Here’s a short summary of The Kinder Poison:
After a lifetime of boredom, Zahru - a whisperer, who can talk to animals - hops onto a ship, pulling herself into what she hopes is a day of adventure. Instead, she lands herself in a misunderstanding during a royal event called the Crossing - where three royal heirs vie for the throne in a cross-country desert race. The worst part? Zahru is announced to be the human sacrifice, set to death at the end of the competition.
Here's a short review of the novel:
This was a very well-written novel, and I found myself in constant awe of the fantasy landscape that the author managed to pull off. The world felt very old-style, set in a desert that was heated and full of little vendors and stalls. The worldbuilding was also well-done and simple in my opinion, as the reader was able to deduce Zahru was able to communicate with animals, making her low-class, while royals had more promising and special gifts. Zahru was an underdog with no allies in most of the novel, and she was such a dynamic character to read. The reader was able to see hints of her other nature, but for the most part, she wasn’t “cool” or “calculated,” but a realistic sixteen-year-old girl who just didn’t want to die. The three royal heirs though were the highlight of this novel. Jet was the eldest, and he was kindhearted and reluctant to win the throne. The oldest daughter was snappy and intricate, kind of like a darkly humored comedic relief. Lastly, the youngest brother was Kasta, whose dark nature made it easy for the reader to dislike him, but Kasta’s made the reader sympathize and understand, making him an interesting pseudo-villain.