REVIEW: THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE (Samantha Shannon)

Okay. So.

Here's the thing — I know I'm late on this review and that I typically write pretty long ones, but I absolutely demolished my fingers at work today and can't really type (and frankly, I don't really want to).

I finished The Priory of the Orange Tree.

(Minor spoilers ahead)

As The Nameless One was bound in Dreadmount for one thousand years, so too was I bound in this book for an entire goddamn month. Listen... it was good. A solid good. It wasn't really a page turner for me (I confess this is my first High Fantasy™), and though things went along smoothly in the first half, I personally felt like the second half suffered a pacing problem. There was a pretty noticeable disconnect from the cast of characters set up in the first half, who all seem to become part of some "before" in the story, and who you almost completely forget about later on (here's looking at you, dude-who-Tané-feuds-with-at-the-beginning-but-whose-name-I-forgot-because-it-feels-like-THAT-long-ago).

I also gotta say something about the romance for a minute, because you didn't really think that I wouldn't, did you?

Controversial opinion but...

...

...

...

Ead and Sabran ain't it, sis.

I know. Get out the guillotine.

But like... WHERE did that come from? I love me some sweet girl-on-girl lovin' as much as the next LGBTQ+ deprived booknerd, but even though I knew there was a wlw relationship and had my antenna up to catch onto it, it seemed extremely sudden. Like yeah, Ead really did All That™, but her inner monologue was so absolutely indifferent to Sabran up until the moment they were completely in love that I just couldn't find it in me to really root for their relationship. I know I'm in the minority here, but... yeah. Honestly, I was expecting it from Tané and Susa, but if 2019 has taught me anything, it's to never have expectations for books ever.

All this to say — I did generally enjoy Priory. It had a fantastic world, and I'm glad my first foray into high fantasy was with this woman-written, women-led LGBTQ+ romp. It's still going on my top shelf, if only because of the gorgeous cover art and the fact that I spent a whole ass month of my life on this tome.

So yeah. There it is.

I'm going to go ice my fingers now.

(Originally posted on Goodreads: April 7, 2019)