story from the others that I always looked forward to her chapters more than the rest of the POVs. As much as I love plot twists, I also hoped for Ead and Sabran to get the happy ending they deserved, instead of the bittersweet one that leaves me wanting an epilogue where they reunite after ten years. I also loved the way this story is told, with each country/kingdom being so culturally distinct, especially between regions. Overall, I definitely recommend, particularly for the readers who love a good dragon story filled with adventure.

The Summary:

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.

The Author:

Samantha Shannon studied English Language and Literature at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. The Bone Season, the first in a seven-book series, was a New York Times bestseller and the inaugural Today Book Club selection.

Her next novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, was published in February 2019 and became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has been translated into twenty-six languages. She lives in London.