This book was ok but not great. I had such a hard time investing and caring about any of the characters. Nothing felt unique about the story.

I was unfortunately unable to download this title., and therefore unable to review.. As the book is published, I will read a finished copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press and the author for allowing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Leeloo has never left her island of Endla; the Endlans don’t leave as a rule. They live in a Wandering Forest and face a poisonous lake, and it protects them from Outsiders…and Outsiders from them. Endlans are able to harness a type of magic through song, and if a person who does not possess this same magic hears it they will be lured to their death, unable to resist.
When Leeloo helps an outsider who is trapped on a sinking boat on their poison lake, she unknowingly sets in motion events that will forever change her fate and the fate of Endla as a whole.

This book was an enjoyable YA novel; I liked the characters and for the most part, was able to empathize with them. While some of the villains come across as a little flat, the bonds of family prove a strong motivating force for empathy toward them. The idea of magic being created by singing is one of my favorite concepts; while it is cool in the story I would have liked to see it used more. There were moments of almost horror as you imagine a human being trapped in a hunting song, but that is always ‘offscreen’. The setting was well described and the family bonds were heart-warming.

Here's my tiktok review! https://www.tiktok.com/@balladsandbookends/video/7175923122653236522?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

3.5 Stars

I am going through a phase where I'm not reading fantasy right now because it just doesn't hold my attention. Therefore even though I tried to read this book I will not be getting into it because I simply am not in a fantasy mood, and haven't been for almost a year now. Full disclosure, I won this title on an Instagram giveaway, and I am grateful for that but will not be reviewing this title for the foreseeable future.

This novel was instantly captivating and completely unexpected in the paths it took. I absolutely loved it! The world building of this world was so interesting I had to reread certain parts so I could remember it for later on. I wish I could draw some of the images described! Anyways, what I liked most was the culture of the people of Endla and the surround stories of that island and how it pushed along the story. Leelo definitely reminded me of the typical sheltered girl who knows there's something that's just not quite right with her people, but is too hesitant to question it, especially when one sees how they tend to punish those who don't follow their rules. While I liked Jaren, he wasn't the most interesting character to me. Leelo and her people were fascinating subjects and I loved every part that focused on them. I was constantly rooting for Leelo and loved how despite her not knowing what to do for every situation, she tried her best to overcome it and adapt without losing sight of herself. It's always fun seeing how crazy some societies can become simply to 'protect' themselves that they can lose sight of their initial goals. A very thought provoking novel. that I would recommend to others, especially for those who do worldbuilding of their own for things such as dungeons and dragons. A fun novel that I wouldn't mind visiting again.

I really loved this book! I didn’t go into it with many expectations, but I got immediately hooked by the setting, characters and plot. I really enjoyed the internal struggles that Leelo goes through and the challenges that her and Jaren are faced with, and Sage and Ketty’s characters were so interesting to read! I really loved the pacing and how information got revealed, even if you could guess the reveals before they happened. I will definitely be recommending this book to people who love fantasy novels that are driven by character and setting!

Book Summary:

Endla is safe, but not for outsiders. The forest provides everything and is surrounded by a lake of death – quite literally. The lake that surrounds the island is poison, killing anything foolish enough to land in the waters.

This is the world that Leelo has always known. She grew up here. Yet the older she gets, the more she questions the way of her people. Why must they cast out those without magic? Leelo doesn't want to lose her brother. Nor does she want to see outsiders die, or animals, for that matter. What if there was a different way?

My Review:

Wow. I'm not going to lie; The Poison Season was a bit of a tough read for me. I think it was partially the emotional state I was in at the time. I think the other part is the foundation of this story, which relies on animal (and human) sacrifices. It made for a heavy read, to put it mildly.

However, I have to admit that Mara Rutherford did a fantastic job writing this story. She's a phenomenal writer, and it shows. (If you haven't read her other works, you should check them out!). The world-building is by far the best part, even if it is pretty dark and horrifying at times.

Leelo's journey for the truth was fascinating, especially when coupled with a secondary perspective – an outsider. The two POVs help to flesh out the world. There's an obvious romantic subplot here, but it didn't blow me away, I'm sad to say. Perhaps more character development would have changed my opinion. I'm not sure.

Highlights:
Magical Forest
Magical Songs

Trigger Warnings:
Animal death
Outcast
Poison
Drowning

Thank you so much Inkyard Press for sending me an eARC to read early and give an honest review of!

"She wondered if she'd misunderstood magic this entire time, if maybe Endlan magic, as she thought of it, wasn't Endlan at all. Maybe everyone had a little magic in them, if you knew where to look."

First of all, let me say that I enjoyed this book much more than Rutherford's Luminous, which I read last year. This was a great book to end the year off with as well! However, I don't have a lot to say about it because I read it for enjoyment and to ensure I didn't get trapped in a reading slump following the ending of HOSAB.

Secondly, the worldbuilding in this book was very good. I loved seeing the way of life of the Endlans and the consequences of not following their rules. The Wandering Forest was an interesting touch, one that I enjoyed immensely. It was dark and atmospheric, and that ending left the possibility for a spin-off at the very least.

Thirdly, the forbidden romance between Leelo and Jaren was believable and enjoyable. I loved them together. However, they, like the majority of the characters, felt like they weren't developed as much as they needed to be. I never liked Sage or Aunt Ketty, and I always had a sneaking suspicion that something had gone down between the two sisters. Besides that, I did enjoy the characters who led this story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast read!

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

THE POISON SEASON was a super fun read. I love that their magic was in their singing, but I would have loved to see this explored more in the book. I also loved the complicated family relationships and the romance that develops. I knew there was something special about Jaren, but I do admit that I didn't see his story arc coming. I'll certainly be recommending this to my readers and patrons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the synopsis of this book was very interesting. Unfortunately, this book fell flat. It was a very slow intro and by the time we got to the climax, I had already lost interest. Though I feel for Leelo and Jaren, it was hard to root for them as the build up was slow. Great intent, just maybe a different execution.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be posting my review until the Harpercollins Union has a fair contract, in order to not cross the picket line. Please help support the union in anyway you can whether that be spreading awareness or donating.

I'm very much in love with this book, I shall not lie. The idea of a deathly lake with an island in it, with people with equally lethal abilities, had me thinking a while. And the characters were to my liking, every one different, I just hated the cousin...she was pretty nasty. The main character's relationship was also great. I would recommend this book.

Beautiful eye-catching cover, intriguing synopsis, but in reality just was too slow for me. However, I think others will really enjoy this story. It is also nice to have a standalone fantasy, so many now are just stretched out into a two or three book series so thank you for that.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I need to stop trying to love ya fantasy still. I’ve owngrown this age range mostly. Objectively this was a good, interesting, and well developed fantasy. But I just did not care at all.

The world building surrounding a sacred island where people worship nature was the book's strength and what ultimately drew me into the story. Rutherford made the island alive through the descriptions of the flowers, trees, animals, and the water. The connection between Leelo and Jaren was instant love, but I enjoyed Leelo's character transformation as she questioned everything about the island and what the elders had taught her. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

A fantastical blend of romance, action, fantasy, and hidden truths, which threaten to tear apart one island community. The premise was intriguing and I liked much of the mystery surrounding everything. But while I enjoyed some of the tension and this new mysterious world (not to mention the fact that this book has parents alive and well), I struggled with staying interested in the plot. It was too predictable at times. BUT that makes The Poison Season a good comfort read for those in need of a guaranteed happy ending with no surprise twists to gut you.

The Poison Season was a un-put-downable read for me. From the second it started I was hooked.

The mysterious island that is hidden away and forbidden full of people with magical powers was super interesting. It gave me The Grace Year vibes a little bit because of their ceremonies and children being sent away. It was eerie and heartbreaking at times.

The main characters were fantastic. Leelo is a fun loving girl with a big heart that just isn't "cut out" for the world she lives in. Seeing the world through her eyes makes you really want more for her and the author really pulled through.

I loved the family mystery that slowly unravels throughout and seeing Leelo following in her mothers footsteps was a great way to tie in the past storyline!

The ending was also perfect and I loved it most of all :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I loved how intriguing the world building was and the details sprinkled throughout were so good. There's a perfect mixture of romance, action, and mystery that had me hooked from the start. I also enjoyed how the ending was left open-ended. I did however find the pacing to be slow and dragged out at times, but overall a really nice read!

Rating: 3.5/5

This story gave me major M. Night Shyamalan's The Village meets fantasy fairytale vibes - an isolated island village, adults with closely guarded secrets, younger people questioning what they have been taught their whole life, and interesting magical abilities that are connected a mysterious and possibly malevolent forest.

I enjoyed the dual POV narrative and found the overall mystery and conflict to be intriguing, but overall the story itself fell a little flat for me (however, this could be due to the fact that I am not exactly the intended audience for this YA fantasy, so keep that into consideration). There were aspects of the story that felt rushed, reveals that didn't fully make sense to me, and some of the relationships that I wished were better developed.

I do think most young adult readers will enjoy this standalone story, but as an adult who reads YA, this was just okay for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Young Adult
Content: one closed-door scene