Two books that I have read and LOVED this last year—The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. For The Priory of the Orange Tree: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It certainly lived up to its reputation as a LONG book. The build is slow, mounting, and a bit difficult to wrap your head around at first (as is the case with any epic fantasy). But it truly paid off. Gorgeous character development, compelling story, and a tender resolution. There are ample examples of strong, lovingly crafted female characters and a delightful LGBTQ flourish. I devoured her novel in under a week and immediately googled, “Novels like the Priory of the Orange Tree.” For The Poppy War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I went wild for the female empowerment present in the first installment of this fantasy trilogy. I was caught off guard and simultaneously enraptured by the first sentence. Side note: thank you for reminding fantasy readers that women still get their periods, regardless of the setting!! I loved her time at the academy, and could sense the budding threat of war in a way that felt more true to what the word actually means than what circumstances I normally find it thrown around in regarding these fantasy novels. There were some parts that lost me once the book took a turn away from everything that initially sucked me in (hence the four) and I SERIOUSLY advise looking up the TW/CW for this series before you start. It. Gets. Dark. But I simply cannot stand to leave a started series unfinished, so I’m on the hunt for the next book. I would love to start posting what I’ve been reading lately as I burn through my TBR, so stay tuned for some more posts like this one!! #book #books #booklover #bookworm #bookish #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookstoread #booktography #booksarelife #booktoday #bookishlife #bookhoarder #booksofinsta #bookishphoto #prioryoftheorangetree #samanthashannon #poppywar #rfkuang (at Bozeman, Montana) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgCebq1rBgP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
