Poison Dark and Drowning
by Jessica Cluess
♦publisher: Random House BFYR
♦release date: September 19th, 2017
♦hardcover, 432 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Kingdom of Fire, book 2
♦source: ARC from publisher for honest review
Henrietta doesn't need a prophecy to know that she's in danger. She came to London to be named the chosen one, the first female sorcerer in centuries, the one who would defeat the Ancients. Instead, she discovered a city ruled by secrets. And the biggest secret of all: Henrietta is not the chosen one.
Still, she must play the role in order to keep herself and Rook, her best friend and childhood love, safe. But can she truly save him? The poison in Rook's system is transforming him into something monstrous as he begins to master dark powers of his own. So when Henrietta finds a clue to the Ancients past that could turn the tide of the war, she persuades Blackwood, the mysterious Earl of Sorrow-Fell, to travel up the coast to seek out strange new weapons. And Magnus, the brave, reckless flirt who wants to win back her favor, is assigned to their mission. Together, they will face monsters, meet powerful new allies, and uncover the most devastating weapon of all: the truth.
Still, she must play the role in order to keep herself and Rook, her best friend and childhood love, safe. But can she truly save him? The poison in Rook's system is transforming him into something monstrous as he begins to master dark powers of his own. So when Henrietta finds a clue to the Ancients past that could turn the tide of the war, she persuades Blackwood, the mysterious Earl of Sorrow-Fell, to travel up the coast to seek out strange new weapons. And Magnus, the brave, reckless flirt who wants to win back her favor, is assigned to their mission. Together, they will face monsters, meet powerful new allies, and uncover the most devastating weapon of all: the truth.
Review: After reading and adoring A Shadow Bright and Burning last year, I eagerly jumped back into Henrietta Howel's enchanting and exciting story.
This time around, things take a little darker turn as Henrietta and Blackwood set off to find a way to defeat the Ancients in the oncoming war. They are some great new additions to the cast. With such a predominately testosterone-heavy group that Henrietta has had to deal with thus far, it was great to see the development of a strong friendship between Henrietta and Maria, a new witch that joins their group. Plus this girl is feisty, mysterious, and clever as can be in all her Scottish, ax-wielding glory!
The focus on this new friendship was a welcome departure as the confusing and sometimes frustratingly fickle love triangle Henrietta has going continues to be undecided (some would call it a love “square” but honestly, to me, even though she professes her undying love to Rook, he always seems too out of sight, out of mind to really be in the running lol). There's some slightly off-putting personality development with a character that was one of my favorites the first time around, so I'm wary to see how that will all end up in book 3.
Still, it all plays out secondary to the adventure as they come across new challenges and creatures, some exciting twists and astonishing discoveries. A great follow up that left me eager for the finale!
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Jessica Cluess is a writer, a graduate of Northwestern University, and an unapologetic nerd. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, where she served coffee to the rich and famous while working on her first novel. When she’s not writing books, she’s an instructor at Writopia Lab, helping kids and teens tell their own stories.
Purchase the book: Indiebound • BookDepository • Amazon
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