Book · 2019
The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
A queen, a dragon rider, and a scholar converge to stop an ancient fire god from waking — an 800-page standalone fantasy that never asks for a sequel.
What does Reddit think of The Priory of the Orange Tree?
The reception splits cleanly. One reader (↑251) says it "just didn't work" for them, struggled to connect with most of the cast, and found the ending anticlimactic; another (↑181) goes further, calling the back half "a pure hate read" after a slow start. On the other side, r/QueerSFF gets cited by name for recommending it as "epic standalone fantasy with a lesbian protag and a gay protag" (↑154), and one reader mid-read at 600 pages still calls it "SO good" (↑134). The cover comes up unprompted as its own selling point — "whoever designed it definitely pulled in a lot of extra customers" (↑184). Mentions peaked at 120 in 2020 and have settled near 50-60 since 2023.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · queer epic fantasy standalone
- · dragons split by fire and ice
- · polarized reception
- · cover as its own marketing
Common praise
- + r/QueerSFF recommends it by name as "epic standalone fantasy with a lesbian protag and a gay protag" (↑154).
- + One reader still mid-book at 600 pages calls it "SO good" (↑134).
- + The cover itself gets credit for pulling in readers who wouldn't otherwise pick it up (↑184).
Common criticism
- − One reader says it "just didn't work," citing a cast they mostly couldn't connect with and an ending that "just kinda happened" (↑251).
- − Another calls the back half of the book "a pure hate read" after a slow start (↑181).
Who it's for
Readers burned out on ten-book epic fantasy series and looking for a single 800-page standalone will find this pitched directly at them — r/QueerSFF pushes it for exactly that reason (↑154). Go in prepared for a slow build; more than one reader in the data reports the first half as a slog (↑181), and the ending has drawn specific complaints for feeling anticlimactic (↑251). If you're shopping by cover alone, Reddit thinks that's a legitimate reason to pick this one up (↑184).
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Priory of the Orange Tree?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Priory of the Orange Tree just didn't work for me. There were some great moments and I like Ead and the dragon rider, but I struggled to connect with a lot of the other characters (the queen annoyed me, the scientist dude rubbed me the wrong way). And the ending felt anticlimactic - it just kinda ha…
“The Priory of the Orange Tree is a gorgeous cover. Whoever designed it definitely pulled in a lot of extra customers for the author. My boyfrie…
“The Priory of the Orange Tree. I just couldn’t connect with it, it was a slog initially and evolved into a pure hate read.
“jonathan strange and mr norrell by susannah clarke lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry game of thrones #2 the windup bird chronicle by haruki murakami midnight in chernobyl by adam higginbotham red comet by heather clark east of eden by john steinbeck women don’t owe you pretty by fl…
“r/QueerSFF to the rescue! The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune. Uplifting low fantasy with gay protag The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. Epic standalone fantasy with a lesbian protag and a gay protag. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. YA fantasy with lesbian protag…
“Stardust by Neil Gaiman The Priory of the Orange tree by Samantha Shannon The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie The Vegetarian by Han Kang One happy, one ambiguous, two not so happy. Happy reading!
“- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (only 600 pages in but it’s SO good) - The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo - The Cold Millions by Jess Walter - Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman (nonfiction)
“Potentially unpopular opinion, for Stormlight Archives, I think when Shallan finally meets with the main cast it’s pretty satisfying and also a bit comedic. I know a lot people tend not to like Shallan but I really enjoyed in her in beginning. As other peoples said, The first law series, either of…
Convinced? Pick up The Priory of the Orange Tree
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The Priory of the Orange Tree — counted from the comments, not curated.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch
A physicist gets abducted into a box that opens onto every version of the life he could have lived, and has to find his way back to one.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Becky Chambers
A ragtag crew takes a multi-year tunneling job to punch a wormhole through space and mostly just has to get along with each other for the ride.
The Fifth Season
N. K. Jemisin
A woman searches a dying continent for the daughter her husband stole, while the world ends again on schedule.
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries)
Martha Wells
A security robot hacks its own governor module, gains free will, and spends its days streaming soap operas instead of killing anyone.
The Priory of the Orange Tree — frequently asked
Is The Priory of the Orange Tree worth reading?+
Reddit is split roughly down the middle.
Is The Priory of the Orange Tree a slow book?+
Multiple readers say the opening drags. One commenter (↑181) calls it "a slog initially" before it turned into what they describe as a hate read by the end, which is one of the more consistent complaints in the sample.
Does The Priory of the Orange Tree have queer representation?+
Yes, and it's a selling point rather than an afterthought — r/QueerSFF specifically recommends it as "epic standalone fantasy with a lesbian protag and a gay protag" (↑154), grouped alongside The House in the Cerulean Sea.