Ead Duryan is lady in waiting to Queen Sabran Berethnet of Inys. Yet unlike all her other chamber maids, Ead is a member of a secret society devoted to prevent the return of draconic creatures in the West by protecting the Queen from potential danger. In the East, Tané has trained all her life to become a dragonrider. On the day of the ceremony, she has to make a decision detrimental to her destiny, with larger implications unbeknownst to her.

In this fantasy world, the politics and, consequentially, the realm itself, are divided between the West, which despises all dragons, and the East, which worships them. The religions of the world are different interpretations of a key historical moment: the defeat of the Nameless One, a nightmarish fire-breathing dragon that wreaked havoc in its wake, a thousand years before the timeline of the book. In most of the West, The Virtuedom (a fantasy take of Christendom) believes that the key to keep the Nameless One banished is the continuation of the Berethnet line, who rules Inys and whose ancestor defeated the creature. Other opposing religions have different views of how the dragon was abolished.

I must admit, what attracted me to this book (besides the beautiful cover) was the fact that it’s a stand-alone. As a fantasy lover hooked on more than five ongoing series, I craved something which satisfies my need for an end. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ended a fantasy story. There always seem to be sequels and, just when you think you’re done, the author announces three other prequel series and a compilation of accompanying short stories to top it off!

A neat end, but far from satisfying

However, even though Priory of The Orange Tree has a neat end, it was far from satisfying. This is one of the book’s most major drawbacks, so I’ll start with it because it was otherwise splendid. But I find it unacceptable that seventy-something chapters worth of conflict is resolved in one lukewarm battle scene that lasted 15 minutes of audio time (I listened to it). The scopes were raised too high and the author didn’t seem to know how to keep up with her own story.

Besides this, the plot is full of deus-ex-machina conveniences, and more than once have characters or situations been introduced for the sake of continuity, with no foreshadowing. This made it in part naive and unbelievable, which in turn weakened the resolution and its validity.

To make it clearer: the big battle at the end had the same effect on me that The Long Night in season 8 of Game of Thrones had. Who knows, knows.

Now that I’ve put that aside, it’s time to highlight what Samantha Shannon did right. And all fantasy authors should take note, because I rarely see these things executed so well.

A whole spectrum of diverse cast

I’m talking about the diversity of characters and cultures. But most of all the characters. I very rarely see people of colour and/or LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy books, let alone so exquisite. Where in your average book they are usually token characters whose only personality trait is that of being gay or black, here we have a whole spectrum of racially diverse cast, with the main romantic sub-plot being a lesbian love story. And, listen to this: instead of being fetishised or there for shock-value, it is a slow-burn, the result of an organic progression of events that led up to them falling in love. Never once is there a grand reveal that the character finally realised they were gay or a big coming out moment, because Shannon’s fantasy world leaves space for same-sex relationships. In this realm, there’s no label on it, and it’s seen as something completely natural. Even same-sex marriage is casually discussed as something that has always been practiced.

The characters’ identities are just a matter of fact, and have never been used as a plot device or personality trait. I was pleasantly surprised to see a book of this genre doing so well in this aspect, considering that fantasy is well-known for completely missing the mark when it comes to representation. And, oh boy, was it time for something like this to be published!

In fact, the world building was so exquisite and intricate, that the disappointing ending didn’t affect my reading experience at all. Could it have been executed better? Yes. But it still doesn’t spoil the rest of the plot.

All 700 pages of it were worth it

Contrary to popular belief, I say that all 700 pages of it were worth it for such an imaginative and complex world to gradually unveil itself to the reader. I admit, it was difficult to understand what was happening at first, because you’re completely thrown into this new and original world. But it soon starts to make sense, until you find yourself completely immersed in the history and lore of the world.

We usually know what to expect of high/epic fantasy before we get into it. Most likely, another rendition of medieval England, with an Eastern/Southern civilization that resembles a melting pot of all Arabic cultures. And I give you that, the West in Shannon’s book has its roots in Renaissance-ish Europe. The author also tells of basing the East on Chinese folklore. But the execution was splendid. It reads as completely original, yet believable. She goes to great lengths to individualise each culture, so we get to read about a pirate empire on the sea or islands worshiping dragons as gods and forming life-long bonds with them. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

One of the best dragon fantasies

Another thing and I’m done: this is one of the best dragon fantasies I’ve ever read, through the different perspectives each group of people has on them depending on their religion. For example, in the East, even though their religions venerate them, some countries form bonds with them, other let themselves led by them, and others never dare come in contact with them. Samantha Shannon proves to have dedicated her life in planning out every aspect of her world, and for this reason I can’t recommend this book enough.

Is it for everyone? No. It’s a slow-burner, long and detailed. I also mostly praise it for its original concepts, rather than the plot itself which, at core, doesn’t differ much from classic fantasy good vs. evil tropes.

Did you read it? What did you think of it? If not,are you likely to pick it up? Tell me down below.