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ofclumsywords 's review for:

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
5.0
adventurous dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is the second time I've read this book and it was just as incredible as I remembered. All four narrators for this book are so well written that at no point did I want to skip any of their chapters so I could get back to my favorite charater. The magic system of this world and the dragons were so unique that the reader can't compare it to anything else written. Samantha Shannon created such a huge and wonderful world that I would read a book on each specific counrty and still not have my fill of it. 

I got to meet the author at her book signing for the prequel to this book and learned that the inspiration for it was that in all British folklore the hero is always a man and has some pretty woman he has to save and later marries. The author wanted to rewrite the lore since there is hardly any literature out there where the woman saves the day and wanted to change that. Samantha Shannon really did remedy that and seeing so many strong women characters who could save the world by themselves was so incredible. The romances in this book did not overshadow the plot and weren't needed in order for the plot to become whole, they were instead something added on that didn't hold back the characters from fufilling their desitny of saving the world. 

I could go on on about this book. From start to finish it was a wild and emotional ride. I am so glad that this book exists and that the author has many more books that will be set in this beautiful world she made. 

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