This was a great taste of what's to come! I did find it a little slow but considering the actual length of the novel, it's totally understandable! I'm so excited to get my hands on the rest of the book and especially to read more about the DRAGONS!!!!

"All the world is a cage in a young girl's eyes."

I have been anxiously waiting for the publication of Priory of the Orange Tree since it was first announced, and I am super excited to have gotten an opportunity to read the early exclusive extract (which is the first 7 chapters of the book)! I love adult fantasy, and once I learned that this was a standalone with dragons, I knew it was a book that I needed to read! While this was not the effortless fantasy read that I was hoping for, I am still really interested in the full book.

It is important to note that I read the early exclusive extract, and my copy had some significant formatting issues that will be fixed before final publication. That being said, these issues really exacerbated my reading comprehension for the plot in general and I struggled for most of the first 50% or so to understand what was going on.

Looking through my notes reflects this as well; I definitely found the opening chapters to be lyrically written and instantly engaging. It was largely plot driven with the anxiety and fear of the unknown outsider's appearance, and the worldbuilding trickled in slowly. But after the first chapter I started getting increasingly more confused as more characters and perspectives were introduced. It took me quite some time to even realize there was a perspective and country shift, and it took me until about 50% or so to settle into the narrative style and really understand what was going on. This is definitely a "me issue" because I often struggle with multiple POVs, and unfortunately for me the eARC formatting really exacerbated my confusion for this one.

"Reading is a dangerous pastime [...] there is great power in stories."

Once I settled into the narrative style and understood how Shannon is revealing the story and intricacies, I was really intrigued by the story as it unfolded. By the time that I got to chapter 7 (the last in the extract), I was hungry for more and the action was really about to begin. I feel like as a reader I was thrown into the deep end straight away, which is never my favorite when it comes to being introduced into fantasy worlds.

Priory of the Orange Tree, based on what I read, is a difficult book to get into but I think that patience will be rewarded with this one! It is obvious that Shannon spent a lot of time crafting an intricate world with hundreds of years of history, politics, and religious clashes, so there is a lot to take in. I am definitely a lot more invested in the Niclays and Sulyard perspective and learning more about what will unfold there. I can tell that this book will be feminist and I am really excited to read the full book upon release!

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.

I am so grateful to have received this excerpt because OH MY GOSH I am so excited to read this book when it comes out this month!! The story/plot is so intriguing and i want it NOW!

This is a great introduction to a new epic fantasy that should go far on word of mouth alone.

Immediately, both the world-building and characterisation is strong. I felt we were in a real solid place straight away and I'm intrigued about what's coming next. It did take me a little while to get a grip on the story but I expect that in a decent fantasy - you don't want to be spoon-fed.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K. for making available via NetGalley a substantial extract of Samantha Shannon’s ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’ due to be published in the U.K. on 26 February.

I have been excited about this epic fantasy since it was first announced and so was pleased to be able to read this extract in advance.

While it can be hard to judge the finished novel from a partial manuscript I have complete confidence in Shannon’s skills.

Given its 848 page length this is a weighty book but I was intrigued and entranced by what I read and it’s made me even more excited for the upcoming release. Thus, I have preordered both the ebook and audiobook editions.

Even though this was just a small excerpt, I am sooooo excited for this book. I've been hearing buzz about it for a while, and the preview didn't disappoint! Epic fantasy? Check. Featuring all kickass women? Check. And dragons??? I am totally in for this one! I wish I could read the whole book right now, I was so upset when my preview ended. I have a feeling this is going to top my 2019 list of best books.

Having read this extract from The Priory of the Orange Tree I am extremely eager to get my hands on the rest of the book. Samantha Shannon's world-building is intricate, her characters are already fascinating despite this only being a short extract, and the plot is just starting to set up to be the most epic of fantasies. Of course, this will come as no surprise to readers of The Bone Season, but this feels like something more - grander in scale, bolder in ambition, and has the potential to be one of the best fantasy novels I've read for years. Bring on publication date!

Boys, step aside. The Queen of Fantasy is here.

Samantha Shannon. Remember the name. It’s going to be here for a while.
I only had access to an extended excerpt of this book, but I am already a die-hard Shannon fan. Yes, I am pre-ordering this book as I am typing this. And yes, I will be buying the rest of Shannon’s books as well (and by “buying”, I mean I’ll be putting them at the top of all my Christmas lists, because, let’s be honest, a book addiction is a very expensive habit).

Now that we’ve gotten my fan-girling out of the way, let us dive into the writing. Shannon writes what epic fantasy should be. Grand worlds navigated by WOMEN. Yes. Women. I know. The ground is shaking beneath my feet. I hate to compare authors to other authors (because I understand the need of establishing your own identity), but for the sake of getting my point across, Shannon’s world building and epic narratives are just the thing for fans of George R. R. Martin. Shannon had me on page one. Quite literally. The poetic language in which she navigates this fantastical world conjures up vivid imagery that will completely consume the reader.

Read this book. Not because you are a fantasy reader, or because you like dragons (which are also in this book; I know, like you needed another reason to read it). Read this book because Shannon writes fearlessly. Read this book because you deserve to read fearlessly.

Remember, read with an open mind, and most importantly, an open heart. Enjoy!

This excerpt of Samantha Shannon book Priory of the Orange Tree makes you want to read more!
It introduces a bunch of characters but doesn't overwhelm you with information. It properly sets up the upcoming events. Also the world she created makes you want to read more than the extract as quickly as possible!
This book has introduced a magical world with lovable characters so far and I can't wait for my finished copy!

Intricate plot, exciting array of characters and an absolutely fascinating fantasy world - what more could anyone ask for? I adored the 250 pages included in this extract, and I'm terribly excited to delve into the entire book upon its release.

Because this was just an excerpt it’s hard to really say if I will like the entire book. But so far, im interested. At first it was confusing with the world building plus all the jumping back and forth between different characters all living in different parts of the world. Despite that, I’m interested. After mostly getting an understanding of the world, I want to know more. I want to know what the secrets are that the characters are keeping. I want to know the end goal of the story and the outcome of all the political maneuvering that was hinted at. I will definitely be reading the full finished copy when it’s published.

Oh my! This is going to be absolutely incredible. No wonder it's labelled as one of the most anticipated books of 2019. Superb!

Just reading this extract has made me so excited for the release of the full book! I need it now. Samantha Shannon's writing is beautiful and evocative, and she's built a world I just want to sink into. Can't wait.

wow. holy shit. amazing. those are the words that ran through my mind as I gazed starry-eyed at Kindle app, as the last words of the extract rolled. that was truly a gargantuan extract, even if it was only a sixth of the entire book. yet for all its size, it was still only a taste of the book.

I've been following the author, samantha shannon, for many years since I loved the bone series series for years and years. this was her high fantasy pet project, her passionate love. and that dedication and love has clearly shown in the priory of the orange tree.

at first, it was slow. like all epic fantasy, it winds threads and threads until a patterns begins to appear, an intricate web of connections. a picture, nay, a map begins to unfurl before the reader's eyes. something truly epic, something truly incredible. it really hit me then, when tané first meets the dragons and my heart went 'thump'. samantha shannon's writing is as lovely as ever, lyrical and lush.

for all that most of the characters venerate the young queen of inysh, sabena, I found her thoroughly unlikeable (at least from roos and ead's point of view). I despise narrow-mindedness and sabena is literally the paragon of narrowmindedness and a refusal to accept other truths than the ones crafted for her (then again, I have a high disdain for censorship and obfuscation of the truth). the tantalising hints of another viewpoint, another truer story of the dragon and the saint myth from ead's homeland tortured me, I want to know more!!

there are at least 5 unique viewpoints and I can't choose the one that I love the most!! but a close contender for number 1 is tané, the dragon rider in training. I feel like she'll have a big role to play in the upcoming clash between east and west. on that note, I love the worldbuilding in priory, the prejudices and biases that colour the perceptions of characters from the east and the west. the little details about food, dress, language, religion and culture were so richly described and detailed.

I am so here for the diversity rep (asian and lgbt!!) the moment you breathe 'gay' or 'wlw' my direction, I materialise like a jinn that's heard its name called. this book was already on my tbr since it was announced, but now it has rocketed up my reading list. this makes for a fine present to myself, as it releases a day before my birthday!!

The hype around this book is definitely warranted. I will be honest and say that the full book is still very intimidating to me, but after reading this sneak peek, I am dead set on reading this as soon as it comes out.

It has been a great pleasure to be able to read the ARC for “The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon. Thank you publisher and NetGalley.

[Note: No spoilers!]

Firstly although the arc was only an extract of the 880+ pages, the sample was a substantial read, giving just enough to reel one in and leave them to enthusiastically count down the days until the publication date.

Secondly what an amazing artwork on the cover! So beautiful. Colors are complimentary. The Dragon is wonderous in it mystic and frightful pose atop the building.

There are a number of story lines within the books which has you wondering how the one character connects to the other.

I did find in (the beginning) the character jumping and the encyclopedia amount of fictional history was confusing... however reading further into the book allowed greater connections between characters, their background, beliefs and religions. The story began to than flow from one character to the next. Dragons, knights, secret mags, a possibility of an underlying war threatening to break out between two sides. So much to keep you on the edge of your side.

My favorite character thus far was Ead. Strong willed and seemingly quiet intelligent.

I certainly look forward to eventually reading this book in its entirety!

** I received a copy of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#PrioryOfTheOrangeTree #NetGalley

<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/3304833bccfc2e0416ee4bfbd23dc3be01ea4674" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

Great preview for what I am sure is going to be a fabulous book!! This preview was lengthy and made me want to read it that much more!!!


The beginning is slow to start but I think it is just building up to the main context. As with many fantasy books, the first part is always building the world. Dragons and Strong women.... where do I sign up??!! So looking forward to the full book!!

Thank you to netgalley for providing this preview in exchange for an honest review!

I received an excerpt of this 800+ pages book via Netgalley.

The quality of the text on my Kindle was quite bad, words missing, unnecessary zeroes or ones in the middle of the text, new paragraphs in the middle of sentences, so I had quite the hard time to read the actual, short excerpt.

It took me about an hour and for the most part I am intrigued and interested, but also confused. There are too many characters, too many new places and historical references...

I liked some of the characters and the idea of dragonriders, but the layout and length of the excerpt did not really help to immserve myself into the story. I have pre-ordered the book as there are some interesting characters + world-building aspects in there, but I would have greatly prefered an ARC to be able to read the entire thing and not just bits and pieces...

Three stars because I am mostly confused, the layout was horrible and I couldn't immerse myself enough into the story. The book will be much better I think!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for this exclusive early extraxt of one of my most anticipated books of 2019. It was a real joy to read it. I liked everything about it, the characters, the world building, the writing style.
I already preordered this book and now Ikm going to sit here and wait for February 26th

Welcome to this short review of me basically fangirling.
I received an early extract of this book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all can we just say how gorgeous this cover is ! I mean props to those amazing people who designed it all.
Secondly There is no details in this review because, honestly this is a book you need to jump into not knowing much about it, apart from the description on the dust jacket, it makes it even more amazing to read.
When I got this, I was like OMG an extract of over 100 pages who does that.
I read part of it can I just say I love it, this book will most likely be on my top ten books of the year !
I loved every second of it, the world, the characters and DRAGONS, who doesn't wish they could ride a dragon into a fight ?!?
The writting style, as always, was a hit for me, I discovered Samantha Shannon through her Bone Season series that is absolutely captivating (still reading the 2/3 book of the series that is out so far, and if you haven't picked it up you NEED to do so). But, we are not here to talk about that, The Priory Of The Orange Tree has me hooked and I can't wait to read more from this world, and have the full book in my hands. If the rest of the book is anything like its beginning, I will love it and hope she writes more stories in this new world of hers.
PICK THIS UP when it comes out, that's all I can say.