Is It As Good As 'The Bone Season'?
Part 2
My love for fantasy books – and books as a whole – started when I was a little girl. This passion was a consequence of the books I encounter in my family. These moments brought me up to the point where books are my greatest love – and that’s what I wish you and your children. Thus, I want to share with you my selection of the best child fantasy books that will help you bring up another fantasy reader!
The Plot
In the second part of 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' (I've read an edition split into two parts), the world building is broader than in the first one and more mature. It's like Samantha grew up as a writer inbetween two halves of this book. The exploration of the Priory's lore is amazing, the conection between different point of viewes and stories has been done in a superior and so natural way. At first, a multiple POVs was making me tired (I'm not a fan of this way of narrative) but in this part I hasn't felt this tiredness at all. I also really like how the Sabran and her house's heritage has been created and I can't wait to read 'A Day of Fallen Night' and 'Among the Burning Flowers' to get to know more universum's lore.
The not so-happy ending
What I also loved is... an ending. Samantha creates 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' as if it were a fairy tale or a legend - especially since the legend about Saint George and the Dragon has been an inspiration for Samantha. In the plot, good wins with evil, love finds its way and any other fairy-tale-like trope happens. But Samantha usconventionally creates the ending which isn't a happy one. At least, not fully - it's more like a bitter-sweet ending and I'm talking mostly about the main love story of Ead and Sabran.
In all fairy-tales and legends, at the end love always wins and lovers live their happy ever after. Prince and princess - or two princesses like in 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' always find a way to be together. Samantha redesign this classical motif and somehow holds up this ever after and - I hope so! - leaves an open door for a continuation. Well, it might be just a dream since 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' is almost clearly written as a whole but who knows...
The final verdict: 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' vs. 'The Bone Season'
So, is 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' as good as 'The Bone Season'? It depends. Considering world building, I prefer 'The Bone Season' what I've said in my previous post about 'The Priory of the Orange Tree'. And I don't know but I feel like 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' was written in a better way? Samantha's writing style has changed since the first volumes of 'The Bone Season' what has made my reading much more pleasant. As I've told you, I couldn't have understood plot and anything of 'The Bone Season' for at least two volumes but in 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' made me understand it on the half of the first part and I could savour the book more effectively.
Cover image © Bloomsbury Publishing House. Used with permission.
