A review by piasbookshelf
A Touch of Poison by Clare Sager

adventurous emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Rating: 5 "what was THAT ENDING" ✨

Spice: 3.25 "good girl" 🌶

I would like to thank @claresager for the eARC opportunity. Like always, this review is voluntary & honest.

GAH, this book was absolutely INCREDIBLE. And that ending? I will not be over it ANY TIME SOON. It left me at the edge of my seat after having thrown my kindle, wondering how I will survive until book 3 is in my hands.

I mean, this book has got angst, forbidden romance, Fae courts & court intrigue, twists & turns that will have you wondering who can be trusted, and who is the enemy. The way Clare took us from the human lands into Elfhame and built this world so incredibly. The world development was done amazingly, it wasn't too much information at once, it all felt like knowledge we gained effortlessly. I was intrigued by the world; the new characters introduced & it made you fall in love with some while remaining suspicious of others. I enjoyed the WHOLE ride & did not want to put this book down if I could help it.

My Queen Katherine's development was TOP TIER. She went through it in book one & the events in this book weren't any easier on her. But the way she rose above all of it? The strength she found within herself, her road of self-discovery to finding how powerful she truly was & always had been. I was cheering her on, rooting for her throughout her whole journey. And her development with Bastian? The gasps I gusped. The screams I scrumed. The SCREECHES I LET OUT.

Bastian, MR. TOP TIER SHADOW DADDY! I, with no regrets or reservations, fell EVEN HARDER for this man. He is seriously a blueprint for the perfect MMC. We've got an intimidating man, who is soft only for her. A man of loyalty & rules & yet he will break them all for her. A man who is irrevocably a goner who the one he loves & will protect her at all costs. He's such an intriguing character, who at the moment is so conflicted with what he thinks he's always knows & this different reality he is being forced to face. The development he will go through in the next book, the final one in the trilogy, will be incredible, I just KNOW It.

The spice? It was spicing & the screams I let out almost left me with no voice. Regrets? NONE. But this one was definitely for us ✨praise girlies✨🫡 Bastian FED us in this one.

Ella, Rose, Faolan, Lysander, Ariadne, Asher & Perry, this group of friends OWN MY HEART. Other characters were also introduced that now also hold a place in my heart & I will fully root for. I am counting down the days until book 3 excitedly, but also very stressed. With that being said, I 100% recommend this book & trilogy! 💜