Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

399 reviews

rory_o_rama's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death

Moderate: Infertility, Dementia, and Miscarriage

silver_violet's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I won't lie - the first hundred or so pages can be a slog to get through, mostly due to dense world building. I'm glad I stuck with it because this is a beautifully written book filled with true high fantasy elements. Dragons, magic, court drama, and political/religious struggles fill these pages. 

The equality between genders was refreshing with the majority of the main characters being (strong, fierce) women, and at times surprising with there never being a doubt from any character that a woman can rule/fight/be on equal standing with men, especially in a medieval-esque setting. That same level of acceptance and normalcy with feminism extends to the beautiful LGBTQIA+ relationships.

I've read some reviews likening this to LOTR, which i can somewhat agree with for the epic feel and the characters' journeys to save their world. I'd argue that this could/should have been a duology or trilogy but still very much enjoyed this story! Don't let this behemoth daunt you - it's worth the read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Death, and Infertility

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, and Torture

nesquik05's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, War, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

achay91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, War, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, Animal death, Ableism, Death, Grief, Blood, Gore, Pregnancy, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, and War

crystalunvrs's review

adventurous emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Body horror, Blood, Slavery, Murder, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

georgialee01's review

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Sexual content, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, and Death

kyleighf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Did this take me a while? Yes. Do I enjoy fantasy? Not particularly. Should you read this? Yes. 

World building was long and drawn out and at times in the first 200 pages I’d wonder how the heck I was to remember so much detail. Maps and timelines and more maps and a glossary(!) and an index of people. Plus 4 different narrators with subtle indication of who was at the forefront each chapter. 

This book was a test of my strength, memory, will, stubbornness, but it will forever be worth it. 

Some of the BEST LGBTQ+ representation I’ve read, and that’s not even close to the focus of the story. It’s refreshing to read about a sapphic couple who are not a plot point in the story but treated as any heterosexual couple would be. 

I think this was the first time I put down a book to start another in the middle which is part of why it took so long, but I’m so glad I powered through. 

Characters are fleshed out, the character development is immaculate and to die for. The ending leaves you satisfied but curious. Everything wraps up sensibly and doesn’t feel forced. Pieces intertwine and disconnect and intertwine, it’s very satisfying to watch the threads build a tapestry. 

Here’s to (eventually) reading the prequel. Not anytime soon, but eventually. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Pregnancy, and War

blackthornfaery's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

incredible!! i felt so immersed in the story the whole time, and the food!! the food descriptions nearly rival red wall feasts! I just wish it didn't toggle between quite so many pov and don't quite understand why da tan didn't eat any of the orange tané brought to heal ead... surely it would've helped their efforts for sabran to wield magic with them? i was fully expecting the fruit to be the reason for her fever in the days before the battle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Medical content, Pregnancy, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Death of parent, Infertility, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

doodlin's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Incredibly rich and dense world, with a deep history which can be a lot to take in. The book moves quite slowly at first as it immerses you into its world and characters. It can be a little overwhelming at first but it does give you enough time to get acquainted before the real action starts. Each character brings a very different perspective to the world which gives you insight into how all these different parts of world work. My only complaint is the end did feel a bit rushed which is suppose was understandable since we were already 700 pages in but I think a bit of some middle fluff could have been cut down to allow more time for the climax and end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Violence

I hope Sab and Ead eventually got their happy ending. The end of the book left them in such a bittersweet place. It was understandable because a girl bosses must girl boss (haha) but still would’ve loved to see their cute sapphic happy ending.