New Zealand author Helen Scheuerer has built up legions of fans for her internationally published novels that feature strong female characters and action-packed plots.
Wren is the heroine in this new novel, an alchemist turned assassin intent on revenging the death of her friends in a brutal war that ripped apart their lands. Everyone calls her the Poisoner, as she quietly works behind the scenes, taking out the people who were responsible, one by one, with her blends of potent poisons.
But after years in the shadows, she is offered a place in the prestigious ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor, so she must put aside her life of revenge to attend this school – something that is a dream come true for her. She has to face the deadly Gauntlet while there – a series of trials that could cost her life or her sanity. To add further complications, there is sabotage from fellow competitors, and there is a larger, more dangerous web of deception and bloodshed that puts the entire realm at risk.
But the Bear Slayer, the man assigned as her bodyguard, is the most complicated aspect of her new life. They share a bond from the battlefields, and there is a sizzling, undeniable chemistry between them. But could love end up being the most lethal poison of all?
Helen has created a fantasy world that is easy to occupy, and this novel has it all – action, intrigue, strong characters and palpable, escalating, racy tension between the two main characters. This is a sizzling fantasy romance which is breathtaking. I can’t wait to read the next in this new series.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Tor Bramble