One of the most heartfelt reads of 2022
Jaren and Leelo were so adorable - the progress of their relationship despite so many odds was inspiring
Sage was a fascinating character to say the least - she reminded me of one of my closet loved ones and it hurt a bit to read this story because of it
Leelo’s love for Tate was depicted so well, I truly understand the love and protection one feels for younger siblings (and their constant attempts to thwart it)

Overall a great read, would recommend

I kept hearing about this book and could not wait to read it! I can say it definitely did not disappoint. The concept was SO interesting. The isolation of the island from the outside world might have given this book a small setting but the world building was just as well done and amazing.

The mysteries and secrets throughout this story kept me so interested that I flew through it. The whole time I was wondering what everyone was hiding and why.

Character-wise, I really loved Leelo’s personality and heart. You could really feel the back and forth of her thoughts, from her love for her family to listening to her heart. She really had to question all that she knew to be true. I absolutely loved her relationship with brother as well. As a reader, I really felt for her and his situation.

This book was a fast paced, quick read that didn’t have any slow points. The ending really came together so well and didn’t have me wishing for more. It’s a great read for anyone looking for a standalone, quick read.

The only downside for me was the romance. It feel a little too fast for me. I would have liked more development of their connection instead of it being pretty instant after a few interactions.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC.

First things first, I absolutely love the cover. The map was also well done. I really liked how the author constructed the worldbuilding and the setting, but ultimately the characters fell flat to me and I did not feel connected to them at all.
If the characters were more fleshed out, it would be a solid read!
Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for providing me with a DRC.

Thank you to Netgally and Inkyard Press for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest feedback.

THE POISON SEASON by Mara Rutherford is a Young Adult Fantasy set on the island of Endla. The island is protected by a poisonous lake and hosts a bloodthirsty wandering forest. Endlans live there by choice, and kill anyone who is not from their island. When an outsider shows up unexpectedly, Leelo, the compassionate protagonist, is supposed to kill him, but can't bring herself to do it. Will the outsider, Jaren, and Leelo get caught and punished for hiding him? You'll have to read to find out.

THE POISON SEASON was a well-paced, beautifully written novel with an intriguing premise. The main characters were well-developed, and the supporting cast shined brightly as well. Before I gush any further, here's more on the novel.

There are two main protagonists in this dual POV novel. Leelo is a seventeen-year-old young woman who has lived her entire life on Endla. As all people her age do, she's taken on the duty of being a Watcher — someone who monitors the lake's shores to ensure outsiders don't cross. Leelo is supposed to kill an outsider on sight, but she can't even bring herself to kill small animals as part of the rituals on the island, so it's no surprise when she can't kill the outsider she finds on the edge of the lake.

Jaren is young man who has always been a wanderer. After the death of his mother, his father moved his family to the small town that has some pathways near Lake Luma, the lake surrounding Endla. The townspeople say that the people on Endla have magic. At first Jaren is skeptical. He's from a big town where people don't believe in that kind of stuff. But when he finds himself on the shore of Endla, he begins a journey of discovery he never would have predicted.

Old secrets and family tragedies are slowly revealed. Magic, deeds, and hidden agendas propel the story forward to its satisfying ending.

What I loved most about this book:
- The cast of characters. In addition to the main characters, there are many well-crafted secondary ones about whom entire novels could be written.
- At no time did the author ground the reader in time or location, outside of the small town and the island of Endla. It gave the novel an ethereal quality that I found escapist.
- The romance. I'm a sucker for all forms of romance, and this worked for me. The two main characters connected emotionally and helped each other grow.
- The magic system was so original and I liked how certain parts of it were explained in the later parts of the book.
- I love that some of the secrets revealed were hinted at earlier in the novel.
- I could go on and on.

What didn't work:
- It took a lot longer than I expected for Jaren to end up on Endla. He hears Leelo singing earlier on, which I think could be called the catalyst. The setup didn't feel like it dragged, so this is really just a reaction to the synopsis of the book.

THE POISON SEASON is an atmospheric, beautifully written YA Fantasy which takes you on a journey to an intriguing — and sometimes creepy in a good way — protected world. I highly recommend it. Run, don't walk, to pre-order this excellent story!

Wow, what an exquisite, haunting fairy tale. The world of Endla is mysterious and lush, evoking the feelings of beloved Grimm’s fairytales. My only wish would be for a tad bit more romantic development, as I’m a sucker for this aspect in fantasy, but the underdevelopment feels naive and pure and ultimately fits with the story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this lovely eARC in exchange for my review.

Overall this book was dreamy, thoughtful, magical, and romantic. If you are looking for a well written fairytale of a book this is one for you.

This was a miss for me. I tend to love fantasies with insular settings because they afford space to develop a deliciously creepy atmosphere and really intricate character work, but this story fell flat.

The beginning drew me in with the promise of a unique, everything-is-not-what-it-seems world with secrets and lies around every corner, but I quickly lost interest when the inciting incident (the event advertised in the summary) didn't occur until nearly a third of the way through the book. From there, it continued to be a slog until about two-thirds of the way through, when we finally reached the secrets and lies portion. Here we got the tension and urgency that the majority of the novel is missing. The ending of the novel almost bumped the rating up to three stars for me, but I worry that some readers won't even make it to the ending due to the pacing issues in the first half, so my rating remains at two stars. There were also several scenarios that made it difficult for me to suspend my disbelief, like when a character sustains a massive injury and is walking around shortly thereafter as if their skin wasn't burned down to the bone.

The characterization was also lacking. Most characters felt one-dimensional and too much like stock characters to feel fully invested in their stories. It wasn't until the ending that I began to see even the main character as anything more than the cliche "she's-not-like-other-girls" heroine (it didn't help that the love interest referred to her as "special" multiple times and even mused that he felt she belonged in a fantasy world, perhaps among fae). The love interest was also lackluster, and the way he spoke about gender rubbed me the wrong way. He referred to women (in general) as emotional, unpredictable, and stubborn, and these descriptions were all made in passing, with no one to check him and tell him he was being reductive/stereotypical. He also reflected on how he himself as a "young man" sometimes found himself attracted to everyone and everything (as if that's just how it is with "young men").

The relationship between said love interest and the novel's heroine bordered on instalove. The main character seemed to fall in love overnight, when all she knew about her "lover" is that he had three sisters and had saved a bird once. I understand that they felt drawn together due to a mutual desire to survive, but that didn't feel like enough to justify anything beyond initial attraction.

I'm going to end this review on a good note, which is to return again to the ending and compliment the author on how certain themes were explored. I love how the concept of "poison" was used in the novel, as both a physical danger and a commentary on how lies corrode relationships, cultures, communities, etc. Endla is a fascinating microcosm of our current world and the way that humans tend to alter historical narratives to fit their own agendas. I just wish we had had more of that complex exploration and less of the shallow, instalove romance.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Poison Season is another delightful read from Mara Rutherford! Rutherford artfully spins a tale that explores relationships and desires against the backdrop of secrets and a bloodthirsty forest. The Poison Season brings readers on a journey with Leelo, a girl who struggles to fit in with the expectations of her people and her extended family. As Leelo grapples with accepting her role as an adult, the exile of her brother, the expectation of her aunt and an unexpected intruder on the island, the forest challenges her to embrace her magic and her strength to change her destiny.

I must admit what caught my attention was the GORGEOUS cover art. I liked the concept of the novel but was underwhelmed by the execution. Many parts felt rushed and others felt glossed over. This would be good for YAs looking for SCI/FI romances who aren’t looking for a full series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this one because of the beautiful cover and the book itself did not disappoint one bit!
I loved the characters and the romance so much, as well as the plot of the story.

I really and truly enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. It has that dark and eerie feel to a fantasy that I love and after reading the author's notes in the back about how she wrote this story during quarantine it made the story all the more powerful because I believe that everyone felt alone, isolated and a little afraid of the outside world during the height of lockdown, and those feeling are portrayed beautifully with the characters in this story. Definitely will recommend to anyone with a love for dark fantasy

This book was an enjoyable stand-alone fantasy. We follow Leelo, a girl who lives on an island surrounded by a poisonous lake. Her small community has been given the gift of magic and protects the Wandering Forest that lives on the island. In exchange, they protect the island and Forest from outsiders, killing them before they have a chance to even step foot on the island. When Jaren accidentally lands on the island, Leelo does not have the heart to kill him and provides him with shelter instead. From there, the story takes off.

I thought the magic was interesting, but it felt underdeveloped. It was never truly explained in detail what the Forest, or the islanders, can do. I would have liked it if that had been explored a little more.

Both Leelo and Jaren were enjoyable, if not somewhat predictable, characters. Their relationship felt rushed, but it was fun to watch them go from strangers to lovers.

The pacing in the book felt off. It was really slow in the middle, filled with all of Jaren and Leeo's interactions. At the very end, several different secrets are revealed in quick succession, leaving no time to truly process any of them.

All-in-all, I still enjoyed myself while reading it.

The Poison Season begins with sixteen year old Leelo and her cousin Sage commencing on being “watchers”, a yearly tradition where new watchers “watch” the coastline for outsiders. If an outsider is seen they are to be killed. Leelo is a tenderhearted girl who doesn’t understand all the customs of her people. The people of the island believe they have magical abilities and that the wandering forest on the island keeps them safe from the vicious mainlanders. Leelo is also struggling with the knowledge that her younger brother is about to be sent off the island because he hasn't displayed any signs of magic. One summer evening Leelo discovers an outsider has found his way to their island. She risks everything to protect this strange boy and learns the truth about her homeland. The Poison Season is a thrilling story that peels away at the layers of legends we grow up hearing. Leelo is an excellent main character who is not only intelligent, but also brave enough to ask the questions others ignore. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall rating: 3/5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for this book I was so excited, as it seemed to have everything that I loved in it. I really liked the concept of the wandering forest and the songs.

I really wanted it to go more in depth about the forest, and the magic, as at some points it felt a bit glossed over. But, I still enjoyed the general magic-system that was set up and really enjoyed the descriptions of the songs themselves.

The characters were likeable, but at some points felt under developed. They were very much felt similar to every other character in your classic YA book, and the romance was a bit instalovey.

The middle of the book felt like it had really slowed down, and then the ending felt very rushed. I really wish it had been paced a bit more evenly, with the magic and romance fleshed our a bit more.

however, it was still an enjoyable, quick fantasy read :))

thank you netgalley for providing me with the arc!

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford, was uniquely beautiful and strange. The world building of Endla was very well done. I enjoyed the storyline between Leelo and Jaren! It was very enjoyable.

This book was amazing. I love everything about this book, from the characters, to the plot, and the world and magic in it. If you enjoy books that are dark fantasies than you will like this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Leelo has lived her whole life on a remote island. The villagers on this island are all magic, and they sing songs to the forest around them for protection. The forest is hungry and demands sacrifices from the villagers for protection. It is forbidden to leave the island and it is forbidden for outsiders to cross the poisoned lake. If children do not possess the magic in order to sing their songs, they are cast away from the island to never be seen by their families again. Leelo is one day tested when an injured outsider shows up on the island and she struggles with her beliefs and faith in the island in order to save him.

The world building was beautiful. I could see the forest and the lake while I was reading. The characters were also very well done. I really sympathized with Leelo where she wanted to be there for her family and for her people but we’d struggling with what she thought was the right thing to do. I didn’t expect the book to be as suspenseful as it was. It really had me on the edge of my seat a few times. I was very invested about half way through. So many secrets and plot twists popped up I was dying to know the end. Forbidden romance is also always fun and I wanted so badly for Leelo and Jaren to be together. I was hoping the whole time somehow everything would work out for them.

This book is a very beautiful fantasy read with excellent world building and plenty of suspense and mystery to keep you invested. If you like any of that definitely give it a try!

This was just OK. I liked the concept but not the execution. I also felt like for a romance, the relationship wasn't developed enough. The happy ending was nice but a little too cliche. Overall, I'd recommend it to teens who are looking for another fantasy romance without the time commitment of a series.

Such a pleasurable read. I devoured this really quickly and have been using it as a study in worldbuilding--the world is small, but lush and tactile and told through the perspective of the character. So well done. The characters were believable and realistic based on their upbringing and background. Well done!

THANK YOU to Inkyard Press & NetGalley for sending me this ARC. All reviews are honest reflections of my own opinions, always.

On Endla, the Wandering Forest groans, it’s hunger never truly sated.

Leelo stands on the shores of the poison lake. As a Watcher she knows the fate of any outsiders who succumb to the hunting songs; the Forest or the Lake. Death by magic. Thus the people protect their home, and the Forest protects them, or so Leelo has been led to believe.

Days later Jaren can hear the music even now, a haunting that calls him back to the lake’s edge, where he caught only a glimpse of ethereal beauty. A wolf, a boat, destiny reclaiming what it’s owed.

She simply could not watch him die. Rescuing Jaren from the Lake & hiding him away, Leelo knows she has betrayed her people, but not her own heart.

On Endla, bitterness and lies run deep as the roots of the trees, both ready to strangle, ready to kill.



694 pages of magic, mystery, & heart breaking new love. Mara Rutherford has created a character driven insular world, with a soft magic system & beautiful atmosphere. I loved trying to predict the twists & turns of this book, which had me compulsively reading far too late into the night.

Unique world building, growth of characters, & enough left unsaid for the reader to ruminate on after finishing, I highly enjoyed this book.