The Prison Healer is the first book in a new dark YA fantasy series by Australian author, Lynette Noni. It is the story of 17-year-old Kiva who has spent the last 10 years in the notorious death prison Zalindov, fighting to stay alive. Thanks to her Father’s teachings, she was given the job as The Prison Healer and while it has provided her a scrap of protection from the prison, it has come with horrors of its own.
When the Rebel Queen is captured and brought to the prison infirmary, it is up to Kiva to keep her alive. Parties on all sides have stakes on the terminally ill Queen’s life and Kiva is pulled in multiple directions to save her long enough to compete in the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges that if successful will see the victor freed from Zalindov once and for all.
Aware that a lot depends on the Rebel Queens survival, Kiva risks her own life and volunteers to compete in her place. If she succeeds, both herself and the Queen will be granted their freedom. The only problem is that no one has ever survived.
The whole premise of this book was intriguing! It is almost entirely set in a prison that once you enter, the only way out is upon your death. We as readers are unsure of why Kiva has been sentenced to the prison, but we join her 10 years after her incarceration with her performing her duties as the prison healer. Using the skills her father taught her, she has made herself important to the prison and secured herself a small semblance of security. She has also managed to smuggle and receive coded messages from her family on the outside and these messages have been crucial to giving her the strength to continue living amongst the horrors that is her life in the prison. The story is told from Kiva’s point of view and as such we see the day to day struggles she faces and the absolute danger she is constantly in. I generally prefer books that have multiple points of view, but Noni does a wonderful job describing the full picture and I never felt I was missing a part of the narrative.
There are two important parts of this book. The first and most noticeable is Kiva’s attempts to defeat the Trials by Ordeal in order to gain freedom and save the lives of her friends. The other is a mysterious illness that has the prison within its grips. This plot appeared almost out of nowhere and merely hovered in the background until they combined towards the end of the book.
The narrative is a wonderful combination of both plot and character driven elements and it all rounds out to be an intricate adventure. Noni has created some truly special and well rounded characters in The Prison Healer. Kiva, Tipp, Jaren, and Naari are a great group of misfits and while they have a loose loyalty to one another, you also can’t help but doubt everything they say. The interpersonal relationships between each of the characters is remarkable and the romance the blossoms was a very welcome addition.
The Prison Healer is a wild ride of adventure and emotions that really took me by surprise! The start of the book was a bit slow, but once the trials began, things start to unravel and a number of twists and turns ensue. Each revelation leads the reader to the massive cliffhanger at the end of the book, which left me searching for non-existent pages. With hindsight, there were little hints along the way but they only became visible at the end.
The Prison Healer is the exciting start to a dark YA fantasy series. It is full of mystery and action with a super cast of new characters you can’t help but fall in love with. The worldbuilding is unique and the plot will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. This is a must read for lovers of tournaments, high stakes, and exciting action!
The Prison Healer is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 30th in Australia and April 13th in the US and UK.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.
When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.
Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.
But no one has ever survived.
With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.
From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.
