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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kyra, a teenage poison savant, is on the run for the slightly possibly a little bit illegal attempted murder of a princess (who also happens to be her bestie). From the beginning though, it is easy to trust that the girl has her reasons. Hey – I’ve trusted worse people with a lot less to go on (fictionally speaking, of course). So, with her expertly concocted poisons in hand, she is now a fugitive hiding out in the forest. Cue a crazy Hansel-and-Gretel-you-look-tasty style witch, being hunted down by her old friends and an unexpected ally in the form of super-hot Fred, the random guy in the woods with better food than her. Poison is one heck of an adventure, y’all!
I really cannot get enough of fantasy books with forest settings, seriously. It always gives the story such delicious fairy tale vibes and an added dash of romance via eating over a campfire and camping out under the stars. Poison is no exception to this. There is also plenty of fleeing through the trees to avoid capture and following gamely behind an expert person finder (in the form of one’s new pet pig). SO MUCH CHARM, I SWOON.
Check out the rest of my review on the blog!
I really cannot get enough of fantasy books with forest settings, seriously. It always gives the story such delicious fairy tale vibes and an added dash of romance via eating over a campfire and camping out under the stars. Poison is no exception to this. There is also plenty of fleeing through the trees to avoid capture and following gamely behind an expert person finder (in the form of one’s new pet pig). SO MUCH CHARM, I SWOON.
Check out the rest of my review on the blog!
First of all, I love the cover. I know that they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but when you are scrolling through potential books to read on NetGalley, or browsing the shelves at the store or library, the cover is what catches your eye, it's what draws you in and it's the thing that makes you want to know more.
Luckily the book lived up to the cover. I've always been a fan of this type of book. Strong female in the lead, mystery, murder and magic. Love it. Kyra is pretty awesome. She is one of the best potioners and for a long time was held in high regard, but now, after she tries to kill the princess (and fails) she becomes a fugitive. I liked watching Kyra trying to reconcile who she was with who she has become and who she wants to be. She doesn't like that she tried to kill the princess, but she has her reasons and she is steadfast in the belief that she is doing the right thing.
What I particularly like about this story is that no one is exactly who they seem. Even Kyra, who we know the most about throughout the story, has a few hidden secrets up her sleeve. Fred is a great side kick and partner for Kyra. She is serious and on a mission, he is carefree and has a way of breaking down her defenses. Like Kyra, Fred isn't exactly who he claims to be and as we see them both try to figure the other out, we also learn more about the happening of the kingdom and why it's in turmoil. I have to say that every twist and turn that Zinn worked in genuinely surprised me. Some made sense the minute I read it, and others had me thinking "really? that's how that's going to work out?" only to have it reconcile itself later. It was all very well done. Plus, there's a pig and a wolf dog who embark on their own little love match, and who doesn't love animal sidekicks?
So if you like books that pack a punch and keep you guessing this is a good one to pick up. It doesn't come out for another few weeks, but it's worth ordering. I know that I've already added it to next years library order. I think my kids will love it!
Luckily the book lived up to the cover. I've always been a fan of this type of book. Strong female in the lead, mystery, murder and magic. Love it. Kyra is pretty awesome. She is one of the best potioners and for a long time was held in high regard, but now, after she tries to kill the princess (and fails) she becomes a fugitive. I liked watching Kyra trying to reconcile who she was with who she has become and who she wants to be. She doesn't like that she tried to kill the princess, but she has her reasons and she is steadfast in the belief that she is doing the right thing.
What I particularly like about this story is that no one is exactly who they seem. Even Kyra, who we know the most about throughout the story, has a few hidden secrets up her sleeve. Fred is a great side kick and partner for Kyra. She is serious and on a mission, he is carefree and has a way of breaking down her defenses. Like Kyra, Fred isn't exactly who he claims to be and as we see them both try to figure the other out, we also learn more about the happening of the kingdom and why it's in turmoil. I have to say that every twist and turn that Zinn worked in genuinely surprised me. Some made sense the minute I read it, and others had me thinking "really? that's how that's going to work out?" only to have it reconcile itself later. It was all very well done. Plus, there's a pig and a wolf dog who embark on their own little love match, and who doesn't love animal sidekicks?
So if you like books that pack a punch and keep you guessing this is a good one to pick up. It doesn't come out for another few weeks, but it's worth ordering. I know that I've already added it to next years library order. I think my kids will love it!
I didn't quite enjoy this as much as I should be. Aside from the potions and the enchanted pig, not to be harsh, but it was quite boring. Some plot twists were predictable and some were not. Also, why name the male protagonist Fred? There's Kyra, Ariana, Arlo, even Dartagn... and then there's Fred. Not that there's anything wrong with the name Fred, it's such an odd, ordinary name in a high-fantasy novel. But when I found out his real name, everything kind of made sense.
But I want to commend how Fred isn't the dark, mysterious, and brooding male character that most books have right now. Sure, I like reading about sarcastic, mysterious guys, but it's kind of getting overrated. Fred is playful, funny and sometimes silly; his personality is quite refreshing. And I loved the part where he had to teach the girls how to act like "manly men", that was just hilarious.
It's a bit dull, but it has some good parts. Not bad for a high-fantasy novel. So I'll give it 3 stars.
But I want to commend how Fred isn't the dark, mysterious, and brooding male character that most books have right now. Sure, I like reading about sarcastic, mysterious guys, but it's kind of getting overrated. Fred is playful, funny and sometimes silly; his personality is quite refreshing. And I loved the part where he had to teach the girls how to act like "manly men", that was just hilarious.
It's a bit dull, but it has some good parts. Not bad for a high-fantasy novel. So I'll give it 3 stars.
Devastated to learn that Bridget passed away a few years before her book was even published, as this has become one of my favorite books of all time.
En riktigt söt bok med alla de där delarna som man vill läsa om i en klassisk fantasybok!!
Read my full review at Book Obsession
Read my full review at Book Obsession
I thought this book was really cute. That's really the best word I can think of to describe it. It was a light, kinda fluffy read, yet it was a fun adventure with some unexpected twist. Kyra was a great main character. She was tough, closed off to others, and there was more to her than met the eye. And I just loved Fred. He was awesome and just adorable. I loved them together too. They really helped each other become better. The plot was not wildly intricate, yet it worked. I really did love this book. As I said before it was just really cute.
Oh Poison. This book would make the perfect movie, it just would. I love Poison for so many reasons I don't know if I can fit them all down in a single review. Poison was filled with all the things loveable and beautiful, I could not put it down.
I'm not going to reveal anything about the plot to you, just to torture yo a little bit, but the plot. IT. WAS. SO. WELL. DONE.
I love Fantasy settings, and this one was filled with everything you might find in a magical land. There was everything and anything that you can think up- from witches to little creatures that you might not want to run into. The entire kingdom this book takes place in is described so well! I loved the setting so much, it was just wonderful!
I really liked every single character in this book. The main character, Kyra, was everything I want in a main character. She was fun, smart, brave, and just a likeable character. I don't think there was one thing I would have changed about her.
Other characters in the story inluded:
Fred- Though I'm not really a big fan of the name, I'm a fan of the character. Fred is extremely funny and made the story so much fun. He was also quite charming!
Ariana- Ariana doesn't really show up until the end of the story, but I love how she easily just jumped in and how easily she fit in.
Ned & Hal- Though there isn't much of them, I wish there had been a little more about Ned and Hal because they were two of Kyra's oldest friends and they could have had a bigger part in the story.
Rosie- YES! Like you see on the cover, there is a pig in this book!
Just as you might guess from the title and the cover, poison was a big part of this book. Poison is a Kyra's specialty. I loved all the different types of poison that was used and the different ways that it was used in the story. This aspect of the story seemed extremely unique, I just loved it!
There was a hint of romance, and it was just adorable. I really liked that this book was not centered on the romance, and was more plot driven, but at the same time the romance seemed very realistic and well done!
On a sadder note, I was very, very sad to read the author description and find out that that author passed away a while ago. I will read anything she wrote.
I'm not going to reveal anything about the plot to you, just to torture yo a little bit, but the plot. IT. WAS. SO. WELL. DONE.
I love Fantasy settings, and this one was filled with everything you might find in a magical land. There was everything and anything that you can think up- from witches to little creatures that you might not want to run into. The entire kingdom this book takes place in is described so well! I loved the setting so much, it was just wonderful!
I really liked every single character in this book. The main character, Kyra, was everything I want in a main character. She was fun, smart, brave, and just a likeable character. I don't think there was one thing I would have changed about her.
Other characters in the story inluded:
Fred- Though I'm not really a big fan of the name, I'm a fan of the character. Fred is extremely funny and made the story so much fun. He was also quite charming!
Ariana- Ariana doesn't really show up until the end of the story, but I love how she easily just jumped in and how easily she fit in.
Ned & Hal- Though there isn't much of them, I wish there had been a little more about Ned and Hal because they were two of Kyra's oldest friends and they could have had a bigger part in the story.
Rosie- YES! Like you see on the cover, there is a pig in this book!
Just as you might guess from the title and the cover, poison was a big part of this book. Poison is a Kyra's specialty. I loved all the different types of poison that was used and the different ways that it was used in the story. This aspect of the story seemed extremely unique, I just loved it!
There was a hint of romance, and it was just adorable. I really liked that this book was not centered on the romance, and was more plot driven, but at the same time the romance seemed very realistic and well done!
On a sadder note, I was very, very sad to read the author description and find out that that author passed away a while ago. I will read anything she wrote.
All I needed was "Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master" and I was sold.
Didn't even read the rest.
Didn't even read the rest.