“Lynette Noni is a masterful storyteller. A must-read for any fantasy lover!” — SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer. When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for … alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.
Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.
But no one has ever survived.
With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.
From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.
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Kiva is a really sympathetic character, who Noni crafts lovingly. Having been incarcerated since she was a child, when she was imprisoned with her father, you do wonder why her mother or her sister never claimed her as she committed no crime, just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Zalindov prison is truly a horrific place, and Kiva has learnt to survive by not allowing anyone close, that is until Jaren arrives.He wheedles his way in to her good books, turning up at the infirmary whenever he isn’t working in the mines. He is a really nice character though you don’t know why he is incarcerated in the prison, nor why he gets on so well with one of the guards. There is a lot you don’t know!
At last, word arrives that she is going to be rescued, but only if she keeps the seriously ill rebel queen alive. Kiva really has an unfair lot in life, and you would think she would be bitter and resentful, but although we see glimpses, she is still determined to help whoever comes to her for help. With the rebel queen sentenced to the trial by Ordeal, she is so ill, she would never survive the trial, so Kiva volunteers in her place, which is truly amazing as the rebel queen does not seem like a particularly nice person. There is no way Kiva could survive the first trial, and the divine intervention is frustrating, as the reasoning behind it is a little far-fetched considering the political situation. But persevere, all is not as is seems and the book only gets better and better.
This story is so well written, you want to learn more about the characters and find out who they really are. There is obviously something going on that we don’t know, so you have to keep reading to figure it out and the end is so satisfying. An excellent YA fantasy read, with dark and gritty themes.
**I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. This does not affect my review.**
RTC once I’ve caught my breath after this exciting rollercoaster of feels!!
See that? It’s been a few days, and that still sums up my feelings on this book! Like Whisper, much of this book relies on secrets and ‘going in blind’ so I’ll keep this short. I loved the writing and characters in this one, and with that ending and how the story progressed….this one isn’t even out yet, and I’m already eagerly awaiting the sequel!
**Spoilers**
First off, any recommendation of this book should include a trigger warning for sexual assault, self harm, and graphic violence. Honestly, I think authors need to include these in the synopsis.
Perfect for fans of Tricia Levenseller and anyone looking for a strong female protagonist!
By page 70 I feel like I should know more about the background of Kiva. (Why is she there, why isn’t her family, how is her family connected to the rebels, etc.) it increases my curiosity, but some of this should already be revealed and/or a cover story or red herring should be introduced.
Kiva is a likeable character almost because of her tendency to close herself off from others. It’s clear that she cares about people, (she’s the healer and takes that seriously + her relationship to Tipp) but she desperately tries to keep her emotions in check in order to survive. It’s endearing in a way and makes her an interesting, atypical protagonist, especially because her role as the warden’s spy blurs her morality.
The twist of Kiva being the descent of Corentine is a trope that is way overused in my opinion, but the last page of the book portrays Kiva in an ambiguous manner, which adds some originality. The reader is left questioning whether or not she is the villain in this story, but also shamelessly rooting for her, even if she is.
Within the first half of the book I noted my feelings about Jaren as follows: “Jaren is everything you could dream of for a love interest. While he occasionally plays the roles of ‘knight in shining armor’ for Kiva, he mostly supports her and lets her shine. He’s mostly honest with Kiva, although I suspect he and Naari are somehow related to the royal family. I enjoyed reading a novel where the love interest isn’t overbearing or restrictive of the protagonist. Jaren clearly adores Kiva and essentially acts as her cheerleader throughout the book. BUT THAT WAS ALL A LIE!!!! Jaren was not honest with Kiva and constantly played the role of her savior. While my heart swooned every time Jaren was there to pick Kiva up when she fell, the feminist in me abhors that stereotype.
I do love Naari’s character. In many ways she’s Kiva’s foil. Compared to the other guards she is more moral whereas compared to the other prisoners Kiva is more immoral. The two characters complement each other in a way that shows the moral struggles relating to their roles in the prison. While Kiva’s tone changes at the end of the book, possibly destroying everything we thought we knew about her, her character is nicely contrasted by Naari’s, especially in the first half of the book.
The plague addition is very common, but I appreciated how Kiva was directly working on finding the answers. In other books characters seem inactive when it comes to the plague affecting them, but Kiva shows refreshing determination when faced with this overused problem. Also like how the plague ties back into Kiva’s family history and legacy, and obviously it ends up not being an actual plague, but poisoning.
Overall, I NEED the next book ASAP!!! (Also, if Tipp dies in any of the next books, I may give up reading altogether ) This book was the perfect fantasy novel and extremely addictive. Despite some aspects that are overused in fantasy novels, Noni offers an adventurous story and more than enough originality to leave readers (me) begging for more!
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: The Prison Healer
: The Prison Healer #1
: Lynette Noni
: 5/5
From the first pages I read, this book had me intrigued. It immediately captured my attention and I had so many questions already. I really like the way this book was structured and written, in my opinion there was never a dull moment… just the need for me to continue reading and to unravel all these mysteries. The plot twists were really good and very surprising, which does not happen to me a lot. Yes, I was expecting some things to happen, but sometimes it was done in a way where I was already forgetting what I expected when it actually happened (or it happened in a way I wasn’t expecting). I am not sure if this makes sense, but I also don’t know how to explain it in another way without spoilers, so this will have to do. Now the characters were something else too. I really liked Kiva, she is such a strong MC and I love that! That said, all the other side characters were SO GOOD as well. Naari was one of my favorites and I am curious to see what will happen to her in the next book. I feel like there is more to her than meets the eye. Furthermore, the love interest was amazing as well. It was a bit of a slow burn, but it really fit the story. THAT ENDING. My goodness, this was one of those endings that had me completely shocked (I almost felt like I had to read the book again immediately) and that’s all I am going to say about it. Except that I cannot wait to read the next book… I really want to know where this story goes. Definitely recommending this book to fantasy lovers, you should really give this book a chance.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
Thank you @hmhkids @lynettenoni & @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book for my honest opinion.
4.5 Stars
While this book is technically a YA Fantasy, it does cover some heavy topics (hello… it’s setting is inside of a death prison). While it does talk about some triggering subjects, it doesn’t go into too much detail which made it easier for me to see for YA readers.
What I enjoyed:
Unique storyline
A strong female lead what has been through hell but is still strong and caring
Great complex side characters, Tipp was one of my favorites!
There are several aspects of the story that will keep you guessing
A few great twists sprinkled throughout
There is a cliffhanger that will have you begging for more of the story
The only think that I didn’t love was that it had a little bit of a slow start, but once it started to roll it was addictive.
Not exactly what I expected but I definitely enjoyed the dark atmosphere and want to preface by saying there are a lot of triggers in this one. The Prison Healer fits the bill when you think of young adult and the different nuances that come along with it and I still found myself drawn into the storyline and overall vibe of the plot. Kiva, the prison healer at Zalindov (a death prison) has a daunting task of healing those in the direst of circumstances. I did take a bit longer than normal to connect with her character and am still debating my overall feelings towards her. I’m not sure if it was the writing style or how she comes off, but I preferred Tipp out of all of the characters. Maybe it was the utter cuteness that resonated with me considering the conditions they existed in?! There is a lot of despair that comes along with this ride and some of the plot points did not fully make sense with the overall scheme of things. Especially, how the ending tied in for me. I may have overthought some aspects honestly, but the author has definitely given me a book I am still contemplating.
The worldbuilding is unique but overall simplistic in location and shows the darker side of this novel with the torture and a horrific living existence. Things start to pick up when the rebel queen comes to Zalindov at death’s door and Kiva risks her own life in the elemental challenges called Trial by Ordeal to save the queen and herself. The trails are by far the most intriguing aspect of this novel and I really wanted more. Still a few questions lingered for this portion too. It does lend to a decent lead-in to the next novel though and I am intrigued by the prospect of what the second installment holds.
Some content mentions surrounding self-harm, rape, torture and abuse should be noted. I recommend checking out some of the other reviews if you are curious about the triggers. I went in blind and like my novels on the dark side personally, but this may not be for everyone. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and NetGalley for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. True rating 3.5/5.
Kiva has spent more than half of her 17 years in a prison where her assigned job is being a healer, which according the prison’s warden includes “branding” prisoners. She knows she’s expendable since she’s not seen as human by the guards. However, she continues to fight to survive because she has a glimmer of hope of being rescued by her family – a rescue that never comes. When the queen of the rebel forces is brought to her seriously wounded, she’s told to keep her alive so they can condemn her through a trial by ordeal. Kiva believes that if she takes the queen’s place in the trials, she and the queen will both be freed. For Kiva, it’s worth putting her life on the line.
There is much to like with this book and, equally, much to dislike. The book is too long and a good editor should have insisted that the middle part of the book be cut down by half. Kiva is sometimes omniscient and charmed in that she knows things she has no way of knowing and she survives trials she doesn’t have the skill set to do so. There is a lot of brutality described in this book and said descriptions did not advance the story in any significant way.
The above being said, Noni has built a world that while we may not be able to relate to it, we nevertheless recognize it for what it is because of Noni’s skilled writing. The author’s main character, Kiva, is a strong young woman who has survived for ten years in a brutal environment. The adult male characters are very nearly so stereotypical as to be boring.
Noni’s writing entraps the reader from page one. However, the middle of the book – too long and often too boring – may lose some readers, while others will simply skim that section in order to get to the ending. And the ending was worth reading the middle section.
If you are a fan of epic stories, this may be the book for you if for no other reason than the beginning and ending.
My thanks to HMH Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
This book is most definitely aimed at the YA market but it does contain adult themes including sexual abuse, physical violence, torture, drug use and even self harm. Admittedly most is more tell not show but I actually thought it fitted the story which shows a shocking and cruel side of humanity.
Kiva has survived in prison for ten years and as the leading healer has the ear of the coldly, pragmatic Governor. Her fellow inmates resent her but things come crashing to a head when Tilda, a woman dubbed the Rebel Queen is sent to the infirmary plainly close to death. Kiva has always held herself aloof fearing the consequences of losing anyone she might care for but recently she has started to let herself feel and that makes her a target for blackmail. Tilda cannot stand, is barely conscious so incapable of taking part in the four deadly trials she’s been sentenced to complete so in order to save her patient Kiva puts herself forward as the Rebel Queens champion . Sadly in doing so Kiva puts herself in mortal danger !
I won’t rehash the plot but I will say this takes a more leisurely pace at times. I feel some might find it slow and crave more action but upon reflection I think the everyday miniature and oppressive situations actually worked as in prison life would feel interminable, boring and endless.
I liked Kiva and she is bravely doing whatever she can to be the best healer she can be and indeed her resources whilst obviously limited added a lot to help set the scene. She does meet characters who are not quite what they seem which whilst obvious to the reader still had the capacity to surprise when the final revelations happen. As Kiva slowly allows her emotional walls to be breached the author teases her readers with the possibility of a future romance but sadly this book hasn’t quite finished toying with the reader ! No there is still more shocking revelations as it ends which left me wanting to kick myself for ignoring a very obvious clue but that’s why I will be anxiously waiting to read the next book in this series.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair