POISON'S KISS
Breeana Shields
Breeana Shields
Young Adult/Fantasy
Releases January 2017 from Random House BFYR
From Goodreads:
Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya--a poison maiden--is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.Normally when the synopsis for a YA book starts with a line about kissing dozens of boys, I'd be moving right on by as it sounds like a recipe for high angst and romantic drama, BUT, the second sentence above is a game changer. Executing men via kissing sounds miserable indeed, and I'm now infinitely curious about Marinda and how she's going to change her world. Though this sounds like a fairly straightforward YA fantasy with romantic elements at first glance, the Indian folklore aspect is really intriguing and not something I've read much about, so this is on my list for sure!
Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.
This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
