the priory of the orange tree

the priory of the orange tree was such a fun way to start off the new year!

while i enjoy fantasy, i'm relatively picky about the fantasy books that i pick up. more often than not, i've picked up a fantasy novel only to find that it wasn't worth my time or brainpower, since grasping fictional worlds can be confusing at times. personally, the redundant incorporation of magic and dragons has slowly lost its appeal for me. fortunately for myself, i have finally found the book to break that curse, an outlier that completely negates everything i just said! 

this stand alone fantasy speaks for itself in its unique nature, taking its reader on an absolutely fascinating adventure. it easily turned a dull evening into an exciting one. 

firstly, the world building is phenomenal. every aspect of this world is intentional and explored as if it were a real place and not one of fiction. the in-depth information about the main countries involved is impressive. we get to learn about their foreign relations with other powers, their religions and their perception of other beliefs, their politics, their histories, and how this looming terror effects each country differently. the magic is new and refreshing, while still being easy to grasp. don't get me wrong, there is still a learning curve present, since you're being taught about a whole new world but at the same time i didn't find it to be too confusing or convoluted. while there is an adjustment in the beginning of the book in getting used to all of these foreign names and words and systems, the further one goes into the story the more natural it becomes. 

i'm honestly just astounded at how someone was able to create such a functional and dynamic universe from scratch. 

secondly, the characters are well fleshed out and intriguing. as a reader we get to divulge into so many fundamental aspects of each character. we learn about their motivations, what led to those motivations, and the kinds of people they are as a result. like normal people in modern day society, their religion is a very important aspect of their identity and one will definitely see that in this book. it molds each of these characters into who they are and getting to see these diverse perspectives, it was fascinating to see how these different people who came from different backgrounds, compared to one another. 

ead's chapters were definitely my favorite, she gets thrown into this world thats views completely conflict against her own, and yet she is still extremely strong and honest in her beliefs. in all, shannon did such a great job in creating each character in her story, no matter how big or small their part was.

i also want to briefly address that this book implements representation for the queer community and people of color exceptionally well. in a world where the impossible is possible, fantasy should be diverse. the sapphic romance was heart warming, and although we didn't get to see to much of niclays and jannart, i empathized with his heartbreak. 

thirdly, having mentioned religion, it is a heavy theme within this book. religion is one of the main reasons behind the tension and hostility that these countries share for one another. historically in our world, religion has served to divide and been used to justify oppression, violence, and submission. however, the ending of this book exemplifies that the world is capable of overcoming such minute differences in the grand scheme of things and the ability to right wrongs. shannon teaches that there is a way to respectfully disagree with one's differences while still appreciating their similarities.

fourthly, there is also an intentional incorporation of female empowerment that i loved reading. i will always yearn to read about strong women who break the mold and in this book there were so many powerful female characters who came from diverse backgrounds. it was refreshing to have a huge portion of this story revolve around it’s heroines, with women as its hero. the matriarchy was also a fascinating read, because although on the outside it revolves around these powerful women, realistically it perpetuated the patriarchy in some facets like marriage and childbirth.

lastly, there is a liberating breakaway from tradition. all of the societies in this fictional world are constructed based off of what has been done in the past, especially in terms of religion and politics, but there is a unifying element that leads these countries to disentangle themselves from the traditions that tie them down. it makes these characters and people in power acknowledge the benefit of modernity. old religions comes into question. dated tensions between countries dissipate. new political systems are put in place. all together it creates a beautiful transition from the beginning and end of the book to create an amazing story. 

overall, i genuinely had such a fantastic time reading this book, so much so, it was difficult to set down at times. the story was well paced and everything felt purposeful. there were no dull moments after adjusting to this new world, and considering how lengthy this book is, that is an achievement! this is one of the best stories to escape the mundane.