The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

Welcome to The Priory of the Orange Tree Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on June 8th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each week we will be reading by chapters. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 6/8
June 8: I: Stories of Old Chapters 1-4
June 9: Chapters 5-8
June 10: Chapters 9-12
June 11: Chapters 13-16
June 12: Chapters 17-20
June 13: Chapters 21-23 + II: Declare I Dare Not Chapter 24

Week of 6/14
June 14: Chapters 25-28
June 15: Chapters 29-32
June 16: Chapters 33-36
June 17: Chapter 37 + III: A Witch to Live Chapters 38-40
June 18: Chapters 41-44
June 19: Chapters 45-48
June 20: IV: Thine is the Queendom Chapters 49-52

Week of 6/21
June 21: Chapters 53-56
June 22: Chapter 57 + V: Here Be Dragons Chapters 58-60
June 23: Chapters 61-64
June 24: Chapters 65 + VI: The Keys to the Abyss Chapters 66-68
June 25: Chapters 69-72
June 26: Chapters 73-76

PARTICIPANTS
~ Selina
~ Laura
~ Sky
~ Jen K
~ Katie
~ Eléonore
~ Breanna
~ Ran
~ Adela
~ Cheri
~ Bopeep
~ Aless

I might pop into this but I will be reading at a different pace.

Hello ! Although I've already begun this book, I'd like to join because I'm reading slowly for now.

Eléonore wrote: "Hello ! Although I've already begun this book, I'd like to join because I'm reading slowly for now."

Of course!

I'd love to join if I can! I've been putting off reading this book because of it's size, and I think a buddy read could be just the motivation I need to finally pick it up :)

Breanna wrote: "I'd love to join if I can! I've been putting off reading this book because of it's size, and I think a buddy read could be just the motivation I need to finally pick it up :)"

Of course you can join!

I would love to join

Ran wrote: "I would love to join"

You are added!

Adela wrote: "I'd love to join this buddy read if I can! I've already started this, but I'm reading very slowly so I hope I can read faster with this buddy read!"

Of course you can!

Adela wrote: "Aless {the introvert reads} wrote: "Adela wrote: "I'd love to join this buddy read if I can! I've already started this, but I'm reading very slowly so I hope I can read faster with this buddy read!..."

No problem!

Up to Chapter 3: I already feel like I'm warming to Ead. I'm intrigued by the dragons and how they will weave into the story.

Yes Ead is great! I know it's a split narrative among a lot of characters, but I definitely consider her the "main" character.

For the moment, I like Tané very much but I would like to see her take more space in the plot, and the same goes for Loth. However, I already find that there are far too many characters presented without interest for the story.

So I just remembered exactly why I dnf'd this before. I was reading it before Winter Wars started last year and didn't finish it before the game started so I wouldn't have been able to count it for any points unless I restarted, and I didn't want to do that. So now I'm counting it for this challenge lol. It's a bit of poetic justice.

hi! I would like to join! I dont use Goodreads much so still trying to figure everything out!,

Read the 4 chapters last night. It is definitely setting the scene and is intriguing so far. I really want to know what is going on with Truyde and Sulyard and who sent Loth away? I like Ead and want to know more about who she is. Excited to continue.

Cheri wrote: "hi! I would like to join! I dont use Goodreads much so still trying to figure everything out!,"

Cheri, you are welcome to join in!

@Cheri

You are added!

In these 4 chapters, I appreciate the political conspiracies and plotting that emerge because even though I have trouble remembering who's who, the character guide is very helpful. Niclays' personality reveals itself and he seems to be a morally grey character. On the other hand, Ead's intolerance towards the people of Inys and their beliefs is unbearable to me.
Chapter 8 is very good, going from feelings to a nice turnaround and a lot of anguish for the characters.
I rather like the book at the moment.

I also appreciated that the next 4 chapters revealed more of the secrets and I like that Loth will be one of the POVs. I didn't mind Ead's smug rightness in her religion and way of life because I found that the Inys people feel the same way about their religion and way of life.

I've completed Chapter 6! I've been reading super slowly due to work being a bit too much this week but I'm surprised that the only reason I'm reading slowly is bc I only get 1-2 hours every night before I pass out lol.

I expected to struggle a lot while reading this but other than having a big question mark on my face whenever a person or a place is mentioned (plus me paging back and forth to try and remember who or where), I've been okay!

I find the characters interesting and the political circumstances rly intriguing. The world-building is phenomenal (nothing short of what I would expect from a book this huge) and I'm really interested to see how the West and the East will come together at some point. Already I'm hoping for Tané/Sabran/Ead team up later down the line and I hope I'm not let down lmao

I've read way ahead (because self control, who is she?) and of course I won't spoil anything, but I'll say that probably around the 250-300 page mark is where it goes from intriguing and largely focusing on world-building to being super engaging and every chapter ends at a place that just makes we want to read on to the next one. That's around the place I dnf'd last time so I'm really glad we set this as a buddy read and I pushed through, because I can now easily see this being a 5 star read for me.

Sticking to the 4 chapters a week so far with the world building but I may struggle with self restraint once we get further. I'm super nervous for all the people at this point. I really hope that Triam doesn't out Tane!

Chapter 13 and I'm finally getting who's who! I was worried I'd be completely muddled for the whole book haha

There's a list of characters at the back! It is MANY pages long, which I guess really emphasizes how many characters there are lol. It's organized by geography so if you can remember the region that each character is from, that may help you keep everyone straight.

Chapter 21- Not cool.
(view spoiler)[ I thinking of how much I loved the storyline of Loth and Kitson as companions on a journey and then Kitson didn't even make it out of palace! I will miss his cheerfulness. (hide spoiler)]

Jen K wrote: "Chapter 21- Not cool.
[spoilers removed]" I completely agree with you. Now I'm afraid for everybody.

Chapters 25 and 26 are incredibly powerful! In a different way, certainly, but I'm really thrilled about what comes next.

Eléonore wrote: "Chapters 25 and 26 are incredibly powerful! In a different way, certainly, but I'm really thrilled about what comes next."

Agreed, I can feel the book starting to pick up the pace now.

Yes, it is getting harder to wait after 4 chapters. The story is getting more focused now.

I may be on Chapter 41.... 🙄

Laura wrote: "I may be on Chapter 41.... 🙄"

I'm close, on chapter 40 and torn between trying still stay close to schedule or just finishing.....

I'm a monster with no self-control so I just finished it. I looooooved it! It's so hard for me to get into high fantasy sometimes, especially if it's adult since it tends to be more dense, but I felt like this whole book was way easier to get through than a lot of others.

Chapter 55 blew my mind.

Finished!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Nice ! Guess I'll hurry up now. I want to know how it ends.

Me too!! I'm ready to finish up and see what happens!

I honestly did not think the stress of work would hold me back so much but here we are lmao! I have only made it to the end of Part I, but I am planning to catch up to the schedule today, one way or another!

That said, up to the end of chapter 22:
(view spoiler)[
Ead and Sabran has done it. They have given me butterflies and JUST as Sabran marries another. haha ouch. :)

I wish there were more Tané scenes. I find her journey with the dragons so intriguing, especially because I absolutely 10000% came here for the dragons. So I'm hoping there will be more substantial chapters for Tané from now on, especially because she's been picked by one of the Lacustrine dragons!!!

I'm not at all that interested in Niclays' strand of the story but I am dreading the day that his strand finds Tané's strand bc he knows the lady in the beginning has a scar on her face....and I believe they are now in the same city if I have my geography right?? Noooot looking forward to that.

And finally........................................................................................... I can't even handle the idea of typing this.
Kit. The light of my eyes and the bestest friend there ever was. Kitston. I can't even tell you guys how much I cried. They were in the tunnel and Loth had just told him how happy he was that Kit was there and I was sitting there just thinking about how much I ADORE this friendship and then BAM! Kit dies. THAT WAS SO EFFING RUDE, AND I AM UPSET. I will never get over this.
(hide spoiler)]

selina ☾ wrote: "I honestly did not think the stress of work would hold me back so much but here we are lmao! "
Don't worry about being late, I am too. More drama and joy with Sabran and Ead are coming later!

selina ☾ wrote: "I honestly did not think the stress of work would hold me back so much but here we are lmao! I have only made it to the end of Part I, but I am planning to catch up to the schedule today, one way o..."

So much dragon to come!

no one warned me of what chapter 26 holds and I'm very much upset 😭

(view spoiler)[I'm very much in love with ead and sabran but I am so upset about how Samantha Shannon made me love aubrecht, gave us a little bit of happy bc he was so obviously in love with sabran, and then BAM! LIKE KIT, HE'S JUST GONE. Why does this keep happening to me 😭 (hide spoiler)]

and I've read up to chapter 28 and I now see what you guys mean about more dragons omg. I can feel it coming in the air. it's about to get really really intense now.

Hi! I started yesterday -I didn't know when I would read it so I didn't say nothing.
But here I am 8)
You all probably almost finished it but I'm going to say what my thought are from now (chapter 5-6). I'll read your comments slowly so I don eat any spoiler ^^'

I really love Ead and her two-life. I want to know more about her and her religion. The story of the "Unnamable"?? is really similar to Saint George's story and I really love it :)
Tané is so nice, and I love her culture, worshipping the dragons. As opposed to Inys who hates them (booooh) and are SO RELIGIOUS that I despise them. It's all white or black for them...

In general it reminds me to Game of Thrones with so much characters and POV and different cultures and religions between places...

Bopeep wrote: "Hi! I started yesterday -I didn't know when I would read it so I didn't say nothing.
But here I am 8)
You all probably almost finished it but I'm going to say what my thought are from now (chapter ..."

I didn't think of that before but it is kind of like Game of Thrones!

So......there's a week and a half left of the month and I still haven't read this yet for my personal tbr and it seemed like you guys are having some great conversations from skimming and keeping an eye on the chat. I think I am going to join in and read this at the end of the month like Bopeep!

Yesssss Aless I hope you like it! I mentioned in my review that my only complaint of this book is that there wasn't enough of it, and that's a hefty feat in an 850 page book!

Ahhhhh! @Aless I agree with Katie. I'm actually dreading the end because I want this book to be longer. I didn't expect to like this as much as I do right now but here I am lmao!

I'm about halfway through chapter 56 and I'm just waiting until I have energy after work to share my thoughts 😅 although, my thoughts aren't much. It's just a bunch of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and 😭😭😭😭😭

I look forward to hearing what you think. I got to Part VI and the last chapters were really exciting, full of action and dragons.

Omg a whole heck of a lot has happened since I last updated. tbh I've just been too shookt to type my thoughts. I have just made it into V myself and I'm somewhere in the middle of chapter 58 so these are my thoughts up until chapter 57.

(view spoiler)[
😭😭😭😭😭 EAD AND SABRAN. I have been trash for them even before Sabran married Aubrecht and between there and where I am now, I feel like it's been a whole damn lifetime. So much has happened and the worst of it was when Sabran lost the baby :(

I didn't feel good about her pregnancy from the beginning bc it honestly felt doomed from day one so I was prepared emotionally but it was still painful to watch her deal with that. Especially because she was already having such negative feelings towards the baby from the beginning. That can't be good for someone's guilt. Regardless of the circumstances though, I'm a little happy it got them vulnerable enough to finally get together and I feel so bad saying that cause them coming together did come with tragedy.

I'm so eternally grateful Loth is such an amazing friend to both them, I'm honestly living for all the friendships. And I'm so freaking happy for Margret and Captain Lintley, I honestly cried. That whole scene with the Feast of High Winter ironically just gave me all the warm feelings because we finally had Sabran and Ead together, there was that scene where Loth was just the best bestfriend and I thought he was gonna propose to ead but instead he just revealed he knew about her and Sabran and he just supported them wholeheartedly, Margret and Lintley are getting married, Sabran and Ead danced together............. my heart was so full 😭😭

and then boom! Ead is poisoned :) I ache all over.

As for the plot, I am eternally interested in it so I'm so on board for all of it and just going along for the ride. I love the histories that get revealed little by little, it really hits the spot. Also wtf @the jewel being INSIDE Tane. wtfff

I don't want this book to end
(hide spoiler)]

edit: oops I rambled lmao!

So much is packed in the second half!! I finished a few days ago and wished that the last 100 pages was stretched out a bit longer. I really enjoyed it all!

Youuuu guyysss! I finished this yesterday morning and I am not okay! I'm actually so upset that there isn't more pages of this book? I need more after that ending. @Jen K, I totally feel you on that. I wouldn't have said no to at least 300 pages more, ngl. I loved this world so much. So many loose ends and I hope Samantha decides to expand one day :'(