Review--Poison Tree by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Once she thought she knew who she was, and who her father demanded she become. Now she is called Sarik, and though her life is supposed to be her own, she is still living in fear. She has become a mediator at the Haven #4 location run by SingleEarth, giving aid to those caught between two worlds.

One day, a stranger--someone like her, who just cannot be who she pretends to be--comes to join the mediation group.

Alysia tells herself that she has put her days as a mercenary for the brutal Bruja Guilds behind her. She's been on the run for two years, with a two-million dollar price on her head, but her past keeps interfering with her attempts to start a new life. A human among throngs of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and Tristes, Alysia has always been determined to prove herself more tan a "mere" mortal. Will becoming a member of SingleEarth allow her to finally put her past behind her?

On a stormy night, three bolts are shot by someone who knows their way around a crossbow. Many as suspect; all are affected. And both Sarik and Alysia must grapple with the impact--and determine what price must be paid.

In Poison Tree, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes offers a thrilling tale about the dark, rich realm where real life and the otherworldly intertwined.

It's a sad thing when you read a book by a beloved author and just could not get into it. I don't know what it was about Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Poison Tree, but I seriously can't remember much of what I read. Perhaps I was still enjoying the high of finishing her last book which returned to characters I knew and loved. Starting over again with brand new characters might not have been a wise move. But I was on a role getting this series nearly finished!

I don't know where my head was when I was reading, because I can barely remember much at all. The description I typed up felt like starting over, I was reading as I was typing and thought, I just read that?

Sarik and Alysia are not exactly the best of friends. Alysia is new to the Haven and on her first night there, there was an attack that left one of their own injured. Alysia has a muddied past that leads us to believe that the bolts were meant for her, or to cause her trouble at the very least. Sarik has her own complicated past that comes into play as we move further along with the story.

I just felt so disconnected throughout this story while I was reading. I kept reading because I kept hoping that I would soon find someone I liked, a new found character friend. But alas, it just seems like this read wasn't for me. I can't even be sure if there was romance in it. And that's sad! I knew Sarik had a boyfriend, but I could never figure out if Alysia had a romantic partner or not. There seemed at times a guy or two was pursuing her, but then again, the disconnect came about and I never really figured out if someone was after her heart as well.

It seems, very sadly, that this read just wasn't for me. And coming from my favorite author as a teenager this devastates me to no end! I still plan to read her books though! I got one more to finish in this world series, then I will attempt to finish her other series that I stopped reading when some years ago and then I plan to start her new series. I can tell by reading each book that Amelia continued to learn things, her books started out very short and while some of these later books are still short at just over 200 pages, they're more built up then her earlier ones that were under 200, but I admit I still love those too!



Overall Rating 2/5 stars