Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

24 reviews

elissabrady's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

The book reads more like a Netflix series than a fantasy book but it’s trill brilliant. I really enjoyed the visuals it stimulates and the storyline between Sab and Ead is beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexism

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Grief

Minor: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Torture, and War

saltytart's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gaslighting, Confinement, Body horror, Pregnancy, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death, War, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Outing, and Infidelity

Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, and Torture

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

The size may look daunting at first, but the depth and wealth of this book is beyond that of many series, much less individual books. Priory is an epic fantasy that stretches across a world divided by their love or and hatred for dragons. In the West, a handmaiden to a queen protects her from a plot while nursing hidden secrets of her own, and a young man is sent on a dangerous mission to an enemy land. In the East, a young woman trains to be the next dragon rider of her people and an old alchemist in exile seeks eternal life in a foreign land. The story travels the length and breadth of the world, culminating in an epic battle to determine the fate of the world. My only gripe with this amazing book was that certain plotlines were solved a bit too quickly and handily in order to get to those end chapters, and everyone seems to be able to speak each other's language with very little explanation. Absolutely cinematic-quality descriptions, heart-wrenching moments, surprise reversals and twists of fate make this a book for every fantasy lover out there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Vomit, and Excrement

Minor: Cannibalism, Incest, and Abandonment

the_bees_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

My favourite book. 
This book is for the kids who didn't want to be princes and princesses, this is for the kids who wanted to be knights and dragon riders, royalty and sorcerers. 
This is a story for those who never felt they were enough and proof that you are, if you choose to believe it. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Mental illness, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Infertility

obscurekeyboard's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

hey_al's review against another edition

adventurous fast-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

This book has everything. Dragons, magic, queer folk, powerful women, etc. Definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads and I can't wait for the prequel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, and Emotional abuse

themelleh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

It took me a while to read this because I was moving and hit a slump. Also the first half is pretty much world building and setting up the second half. But then I have been voracious and determined to clear the books in my still reading pile and I’ve manage to hack away at this over the last two weeks.

I was so invested to the point where my hand gripping my hair and audible gasps had my partner asking if I was okay (I was not). 

Very much looking forward to the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Infertility, Violence, Death of parent, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Abandonment, War, Confinement, Blood, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Alcoholism, and Animal death

cozyteareads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Classism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Infertility

americiumam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cursing, Dementia, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism, Infidelity, Outing, Racism, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Slavery, Addiction, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Stalking, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Incest, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Racism

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

this is the best book i have read all year. the minute i picked it up, i couldn’t put it down. i don’t normally enjoy long-winded, epic fantasy. but the complex and relatable characters, the intricate mythos, and the gorgeous prose had me hooked. i devoured this book, all 800 pages, in a matter of days — and i’m a SLOW reader. 
this book has plenty of LGBT characters (and no, there is no “bury your gays here” do not worry!) and incorporates elements of lore and culture from the real world. the plot is slow, and largely based on religion, but the stakes are immediately high and it is easy to become invested in each character’s individual participation in the story.  

though i gave it 5 stars, i have two minor critiques. first, i would have loved more Tané, though i realize this may not have been possible. second, there were a few times when the solution to problems came relatively easily. i wished for some more detective work/struggle, but again, i realize there was a lot of story and i’m certain many cuts had to be made. 

i love this book. i will absolutely be re-reading this as soon as i catch up on my TBRs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, War, Blood, Classism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship