Reviews

La guaritrice di Zalindov by Lynette Noni

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oliviaannebennett's review against another edition

5.0

6⭐️ I loved every second of this book - I don’t think I ever got bored. I’m one of those readers that like to try to guess what will happen but this book got me twice with its twists. Soooo good - highly recommend reading it!

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

knightkittyreads's review against another edition

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4.0

Kiva Meridan has been an inmate at Zalindov prison since she was 7. She & her father were captured in a raid for alleged association with a rebel faction. Her mother & 2 siblings fled, but Kiva & her father were sent to the notorious prison. Now 17, Kiva is the prison healer, a skill learned from her father. Her family has sent word of a rescue. While she patiently waits, the Rebel Queen is captured & brought to the infirmary in a coma. Kiva’s survival, & that of her young assistant, are dependent on keeping the Rebel Queen alive. To insure this, Kiva takes the Queen’s place in the deadly Trial by Ordeal. If she succeeds in the trials she will earn freedom for herself & the Rebel Queen. If she fails, they both die. In the midst of this drama, Kiva still has a prison full of patients. She is passionately & indiscriminately dedicated to healing. A mysterious illness keeps her occupied, as does a burgeoning friendship with a new prisoner, Jaren, & a guard, Naari in spite of her vow never to grow close to anyone inside. Together, can the three of them get Kiva through the Ordeals?

There are common tropes in YA fantasy that cause many of them to feel similar. There was some of that here but there was much that set it apart. The prison ecosystem was immersive & atmospheric & a departure from the typical settings of many fantasy tales. Kiva was a heroine I could get behind. She was determined, compassionate, thoughtful & multi- dimensional. I am not a fan of headstrong & rash characters & Kiva was a refreshing departure from that. Kiva does a good job of depicting the issues between the two factions as not black and white, & that there is truth on both sides. If you are a fan of surprises & twists you won’t be disappointed. There were a few, & one of them totally got me. My only quibble with this book was the outcome of some of the challenges. I love survival challenges, & I think these could have been meatier.

I loved this book and immediately picked up the second one.

mar_reads01's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The prison was a super intriguing setting for this story to take place in! It started off a bit slow but definitely ended on a bang. All of the characters were super intriguing and i am excited to see how the story builds and develops in the next two books!