This book was so good. If you get the chance to read it, you absolutely should.

With 4 point of view characters across 800 pages, you'd think the book would be scattered and boring, but that's quite simply not the case. Shannon delved deep into the world she created, from the religions to court etiquette to fighting techniques to marriage laws to history to science/technology. There was so much depth that you could tell that everything on the page was given a solid foundation that we, the readers, cannot see. We also were given the chance to explore an intricate and large world (mostly) and even without the map (I read this on kindle and the map was just a little too small to use properly) I was never lost or confused about the setting.

The characters, both point-of-view and not, all had depth and history - and we end the book with each of them embarking on a new journey (which I love; nothing is neatly closed the way so many books end).

I read this book because I loved The Bone Season series, and Samantha Shannon continues to wow me - even more now than she had with Paige Mahoney. If you're looking for a strong, inclusive epic fantasy, look no further than The Priory of the Orange Tree.