Review: Poison

Poison

By Bridget Zinn

Published: March 12, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

My review:

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There is quite a bit of humor and lightheartedness so even though Kyra is on the run and has a dark task ahead of her, the story is actually fun. 

Kyra is a smart and funny main character and she isn't perfect. She makes mistakes and sometimes trusts the wrong people or doesn't trust the right ones. I think this made her easier to relate to. There are some mysteries about her and some things that I wish were explored more such as her other abilities aside from potion making.

Fred also adds to the humor and I love their banter. He is not exactly a "Prince Charming" type but he is a decent guy who still has the ability to make Kyra a bit weak-kneed at times (though she really fights the attraction-she has a job to do!). Instead of being a hero who saved the day, they really helped each other quite a bit.

I do wish we'd gotten to know the secondary characters a little better. Of those characters, I think Princess Ariana is the one I felt I knew the best by the end of the book. Being able to see the flashbacks of their friendship through Kyra's memories certainly helped.

The magical world that the author created was very interesting. I liked learning about how magic worked and the various potions Kyra could create. That aspect of the book reminded me of Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock and I think Poison would appeal to fans of that book.

Overall, although it had some minor flaws, I thought this book was charming and funny with some suspense and plot twists but nothing overly dark. Although this isn't a fairy tale, it has that kind of tone as well as light fantasy. I laughed out loud while reading and had a smile on my face as I turned the last page. I only wish there was more.


Note: I am honored that I had the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book. It is so sad that the author Bridget Zinn did not live to see it published.