Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.
All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing: a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish—and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end—will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.
With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world
Jan’s Review
I received this ARC as part of Miss Print’s ARC Adoption Program.
Their a part in this book toward the end when Zaharia is talking to the Speaker and she basically completely broken down and lost it. The worlds really pull the whole story together.
“Do you know why it’s important to face our fears? Because that the only way we can change them. Have you considered you’ve been chosen because what you have to offer is different? You think what you’ve done doesn’t matter? You think kindness has no power? The ones who seem the most impervious to it are the ones who need it the most. If you’ll forgive the comparison, kindness is like a poison. Sometimes it takes time to work.”
Now that taken from a conversation but it really does make sense. Zahru believe her magic is beneath all else, that her kindness can not change anything. Through the whole race she tried to do everything to save her self and not sink to the levels of the 3 royals in the story. When in the end what she possessed for magic makes her the strongest and most unique character i ever read about.
This is a story with a lot of heart and really intense message that i hope comes through. If we all showed more kindness even to those who we think really don’t deserve it or won’t receive it then maybe just maybe we can see more light in this world. Pick Kinder Poison out in June 2020.
