Poison by Bridget Zinn (ARC)

Would you kill your best friend if you found out she will destroy the kingdom one day? That's the dilemma that Kyra faces, when she see's her best friend Ariana destroying the country in a vision. So, she tries to kill her - but misses. Now, she's a wanted criminal on the run.

The story really starts with a bang. We start off with Kyra already on the run, and the back-story is given to us in bits and pieces. On the way, Kyra picks up a pig called Rosie and meets a guy called Fred. Ok, if I say anything more, I will blurt out one of the many plot twists.

Um, ok, the distract myself, let's talk about the characters. Personally, I loved Kyra. And no, it's not because she likes food (although that really makes me want to find her and become friends). Kyra was a well-written character and someone you can readily identify with. Plus, she's a master potioner, which means she has access to a whole bunch of stuff. Although having another talent may be overkill though.

And there's Arriana, who's totally not the normal girly princess. Or the warrior princess. She's just a normal tomboy princess. When we're finally introduced to her, I find her completely lovable. She and Kyra make a good team.

Rounding up the trio, there's Fred. Who's secretly  whoops! Almost gave away a spoiler there! He's the nice-guy, although he may too nice at times. But he's genuinely likable, and down-to-earth. Despite his big secret.

The world-building was decent. It felt like a normal fairy-tale world (witches and stuff), so there wasn't anything very original. But it wasn't sketchy either, sufficient details were given to make the world Kyra was in feel realistic. I'm quite curious as to see if the later books would give the world more character, as in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series (I was very surprised to find out that The Goose Girl had sequels).

Definitely a title to check out!

Disclaimer: I got this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.