I really loved this book! I didn’t go into it with many expectations, but I got immediately hooked by the setting, characters and plot. I really enjoyed the internal struggles that Leelo goes through and the challenges that her and Jaren are faced with, and Sage and Ketty’s characters were so interesting to read! I really loved the pacing and how information got revealed, even if you could guess the reveals before they happened. I will definitely be recommending this book to people who love fantasy novels that are driven by character and setting!

Book Summary:

Endla is safe, but not for outsiders. The forest provides everything and is surrounded by a lake of death – quite literally. The lake that surrounds the island is poison, killing anything foolish enough to land in the waters.

This is the world that Leelo has always known. She grew up here. Yet the older she gets, the more she questions the way of her people. Why must they cast out those without magic? Leelo doesn't want to lose her brother. Nor does she want to see outsiders die, or animals, for that matter. What if there was a different way?

My Review:

Wow. I'm not going to lie; The Poison Season was a bit of a tough read for me. I think it was partially the emotional state I was in at the time. I think the other part is the foundation of this story, which relies on animal (and human) sacrifices. It made for a heavy read, to put it mildly.

However, I have to admit that Mara Rutherford did a fantastic job writing this story. She's a phenomenal writer, and it shows. (If you haven't read her other works, you should check them out!). The world-building is by far the best part, even if it is pretty dark and horrifying at times.

Leelo's journey for the truth was fascinating, especially when coupled with a secondary perspective – an outsider. The two POVs help to flesh out the world. There's an obvious romantic subplot here, but it didn't blow me away, I'm sad to say. Perhaps more character development would have changed my opinion. I'm not sure.

Highlights:
Magical Forest
Magical Songs

Trigger Warnings:
Animal death
Outcast
Poison
Drowning

Thank you so much Inkyard Press for sending me an eARC to read early and give an honest review of!

"She wondered if she'd misunderstood magic this entire time, if maybe Endlan magic, as she thought of it, wasn't Endlan at all. Maybe everyone had a little magic in them, if you knew where to look."

First of all, let me say that I enjoyed this book much more than Rutherford's Luminous, which I read last year. This was a great book to end the year off with as well! However, I don't have a lot to say about it because I read it for enjoyment and to ensure I didn't get trapped in a reading slump following the ending of HOSAB.

Secondly, the worldbuilding in this book was very good. I loved seeing the way of life of the Endlans and the consequences of not following their rules. The Wandering Forest was an interesting touch, one that I enjoyed immensely. It was dark and atmospheric, and that ending left the possibility for a spin-off at the very least.

Thirdly, the forbidden romance between Leelo and Jaren was believable and enjoyable. I loved them together. However, they, like the majority of the characters, felt like they weren't developed as much as they needed to be. I never liked Sage or Aunt Ketty, and I always had a sneaking suspicion that something had gone down between the two sisters. Besides that, I did enjoy the characters who led this story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast read!

This book was fine. Fine is what this book was. Book, meet fine; fine, meet book. It was ok, but not great. It was not great, but it was ok. -me, trying to reach a decent word count reviewing this book with no memorable characters or world building aspects, AKA a middle school book report.

Honestly, this is a very standard, straight forward YA fantasy that you may feel like you’ve read before. You know the one, with an ethereal atmosphere, secrets, and forbidden love? Trouble is, I had a hard time getting invested and caring about anyone I was introduced to because it felt like there was nothing special or gripping about the world I was introduced to. This is a hard ask because most of the books have already “been there” and “done that”, but I like to find at least some small portion of a story that feels unique to it alone. The writing, characters, and setting were all very fine, but each time I took a break from reading, I never really felt compelled to jump back into the story.

I don’t even know how to sign off from this review because I’ve already forgotten the characters names and what happened in the book, so Happy New Year!

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

THE POISON SEASON was a super fun read. I love that their magic was in their singing, but I would have loved to see this explored more in the book. I also loved the complicated family relationships and the romance that develops. I knew there was something special about Jaren, but I do admit that I didn't see his story arc coming. I'll certainly be recommending this to my readers and patrons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the synopsis of this book was very interesting. Unfortunately, this book fell flat. It was a very slow intro and by the time we got to the climax, I had already lost interest. Though I feel for Leelo and Jaren, it was hard to root for them as the build up was slow. Great intent, just maybe a different execution.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be posting my review until the Harpercollins Union has a fair contract, in order to not cross the picket line. Please help support the union in anyway you can whether that be spreading awareness or donating.

I'm very much in love with this book, I shall not lie. The idea of a deathly lake with an island in it, with people with equally lethal abilities, had me thinking a while. And the characters were to my liking, every one different, I just hated the cousin...she was pretty nasty. The main character's relationship was also great. I would recommend this book.

Beautiful eye-catching cover, intriguing synopsis, but in reality just was too slow for me. However, I think others will really enjoy this story. It is also nice to have a standalone fantasy, so many now are just stretched out into a two or three book series so thank you for that.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I need to stop trying to love ya fantasy still. I’ve owngrown this age range mostly. Objectively this was a good, interesting, and well developed fantasy. But I just did not care at all.

The world building surrounding a sacred island where people worship nature was the book's strength and what ultimately drew me into the story. Rutherford made the island alive through the descriptions of the flowers, trees, animals, and the water. The connection between Leelo and Jaren was instant love, but I enjoyed Leelo's character transformation as she questioned everything about the island and what the elders had taught her. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

A fantastical blend of romance, action, fantasy, and hidden truths, which threaten to tear apart one island community. The premise was intriguing and I liked much of the mystery surrounding everything. But while I enjoyed some of the tension and this new mysterious world (not to mention the fact that this book has parents alive and well), I struggled with staying interested in the plot. It was too predictable at times. BUT that makes The Poison Season a good comfort read for those in need of a guaranteed happy ending with no surprise twists to gut you.

The Poison Season was a un-put-downable read for me. From the second it started I was hooked.

The mysterious island that is hidden away and forbidden full of people with magical powers was super interesting. It gave me The Grace Year vibes a little bit because of their ceremonies and children being sent away. It was eerie and heartbreaking at times.

The main characters were fantastic. Leelo is a fun loving girl with a big heart that just isn't "cut out" for the world she lives in. Seeing the world through her eyes makes you really want more for her and the author really pulled through.

I loved the family mystery that slowly unravels throughout and seeing Leelo following in her mothers footsteps was a great way to tie in the past storyline!

The ending was also perfect and I loved it most of all :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I loved how intriguing the world building was and the details sprinkled throughout were so good. There's a perfect mixture of romance, action, and mystery that had me hooked from the start. I also enjoyed how the ending was left open-ended. I did however find the pacing to be slow and dragged out at times, but overall a really nice read!

Rating: 3.5/5

This story gave me major M. Night Shyamalan's The Village meets fantasy fairytale vibes - an isolated island village, adults with closely guarded secrets, younger people questioning what they have been taught their whole life, and interesting magical abilities that are connected a mysterious and possibly malevolent forest.

I enjoyed the dual POV narrative and found the overall mystery and conflict to be intriguing, but overall the story itself fell a little flat for me (however, this could be due to the fact that I am not exactly the intended audience for this YA fantasy, so keep that into consideration). There were aspects of the story that felt rushed, reveals that didn't fully make sense to me, and some of the relationships that I wished were better developed.

I do think most young adult readers will enjoy this standalone story, but as an adult who reads YA, this was just okay for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Young Adult
Content: one closed-door scene

I loved the gorgeous cover, the plot seemed intriguing, and I loved the world building. Unfortunately it was very slow and didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited for this book! It sounded so whimsical and gave me the best vibes. The world is very interesting and I really liked all the small details the author put into the story.

Once I hit the halfway mark I felt it hard to finish the book though because it felt too long and found myself getting bored and wanting the book to get it over with. I really wish I loved this more because I thought the lore and characters in this story were complex and different.

4.5/5
The Poison Season takes place on Endla, where a small community of people is isolated from the rest of the world. Leelo is one of the people on Endla, and even though she cares deeply for her community, there are some things she can’t agree with, like having to exile her brother because he lacks the magic in singing that makes the people of Endla who they are. Already struggling with the actions she has to take, Leelo sees a young outsider about to die in the poisonous lake separating Endla from the rest of the world. Unable to just look, she makes the impulsive decision of helping him. A decision that will be full of consequences... because, the more she gets to know Jaren, the outsider, the more she starts questioning everything around her. What if all she’s ever known was wrong?

I’m really mad at myself for waiting so long before starting this one cause it was so so good! This book is the perfect mix of mystery, fantasy and romance. The whole world building is so well done, so atmospheric, spooky, really captivating. Leelo and Jaren are the most wonderful characters. I loved seeing them together, learning to trust each other in this difficult world they’re stuck in. The plot explored lots of interesting subjects, and got me questioning myself as to what I would do in similar situations. The fact that all is happening in such a closed community was very refreshing. I feel like most fantasy reads have lots of traveling, exploring, etc. but this one was different from the start and I loved that! So really, don’t sleep on that one, it was a fabulous read!

I bet you see me coming with this final comment but: THE COVER. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!

Thanks to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a unique and creepy tale with definite cultish vibes. The writing was vivid, and the world building was done well. Endla is an island where the last wandering forest survives; this forest survives and thrives off of blood. The closest village shares tales of the island’s people luring men and children into the poison lake with their songs. But all is not what it seems. When Leelo falls for an outsider, both her family and the island’s secrets start to unravel. This is my first experience with this author, and I wasn’t disappointed!