I loved this book so much! It was magical and alluring and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the romance, the characters that made you love and hate them. The whole storyline overall was amazing.

The Poison Season is a captivating YA fantasy with a great setting and a compelling plot. I'd been wanting to try out some of Mara Rutherford's books for a while, so I was excited to finally get the chance with The Poison Season. I really enjoyed this YA fantasy more than I expected to and found the character particular well-written. I loved learning more about this world and was really impressed with Rutherford's dedication to the world-building in this book. The only drawback I would say I had with this book was that there was always something that felt just slightly off for me, and I'm not sure if it had to do with the magic system or how everything within the world-building worked together, but it left me feeling not quite as connected to the story as I might've liked to be. Overall, however, I really enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it to any YA fans!

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford follow Leelo. She has spent her entire life on Endla, surrounded by a bloodthirsty forest and a poisonous lake. The lake keeps outsiders away from Endla, as they seek to destroy it. Leelo knows if her younger brother Tate doesn’t gain his powers soon, he will be exiled from Endla and forced to live with the outsiders. She wants to protect him from that fate. Leelo discovers an outsider going to drown in the lake, and she goes against all that her people believe in to save him. Leelo and Jaren must keep this a secret to protect them both. The pair discover secrets about Endla, and Leelo begins to question everything she’s known about her community and herself.

What intrigued me the most about this book was the make-up of Endla itself. It sounds so dark, yet beautiful in its own unique way. I also liked Leelo’s dedication to her family, specifically her brother Tate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mara Rutherford has been a favorite of mine since her first duology got me back into reading after a long hiatus, and I still love her work. This book was unique, touching, and a beautiful YA novel about first love, fear of the unknown, and the ties that bind us together.

This was my fourth Mara Rutherford book and I absolutely love her work. This book is about a girl named Leelo, who lives on an isolated island surrounded by a poisoned lake and a "living forest." The islanders sacrifice for the island; in return, the island protects them from outsiders. One day Leelo discovers an outsider coming onto the island, but instead of killing him like she's supposed to, she saves his life. Chaos ensues as she reckons with her choice,

My favorite thing about Mara Rutherford's books is her world-building. The worlds and magic systems she creates are incredibly unique and well thought out, bringing so much life to the stories. This book is no exception. I also loved the overall dark and spooky vibes that pervaded the whole book. The stakes in this novel were so high that I couldn't put it down because I had to see how, or if, the characters would get through it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and very invested in the complex characters. I was a huge fan of their forbidden romance as well. Overall, another knock out of the park for Mara Rutherford, and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.

Dark, sentient forest - check
Forbidden love- check
Family secrets- check

This book was great! It was atmospheric, interesting, intriguing and kept me interested the whole way through. There certainly is romance but it doesnt take away from the plot. Really enjoyed this one

Things I loved:
✨Great world building
✨Dark/atmospheric/mysterious setting
✨Forbidden romance
✨Dual POV

This was a fun read! It’s so atmospheric and would be a great fall or rainy day read. Leelo and Jaren have a sweet and believable forbidden romance with the cutest moments. Sage and the aunt were AWFUL and I just couldn’t stand them one bit.

I definitely felt this was a great read for younger readers.

I thought that the concept of this book was really cool. I loved how there was an entire island isolated by a wandering forest and a poisonous lake. I loved the characters and thought that they were interesting. I really loved how the story ended. I thought that it was a great way to wrap things up and it was a nice happy ending. The story did move a bit too slowly for me, which was a problem since the book wasn't even 400 pages. I just wish that there was a bit more action in the book.

A great read. A girl who’s survived her who life with a sentient bloodthirsty forest. Great turns with great relationship building with the other characters.

Wow! What a splendid fairytale with the blending of fantasy and romance!

This story takes place on a small island isolated from the outside by a poisonous magical lake that'll kill anything that tries to cross it, human or animal, and whose inhabitants are a peoples in possession of a magical ability that manifests through their voice, which they use to sing and lure creatures into the Walking Forest, a creepy wood that's supposed to take care of the islanders in exchange for these as sacrifices.

I thought this was an intriguing read with a great premise and plot, vivid world-building, dynamic characters, and thought-provoking messages. The storytelling is so well done, and the author uses some fantastic imagery and symbolism that really brought the story to life.

I cant wait to read more from this author!

This book immediately draws you in with a secret community that has a lot of crazy stuff going on, but no real explanations, so you immediately feel drawn in and you have to keep reading to find out your answers! It was such a great, slightly creepy vibe going in. It was like Among the Beasts and Briars meets Small Favors. Cozy forest, small community, deep secrets. It was magical, mysterious, and really fun. I loved the characters and the story. This was the first Mara Rutherford book I've read, so I definitely need to pick up more from her after this!

The unique setting and isolated community drew me into this one. I'm not entirely sure why I finished it though. Mara Rutherford's writing is solid and the premise was intriguing, but the characters were boring and the romance didn't hold my interest at all. This started out as a great winter fantasy read with a good premise but ended up feeling like a very bland, stereotypical YA fantasy. 2.5 stars.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve long been intrigued by Mara Rutherford’s books, because they looked so beautiful and sounded fairytale-esque. Upon picking The Poison Season, I’m glad to say that it met my expectations.
The world is intriguing, with the action being centered around an isolated island surrounded by a poisonous magical lake that will kill anyone who will try to cross it. There’s also a symbiotic relationship between the islanders, who have siren-like abilities, and lure creatures into the forest as sacrifices, and receive care from the forest as a result.
And within these, there are compelling characters. Leelo is a sympathetic heroine, and I particularly love how she cares for her family. She doesn’t want her brother, who lacks magic, to be sent away. She also struggles with what to do when she is confronted with the presence of an outsider, a newcomer, who the residents of Endla were always taught to fear.
With those stakes in mind, I did really like the progress of Leelo and Jaren’s relationship. He complements her very well, as while she’s very much confronted with the direness of her situation and feels the need to think realistically, Jaren is a bit of an adventurer and dreamer. That does mean he ends up in tough situations, as he does over the course of the story. However, he does come to some understanding of what he wants over the course of the story as well.
This is a fun read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairytale inspired fantasy.

This book is every fairytale lovers dream!!!
The world building is amazing and so immersive. Sometimes in fantasy books I have a hard time picturing what’s going on, and this book was the opposite of that! The details are there, but not to the point of repeating every detail!
The plot is easy to follow along with and interesting. Lots of fantasy novels are based along the same plot points, but this one was done really well so it didn’t sound like it was something I’ve already read.
The characters are beautifully written and really easy to connect with.
I love a good villain, and the villains in this book are TOP TIER!!!! Wow, you hate… loathe entirely 😂


Love, love, love this book…. Highly recommend!!

"The Poison Season" is perfect for fans of "Among the Beasts and Briars" and "An Enchantment of Ravens." The writing style definitely gave me Margaret Rogerson vibes. Novels with a spooky, magic forest are so difficult to find, at least ones as well-written as this one. The descriptive, enchanting language draws the reader in right away as does the strong and complex characterization of Leelo. I can't wait to read more books by Rutherford in the future!

This book was ok but not great. I had such a hard time investing and caring about any of the characters. Nothing felt unique about the story.

I was unfortunately unable to download this title., and therefore unable to review.. As the book is published, I will read a finished copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press and the author for allowing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Leeloo has never left her island of Endla; the Endlans don’t leave as a rule. They live in a Wandering Forest and face a poisonous lake, and it protects them from Outsiders…and Outsiders from them. Endlans are able to harness a type of magic through song, and if a person who does not possess this same magic hears it they will be lured to their death, unable to resist.
When Leeloo helps an outsider who is trapped on a sinking boat on their poison lake, she unknowingly sets in motion events that will forever change her fate and the fate of Endla as a whole.

This book was an enjoyable YA novel; I liked the characters and for the most part, was able to empathize with them. While some of the villains come across as a little flat, the bonds of family prove a strong motivating force for empathy toward them. The idea of magic being created by singing is one of my favorite concepts; while it is cool in the story I would have liked to see it used more. There were moments of almost horror as you imagine a human being trapped in a hunting song, but that is always ‘offscreen’. The setting was well described and the family bonds were heart-warming.

Here's my tiktok review! https://www.tiktok.com/@balladsandbookends/video/7175923122653236522?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

3.5 Stars

I am going through a phase where I'm not reading fantasy right now because it just doesn't hold my attention. Therefore even though I tried to read this book I will not be getting into it because I simply am not in a fantasy mood, and haven't been for almost a year now. Full disclosure, I won this title on an Instagram giveaway, and I am grateful for that but will not be reviewing this title for the foreseeable future.

This novel was instantly captivating and completely unexpected in the paths it took. I absolutely loved it! The world building of this world was so interesting I had to reread certain parts so I could remember it for later on. I wish I could draw some of the images described! Anyways, what I liked most was the culture of the people of Endla and the surround stories of that island and how it pushed along the story. Leelo definitely reminded me of the typical sheltered girl who knows there's something that's just not quite right with her people, but is too hesitant to question it, especially when one sees how they tend to punish those who don't follow their rules. While I liked Jaren, he wasn't the most interesting character to me. Leelo and her people were fascinating subjects and I loved every part that focused on them. I was constantly rooting for Leelo and loved how despite her not knowing what to do for every situation, she tried her best to overcome it and adapt without losing sight of herself. It's always fun seeing how crazy some societies can become simply to 'protect' themselves that they can lose sight of their initial goals. A very thought provoking novel. that I would recommend to others, especially for those who do worldbuilding of their own for things such as dungeons and dragons. A fun novel that I wouldn't mind visiting again.