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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Rating: 10 out of 10
They say lesbians will read anything with lesbians in it and this book is no exception.
Jokes aside, I absolutely adored this one! It had everything I like about Wings of Fire: amazing worldbuilding, lovable characters, an engaging mystery, shocking plot twists, and even more! To be honest, I was slightly concerned that the series had lost its charm after The Hive Queen, but I was very wrong! It's just as spell-binding as before!
I liked so many things about this book it's hard to know where to start! So we'll study the cover first. I've always loved the art for the Wings of Fire covers but this one is my favorite by far! The colors are stunning and the background really captures the essence of The Poison Jungle.
Talking about the jungle, I loved it as a setting for the story! The atmosphere was very immersive and evoked vivid images in my head, more than usual. With Sundew's leafspeak we were able to not only see but also listen to the plants; I found the idea of different plants having "personalities" and expressing in a certain way to be unique and entertaining for the reader. As well as that, the concept of the separate LeafWing tribes (SapWings and PoisonWings as known to each other) was original and something I enjoyed a lot.
Now, the plot! I won't write a long summary of it here because this is just a review but I have one thing to say: like most elements of this book, I loved it. It got me at the edge of my seat with all its action and mysteries. There were a lot of plot twists (more than you would imagine!) and while I guessed some of them, I'm actually proud of having already known, and if that's not a huge win for this book I don't know what one is. I consider the best twists to be the kind that isn't impossible to see ahead of time, but not obvious either, and this novel executed its mysteries perfectly.
Moving onto the characters, Sundew has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists. She had a lot of personality and her narrating voice and perspective were very fun to read from. She's fierce and tough without being insensitive, which is something I love to see in female characters. Her intense passion for her friends, Willow, and her tribe was heartwarming and even inspiring at times.
I'd like to remark her character arc, which was, in my opinion, one of the best of the whole series. She went through a great change, from a completely rage-driven avenger to a much more sensitive and mature heroine, who knows how to manage her anger and how to use it right when it's necessary. And best of all, her core personality remained the same, even after the development.
And finally, allow me to talk about the part of this book that touched me the deepest: Sundew and Willow's relationship. This is probably (from what I can remember) the first book with a sapphic protagonist I've read, and I was not expecting it to fill me with as much joy as it did! Though I didn't quite get Willow at first, as the story progressed she grew on me and I ended up loving her character. Her scenes with Sundew (both romantic and not) made my heart burst, how much they loved and cared for each other made me unbelievably happy.
I may have read it literally two days ago, but The Poison Jungle already holds a special place in my heart. It was almost perfect: the characters, plot, themes. I'll say the next installment definitely will have a hard time trying to top this one! The story alone would've gotten a high rating from me, but the LGBTQ+ rep was what made me love it with all my heart. Always remember, representation matters!
They say lesbians will read anything with lesbians in it and this book is no exception.
Jokes aside, I absolutely adored this one! It had everything I like about Wings of Fire: amazing worldbuilding, lovable characters, an engaging mystery, shocking plot twists, and even more! To be honest, I was slightly concerned that the series had lost its charm after The Hive Queen, but I was very wrong! It's just as spell-binding as before!
I liked so many things about this book it's hard to know where to start! So we'll study the cover first. I've always loved the art for the Wings of Fire covers but this one is my favorite by far! The colors are stunning and the background really captures the essence of The Poison Jungle.
Talking about the jungle, I loved it as a setting for the story! The atmosphere was very immersive and evoked vivid images in my head, more than usual. With Sundew's leafspeak we were able to not only see but also listen to the plants; I found the idea of different plants having "personalities" and expressing in a certain way to be unique and entertaining for the reader. As well as that, the concept of the separate LeafWing tribes (SapWings and PoisonWings as known to each other) was original and something I enjoyed a lot.
Now, the plot! I won't write a long summary of it here because this is just a review but I have one thing to say: like most elements of this book, I loved it. It got me at the edge of my seat with all its action and mysteries. There were a lot of plot twists (more than you would imagine!) and while I guessed some of them, I'm actually proud of having already known, and if that's not a huge win for this book I don't know what one is. I consider the best twists to be the kind that isn't impossible to see ahead of time, but not obvious either, and this novel executed its mysteries perfectly.
Moving onto the characters, Sundew has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists. She had a lot of personality and her narrating voice and perspective were very fun to read from. She's fierce and tough without being insensitive, which is something I love to see in female characters. Her intense passion for her friends, Willow, and her tribe was heartwarming and even inspiring at times.
I'd like to remark her character arc, which was, in my opinion, one of the best of the whole series. She went through a great change, from a completely rage-driven avenger to a much more sensitive and mature heroine, who knows how to manage her anger and how to use it right when it's necessary. And best of all, her core personality remained the same, even after the development.
And finally, allow me to talk about the part of this book that touched me the deepest: Sundew and Willow's relationship. This is probably (from what I can remember) the first book with a sapphic protagonist I've read, and I was not expecting it to fill me with as much joy as it did! Though I didn't quite get Willow at first, as the story progressed she grew on me and I ended up loving her character. Her scenes with Sundew (both romantic and not) made my heart burst, how much they loved and cared for each other made me unbelievably happy.
I may have read it literally two days ago, but The Poison Jungle already holds a special place in my heart. It was almost perfect: the characters, plot, themes. I'll say the next installment definitely will have a hard time trying to top this one! The story alone would've gotten a high rating from me, but the LGBTQ+ rep was what made me love it with all my heart. Always remember, representation matters!
Not my favorite in this series—and honestly, not my favorite narrator. That said, these books are all relatively fast paced and well written so it was still excellent compared to a lot that I read. I did like exploring new parts of this world and meeting some new characters—I just feel like the vibe of all of our villains from previous series in this world is copy/pasted here which makes it feel a little stale.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
From the perspective of Sundew. There are secrets to be seen. The love story doesn't divert from the urgency at hand. And as always, the character development is pristine. There are still sufficient twists and turns to keep you captivated and waiting for the next book.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Amazing book for anyone over 9ish. just start with book 1 first!
Heard on audiobook. A slower paced mid-series book. I appreciated the Sundew/Willow relationship that wasn’t blatant, but nicely acknowledged. The other reviewers freaking out over “lesbian dragons” need to think about what they’re complaining about. The plot about the control over Wasp and what not was nicely crafted leaving lots of opening for the sequel. However, the epilogue was confusing, although I’m guessing it leads to the next book.
Getting more into this round of dragons. Sundew is certainly interesting.