Wow, what an amazing read this was! The style of writing, the story, the characters… this book just has it all in a perfectly successful combination. As soon as you pick up the book, you are immersed and thrown into this intriguing story. The writing style is extremely engaging and fun to read, making the high stakes in the story that much more intense.
Lately for me it seems that young adult books are either a complete miss or a total win. And what it seems to come down to is the uniqueness of the stories and the ability for the author to infuse important concepts/issues without sounding preachy. Now, that might sound very contradictory but there is a way to tell a story that perfectly conveys those ideas without losing the story in order to share the ideas, and Mae does this perfectly. The Kinder Poison is such an intricately and well written story that everything comes together so perfectly.
So, the magic system in this book is so diverse yet incredibly interesting. For instance, Zahru has the ability to speak to animals, and isn’t that pretty much the dream power? I mean, if I were to have any type of magic, it would definitely be talking to animals (asides from my desire to be able to stop time for unlimited naps with zero consequences). But while the magic system was interesting, so was the world, but this is the one place where the story is lacking. There are multiple countries mentioned, each at war with one another. But that seems to be as far as it goes. Hopefully that as this series continues this will continue to be built on and expanded, given a chance to explore more about these locations that make up the world in The Kinder Poison.
The romance was well incorporated into the story. It is definitely more of an insta-love story, but there is still plenty of time for the relationship to develop. And maybe even a chance for another relationship to develop. But even outside of the romance, the characters develop and grow on their own. You are immediately able to connect with each of the characters and the powers they have. And this is one of those books where you actually might find you like the side characters more than the main characters. I personally really like when this happens because it makes every scene with those characters that much more interesting.
For those who love a bit of humour in their reads, there are plenty of laughs scattered throughout this book. Within the first few chapters alone, there are multiple laugh out loud moments. I always appreciate humour in a book, not just because it makes the story amusing, but just because it adds some depth to stories that could go down too dreary a path. There needs to be a little bit of give and take between the separate tones that can be instilled in a story.
So far 2020 has proven to be dominating the fantasy genre. There have been so many books with different styles of fantasy that have already come out this year, and The Kinder Poison is an excellent new addition. This is a book that even those who are not huge fans of fantasy will be able to pick up and enjoy. And enjoy is truly the best word for it as it really is an enjoyable read. It’s one of those books that you can just pick up and read without wanting to set it down. You’ll find yourself laughing at points, frustrated at points, excited at points, and even sad at points. Mae definitely did an amazing job incorporating so many different feelings for the readers to enjoy throughout the story and the second book cannot come soon enough!
The Kinder Poison is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.
Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.
All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing: a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish—and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end—will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.
With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world.
