King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.
Seeking allies and eluding Severn’s spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father’s betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king’s favor by proving his worth – through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny.
The kind of book you can easily devour in hours I purchased this book as my Amazon Kindle First book for March; if there is a Fantasy book listed at all, chances are that’s the book I’m going to go for. The premise for this book sounded interesting so I grabbed it first thing this morning – I knew I was going to have a long day at appointments with my mother-in-law and I needed something to do with all of that time spent sitting. It wasn’t until I went to put it into my Goodreads for my Currently Reading that I realized who the author…
A book for all ages and interests! You’d think that having a child as the main character would make this a children’s book, but it’s not. Though I’m sure my 9 year old will enjoy it, there are subtleties that can only be appreciated by adults. This is an excellent fantasy with well-defined characters that steal your heart. The plotting, intrigue, wit and plot twists keep you on your toes. Truly a masterpiece!
Fun read and looking forward to book 2 This was very different than what I expected, but not in a bad way. I’m a fan of Jeff Wheeler and have enjoyed his 3 trilogies in the Muirwood and Mirrowen worlds, and came into this book expecting The Queen’s Poisoner to be much of the same, but it was surprisingly different and unique.Â