Poison
Bridget Zinn
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Date Published: March 12, 2013
Pages: 288
Source: Library
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?
Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.
4 Stars!
My Review
I loved this book! A lot of my favorite books have really strong female characters, and Kyra fits the bill. She’s only sixteen, but she’s a Master of Potions, and knows how to fight better than most men. After an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the princess, she’s been on the run until she can find the princess again for a second try. Along the way, she manages to acquire a piglet named Rosie who’s supposed to help track the princess, and a companion named Fred who, along with being very handsome, also knows how to cook and make Kyra laugh. It’s tough to review this one without spoilers so I’ll give you a list of what I loved below.
What I Loved
1. Kyra: She’s a badass. She’s only sixteen, but knows hand to hand combat, how to precisely measure potions to make someone tell the truth without killing them, and has utter loyalty to her kingdom and her friends.
2. Rosie: Rosie is a tiny piglet that helps Kyra track the princess. She’s adorable, carries a little basket around her neck and is best friends with a giant dog. What’s not to love?
3. The world: Potions in the kingdom of Mohr can heal, change your appearance, put someone to sleep, turn them into wood or kill someone. There are witches and magical creatures, gypsies and magical jewelery. It all felt really effortless and I never questioned why something worked or the rules because I was completely immersed in it.
4. The plot: I had to give a somewhat abbreviated review because I wanted to avoid spoilers. The plot keeps you guessing till the end and there are little twists and turns throughout. I loved not know what the full story was until the end.
5. The humor: The characters are like reading about a good friend. They joke around, have witty comebacks and you generally enjoy getting to know them. The light-hearted dialogue is central to the book.
If you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted fantasy read, I can’t recommend this enough. It’s entertaining and will keep you guessing until the end.
About the Author
Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers’ copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.
Reading On The Farm 