Reviewed by Kaia
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
13+
I can’t believe it’s September. With the leaves turning into gorgeous shades of red, orange and yellow. The days are getting longer and it’s the perfect time to sit down with a good book!
If you’ve ever wanted to get lost in a world of dragons, magic, and epic adventure, The Priory of the Orange is the perfect book for you! With an over 800 page count, there is so much to take in and I have so many different thoughts to share. At its core it is an epic fantasy with 4 unique perspectives, distinct cultures and a slow burn love story. Four distinct realms fill the pages adding vibrancy and excitement to each page. You will be transported to Inys in the court of Sabran the IX. In Sabran’s court is Ead Duryan, a lady-in-waiting with a huge secret that could cost her everything. Across the world in the East in a land called Sekeii, Tané has been training to be one of the few chosen to be a prestigious dragon rider. Throughout the novel different characters travel to Yscalin, the Lasain Basin, and traverse from East to West and West to East.
The variety of POVs was also really enjoyable. I think it’s great because then everyone can find a character for them. The book is from the perspective of four different characters, Sabran also has a prominent role in the story though sadly her perspective is not included. I loved how distinct and developed each character was. Watching them come together despite their differences to protect their world kept me invested in the story line.
An 848 page book takes considerable determination to pick up let alone finish but I can assure you it’s worth it. The hardest part? Being 200 pages in but still not completely understanding all the different characters or being engaged with the plot. If you’re finding the characters as confusing as I did I recommend looking at the index at the back of the book. This is an extremely helpful resource. It explains the meaning of words, gives information about character and shows a timeline of the history. I only wish I had known about it before finishing the book.
Because The Priory of the Orange Tree is such a long novel, I feel differently about different parts of the story. While reading, there were times I was incredibly engaged and wrapped in the story. I felt as if it all connected and made sense. I also had other points where I was confused and the book dragged on. The one thing that kept me invested? The world building!
All the different realms have distinct cultures, landscapes, religions and people. I thought this was represented beautifully in the writing and made it so much more exciting to read. All the customs, myths and even cultural clothing that were detailed showed how much effort and thought was put into this book. It made it so much more vibrant and real.
I really enjoyed the romance but it was well into the book before anything happened. I personally enjoy light romance but I thought this was too sudden. While I enjoyed the build up I would have appreciated the romance starting earlier both for interest and for the characters to build a deeper romantic relationship.
I loved the dragons and how each of the different realms approached them differently. It reminds me of how cultures treat certain animals in our world. People worship the dragons like gods in some places but in others they are feared. They’re truly beautiful creatures who add a lot to the magical feeling of the story. The dragons influence the characters’ decisions both out of fear and love. The contrasting beliefs of the culture adds to the uniqueness and realisticness of the story.
The pace really picks up towards the end and the novel starts to get very exciting and exchanging in preparation for what I’d hoped to be a magical climax! Sadly, the climax itself was a bit of a let down. It all happens so fast, it just feels strange to have such a long adventure end so quickly. My problem with the climax? There wasn’t enough time to process it.
Some of the drawbacks for me? The book dragged on at points and the plot was a bit slow, in addition the climax felt rushed and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
My favourite parts? The magnificent world building, the diverse, in depth characters and the magical portrayal of dragons.
If The Priory of the Orange Tree was split into two books I would personally have found it much more engaging. This would have left an opportunity for a cliff hanger and made the climax feel less rushed.
Overall The Priory of the Orange Tree is an amazing read if you have the time to tackle its length and complicated but equally worthwhile characters. I would recommend this book for readers age 13+ due to mild violence and intimacy.
Thank you for reading this very long review! Throughout the writing of this article I have realized that I have more mixed feelings on the book than I thought. Regardless I still believe it is worth your time; I’m excited to see what you think! Reply in the comments with your thoughts on the book. If you’ve already read The Priory of the Orange Tree check out the prequel A Day of Fallen Night!
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