Em Dalena > Recent Status Updates

Why can’t any of them get to be happy?

So why does her orogene turn her to stone now? What exactly did the Obelisk Gate do to Essun?

Nassun, you poor sweet baby.

Alright, that might be a top quote for me: “‘Of course God is a man! Why else would being a woman suck this much!’”

I don’t want to talk about the ‘Gotcha!’ Chapter.

There’s not much to say, nothing has changed. Everything is coming from nowhere.

She drank it!

Is the baby even Arthur’s? Is there even a baby?

I figured out what’s wrong with the writing! It’s tell don’t show. Pretty much no use of imagery at all. Mixed with it rushing through things so much…

I want to know how Haley is an asshole. That’s the entire, all three of them were introduced as assholes. She seems like a decent person.

It feels like the author is so excited to get into certain details that she’s moving so fast and we are missing so much context as to why it’s important. I usually like when stories humor right in, but I feel like this could have benefitted from slowing down and giving some explanations.

I love that Fýredel hasn’t stopped hating Glorian Shieldheart in the entire 500 years since he last saw her. She is long gone and he still hates her so much.

I love how good she is at writing asshole people and still keeping me invested

This is definitely just background information for the lore. I would use this as a tandem read to enrich the story.

So is this going into the events of the actual book of Priory of the Orange Tree?

Okay, I know who she is now. Different character but one I do know.

Is Melaugo of the Priory? Am I mixing up my characters?

It’s obvious who is doing it, right?

Listen, it’s a very good book that I can’t stop thinking about. The problem is, it’s a horror fantasy that I listened to way too late and I don’t want to think about it when I’m trying to go to bed.

I’ve already gotten so much insight into a character I barely saw in Priory

I have to pause this because my Libby loan ran out. Hopefully I get it again soon.

This is giving me Weyward vibes and I like it.

This is in the running for my top read of 2025. It checked so many of my boxes.

I once again hate that I was right in this book.

This is going to end badly.

Mental health break!

As much as I would love to plow through this book tonight, I feel like I need to pause for the night for the sake of my mental health. This is getting dark.

What a crazy thing to test immediately after what you just learned about it.

The absolute denial of what's really happening...that indoctrination goes deep.