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peculiarb's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This review can also be found on Bookstacked: https://bookstacked.com/reviews/book-reviews/the-prison-healer-review-lynette-noni/
After being captured with her father when she was seven, Kiva has endured ten years in what is essentially a death camp where prisoners are worked to death in horrid conditions. As the prison healer, she is tasked with overseeing new arrivals and branding them, which weighs heavily on her. Combined with her close association with the Warden, she finds herself at odds with most of the prison population, so she keeps to herself, going out of her way to form as little connection as possible.
After being captured with her father when she was seven, Kiva has endured ten years in what is essentially a death camp where prisoners are worked to death in horrid conditions. As the prison healer, she is tasked with overseeing new arrivals and branding them, which weighs heavily on her. Combined with her close association with the Warden, she finds herself at odds with most of the prison population, so she keeps to herself, going out of her way to form as little connection as possible.
This isolation is a central aspect of Kiva’s character as she finds herself facing the unexpected in a new guard and inmate. Given all she’s endured, she’s very slow to open up, but she’s never pushed into it. Both Jaren and Naari take care to respect her boundaries, physical and mental, until she herself is ready. I found this aspect of the book particularly moving as Noni takes care to emphasise just how careful the two are towards Kiva, through dialogue as well as body language.
Another central aspect of her character is the guilt she carries. Despite the brutal conditions of life at Zalindov, each brand she makes and each patient she loses weigh on her. A prominent subplot of The Prison Healer is her extensive search to find the source of the plague, during which she goes above and beyond for fellow inmates that all but spit on her when she passes. Above all, Kiva is kind and that shines through her every action.
Jaren and Naari provide the support Kiva needs to grow throughout the story. Jaren’s easygoing and lighthearted attitude in the midst of Zalindov sets him appart from most other prisoners, whereas Naari’s honour is what shines in her characters. Along with 11 year old Tipp, they work tirelessly to help Kiva survive, both the Trials and prison life.
As far as the plot goes, The Prison Healer is very dynamic. There wasn’t a single dull moment throughout the book as Noni fills in the weeks between the Trials with all sorts of interesting subplots. Other than the plague, Noni infuses life in the infirmary with anticipation, while venturing outside carries its own dangers from guards and inmates alike. I was happy that it wasn’t all action, however. Kiva’s memories, her interactions with others, even just walking from place to place are full of interesting information on the characters and life in Zalindov.
Noni’s worldbuilding is focused on Zalindov. Kiva is barely aware of what happens outside the gates, so the readers only have access to what other characters offer. This was an interesting decision as it allows Noni to concentrate on the details of the prison, making the world come alive. Even when there are few characters present, it feels like the infirmary is bustling with activity while Kiva’s venturing around the prison grounds provides a scale of the activites and the place itself.
A note on the world: Noni doesn’t sugarcoat life in Zalindov. While the depictions of violence and death are not gratuitous, they are present throughout, as is the threat of violence (physical, mental, and sexual) and Kiva’s fear of it. Showcasing the brutality of it all only emphasises how kind Kiva is, and how corrosive unchecked power is.
Overall, this book surprised me. I thought I could predict the overall plot, but I barely got anything right, with plot twists only seeming obvious after the fact. The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni is excellent, the latter half especially blew my mind and placed it firmly among my favourites of 2021.
Trigger warnings include blood, violence, death, self harm, torture, child abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Self harm, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
idealpages's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, Medical content, Death of parent, Confinement, Child death, and Blood
bookforthought's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was rather conflicted about The Prison Healer. In fact, I finished this almost a week ago and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it!
The Prison Healer gripped me right from the very beginning. I thought the prison setting was quite original in a YA fantasy, where the daily reality of living in a place like Zalindov is represented and the main characters aren't constantly planning an escape. In some ways, Kiva almost seems resigned to her fate (even though she continues to hope her family will free her) and tries to make the most of her circumstances.
The world-building was also rather well executed and the elemental magic system was clear and easy to follow. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, but I guess I felt more forgiving of it because the characters were stuck inside the prison and, well... couldn't show much. The Trials themselves were, for me, probably the weakest part of the book but I still felt the pressure and anxiety Kiva was under. Despite that, they felt a bit repetitive and, by the time the final one rolled around, I had no more doubts as to what would happen next. The search for a cure to the plague sweeping the prison was by far more interesting for me, even though that too became slightly monotonous by the end, but again I could feel Kiva's frustration and concern.
Kiva was definitely the best part of the book. She's a highly compelling and complex character, struggling to survive in a place meant to crush and destroy everyone who sets foot inside. Her guarded behaviour felt very realistic in an environment where no one can be trusted, and I enjoyed seeing her grow and change throughout the story. I loved having a main character in a fantasy book whose main skills lie outside fighting, quite literally carving her place in this world while trying to make a difference in spite of everyone's suspicions and hatred. The rest of the cast was also very well-developed, and I enjoyed the group dynamic immensely.
So, all good right? Well, not quite. The Prison Healer was shaping up to be one of my favourites so far this year... until the ending. Now, I'm definitely in the minority here and most people seem to have greatly enjoyed the ending, but for me it really fell flat and kind of ruined the whole book. It just felt really inconsistent with everything we had seen and heard so far, and meant Kiva had somehow been lying the whole time... in her own thoughts? I could have accepted it far more easily if we hadn't been following her POV, inside her head, thoughts and feelings, for the whole book. As it was, it just seemed slightly too convenient and built for the sake of a big shocking moment. It was a real shame, because I had been loving it up until then!
Overall, The Prison Healer was an engaging read and (minus the ending) a solid start to a new series. I'll probably continue this as I did love the characters and I'm curious to see what will happen next!
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
The Prison Healer gripped me right from the very beginning. I thought the prison setting was quite original in a YA fantasy, where the daily reality of living in a place like Zalindov is represented and the main characters aren't constantly planning an escape. In some ways, Kiva almost seems resigned to her fate (even though she continues to hope her family will free her) and tries to make the most of her circumstances.
The world-building was also rather well executed and the elemental magic system was clear and easy to follow. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, but I guess I felt more forgiving of it because the characters were stuck inside the prison and, well... couldn't show much. The Trials themselves were, for me, probably the weakest part of the book but I still felt the pressure and anxiety Kiva was under. Despite that, they felt a bit repetitive and, by the time the final one rolled around, I had no more doubts as to what would happen next. The search for a cure to the plague sweeping the prison was by far more interesting for me, even though that too became slightly monotonous by the end, but again I could feel Kiva's frustration and concern.
Kiva was definitely the best part of the book. She's a highly compelling and complex character, struggling to survive in a place meant to crush and destroy everyone who sets foot inside. Her guarded behaviour felt very realistic in an environment where no one can be trusted, and I enjoyed seeing her grow and change throughout the story. I loved having a main character in a fantasy book whose main skills lie outside fighting, quite literally carving her place in this world while trying to make a difference in spite of everyone's suspicions and hatred. The rest of the cast was also very well-developed, and I enjoyed the group dynamic immensely.
So, all good right? Well, not quite. The Prison Healer was shaping up to be one of my favourites so far this year... until the ending. Now, I'm definitely in the minority here and most people seem to have greatly enjoyed the ending, but for me it really fell flat and kind of ruined the whole book. It just felt really inconsistent with everything we had seen and heard so far, and meant Kiva had somehow been lying the whole time... in her own thoughts? I could have accepted it far more easily if we hadn't been following her POV, inside her head, thoughts and feelings, for the whole book. As it was, it just seemed slightly too convenient and built for the sake of a big shocking moment. It was a real shame, because I had been loving it up until then!
Overall, The Prison Healer was an engaging read and (minus the ending) a solid start to a new series. I'll probably continue this as I did love the characters and I'm curious to see what will happen next!
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit
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