Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields!
Today I have an excerpt to share, as well as a few of my own quick thoughts from the book! Also, a giveaway, yay! So, let’s go!
Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields
Series: Poison's Kiss #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 10th 2017
Pages: 304
Format:eARC 
A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive—like a poison kiss—and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.
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.
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.
(My really quite brief thoughts, technically!)
I really quite enjoyed this one! I liked Marinda as a character so much. She was in such an awful position, having to kill people she didn’t want to kill, but knowing that she (and more importantly to her, her brother) would be killed if she didn’t. I like the moral complexity of that situation so much. I also was such a fan of her love and care for her brother.
The reason I am doing such a small not-really-review of this book is that so much of it is a flat out spoiler. I kept being surprised by the things that were happening, and I don’t want to take any of that surprise away for anyone else, so I am leaving it short and simple. There were a few things that I did kind of see coming, but there was also so much that I didn’t! I loved the side characters so much too- and there is a bookstore involved, guys!
Bottom line: It was fast paced and quite compulsively readable. And I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel!
The Excerpt
At least that’s what I tell myself over and over as I wend my way through the marketplace, past the vendors selling spiced meats and bright fabric, incense and rare birds. Not a bad person. Not a bad person. It’s a mantra I’m hoping will loosen the knot of dread that has been twisting in my stomach all afternoon.
It’s not working.
I lift my hair off the back of my neck and yearn for a breeze that fails to materialize. It’s hot today; far too hot for my waist-length mane, but Gopal took one look at my hair this morning coiled in a tight knot at the back of my skull and groaned. “No, Marinda,” he said. “The boy will favor the hair down.” His sudden concern about the preferences of any boy—especially this boy—struck me as laughably ironic, but I didn’t argue. I just took out the pins and let my hair tumble around my shoulders. “Better, rajakumari,” he said. “Much better.”
The meeting is supposed to happen near the fruit vendor on the other side of the market. The streets are thick with people—women balancing baskets of laundry atop their heads, men pulling heavy carts loaded with bags of rice and tea, children chasing each other between vendors.
I feel a tug on my skirt and whirl around. A fortune-teller sits on a bright blue carpet surrounded by cards. Her hair is braided in intricate coils, and gold hoops dangle from her ears. She shows me her teeth—it’s meant to be a smile, but it looks more like a challenge. “Let me read your future,” she says, her fingers still clasped around a fistful of my sari.
“No, thank you,” I tell her, and I have to take a step back before she lets go. Gita says that most fortune-tellers are frauds and a waste of good money. Even if she’s wrong, it doesn’t matter. I have no interest in knowing anything about my future.
I continue pressing through the crowd and I start to think about the boy I’ll find waiting for me at the fruit stand. It’s a bad habit, one I’m trying to break. I hope I don’t like him. It will make it so much easier to walk away without feeling guilty. And I’m always the one to do both—the walking away and the feeling guilty. I wonder what he’s been told about our meeting today. What does he expect from me? What does he know?
3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of POISON’S KISS, US Only.
Follow the Tour!!
Week One:
1/2/2017- Literary Meanderings – Interview
1/3/2017- Fiction Fare– Review
1/4/2017- It Starts at Midnight- Excerpt
1/5/2017- One Night Book Stand– Review
1/6/2017- Brooke- Reports– Interview
Week Two:
1/9/2017- Curling Up With A Good Book– Review
1/10/2017- Brittany’s Book Rambles– Guest Post
1/11/2017- Parajunkee– Review
1/12/2017- Two Chicks on Books– Interview
1/13/2017- IceyBooks– Quote Candy
Looks like an intriguing book! Thank you for the contest!
I’m so glad you loved this book as it’s one of my most highly anticipated 2017 releases! *_*
Love the sound of this one! I tend to love stories where the MC is put in a seemingly impossible position. Bring on the moral dilemmas!
I loved this book too! Thanks for sharing that awesome excerpt, I enjoyed rereading it 😀
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
I love books that keep surprising me. Sounds like I need to read this one!
I’m so glad you loved this one! I’m really looking forward to reading it. 😀
Yesss this is on my radar for sure! It kind of reminds me of Blue from The Raven Boys? Where if she kissed her true love he’d die? ALWAYS A FUN PREMISE. I’m definitely excited to read it now that I know that you liked it too!!
Yay, it’s wonderful that you liked the book, this is definitely going to stay on my TBR! Thanks for sharing the excerpt and for the giveaway. So excited!
It originally wasn’t on my watchlist, but after hearing some ARC love for it and now this excerpt I’M ALL OF THE READY FOR IT!! Like ASAP. Please and thank you. looool.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK! Unfortunately I don’t live in the US and can’t enter the giveaway but still super excited for it!
Ooh, this sounds like such an action packed and incredible read Shannon, the synopsis had me at ‘fans of Sarah J Maas’. I was browsing Goodreads the other day and looking for new reads for the year and there hasn’t been much I’m all that excited about. Looking forward to this though Shannon. Wonderful review, I’m even more intrigued now ❤️
This most definitely is on my radar! It sounds amaaaazing! And I loved your short, snappy review – got my attention without giving anything away, which is perfect.
Love the cover and story sounds good! Thanks for the tour and the chance. Would be so happy to get a copy and read Poison’s Kiss!
Love the cover and it sounds like a great retelling!
This sounds great & I really want to know more about that bookstore.
Poison’s Kiss sounds so good! I have it on my ever-growing TBR list. lol!
Every time I see a review or post on this, I want to move it up my TBR a little more! Glad to hear it’s a nice fast-paced read! Looking forward to checking it out!