#virtudom

[tragedykery]

another small detail in adofn that has been haunting me is the fact that wulf takes the newly born princess sabran to the tomb of an inyscan princess. not inysh, inyscan. keeping in mind how eller meant to mould glorian into “a queen of inysca” but failed—how incredibly poignant is it, then, that wulf seeks protection for his daughter in a place that symbolises the death of what she could have been.

[themuseoftheviolets]

this quote absolutely destroys me but one important line i want to note is 'the relentless, violent circle of monarchy' – not just the circle of being a berethnet, or the circle of virtudom, but the circle of monarchy in general, because this happens in every country in the roots of chaos world that has a monarchy, including seiiki during adofn and every other country we meet in these books, not just virtudom

[diane-guerreros]

as someone who finds the geography of fantasy worlds so interesting, i don’t think i’ve ever been more enthralled by a world like the one in priory. looking at the maps alone makes my dopamine receptors fire up at unprecedented speeds. now comparing priory’s maps with those in a day of fallen night and finding how the names of some familiar places were spelled differently in the past, countries that presumably don’t exist anymore, and how even the emblems of some countries were different makes me want to shout from the rooftops about it

[imogentemlt]

not my dumbass not realizing my pre-ordered copy of a day of fallen night was signed until I opened it lol

[seabringers]

I finished ‘A Day of Fallen Night’ today and I have so many thoughts but, Glorian’s epilogue was the saddest of all. In the very beginning, she swore to herself she would never treat her daughter as her mother, Queen Sabran, did to her. She would never reduce her to her ability to give an heir to Inys. But then the Grief of Ages happens, and Glorian gives birth to her daughter in a cave while Fýredel and the wyverns circle around laying waste to everything. The same day only a little later, it ends. The thing she swore she would never do comes to pass in the epilogue during her confrontation with Prince Consort Guma when he says the foundation of House Berethnet has been built on a lie. She doesn’t even realise she’s ran to the nursery and takes Princess Sabran outside to show her the ruins, and instills the same thing into her, shaking. They’re the chain that holds Virtudom together, and they must always give Inys another daughter to uphold the line and keep the Nameless One at bay.

[iamalasagnagirl]

hey :),

I just read your recommendations for wlw books (thanks so much for those xD), but wanted to asked if you knew any sapphic fantasy books as well (preferably high fantasy/books with great worldbuilding). Sorry if this is too specific and thank you <3

Hei, the only book that comes to my mind is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon -> The premise of this book is a bit hard to describe because it tracks the perspectives of multiple characters from East and West, but essentially: Ead has been a transplant at a foreign court and is meant to protect Queen Sabran, who is the current ruler of the Virtudom and claims descent from the supposed defeater of the Nameless One (a big scary fire-breathing wyrm). She protects the queen using forbidden magic, which comes from her training as a mage in the Priory of the Orange Tree.

The world building is just intensely lush. It is so richly detailed, and while I spent a lot of time in the beginning having to double check where I was, the chapter headings with "East" and "West" simplified a lot for me.

It has sapphic romance in it, but I have to say that that's not what the main plot is about at all

I have other titles but i don't know if they're what you're looking for..

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir -> The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword and is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Queens And Monsters by Cleo Evans -> Butch Perseus and her femme Medusa. This book has: two women that have been secretly pining for centuries. Demigods, monsters, and gods. SPICE. Sapphic monster romance and SO much more. Not really my thing but maybe you'll do.

A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian -> For the past year, Princess Kaelyn of Avalon has disguised herself as a man, Captain Kae, and led her crew into tumultuous waters to eradicate sirens on a journey fueled by revenge. Aqeara is a siren warrior of Meyrial, an underwater kingdom hidden from humans. When her negligence during the Avalon harbor attack causes the death of Meyrial’s princess, she seeks the help of a sea witch to overturn her banishment. Aqeara is given a human body and has until the next full moon to carve out Captain Kae’s heart in exchange for a spell to bring the dead princess back to life.

I'm sorry but i haven't read many fantasy books in my life 🙈

[thejabber-talkey]

I know I'm mad late to the Priory of the Orange tree craze, but I'm about halfway through and I have thoughts. Specifically thoughts on the religion of the western half of the book's world.

I don't super love how religion is handled in terms of overall rhetoric. The religions on a ground level are really well done; they're realistic and believable without being too direct a rip from existing religions. Though, the Saint and the Virtues are more clearly Christianity than the rest of the other religions are anything else. And I think this really effects how the narrative treats that religion in relation to all the others. I find it really cheap and uninteresting when books have two 'opposing' religions where one is obviously wrong and the other is obviously right. That's not how any religion has ever worked, for starters, and it also lacks nuance. You can tell from the get go that the Saint and Virtues are meant to be the bad/wrong religion. Even if Ead wasn't our primary narrator and perspective into Inys culture, the way things are written have an obvious derision for the Saint. Now, I don't hate the idea of a false religion built on lies, but the way it's set up against the vastly superior and narratively favoured woman-led counter religion is just, well, boring. You have the 'bad' religion founded b a man who is a liar, and the good religion founded by a cool woman. The whole, one religion is good and one is bad just lacks any sense of real intrigue, especially when the book flat out tells you which one is bad and which one is good. I would really love for there to be truth in both the Saint's and the Mother's stories, but I can tell that that's not the direction the book is headed and it bums me out, because it makes the religious divide in the west into obvious moralism that plays on what we as readers are apt to agree with. The rest of the world-building bangs, so why cant we have nuance in the two main religions, too?

The narrative and Ead + the rest of the priory are generally unfairly shitty to those who believe in the Saint. Fuck those guys for believing their religious leader, I guess? It's not like they chose to be lied to, and they don't know any other truth, so having all the other characters treating Inys citizens like deliberately ignorant and hateful doesent have the same punch as if they did know their origins. Getting pissed at another culture for not knowing your real history when you deliberately hide it from everyone is petty, esp when you know they've been lied to for the past thousand years. It also makes Ead's perspective vaguely annoying because she has an obvious bias against the Saint and Inys, which isn't inherently wrong because, again, she follows the good/real religion. But it does feel a bit, i dunno, unfair, because Ead knows they don't know their religion is a lie, and she still thinks poorly of them for it. Like, i cannot emphasize how little empathy is spared to these people who do not know their entire religion a lie, they're just treated how we would treat a nation of christian colonizers. Except, the people of Virtudom aren't colonizers and, I cannot stress this enough, do not know that their religion is wrong, as far as they are aware, it is actual history. I can smell from a while away that Ead is going to convince Sabran to convert, and that Sabran in turn is going to forcibly convert her entire queeendom, because she has that power as a monarch. And the book is going to treat this like a 'good ending' and not the massive cultural and life upheaval it actually is.

The whole 'there is only one right sect of this religion, and all others are inherently bad' thing just reeks of christian rhetoric, even though the 'good' religion is supposed to be from a more Arabic leaning culture. It reads a lot like an ex-christian trying to overcompensate for their former religion, whilst still maintaining all of that religious rhetoric about sin and 'true good' and there being only one right way of life and that the people who don't follow this right way are bad and morally inferior by default.

The book is still great (could use more dragons, tbh, I feel like they oversold how many dragons are in this book) I just hate that one specific narrative aspect.

[randombookposts]

Stuff I hope to learn more about in future roots of chaos books

Just posting my thoughts here in case people wanted to share theories

Questions for the Wild Winter book (For the adofn sequel that covers the direct aftermath of the Grief of Ages)

As sterren grows more powerful, do dragons become dangerous or out of control in some way? What are they like at the height of their power?

More about sterren itself? How long does it last in a mage's system, if the comet only appears every few centuries, could it potentially last longer and not burn out (pun intended) as quickly as siden?

What happened to the Queendom of Sepul, it no longer exists as of tpotot, but at what point did it fall?

Will Glorian ever know the truth about Cleolind and Galian?

Questions about the Cleolind-Kalyba-Neporo book

What was Galian really like as a person? What was his Holy Retinue like?

What happened to the two other trees?

More information about the ancient faiths/governments/cultures of the Virtudom kingdoms please

Questions for TPOTOT sequel

What happens to Inys, how quickly does it transition from a kingdom to a republic.

The other countries' reactions (particularly Virtudom) to the truth about their religion.

General Questions

How does the Six Virtues explain how Galian attained his powers if there's no god or higher deity in the faith?

Are there any countries beyond the known world?

Are there any faiths in the East besides dragon worship?

How does alchemy work? Does it even work?

[fallenight]

adofn spoilers

.

finished reading 'as the gods slept' part in adofn and goddddd....the fact that all glorian ever wanted was to feel loved by her mother and to spend quality time with both of her parents and now she will never get to experience either of those things!!!!! not to mention she never wanted to get married and have a child but now she will likely have to do both of those things as soon as possible since she's the only royal in the inys and needs to make sure her queendom/virtudom is safe and that her duty to the saint is fulfilled

[GD: a gif of pedro pascal throwing up his hands in laughter, then sobbing and covering his face with his hands. /end GD.]

[thealternatemind]

the way that wulf and siyu are so close… the way he holds lukiri… they have no idea that their descendants will, one day, fall in love and bring the truth of Cleolind to Virtudom — save the entire world from the Nameless One. history will remember them, but it will remember their legacy even more

[tragedykery]

[ID: text from a day of fallen night, reading, “‘Farfetched as it sounds, yes. [start highlight.] He was seen in the haithwood, performing a ritual, dressed as if to mock a sanctarian. [end highlight.] His followers, who fled before they could”. the text cuts off there. /end ID]

I know this is such a trivial detail but it’s genuinely been haunting me since I read this part. the clothing of a follower of the original religion of inysca, seeming to mimic that of a sanctarian of the six virtues? “mocking,” through a secret ritual that is not meant to be seen, especially not by those that are supposedly being mocked?

I think it’s the other way around. that the sanctarian robes are based on “heathen” ones. I don’t know if was deliberate or not, whether galian chose it because it was familiar to his people, to ease the (forced) conversion, or just because it was familiar to him. but most likely, the sanctarian robes are a remnant of the original religion of inysca, still visible in the six virtues, and it probably isn’t the only one. how ironic, then, that heathens are persecuted in the name of virtudom, even as their religion lives on in the other. that what they now deem “heresy” stands at the very foundations of their own religion.

[themuseoftheviolets]

adofn/priory analysis/rant incoming

[gefdreamsofthesea]

I am just over 2/8ths (so 1/4) of the way through The Priory of the Orange Tree and one thing is bothering me.

So there is every indication that Virtudom (the main religion in the West) was founded by a knight (a lying liar who lies) who based it off knightly virtues and made himself basically a deity with a subordinate Damsel....and yet Inys is ruled by a line of queens (each queen has a single daughter to succeed her) and not that I'm complaining about the lack of the patriarchy but also it feels like the author didn't really think through the implications.

No spoilers please I'm enjoying the book.

[niceminipotato]

Hello,

Here’s the next little installment to my little PRIDE fest. Now this one gave me trouble only because I wanted to keep the author’s writing still but that did prove quite difficult. I still tried and I hope you all enjoy. This little fic was for Ead and Sabran from Priory of the Orange Tree. This is my favorite book of all times as of now and Sam is my favorite author. Anyway I do hope you like it. (I got the image online and I couldn’t find the source but this is the dust jacket for the book so yeah)

PRIDE - Irrevocable

It had been a long day, not the longest since she had returned to the priory but long enough that she craved the solitude her new chambers provided. Despite the time that had already passed she still felt as though the chambers did not truly belong to her. Oftentimes she wondered if the day would come when she would feel completely at home in the large rooms. A gentle and tremendously welcomed breeze caressed her skin as she sat out on the balcony. The thunderous roar from the Wail of Galian helped her settle while the ever present scent from the orange tree lulled her further. 

Five years had passed since her parting from the land of the deceiver, from Inys, from Sabran, the other half of her soul. The time spent away from her had been difficult and at times painful, however, what they had said—more importantly what Sabran had said—remained true. The South needed the prioress and Virtudom needed its Queen. They each had things to do, problems to take care of, people to lead. While she was no queen, as Sabran was, she still was part of the thread that held the cloth together, and thus leading was something she, as much as Sabran, needed to take care of.

Many a night she dared dream in the vastness of her bed that there beside her lay the one she loved above everyone else. She would feel the ghost of cold smoothe fingers caressing her skin, igniting that deep well of fire within. Just under the scent of the orange tree she could smell the creamgrail in Sabran’s hair. In the rush of the water she could hear the soft hum of her voice. There in the dark with her thoughts for companions she wished she was prioress no more. Wished she was slayer no more. That the threat of Fyredel was not one she had to worry for. She relished in those selfish moments, where the weight upon her shoulders would lessen and all that mattered was the way Sabran would fit in her arms.

“I thought I would find you here.”

“You bring news, Chassar?”

“Some say lack of news is far better than many.” 

Chassar joined her on the balcony. The weight of years were showing more and more in the lines of his face as time went by. Sometimes she wondered when he too would leave her to be with the Mother.

“Wise words.” 

“Eadaz, you look tired.”

“Is that why you are here? Have you come to tuck me in as you did when I was a child?” She let out a chuckle and he smiled at her.

“If it is required, Prioress.” 

Silence filled the space between them for a time. Ead knew there was something bothering him and though she disliked having to wait for explanations she remained quiet and waited. 

“Last time Sarsun returned he brought something.”

“He did?”

“He did.”

Tilting her head in question she wondered why Chassar had brought this up now and why he had waited this long. “Did he bring news? I sent him out the evening before last since I had received no news.”

“If by news you mean an Inysh letter then yes he did.”

Ead perked up at his words, her eyes traveling to the pocket of his tunic. The fact that the letter had been kept from her was now a forgotten matter. She wanted to read her words, smell her scent, see that lovely crest she used only for her. Her heart thrummed in her chest in expectation. 

Chassar placed his hand over it drawing her attention back to his face. The lines on his face were more pronounced as he frowned at her. He seemed displeased, almost disappointed. She could not yet understand why. Not until he spoke.

“The daughter of the deceiver has little need for the priory, Eadaz. The amount of letters the two of you have exchanged is absurd. What could the Inysh possibly need from you? When they have yet to accept the fact that Galian was a liar. What could they need when we are still seen as heretics?”

Her blood began to simmer but she cooled herself with a deep breath. “After all this time, Chassar, one would think you would have figured out the answer to your questions, without having to ask me.”

“Eadaz, you are the prioress. You have a duty to the priory. To the south.”

“I have a duty to the world. This new world we are bringing. This world after the Nameless One. Have you forgotten what our mission is, Chassar? What we sand for?”

“I have not forgotten what our mission is. The priory stands to guard not only the South but the world. It is a great honor to do this and I am proud of all that you have done. But you need to understand that divided attention does not allow success.”

“My attention is not divided. I am here. I am working to attain what we have yet to attain. Exchanged letters do not change that.”

Rising from her chair she moved inside the chamber, Chassar following close behind. If her work had been lacking, if she had somehow been careless, she would understand his questioning, however, she had been anything but.

“Eadaz, why her, the pretender? Why Sabran Berethnet?”

The way he spoke her name made Ead turn. “Chassar, when you talk about her, be sure to mind your tone. If you have a letter for me, leave it here and go.”

“I only worry for you, my child.”

“Prioress.” She corrected.

“Eadaz.”

“Do not patronize me. You kept correspondence from me, you have questioned my integrity, and now you are treating me as you would a child.” Ead watched the guilt riddling his face. “I have worked tirelessly. I have suffered. I have given my whole self to the priory and I regret nothing. If given the choice I would choose this life time and time again. A portion of my heart, however, belongs to Sabran. Sings only for her. Again if given a choice, my heart would belong to her time and time again. I will make no apology for it.”

“I understand that there are forces that draw us to another. But Eadaz, she is there and you are here. This love you speak of is barely a bud that cannot be watered.”

“The bud you speak of has already opened. It is strong and can weather any storm.”

Chassar chuckled and shook his head. “You speak with milk and honey in your head. You speak as naive lovers would of the Milk Lagoon.”

“I speak the truth. What I feel for Sabran Berethnet,” her name felt sweet in her tongue and fell gently from her lips, “is irrevocable. Not the distance nor the time will make it less real. Not our past nor our present can take it away. This Milk Lagoon you mention, we will find it.”

She was not sure whether it was her words or the conviction with which she said them but she could see his walls going down. The disbelief and uncertainty in his brow softened until he let out a sigh of defeat.

“Forgive me, Eadaz. I only worry for you.”

“I know and I am forever thankful for you caring for me. If I ever stray I know you will bring me back to the correct path. 

“I will always do my very best.” Chassar reached for her and she let herself be drawn forward and into a hug. 

“I love you, Chassar.”

“And I love you, light of my eyes.” As he pulled away he reached in his pocket taking the letter and presenting it to her. “Here. I shall leave you to your letter.”

“Have a good night.”

“You too, Eadaz. Do try to rest. I was not lying before. You look tired.”

She wanted to tell him the letter in her hand would remedy that but decided against it once she saw his knowing gaze. Once she nodded he left her alone in her new chambers once more. Heading for the balcony she carefully tore the seal with that lovejay crest Sabran used only for her. After settling on the chair and a deep breath she began to read.

My dear Ead,

Tell me, how do you fare? I am well, tired, and at times irritable but well. As I sit here, I wonder what it is you are doing. Perhaps you are hunting wyrms or riding with Aralaq. Or perhaps much like myself dealing with boorish leaders and their endless opinions. Meg tells me you would probably tell them to leave you be as you have better things to do. I did that the other day, and I think it may not have been appreciated. It was fine though. Loth made peace with them in my stead. I suppose, at times, being queen also has its merits.

On a different matter, I think Sarsun has decided my bed is a far better place to rest in than the aviary and I am inclined to agree. Why nobody told me how foul that place could be baffles me. When I went the other day the knights kept looking at me as if I had gone mad. They should have warned me. Instead I soiled my skirts and because of the foul smell I ordered all of the garments I had burned. Again only you ever told me the truth—as much of it as you could.

I have been meaning to ask you something. It is not because Ros, Kate, Meg, and Loth have been asking, truly. But do tell me, Ead, after these ten years, what are we going to do with all of these rose petals? For now I will keep them with me. Also if you would, please write to Loth, jealousy is evident on his gaze, especially when you write to Meg and not him. He tells me it is fine but we both know how much that word means to him. 

Time draws short, Sarsun is giving me that impatient look. It would have been better if I had written before he arrived. I shall do that next time. Never forget, I love you Eadaz uq-Nara and my heart still knows your song as I know yours knows mine.

Yours,

Sabran Berethnet

With a smile she made her way to bed, the letter and petals clutched to her chest. She lay there her cheeks almost hurting from her grin and she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and thinking back to the question Sabran had posed.

“I often wonder about the same Sabran. What are we to do with all of these?”

[redshoes-blues]

There’s going to be a new, mini-sized Roots of Chaos project and I’m so excited!!

So far we know three things about this project, and I think they give us some good hints into what this could potentially be about. Fyredel will feature (or be mentioned), it will look at three secondary characters from Priory, and it will be shorter in length than the typical TROC books—novella length, maybe? With a shorter length, my guess is that we might only see one or two places, as opposed to three or four.

Because of all that, my guess is that the project will give us a closer look at Yscalin during the period when Fyredel took over and they left Virtudom. It’s a period we know a little about, and it would be fascinating to see that angle. What was going on in those characters’ heads when their enemy took over and so forth. And maybe the Donmata Marosa will be one of those three characters?!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Reading gives us the chance to travel the great unknown, including great worlds outside of this limited reality. Some of these enchanted cities stick with us for a lifetime, seeping into our world as we, dedicated readers, bring that magic to life. Can you name the books based on the magical settings mentioned in this post? Good luck!

🦇 Books Mentioned: ✨ Velaris: A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas @sarahjmaas ✨ Wonderland: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ✨ Navarre: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros @rebeccayarros ✨ Virtudom: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon @say_shannon ✨ Grey London: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab @veschwab ✨ Thune: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree @travis_baldree ✨ Setar: This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi @tahereh ✨ Lunathion: Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas @sarahjmaas ✨ Qalia: Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim @maiya_ibrahim ✨ Le Cirque Des Rêves: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern @erinmorgenstern