The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)

by Samantha Shannon

Along with the other three Houses of Learning, it was used to train apprentices for the High Sea Guard. Tané had lived...

and the green on every leaf.

Ah yes, the familiar smell of green

She and Ishari had shared a room for six years. After the ceremony, they might never see each other again.

Turosa, her rival,

Orisima.

sentinels

master surgeon,

Governor of Cape Hisan.

Grand Temple of the Cape

Once made of wood, the temple had been burned to the ground during the Great Sorrow and later rebuilt with stone.

Kwiriki

Feather Island.”

an ostler.

the North House.

“Dumu

the great Kwiriki—the first dragon ever to take a human rider—stood

learnèd

Why the accent

A man with a long moustache

This man was the honored Sea General of Seiiki. Head of Clan Miduchi,

WHY would this not be stated in the previous paragraph???

the dynasty of dragonriders—a dynasty united not by blood, but by purpose.

Scale rasped against stone.

?? Took a few rereads to get it. Why scale and not claws?

Their size was breathtaking.

How big is breathtaking? This does not help me.

Most were Seiikinese, with silvery hides and lithe, whiplike forms. Impossibly long bodies held up their splendid heads, and they each had four muscular legs, ending in feet with three claws. Long barbels swirled from their faces and trailed like the lines of kites. The majority were quite young, perhaps four hundred years old, but several carried scars from the Great Sorrow. All were covered with scales and ringed with sucker marks—keepsakes from their quarrels with greatsquid. Two of them possessed a fourth toe. These were dragons from the

Empire of the Twel...

One of them—a male—had wings. Most dragons were wingless and flew by means of an organ on their heads, which scholars had named the crown. The few that did grow wings did so only after at least two thousand years of life. The winged dragon was largest. If Tané had stretched to her full height, she might not even have been able to reach between his snout and his eyes. Though his wings looked fragile as spidersilk, they were strong enough to whip up a typhoon. Tané spied the pouch beneath ...

Lacus...

was close to his stature. Her scales were a pale, clouded green, like milk jade, her mane the...

His voice rang out like the call of a war conch.

Silly?

“You are here today to be sworn to one of two lives: that of the High Sea Guard, defending Seiiki from sickness and invasion, or a life of learning and prayer on Feather Island. Of the sea guardians, twelve of you will have the honor of becoming dragonriders.” Only twelve. Usually there were more.

“As you will...

So why say it????

“there have been no hatchings of dragon eggs for the past two centuries. Several dragons have also been taken by the Fleet of the Tiger Eye, which continues its repulsive trade in dragonflesh...

“To bolster our ranks, we are honored to receive these two great warriors from the Empire of the Twelve Lakes. I trust this will herald a closer friendship with our allies to the north.” The Sea General inclined his head toward the two Lacustrine dragons. They would not be quite as accustomed to the sea as Seiikinese dragons, since they preferred to live in rivers and other bodies of freshwater—but d...

the color of a summer sky.

What color? Blue?

Dumusa of the West House

The granddaughter of two riders, she was of Southern descent as well as Seiikinese.

the South House.”

The dragons watched her. It was said they could see the deepest secrets of a soul, for human beings were made of water, and all water was theirs.

blood rushing like water over pebbles.

Is that a thing? It sounds peaceful...

“I see through your mask, village chaff. I see what’s in your heart. It’s the same as what’s in mine. Ambition.”

Omg could this dialogue be any duller?

Feather Island,

the East House

Onren

They were the only apprentices who rose without fail each dawn to swim, and a kind of friendship had risen from that foundation. Tané had no doubt that Onren had also hearkened to the rumors and stolen out to immerse herself once more before the ceremony.

“Don’t tell me. You’re plainly a fool, and I have no interest in befriending fools.”

All so dumb. like they would be bickering in the middle of this hugely important ceremony

“You are children no longer.

Is this meant to juxtapose their childish bickering?

Every bell in the temple rang out in answer.

Kinda cool

Niclays

Starting with a name! How rare

Sulyard,

sweating

Odd personification

Muste,