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A review by ashleysills
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book did keep me up until 3 a.m. finishing it, so it was clearly entertaining. I really liked the unique premise, the interesting magic, the huge green flag that is Jaren, and the fantastic side characters Tipp and Naari, but I don't think this one will end up being a favorite.
I buddy read this with a friend and we both agreed that the part that annoyed us the most was the selective inner dialogue that made the ending/plot twist pretty unsatisfying. The book is written in third-person omniscient, so we have a window into Kiva's mind and her thoughts. However, I felt blindsided by the ending because there was little to no foreshadowing and Kiva's inner thoughts were conveniently silent on that front, possibly to make the ending more dramatic. Instead it felt more like not even the author knew where the story was going until the end. The ending was still good, but I like my plot twists to leave me wondering how I didn't put the pieces together sooner.
Would I still recommend this book? Yes. If you love YA fantasy that isn't too heavy on world building, has female characters who are still growing into themselves and their inner strength, and is entertaining, then I think you'll love it.
P.S. I'm reviewing these after reading the whole series and book three was my personal favorite.
I buddy read this with a friend and we both agreed that the part that annoyed us the most was the selective inner dialogue that made the ending/plot twist pretty unsatisfying. The book is written in third-person omniscient, so we have a window into Kiva's mind and her thoughts. However, I felt blindsided by the ending because there was little to no foreshadowing and Kiva's inner thoughts were conveniently silent on that front, possibly to make the ending more dramatic. Instead it felt more like not even the author knew where the story was going until the end. The ending was still good, but I like my plot twists to leave me wondering how I didn't put the pieces together sooner.
Would I still recommend this book? Yes. If you love YA fantasy that isn't too heavy on world building, has female characters who are still growing into themselves and their inner strength, and is entertaining, then I think you'll love it.
P.S. I'm reviewing these after reading the whole series and book three was my personal favorite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Self harm and Sexual harassment
Spice: brief kiss