The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison, #1)

by Natalie Mae

In the magical kingdom of Orkena, Zahru has long dreamed of a life beyond the desert, even though she knows her lowly position as a stable girl who can commune with animals will never afford her such a luxury.

All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes an ancient tradition known as the Crossing. It’s a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish - and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end - will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.

As preparations and celebrations commence, Zahru jumps at the chance to experience a small taste of glamour by sneaking into the palace. But the minor indiscretion quickly turns into the worst mistake of her life as she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is ultimately forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most powerful people in the world.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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I revived a copy of The Kinder Poison in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Kinder Poison is the debut novel of Natalie Mae, and it is has been marketed as perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black. Being a fan of theirs, and having read this book; I can tell you that this is completely fair.

Zahru only wanted an adventure, is that too much to ask? Unfortunately, Whisperers like her don't get many opportunities for adventure. So when her best friend came up with a plan to get them both into the palace to witness a spectacular event, she was stupid enough to turn it down.

One thing led to another, and now Zahru is on that adventure she always hoped for, and it is nothing like what she expected. The stakes are high, and the cost even higher. Yet she is exactly where she needs to be.

“All good stories start with bad decisions.”

The Kinder Poison is every bit the thrilling adventure that I hoped it would be. It was fast-paced and intense, and completely unafraid to be exactly what it is. Zahru's tale has only just begun, and I can already see how she's going to change the world.

The kingdom of Orkena is a fascinating one – one that I sincerely cannot wait to see more of in future novels. Actually, the whole world that Mae has created here is brilliant and interesting, with lots of hints of more to come.

The characters are bold and bright, and not afraid to sass when needed, which is always fantastic if you ask me. Zahru is a shining light in both the novel and the world, and I cannot wait to see what future adventures she'll find herself in.

The secondary characters were just as impressive, which is vital for this particular novel and the many subplots that surrounded them. The impact would have been lost, if we hadn't been given so many reasons to care (or feel anything, for that matter) about the others.

In the future, when I think of debut novels worth diving into, I'm going to think of The Kinder Poison. This book is everything that I'd want from an adventure like this, and I really do believe that the marketing was on point. That's not always a given, so I'm relishing in that fact right now.

I think what I loved the most about The Kinder Poison is the message woven into the narrative. It's beautiful and simple, and yet so extremely powerful. That alone makes this book worth reading, and guarantees that it'll stick in our minds for quite some time.

I should probably mention that there are several potential ships to be found within The Kinder Poison, so if that is your thing, you really need to dive into this book. Seriously, the love/hate in this book is strong.

The ending still has me reeling, if I'm being truthful. Though at least it made certain that I'll be snatching up the sequel as soon as humanly possible. Until then!

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 22 June, 2020: Reviewed