A Goodreads user asked Kendare Blake:

Why did you decide on doing Naturalist, Elemental, and Poisoner? What made you choose those powers? And what makes the Poisoners so powerful? I mean, compared to the powers of the other two, being a Poisoner sounds kind of "meh". I know that's three questions, but...XP

Kendare Blake Three questions in one! This is going to make for a long answer. Why did I choose the gifts that I chose? When I'm constructing a story it never feels like actual construction. More like I stumble across the info that IS, and then it just is, because that's the way it is. Having said that, it probably had something to do with the fact that I always wanted to work with poison (fascinated by Mithridates and the tale of Elizabeth's poisoned dress) and I like animals, hence the naturalists' familiars.
As for what makes the poisoners so powerful, they're strong because they've won so many times. The gifts grow stronger under a ruling queen with the same gift. I love the poisoners. Natural immunity to cyanide and a knack for poison-craft and assassination is a blast to write about. Also, a queen is supposed to have a very strong gift, but does not always. So a strong poisoner against a weak naturalist who could only say, ripen your apple and sic a sparrow on you would have a very good chance :)

flag