by R. J. Anderson
publisher’s synopsis
The city of Tarreton is powered by magic, from simple tablets that light lamps to advanced Sagery that can murder a man from afar. Isaveth has a talent for spell-making, but as a girl from a poor neighborhood she never dreamed she could study at the most exclusive magical school in the city. So when she’s offered a chance to attend, she eagerly accepts.
The school is wonderful, but old and new enemies confront Isaveth at every turn, and she begins to suspect her scholarship might be more a trap than a gift.
Even her secret meetings with Esmond, her best friend and partner in crime-solving, prove risky—especially once he hatches a plan to sneak her into the biggest society event of the season. It’s their last chance to catch the corrupt politician who once framed her father for murder. How can Isaveth refuse?
(This post contains spoilers for book one in the Uncommon Magic series, A Pocket Full of Murder)
I loved A Pocket Full of Murder, and A Little Taste of Poison did not disappoint as a sequel.
Honestly, I am so sad that this series is over. I love everything about it–the characters, the plot, the unique magic systems–all of it. I want more adventures of Isaveth and Esmond in my life.
A Little Taste of Poison picks up a little bit after A Pocket Full of Murder. Isaveth and Esmond are still trying to find the evidence they need to convict of Eryx of his crimes, and Isaveth has been granted a scholarship to the college so that she can learn sagery.
In A Pocket Full of Murder, we get to learn a lot about Common Magic, which is done essentailly through baking. In A Little Taste of Poison, we get to learn more about Sagery, which is kind of like jewelry making. I love the magic systems R. J. created for this series. They are so unqiue and so fun. It was super neat to get to learn more about Sagery in A Little Taste of Poison.
The characters were amazing, of course. I love them so much. They are fantastic. Also, Isaveth and Esmond are an adorable ship. I love them.
The plot was super fun. While certain elements of the mystery were essentially already known (such as who the poisoner was), other elements still had to be figured out (such as how the person was poisoned).
My own “issue” with A Little Taste of Poison would be the epilogue. I feel like it can be read two different ways: one way concludes the series, and the other way makes it feel like the series should continue. At first when I read it, I thought that there was going to be another book. But that might have been because I want the series to be longer. 🙂
Overall, A Little Taste of Poison is a fantastic book. I love this duology, and R. J. is one of my favorite authors. Also, if she were to ever write anything set in this world, or start a new series about Isaveth and Esmond, I’d read it in a heartbeat.
Cautions: light romance; one kiss; brief, non-graphic moderate violence
Hailey Huntington 