: Amazon Book Review
Samantha Shannon’s latest, The Priory of the Orange Tree, is a compelling high fantasy novel, filled to the brim with dragons, dueling religions, magic, and political intrigue. Shannon’s strength is breathing new life into the genre with a cadre of richly-imagined, powerful women at the center of this unforgettable fantasy world. The three civilizations at the heart of Shannon’s book have all been shaped and honed by their relationship to dragons. In the matriarchal Virtudom, dragons are seen as entirely evil, while in the East they are worshipped and ridden by dragon riders. In the South, a group of female mages live to keep the evil, draconic leader, the Nameless One, and his ilk in check. It soon becomes clear the Nameless One will return and that civilizations will rise and fall in the process. It is in these moments—when societies collide and a richly-detailed world emerges—that Shannon is at her very best. --Alison Walker,
Amazon Book Review:
A Quote:
Be silent and learn something. I am not your queen, but I am yours. They raise us to be soft as silk, distract us with luxury and wealth beyond measure, so we never rock the boat that carries us