The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1)
by Natalie Mae
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 16th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis
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.
My Thoughts
This book captured my heart from the first chapter. If you love YA fantasy, sibling royalty, rivailry, and a battle for the throne,then this is your go-to book for the summer!
Zahru who just wants to visit the palace for a night ends up caught up between two brothers and a sisters as the compete in “The Crossing” for a chance to be the heir to the throne. Zahru is a wonderful character who is both a compassionate and cunning protagonist. All of the characters are well developed and play a critical role in the story which I loved. Sometimes minor characters are just that and you are left wondering why they were brought in, but all the characters here had purpose.
The world building was done well and easy to understand. Sometimes I find world building can be a bit too complex and hard to follow, which can turn me off, but this is not the case with Kinder Poison. The magical elements were well done as well and bring some new magical abilities to the table in the YA fantasy genre making for a unique plot.
The pacing is fast, as there is not much downtime in the race and made flying through the book very enjoyable. I will be recommending this book to all of my YA fantasy fans who are looking for a new series!
Favorite Quotes
“If you’ll forgive comparison, kindness is like a poison. Sometimes it takes time to work.”
“And remember, no matter what you are born to, you can be more.”
“Fara says good deeds are like sparks, when one lands, it catches fire to everything around it.”
Prize: Win (1) of (5) copies of THE KINDER POISON by Natalie Mae (US Only)
Starts: 10th June 2020
Ends: 24th June 2020
Click giveaway link above to enter!
BOOK LINKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42893340-the-kinder-poison
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3avr9TU
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kinder-poison-natalie-mae/1134068050?ean=9781984835215
Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Kinder-Poison-Natalie-Mae/9781984835215
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-kinder-poison
AUTHOR INFORMATION
NaTaLiE MaE is an ex-programmer, dessert enthusiast, and author of young adult novels. She has also been a freelance editor and Pitch Wars mentor, and feels it notable to mention she once held a job where she had to feed spiders.
She now writes full-time at home with a bag of dark chocolates in one hand and a leopard cat on her lap. She is most definitely not checking Instagram right now.
AUTHOR LINKS
Website: https://nataliemaebooks.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18637214.Natalie_Mae
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ByNatalieMae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ByNatalieMae/
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