lassarina's review against another edition
DNF page 100. The court interactions were kind of interesting, but none of the characters grabbed my attention and I did not care for Wynter's judgment on several levels. I feel like there were interesting ideas here, but not as well implemented as they could be, and I eventually just gave up.
elusivity's review against another edition
2.0
This novel is the first of a trilogy, and reads like a very long set-up chapter. Not too much happens in terms of big actions, but lots of court intrigues and relationship-development. As such, it is a funnel that directs you to buy/read the next book, forthwith.
As well, it reads like the early work of someone who might become a very good novelist one day, but not yet. The writing is occasionally awkward, with a few brilliant metaphors but many more over-wrought ones. The world-building is vague at best, piggy-backing off of a vaguely-medieval Europe, yet with obvious differences such as magic and talking cats. Characters' personality seem to flip-flop from scene to scene -- one moment bellowing and throwing things about, the next winking and smiling tenderly. The writer also cannot seem to trust her audience to imagine and infer: every eye-tick or movement of the mouth must be described in detail, every action telegraphed, each scene full of an unexplained and inexorable angst. People's hearts are full of love, ready to spill out, or hands shaking with fear, or trembling in anger, or xyz in shock (why are they shocked all the time? why not, for the sake of variety, be occasionally surprised?) -- an abundance of over-wrought emotionality that goes no where, as they seemingly have no origin or explanation.
The good part is, this seems to be the start of an interesting story. Kiernan captures that feeling of being trapped within intolerable circumstances, caught beneath the thumb of tyranny, with no where to turn but to one's friends and family.
As well, it reads like the early work of someone who might become a very good novelist one day, but not yet. The writing is occasionally awkward, with a few brilliant metaphors but many more over-wrought ones. The world-building is vague at best, piggy-backing off of a vaguely-medieval Europe, yet with obvious differences such as magic and talking cats. Characters' personality seem to flip-flop from scene to scene -- one moment bellowing and throwing things about, the next winking and smiling tenderly. The writer also cannot seem to trust her audience to imagine and infer: every eye-tick or movement of the mouth must be described in detail, every action telegraphed, each scene full of an unexplained and inexorable angst. People's hearts are full of love, ready to spill out, or hands shaking with fear, or trembling in anger, or xyz in shock (why are they shocked all the time? why not, for the sake of variety, be occasionally surprised?) -- an abundance of over-wrought emotionality that goes no where, as they seemingly have no origin or explanation.
The good part is, this seems to be the start of an interesting story. Kiernan captures that feeling of being trapped within intolerable circumstances, caught beneath the thumb of tyranny, with no where to turn but to one's friends and family.
nikolson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ladyofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This book swept me away almost instantly. It was a perfect read for Halloween as well, with talking cats and ghosts throughout! It’s historical fantasy, and a bit more historical than fantasy, but it’s characters were so realistic I felt as though I was standing there and watching it all happen before my eyes, what they were all going through.
This book is not for the faint of heart, if you’re easily depressed, don’t like to read graphic depictions of torture, and ghosts who are violent and dangerous as well as friendly and helpful.
The Poison Throne is book one of three, which I got all three books at the bookstore a steal of $15 dollars, when on Amazon they’d have been around $25 I think. I could be wrong, but I know I got them for cheap, and getting an entire new (to me) trilogy in excellent condition is rare, so I treated myself because who can resist talking cats and ghosts as part of the plot?
The main character, Wynter Moorehawke, is trying to get her father to be better, even as his ailing takes place during a great time of strife as they return home from a long journey to find all the cats murdered, the ghosts being ignored, and the people afraid of their King. King Jonathan is someone who is all fearing, and powerful. His son, Razi, is her brother though not by blood. He has a new friend called Christopher, and at first the two outright hate one another.
The plot sweeps through relentlessly, fast and hurried-desperation against all odds, and horrible things happening in almost every chapter. There are assassination attempts-on both the King and Razi. There are love interests, though those are sidelined for more important things. Wynter is also the first female apprentice carpenter and has to deal with those issues as well. She wears mens pants, she’s excellent at hunting, and she can build things as well as her father.
But all that doesn’t matter, because the King is determined to see Razi on the throne, even as he’s making sure that Razi’s brother-who is apparently the true heir-is all but forgotten.
The plot thickens, there’s some startling revelations midway through the book, and the climax builds to an all time high. All too soon I reached the point of the book where I knew there wasn’t going to be enough chapters left to deal with the outcome and resolution, and am thankful that I got the remaining two books in the series, because while it leaves on a peaceful (kind of) ending, it also leaves it wide open for the second book, with the characters seperated and Wynter desperate and aching to return home even though danger lingers there at every corner.
If you’re looking for a spooky halloween read, this is kind of weak for that, despite the epic ghost scene towards the end of the book. But if you like ghosts and talking cats for your halloween selection, then I recommend that you get this one. It’s well worth reading either way.
Five stars for a job well done, and I am off to add the next two to my future reading pile of books!
This book is not for the faint of heart, if you’re easily depressed, don’t like to read graphic depictions of torture, and ghosts who are violent and dangerous as well as friendly and helpful.
The Poison Throne is book one of three, which I got all three books at the bookstore a steal of $15 dollars, when on Amazon they’d have been around $25 I think. I could be wrong, but I know I got them for cheap, and getting an entire new (to me) trilogy in excellent condition is rare, so I treated myself because who can resist talking cats and ghosts as part of the plot?
The main character, Wynter Moorehawke, is trying to get her father to be better, even as his ailing takes place during a great time of strife as they return home from a long journey to find all the cats murdered, the ghosts being ignored, and the people afraid of their King. King Jonathan is someone who is all fearing, and powerful. His son, Razi, is her brother though not by blood. He has a new friend called Christopher, and at first the two outright hate one another.
The plot sweeps through relentlessly, fast and hurried-desperation against all odds, and horrible things happening in almost every chapter. There are assassination attempts-on both the King and Razi. There are love interests, though those are sidelined for more important things. Wynter is also the first female apprentice carpenter and has to deal with those issues as well. She wears mens pants, she’s excellent at hunting, and she can build things as well as her father.
But all that doesn’t matter, because the King is determined to see Razi on the throne, even as he’s making sure that Razi’s brother-who is apparently the true heir-is all but forgotten.
The plot thickens, there’s some startling revelations midway through the book, and the climax builds to an all time high. All too soon I reached the point of the book where I knew there wasn’t going to be enough chapters left to deal with the outcome and resolution, and am thankful that I got the remaining two books in the series, because while it leaves on a peaceful (kind of) ending, it also leaves it wide open for the second book, with the characters seperated and Wynter desperate and aching to return home even though danger lingers there at every corner.
If you’re looking for a spooky halloween read, this is kind of weak for that, despite the epic ghost scene towards the end of the book. But if you like ghosts and talking cats for your halloween selection, then I recommend that you get this one. It’s well worth reading either way.
Five stars for a job well done, and I am off to add the next two to my future reading pile of books!
iphigenias's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Reread. Wynter's "high green pain" in her forehead and the sage dress with the rose shift beneath... etched into my memory forever.
appelsientje2's review against another edition
4.0
reread
- loved it
- great writing
- wynter is arrogant and suspicious
When she gets to know christopher better she gets over the suspicion, so that aspect of her gets better and she does how guilt for judging
still don't like her arrogance towards other people, she thinks she's way better than other girls and thinks too highly of herself
- love the world & politics
- Razi is a bit too controlling for my liking but i guess it makes him a more rounded character
- I love that the magical things in this book are ghosts and cats, such a weird choice & combination but I love it
- I like the character of the king, I mean I hate him but I like his character
He is a jerk and honestly seems like a horrible human being but at the same time he has a difficult position and truly feels like he has no other choice but to push Razi to take his brother's place and he seems to care so much for Lorcan
- I love the ginger cat, i don't know why because she/he (?) isn't sweet or kind or anything but I loved that they both comforted each other after the ghost scene (I think I just love cats too much)
- I like the mystery around the history of lorcan, oliver and the king
- I liked the sadness about the beautiful and peaceful childhood of Wynter, Razi and Albi and the deep friendship between the king, oliver and lorcan and how everything has changed
- christopher is too sweet
- I love how both christopher and razi (and even Lorcan sometimes) are very sentimental, emotional and really show their love for each other (they cry multiple times and i find it very sweet!)
- loved it
- great writing
- wynter is arrogant and suspicious
When she gets to know christopher better she gets over the suspicion, so that aspect of her gets better and she does how guilt for judging
still don't like her arrogance towards other people, she thinks she's way better than other girls and thinks too highly of herself
- love the world & politics
- Razi is a bit too controlling for my liking but i guess it makes him a more rounded character
- I love that the magical things in this book are ghosts and cats, such a weird choice & combination but I love it
- I like the character of the king, I mean I hate him but I like his character
He is a jerk and honestly seems like a horrible human being but at the same time he has a difficult position and truly feels like he has no other choice but to push Razi to take his brother's place and he seems to care so much for Lorcan
- I love the ginger cat, i don't know why because she/he (?) isn't sweet or kind or anything but I loved that they both comforted each other after the ghost scene (I think I just love cats too much)
- I like the mystery around the history of lorcan, oliver and the king
- I liked the sadness about the beautiful and peaceful childhood of Wynter, Razi and Albi and the deep friendship between the king, oliver and lorcan and how everything has changed
- christopher is too sweet
- I love how both christopher and razi (and even Lorcan sometimes) are very sentimental, emotional and really show their love for each other (they cry multiple times and i find it very sweet!)
lian_tanner's review against another edition
4.0
'The Poison Throne' is one of those books that keeps you up late at night, saying 'Just one more chapter. And one more. And one more ...' Great characters and a terrific read. I'm now desperate to read the second one.
jenn_geeks_out's review against another edition
1.0
I am aware that I am firmly in the minority with my rating of this book. It is rare that a book garners a 1-star review because we tend to read what we like and thus, like what we read. With so many positive reviews, though, I wonder if I was just cranky while reading this book. That is, might I have enjoyed this book if I were in a different mood while reading it? Perhaps, but I was only looking to be entertained and the Poison Throne couldn't even manage that.
The problem is that this book is underdeveloped. The characters are not developed. I don't mean that they are 2D or aren't developed well; I mean they aren't developed at all. Who is Wynter? Some girl who's a carpenter with a sick dad. Razi? Illegitimate prince. Christopher? Some randy foreigner. They have no personalities and so it is impossible to become attached to them, to care about their trials, to be invested in their romantic interests.
Without developed characters, the plot was even less developed. In trying to review this and pick out the important plot points, I can't even find them. What happened in this book? Father and daughter return to kingdom they left. Father is sick for 300 pages. Illegitimate prince is forced to the throne. That's bad. People are unhappy. Daughter leaves father. That's it. That's the whole book. There is supposed to be intrigue, but it's (you guessed it!) underdeveloped. There are some magical elements, ghosts and talking cats, but they are also underdeveloped. There's a mysterious machine that gets mentioned, but never explained, and is as such underdeveloped. I admire good writers who show but don't tell and who use subtlety to weave intricate plots. This seems to be what Kiernan was going for, but she utterly failed. Instead of mystery and intrigue, the reader gets a plot that moves along at the pace of molasses and affects characters that no one knows or understands much less cares about.
In addition to those complaints, the manuscript made me very cranky. There were numerous grammar and punctuation errors, not to mention many 'cl' ligatures typed as 'd'. It drove me batty. So batty, that I treated my Facebook friends to snapshots of the book, pointing out these mistakes. I even forced a friend studying the topic in syntax to explain, as a pop quiz, why a particular sentence from the book (Razi looked at herself(meaning Wynter) and Christopher) is ungrammatical. I am usually willing to overlook grammar mistakes and poor writing if the plot is interesting, but as I said before, it wasn't.
I'm trying to find a bright side here, but it's difficult. The cover art was cool. Some of her descriptions were unique. That's about it.
The problem is that this book is underdeveloped. The characters are not developed. I don't mean that they are 2D or aren't developed well; I mean they aren't developed at all. Who is Wynter? Some girl who's a carpenter with a sick dad. Razi? Illegitimate prince. Christopher? Some randy foreigner. They have no personalities and so it is impossible to become attached to them, to care about their trials, to be invested in their romantic interests.
Without developed characters, the plot was even less developed. In trying to review this and pick out the important plot points, I can't even find them. What happened in this book? Father and daughter return to kingdom they left. Father is sick for 300 pages. Illegitimate prince is forced to the throne. That's bad. People are unhappy. Daughter leaves father. That's it. That's the whole book. There is supposed to be intrigue, but it's (you guessed it!) underdeveloped. There are some magical elements, ghosts and talking cats, but they are also underdeveloped. There's a mysterious machine that gets mentioned, but never explained, and is as such underdeveloped. I admire good writers who show but don't tell and who use subtlety to weave intricate plots. This seems to be what Kiernan was going for, but she utterly failed. Instead of mystery and intrigue, the reader gets a plot that moves along at the pace of molasses and affects characters that no one knows or understands much less cares about.
In addition to those complaints, the manuscript made me very cranky. There were numerous grammar and punctuation errors, not to mention many 'cl' ligatures typed as 'd'. It drove me batty. So batty, that I treated my Facebook friends to snapshots of the book, pointing out these mistakes. I even forced a friend studying the topic in syntax to explain, as a pop quiz, why a particular sentence from the book (Razi looked at herself(meaning Wynter) and Christopher) is ungrammatical. I am usually willing to overlook grammar mistakes and poor writing if the plot is interesting, but as I said before, it wasn't.
I'm trying to find a bright side here, but it's difficult. The cover art was cool. Some of her descriptions were unique. That's about it.
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
Concept overall was okay, but so much angst!! So many people crying - including men... =_= got a bit annoying.
And "baby-girl" from a father to his daughter... I've always been under the impression that it was more of a lover's term of endearment than a father-daughter thing, so it kinda sat wrong with me.
And "baby-girl" from a father to his daughter... I've always been under the impression that it was more of a lover's term of endearment than a father-daughter thing, so it kinda sat wrong with me.