Review: The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford ~ Smokin' Hot Book Blog

One choice could change everything.

THE POISON SEASON by MARA RUTHERFORD

Series: Standalone

Publication date: December 6, 2022

Published by: Inkyard Press/Harlequin

Genre: YA fantasy

SYNOPSIS

Leelo has spent her whole life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles with the knowledge that her brother will be exiled and forced to live with the outsiders unless he gains enchantment powers before his next birthday.

Then comes the day that Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake. She knows she is supposed to leave him to his fate, but, instead, she betrays her family, her best friend, and her whole community by helping nurse the young man, Jaren, back to health, understanding that discovery could lead to unthinkable consequences for both of them.

As they grow closer, Leelo and Jaren discover that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara has lived all over the world with her diplomat husband and two sons. She is the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl and its sequel, Kingdom of Sea and Stone; Luminous; and the upcoming THE POISON SEASON (December 6, 2022).

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REVIEW

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

I absolutely loved the Crown of Coral and Pearl series, so when I saw this book up on Netgalley, I instantly jumped to request it. The COCAP duology was a top favorite of mine in 2019, and kept me on the edge of my seat, effortlessly grabbing me from beginning to end. I was hoping and probably even anticipating for that same magic again here, but unfortunately this one missed the mark in a number of ways. My main issues were the pacing and my dislike of the heroine's way of life and cult like culture on the island. Honestly, it was very hard to find redeeming qualities about the islanders on Endla. Man, oh man...they were Shady (yes, with a capitol S). It was so hard to feel any sympathy for any of them as they were so clearly in the wrong the entire time. Leelo's set of morals was a little more ambiguous as you saw signs that she had a conscience about the very questionable things going on. It gave me hope that she was redeemable and that she would win me over in the end. This book actually gave me strong Bone Crier's Moon flashbacks (not in a good way, except for them both having Charlie Bowater covers). In both books, the characters' ritual killings/sacrifices turned me off and made me feel a bit repulsed over the fantasy world.

Endla is an island inhabited by people who possess magic through their ritual songs. There are many songs that they sing that make them almost like sirens but in human form. These songs put people in a trancelike state and lure them to their death if they are deemed a threat. The victim is given a "choice" to either die by the vicious magic of the Wandering forest, or to get sent into the poison lake surrounding their home where the water would disintegrate their flesh and bones down to nothing. Doesn't sound very pleasant does it? Yep, it's pretty horrific. You might be wondering who they typically deem to be a threat and the answer is EVERYONE. All people from the mainland are supposed to be killed immediately by the Watchers who guard the shore. It is believed that those without magic who try to visit Endla are coming for one purpose only: to destroy the last remaining Wandering Forest that helps protect and nourish them. This forest is malicious and must be placated with blood rituals and sacrifices or they fear it would turn on them. However, it was clear from the start that nothing was quite what it seemed. The way of life that was so forcefully protected was mired in lots of death and despair. They just saw what they were doing as a necessary evil.

Leelo is a Watcher who will be able to marry after her year of duty is up. After that, she will officially be inducted as a member of the town and learn the closely guarded secrets that the elders are so intent on protecting. The older members of Endla have a cynicism about them that Leelo still hasn't succumbed to. She's on the cusp of losing that innocent optimism that the younger members have. She also seems to be the only one on Endla that tries to avoid killing people and animals. It just doesn't sit right in her gut, despite being told that it was her duty. That's pretty remarkable when you think about the fact that their way of life is all she's ever been exposed to or known. Even the most outlandish things can seem normal when you haven't experienced anything else to compare it to. Leelo also feels great distress over her little brother's imminent departure from the island. The rule of law is that if children do not show signs of having magic by the age of thirteen, they are considered Incantu.

Islanders like Tate—incantu, they were called, or “voiceless”—
weren’t allowed to attend the festival, even though
he wasn’t quite old enough to be affected by the magic yet.
Once an islander reached adolescence,
generally around age twelve, they were susceptible.

The incantu would have to leave as the dangerous songs would inevitably lure them to their death. Leelo's brother Tate has not developed their magic and very soon will be sent into the woods across the lake to fend for himself. This was a really disturbing aspect of the story and a big reason why I just didn't care about anyone living there. The way they abandoned their children and forced them to fend for themselves in the outside world that had been villainized to them their entire lives was outrageous. I do understand that they didn't really couldn't stay, but it was the heartless way that it was handled. Mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts and uncles would send these children off and then wash their hands of the entire matter as if it never happened. Those kids just don't exist anymore. How? Leelo and her mother are noticeably torn up, but it doesn't take long at all for them to push the uncomfortable thought of him out of their minds. Then there were some like Sage and Ketty who were happy to get rid of them with no regrets or second thoughts. I just can't wrap my head around people ever thinking that this was a necessary part of life.

As small and insular as her island was,
Leelo had never considered leaving.
She didn’t even try to imagine what life
on the mainland was like, because
her elders made the rest of the world
sound terrible and frightening.

Jaren is an outsider who comes across the lake to escape a wolf attack. He's been told about the dangers and the magic of the people there, but he never fully believed in all of it. Once there, he faces the very real threat of imminent death as many have before him. When Leelo stumbles across him, she tries to make herself kill the boy, but her aversion to killing and her gut instinct stops her. In the beginning she is overcome with the moral dilemma of what to do with him. It goes against everything she's ever been taught to actually help him. However, Jaren genuinely seems harmless with no ill will towards the people there or the woods. She finds herself protecting him and trying to form a plan to get him back home. As she visits him, he becomes less threatening and she sees his common humanity. Outsiders are not all bad...so what other lies has she been told her whole life?

Miraculously, a romance develops between the two and Leelo is desperate now to save the sweet boy who only wishes to return to his family. Hiding him becomes harder as the months go by, however, and she knows their time together is short. I thought they were sweet together and though they fell fairly fast, it didn't have an insta-lovey feel. It definitely wasn't obsession, head-over-heels at first sight because they had to overcome her preconceptions of him first.

The big climax at the end had me much more engrossed and reading pretty intently which brought my rating up from what it would have been. I will say that the pace was quite slow for me before that and I was forcing myself to stay with the characters. The Endlans did realize the error of their ways, secrets were outed, and people adjusted their beliefs based on their full knowledge of the truth. However, I just couldn't find it in myself to like them even at that point. Leelo and her mom are the exceptions, but they were not without their flaws either. The story had a satisfying ending, but my overall feelings never reached enthusiastic. Perhaps others will love the dark atmosphere of the book and not have the same issues as me. Personally, this ended up just being okay for me, but maybe Maya Rutherford's next offering will be a bigger win.

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