The Priory of the Orange Tree

"I liked this one but it was easy to fall out of? Really depends on how much you do or don't like some characters"

"this book is way over hyped and would have made a better fleshed out trilogy. "

"There was just so much time spent with dislikable characters and only very short amount of time with the characters I actually liked. It took me about half a year to get through this gigantic book and only 1/3 of it was worth reading. "

"A little too long but great writing and characters! I felt the ending was a little underwhelming, but that might have been because by the time I got to the end I was ready for it to be over. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"

"This is the longest book ive ever read but it’s totally worth it. I loved every single thing about it. I really liked how this one took place all over the story world (I liked going back to the map lol) (fav book of 2022)"

"This is a beautiful masterpiece but it is a commitment. Descriptive and elaborate world-building, deep rich history, atmospheric. Worth is? Absolutely. The first 400 pages felt like a setup to me. But that leads to the domino effect of each chapter after that knocking you on your ar$e. There are four povs and all vying for attention. Many times the reader is cut short from stories as soon as they become interesting. Still, the author had a tricky way of making you forget about something important so it could surprise you later.<br/><br/>At first, it was difficult to grasp the characters. I just continued with the knowledge that this was a popular book and that I should give it a chance. Sadly it took about half the book for the Dragons to come into the fold. And still, they were not as prominent as I had hoped they would be. Not only that, many of the characters were proper and it was hard to get a read on them for some time.<br/><br/>Ead was by far my favorite. She did not mince words. Ead tells it to you straight and I love her for it. Her many interactions with the Queen made me so proud of how she stood up for what is right. Because it has long since been a problem with Royalty and power to skirt around what needs to be done. <br/><br/>There was much political and religious intrigue. I think religion was pretty much what this book was founded on. All sides believing there's to be true. Some so fixated on their belief that the opposed are burned at the stake. There were a few religions in the story some more forgiving than others. I found it intriguing how even in a fantasy setting they all felt relatable and some equally as cruel.<br/><br/>The romance was an achingly building fire that scorched me. So much so that I didn't know there would be romance until a few looks started to turn into something else. I was all for it. These opposing sides clanging together while trying to stop the world from burning around them. Ugh, I wish I could boast about it but I want to keep this review spoiler free. Let's just say I couldn't get enough.<br/><br/>The ending was a little too rushed for me. After all the preparation for the oncoming battle, I just felt a little underwhelmed in the end. Still, the way leading up to it was beautifully done. Nothing was perfect. Lovers had to part ways. Friends died. Even though there was a long list of characters they were deep-rooted and easy to decipher from each other. Big diverse world. Political and religious conflicts were unmatched. I had a great time with this world and it will be sad to leave it.<br/><br/>P.S. I could so see this as a show to binge. The world would be so stunning.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Favorite quotes:<br/><br/>'Meg, what has Loth told you about me?'<br/>'Everything.' Margret grasped her by the shoulders. 'You know I take the Knight of Courage as my patron. There is courage, I think, in open-mindedness, and thinking for oneself. If you are a witch, then perhaps witches are not so wicked after all.'<br/><br/>'By withdrawing the long-standing proclamation that all other religions are heresies. Changing the law to allow those with different values to live at peace in your realms.'<br/>'It is a thousand-year tradition,' Sabran said curtly. 'The Saint himself wrote that all other faiths were false.'<br/>'Just because something has always been done does not mean that it ought to be done.'<br/><br/>'It is peaceful here,' she said, 'but my blood is the sea, and it cannot be still.'"

"I thought this was a great book! It was very long, but it was worth it."

"Surprisingly loved this book. The fantasy world was a little hard to follow at first(especially as chapters bounced from various characters), but the more you learned about the characters, the easier it was to get into. Great fantasy world with great characters. She’s probably the thickest book I’ve read!"

"Omg!! I absolutely loved this book"

"Took me several months to read because of the small font and 800 pages, but I loved every second of it."