THE PLOT: “The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon is an epic fantasy about the fight against an evil dragon who wants to conquer the world. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. The legend is that the Berethnet Queens’ rule is the reason why the ancient enemy has not returned. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to continue the line – but assassins are getting closer to her door. A lady-in-waiting, Ead Duryan, keeps a watchful eye on Queen Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. But as Ead struggles to hide her true identity, forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

SUMMARY: This was the perfect book to read in January. As the snow was falling outside, I hunkered down with this 800-page tome and couldn’t wait to read it each night. This novel is completely absorbing and addictive. The queer love story is done expertly and there’s a solid attempt to integrate different skin colours without tying them to certain races. Although I was overwhelmed with the number of characters at the beginning, I quickly became invested in all of their fates. I also loved how everything tied together and escalated towards the climax. While it relies on familiar tropes and becomes a little predictable right at the end, this is an enjoyable book that has all the elements you want in fantasy.

GOOD BITS:  Homosexual and bisexual relationships are integrated into the fantasy world in such a realistic way. It shows that diversity, done authentically, really adds to the quality of a narrative. I also liked the flawed characters, such as Niclays Roos. The shades of grey within a novel always allow me to question my own values and how I would act in a situation. The theme of religion and different interpretations of the same founding myth for various religions was interesting. And, most importantly, this novel grabbed me because of the plot. I loved how everything slotted together and the number of twists.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: It’s hard to write fantasy without relying on tropes. And, I understand, not all tropes are bad. In fact, they are necessary to write any novel. But the whole concept of “The Nameless One” as the evil-dragon-baddie feels a tad lazy. I mean, the vague existential threat of his return isn’t rooted in anything tangible. There’s no reason for the bad guys, except they’re evil and they want to rule the world. So the whole mission to defeat them is a tad hollow at its heart. Additionally, while the author was keen to put Black and Brown characters in a range of roles and countries, each nation still fell back on the usual stereotypes (e.g., Eastern nations worshipping dragons and having a strict code of honour).

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin, and ‘She Who Became the Sun’ by Shelley Parker-Chan. If you want a big book to get you through winter, this is one for you.

You can purchase this book and support @aminasbookshelf on my bookshop.org page