This book is so magical. I'm sorry that's a bit cliche, but I was sucked right in. I flew through this book! I found myself many times trying to convince myself to slow down and make it last, purely to keep the mystery going longer.

This was a book where I genuinely didn't know what to think, normally I have working theories for everything. But this book surprised me at almost every turn, in the best way.

Leelo's family dynamic with her cousin/Aunt/Mom/brother was so fascinating to watch unfold, and was extremely compelling, that alone kept me hooked. That's before we even get to the sweet little side plot love story, or the mythical blood thirsty forest and poison lake surrounding them all!

The entire book felt you feel poised on the edge of destruction and it really works, such a page turner. The pacing was excellent the entire way through, which is rare.

Well done! What a beautiful ending too, highly recommend.

The inhabitants of this magical place called Endla are surrounded by poisonous water no animal or human can touch it. The Endlands have this relationship where they sing and that music brings the animals. Some are used for them to survive and some for sacrifice. One of the Endla named Leelo sees a outsider who is about to drown will she risk everything to save him? This book was beautifully written with twist and turns on every page. A captivating fantasy story.

Thanks so much to the author for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This is another really lovely book by Mara. There’s a dreamy, creepy, foreboding feeling to the book/forest/lake/village. She walks a very fine line between the villagers seeming evil vs them being just insulated and protective. I absolutely loved Leelo and Jaren. They are pure and sweet and just too good for the world. I was rooting for them so hard. Flip side I really hated Sage and the aunt. I know I was supposed to feel sorry for Sage by the end, but I just couldn’t. The mysteries that were revealed along the way were a mix of sad and horrifying.
I was satisfied with the ending; it was in parts bittersweet, hopeful, and fitting.

This is such an alluring story world full of forest magic. The society resembles a cult-like structure, fearing anyone who is different. You can feel the darkness looming at the edges.

This story has some contemporary vibes to it, but with a sinister atmosphere, where love blooms against all odds. And the romance in this story is so precious and swoon-worthy.

I’m in love with their love and was rooting for Leelo and Jaren the entire way. Their relationship is tender and caring and will be everyone’s new favorite book couple.

There are so many relatable themes in this story as we follow Leelo’s coming-of-age struggles:
- Making your own way and forging your own path in life
- Thinking outside the norm and discovering your own beliefs
- Accepting others for who they are
- Striving to do what is right regardless of external circumstances

The dialogue is heartfelt and quotable, with a visceral perspective into the emotions and motivations of the characters.

The ending is super fulfilling. Not one of those that just ends at the completion of the climax, but it actually continues with the characters adjusting, showing us how the events of the story affected them and their lives afterwards.

This feel-good story, endearing characters, creepy setting, and tumultuous sequence of events is sure to enthrall readers.

Mara strikes again with this fabulous, mystical, and atmospheric novel that honestly bests others in the genre by 100!! This story was so mesmerizing that I couldn’t stop reading! Way to go, Mara!!! I

The Poison Season gave me all the feelings of M Night Shyamalan’s The Village, but with ✨MAGIC✨!!! I am in love with this world and can’t wait to reread/listen once the audiobook is released. I didn’t know I needed them, but give me Forest Sirens and I will always say YESSSS!!!

The inhabitants of Endla are surrounded by water that is poisonous to the touch: no animal can land in it, no boat can cross it, no humans can get in… or out. That is exactly the way the wandering forest likes it. The forest and humans that live among it have a symbiotic relationship. Endlans sing music that bring animals to the island and while some may be for them to survive, the rest are killed in sacrifice.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to never be able to leave the island. Told that if you do, the music inside of you will never be able to be released again. Their fear of outsiders really motivated this story. Anyone not of their people was to be IMMEDIATELY killed in sacrifice to suffice the blood hungry forest. That right there sounds like foreshadowing if I’ve ever read it!

There was definitely a build up throughout, knowing that a secret was going to be revealed the entire time. Something was off with all of the rules and stories, but did I expect what happened? Not in the least!!! Am I going to tell you anything that will spoil this? Also, not gonna happen! 😂

Thank You to Mara Rutherford and Inkyard Press for sending me an eARC of the book in return for an honest review!

I really thought I would love this book, but the author’s writing is just not for me. I ended up stopping at 30 percent.

This book is probably a better fit for a younger reader who is VERY into MG/YA fantasy novels.

Oh wow this was great. I didn’t actually know what to expect going into this, the synopsis had me hooked from the very beginning so I knew I had to read it as soon as I saw it. Listen - give this one a go, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I absolutely loved this!!!! An immediate 5/5 stars!

First of all, the cover is gorgeous for this book. It was mainly that and the description that drew me in. I really wanted to like this book. However, it ended up not being my cup of tea. Maybe I thought that it would be more fantastical with the idea of song magic or perhaps the overall stakes of "killer forest" didn't feel high? The danger that the main characters were in never felt present, but just always looming, which maybe is the point! I did enjoy the descriptive writing style a lot and the originality of the story was great. Despite personally not enjoying it as much as expected, this is a good book and I would recommend it to someone if I felt like they were the right audience for it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to read and review!

Overall 4.5
Spice 1


• YA High Fantasy Romance
• Hans Christian Anderson Fairytale Vibes
• Culture clash
• Written During the Pandemic - an Exploration of Isolation and Seclusion
• Slow beginning with a focus on world-building
• Dynamic Ending
• Similar Vein to Margaret Rogerson
• Terrifying Magical Sentient Forest
• Dark and Moody Setting
• Multi-POV
• Standalone
• Immersive and Simplistic Storytelling
• Unique Magic system
• Young Love
• Innocent and Wholesome FMC and MMC
• Romeo and Juliet feel
• Family Secrets and Intrigue

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC for Mara Rutherford’s The Poison Season. This book is a beautiful High Fantasy exploration of isolation and seclusion written in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The wholesomeness of Leloo and Jaren’s love paired against the darky and frankly tarrying sentient forest of Endla and multiple twists and turns made this a deeply enjoyable read. Overall, this book was intriguing and compelling while staying beautifully uplifting. I truly enjoyed it.

• The review will be posted on Amazon, GoodReads, and StoryGraph during the following window: 11/28-12/3
• 3 post review spread for Instagram will go live during the following window: 11/28- 12/3
• A release day post will go live on 12/6 on Instagram

5 stars!!! What a page turner! The world building was simply amazing! Loved the “bloodthirsty forest”, Leelo and Jaren, and all the SECRETS revealed! Beautifully written and such a captivating story. 100% recommend this great stand alone fantasy!

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Let me preface this review by saying that the book description does not prepare you for all the excitement, the secrets and the intrigue that are hidden in its pages.

A blood-thirsty forest, a poisonous lake and a small community of people who wield magic through their songs, is all Leelo have known her whole life. The rules dictate that outsiders are forbidden from reaching the small island of Endla and its sacred forest and people who are born on Endla without magic, have no place in it and should be exiled. Death by the forest or the lake awaits whoever disobeys these rules. However, when Leelo is faced with her younger brother’s exile, she starts doubting her people’s rigid rules and a fateful night she prays with her magic song to the forest to save her brother. However, her prayers will be heard by an outsider and his secret arrival to Endla and her decision not to kill him will trigger a set of events that will upturn not only Leelo’s life but the entire island’s.

All in all, this was a very well-written book. The pace of the story’s unraveling was very well thought out, the characters were wholesome and the development of Leelo’s and Jaren’s romance was slow but really sweet.
Additionally, the development of the plot captivated us readers from the start, because the excitement and thrill of seeing how Jaren would escape Endla with Leelo’s help without being discovered turned into suspense and anticipation when their escaping attempts suddenly led to shedding light to hidden, dark secrets that weighted Leelo’s family and the community.

Ultimately, this was a solid four out of five stars read for me and I would highly recommend it for people who love young adult fantasy, filled with mysteries, action, suspense and with a side story of romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Inkyard Press for the ARC.

I loved both the character and world building in this book. It's hard to find a read that can capture both! I definitely recommend for any fantasy lovers out there.

It was such a fascinating and a compelling fantasy read for me. The story line, the word building, word building everything was top tier, in my opinion. I found myself living vicariously through the MCs. Overall, it deserves all the stars more!!

I loved The Poison Season! Mara Rutherford writes her stories so effortlessly, it's always difficult to put the book down. This story is built on magic, family secrets, and going against everything you were taught to believe in. It was such an amazing standalone YA fantasy; I will definitely be adding it to my personal library.

Which would you choose, the forest or the lake?


Thank you to NetGalley, Mara Rutherford, and Inkyard Press for this eARC!

I enjoyed this book very much. Short and easy read. The plot is captivating, the world building is done very well and keeps you intrigued throughout the story. I really enjoyed leeloo and the fact she was very sweet but also a strong character. The cousin also kept my attention. She was very frustrating but I would love to read her story! The ending left me satisfied, have no complaints there. Thanks to Netgalley for sharing this book with me. Jaren and leeloo happy ending together was perfect.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts really slow but not give up! If you can get past that and how rude some of the characters are (not mains), it's a satisfying read!

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me this arc copy to review.

Leelo and Jaren find trouble and each other in this fairytale like book.

Leelo watches the lake shore for outsiders. It is her job for a year. She is also facing heartbreak as her little brother will be exiled with other twelve-year-olds not possessing magical singing.

Jaren hears singing coming from the island in the lake when he was lost. He is intrigued. One day, he's forced to cross the lake.

The book premise was interesting. It was a collision of two cultures: one insular and the other expansive and dynamic in change. There was also a theme of fear and prejudice.

About 20 or 30% into the story, I was a little bored listening to Sage and Ketty being snide and mean to Leelo, Tate, and Fiona. After 40%, it picks up in action and intrigue. I definitely liked the ending, and I was happy to see a very good tie up of all the loose ends.

I'm giving this 3.75 stars. The slog at the beginning nearly made me dnf this. I'm glad I finished though.

Thank you again NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me the to read the book.

I really loved the magic and world building in this book and thought it was all really creative, however the first 50% or so was a little too slow for me.

The last half was really enjoyable and had a ton of twists that you didn’t see coming which had me super invested and interested! I loved that the story ended happily and the last page about the forest was fantastic! My only real issue is the wolf. It’s mentioned a few times but I don’t fully understand what it has to do with everything. It seemed like it would be significant but it never turned out to be anything. Maybe I thought too much about it?

Wolf and slowness aside I did thoroughly enjoy the story and thought it was really neat! This book would be perfect for any fans of forbidden love and magic systems! I’m giving it 3.5 stars

Genuinely one of my favorite reads of the year. Mara Rutherford has a style of writing very similar to Margaret Rogerson or Allison Saft. She does a great job with world-building and the plot is very unique. I will say, the beginning part of this book is mainly focused on world-building and was a little slow but I definitely believe it was worth it. The plot centers around Leelo and Jaren. Leelo lives in Endla, an island surrounded by a forest and a poisonous lake. Jaren lives in a civilization near the lake. To escape a wolf, he manages to reach Endla using a special boat. Outsiders are believed to be violent and are seen as disgusting. Leelo’s job as a Watcher is to kill any outsiders but she realizes she can’t kill him. The book shows Leelo’s struggle to accept that her world is not as perfect as she once believed and that maybe the outsiders aren’t as bad as she was taught. I think the characters are so realistic I struggled to hate any of them. Even one girl I will not name (to avoid spoilers), still was redeemable because you can see her thoughts and feelings toward the end of the book. This is not a happily-ever-after book where everyone is happy and forgiving at the end, which I LOVED. I also loved how the ways of Endla seem normal to the main character but to the reader, it is obviously terrifying. Such an amazing book with complex characters and a beautifully dark plot. I would definitely recommend reading it.