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Review of The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford
YA Romance | High Fantasy | Fairy-tale Fantasy
Standalone
“Just remember, my girl, it’s not the falling that breaks you”
Living in Ednia, Leelo has spent her life knowing the lake and forest will keep her and her people safe. There is always the underlying threat of the outsiders, but as a new Watcher, she starts to wonder whether or not the things she was raised to believe are correct.
When it is time for her brother Tate to leave the safety of the island, it sends her down a road she never thought she would walk. Leading her to search for the truth, not just what happens to the children that have to leave, but also the history of the island, and why the stranger she saves seems to be so different from all the stories she’s been told.
Should You Read The Poison Season?
If you enjoy high fantasy, secret societies, and earth magic, this book is likely a good fit for you. The Poison Season is best for readers who want a character-driven plot, eerie atmosphere, and dangerous magic rather than fast-paced action, extensive world-building, and spice.
From the first page, there is a feeling of wrongness. That something is lurking under the surface, hiding itself beneath the beauty of the island. Whether it is the lake that can only be crossed during the winter freeze, the forest that doesn’t contain wildlife, or the tension between Leelo and her family, the writing conveys that there is something sinister in the background. And it is woven beautifully through the whole story. That feeling gives the story weight; not everything beautiful is safe.
Leelo has never quite understood the disdain that her aunt Ketty has had for not only her but her brother Tate and their mother. She has always assumed that it was because Tate has no magic, but there are times when she feels there is more to it. When it comes time for Tate to leave the island, Leelo finds that it strains her relationships with her aunt and her cousin more; she loves her brother, and they seem almost relieved that he is gone.
While taking time to work through her emotions and sadness, Leelo spots the same boat that took Tate away, heading back to the island. Torn between duty to the island, she makes the decision to save Jaren, an outsider that shouldn’t be there but wouldn’t have survived without her help.
Leelo and Jaren find that they are now reliant on each other, and the relationship that builds from there drives the entire story forward. Jaren needs Leelo to keep him alive and safe, and Leelo finds that he begins to fill the loneliness she’s always struggled to explain, since she has always felt that there was more for her in this world, she was missing a piece of herself, and with the worry she feels for her brother, Jaren is the answer, if she can ever get him off the island.
The tension in this story is multi-layered and well done. Between the island, the family relationship, and the dynamic between not only Leelo and Jaren, but Leelo and her cousin Sage, there are very few moments where it isn’t palpable. Each layer of tension helps build the story and carry it to the end. It adds a nuance that keeps the reader in the story, always wondering what is going to happen next.
The Poison Season did something I didn’t expect from a YA Romance; it gave me tension. It had me wondering what was going to happen next consistently through the entire book. It kept me invested in the relationship, the storyline, and how it would all end. There are some slow moments, but they felt more intentional, a lull before something changed or shifted. Overall, The Poison Season is a thoughtful YA fantasy that relies on atmosphere and emotional tension rather than spectacle. It reminded me that quieter fantasy can still create compelling stakes, and I’ll happily pick up another Mara Rutherford novel.
If you love character driven plots, tension, and dangerous magic this belongs on your shelf
If this story stayed with you, these reads belong on your shelf → Fantasy Books Where There’s No Going Back
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Soup’s Observation: Today’s reading session was interrupted by entirely necessary zoomies.
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