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Earthside #1
Poison Kiss
Rose awakens in a fairytale land, stripped of her memories and any sense of self she might once have possessed. Facing a short life of brutal servitude as one of the May Queen's executioners, she chooses instead a reckless dash for freedom alongside her sister-captive, Lavender. Yet even if the two women manage to flee the otherworld to return earthside, they may never be safe from the reach of cruel faeries who seek to use them as pawns in a deadly game.
When a strange silver man calling himself Clarent unexpectedly dumps out onto the doorstep of their apartment, Rose and Lavender will work together with a diverse community of survivors in order to stay alive and free. Through the magical dangers that assault them on all sides, Rose must navigate the struggles brought on by her painful past while contending with the difficulty of forging an intimate relationship with the two people who love her most when her very body is lethal.
When a strange silver man calling himself Clarent unexpectedly dumps out onto the doorstep of their apartment, Rose and Lavender will work together with a diverse community of survivors in order to stay alive and free. Through the magical dangers that assault them on all sides, Rose must navigate the struggles brought on by her painful past while contending with the difficulty of forging an intimate relationship with the two people who love her most when her very body is lethal.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 25, 2015
13 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 17, 2017
OK, here we go. This might yet be the most difficult review I've yet to do.
I came into this book ready to LOVE it. And gosh did it start well! At 25-30%, I was in love with just about everyone, rolling in the happiness of what had everything to be an awesome, action-packed, queer-ensemble fantasy story.
And then, and then it... floundered, I guess. Part of this is because the pacing in the middle feels way off, with the story spinning about in a long and somewhat repetitive circle before dumping everything (which could have been great things!... if they'd had the space not to feel like a rushed infodump in order to open the door to a quick, new solution) at the end. If it stopped there, this review would still have 4 stars, and I would heartily be recommending this book around.
Finally, and more importantly, because, well... despite an advertised Word of God aro-ace character, it's been a long time since I read something where I felt so thoroughly invisibled and unsafe. I'll talk way more about this in a post on my blog, but this story is a minefield of implied microaggressions with nothing to counterbalance them. If being told repeatedly how absolutely vital to one's happiness kissing and sex is might bring you back into a back headspace, fellow ace, skip this one.
Don't get me wrong. In general, this is a solidly written book with beautiful rep for bisexual and polyamorous folks. It has writing flaws, but nothing that can't be overlooked. Absolutely go for it if you want to read about queer people sticking together to heal--or, well, no, make that hot allosexual queer people. The ones who don't have sex are the grouchy old ladies everyone avoids ~
(yes, for the record, I am bitter. Bitter and hurt).
I came into this book ready to LOVE it. And gosh did it start well! At 25-30%, I was in love with just about everyone, rolling in the happiness of what had everything to be an awesome, action-packed, queer-ensemble fantasy story.
And then, and then it... floundered, I guess. Part of this is because the pacing in the middle feels way off, with the story spinning about in a long and somewhat repetitive circle before dumping everything (which could have been great things!... if they'd had the space not to feel like a rushed infodump in order to open the door to a quick, new solution) at the end. If it stopped there, this review would still have 4 stars, and I would heartily be recommending this book around.
Finally, and more importantly, because, well... despite an advertised Word of God aro-ace character, it's been a long time since I read something where I felt so thoroughly invisibled and unsafe. I'll talk way more about this in a post on my blog, but this story is a minefield of implied microaggressions with nothing to counterbalance them. If being told repeatedly how absolutely vital to one's happiness kissing and sex is might bring you back into a back headspace, fellow ace, skip this one.
Don't get me wrong. In general, this is a solidly written book with beautiful rep for bisexual and polyamorous folks. It has writing flaws, but nothing that can't be overlooked. Absolutely go for it if you want to read about queer people sticking together to heal--or, well, no, make that hot allosexual queer people. The ones who don't have sex are the grouchy old ladies everyone avoids ~
(yes, for the record, I am bitter. Bitter and hurt).
November 18, 2016
Humanity is full of folktales about fairies who steal people away; Poison Kiss is the story of what happens when some of them escape. They emerge back into "earthside" with only the faintest traces of their human memories before fairy captivity, and so cling together in healing, solidarity, and friendship. Two of them, the pink-haired MC, Rose, and her lilac-haired love interest, are bi ladies who escaped together but are afraid to truly be together because the fairies gave the MC a venom she can't control--the book's eponymous poison kiss. Their lives are thrown into confusion by the escape of a silver man who the fairies were using as an actual sword (the bored, sadistic fairies like to playact according to human myth and one of them decided to cosplay King Arthur.)
They both like him, and he likes both of them, and the stage seems set for the usual smoothings out of a polyamorous romance, with insecurities needing to be put down, friends smirking affectionately from the sidelines, and plenty of communication. However, the fairy pretending to be King Arthur wants his sword back, so our heroes wind up in tighter and more dangerous predicaments with each new portal that opens up into the land of their former captivity.
I think the main character will appeal to anyone who's ever vicariously enjoyed the innocence-guilt of the Winter Soldier, but would rather spend time with a pink-haired bi girl instead of Bucky Barnes. Is Rose culpable for the way she was compelled to use her venom when she was a fairy queen's captive? In my and the other characters' opinions, not really, but her guilt is completely understandable and watching her work through it is cathartic and moving. Plus, her venom gives her a reason to hold a distance she longs to close, a physical manifestation of the emotional distance some people maintain in their lives when they feel they are too damaged by trauma to love.
Mardoll made some really creative and exciting choices with where to take the SFF aspects of the story, by the way. I applaud the unexpected yet logical twists in the author's resolution. The characters were basically between a rock and a hard place and I'm thrilled as a reader to be given a way out, a third option, that made so much sense once it was in front of me but that I didn't think of until it was presented in text, until the characters and I were propelled there by the high point of the plot.
This book actually gives me a really firm foothold on which to argue against that "pandering to diversity" accusation lobbed at so many queer-focused SFF families-of-choice narratives. I've always said that real life is full of folks in the LGBTQ+ umbrella clinging together in an often unfriendly or at least alienating cis hetero world, so for a story starring two bi girls to also include a m/m couple, some ace women, nonbinary characters, and a pan lady is not unrealistic at all. However, Poison Kiss's setup introduces a second very good reason for such a cluster -- what if the fairies (and Mardoll never comes out and says this, but it occurred to me in the car) specifically sought us out and took us? What if they took the ones who felt the most alienated, the most isolated, the ones who had the least support?
Anyway, that would certainly explain why so many of the escapees are in the umbrella. (Or, you could go with the alternative theory that the time in fairyland had left the captives inherently LGBTQ+ somehow, but I don't prefer that theory because I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of this stuff being easily changed by outside influence. I begged the anesthesiologist to reassure me that going under wouldn't turn me straight, back in 2009. Yes, please laugh at me. I'm laughing at myself. I wasn't laughing in 2009, though.)
Also, there's a moment about two-thirds of the way through that basically knocked me over with happy tears. I can't tell you what it was or it won't have the same effect on you at all, and it'll only be meaningful to some of you. But, wow. Damn.
TW for very sci-fi violence including a villain's severed limb and a lot of references to blood and venom. The triad is happily together and alive at the end and the book overall is very low on death of named characters.
They both like him, and he likes both of them, and the stage seems set for the usual smoothings out of a polyamorous romance, with insecurities needing to be put down, friends smirking affectionately from the sidelines, and plenty of communication. However, the fairy pretending to be King Arthur wants his sword back, so our heroes wind up in tighter and more dangerous predicaments with each new portal that opens up into the land of their former captivity.
I think the main character will appeal to anyone who's ever vicariously enjoyed the innocence-guilt of the Winter Soldier, but would rather spend time with a pink-haired bi girl instead of Bucky Barnes. Is Rose culpable for the way she was compelled to use her venom when she was a fairy queen's captive? In my and the other characters' opinions, not really, but her guilt is completely understandable and watching her work through it is cathartic and moving. Plus, her venom gives her a reason to hold a distance she longs to close, a physical manifestation of the emotional distance some people maintain in their lives when they feel they are too damaged by trauma to love.
Mardoll made some really creative and exciting choices with where to take the SFF aspects of the story, by the way. I applaud the unexpected yet logical twists in the author's resolution. The characters were basically between a rock and a hard place and I'm thrilled as a reader to be given a way out, a third option, that made so much sense once it was in front of me but that I didn't think of until it was presented in text, until the characters and I were propelled there by the high point of the plot.
This book actually gives me a really firm foothold on which to argue against that "pandering to diversity" accusation lobbed at so many queer-focused SFF families-of-choice narratives. I've always said that real life is full of folks in the LGBTQ+ umbrella clinging together in an often unfriendly or at least alienating cis hetero world, so for a story starring two bi girls to also include a m/m couple, some ace women, nonbinary characters, and a pan lady is not unrealistic at all. However, Poison Kiss's setup introduces a second very good reason for such a cluster -- what if the fairies (and Mardoll never comes out and says this, but it occurred to me in the car) specifically sought us out and took us? What if they took the ones who felt the most alienated, the most isolated, the ones who had the least support?
Anyway, that would certainly explain why so many of the escapees are in the umbrella. (Or, you could go with the alternative theory that the time in fairyland had left the captives inherently LGBTQ+ somehow, but I don't prefer that theory because I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of this stuff being easily changed by outside influence. I begged the anesthesiologist to reassure me that going under wouldn't turn me straight, back in 2009. Yes, please laugh at me. I'm laughing at myself. I wasn't laughing in 2009, though.)
Also, there's a moment about two-thirds of the way through that basically knocked me over with happy tears. I can't tell you what it was or it won't have the same effect on you at all, and it'll only be meaningful to some of you. But, wow. Damn.
TW for very sci-fi violence including a villain's severed limb and a lot of references to blood and venom. The triad is happily together and alive at the end and the book overall is very low on death of named characters.
March 13, 2017
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book.
It is a book that centers characters with PTSD, that focuses on the ways they are impacted by trauma afterwards. It is not trauma porn, does not share unnecessary details about the trauma, and doesn’t feel like it exploits the trauma for the reader’s titillation or vicarious thrill. This is actually quite rare, and I treasure stories that do this. It is a book that centers trauma survivors & depicts some violence, that I was able to trust to do that in a way that was respectful, that did not build on ableism, and that felt real. I loved that about this book. It depicts the some of the really hard shit about being a trauma survivor, and still really feels hopeful.
This is a book that focuses on how survivors band together to create queer chosen family, and it felt both lovely and complicated, the way chosen family often does. The characterization was lovely and complicated, as was the way magic works in the story. I really fell for & felt for a lot of these characters, both central and less central, who were complicated and messy and struggling and sometimes quite rude, grumpy and self centered.
This is a deeply queer & deeply poly story and that was built in to every aspect of it in a way that I liked quite a bit. There is a queer triad in the story, and there are some lovely moments with that. There are a few very clearly marked non binary characters, which is another thing I like about this story, how their gender was marked, but otherwise not a thing in the story, just part of who they were. The book generally treated identities in this way, and it worked really well I thought.
I liked how the characters in the story were thinking about and grappling with consent in a complex way, and really cared about magical influence and other sticky things when they were considering it.
I want to think more about the ways metaphor worked in the story; being tainted was a big thing, and I want to think more about what that meant, especially with regard to trauma and queerness. So I may amend this review once I’ve given that more thought.
I had some trouble with one aspect of the story.
Overall, I was able to overlook this issue and still really enjoy many things about this book.
Note added 3/13/17: A couple of aroace readers have offered criticism of this book both for the aroace rep and for aphobia in general. Here is a blog post discussing the issues at length, a goodreads review naming them, and a live tweet read of the book discussing them. I plan to reread the book with these criticisms in mind, as it's been almost a year since I read, and I hope it may help me learn to better spot this kind of issue.
Trigger Warnings:
It is a book that centers characters with PTSD, that focuses on the ways they are impacted by trauma afterwards. It is not trauma porn, does not share unnecessary details about the trauma, and doesn’t feel like it exploits the trauma for the reader’s titillation or vicarious thrill. This is actually quite rare, and I treasure stories that do this. It is a book that centers trauma survivors & depicts some violence, that I was able to trust to do that in a way that was respectful, that did not build on ableism, and that felt real. I loved that about this book. It depicts the some of the really hard shit about being a trauma survivor, and still really feels hopeful.
This is a book that focuses on how survivors band together to create queer chosen family, and it felt both lovely and complicated, the way chosen family often does. The characterization was lovely and complicated, as was the way magic works in the story. I really fell for & felt for a lot of these characters, both central and less central, who were complicated and messy and struggling and sometimes quite rude, grumpy and self centered.
This is a deeply queer & deeply poly story and that was built in to every aspect of it in a way that I liked quite a bit. There is a queer triad in the story, and there are some lovely moments with that. There are a few very clearly marked non binary characters, which is another thing I like about this story, how their gender was marked, but otherwise not a thing in the story, just part of who they were. The book generally treated identities in this way, and it worked really well I thought.
I liked how the characters in the story were thinking about and grappling with consent in a complex way, and really cared about magical influence and other sticky things when they were considering it.
I want to think more about the ways metaphor worked in the story; being tainted was a big thing, and I want to think more about what that meant, especially with regard to trauma and queerness. So I may amend this review once I’ve given that more thought.
I had some trouble with one aspect of the story.
Overall, I was able to overlook this issue and still really enjoy many things about this book.
Note added 3/13/17: A couple of aroace readers have offered criticism of this book both for the aroace rep and for aphobia in general. Here is a blog post discussing the issues at length, a goodreads review naming them, and a live tweet read of the book discussing them. I plan to reread the book with these criticisms in mind, as it's been almost a year since I read, and I hope it may help me learn to better spot this kind of issue.
Trigger Warnings:
March 5, 2017
This is a hard book for me to rate and review. It probably is more of a 3.5 to be honest.
I liked so much of what I read--the characters are very real; they act and react in ways you would expect and I really enjoyed how this book handled trauma. So often in fantasy, the emotional and psychological repercussions are glossed over or ignored entirely. This book, however, manages to create a trauma narrative that rings true and painfully accurate; it's portrayal of a healing community is wonderful as well. Guilt, fear, and regret are very well presented and you never get the sense these emotions are manufactured or artificial--I would recommend the book on this alone, honestly. As a healing narrative it does something I can't recall having read before in this genre.
Unfortunately, there was a lot I didn't like so much. I think most of all the pacing felt very uneven. The plot falls into a series of repetitive events: something strange happens, someone gets injured, the characters go see someone for help, the narrative provides an infodump through experts that are introduced seemingly only to give context, they sleep, and repeat. It becomes rote, nearly, reading about going places-talking to people-sleeping-repeat and it takes away from the very effective character work being done.
The writing itself is strong overall, except I felt that the author tends to stop the action in order to provide an inner monologue for the narrator. Things happen and then we have paragraphs of the narrator thinking about the events while they're happening. This introspection is good but perhaps would have been better if done AFTER the event. These monologue-breaks prove to be somewhat uneven in terms of a cohesive narrative
I also felt a bit uncomfortable regarding the relationship between the three main characters. The narrator cares very much for her fellow escapee but they are stymied on a physical relationship until a special man enters the story and solved their intimate issues. The male character isn't very well developed at all, honestly--he's more plot device that person. I enjoy having a polyamorous relationship presented rather than the tired old love triangle trope, but the way it's written leaves me a bit cold to it.
Overall I did enjoy this book. I think the author presents something different, something needed for this genre. It's definitely worth a read if you're tired of the same old fantasy tropes.
I liked so much of what I read--the characters are very real; they act and react in ways you would expect and I really enjoyed how this book handled trauma. So often in fantasy, the emotional and psychological repercussions are glossed over or ignored entirely. This book, however, manages to create a trauma narrative that rings true and painfully accurate; it's portrayal of a healing community is wonderful as well. Guilt, fear, and regret are very well presented and you never get the sense these emotions are manufactured or artificial--I would recommend the book on this alone, honestly. As a healing narrative it does something I can't recall having read before in this genre.
Unfortunately, there was a lot I didn't like so much. I think most of all the pacing felt very uneven. The plot falls into a series of repetitive events: something strange happens, someone gets injured, the characters go see someone for help, the narrative provides an infodump through experts that are introduced seemingly only to give context, they sleep, and repeat. It becomes rote, nearly, reading about going places-talking to people-sleeping-repeat and it takes away from the very effective character work being done.
The writing itself is strong overall, except I felt that the author tends to stop the action in order to provide an inner monologue for the narrator. Things happen and then we have paragraphs of the narrator thinking about the events while they're happening. This introspection is good but perhaps would have been better if done AFTER the event. These monologue-breaks prove to be somewhat uneven in terms of a cohesive narrative
I also felt a bit uncomfortable regarding the relationship between the three main characters. The narrator cares very much for her fellow escapee but they are stymied on a physical relationship until a special man enters the story and solved their intimate issues. The male character isn't very well developed at all, honestly--he's more plot device that person. I enjoy having a polyamorous relationship presented rather than the tired old love triangle trope, but the way it's written leaves me a bit cold to it.
Overall I did enjoy this book. I think the author presents something different, something needed for this genre. It's definitely worth a read if you're tired of the same old fantasy tropes.
July 13, 2016
I loved loved LOVED this. The worldbuilding! The characters!
And it's not fluff, though it's got some fluff to it. Mardoll engages with trauma in a number of ways, and in particular trauma related to sexuality and intimacy. I wanted to cry and hug all of the protagonists, and make them soup.
It's also about a polyamorous queer triad, and that's something we don't see near enough of.
And it's not fluff, though it's got some fluff to it. Mardoll engages with trauma in a number of ways, and in particular trauma related to sexuality and intimacy. I wanted to cry and hug all of the protagonists, and make them soup.
It's also about a polyamorous queer triad, and that's something we don't see near enough of.
April 11, 2018
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book, but I mainly picked it up because the faery world premise sounded interesting, and because I was interested in reading something that featured polyamory.
I found the faery world just as intriguing as I expected to; it was fascinating how many different ways a human could be altered to fit whatever story the faeries wanted to play out. I was also really pleased with the polyamory in the story; full disclosure, this is the first book I've read (as far as I recall) that features polyamory, and I'm someone who is curious about/open to polyamory myself and wanted to read about such a relationship for that reason. I found the relationship sweet, equal, supportive, and most importantly it seemed to set a good example of consent.
The book was also very diverse overall, and one thing that really pleased me was that the diversity included non binary people, plural. I'm so used to either not seeing any non binary characters at all, or having just one, so having more than one non binary character, of differing ages and appearances, was a lovely change. Also, one of the non binary characters actually used neo pronouns, which is something else I've rarely seen in books so far.
I think my only issues with this book (and my reason for giving 4 stars rather than 5) were that after a very strong beginning, the pacing got a little shaky in the middle of the story. I felt that the ending was stronger, however, and I liked the characters enough that they pulled me past any pacing issues. I also felt that I wanted to know more about the faery worlds, since this book was primarily set after they had escaped. By extension, I also wanted to know more about some of the secondary characters, especially Elric, Tox, and Worth. I would happily read books about these characters backstories!
Overall I found this book very sweet, and an oddly comforting read. Although there was danger and confrontation, the way the characters supported each other throughout the story made it a very hopeful one. If you want to read a story about a cute polyamorous relationship, with fantasy elements and the obstacles that come with having been physically altered by faeries, you'll likely enjoy this book.
I found the faery world just as intriguing as I expected to; it was fascinating how many different ways a human could be altered to fit whatever story the faeries wanted to play out. I was also really pleased with the polyamory in the story; full disclosure, this is the first book I've read (as far as I recall) that features polyamory, and I'm someone who is curious about/open to polyamory myself and wanted to read about such a relationship for that reason. I found the relationship sweet, equal, supportive, and most importantly it seemed to set a good example of consent.
The book was also very diverse overall, and one thing that really pleased me was that the diversity included non binary people, plural. I'm so used to either not seeing any non binary characters at all, or having just one, so having more than one non binary character, of differing ages and appearances, was a lovely change. Also, one of the non binary characters actually used neo pronouns, which is something else I've rarely seen in books so far.
I think my only issues with this book (and my reason for giving 4 stars rather than 5) were that after a very strong beginning, the pacing got a little shaky in the middle of the story. I felt that the ending was stronger, however, and I liked the characters enough that they pulled me past any pacing issues. I also felt that I wanted to know more about the faery worlds, since this book was primarily set after they had escaped. By extension, I also wanted to know more about some of the secondary characters, especially Elric, Tox, and Worth. I would happily read books about these characters backstories!
Overall I found this book very sweet, and an oddly comforting read. Although there was danger and confrontation, the way the characters supported each other throughout the story made it a very hopeful one. If you want to read a story about a cute polyamorous relationship, with fantasy elements and the obstacles that come with having been physically altered by faeries, you'll likely enjoy this book.
February 6, 2017
At a time when a lot of fantasy is grim and obsessed with entropy, this story of recovery and healing was a blast of fresh air. I'm not sure I've read a paranormal urban fantasy recently that was more sincere in its diversity. Mardoll writes a believable cast of POC and QUILTBAG characters, each one treated with empathy.
Additionally, I love how the sexuality of the main characters is presented as a strength, and while this was my first time reading a story about a polyamorous relationship, I found Rose, Lavender, and Clarent's blossoming love extremely touching and sweet. (No pun intended.)
If you're looking to combat the negativity of our current political climate with a comforting, romantic read that offers characters who accept one another for who they are, this is the book for you.
Additionally, I love how the sexuality of the main characters is presented as a strength, and while this was my first time reading a story about a polyamorous relationship, I found Rose, Lavender, and Clarent's blossoming love extremely touching and sweet. (No pun intended.)
If you're looking to combat the negativity of our current political climate with a comforting, romantic read that offers characters who accept one another for who they are, this is the book for you.
August 8, 2017
Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll is the first Earthside book. It's a queer urban fantasy set in Texas. While there is romance and the most adorable polyamorous trio ever, it's mostly about the types of families you make for yourself
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
October 3, 2019
Eh...
I liked it, overall. It's definitely one of those books that suffered in audiobook format. S. Qiouyi Lu has a nice voice (light and musical) but I did not care for their narration at all. All of the characters sounded exactly the same, there was no emotional range whatsoever, and when they did change their voice it sounded forced and unnatural somehow. Idk. I think I'd like to hear them recite poetry though.
As for the story itself... good? Mostly? Neat setup and plot, but it all seemed hobbled together in a weird way. I didn't like how we were dropped down in the middle of the May Queen's Court and immediately plotted out. A little more time to set the scene would have been great. I definitely didn't like the immediate time-skip after Rose and Lavender escaped. I guess that was a way to get straight into the action/plot but I just felt cheated of character interaction and a lot of little world building details that could have been explained to us as it happened, instead of in little snippets and flashbacks, three months forward.
I can sometimes be a fan of love at first sight, but while I like Clarent a lot the fact that he's saying the L word to Rose after knowing her for about a day made me so ?__? This is another reason why I feel like the time-skip was a mistake. Clarent could have maybe come across soon after Lavender and Rose, and in the three months that passed they could begin building something romantic and THEN plot stuff starts happening. I realise this wouldn't work because of various other elements of the plot but idk man, you have to give me something other than 'he's pretty and sweet and my poison doesn't affect him' as a starting point for the relationship. Speaking of the poison: I know it's a big decision but all the circuitous waffling on what to do about it got a bit tiresome after a while.
Haha those are a lot of nitpicks for a book that, again, I did like! The concept is cool. I liked all the characters. I love when books have ensemble casts but the author doesn't concentrate solely on the protagonists. I feel like each side character was distinct and rich; I especially like Athena and Elric and Worth (I like how ne called everyone 'child' T__T). It was diverse in a natural way, addressed anxiety and depression. I really liked the main trio. Clarent was so damn cute, Rose made an excellent protag to see change and grow, and Lavender was my fave! So great to see her standing up for Rose at every available moment. The attraction and relationship between them was so lovely, and I squealed when you-know-what happened at the end.
The series has me interested, at the very least. I can see myself coming back to it in the future.
I liked it, overall. It's definitely one of those books that suffered in audiobook format. S. Qiouyi Lu has a nice voice (light and musical) but I did not care for their narration at all. All of the characters sounded exactly the same, there was no emotional range whatsoever, and when they did change their voice it sounded forced and unnatural somehow. Idk. I think I'd like to hear them recite poetry though.
As for the story itself... good? Mostly? Neat setup and plot, but it all seemed hobbled together in a weird way. I didn't like how we were dropped down in the middle of the May Queen's Court and immediately plotted out. A little more time to set the scene would have been great. I definitely didn't like the immediate time-skip after Rose and Lavender escaped. I guess that was a way to get straight into the action/plot but I just felt cheated of character interaction and a lot of little world building details that could have been explained to us as it happened, instead of in little snippets and flashbacks, three months forward.
I can sometimes be a fan of love at first sight, but while I like Clarent a lot the fact that he's saying the L word to Rose after knowing her for about a day made me so ?__? This is another reason why I feel like the time-skip was a mistake. Clarent could have maybe come across soon after Lavender and Rose, and in the three months that passed they could begin building something romantic and THEN plot stuff starts happening. I realise this wouldn't work because of various other elements of the plot but idk man, you have to give me something other than 'he's pretty and sweet and my poison doesn't affect him' as a starting point for the relationship. Speaking of the poison: I know it's a big decision but all the circuitous waffling on what to do about it got a bit tiresome after a while.
Haha those are a lot of nitpicks for a book that, again, I did like! The concept is cool. I liked all the characters. I love when books have ensemble casts but the author doesn't concentrate solely on the protagonists. I feel like each side character was distinct and rich; I especially like Athena and Elric and Worth (I like how ne called everyone 'child' T__T). It was diverse in a natural way, addressed anxiety and depression. I really liked the main trio. Clarent was so damn cute, Rose made an excellent protag to see change and grow, and Lavender was my fave! So great to see her standing up for Rose at every available moment. The attraction and relationship between them was so lovely, and I squealed when you-know-what happened at the end.
The series has me interested, at the very least. I can see myself coming back to it in the future.
October 19, 2021
This book starts at a point where many other fantasy stories end, except for the very beginning it all takes place after the characters already escaped the parallel world, and it discusses the aftereffects of the things that the faeries have done to them. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how fantasy books tend to gloss over or completely ignore the consequences their events are likely to have on the characters and their mental health, and if you are one of the people who are bothered by that, then this book is for you. It is all about the trauma these characters have from having been in the fairy world, and them trying to find their way back into human life, and building a community with other people that have escaped.
It’s also one of those books that are just effortlessly queer, the main character has a polyamorous romance with a man and a woman, and there are a number of gay side characters, side characters who are attracted to several genders, as well as genderqueer side characters. And there was no homophobia or transphobia from anyone in the story, all identities and relationships were just naturally accepted by everyone, which I always love seeing.
Which makes it even sadder that this was not more than three stars for me. I enjoyed it, I thought its ideas were amazing, but in the end it was lacking something for me. It took me quite long to read this, considering how short it is, and the reason for that was that I never managed to truly get invested in it. I would have needed a little something more in some aspect of the story, maybe a little more character development, or a little more action, or something in the world building, to truly fall on love with the story. Which is not to say that the character development, action or world building wasn’t good, it just wasn’t quite at the point that would have made this story a favorite for me. And while the romance had some great moments (just give me anything polyamorous and I’ll get emotional) I also found that the relationship between the women and Clarent developed way too fast. I definitely saw the connection between Rose and Lavender, and I could picture them eventually forming a romance with Clarent, but with the short amount of time they knew him for, by the end of the book I wasn’t quite convinced of their relationship. Maybe it was also based on sexual attraction too much for me to be able to connect to it enough to actually ship it.
It’s also one of those books that are just effortlessly queer, the main character has a polyamorous romance with a man and a woman, and there are a number of gay side characters, side characters who are attracted to several genders, as well as genderqueer side characters. And there was no homophobia or transphobia from anyone in the story, all identities and relationships were just naturally accepted by everyone, which I always love seeing.
Which makes it even sadder that this was not more than three stars for me. I enjoyed it, I thought its ideas were amazing, but in the end it was lacking something for me. It took me quite long to read this, considering how short it is, and the reason for that was that I never managed to truly get invested in it. I would have needed a little something more in some aspect of the story, maybe a little more character development, or a little more action, or something in the world building, to truly fall on love with the story. Which is not to say that the character development, action or world building wasn’t good, it just wasn’t quite at the point that would have made this story a favorite for me. And while the romance had some great moments (just give me anything polyamorous and I’ll get emotional) I also found that the relationship between the women and Clarent developed way too fast. I definitely saw the connection between Rose and Lavender, and I could picture them eventually forming a romance with Clarent, but with the short amount of time they knew him for, by the end of the book I wasn’t quite convinced of their relationship. Maybe it was also based on sexual attraction too much for me to be able to connect to it enough to actually ship it.
November 11, 2018
Decent read, excellent representation
The book started off slow, and is written in first person present, which I personally do not like. It took me a bit to get into it, and I kept putting it down and coming back later. Once I got about a quarter of the way in it started to pick up, and it was never quite slow enough for me to give up entirely. I read the last half of the book in one go.
The think I really love about the book is how everyone is just themselves, with no judgement. The healer is non-binary and everyone just uses ner proper pronouns. Mina and Elric are both very sexual and none of the characters think less of them. The main trio wind up in a polyamorous relationship and there's no worry about jealousy. It just is.
The book started off slow, and is written in first person present, which I personally do not like. It took me a bit to get into it, and I kept putting it down and coming back later. Once I got about a quarter of the way in it started to pick up, and it was never quite slow enough for me to give up entirely. I read the last half of the book in one go.
The think I really love about the book is how everyone is just themselves, with no judgement. The healer is non-binary and everyone just uses ner proper pronouns. Mina and Elric are both very sexual and none of the characters think less of them. The main trio wind up in a polyamorous relationship and there's no worry about jealousy. It just is.
January 14, 2018
This was a fun read, with a fast-paced story and likable characters. I enjoyed it, but found it somewhat forgettable. Still, I might read the next Earthside book.
I liked seeing the representation of non-cis and non-straight identities (although as a cis straight person myself, can't speak to how respectful or accurate it was; some other reviews here on Goodreads expand more on that). Only the main two characters, Rose and Lavender, feel truly developed, despite others playing a crucial role in the story. There is a main male character that felt a little bit overly "straight girl's dream cardboard cutout" to me, he doesn't feel very real. A fun romp overall.
I liked seeing the representation of non-cis and non-straight identities (although as a cis straight person myself, can't speak to how respectful or accurate it was; some other reviews here on Goodreads expand more on that). Only the main two characters, Rose and Lavender, feel truly developed, despite others playing a crucial role in the story. There is a main male character that felt a little bit overly "straight girl's dream cardboard cutout" to me, he doesn't feel very real. A fun romp overall.
January 12, 2017
This was a great book! The characters were complex and lovable (especially the main trio) as well as being good representation of diverse races, genders, and orientations. I love the fact that the version of faeries used hearkened back to their original mythology of being evil kidnappers. I also liked that in times of conflict, everyone's strengths were used to help. No one felt superfluous. This book had some great world building. It did a good job of being a complete story while still setting up for the rest of the series.
May 10, 2018
Completely brilliant. The entire thing. I almost didn't read this. It's been sitting on my To Read list for a long time and after failing to find it in both my county and statewide library systems I nearly removed it. But I'm glad I splurged and bought the ebook.
August 3, 2018
3.5
I liked the story and world they author created, but some of the dialogue was awkward. One of the downfalls of audiobooks is that becomes a little more apparent when hearing the story out loud.
I liked the story and world they author created, but some of the dialogue was awkward. One of the downfalls of audiobooks is that becomes a little more apparent when hearing the story out loud.
September 11, 2018
Probably more of a 3.5 because while it was enjoyable and the characters were sympathetic, I had some issues with he pacing and would've liked more conflict? I'm not sure exactly but I'll think more on it.
January 22, 2019
I really really enjoyed this. Lots of trigger warnings for trauma and all sorts of things. Plural related stuff hit me hard because it was unexpected. But it's such a good story and has adorable bisexual triad
July 8, 2022
Surprisingly entertaining and engaging story! Normally this kind of fantasy book isn’t my cup of tea, but this one drew me in and was hard to put away. Good storyline and writing. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
February 27, 2017
For being not my genre and not my style, i actually really enjoyed this book, which i started reading because of #AroSpecAwareness week!
February 24, 2020
3.5 stars
July 27, 2020
Parts of this were kind of repetitive and i sometimes zoned out when there were too many fantasy words in one paragraph but aside from that i really enjoyed this, especially the romance.
January 28, 2017
YA magical fantasy, modern setting, cute throuple and curious fae ideas.
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February 27, 2020
January 8, 2016
This book is ok. The writing is solid, even if does use a few more adverbs and cliches than strictly necessary. The characters are interesting, although not as developed as I like. This book is a highly metaphorical fantasy, and I do admit that fantasy isn't my thing. I picked this book up because I loved loved loved Mardoll's Twilight deconstructions. Ultimately, this book edges away slightly from fantasy and nestles up to mythology, which worked really well for me.
I love the King Arthur mythos. And the mythos allusions were my favourite part of this book. The playful dramatic irony of the High King faery dying as part of his quest to get Clarent back is delightful.
I feel like I should also love the diversity of the cast here. Mardoll creates a space where the stigmas attached to variance in race, gender, sexual orientation, neurotypicality and age don't exist. It's almost utopic. It's also quite effacing. The importance of those identities and experiences is undermined when they're rendered irrelevant. And I get that it relates to the fact that the altereds had their memories erased. But it was still kind of strange to me. I would have rather seen more emphasis on rediscovering former identities. I found some of the characters difficult to visualize because the details of their appearance/manner/age were so politically correctly sparse.
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't stand Rose. All of her self-esteem issues: the self-pity and the self-doubt and the constant need to have everyone around her remind her that she's not a bad person. Make it stop! I'm not saying she should have been some sort of mary sue who had all her shit figured out. I get how representations of mental illness and PTSD are important. But maybe there's some sort of happy medium?
Also. I liked the emphasis on consent throughout. I would even go so far as to say consent is theme of this book. I like how it was raised explicitly. I like how Mardoll demonstrated its relevance in all contexts, not just sexual ones. Everything single thing that happens in this story from how the faeries treat their "servants" in the first chapter to Clarent finding a place to stay in the last chapter is about consent. It's neat.
I love the King Arthur mythos. And the mythos allusions were my favourite part of this book. The playful dramatic irony of the High King faery dying as part of his quest to get Clarent back is delightful.
I feel like I should also love the diversity of the cast here. Mardoll creates a space where the stigmas attached to variance in race, gender, sexual orientation, neurotypicality and age don't exist. It's almost utopic. It's also quite effacing. The importance of those identities and experiences is undermined when they're rendered irrelevant. And I get that it relates to the fact that the altereds had their memories erased. But it was still kind of strange to me. I would have rather seen more emphasis on rediscovering former identities. I found some of the characters difficult to visualize because the details of their appearance/manner/age were so politically correctly sparse.
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't stand Rose. All of her self-esteem issues: the self-pity and the self-doubt and the constant need to have everyone around her remind her that she's not a bad person. Make it stop! I'm not saying she should have been some sort of mary sue who had all her shit figured out. I get how representations of mental illness and PTSD are important. But maybe there's some sort of happy medium?
Also. I liked the emphasis on consent throughout. I would even go so far as to say consent is theme of this book. I like how it was raised explicitly. I like how Mardoll demonstrated its relevance in all contexts, not just sexual ones. Everything single thing that happens in this story from how the faeries treat their "servants" in the first chapter to Clarent finding a place to stay in the last chapter is about consent. It's neat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2016
Goodness, where do I start with this book? It is genuinely one of the best things I've read in a long time. Not only is it, imo, objectively a great book but it also really spoke to me on an emotional level.
May contain some very vague spoilers..
The story itself is very captivating, both in terms of the "physical" plot and in terms of the emotional dimension of the plot. The worldbuilding is very well-done. The magic and mythology of the book manage to feel complex without being contrived and the fae realm is built to be fascinating, but also deeply disturbing.
The main character, Rose, is well-drawn and relatable. Traumatized by her experiences (pre-book) in the fae realm, she struggles with her self-image and questions of morality and these issues are dealt with in a nuanced manner where black-and-white morality has little space. It is also refreshing to see a fantasy book dealing with the impact of a plot such as this in terms of mental health more than in terms of some sort of objective right or wrong.
The supporting cast is also lovely, with a diverse, interesting range of characters most of whom manage to feel very concrete even if they all don't get much "screen-time". Not only that, but I adore the social atmosphere that's prevailing among them, one in which stigmas are actively worked against by a mixture of open conversation and respect for each others' privacy and boundaries. A community of survivors, in more ways than one.
Finally, this book made me realize how starved I am for depictions of polyamorous relationships that are nuanced and not just excuses for group sex scenes. I found the budding relationship in the book incredibly moving, beautiful and relatable.
I really can't wait to read the next book in this series. I hope we get to meet Rose and her loved ones again, but even if we don't I can't wait to see what more this world has to offer. Especially after that mysterious epilogue...
May contain some very vague spoilers..
The story itself is very captivating, both in terms of the "physical" plot and in terms of the emotional dimension of the plot. The worldbuilding is very well-done. The magic and mythology of the book manage to feel complex without being contrived and the fae realm is built to be fascinating, but also deeply disturbing.
The main character, Rose, is well-drawn and relatable. Traumatized by her experiences (pre-book) in the fae realm, she struggles with her self-image and questions of morality and these issues are dealt with in a nuanced manner where black-and-white morality has little space. It is also refreshing to see a fantasy book dealing with the impact of a plot such as this in terms of mental health more than in terms of some sort of objective right or wrong.
The supporting cast is also lovely, with a diverse, interesting range of characters most of whom manage to feel very concrete even if they all don't get much "screen-time". Not only that, but I adore the social atmosphere that's prevailing among them, one in which stigmas are actively worked against by a mixture of open conversation and respect for each others' privacy and boundaries. A community of survivors, in more ways than one.
Finally, this book made me realize how starved I am for depictions of polyamorous relationships that are nuanced and not just excuses for group sex scenes. I found the budding relationship in the book incredibly moving, beautiful and relatable.
I really can't wait to read the next book in this series. I hope we get to meet Rose and her loved ones again, but even if we don't I can't wait to see what more this world has to offer. Especially after that mysterious epilogue...
June 2, 2016
Fantasy stories often show faery realms as gentle and sweet. But in the world of "Poison Kiss" the fae are cruel and uncaring. Subject to the fairies' murderous whims, otherworldly captivity has left the altered humans with frightening memories and strange, sometimes deadly magic powers.
This book's protagonist and her friends all struggle to heal and to help one another. Though they have lost most memories of human life, the brave and resourceful group survive by appreciating one another's diverse identities and wide array of talents. Some fight with arrows or a poisonous kiss. Others heal, help the newly returned re-integrate with the workaday world, or share their knowledge to defend against their otherworldly foes. Finding friendship and romance in the midst of the chaos is a whole other adventure. Though the perils are different, the stakes are no less high.
The main characters' struggles with trauma, mental illness, and relationship boundaries are very true to life. But the magical mayhem which pursues them with mounting intensity is a fresh take on several classic high fantasy themes. Super satisfying read.
There are occasional scenes of moderate to strong violence. There is one explicit sex scene, which deftly reveals the emotional as well as physical interactions involved - delightfully positive on both fronts.
This book's protagonist and her friends all struggle to heal and to help one another. Though they have lost most memories of human life, the brave and resourceful group survive by appreciating one another's diverse identities and wide array of talents. Some fight with arrows or a poisonous kiss. Others heal, help the newly returned re-integrate with the workaday world, or share their knowledge to defend against their otherworldly foes. Finding friendship and romance in the midst of the chaos is a whole other adventure. Though the perils are different, the stakes are no less high.
The main characters' struggles with trauma, mental illness, and relationship boundaries are very true to life. But the magical mayhem which pursues them with mounting intensity is a fresh take on several classic high fantasy themes. Super satisfying read.
There are occasional scenes of moderate to strong violence. There is one explicit sex scene, which deftly reveals the emotional as well as physical interactions involved - delightfully positive on both fronts.
October 21, 2025
While I enjoyed the premise, I felt the story wasn’t really as engaging as it could’ve been. It’s the type of story that takes place largely after the action - the main characters have already fled their captivity and are now leading mostly normal lives on earth, dealing with their trauma and loss of identity. There is some plot outside of that, but it plays very little part.
This premise where the narrative focus is more on the fallout of adventure rather than adventure itself can work really well (think the Wayward Children books, or later installments of the Carry On trilogy). But with Poison Kiss, it never really does much with it. The themes of trauma and identity are touched on but never dealt with in any depth. There is little to no attempt by the characters to find anything out about their past, family, or cultures, and equally little attempt to create a new identity.
Instead, we focus mostly on the romance aspect. And you know, that’s fine. Finding out it was a polyamorous romance was what made me pick it up in the first place, and the effortless way it dealt with various queer identities was a highlight. But for me, the characters and their romance was never really engaging enough to fully carry the book.
This premise where the narrative focus is more on the fallout of adventure rather than adventure itself can work really well (think the Wayward Children books, or later installments of the Carry On trilogy). But with Poison Kiss, it never really does much with it. The themes of trauma and identity are touched on but never dealt with in any depth. There is little to no attempt by the characters to find anything out about their past, family, or cultures, and equally little attempt to create a new identity.
Instead, we focus mostly on the romance aspect. And you know, that’s fine. Finding out it was a polyamorous romance was what made me pick it up in the first place, and the effortless way it dealt with various queer identities was a highlight. But for me, the characters and their romance was never really engaging enough to fully carry the book.
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July 17, 2016A delicious introduction to an intriguing new world that blends faerie with a present-day Texas community of faerie refugees struggling to survive and support one another in their "altered" state. Rose and Lavender, servants in the court of the May Queen, make a narrow escape from their life of servitude and are scooped up by a Hunter named Celia who resettles them in the human realm. Their close friendship is unsettled and deepened with the arrival of a new refugee, Clarent, who appears to be immune to Rose's lethal fae ability -- to kill with a kiss.
I very much enjoyed the world-building here and the introduction to our cast of characters in what will hopefully be first of the series. I was disappointed, however, that the novel packed so much plot in that we were unable to linger on the character- and relationship development of and between Rose, Lavender, and Clarent. I wanted more of a build toward their emotional and physical inter-relationship than the story made space for, and as a result their coming together felt a bit rushed. I hope future installments flesh out the depth and naunce of their relational chemistry.
I very much enjoyed the world-building here and the introduction to our cast of characters in what will hopefully be first of the series. I was disappointed, however, that the novel packed so much plot in that we were unable to linger on the character- and relationship development of and between Rose, Lavender, and Clarent. I wanted more of a build toward their emotional and physical inter-relationship than the story made space for, and as a result their coming together felt a bit rushed. I hope future installments flesh out the depth and naunce of their relational chemistry.
June 21, 2016
I really enjoyed this! Queer poly supernatural romance is pretty much right up my alley. I loved how thoughtfully it dealt with trauma and the ongoing aftermath as people band together to heal. The way the main character struggled to come to grips with her identity and self-worth, in the wake of how her trauma had changed her, resonated deeply with me, and showed once again how fantasy and magic can get to the heart of very real and everyday struggles.
I personally don't relate when there's instant attraction and connection between characters in a romance, and there was some of that here that gave me trouble staying with the story at parts. But all the characters are terrific and lovable in their different ways, and the relationship between the two female love interests in particular was very compelling to me. And the action/suspense sequences had me glued to the page.
All in all, well-written, a well-crafted world with people I want to spend more time with.
I personally don't relate when there's instant attraction and connection between characters in a romance, and there was some of that here that gave me trouble staying with the story at parts. But all the characters are terrific and lovable in their different ways, and the relationship between the two female love interests in particular was very compelling to me. And the action/suspense sequences had me glued to the page.
All in all, well-written, a well-crafted world with people I want to spend more time with.
January 4, 2016
One of my favourite books of the year, this is a delightful fantasy adventure with an engaging protagonist, great community of supporting characters, and a super-sweet three-way romance.
Rose and Lavender are enslaved by the May Queen, just two of many humans who have been abducted and taken to the faery world, altered to play parts in the cruel entertainments devised by the faeries. They don't remember their previous lives on Earth, but tiny fragments of memory -- and a huge amount of willpower -- might just be enough to get them home. Arriving Earthside isn't the end of their problems, though. It doesn't bring the memories back. And dangerous portals to the faery world keep opening up around them.
Full review: http://strangecharmbooks.co.uk/2016/0...
Rose and Lavender are enslaved by the May Queen, just two of many humans who have been abducted and taken to the faery world, altered to play parts in the cruel entertainments devised by the faeries. They don't remember their previous lives on Earth, but tiny fragments of memory -- and a huge amount of willpower -- might just be enough to get them home. Arriving Earthside isn't the end of their problems, though. It doesn't bring the memories back. And dangerous portals to the faery world keep opening up around them.
Full review: http://strangecharmbooks.co.uk/2016/0...
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