Kyra is the most wanted fugitive of the Kingdom. She tried, and failed, to kill her best friend, the Princess Arianna, heir to the throne. She's been running for 3 months now and she feels the urgency to kill her or the consequences will be dire. So much so that she turns for help to the worst criminal there is, and it's not the smartest move she's made...
Poison was a fun and engaging quick read and I can't believe it took me that long to read it. The cover was what first draw me in, and the synopsis promised a story full of adventure. I am a fantasy fan and I loved the idea of the main character being a potionnist (I mean, I had an alchemist when I used to play world of warcraft haha), so I knew I had to give it a shot.
I truly enjoyed this debut novel by Zinn even though this is a much lighter read than the likes of Cashore or Snyder. I would compare Zinn's style to Rachel Hawkins, but in a high fantasy set-up. The following quote is a good example of what I mean by 'light':
“Ariana, there's a small rodent on your face. Thought you should know."
"It's a mustache. Kyra assured me that it's extremely convincing.”
The whole novel is sprinkled with this same humour, keeping the tone generally joyful despite the whole 'running-for-her-life', 'wanting-to-kill-the-princess' theme.
The characters proved to be highly likeable and it's probably the main reason I enjoyed this book so much. Kyra is a capable young woman and she is full of mysteries. We discover all of her secrets along the way and learn why she wants to kill her best friend. Her determination is commendable and her skill is impressive. Fred was simply amazing and I loved him to pieces. He is fun, trustworthy, a good cook AND he is good looking. What more can a girl ask for? Rosy, the pink pig, also deserve an honorable mention for being such a cute and useful critter.
I loved how smoothly the storyline flowed and how everything made sense when Zinn finally let us in onto her secrets. The conclusion was also very satisfying and I find myself wondering if this novel is a stand alone or the first novel of a series? Either way, I strongly suggest you give it a shot, especially if you like Rachel Hawkins.
I loved this book from such a brave author. I read it about a year ago and was really impressed with the fairytale like character of the story. Great review!
ReplyDeleteOh, I've been looking forward to this book for quite a while, so I'm glad to see a positive review :). Hopefully I can get my hands on it soon; it sounds right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteOk I totally love the comparison to Rachel Hawkins in that it sounds lighter. Sometimes that is exactly what you need. I dare say I like it both ways. I've had this on my shelf since release date and I can't believe how long I've let it sit either!
ReplyDeleteHi Tynga! Thank you for the great review. I'm a fan of YA fantasy as well. I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. But it's not the kind of book that I usually find at my bookshop so it's taking me so long to get a copy. I want a smooth storyline as well. Looking forward to this.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this book too. I am sad to report that Zinn died right before (or maybe right after) this, her debut book, was published, so there are no future installments :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review Tynga, this sounds very good to me.
ReplyDeleteOh wow I had no idea! That is soo sad
ReplyDeletethanks for the feedbacks guys!
ReplyDelete