Description
Leelo has spent her whole life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles with the knowledge that her brother will be exiled and forced to live with the outsiders unless he gains enchantment powers before his next birthday.
Then comes the day that Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake. She knows she is supposed to leave him to his fate, but, instead, she betrays her family, her best friend, and her whole community by helping nurse the young man, Jaren, back to health, understanding that discovery could lead to unthinkable consequences for both of them.
As they grow closer, Leelo and Jaren discover that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself.
Dianna Howell @efrain62_498
January 24, 2023
4
Having read the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology and Luminous, I was certainly excited for another book by Mara Rutherford. The Poison Season was written during Rutherford's quarantine time during COVID, and the book reflects the way we all probably felt during that time of isolation. Being isolated on an island since birth, the dynamic between the island residents of Endla and those dubbed as "outsiders," there is certainly something to be said about staying on one place for an exponential amount of time.