Finding books like The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon can be a challenge as creating a believable and thrilling, rich high fantasy world that readers of all kinds love is a feat in itself.
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a captivating novel full of dragons, assassins, queens and warriors. With the world divided and an ancient magic stirring awake, the stakes are high. In Samantha Shannon‘s world, there are two types of dragons: fire-breathing wyrms and dragons of wind and water.
In the West, all dragons are seen as evil whereas in the East, they view the water and sky-dwelling creatures are viewed as noble and to be worshipped. Despite the disconnect between the East and West’s views upon dragons, they share a common fear, the Nameless One who is once again awakening.
The plot of the book follows four protagonists whose actions will determine the fate of the world as they know it. If you have already devoured this story, keep reading for my ten suggestions of what to read next!
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10 Books like The Priory of the Orange Tree
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty
From the bestselling author of The City of Brass comes a novel of the greatest adventure where we encounter pirates, sorcery, ancient and forbidden artefacts and mysteries that have befuddled generations upon generations.
Amina al-Sirafi is infamous amongst the pirates of the Indian Ocean after a scandalous career upon the sea. When Amina is finally content to retire from her life as a rogue, one last adventure calls her name in the form of the mother of an old crewman.
She offers an obscene amount of gold for Amina to kidnap the woman’s kidnapped granddaughter. It’s an offer only a fool would refuse but as she delves deeper into this mystery, it’s obvious there is more to the job than what seemed.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is an adventure across a well-developed fantasy world that is perfect for readers looking for something like The Priory of the Orange Tree.
Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros
You may have heard of the global phenomenon Fourth Wing on BookTok or Bookstagram and if you are a fan of The Priory of the Orange Tree, then it is well deserving of its hype.
The book follows Violet Sorrengail who is forced into the Riders Quadrant of Basgiath War College by her mother, the commanding general, after a life of preparing to be a Scribe – a quiet and uneventful role in the College’s libraries.
Wholly unprepared for life as a dragon rider, we follow Violet as she battles through each day, hoping a dragon will bond with her and that she won’t be killed by her fellow cadets before that can even happen.
But as the war outside the college’s walls becomes more deadly by the day, it seems there is something their tutors are leaving out of their lessons.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to Fourth Wing!
A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin
This first story in a hugely successful series of books and a global hit TV show is perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree. If you like dragons, then look no further as A Game of Thrones has three scaly-winged beasts for you to read about!
In a kingdom where summers last decades and winters drag on for years longer, we meet various characters from the world of Westeros.
The cold is returning and winter along with it and in the North, a sinister mass threat stirs as the cold spreads. In the South, the King is having trouble and selects Ned Stark to be his hand. But this is only the beginning of trouble that will haunt all of the kingdom.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books to read after A Game of Thrones!
Babel, by R. F. Kuang
After being orphaned, Robin Swift is brought to London from China where he trains in Ancient Greek, Chinese and Latin, all in preparation for enrolling in Oxford University’s renowned Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel as it is otherwise known.
But translation is not the only thing Babel teaches. There is magic in the tower where Babel is taught.
But the more Robin learns, the more he realizes he may be betraying his motherland as the magic he is taught aids the Empire’s quest in colonization. Trapped between doing the right thing and doing the hard thing, we follow Robin as he decides to fight for what he believes in.
Pick up Babel for a historical fantasy that will have fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree devouring every page!
Realm Breaker, by Victoria Aveyard
Much like all the best epic high fantasy stories we come to love, Realm Breaker follows a mismatched bunch of unexpected allies who must fight a great evil to save their entire realm from disaster.
Corayne an-Amarat is the daughter of a pirate who is left behind on the shore, never seeing adventure with her mother’s crew. So, when she finds out the father that she never met was killed battling his evil brother, she accepts the invitation to join the fight against her uncle.
Corayne is the last of an ancient bloodline now her father is gone, and she may be the only hope of preventing its doom. For a book similar to The Priory of the Orange Tree, pick up Aveyard’s adventure-filled novel now!
The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski
The first novel in The Witcher series, The Last Wish is where we meet Geralt the Witcher.
Both feared and admired, he is a merciless fighter and killer who battles even the most dangerous of foes. His magic powers alongside his years of training and the strange elixir he can consume all help his reputation.
But despite his reputation, Geralt isn’t the cold-hearted killer he may first appear – he kills monsters that prey on the innocent, but not every monster looks big and scary. Sometimes, it’s the things closest to us that we need to be careful of.
This novel inspired the hit series The Witcher and is perfect if you love magic and monsters and all the things you find in The Priory of the Orange Tree.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books akin to The Witcher!
She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan
She Who Became the Sun is set in 1345 when China lies under a harsh Mongol rule and two siblings are given a fate.
The boy is given a fate of greatness and the girl, of nothingness. But when a bandit attack leaves the two siblings orphaned and the only survivors of their family, it is Zhu Chongba – the brother – who succumbs to grief and dies, leaving the sister to take his place in a desperate attempt to escape her own fate.
Taking up her brother’s identity, she enters a monastery, which is only the beginning of her journey and on the way, learns what she is capable of.
An epic fantasy set in an alternate China is sure to be put on your list of new favourite books!
Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena is one of the realm’s most notorious assassins, but she is imprisoned. So, when she is given the chance to win back her freedom by competing in a tournament against twenty-three other killers, she’ll take her chance.
But when her competitors begin dying one by one, her quest for freedom turns into a fight for survival and she’ll do just about anything to make it out alive and destroy the evil that threatens her world.
For more books to read after The Priory of the Orange Tree, Throne of Glass is a must-read!
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books to read after Throne of Glass!
The Fellowship of the Ring, by J R. R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first instalment to Tolkien’s epic fantasy series and is beloved by all, readers and non-readers alike.
If you love fantasy and the ‘chosen one’ trope with a classic good vs evil plot like then you’ll love the ‘father’ of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings.
In this book, we meet Frodo Baggins, a hobbit of the Shire who comes into the possession of a ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. From here we meet wizards and elves and orcs, as we journey across Middle Earth to save it from its impending doom thanks to the evil Sauron.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to The Lord of the Rings!
An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
Loosely inspired by the Roman Empire, An Ember in the Ashes is set in the Martial Empire where Martials rule and Scholars are slaves and live in fear under the emperor’s rule.
Elias is a Mask in training at Blackcliff Academy – an elite soldier loyal to the Empire. But Elias plans to run from it all as soon as he graduates and gets away from his mother’s – the Commandant of the academy – eye.
Laia is a Scholar who makes a deal with the Scholar rebels to spy on the Commandant in exchange for breaking her brother out from the Martial Kauf Prison. The two become unlikely allies when a series of unexpected events send their two worlds colliding.
Pick up this thrilling fantasy for your next favourite book!
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books to read after An Ember in the Ashes!
If books like The Priory of the Orange Tree with their in-depth world building, complex characters and all things magic, monsters and mayhem are your thing then I hope you found a book worthy of your time on this list!
Are you looking for something to read after The Priory of the Orange Tree? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
I’ve read these all!