Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree

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.
Review:
[Read: 07 May 2025]
Third reading and it's just as good as the first time I read it. Good world and character building throughout. Very weird how I couldn't even read the book on the second reading but on third reading I loved it again.

- - - - - - - -
[Read: 09 June 2020]
Really, really good book. Was a bit hard to get into at the beginning but once you did, the payoff was worth it. Thoroughly enjoyed and would love sequels, yes sequels plural as felt there were still more stories to be told from this world and the rich characters that inhabit it.

Update: On second read, did not like the book at all. Had a completely different experience to the first and was like, how did I ever like this book so much to gush about it?

| | |