The Kinder Poison // by Natalie Mae
"No matter what you're born to, you can be more."
In the magical kingdom of Orkena, nothing is looked down on more than those that are born without magic. But even among the many that do possess magic, there is a hierarchy based on the different types of magic that is hardly ever interrupted. In an effort to have just one chance to see the capital and its riches, Zahru pretends to be someone above her station - and promptly is thrown into the most dangerous competition of her lifetime. Rather than be a spectator as planned, she becomes entangled in the feud amongst the heirs of the kingdom and turns into their human sacrifice. As she gets to know the competitors more closely, she becomes more and more desperate to find a way to stay alive.
I really enjoyed this whole book, but what really impressed me the most was the way the author led me to care about characters in a way that I would not have expected. She has a knack of bringing out everybody's humanity and making you consider the importance of what each character represents and has to say. This book kept me on the edge of the seat almost the entire way through and I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, though it ended on a sadder note than I would've liked. I would've liked more in-depth descriptions of the different types of magic present in this land but overall, this has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and BookishFirst for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
"No matter what you're born to, you can be more."
In the magical kingdom of Orkena, nothing is looked down on more than those that are born without magic. But even among the many that do possess magic, there is a hierarchy based on the different types of magic that is hardly ever interrupted. In an effort to have just one chance to see the capital and its riches, Zahru pretends to be someone above her station - and promptly is thrown into the most dangerous competition of her lifetime. Rather than be a spectator as planned, she becomes entangled in the feud amongst the heirs of the kingdom and turns into their human sacrifice. As she gets to know the competitors more closely, she becomes more and more desperate to find a way to stay alive.
I really enjoyed this whole book, but what really impressed me the most was the way the author led me to care about characters in a way that I would not have expected. She has a knack of bringing out everybody's humanity and making you consider the importance of what each character represents and has to say. This book kept me on the edge of the seat almost the entire way through and I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, though it ended on a sadder note than I would've liked. I would've liked more in-depth descriptions of the different types of magic present in this land but overall, this has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and BookishFirst for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.