Shannon, Samantha- The Priory of the Orange Tree informal buddy read starts February 1, 2020

[Melissa]

Eldarwen wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I just finished Part 1 (and added Grey Sister to my TBR list - thanks for the recommendation!). "

Pssssst, start with Red Sister ;-) Grey Sister is a #2 in series."

:)
Thanks! Now I have 2 more on the list! Is there such a thing as too many TBRs?

[Cat]

finished part 1, and am definitely enjoying it. I like the hints about the differences between the Priory's religion and Virtudom. I'm a bit confused, though, why Inys tradition has airbrushed the fierceness of Coralinda (sp?) - the Mother and progenitor of the Berenth queens - given they are a queendom and so have no problems with politically powerful women.

There are a lot of dim boys in the Inys court, aren't there? first Triam Sulyard vanishing off to the East assuming that the boss there would listen to a castaway (effectively) and then Loth letting himself be infected by the plague just because the nice queen sweet talks him into it!

and I enjoyed Onren taking Tane to task for being unwontedly disparaging about her training habits - Onren had a point that balance over flogging yourself to death is healthier.

[Tina ❣]

Agh, I haven’t had a chance to sit and read the book yet this month! Hope I will this week fingers 🤞🏼

[rbabyblue]

What did everyone think of part 2?

[Cat]

rbabyblue wrote: "What did everyone think of part 2?"

wow! action packed there!

[Melissa]

Yes! I just finished part 2 today. Yes! Action packed! (view spoiler)[ I have many scattered thoughts. The whole Ead / Sabran / siblan power thread keeps me hooked, although I've been trying to figure out the whole barb shot from a dragon that killed the unborn babe. Did it hit her stomach? How did it have such good aim?
I'm kind of bummed about Roos and harvesting dragon parts. I agree with Cat, the boys are not having much good luck.
I wonder if Sabran will remarry, or is she being poisoned? Also, I was sure the Hawk was the Cup bearer.
I'm having a difficult time figuring out the maps in the front. I think I'll need to go back through some of the book to get the place names right.
I am looking forward to getting to Ersyr with Ead. I hope the sisters there are as tough as she is.
Another question I have is the history of the different dragons - is Tane's dragon anti-Westerner dragons?
Again, I might be missing some of these plot points, but I am really enjoying the book.
(hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

I'm so far behind.... But then, I knew this was going to happen haha. Always does!

[Cat]

I found the first part very slow, being mostly atmosphere, world building & set up of characters and issues. Part 2 was an utter romp with so much action going on, so it was a bit odd that part 3 slowed down again. Not badly, and on balance I appreciated the unravelling of riddles in East & West, as well as the political intriguing in part 4.

What I did miss in part 4 especially was more time in the East. Whilst I do like the characters in the West more that's probably because we spend more time with them than with Tane. I guess that's about to change though...

[Melissa]

Eldarwen wrote: "I'm so far behind.... But then, I knew this was going to happen haha. Always does!"

No worries :) I am just in need of good fantasy right now, so whenever there is downtime (after dishes, after dog walk...) I fly to the book :)

[Cat]

So, I finished it! Last week, actually, because I got sucked into the audio & the story.

Overall I very much enjoyed the story, but it was all rushed at the end, with the climax being over and done very fast in a "oh. is that it?" sort of a way. I'd've liked more explanation as to why the Eastern dragons were good and the Western ones bad (and indeed, why it was East & West like that at all - my bad if it was explained & I missed it though)

[Eldarwen]

I'm still where I was at 2 or even 3 weeks ago, namely somewhere at the beginning of the first part... *fail*

I'll get this current book out of the way that I need for a challenge and then I'll devote some serious time to this. Hopefully.

I think this just isn't the book I should be reading when there is a team challenge on at the same time.

[Cat]

I felt that for most of the first part, but it does speed up after that section is over!

I bet you've got the three inch thick hard copy, right? which is never gonna help with the reading at any time probably needed to get into a massive standalone fantasy with all the worldbuilding that happens at the start :(
but I know you can do it!

[Eldarwen]

I'm just too slow a reader for this kind of doorstop while reading other books for a team challenge, but I really, really want to read it and I don't even mind the doorstop hardcover :-D Though it really isn't handy haha.

[Melissa]

I finished! It's really worth it. So much fun. The only problem is... (view spoiler)[ I don't really understand what happened to Tane..... Can someone kindly explain? (hide spoiler)]

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Reactivating this for a Buddy Read starting on or around 1st June - to be determined by the participants.

[Eldarwen]

I shall not fail this time!

*hides in shame*

[Sehrish |]

Eldarwen wrote: "I shall not fail this time!

*hides in shame*"

Will not back off this time E.. TT is important 😅

[Insiyah]

I am so glad that you are!!! This book is on my TBR for a re-read anyways, so I get to Buddy Read it now and that's so exciting!

[Rosina]

I can join in....

[Eldarwen]

A rather large BOM was added by the mods which I think a lot of us may be reading as well, so I've been wondering if you might want to put the start date of this one a little later rather than beginning of June (which is underway already hehe).

Or we're just going to read this a little slower - what do you guys think?

[Insiyah]

Let's wait so we can read quickly? I really don't want to read slowly - too much action happens for me to want to pace myself out.

[Rosina]

I was hoping to start this weekend and get it done by the 16th....but if it grabs my attention I will get done sooner...

[Insiyah]

What about starting it on the 9th? That should give us enough days to complete it by 16th

[Eldarwen]

You can guys can always go ahead as well if you don't want to start later. I'll just read it whenever then.

The Mod BOM starts on 8th June and is a 500+ page read.

[Rosina]

I can hold off because I agree balancing 2 big books will be cumbersome...lets go from 16th to end of month....I really want to read that BMO....and be able to enjoy them both....

[Eldarwen]

On the 15th, Empire of the Vampire BR is going to start haha.

I'd personally go for July for this book but I completely understand if not everybody is willing to wait that long.

[Insiyah]

I don't think I can wait till July - a bunch of travelling and religious things will be coming up then 😬

[Rosina]

insiyah if you want to read this month...I'll join you....you chose the start date....i have holidays starting 16th...

[Eldarwen]

Insiyah wrote: "I don't think I can wait till July - a bunch of travelling and religious things will be coming up then 😬"

Don't worry about it! :-)

As I said, if you guys want to go ahead, please feel free to!
I don't mind having to read it on my own if it should come to that :-)

[Insiyah]

I can start anytime in June, since my work schedule is really erratic right now; what works for you?

E, Rosina and I can post our thoughts under spoiler tags, so you can go through them as you read. And I'm definitely up for nerding out even once I'm done reading.

[Rosina]

I work Monday to Friday....My best time for reading is in the morning before work and in the evening before bed it I am not too tired. I generally average about 50 pages a day when I read fantasy. For some reason i struggle reading fantasy. Strange because if I read mystery thriller or romance I can read 150+ pages a day.
I will probably start this weekend and use spoiler tags.

Looking forward to finally reading this book.

[Eldarwen]

I can start it this weekend for a bit as well - it's a long weekend but once the BOM starts, I probably won't be able to keep up.

But spoiler tags are the best way to go anyway since someone else might still join later and Sehrish is going to read it, too, so spoiler tags for sure :-)

[Rosina]

I have read the first 2 chapters and it starts quick with the action, So far I am enjoying the story but find I will have to make notes to keep characters and storylines straight. I tend to have issues with reading fantasy because of the spelling of names and places, its like I have a mental block my mind just wont remember them.

Chapter 1
(view spoiler)[ The story with Tane finding a stranger on the beach. It is the night before the Choosing Day for Tane and she is to be in seclusion. i am not sure what the Choosing Day is or what it represents. Is it choosing for a marriage partner, choosing a life profession?
She takes the stranger to Doctor Niclays Roos house to see if he can help hide the man. He is resistant at first to help but the offer of silver changes his mind.
The stranger is Triam Sulyard a member of in the household of Sabran Berethnet, Queen of inys. Not sure why Triam has arrived and what he is seeking as the Dr has warned him not tell him why.
The chapter ends with the appearance of dragons rising from the sea and taking flight. Why have dragons appeared as it seems that this is not a regular occurence? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2
(view spoiler)[ Opens with an intruder in the Queen's Tower. He is in the Privy Chamber but is unaware that he is being watched by Ead. When he opens the door to the bedchamber Ead stabs him.
in the morning Ead roams the grounds and palace. We find out more information about the kingdom and important players.
Dragons/wyverlings are Draconic creatures and have asleep/dormant for sometime but are now starting to reappear.
Ead's friend Lord Arteloth Beck (Loth) is now missing . Seems that since he came to court and made friends with the Queen he is a threat to any marriage prospects and perhaps that is why he is missing.
Ead goes to assist Lady Truyde and finds out more gossip. Ead assists in the Privy chamber and because of this position can roam the palace and find out information. Seems she likes to know what is going on and what secrets there are.
I am sure there are many secrets in a palace court in the course of the story will there be many red herrings? (hide spoiler)]

[Insiyah]

Thoughts and Notes on Part I: Stories of Old

(view spoiler)[
- Two things that immediately strike me - Ead and Tane are seriously badass, and The Queendom of Inys (how refreshing to have a matriarchal society for once). Ead is very obviously placed in the Queen's Court for a specific purpose - to protect her.

- One thing that immediately struck me was how easy this book is to read. There aren't many complicated, big words used in the guise of fantasy; the story makes sense, albeit the world itself doesn't yet, but then it's only the second chapter. A lot of information is also peppered in, though it didn't overwhelm - they're little things that will be expanded on as the story goes on.

- The wordplay at the end of Chapter 3 regarding the birds is quite interesting. Interspersing something so little with something so big like Niclays being found out harbouring a fugitive - the little things that you focus on when something big is happening and you're scared shitless - it's beautifully written.

- Ead's exasperation with the court's formality and drama is hilarious and makes her a much more appealing character to me specifically.

- The groundwork of the political scape of Inys being laid through a marriage proposal is fun to read instead of pages and pages blandly describing the world. Shannon portrays the situations faced in this world masterfully.

- Shannon's brilliant method of conveying the history of her world is on point. The history believed by Inys, versus the history that the Priory has passed down. And we are introduced to the siden, given to the Priory by the Orange Tree (will the orange I'm currently eating give me some as well?).

- Ead keeps calling Sabran a fool and a blockhead in Chapter 9 when Sabran does something stupid, and it's making me laugh.

- I'm proud of Tané for defeating that brat Turosa - he deserved to be shoved down a peg.

- Ead and Tané both end this part on a high note - Tané is chosen to be a dragonrider, and Ead gets promoted to being a Lady of the Bedchamber where she can better protect Sabran.

- Poor Kit. And poor Loth. (hide spoiler)]

[Insiyah]

Thoughts and Notes on Part II: Declare I Dare Not

(view spoiler)[
- Loth is in a completely different world now - one where he has to kill and cook animals to survive, walk half frozen while suffering from a deadly plague that is keeping him safe from predators and killing him from the inside.

- Ead's perpetual exasperation with the Inysh court remains hilarious.

- Truyde, what have you done?!

- Nikalys is going to regret his decision to blackmail Tané, I just know it.

- Yup, he regrets it. Hard not to, when he just got into pirate hands. Frankly, I'm more worried about the dragon Nayimathun.

- Tané faces the consequences of her actions. I know she had it coming, but it breaks my heart anyways.

- I'm really worried about Loth now. Nothing is going according to plan for the poor guy.

- Poor Sabran. In short order, she lost Arabella, her companion and her baby.

- Finally finding out Cleolind's story as narrated by Chassar is so much more interesting.

- Ead is seriously such a badass. She killed a High Western!

- Ead and Sabran. They fit.

- How sad, though, that they had such little time together. (hide spoiler)]

[Insiyah]

Thoughts and Notes on Part III: A Witch To Live

(view spoiler)[
- Tané is all but a ghost, but this injury of hers is something new entirely.

- Ead is going back home! And she gets to reunite with Loth, and finally be Eadaz uq-Nāra instead of Ead Duryan.

- Kalyba's story is really interesting.

- The mulberry tree! Niklays managed to find the way!

- What happened to Loth? He hasn't shown up yet after the whole "you can never go home" thing.

- Tané had a jewel in her side?! That's insane.

- Ead is a rebel! Yay!

- It's really sad that even the Priory has corrupt leaders. But hey, Ead is a rebel, and she takes Loth with her!
(hide spoiler)]

[Insiyah]

Thoughts and Notes on Part IV: Thine is the Queendom

(view spoiler)[
- Roslain is incredible. To protect Sabran against her own family would have taken so much courage.

- Ead and Loth are back in Inys! And they pretty much set things right immediately.

- The candle dance sounds incredible. Just imagining it is woah (something like Elizabeth and Darcy's dance at the Netherfield Ball in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice).

- Sabran finally knows the truth about Ead. And allowed to flourish away from the Dukes Spiritual, she's freaking brilliant.

- Kalyba's story now is downright creepy.

- I'm glad that Kalyba's truth is in the open, but something like this shaking the entire foundation of your faith must be absolutely devastating.

- Loth has gone from not knowing what go do and floundering about to volunteering to be Inys's ambassador to the east.

- "...sobbed as if her soul had been ripped out." And my soul cried out in sympathy right there. Its easy to forget just how much Sabran has been through over the course of this book alone, to say nothing of the past. She's had the biggest character development arc, going from naive and sheltered to a strong, fierce leader defending her people.
(hide spoiler)]

Thoughts and Notes on Part V: Here Be Dragons

(view spoiler)[
- Tané literally steals the Rose Eternal to go after the Golden Empress. Man, she has guts.

- And she saved Ead!
(hide spoiler)]

Thoughts and Notes on Part VI: The Keys to the Abyss

(view spoiler)[
- The jewel wielders finally meet. Two badass women joining forces against forces of evil. What could be better?

-I love the ending. It's filled with a future, not a dead stop of happily-ever-after. There's a lot more work to be done, and it's going to be very hard. But they might just have a life together after their hard work.

- I like that Ead isn't willing to bask in her fame of killing the Nameless One. That she isn't interested in being in the spotlight at all.
(hide spoiler)]

[Rosina]

Well this one is a DNF for me again. I dont think Fantasy like this is for me. I just cant get into the story and feel it takes so much for me to concentrate on the story and characters.

[Eldarwen]

That's a shame! There ARE a lot of characters, and since it's separated into West and East, it doesn't make it very easy either.

Sehrish and I are going to start towards the end of the week if you want to reconsider and we aren't going to be moving through this in huge steps. :-)

[Rosina]

Eldarwen wrote: "That's a shame! There ARE a lot of characters, and since it's separated into West and East, it doesn't make it very easy either.

Sehrish and I are going to start towards the end of the week if you..."

I will try to keep reading....I never like DNFing a book

[Sehrish |]

Looking forward to reading this one.. anyone else is welcome to join

[Eldarwen]

Sehrish | wrote: "Looking forward to reading this one.. anyone else is welcome to join"

Indeed!

Relaxed tempo as well. And then we'll finally reply to all of the previous comments under spoiler tags :-)

[Sehrish |]

Hey E! have you started the book yet? The was out on a mini family vacation last weekend as we got a long weekend here in India. It was fun and I tried Scuba Diving for the very first time.. it was scary and exciting...😁 haven't done a lot of reading since.. But I am ready to pick this one up when you are...

[Eldarwen]

Uuuuh that sounds like fun! :-D

And no.. haven't started yet either *cough*

I'll start slowly I think with a few pages in the evening this week, though starting tomorrow only, and then dive in more fully this weekend.

[Eldarwen]

In typical E way, something else came up. I am currently reading a highly anticipated release in a series I love, and then once I'm done, I'll start on this. Finally!!

I will also be off work for a week soon, so I should be able to read it over the course of that week at the latest - from 10th September onwards.

[Sehrish |]

Eldarwen wrote: "In typical E way, something else came up. I am currently reading a highly anticipated release in a series I love, and then once I'm done, I'll start on this. Finally!!

I will also be off work for ..."

haha! no worries at all E! I just started and to be honest I am a bit lost.. there's lots going on...

[Eldarwen]

I think it's one of those books where you'll just have to go with the flow for the first few chapters and slowly let the setting sink in.

Also: loots of characters!

[Eldarwen]

Finally started, later than expected, but there were other things getting in the way.

There are a lot of characters and there's the setting to learn but I'm liking it.

It's going to take me long to read, at least until I'm fully into the story, but I'm enjoying it so far. Especially the division between East and West regarding the dragons/wyrms worship.