A review by lalu
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was recommended to me after I mentioned that I hated the lack of women in LOTR. It even says on the cover "[A] feminist Lord of the Rings". And I have to disagree. It is high fantasy in a big world with lots of lore and different cultures. But that's were the similarities end (imo). 
Priory puts so much more focus on its characters, their role in society, their hopes and dreams, growth and their relationships. And none of the characters is perfect, it's not black and white, and for that I loved (most of) them even more. And there are stakes! Characters actually die and it's heartbreaking but also it made me a lot more emotionally invested in the story. I even had moments when I thought that
there wouldn't be a happy ending and the Nameless One would win and kill everyone
. 
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