The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos)

🍊𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬🍊 🐉𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧🐉 I saw someone say online that this book is comparable to LOTR, which initially convinced me to pick up this book ❤️🤭 And it certainly did not disappoint, wow!! The worldbuilding and plotline that the author has created is so deeply fascinating for its incredible complexity and intricacy - there is so much attention to detail, court politics and royal intrigue that hooked me from the beginning 😍👑 Although I was a frequent user of the glossary at the back in the first few pages, all the many different characters and plotlines were surprisingly easy to follow after that point, and I was totally in awe by this worldbuilding 🏔🐉This fantasy world is so diverse and richly crafted with so many different religions and cultures that felt reminiscent of real places around our world. There still seems to be so much history and lore to explore in this world for how beautifully extensive it feels, and of course I loved the many different characters and creatures we met along this journey: there were queens, warriors, pirates, mages, witches, and of course dragons!🐉🗡 The story is written from four perspectives in very divergent places of this world. There is Ead, who is a mage of the priory of the orange tree but is secretly protecting Queen Sabran of Inys; Loth, a young lord in Inys who embarks on a perilous quest; Niclays, who is an embittered alchemist in exile; and Tané, who has become a dragon rider of the Miduchi Clan 🍊🌊 I was intrigued by following all of these flawed and interesting characters, although if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Ead! What I also loved was how all of these perspectives converged and intertwined at the end, meeting for the first time and putting their different views aside to fight against their mutual enemy 🐲 I must admit though that at the beginning it took me a little bit of time to get into the writing style and connect with the characters. After that, however, I was engrossed! The only other thing I can think to critique is the pacing of the novel. Towards the end, I felt like the climax of the story was a bit rushed considering the long build-up and slower pacing that there was before - it doesn't affect my opinion of the book massively, but I felt like the pacing could have been a little more balanced! ❤️ The last third of the book was my favourite by far; although I highly enjoyed the first part, I was flying through it towards the end because I was so captivated 🥹 To conclude, this was such a brilliant epic high fantasy book that really stands out for its intricate worldbuilding and well-written plot! 📚🐉If you love epic adventures, dragons, reading from multiple perspectives, both exciting and heartfelt moments and a captivating plot, then I really recommend that you give this book a chance! ❤️🍊 I award this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (4,5) stars and am interested in reading the prequels! My Bookstagram: @1booknoodle

Wir befinden uns in einer Welt, in der sich der Osten und der Westen in einer Art Kaltem Krieg befinden. Im Westen regiert eine Linie von Erbköniginnen, die sich auf die Abstammung von einem religiösen, ritterlichen König berufen, das Land Ynis. Es heißt, solange diese Frauen regieren, wird der Namenlose, repräsentiert von bösen Drachen, nicht zurückkehren. Im Osten hingegen sind Drachen Götter. Unsere wichtigsten Protagonistinnen sind Ead, eine Hofdame, die in geheimem Auftrag als eine Art Bodyguard für Königin Sabran von Ynis agiert, und Tané, eine junge Waise, die sich im Osten um eine Position als Drachenreiterin bewirbt. Dann geschehen Ereignisse, die daraufhin deuten, dass eine Zusammenarbeit von Ost und West unvermeidlich ist... Ich brauchte dringend eine Abwechslung von schwerer Kost und wollte ja eigentlich sowieso wieder mehr Fantasy lesen. Ich mag High Fantasy und Samantha Shannon schreibt moderne High Fantasy, also habe ich mich für dieses Buch entschieden. Eine ganze Zeit lang war ich besorgt, dass die Story darauf hinauflaufen würde, welche Religion die richtige ist, was ich für problematisch gehalten hätte. Tatsächlich wird der Glaube einiger Figuren sozusagen geradegerückt, doch die übergeordnete Botschaft dieser Geschichte ist Toleranz, was sich auch in der starken Repräsentation von queeren Figuren und People of Colour zeigt. Daher konnte ich mich mit der Darstellung des ohnehin wirklich interessanten Religionskonflikts anfreunden. Aufgrund der gefühlt inflationären Thematisierung von Drachen vor allem in YA-Fantasy ging ich mit einer gewissen Skepsis an das Buch heran, auch hier kann ich jedoch Entwarnung geben: Die Darstellung der Drachen und ihrer Beziehung zu Menschen ist weitestgehend kitschfrei. Die Geschichte ist eine sehr politische, unterfüttert von reichem World-Building. Es braucht eine gewisse Zeit, bis man die vielfältigen Charaktere zuordnen kann, zumal man im  Hörbuch ja nicht eben mal zurückblättern kann. Die zentrale Lovestory habe ich überhaupt nicht gefühlt, sie erschien mir persönlich überflüssig, störte mich jedoch auch nicht. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, war, dass es auch Charaktere gibt, die sich bis zuletzt nicht in Gut- oder Böse-Kategorien einordnen lassen. Die finale Auseinandersetzung ist nicht ganz unvorhersehbar, doch insgesamt hat mich dieses Buch gut unterhalten und mich in eine spannende Welt entführt. Die Sprecherin Liyah Summers gibt ihren Charakteren je nach Herkunft unterschiedliche Akzente, Ead beispielsweise spricht mit karibischem Zungenschlag, die Bewohner von Ynis eher in einem britischen, die des Ostens eher in einem amerikanischen Akzent. Das erleichtert durchaus die Charakterisierung und funktioniert gut.

I love long, epic fantasy novels and The Priory of the Orange Tree is one that’s been on my tbr for a while. While I really enjoyed parts of it, I’m left feeling a bit disappointed. The overall premise is promising and in the beginning, I really liked where the story was going. The writing is beautiful, the world-building is easy to follow and I especially loved the dragons. I was also very much intrigued by the political dynamics between the East and the West. In addition, the book features strong queer representation and many female characters in positions of power, which felt both refreshing and important. Nevertheless, this book frustrated me in two major ways. First, the pacing is terrible. There are too many time jumps and repetitive scenes. Oddly enough, scenes that would have been interesting to read (Tane’s trials) are skipped. Also, the middle part drags immensely, yet the final fight with the main villain is resolved in 9 pages??? The author spent more pages on describing night time routines than the final fight that we waited for the entirety of the book. WHY??? Secondly, the characters aren’t developed enough. Ead was the only character I truly connected with, which made it difficult to feel invested. Moreover, I really wanted to like the romance subplots, but in both couples, I found myself only liking one half of each couple. To sum it up, this books had much potential, which makes my disappointment so frustrating. The premise and the world building are strong, but I think the story really needed editing, both in terms of pacing and character development. 3.5 ⭐️