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Landovel #1
The Poison Taster
'Till the Tower falls,
Till the Great Bell calls...
Derry remembers nothing before his capture by the vicious sea raider, Cram. Life as Cram's poison taster is all he know., and books are his only friends. The one clue to his past is that he was taken along with others fleeing the kingdom of True Landovel. Then a mysterious traveller comes to Cram's Rock, pursued by sinister El - strange beings Derry had thought were myths. The coded journal she leaves behind is vitally important - and the secrets it holds will change everything. Derry doesn't know it yet, but plots are hatching beyond the horizon - plots that will draw him into a dangerous journey.
This is the first volume in a three-part series, originally sold in a boxed set with three separate novels.
Till the Great Bell calls...
Derry remembers nothing before his capture by the vicious sea raider, Cram. Life as Cram's poison taster is all he know., and books are his only friends. The one clue to his past is that he was taken along with others fleeing the kingdom of True Landovel. Then a mysterious traveller comes to Cram's Rock, pursued by sinister El - strange beings Derry had thought were myths. The coded journal she leaves behind is vitally important - and the secrets it holds will change everything. Derry doesn't know it yet, but plots are hatching beyond the horizon - plots that will draw him into a dangerous journey.
This is the first volume in a three-part series, originally sold in a boxed set with three separate novels.
323 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024
11 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Emily Rodda
302 books2,133 followersEmily Rodda (real name Jennifer Rowe) was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1973 with an MA (Hons) in English Literature. Moving into a publishing career, first as a book editor, and finally as a publisher at Angus & Robertson, Rodda's first book was published in 1984.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 11, 2025
I enjoyed it, but it was quite a slow start. At about the halfway point I remember feeling confused because I still didn't know what the main premise/goal/enemy/plot was going to be. I'm still not totally sure, but I'm intrigued enough to continue!
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February 6, 2025Book One: The Poison Taster:
I’ve always loved fellow Australian author Emily Rodda’s books, especially Rowan of Rin, so I was excited to pick up The Poison Taster. One small gripe—my copy arrived in American English instead of Australian, which felt a bit odd given Rodda’s background. It doesn’t impact the story itself, but for an Australian author’s work to be printed in a different English variant felt odd. I had hoped that all printed editions would be in our natural language.
That aside, I really enjoyed this book. It’s succinct and wastes no time, getting straight to the point without dragging out plotlines or over-explaining its world. There’s a confidence in the writing that lets the story unfold naturally, trusting the reader to keep up rather than spelling out every detail. The pacing is quick but never rushed, with each development leading smoothly into the next. It’s the kind of book that’s easy to pick up and just as easy to keep reading, since there’s always something interesting happening.
The characters, even those who only appear briefly, are distinct and well-drawn. Each one serves a purpose, and Rodda has a knack for making them memorable without needing pages of backstory. Their interactions are sharp, their motivations clear, and the way they move through the story keeps everything engaging. Even when a character’s role is small, they feel like a meaningful part of the world rather than just background extras.
Overall, The Poison Taster is a fun, well-paced read that’s perfect for breaking a reading slump. It doesn’t demand too much from the reader but still delivers a satisfying read.
Book Two: The Secret Keeper
I’ve always loved fellow Australian author Emily Rodda’s books, especially Rowan of Rin, so I was excited to pick up The Poison Taster. One small gripe—my copy arrived in American English instead of Australian, which felt a bit odd given Rodda’s background. It doesn’t impact the story itself, but for an Australian author’s work to be printed in a different English variant felt odd. I had hoped that all printed editions would be in our natural language.
That aside, I really enjoyed this book. It’s succinct and wastes no time, getting straight to the point without dragging out plotlines or over-explaining its world. There’s a confidence in the writing that lets the story unfold naturally, trusting the reader to keep up rather than spelling out every detail. The pacing is quick but never rushed, with each development leading smoothly into the next. It’s the kind of book that’s easy to pick up and just as easy to keep reading, since there’s always something interesting happening.
The characters, even those who only appear briefly, are distinct and well-drawn. Each one serves a purpose, and Rodda has a knack for making them memorable without needing pages of backstory. Their interactions are sharp, their motivations clear, and the way they move through the story keeps everything engaging. Even when a character’s role is small, they feel like a meaningful part of the world rather than just background extras.
Overall, The Poison Taster is a fun, well-paced read that’s perfect for breaking a reading slump. It doesn’t demand too much from the reader but still delivers a satisfying read.
Book Two: The Secret Keeper
October 24, 2025
An engaging read! Not what I expected when I had recently read Deltora Quest for work and found it similar to Rowan of Rin. Only frustration was how many times he would 'escape into his mind'.
January 14, 2026
So keen to read the next volume!! Interesting premise, good mix of fantasy and character focus, the settings have been quite immersive.
April 21, 2025
I've always loved Emily Rodda (I've recently discovered that her name is actually Jennifer Rowe)! Her being an Australian contributed to that, as well as her books are always—well, mostly— our class books. This book is part one of the Landovel trilogy.
Characters
Derry (main character) - Derry is a boy, who got captured by the vicious sea raider, Cram. He has no idea what his past life would have been—before the ship raid. Life is constant danger as Cram's poison taster. Derry is also Cram's "reader," due to his suprising talent to read and write. Then, one day,a mysterious traveller cames to Cram's Rock (the place he and the other servants were trapped) and his whole life goes upside down.
Cram - A savage beast of a man. Cram is the ruler of a remote island called Cram’s Rock. He is strict, secretive, and feared by the children who live there. Cram enforces harsh rules and keeps tight control over everything that happens on the island. He is a cruel and paranoid man who forces children into servitude and uses Derry as his personal poison taster to avoid assassination. Cram also has a collection of forbidden books, even though reading is outlawed where they come from, showing that he values knowledge but doesn’t want others to have it.
El - The El are mysterious, legendary figures believed by many to be myths. They are described as eerie, masked executioners with an almost supernatural presence. Most people in the world of Landovel fear them deeply, and their name alone carries weight and dread.
That is a suimmary of some characters without spoilers!
Characters
Derry (main character) - Derry is a boy, who got captured by the vicious sea raider, Cram. He has no idea what his past life would have been—before the ship raid. Life is constant danger as Cram's poison taster. Derry is also Cram's "reader," due to his suprising talent to read and write. Then, one day,a mysterious traveller cames to Cram's Rock (the place he and the other servants were trapped) and his whole life goes upside down.
Cram - A savage beast of a man. Cram is the ruler of a remote island called Cram’s Rock. He is strict, secretive, and feared by the children who live there. Cram enforces harsh rules and keeps tight control over everything that happens on the island. He is a cruel and paranoid man who forces children into servitude and uses Derry as his personal poison taster to avoid assassination. Cram also has a collection of forbidden books, even though reading is outlawed where they come from, showing that he values knowledge but doesn’t want others to have it.
El - The El are mysterious, legendary figures believed by many to be myths. They are described as eerie, masked executioners with an almost supernatural presence. Most people in the world of Landovel fear them deeply, and their name alone carries weight and dread.
That is a suimmary of some characters without spoilers!
Read
November 30, 2025I'm really engaged by this series; I feel like there's a lot of reveals to come.
February 22, 2026
This book is perfect for adventure lovers and it is a thrilling start to the trilogy.
May 13, 2025
There is nothing written by the marvellous Emily Rodda that I haven't loved and The Poison Taster, first in the Landovel series is no exception.
The world, which is an intriguing mix of classic fantasy (pirate ships and remote rocky island dungeons) the very modern (television, smartphones) and Sci-fi (injected ID chips) was carefully built up. There are no overwhelming information dumps but a gradual building up of the setting.
The characters are convincing with just enough stereotype to suit the magical/tech quest genre. (Is that a genre? I may have just made that one up!) Derry, the main character, is a realistic mix of brave, smart, anxious, anger and mystery and I warmed to him as he confronted the obstacles to his happiness and understanding of his past and future.
This story, while ending as the mismatched group of characters are ready to embark on their quest, has its own story arc at the same time as establishing some of the problems that will no doubt add to the complexity of the next two instalments. I'm looking forward to enjoying the adventures.
The world, which is an intriguing mix of classic fantasy (pirate ships and remote rocky island dungeons) the very modern (television, smartphones) and Sci-fi (injected ID chips) was carefully built up. There are no overwhelming information dumps but a gradual building up of the setting.
The characters are convincing with just enough stereotype to suit the magical/tech quest genre. (Is that a genre? I may have just made that one up!) Derry, the main character, is a realistic mix of brave, smart, anxious, anger and mystery and I warmed to him as he confronted the obstacles to his happiness and understanding of his past and future.
This story, while ending as the mismatched group of characters are ready to embark on their quest, has its own story arc at the same time as establishing some of the problems that will no doubt add to the complexity of the next two instalments. I'm looking forward to enjoying the adventures.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
Was very challenging to bond with the characters when they kept changing names, confusing to keep up with, but half way through it seemed to have redeemed itself, bring on book two.
October 23, 2025
I love Emily Rodda's books, which is why I had to chase down this series. it had her fun writing style and flair, and the character is interesting enough to follow. the beginning had its ups and downs because it was hard to follow the plot. You realize that book 1 is definitely a setup for the next 2 I think, because it opened up the relationships between characters, and built on their motivations. I am curious to see where this goes.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews