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The Kinder Poison
(The Kinder Poison #1)
by
Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.
Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, h ...more
Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, h ...more
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Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
June 16th 2020
by Razorbill
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Start your review of The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison, #1)

*Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!*
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Kinder Poison surprised me with it's humor and addictive qualities.
“All good stories start with bad decisions.”
The Kinder Poison is a fantastic debut novel. The world-building is interesting and immersive, with fascinating mythology and a fun magic system. Fun is pro ...more
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Kinder Poison surprised me with it's humor and addictive qualities.
“All good stories start with bad decisions.”
The Kinder Poison is a fantastic debut novel. The world-building is interesting and immersive, with fascinating mythology and a fun magic system. Fun is pro ...more

Well I think I missed the memo on this one so here it is for others:
Memo - This isn't an exciting action adventure fantasy.
This is more of a story about relationships, that happens to be set in a fantasy world, in which people need to get from A to B, and do lots of arguing, self reflection, falling in and out of 'like', lamenting about their relationships with their parents, and more arguing. There are a couple of scuffles, a few magicky wee moments and some good old sibling rivalry. I think i ...more
Memo - This isn't an exciting action adventure fantasy.
This is more of a story about relationships, that happens to be set in a fantasy world, in which people need to get from A to B, and do lots of arguing, self reflection, falling in and out of 'like', lamenting about their relationships with their parents, and more arguing. There are a couple of scuffles, a few magicky wee moments and some good old sibling rivalry. I think i ...more

Thank you so much to Bookish First and Razorbill for my finished copy of The Kinder Poison! It is a gorgeous hardcover and for my fellow book sniffers, has that great sawdust smell 😂
Tons of sibling rivalry, a magical and dangerous race, a taste of political intrigue, and some interesting family dynamics are all aspects that drew me to - and kept me interested in the book while reading.
The sibling rivalry is the base for the entire plot, so lets start there. One of the three has to make it acro ...more
Tons of sibling rivalry, a magical and dangerous race, a taste of political intrigue, and some interesting family dynamics are all aspects that drew me to - and kept me interested in the book while reading.
The sibling rivalry is the base for the entire plot, so lets start there. One of the three has to make it acro ...more

“All good stories start with bad decisions.”
And thus begins the tale of an epic, thrilling adventure that follows Zahru, a young girl desperately seeking adventure, who becomes the human sacrifice and pawn in a deadly game of cat and mouse between three heirs 👑
The World
This was such an enthralling adventure. Everything from the color, warmth, and complexity of the world, to the characters, to the strength and compassion of Zahru - it was all so breathtaking! I felt like my imagination couldn’t c ...more
And thus begins the tale of an epic, thrilling adventure that follows Zahru, a young girl desperately seeking adventure, who becomes the human sacrifice and pawn in a deadly game of cat and mouse between three heirs 👑
The World
This was such an enthralling adventure. Everything from the color, warmth, and complexity of the world, to the characters, to the strength and compassion of Zahru - it was all so breathtaking! I felt like my imagination couldn’t c ...more

If you are a fan of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone, Maven from Red Queen or Warner from Shatter Me, this is a must-read.
I’m trying not to sound like a rabid fangirl, but this is the YA fantasy/romance I’ve been looking for all year!
I will say that I think the comparison to Red Queen is very accurate so keep that in mind. I’ll also confess that I almost wrote this book off in the beginning, but it vastly improves. Here are a few things about The Kinder Poison that might initially annoy you, a ...more
I’m trying not to sound like a rabid fangirl, but this is the YA fantasy/romance I’ve been looking for all year!
I will say that I think the comparison to Red Queen is very accurate so keep that in mind. I’ll also confess that I almost wrote this book off in the beginning, but it vastly improves. Here are a few things about The Kinder Poison that might initially annoy you, a ...more

I love when books are character driven, and this one was so good. The siblings Jet, Kasta, and Sakira were all very interesting and had great backstories. While the main character Zahru, didn’t have an interesting backstory and I felt all of the other characters were more interesting. And the magic system I hope to see more of it in the next book because it was really interesting especially the powers that Maia has. The world building was good but I wanted more from it. Overall, this is one of m
...more

Thank you FFBC, Edelweiss and Razorbill for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Kinder Poison
By: Natalie Mae
REVIEW☆☆☆☆
Some years ago, I loved a movie called Hidalgo about a horse race across a brutal and deadly desert. The Kinder Poison's synopsis immediately took me back to that time, and I knew I had to read this book.
The heroine, Zahru, wants so much more than life has given her. In a world of magical powers, she can speak to anima ...more
The Kinder Poison
By: Natalie Mae
REVIEW☆☆☆☆
Some years ago, I loved a movie called Hidalgo about a horse race across a brutal and deadly desert. The Kinder Poison's synopsis immediately took me back to that time, and I knew I had to read this book.
The heroine, Zahru, wants so much more than life has given her. In a world of magical powers, she can speak to anima ...more

the younger me that religiously rewatched The Black Stallion Returns and Hidalgo wants this book now
...more


Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an e-arc copy of the book.
If you like rivalling royalty and books that centre around a battle for the throne, I highly recommend picking up The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae.
This book is about a race across the desert called, “The Crossing.” All of the heirs take part in this race, and at the end they need to perform a human sacrifice to ascend to the throne. As Zahru gets caught up in the feud between the heirs, she is forced to become the human sacrifice. ...more
If you like rivalling royalty and books that centre around a battle for the throne, I highly recommend picking up The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae.
This book is about a race across the desert called, “The Crossing.” All of the heirs take part in this race, and at the end they need to perform a human sacrifice to ascend to the throne. As Zahru gets caught up in the feud between the heirs, she is forced to become the human sacrifice. ...more

3.75/5
Read the full review at www.universewithinpages.com
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book!
I got this book about a week back and I really like the concept of the book. It follows the main character, Zahru, who was chosen to be the sacrifice of a royal kingdom. There are three heirs to the throne who must race across the desert to kill her in order to ascend to the throne. This world is full of magic, including both “lowly magic” such as talking ...more
Read the full review at www.universewithinpages.com
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book!
I got this book about a week back and I really like the concept of the book. It follows the main character, Zahru, who was chosen to be the sacrifice of a royal kingdom. There are three heirs to the throne who must race across the desert to kill her in order to ascend to the throne. This world is full of magic, including both “lowly magic” such as talking ...more

Jan 08, 2021
Jessica Reads It
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2021-reads,
book-series,
fantasy,
favorite-author,
favorite-series,
female-lead,
magic,
romance,
action,
fiction
Confession - Did I buy Kinder Poison because of the gorgeous cover? Oh yeah........ In my defense, the book cover is quite spectacular and, the choice of colors- royal purple and bright gold scream, "Bookstagrammable".
While my initial intentions were slightly superficial, Kinder Poison simply bewitched me with its splendid cast of characters and its superbly written plotline. It had me guessing right up until the very end, with stunning betrayals, and revelations that expose a web of lies, de ...more
While my initial intentions were slightly superficial, Kinder Poison simply bewitched me with its splendid cast of characters and its superbly written plotline. It had me guessing right up until the very end, with stunning betrayals, and revelations that expose a web of lies, de ...more

Rating: 4.5
I had seen the cover circling for this one on every social media I have. The purple and gold together are amazing and it just has that dazzle that captures the eye. Even though I was a bit hesitant about picking it up, I’m glad I signed up for this blog tour because within in the first chapter I immediately fell in love with this story!
Zahru relies a lot on others. She tries to be brave and tries to be optimistic about the situations she gets in. She is kind, caring, and truly wants t ...more
I had seen the cover circling for this one on every social media I have. The purple and gold together are amazing and it just has that dazzle that captures the eye. Even though I was a bit hesitant about picking it up, I’m glad I signed up for this blog tour because within in the first chapter I immediately fell in love with this story!
Zahru relies a lot on others. She tries to be brave and tries to be optimistic about the situations she gets in. She is kind, caring, and truly wants t ...more

the main character can talk to animals that is literally the cutest shit 🥺
imma start off by saying that i despise love triangles, but this book is so much more than some dumb back-and-forth between two princes. and it‘s so entertaining too?? i don’t think i was ever bored. like, it’s a more character driven story rather than something that’s action-packed, so i guess it depends on ur personal taste, but still.
zahru might start off as ur typical meek heroine but she grows so much throughout the ...more
imma start off by saying that i despise love triangles, but this book is so much more than some dumb back-and-forth between two princes. and it‘s so entertaining too?? i don’t think i was ever bored. like, it’s a more character driven story rather than something that’s action-packed, so i guess it depends on ur personal taste, but still.
zahru might start off as ur typical meek heroine but she grows so much throughout the ...more

Mar 04, 2020
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell
marked it as to-read
I keep seeing people with ARCs of this and I am slavering at the mouth with want

Many thanks to Razorbill and Edelweiss for giving me an ARC!
I was excited to read The Kinder Poison. The blurb made it sound stronger than Red Queen, focused on the strong female angle. I had read Red Queen and found it lacking in depth and coherence. I hoped that this one would give me more hope.
After finishing this book I can say that if you enjoy Red Queen you will enjoy this one for the same reasons. IF you didn’t enjoy Red Queen, then you won’t enjoy this book.
I find it crazy these days tha ...more
I was excited to read The Kinder Poison. The blurb made it sound stronger than Red Queen, focused on the strong female angle. I had read Red Queen and found it lacking in depth and coherence. I hoped that this one would give me more hope.
After finishing this book I can say that if you enjoy Red Queen you will enjoy this one for the same reasons. IF you didn’t enjoy Red Queen, then you won’t enjoy this book.
I find it crazy these days tha ...more

I really liked it, but hated the romance.
Let me tell you, this would've been a solid 5-stars had it not been for the romance. And other people might have liked this book for that very reason, but I'm not other people.
Other people, are people who like love triangles. And like them between two brothers.
And let me tell you something about me: I hate love triangles, with very few books making the 5-star cut for me. And between brothers? Absolutely hate them. And if the girl keeps changing her mind e ...more
Let me tell you, this would've been a solid 5-stars had it not been for the romance. And other people might have liked this book for that very reason, but I'm not other people.
Other people, are people who like love triangles. And like them between two brothers.
And let me tell you something about me: I hate love triangles, with very few books making the 5-star cut for me. And between brothers? Absolutely hate them. And if the girl keeps changing her mind e ...more

Actual rating 3.5 stars
I had no idea what to expect when starting this one, but it definitely wasn't the whirlwind of emotions that I just went through...
Full review to come ...more
I had no idea what to expect when starting this one, but it definitely wasn't the whirlwind of emotions that I just went through...
Full review to come ...more

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
In the land of Orkena, everyone is born with a magical ability they eventually grow into. Zahru is a Whisperer, meaning she can talk to animals. Unfortunately for Zahru, this is not a necessarily interesting ability, and therefore, she doesn't live an extremely luxurious lifestyle. Every 10 years, the ...more
*I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
In the land of Orkena, everyone is born with a magical ability they eventually grow into. Zahru is a Whisperer, meaning she can talk to animals. Unfortunately for Zahru, this is not a necessarily interesting ability, and therefore, she doesn't live an extremely luxurious lifestyle. Every 10 years, the ...more

I was lucky to get an advance read of THE KINDER POISON, a sweeping fantasy with a unique system of magic that guides one's destiny and place in the world, and yet Zahru wants more. But when that more comes in a way she couldn't have imagined, she must take a hard look at who she is versus who she wants to be. With strong characters, beautifully written description, a slow burn romance that will keep you enthralled, and a touch of humor, THE KINDER POISON has me anxious for the sequel!
...more

Oct 08, 2020
Katherine Paschal
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
heart-wrenching,
teen,
romance,
supernatural,
suspense,
witches,
angst,
another-world,
royal-court
This was fantastic and completely unexpected. I need the next book like yesterday, what a cliffhanger. Does it make me a bad person that I still root for the bad boy who is basically a monster??

The Kinder Poison is the first book in the Kinder Poison series by Natalie Mae. I loved The Kinder Poison fiercely! It is one of my favorite books of 2020 for sure! The Kinder Poison is a young adult fantasy with a slow burn romance…my favorite kind! It really has it all- great characters, a really interesting world, competition, a unique magic structure, fantastic writing and world building and have a mentioned the romance? Yes! I totally loved it all and I am desperate for the sequel! Fingers
...more

I've only managed to snag the first few chapters so far (crossing my fingers that I am approved for an ARC) but I am already OBSESSED.
I am in love with the author's writing style and I was chuckling before the end of the first page. The main character's, Zahru, inner dialogue is riotous and really resonates with the way I talk to myself in my own head. Plus, she can talk to animals?! Excuse me, we have ALL dreamed about having this ability at some point or another.
The CHARACTERS. I have yet to c ...more
I am in love with the author's writing style and I was chuckling before the end of the first page. The main character's, Zahru, inner dialogue is riotous and really resonates with the way I talk to myself in my own head. Plus, she can talk to animals?! Excuse me, we have ALL dreamed about having this ability at some point or another.
The CHARACTERS. I have yet to c ...more

Thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks also to the FFBC for including me on this blog tour! 4.5 stars (rounded up).
Ok, wow. I think The Kinder Poison might be one of my favourite YA fantasy reads so far in 2020! I went into this book with very little expectation and in all honesty, didn't even re-read the blurb to refresh my memory of what it was about until I got to the 40% mark -- not that I needed to because this book had me hooked from the be ...more
Ok, wow. I think The Kinder Poison might be one of my favourite YA fantasy reads so far in 2020! I went into this book with very little expectation and in all honesty, didn't even re-read the blurb to refresh my memory of what it was about until I got to the 40% mark -- not that I needed to because this book had me hooked from the be ...more

*Thank you so much to FFBC Tours and Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!*
Stars: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Favorite Character(s)?: Several, but Kasta, Zarhu(surprise!), and Maia top the list!
“All good stories start with bad decisions.”
It's no secret I love being able to fall in-love with debut stories, more so when it happens to defy the odds and becomes one of my 'Top Reads" of both that year, but also one of my absolute ...more
Stars: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Favorite Character(s)?: Several, but Kasta, Zarhu(surprise!), and Maia top the list!
“All good stories start with bad decisions.”
It's no secret I love being able to fall in-love with debut stories, more so when it happens to defy the odds and becomes one of my 'Top Reads" of both that year, but also one of my absolute ...more

~5 STARS~
“Daydreaming is all fun and games until you’re chosen as a human sacrifice, and having to sneak through a dilapidated town with a deserting prince and the risk of a treason charge.” Page 196
I devoured this book in a day because I was just that engrossed in the story and the characters. I got major ancient Egypt vibes, and I really loved the theme and message of Kindness in the book. I LOVED Zahru and her personality and how she interacted with the other characters.
Also... I am absolute ...more
“Daydreaming is all fun and games until you’re chosen as a human sacrifice, and having to sneak through a dilapidated town with a deserting prince and the risk of a treason charge.” Page 196
I devoured this book in a day because I was just that engrossed in the story and the characters. I got major ancient Egypt vibes, and I really loved the theme and message of Kindness in the book. I LOVED Zahru and her personality and how she interacted with the other characters.
Also... I am absolute ...more

Wooooow, what did I just read? Where has this book been?
I absolutely loved this. I loved the world, the magic, the complex characters, but most of all, the lesson and practice of kindness throughout. The feeling/doubts that you never really know if your kindness has had an effect but practicing it anyways. This was non-stop action, hilarious, and moving, PLUS friendships AND romance?! I can't wait to read the next one 😍 ...more
I absolutely loved this. I loved the world, the magic, the complex characters, but most of all, the lesson and practice of kindness throughout. The feeling/doubts that you never really know if your kindness has had an effect but practicing it anyways. This was non-stop action, hilarious, and moving, PLUS friendships AND romance?! I can't wait to read the next one 😍 ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1) by Natalie Mae - Starting October 13th 2020 | 54 | 17 | Oct 15, 2020 08:14AM | |
Preorder Campaigns: The Kinder Poison Map Before 6/22/20 | 1 | 7 | Jun 07, 2020 11:30AM | |
Bookish First Rea...: The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae | 5 | 23 | Mar 19, 2020 02:45PM |
Natalie Mae is an ex-programmer, dark chocolate enthusiast, and author of THE KINDER POISON series. She has also been a freelance editor and Pitch Wars mentor, and feels it notable to mention she once held a job where she had to feed spiders. When not writing, Natalie can be found wandering the Colorado wilderness with her family. Visit her online at nataliemaeboo ...more
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