Poison's Kiss Review

4 stars!!! This was a pretty quick read for me and a rather easy one, to be honest. From the blurb, I found the premise to be pretty interesting. However, although I found this book to be pretty good, there were some parts that didn't capture me as much. Let me elaborate on these points further. On one hand, I did enjoy the worldbuilding in this novel. I liked how it was based on Indian mythology and customs. The exoticism that was gleaned from the pages through the descriptions was enchanting and kind of reminded me of "The Wrath and the Dawn" but not nearly at that level. I would say it was pretty immersive. Unfortunately, there were glaring disparities in the imagery. I guess this would come from not much research being done about a culture and how things happened in earlier Indian civilizations. Like for example, since the story was set in a more old-fashioned city with Rajas and elephants, I would not expect the world to have cafes or bakeries as this is a rather modern concept that would not have existed in that era albeit even if it's fictional. Thus, for this reason, I removed an entire star from my rating. Fortunately, I thought the characters were pretty awesome. I loved the MC Marinda. I loved how independent and strong-willed she was. Throughout the novel, we catch a glimpse into her fears, vulnerabilities and other emotions. As an assassin, we see her conflict of emotions as she realises that things are not as they seem. That her life has been cloaked in secrets and betrayals. She longs for freedom and is guilt-ridden with the kills she has accomplished as a visha kanya. I even enjoyed reading about her relationship with her brother Mani and her friend Iyla. These aspects helped to show how human she really was and that she was definitely a kind-hearted person. I also thought that the minor characters were fleshed out really well. They play a pivotal role in plot progression and it was interesting to see their backstories and their motives for their actions. The romance aspect of this novel was a bit instant for my liking but I did like Deven's character. He is genuinely caring, brave and respectful. However, his interactions with Marinda were not swoon-worthy. I felt like they lacked a bit of chemistry. He also tends to forgive and trust her rather easily. This, in my opinion, is rather unrealistic, as he knows her for just a short while. That's why a slow build romance would have been perfect as would have got to experience conflict and tension which I think was required for their relationship. Not that the book didn't have it, but I wanted something a bit deeper and complex. Other than that, I found the book to be deliciously dark and mesmerising. The magic aspect of the storyline really drew me in. I liked how there were different animal spirits/gods and how the Naga are trying to capture the world. I loved how this meshed with the political aspect of the Kingdom. The book is fast-paced and the writing style was flawless. The story, on the whole, is about friendship, family and the journey to freedom especially in regards to being caged by circumstances. The story has plenty of action and can be a bit gory. But, it mostly deals with secrets and the life of an assassin. Overall, I did find the book enjoyable and I look forward to reading the sequel. If you are a fan of dark YA fantasy, I would recommend this one as a quick read. :)

#magic #assassins #youngadult #romance #mythology #India #Darkfastasy #BreeanaShields