The Priory of the Orange Tree subverts traditional heteronormative narratives to foreground women’s power. Set in an otherwise characteristically high-fantasy universe, it takes place in a world where the presence of female heroes, bureaucrats, spies, pirates, dragonriders, villains, and ship hands is completely natural. Such a depiction challenges medieval-era-inspired fantasy that largely relegates women to supporting roles (as in the Lord of the Rings novels of J. R. R. Tolkien) or uses sexual violence against women as a plot device (as in George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series). Race too is dealt with differently, with a racially diverse cast of characters. For instance, Loth appears African, Ead African or Middle Eastern, Tané East Asian, and Sabran European, yet none of the characters treat each other differently based on race. Differences do exist in this world, but there are along lines of socio-economic status or religious beliefs and culture.

In addition to being more egalitarian in matters of gender, the novel’s world also features more flexible gender roles than the medieval real world did, with men often playing the role of nurturers and caretakers. For instance, while Chassar is an ambassador, he is also a quasi-mother figure to Ead, while the scholar Elder Vara fulfils that role briefly for Tané.