What a wonderfully lavish world Natalie Mae has created in The Kinder Poison.
This story is a fast-paced adventure about a girl named Zahru that just wants to visit the palace. Instead, she ends up becoming the sacrifice in the royal's game, The Crossing. The Crossing is a race across the desert and the heir that makes it to the end must sacrifice the chosen (Zahru) to become the next Mestrah.
I was fully drawn into the plot from the beginning. The world building is beautiful and, from the start, the characters had just enough depth to them to keep me intrigued (even the side characters are quite charming!).
Each heir (Jet, Sakira, and Kasta) has their own drive to win the race (or abandon it) and as the story progresses more secrets are revealed and each character becomes more complex (and, sometimes you end up rooting for the "wrong" one...oops!). There's a love triangle for a bit of the story and some slow-burn romance, but I wouldn't say the romance drives the plot, it's just a nice addition... 'cause who wouldn't fall for a handsome royal trying to save you from being sacrificed? ;)
The story does end with a cliffhanger as The Kinder Poison is the first book in a new series. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book and I have a few theories about what may happen!
This story is a fast-paced adventure about a girl named Zahru that just wants to visit the palace. Instead, she ends up becoming the sacrifice in the royal's game, The Crossing. The Crossing is a race across the desert and the heir that makes it to the end must sacrifice the chosen (Zahru) to become the next Mestrah.
I was fully drawn into the plot from the beginning. The world building is beautiful and, from the start, the characters had just enough depth to them to keep me intrigued (even the side characters are quite charming!).
Each heir (Jet, Sakira, and Kasta) has their own drive to win the race (or abandon it) and as the story progresses more secrets are revealed and each character becomes more complex (and, sometimes you end up rooting for the "wrong" one...oops!). There's a love triangle for a bit of the story and some slow-burn romance, but I wouldn't say the romance drives the plot, it's just a nice addition... 'cause who wouldn't fall for a handsome royal trying to save you from being sacrificed? ;)
The story does end with a cliffhanger as The Kinder Poison is the first book in a new series. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book and I have a few theories about what may happen!