The Priory of the Orange Tree vs The Well of Ascension: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Courts and courtiers, Imaginary places, Magic, Fiction
The Priory of the Orange Tree
More
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from…
The Well of Ascension
More
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler -- the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years -- has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Well of Ascension has the widest readership — 719443 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
Scores by source
| The Priory of the Orange Tree | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.4 (719443) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (905) | 4.3 (3900) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (22) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (730) | 4.5 (2771) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| The Priory of the Orange Tree | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 905 | 719443 |
| Editions | 9 | 36 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 210977 |
| Reading it now | — | 35283 |
| Written reviews | — | 52869 |
| Wikipedia attention | 13157 | 6797 |
| Pages | 848 | 792 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Priory of the Orange Tree or The Well of Ascension?
The Well of Ascension has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Well of Ascension 4.4/5, The Priory of the Orange Tree 4.3/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Priory of the Orange Tree or The Well of Ascension?
The Well of Ascension is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Well of Ascension (792 pages, ≈ 14 h 40 m); The Priory of the Orange Tree (848 pages, ≈ 15 h 42 m).
Which is harder to read: The Priory of the Orange Tree or The Well of Ascension?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Priory of the Orange Tree: Moderate; The Well of Ascension: Moderate.