The Priory of the Orange Tree

Much better than I was expecting. I was prepared to lump this under stolid fantasy, but it actually proved to be involving and surprisingly fast-paced for such a large book. The largely female-driven plot also made a welcome change. Granted there were a few more “fortunate coincidences” than I feel entirely comfortable with, but I am willing to write these off as the hand of an intentional deus ex machina. In any event, the final confrontation was genuinely blistering, which went a long way to removing any reservations. Highly recommended.