Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon starting on May 4, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Roots of Chaos Series:
1. The Priory of the Orange Tree (May 4)
0. A Day of Fallen Night (July 6) [link]

Audio: Priory is Audible Only (but not A+)
Ebook: Not on Hoopla, KU, or Open Library.

Oh my god. You guys, I put a hold on this book literally February of this year and have been delaying my hold every few weeks ever since then. 🤣😅I'm going to keep delaying it 'til May now!

Will join when grab it :)

Mei ☽︎ wrote: "Oh my god. You guys, I put a hold on this book literally February of this year and have been delaying my hold every few weeks ever since then. 🤣😅I'm going to keep delaying it 'til May now!

"
LOL like, 6/10 of my current holds are like that...

Hopefully I'll be able to join this one, been on my shelf for ages!

I read it when it came out a couple years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you do too!

@Mei if we read this as “fast” as my Day of Fallen Night BR, we’ll be reading as long as it was on hold for you 😅
But seriously, excited to read this one ☺️

Yes! An excuse to clear this from my unread Audibles :D

I remember reading the first few pages and life caught up to me. I'm looking forwarddd

Welcome Atiqah! I have a few books like that lying around waiting for me too.

Prequel A Day of Fallen Night is on Audible's monthly sale for $7 this Feb.

https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Day-of-F...

AHHHH it's time already!!! I have it on my kindle and will probably start next week or the week after as i try to catch up on some other books 🤣 (story of my life nowadays)

I might do a re-read if I can fit it in. Really enjoyed this book and the prequel. The world building is great. I remember this book was almost 5 stars for me.

I'll join in some point.

@Leah They split the German version into two books with approx 500 pages each, just like with Game of Thrones. Confused the hell out of me when I was in the bookstore.

Started. Up to chapter 2.

Leahhh wrote: "Nooo but my library only has one!? I will go cry now. Maybe I’ll just buy the 2nd … but then I have to get both"

Oh no!! Fingers crossed that a solution presents itself...

Running late on everything, probably by at least a week, but looking forward to this reread...

Fingers crossed!!!

I am through the Part 1 and honestly I have been finding it boring. I took a break for another book but that one is a head scratcher so I think I am just going to swap between them until they are both finished. lol

I don't think I'm going to get to this one, I'm already several BRs behind. I think I need to take a month to catch up and then in June I can start a few new ones :(.

I've finished chapter 9. So far (view spoiler)[the only character I've been intrigued by is Ead and there has been a disappointing lack of dragons.

I'm actually quite annoyed Ead saved Sabran, now Sabran will be even more convinced that she is something special (hide spoiler)]

Not much of opinion from me as yet. Ead and Tene are kinda interesting, Sabran... spoiled I think. Others... not enough info to consider different then background noise really.

I’ve heard it a lot that the first Roots of Chaos isn’t all that well paced. The prequel is apparently better. As I’ve read the prequel and quite enjoyed it (after the usual confusion during works building 😅),a cautious “don’t give up” from my end?

From what I remember I found the first two thirds very slow but I enjoyed them. Then the last third felt too rushed. Ead takes all the focus in the book, which makes the other characters less fun. The prequel is more balanced in both pacing and character focus.

Marie wrote: "From what I remember I found the first two thirds very slow but I enjoyed them. Then the last third felt too rushed. Ead takes all the focus in the book, which makes the other characters less fun. ..."

So the book is both too long and too short? Super awesome!

I started yesterday. I remember one of the things I enjoyed the most when I read this the first time was the cultural inspirations--Sakoku-era Japan with the creation of Dejima is one of my favorite periods in history. However, the narrator using a (West?) African accent for the East characters is really jarring to me because of that.

I have notes, will type up more when weekend gets here.

I enjoyed those too and liked the clash of cultures/religions.

Whole book spoiler: (view spoiler)[That's why I felt the end was so rushed because Ead and Tané bonded and trained off screen... (hide spoiler)]

Leahhh wrote: "I’ve finished the first book. I’m not sure I’m motivated to read the second , another 500 pg, it’s a little bit boring and shallow. The dragons get like two chapters so they’re practically non exis..."

If you read this book hoping for dragons, (view spoiler)[you're going to be disappointed. They are only in the book for deus ex machina purposes. This book had very misleading marketing.<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

I don't find the cover misleading. It presents a scene from the book. The dragons play a big part in the story... Maybe it's just the way they are presented that didn't meet your expectations. Which is fair enough, but I don't think it was misleading.

I would agree that there could have been bit more to Tané's POV.

Is it still as tiring or even boring to read for you as it was in the beginning? As I had already read Roots of chaos #0, I understood some aspects or was even able to make connections during world building. Admittedly, I suffered through the confusion in #0, and believe me when I say there was a lot 😅
And I agree on the dragons being different than expected (again, #0 gave me a heads up). But I still enjoyed the story and am intrigued for PotOT

The weather is so nice where I live that I decided to walk to the library which is 1.5km away but I am not in great shape. As I was leaving the librarian brought me the copy this book because my hold was in. I was like great, now I have to carry this heavy book back home. Neither of us could believe how thick it is.

I hope to start it at some point soon!

Did everyone finish already? I’m not getting along as quickly as I’d hoped but that isn’t because of the book.
I actually like Ead’s story, maybe because I already know about the priory from #0? And I thought them pretty awesome (Tané and dragons aren’t even part of the awesomeness competition, they’d win in a second) Admittedly, Sabran is a pain in the ass. Btw, @ audiobooks listener: how is her name pronounced? sa-BRAN, SAY-bran? My mental voice keeps switching between the versions and I’d like to settle that mental debate 😅

I totally failed at typing up notes over last weekend, but I finished last week and here we go with notes!

@Tabea--Sabran is pronounced SAbrahn in the audio--I think. It's been a week and 10+ audiobooks since I listened.

Through Chapter 9--(view spoiler)[The young Truyde... so naive. So sure of her own convictions... She's a good portrait of the youth who thinks they can't die...

Interesting seeing the magic at work, and the Wyrms already back... (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 22--(view spoiler)[After all the emo Paranormal Romance overload lately, it's rather refreshing to read a story with a character who isn't looking forward to sex and doesn't see motherhood and pregnancy as the end-all of the female life--instead it is something scary, something that may well kill her, and the child she carries is just as likely to usurp her position as bring her status...

I enjoyed the Tane scenes more at this point--her training and trials, and especially when she kicked that one elitist dude's ass in fighting. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25--(view spoiler)[The mentioning of levels of politeness, how Tane can't talk the same to the dragon as she would to her own family--in Japanese, there are differing levels of politeness, that usually come down to word choice and extended verb-enders. You use a very informal speech pattern for family, and longer more formal pattern for strangers or superiors. I really liked this little cultural note--Tane instinctively reaches for the formal when talking to her dragon, but her dragon wants her rider to see her as family, and bring her inside the circle of home informality...

Also, btw, "Tane" means "seed" in Japanese. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 40--(view spoiler)[Tane's dragon getting captured... so bitter, when it felt like everything was finally going to be put right...

Actually, there are a lot of points like that throughout the book--part of what makes it feel like it drags on a lot... lots of fake-outs and unexpected twists within twists... I think I enjoyed it more on a first read than I am on the second--I kind of want the story to get on with it! Stop torturing us! The details are really well woven though--all the little strands coming together.

Sabran's loss of both child and husband, falling in love with Ead, and now Ead being called home... dark times all around. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 45 (view spoiler)[The lore explained--star and sun, fire and starlight, opposites above and below. Interesting premise...

And the Prioress being behind Ead's tragedy. Well, enemies on all sides then... (hide spoiler)]

End thoughts--really agreeing with folks about the end feeling rushed... I rather wish Shannon had split this into a duology or trilogy--tightened up some parts and fleshed out others. There's so much that happens at the end, and like y'all've been saying, a lot is offscreen... still, it's pretty epic!

Who is interested in reading the prequel? It hasn't been scheduled yet, so toss out some dates!

Over 300 pages behind me. Good story so far.

Tabea wrote: "Did everyone finish already? I’m not getting along as quickly as I’d hoped but that isn’t because of the book.
I actually like Ead’s story, maybe because I already know about the priory from #0? An..."

I'm only about 200 pages in so you're definitely not the only one not reading it as quickly as they'd hoped 😅

Nirkatze wrote: "Who is interested in reading the prequel? It hasn't been scheduled yet, so toss out some dates!"

I'm interested in the sequel. I won't be able to start it till July at the earliest but if people want to set a June date I'll try and join as soon as I can.

July would work fine! Any specific time frame? How about July 6? Just tossing out a date to have a date, I'm fine with any.

Past 400 pages. Prioress is sort of strange person, bossy and I would say narrow minded. What Ead will do? What will happen to Sabran? What about Tane? Hmmm...

Nirkatze wrote: "July would work fine! Any specific time frame? How about July 6? Just tossing out a date to have a date, I'm fine with any."

That sounds like it'd be ok. It's around the same time as Legacy of Ashes but I can swap between them lol.

Somewhere around the 400 pages as well. I actually enjoy the priory parts but have already read #0 where they are pretty badass.
I agree with Leah that the dragons are actually not very present at all 🫠 btw Leah, did you get the second part?

Looking forward to seeing that #0 badassery.... I often feel unexcited about prequels, but I'm rather curious here, to see how history has mussed up the story...

Request made for #0 for July 6! I'll be going back and forth with you there. ^_^

About 100 pages left to read. Lots is happening.

I’m way behind but just had the explanation why Bereneth queens are look-a-likes 😱 what a plot twist 🎉

This book did have a lot of great twists. That was a good one!

I finally got through. What an end!
Overall, I really enjoyed it. Some mentioned less than ideal pacing, I didn’t feel that but most likely because I only got around to a few chapters at a time and thus always looking forward to duet beck into the story. As I had read #0 first, I had some nice Easter eggs of “ha, I know that historical figure and the *actual* story” but I can see the appeal of having them mentioned and then fleshed out.
Personally, I loved all the strong female characters and that they were mostly willing to change and to see different opinions. In the end, I had quite some respect for Sabran.
But where were the bloody dragons?!

Also, how did you interpret the ending of Tané’s story?

Yikes, I don't actually remember the end now!

I hope I get the spoiler tags right. Otherwise… SPOILERS. MASSIVE SPOILERS.


(view spoiler)[ Tané has sort of a vision of Neporo’s face, walks up to the uprooted mulberry tree, sleeps underneath and then wakes up with a white butterfly cupped in her hand and blood on her side. It is not explicitly stated if she is bleeding or if it is transfer. While finishing I kept wondering how there is a series planned. It wraps up so nicely with the Nameless One dead and locked in the Abyss. Only Fyerdel remains at large but I wouldn’t have thought it to be such a major aspect to write a second instalment. When you read the prequel, it is clear that eventually something will happen again. But #1 feels so completed and I would even know what the nemesis would be. I really really wonder what a #2 might be about. I would still read it without question and hope for more dragons and ichneumons 😅 (hide spoiler)]