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“Priory of the Orange Tree” is the ultimate high fantasy novel for people who love intricate world-building and morally complex characters. Samantha Shannon does a phenomenal job of taking common tropes in fantasy novels, like magic and dragons, and weaving them seamlessly into an immersive story.
Known for her seven-book fantasy series “The Bone Season,” Shannon knows how to write a complex fantasy novel. “Priory of the Orange Tree” is the first of a three-book series, with Shannon releasing a prequel novel and a prequel novella situated centuries and decades before the events of “Priory.”
In this fantasy, the world is divided into East and West, where one side believes dragons are destructive, and the other sees the creatures as a living balance. We see this world through the points of view of a queen, her lady-in-waiting, a dragon rider, and a disgraced alchemist. Each character has their own complex storylines where they grapple with their personal morals and the morals imposed by their country. Personally, I did find a few of the characters slightly boring (I’m looking at you, Roos) to read from, often wishing I could finish a chapter faster to get back to my favorite character’s (I’m looking at you, Tané) point of view.
Without a doubt, the worldbuilding was the crown jewel of this novel. While it may have taken a few hundred pages for me to feel grounded in the world, I don’t think many other fantasy novels can make the reader feel so immersed in a single book.
I’ve had this conversation with a few people before, but the last 50 pages of the novel are slightly anticlimactic. Like any epic fantasy, the entire plot leads up to a battle scene. The only issue is that the actual battle is very short from the perspective of an 848-page book. Personally, I also found the battle scene to be one of the only moments while reading that I was genuinely confused, often having to reread entire paragraphs to understand the events.
I found Shannon’s commentary to transcend her fictional world in a lot of ways; with themes of identity, faith, and leadership lingering with me long after I finished. And while I’m not reading for my pride, “Priory of the Orange Tree” was one of those novels where I felt proud after reading it, much like how finishing “The Odyssey” or “East of Eden” made me feel.
Overall, the masterpiece that is “Priory” cannot be understated. In a perfect blend of political, personal, and social conflicts, each character’s story felt authentic and beautiful. If you suddenly find yourself with hours of free time on your hands, I urge you to pick this book up.
Rating: 4.5/5 Spinnaker Sails
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