#BookReview: The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos #1) by Samantha Shannon

Synopsis: A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.

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.



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 2 Stars
My Review: This book suffers from what most adult fantasy suffers from. Way to many characters and way to many locations. I wanted to love this one but sadly it was just too much to keep track of.  If you need a float chart to keep track of locations and characters then its just a tad to much for my taste.  I wish that this would have been in maybe one or two POVs and then it would have been a lot better.  

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of March 2019: Samantha Shannon’s latest, The Priory of the Orange Tree, is a compelling high fantasy novel, filled to the brim with dragons, dueling religions, magic, and political intrigue. Shannon’s strength is breathing new life into the genre with a cadre of richly-imagined, powerful women at the center of this unforgettable fantasy world. The three civilizations at the heart of Shannon’s book have all been shaped and honed by their relationship to dragons. In the matriarchal Virtudom, dragons are seen as entirely evil, while in the East they are worshipped and ridden by dragon riders. In the South, a group of female mages live to keep the evil, draconic leader, the Nameless One, and his ilk in check. It soon becomes clear the Nameless One will return and that civilizations will rise and fall in the process. It is in these moments—when societies collide and a richly-detailed world emerges—that Shannon is at her very best. --Alison Walker, Amazon Book Review

Review

"Mesmerizing." - Washington Post

"A timelessly relevant classic. Brilliant, diverse, feminist, subversive, thought-provoking, and masterfully told, The Priory of the Orange Tree is an absolute must-read." - Karen Marie Moning, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Highlander and Fever series

"A brilliant, daring, and devastating jewel . . . An incredible world full of depth and danger, with characters I would follow to the ends of the earth. I'm in awe of [Shannon's] talent." - Victoria Aveyard, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Red Queen series

"An epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ . . . A rich and engaging high fantasy novel that puts women and their stories front and center, The Priory of the Orange Tree will pull you into its magical world from the first page." - Bustle

"An intricately realized and feminist fantasy . . . one might even be tempted to dub Samantha Shannon, ‘The female George R.R. Martin." - Hypable

"This magnificent epic of queens, dragonriders, and badass secret wyrm-slaying priestesses is a tour de force, and my new absolute favorite epic fantasy." - Laini Taylor, NYT bestselling author of the Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

"Spellbinding . . . extraordinary . . . A well-drawn feminist fantasy with broad appeal for fans of the epic and readers of Zen Cho, Naomi Novik, and V. E. Schwab. Highly recommended." - Booklist, starred review

"A celebration of fantasy that melds modern ideology with classic tropes. More of these dragons, please." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"An astonishing achievement." - Marie Brennan, award-winning author of The Memoirs of Lady Trent series

"An epic fantasy destined to be a classic." - Kami Garcia, #1 NYT bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

"The Platonic Ideal of a fantasy novel . . . This story of good and evil, struggle and triumph, love and loss and return is beautifully written: complex but clear, and utterly immersive. I loved this book." - Nicola Griffith, award-winning author of Hild

"The Priory of the Orange Tree isn't our grandfathers' epic fantasy novel. It is a clever combination of Elizabethan England, the legend of St. George and Eastern dragon lore, with a dash of Tolkien. Shannon's feminist saga has enough detailed world-building, breath-taking action and sweeping romance to remind epic fantasy readers of why they love the genre in the first place. Modern sensibilities integrate seamlessly with genre tropes . . . Readers will beg for a sequel." - Shelf Awareness

"Shannon satisfyingly fills this massive standalone epic fantasy with court intrigue, travel through dangerous lands, fantastical religions, blood, love, and rhetoric." - Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating epic fantasy set in a rich, well-developed world. Shannon has created fertile narrative ground." - New York Journal of Books

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Posted in: 2 Stars, Adult, Bloomsbury, Bookclub, Jessica P., Review