Eyes of Time

The Poison Princess #1

by Riley Taylor

A captivating debut novel ideal for fans of queer young adult fantasy, Eyes of Time is a compelling fantasy story driven by the struggle to survive in a dangerous world, the result of the conflict between the immortal Hideki and The Alliance.

Zuri wants nothing more than to protect what family she has left, her younger brother, Emin. When she meets the sweet-hearted Kai, they finally escape the grasp of Hideki. They make the most of their ‘normal’ new life. Zuri and her found family come together through training missions and together they prepare to enter the military under The Alliance against Hideki. Zuri is driven by the desire for revenge to take down Hideki while keeping her family safe. To do that, she needs to get stronger, strong enough that one day, she can face Hideki head on. For now, she and her friends must stay alive and work together to uncover the truth about their city before it's too late…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer

563 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2024

About the author

Riley Taylor grew up in Scarborough, constantly reading and dreaming of being an author. She is currently a university student doing a joint degree in Creative Writing and English Literature. She loves everything about words, art, and nature. When she isn’t writing, she tends to be found drawing, reading, or cooking. Riley currently writes epical YA fantasy books (The Poison Princess series), as well as Medieval-inspired adult fantasy (The Kingdoms Set Ablaze).

Reviews

[Brandon Forlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! Amazing characters and I love found family! Can't wait for the sequel.

[Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity of reading this book before it even came out.

This was a wonderful debut and overall I had a great time reading this book. From the characters, to the heart wrenching back stories and the sibling dynamic.

I absolutely adored the FMC. I am a sucker for respectful male love interests. I absolutely adored the brother dynamic between Kai and jay. I really did love these characters. They felt like family.

Zuris back story was incredibly heartbreaking. If you are looking for a book that’ll tear your heart apart but also make you feel nothing but love for these characters. This is definitely the book for you.

The magical element of this book was also really fun to read about and very unique. I very rarely read books about main characters with ice powers so this was a nice surprise.

The diversity was really well done as well. If you’re looking for a book with more diverse characters this is definitely for you.

Overall I give this book 5⭐️

I definitely recommend this book. I can’t wait to read book 2 when it comes out. 💗

[Riley Taylor]

Eyes of Time is my debut novel, and it's still surreal that it's out there for people to read. I'd worked on it since I was only eleven, the rest of the series too, and I can't wait to get the rest of the series out too. I really hope y'all enjoy :)

[Starbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed reading this beautifully written debut fantasy novel by this new young author Riley Taylor who has also created the book design and illustrations herself.
I love the Japanese influence, the interesting twists and turns throughout along with the diversity of the beguiling characters that all have their own unique powers.
I must say the extra info in the book regarding the characters and the info in the glossary were a great addition.
This would be really great on screen too!
Looking forward to the sequel from this author in the future.

[Ellie Woodrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found family with queer characters? That’s my favourite thing. I loved the character dynamics so much, they all feel like a real family, and I totally adore Zuri and Kai, they’re so cute. But that ending!! I need book two already, I need to know what happens next!

[Timothy Jameson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun read. The character dynamics are compelling and so sweet. I can’t wait for the sequel after THAT cliffhanger omg!

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every character in this book, the storyline is fast paced and exciting but so heartbreaking. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.