We needed all of the different POV’s to fully develop this world and I think Samantha Shannon did a great job with that development. Usually, when I read a book like this one, that’s constantly switching POVs, I have a favorite and I only want to read from their POV. However, there were also a multitude of side characters that were fully developed and interesting as well. All of the female empowerment throughout this book was such a nice change of pace to read about. Learning about Ead, Tané, and Sabran was such an enjoyable experience. If you’re not completely enamored and interested in learning about this world right from the beginning, then it’ll be a rough start. It’s 800+ pages, which means about 200 pages are used to set up this story. It’s fitting that I’m writing this review on Valentine’s Day because I absolutely loved this novel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.” Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.Īcross the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction-but assassins are getting closer to her door.Įad Duryan is an outsider at court. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years.

The priory novel