Once in a while, I’m being challenged by someone. To pick a very thick book which I think I might like and read it. Well, that I did. This challenge was last month and the person in question even pointed to this book.

It was “the Priory of the orange tree” by Samantha Shannon and boy, that book had maaaaany pages.

On the book it says it’s supposedly better than Game of Thrones. Now, I might be the only person that hasn’t seen the series and hasn’t read those books, sorry! Which means I can’t compare, but I guess in all honesty it isn’t better because if it was there would be a series or movie about this book as well.

Okay, so the book is very thick, the number of pages can be quite overwhelming but oh, how beautiful this story is written is beyond me. Because it has so many pages and quite a bit of ventures within, my review won’t be as detailed because it’ll spoil and we don’t want that.

Aed, a simple yet woman working for the queen and going through positions within the ranks of handmaids. Her latest job, lady of the bed chamber; among other ladies. What everyone doesn’t know is that Aed has a double role. Aed is originally from Lasia / Ersyri and has been brought up in the Priory, making her somewhat of an assassin; hold your horses – a assassin yes, but to fire breathers also known as dragons.

Almost a thousand years ago, a very powerful dragon called “the nameless one” has been defeated but not murdered. He was chained in the abyss and in all the years that passed, the believes of how he is chained got verloren. In this day and age, they believe that as long as a Berethnet queen is in reign and has an heir (girl) that the nameless one will be in slumber and won’t be able to rise, so Aed was sent to Inys to guard over the queen with her live but without the queen or anyone knowing her real agenda, she has to work as a handmaiden.

The first dragons from the dark army have already risen; Yscalin has allied with the draconic army and has relinquished their believes making them the enemy of all the other nations. With a lot of things going on ‘behind the scenes’ that Queen Sabran doesn’t know about but Aed is keeping a close eye on, like Sabran’s childhood friend, Lord Arteloth being banished; getting a task which would likely result in death.

In Seiiki Tané is waiting for choosing day to come. Will she be trained as a dragon warrior? These Seiikinese dragons are not to be confused with fire breathers, these dragons are from the ocean, water giving them the power they need.  

There is so much happening within this book. I can’t reveal more without spoiling, I will only say this; in the end, all nations come together because they need to get rid of ‘the nameless one’ once and for all; sacrifices have been made to come where they are in the end. Who will remain standing?

I’m giving this book a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating.