Ok tell me about the Priory of the Orange Tree it sounds like something I need to read
ohhh my god my friend... this is the best book i have read for years...for YEARS. this book got me interested in written fantasy/scifi again...
so this is High Fantasy adult fiction (adult doesnt mean explicit here - im differentiating from YA)
you got QUEENS you got COURT DRAMA you got PIRATES you got MYTHOLOGY you got LEGEND RETELLINGS you got GAYS you got DIVERSITY you got ELITE WARRIORS you got DRAGONS you got SPIES you got MAGIC
you got some of the best character development in a novel ive ever seen (cough sabran cough), you've got four protagonists who drive the narrative who are different ages and each are so well fleshed out you cant help but root for them even when their goals conflict. three of these protags are poc. all of these protags are queer.
the main relationship of the novel is wlw and spoiler alert NO TRAGEDY. like...this is the wlw storyline we've been asking for and samantha shannon delivered. the other main relationship is GAY and while tragic it contextualises the story beautifully. like...i dont know what else to say except theres so much love in this novel...like...the romantic relationships are loving yes but the friendships are so fucking deep, the loyalties, the fucking loyalty babes....
one of the protags has exactly ZERO romantic feelings/plots like it'd not even a consideration which is so refreshing
the worldbuilding is fucking incredible. the maps are amazing. the cover is beautiful.
so much context and history and a million different avenues that could sustain a fandom and headcanons for like...centuries
some reviews have called it a feminist retelling of george and the dragon and like YES but also it's not that simple....like...that was the first brick from which a mansion was formed....
this beast is 800 pages of pure wlw catnip