A review by literaturesciencealliance
Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a climate fantasy written in a distant, lyrically way that I think fans of literary fiction and Lord of the Rings would enjoy. The story focuses on two protagonists, one a young girl who is able to interact with different planes of existence who has lost her family and is taken in by this group of people whose goal is to live with the land and believe that the balance between society and the land has been disrupted and that has what has cause the failed crops and this dangerous storm that has arrived. In her arc you get some of the mentor trope, there is found family but there is also loss and heart ache. One of my critiques of the story is that there are some time jumps that occur at moments I wish we could have spent more time in. The other protagonist is a man who has sway in the political courts and is trying to instill essentially a Green New Deal but then events occur that make him an exile with pirates as he searches for a cure to save the world. Its a slow burn tale and I can see why not everyone would like it but I personally loved the themes in this story and how we got to cover such a long span of years in one standalone fantasy novel.