Poison Study wasn't quite what I was expecting. The context I had always assumed when this book was recommended was that of an adult romantic fantasy, and I don't think that's what this is.

The writing style spoke of a young adult novel. That's not a bad thing - I really enjoyed the prose. It was strong and unassuming, providing no distraction from the story being told. And the story itself is very interesting.

But what makes Poison Study make the leap from good to great, is the protagonist Yelena. Yelena is an extremely well-drawn character. She is strong and honorable, whilst remaining realistically pragmatic. She never once strays into too-good-to-be-true or too-stupid-to-live territory. She is in an untenable situation and works to turn the circumstances to her advantage through blood, sweat and tears, not superhuman heroics.

The story is told in the first-person from Yelena's perspective, and it couldn't have been told as effectively any other way. We must know and see only what Yelena does as we try alongside her to navigate this world with its myriad of twists, deceptions and dangerous politics.

The character of Valek is also heightened when seen only through Yelena's eyes. He is a fascinating, intriguing character who I hope to see more of in the coming books. The side characters are also fully realized and add much to the story.

There is some romance, and it is pleasing, but not nearly enough for me to categorize this in any romance genre. I think if you were reading this book expecting a romance, you would likely be disappointed.

However, while Poison Study was not what I expected, I am glad it's what I got. If you like a well-written fantasy with one of the best female protagonists around, you will no doubt be very satisfied with this book. I'm really glad I finally took the time to read this one and have already ordered the next in the trilogy, Magic Study.