The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon
First of all, before I write anything, a very happy 21st birthday to our very own Maggot! I hope you were celebrated in style!!!
Now, on to our first book post!
The first thing to know about this novel is that it is loooooong. It took me longer to read than any book has in quite a while. I downloaded it on my Kindle from the library so I didn’t realize until I was about a third of the way through just how long it was. I stuck with it, though and I’m glad I did.
Priory of the Orange Tree is a fantasy novel with four different narrators. First, we have Ead, a mage from the Priory of the Orange Tree who has been sent under cover to the West to guard their Queen, Sabran. Next, we’ve got Tané, an orphan from the East, who is training to become part of the Sea Guard and an honored Dragonrider. We also hear from Niclays Roos, an alchemist who has been exiled as a punishment for deceiving Queen Sabran. And last but not least, Lord Arteloth Beck (Loth), a member of Sabran’s court and platonic best friend to both Sabran herself and Ead.
The story follows these four (and many others) as they work to defeat the Nameless One, who is rising after a 1000 year imprisonment to destroy the world. I mean, some are working harder than others, but you get my drift.
Although I felt like the book dragged on at times, it was a fun read. There were many familiar fantasy fiction tropes accompanied by some truly original creations. The world building was interesting and I loved reading about the different customs and beliefs of the nations and lands.
Speaking of beliefs, much of the story centers around religious beliefs. While I wouldn’t call this novel anti-religion, it certainly does not support religious hegemony. The most devout believers come to realize that there are many different interpretations of the stories they were raised with; their leaders also realize that there is nothing to be gained by judging and then making enemies of those who believe something different. The characters’ personal faith journeys feel earned and authentic and none of this feels pedantic or heavy handed.
What was also presented in an organic way without heavy handedness were the characters’ races and sexual orientations. It becomes clear while reading that Queen Sabran and her court are Black, Tané and the Dragonriders are Asian, Ead and the women of the Priory are Middle Eastern, and Niclays and those from his land are white. To be transparent, it was personally confronting to realize that the way I had pictured Sabran, Ead, and Loth was incorrect (and of course, defaulted to White). Additionally, queerness is woven throughout the book, it seems entirely acceptable to participate in queer relationships as long as one is not going outside of a marriage. How refreshing!
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. On the one hand, I would have liked it to be a little shorter; it was tedious at times and didn’t pull me in the way such a long book needs to. However, I’m not sure what I would have taken out…Maybe Niclays Roos–I never liked him anyway.
—BBB
