Review of "Poison"

“The princess had to die.”

     In Bridget Zinn’s Poison, even the most beloved girl in the kingdom cannot be trusted. Sixteen-year-old potion master Kyra grew up alongside Princess Ariana, the royal heir. The two were best friends, once—before a vision of the future warned Kyra that nothing was as it seemed. As it happened, the only way to save the kingdom from complete destruction was to eliminate the source of the threat, which she would do by attacking Ariana with a poison dart. The only problem? For the first time in her life, Kyra missed. Now a fugitive, Kyra will do anything to get a second chance at playing the hero, even if it means teaming up with a cute stranger and following a magical pig who knows where. Add in a reclusive hermit who shows up in the most bizarre places, an untrustworthy thief, and a fellow potions master with a broken heart, and this quest just got a lot more difficult. It’s a good thing Kyra brought along her poisons—but even those won’t last forever.

     Under ordinary circumstances, one might find it hard to believe that a story about a girl trying to eliminate her best friend could possibly be funny. These circumstances, however, are far from ordinary. Nothing is ever quite predictable: friends may be enemies, enemies may be other enemies in disguise, and the key to figuring out the truth could very well be an adorable tracking pig. The humor is just subtle enough to preserve the tension and stakes, yet is woven so thoroughly throughout the plot that it’s nearly impossible to get through a chapter without at least chuckling once.

     At the same time, Zinn’s quirky fairy tale knows when to take itself seriously. The danger which threatens the kingdom is enormous, and the weight of it is ever-present, waiting to crush Kyra if she isn’t careful. Then too there are her own dark secrets, things she refuses to tell even the reader until she trusts her audience enough to spill the beans. While this occasionally leads to curious plot twists with little foreshadowing, such revelations are carefully sculpted to fit ideally into their designated place. Each may seem innocent enough on the surface, but their ramifications bring out intriguing facets of Kyra’s true character, thereby intensifying their awesome nature.

     This is a beautiful piece full of immersive settings and dynamic characters, romance and magic, and adventure beyond belief. Everything is accomplished cleanly—that is, without offensive language, graphic action scenes, or excessively intimate moments between heroine and love interest. The only thing which comes close is the moment when a young man rescues Kyra from a stream, where she has made quite a spectacle with a pig and some wet clothes. Otherwise, everyone from children to adults could easily find this tale fun and exciting.

     I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a marvelous adventure full of romance, deceit, and mystery, with plenty of humor thrown in to spice things up. It’s got smart heroes, a plot full of twists and turns, and a sweet romantic subplot that makes everything that much more believable. Oh, and don’t forget the piglet who’s along for the ride. Bridget Zinn’s Poison is a lovely fairytale-esque novel with plenty of heart, and thus deserves five golden stars.