
Member Reviews

I have only read the first chapter but I need to read this book! Magic and Dragons! What's not to love?
The writing flows really well and I found it an easy and pleasing read. The world building is amazing and I can see myself just falling into this world when the book is released. I enjoyed the characters in this extract and cannot wait to see where the story takes them. Doctor Roos and Ead were my favourites! Also the dragons! I love the different types of dragons and the feelings the characters have towards them. Dragons are either worshipped or feared and I think I would worship them. I would also love to be a dragon rider, who wouldn't? There is history to this world and I need to know more about the Nameless One.
From reading the extract I know I will definitely buy the book when it comes out! I cannot wait to read the rest of this amazing story!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free sample to review.
I am speechless and extremely grateful to have been able to read an early sample from one of my most anticipated 2019 reads. I have been waiting for this story since the summer, and the sample delivers the promise of an epic fantasy. It was utter perfection. This is going to be 800+ pages of strong female characters, dragons and impressive world building that has the potential to easily become one of the BEST releases of 2019. The promise of eastern and western influences was a major selling point. The author has also mentioned that maps are being drawn up to be included in the finished editions!

The 100 or so pages I have read have me hooked. It's classic political epic fantasy, chock-full of worldbuilding. The POV number is not overwhelming and the East/West divide when it comes to chapters help. The characters all have their own, often opposing, goals and motivations and the world feels both familiar and fresh.
I am very excited for it and will be reading it as soon as it's out.

Great sample, the world is so intriguing and I can't wait for the full book!
I've been a Shannon fan since her debut and Priory seems like it's going to be even better than The Bone Season!

Oh my gosh!!! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! I need more! It is fantastic, deep, thoughtful, beautiful! I haven't read anything like it since The Night Circus and Tolkien's books. It is truly tremendous. I can't wait to buy it when it comes out and finish it! Seriously people need to read this book!

Reserving judgement because it seemed pretty detached, and like we're at arm's length from the characters but I'm intrigued!

Aaaaaagh, I am sooo biased about this book! Since I have heard about it for the first time I was sure I will love it. I am pleased to say that I was right and if the book is as good as this excerpt (nice and long excerpt, I must say) then February cannot come fast enough. It has dragons. It has interesting female protagonists and fascinating world building. Did I mention dragons. Ok, it is not the whole book, so I guess it might get somehow muddled or the ending might not be satisfactory but hey, this is a risk I am prepared to take. So far we have two worlds/cultures clashing, grim event from the past, two sides of the same legend, magic, dragons, spies and assassins, I am here for all this and more. Just need to get my hands on the book. ,#goals

I loved Samantha Shannon's writing style. I read her debut The Bone Season back in the summer, and I absolutely adored it, and I'd been waiting to read The Priory of the Orange tree since. Shannon's ability to weave together multiple storylines in this 100-page excerpt was impeccable. The world of Priory is fantastic. Shannon was able to build a very intricate world without info-dumping too much, and causing me to become disconnected from the story. Samantha Shannon's writing is so beautiful and completely immersed me in the story. I felt as if I was in the novel with the characters as I read on. I cannot wait to read the rest of the story when it is released in February.

Initially, I was a little dubious as to whether I wanted to read this as I found Shannon's Bone Season novels to be adequate but not highly entertaining.
Upon speaking to a friend who had recieved an arc of this from the publisher I decided to jump in with the excerpt and I LOVED IT!
Full of amazing fantasy references, fugitives, dragons and warlords, I cannot wait to dive in to the full version when it is published early next year

This seems like it would be a good story, but I didn't like the writing. It was very jumpy and didn't flow, so I decided not to continue with this book.

Shannon has done it again. Another amazing book (well snippet of) and one I cannot wait to finish, the wait is excruciating, but a well worth while wait.

Ahhh what a brilliant beginning to what is sure to be a wonderful novel. I've been looking forward to reading this since I first heard mention of it, and this sample does not disappoint! Can't wait to get the full novel.

Absolutely loved this excerpt and it's made me even more excited to read the book itself when it's released! I won't be publishing a review of this online as I don't review excerpts on my blog, but I will definitely be getting a copy of the full book when it comes out.

I really enjoyed this book - I got a full copy in the post and it was a great epic fantasy read. I definitely recommend it for those who love good world building and characters and of course those who love Samantha Shannon's writing.

I utterly adored this, could not wait to read more. The worldbuilding is exquisite. I already have a favourite character and I've preordered it twice. This book is the book I've been waiting for since I was maybe fourteen. I must read to the end! Samantha Shannon should be proud of these 100 pages alone, I have no doubt that the whole book will be just as amazing.

This is such a great start: well-written, interesting characters and a fantastic world. I really want to know how this story will continue. Now I have to wait til February.

I have recently discovered Samantha Shannon through the Mime Order books and have been eagerly awaiting her next work. This new world has sucked me in already.
It is populated with an array of intriguing and believable characters, in an intriguing and believable world. There is a lot to introduce and Shannon does this almost effortlessly. The world of pirates, queens, religon, magic and dragons is changing and the characters are aiming to find their way among these unknown turbulences and I want to see where they will go.
For me, the best thing about this is the plethora of female characters, each with their own agendas, needs and stories. Each woman is a living, breathing person, coming to life in the rich dialogue and honesty given to them through the author.

A bit tropey so far, but overall I liked it. Entertaining, imaginative and vivid. I need the full novel right away!

If you're looking for a complex, detailed world, a story with dragons and women who strategise, slay and rule, then this is the book for you. I was lucky enough to read an early extract and I can't wait for my copy to arrive in the new year!

I read this book because I've been hearing a lot of good rave about this book and I've been interested since I read the blurb saying that it includes battle between kingdoms, strong female leads, and dragons, and thanks to Samantha Shannon's birthday bash that I had the chance to take a peek at the first seven chapters of this epic.
Overall, I am amazed at how Samantha cleverly crafted the world of Priory. Though I had a hard time following the geography of places painted within Priory because I'm a lowkey fan of bookish maps and there's no map in this e-ARC (and I'm so excited to see one on the FC,) it did not affect the enjoyable ride I experienced during the first 96 pages of the book. Aside from world building, I also commend the number of unique characters Samantha thrown into this book. I mean, THE NAMES!!!! I love them all. They sound so unique and so classy; Niclays Roos, Tané, Ishari, and Ead are some of my early favorites. Ilet me also admit that I'm really not into high fantasy books but this one is an exception for I really felt how epic this book is going to be.
Before I officially run out of words to review for the Priory FC, let me end saying that if you are a fan of fantasy, dragons, and especially Game of Thrones, this book will surely appeal to you! Don't waste your time and pre-order this one! It won't disappoint, I promise!