The Poison Throne

Fifteen-year old Wynter Moorehawke returns home with her father, to the court of King Jonathan. Her father, Lord Protector Lorcan Moorehawke is a Master Carpenter and Wynter has risen to be a ranked apprentice in the trade, but her father is also a close friend to the King and she has grown up with Razi, the elder illegitimate son and Alberon, the younger Heir. But after years in the North with her father on a mission for the King, they return to find everything mysteriously and frighteningly changed. Her once robust father is in ill-health after a long sickness, Prince Alberon has mysteriously disappeared along with Lord Oliver who was one of the King's greatest supporters, the scholarly Prince Razi is being forced into position as the new Heir and the King seems to be going mad--repressing dissent ruthlessly in ways he had previously disdained and using those around him with equal brutality. Wynter has always known that life at court was hazardous, but now there seems to be danger everywhere and all former refuges, with her formerly strong father, with the support of the princes whom she regards as brothers, with the people of the castle whom were almost like parents to her, no longer secure. Prince Razi is powerless, his friend Christopher is threatened if he does not go along with the King, and Razi worries that anyone close to him, including Wynter and her father, will also be used to control him, so he has to keep his distance. No one knows where Prince Alberon is or what he is up to. The King suspects he is in league to overthrow him and in order to save the Kingdom he will stop at nothing, even if it means destroying his own sons and his old friendship with Wynter's father, or even resort to using a secret and horrific weapon that even puts fear into the heart of Wynter's gruff and strong-willed father. Wynter is thrust into the middle of danger and intrigue. She's still young enough to long for the safety and security of the past--with her old friends and pleasant way of life--and desires to run from the demands of the future. But she quickly learns that there is no safe refuge and she is forced to act, no matter how unwillingly. This is an exciting and suspenseful tale, the beginning of a trilogy that will relate the complete story. The characters are wonderfully drawn and very alive, from the servants to the king himself, who can seem both mad and evil and yet very human and understandable. Raji and Christopher are instantly intriguing and sympathetic. Wynter was a bit harder for me to bond with as she is at a pivotal point in her life, still young and uncertain but trying to grow into her abilities as a trained apprentice and someone able to follow in the footsteps of her indomitable father--and at times she seems a little too self-centered and overly concerned with small things. Because of her age and because she's the point of view character, there is a strong young adult feel to the book, but there's also enough comp

Wynter, fifteen, and Lorcan, her father of age thirty-three but shaking like a man much older, have just returned from the five year station in the North helping King Jonathon with relations. Wynter is a female apprenticing her father and doing extremely well in a mans trade, carpentery. Once they are home and Wynter is wondering around, she learns things are rather stressed around the castle. Things are aloft here. There are creatures they are forbidden to talk to, the heir Alberon has left with no traces as to where he is, Razi the kings bastard-son and close friend to Wynter and Alberon has been named to take the beloved Alberon's place and the people are not happy. Then to add to the mix Wynter's father Lorcan is rather ill and is not to leave his bed to help, and is getting worse. Thinking back to what caught my attention... There are the questions I had to the mysteries, and I am still thinking on. I am not sure what has truly happened to change things so much. Along with why beloved Heir, Prince Alberon, left as what seems unexpectedly and no sign of where he went. But it appears as something between him and his father King Jonathon to be the reason for his leaving, and an even bigger issue. 'The Bloody Machine.' I don't know what it is or what it does or why are they so worried about it. But along with the mysteries, I think the characters kept me coming back. I love the character development and the relationships in this story. There are a few secondary creatures, which I did not expect to find, but loved them and found myself wanting to read more of them. I love all the characters; Wynter, Lorcan, Razi, Christopher, and all the secondary characters, and now I need to know what befalls them. I even get the feel the world we get to know is created from these characters. It seems the characters all know of different parts of the world being of different age ranges too, and as they tell of their experiences and knowledge you see the world through their eyes and what the world is that Celine has created. The situations the characters get into and out of, and the reactions they have to the different situations and each other when trying to protect each other maked me love them even more. I am not sure who is up to what or why. Of course I have my suspecions and ideas but I'm not really sure. But I felt the people where doing what they perceived to be the right thing, wheither good or bad, for themself or the people. I am looking forward to the future installments of this trilogy. I am curious where Wynter will lead to. With the choose of staying with her dieing father to the end, following her friend who may need help, or finding the peoples beloved heir to the throne.

Wow. I hadn't expected to enjoy "The Poison Throne" so much but I loved it. Admittedly, I found it difficult to get into at the start but found myself becoming more and more drawn in as the story progressed. Although marketed as a "tale of court intrigue, romance and adventure", I found these labels somewhat misleading as it conjured up images of a swashbuckling, sword-wielding, young heroine in my mind. However, it was the emotions more so than the events of the novel that really captivated me. "The Poison Throne" was full of so many heart-warming and gut-wrenching moments. It is at its core a tale about love and friendship, while the themes of prejudice and social-injustice also feature heavily. A review I recently read drew many parallels between "The Poison Throne" and modern-day society, which I second. Celine Kiernan explores the way in which equality has been achieved for some groups of society and yet still continues to elude others. Kiernan also does a great job with the characters. Not one single character can be said to be purely good or evil; each has his or her own flaws. The result is wonderfully three-dimensional characters. I enjoyed "The Poison Throne" so much I went out and bought my own copy and I eagerly await the release of the rest of the series.

None of these reviews has done this wonderful novel justice. I can see that the outline of the story has already been published in these reviews so I won't go into any more details here but I couldn't leave this page without letting prospective readers know that they simply MUST read this book. The Poison Throne is not only beautifully written but also has elements of magic, history and romance. I have learnt, after many years of reading, that the author's ability to conjure scenes lies in their ability to pay attention to the smallest details. Celine's characters are still swimming in my head, weeks after reading the first part of this exciting trilogy; I galloped through the forest with Wynter, plotted Razi's escape with him and laughed at Christopher's wicked sense of humour. I have never written a book review before but I just loved every minute of this novel (as well as the second in this trilogy "The Crowded Shadows"). If you are undecided after reading this review, think again, just buy it.....and then you can thanks me!

Wynter Moorehawke is a fifteen year old girl. She is a Lady, she is a qualified apprentice in a man's profession and up until five years ago she was the King's Cat Keeper. But for the past five years she and her father have been in exile up North. Now, after so long they have been called home to the south. But it is not home as she remembers it. Upon returning home Wynter discovers there are many changes in her home kingdom. Small things at first, slightly amiss; like the cats for one thing, and the ghosts for another, as neither seems willing to talk to her as they had before. Wynter soon realises she has returned to a kingdom in chaos. King Jonathan's once civilised and peaceful kingdom has drastically changed with the reintroduced gibbets and cages, neither seen since the dark days, many years before Wynter was born. King Jonathan also has one son missing, and another unwillingly forced to take his place. There is the constant threat of danger as sides are taken and the very real risk of imprisonment, torture and death. There are also the whispers of the 'Bloody Machine', but Wynter is at a loss as to what it is, what it has to do with the drastic changes to the kingdom, and what it could possibly have to do with her father. Wynter finds herself in a precarious situation as she discovers there are those willing to threaten her safety for the submission of power from those she is close to. But there is also the stranger Christopher Garron to worry about. Christopher obviously does not fit in, and despite her friends faith in him, she is not sure he is altogether trustworthy. Ultimately Wynter has a decision to make, she must chose between her father, her friend and her kingdom. It is a choice that will lead her to deceive those she loves and leave her alone in terrible danger. There are real moments of tenderness, friendship, intrigue and tension in this story as terrible choices must be made and the consequences lived with. The character are portrayed as vivid, complex and instantly likeable. The story is such that it leaves you desperately wanting more, and hoping it will not be a long wait to discover Wynter's fate in the continuing stories.