Odyssey Book BloG

Okay, I’ve got to say it: The Priory of the Orange Tree was a high fantasy masterpiece! I picked up this book on a whim- just pulled it off the shelf of a small bookstore because I was enamored with the cover art and the sheer SIZE of it (I love when books never end). I was ecstatic to discover that I stumbled across GOLD. Samantha Shannon gave me dragons, epic magic, queendoms, and religious & political rivalry, told through a beautifully diverse cast of characters. I’m in love. Let’s break down some stand-out aspects (light spoilers ahead).

🐉The Fantasy

As someone who loves dragons, I really enjoyed Shannon’s take on them. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that her dragons and wyverns were stunningly genre-bending and unique.

One example of a super cool detail; wyverns could infect humans with something called the “red sickness.” The infection came from their fire and caused people to spiral into madness before dying horribly. Due to this, entire regions were devastated by plague in the past, leaving behind fear, distrust, and division. Just one of many examples of the inventiveness and creativity happening here. Won’t say too much, but there’s much, much more, and the magic in this is equally as unique.

🌍Worldbuilding That Feels Real

The worldbuilding here is vast, rich, and layered. The story spans multiple regions, each with distinct cultures, languages, foods, and religions. What I enjoyed unraveling most is how each region tells the same legends, but from different perspectives completely:

• Some worship dragons as gods.
• Some fear and despise them.
• Some reframe the same mythical figures as heroes or villains.

The way Shannon explored these discrepancies was fantastic religious commentary. By the end, the discrepancies between beliefs are made to make sense in more ways than one, and some shocking revelations occur. One could wonder how much of history is about perspective, rather than about one side being “right” or “wrong.” And about real-world religion, and how much of it could simply be a cosmic game of telephone.

With all these different aspects, you will find yourself flipping back and forth between the map and the chapters. Love that kind of fantasy.

✨Inclusivity as a norm

This book was also very inclusive, which can be a little hard to find within the high fantasy genre (in my experience so far, still exploring). You can likely find a piece of yourself in at least one character, which simply makes a story a better experience.

• Some were morally grey (Niclays).
• Some were flawed and complicated (Sabran!!).
• There was racial diversity, different sexualities, and even an entire Queendom where the ruling line passed only through women and nobody blinked an eye about it.

I almost hate that I’m pointing this out, because it was presented as just normal within the context of the novel. But it’s rare that author can write characters that exist outside of their own identity, so I feel compelled to shout it out.

⚔️Critiques

Getting into light spoiler territory here, so treading lightly. Skip this section if you want to go into this story without hearing any potentially plot-revealing opinions.

My first critique is that this was an incredibly high-stakes story with few mind-altering or shocking consequences. I personally, do like a story that makes my jaw drop- this lacked that a little

I just have to get it off my chest- the ending also felt a little rushed. The book is long, but the central conflict and resolution are packed into the final sliver. I think either the final conflict could have arrived sooner, or the book itself could’ve been longer- yes, you read that right, I’m saying an 800+ page book could have been longer. It just seemed like such short-lived conflict and low-payoff resolution (again, with little consequence) in comparison to the massive build up.

🌟Final Thoughts

The Priory of the Orange Tree was epic, despite my critiques. It’s a new favorite, and I will absolutely be picking up the prequel.