Imagine living in a country where everyone hates you because of a crime you committed, because there seems to be no reason for why you did what you did, the truth being that everything you did was in hopes of saving yourself and countless others. On top of that, you cannot tell anyone the reason you did what you did because no one would believe you. According to the laws of this country, all crimes are punishable in kind, even those done in self defense or by accident. You are doomed no matter what, you will one day die branded as a monster, no one will ever know the torment you and others went through, and what atrocities continue to this day. Poison Study follows the story of Yelena, beginning with her last day in prison where she has been awaiting her sentence for many, many months. She lives in the country of Ixia, ruled by Commander Ambrose, who enforces a strict military-like Code of Behavior over the eight districts. The Code applies to everyone, nobles and peasants alike, due to the Commander putting merit, talent, and skill above social standing and family or political ties.
The first half of the book introduces us to the majority of the characters as we learn about the structure of the country of Ixia. Sitia, the neighboring country, is mentioned, but we don’t learn very much about it, except that it is home to magicians. This is definitely a medieval, fantasy type novel, not quite falling in the young adult genre, but close. I won’t go into any more detail to avoid spoiling the story for anyone who is interested. Next week, I will complete the book and give my overall thoughts.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 