Read Online An Affair of Poisons Addie Thorley Books

Product details Hardcover 400 pages Publisher Page Street Kids (February 26, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1624147135

An Affair of Poisons Addie Thorley Books Reviews

• I adored this thrilling, romantic YA historical fantasy!!! In this gripping reimagining of an infamous 17th-century murder scandal in France, the main character, alchemist Mirabelle, is tricked into helping her mother and her Shadow Society poison the King of France. There is so much to love about An Affair of Poisons! The writing is absolutely beautiful, and the setting is so atmospheric I felt as though I had stepped back in time to 17th century France. The fast paced plot and dangerous stakes drew me in and kept me flying through the pages, and I loved watching Mirabelle grow and change from a young woman in the shadows herself, desperate for her mother's rare approval, to a woman who takes charge of her own fate, and refuses to be a pawn of either her mother or of the Shadow Society. The rivals to lovers romance was so well done, and royal bastard Jossee de Bourbon was Mirabelle's perfect match. I highly recommend this wonderful debut!!!
• They say we pick our own poison and I would definitely pick this one! It is an unforgettable historical fiction story set during the reign of Louis XIV with a magical twist.
  
  What I loved
  1. A very capable and clever heroine who happens to by an alchemist.
  2. The royal hero wasn't a prince and he was struggling with his own identity.
  3. The different family dynamics and sibling rivalries. Something I think all all teens can relate to.
  4. La Voisin, a real historical figure and the use of potions and poisons for political change.
  5. The setting of Paris and the disparity between the classes.
  6. The slow boiling romance.
  
  All of these ingredients form the perfect potion for a fast-plotted story that will seep through your soul like poison.
• I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest opinion.
  
  This alternate history begs the question what if Louis the XIV has really been assassinated during the scandal called The Affair of the Poisons? I had no idea of this event in history, and I enjoyed reading about it, then researching it after I finished—and the author’s note at the end provided some more wonderful details in the changes she made.
  
  Like all good historical fiction, this book completely immersed me in the time period. The prose was lush and gorgeous—I just couldn’t get enough of Thorley’s descriptions. They weren’t long and drawn out descriptions either, but they weave into the story and action beautifully.
  
  Speaking of action, this book has it, and lots of it! I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was perfect, not too slow at the slower moments, not too fast in those parts either. There are some sword fights, magical smoke monsters (because this book has some fantastical elements), nail biting alchemical scenes, and beautiful moments of character development.
  
  I instantly fell in love with Thorley’s two main characters, Mirabelle and Josse. Mirabelle is kind-hearted, yet determined, clear minded, and dang smart. Her POV instantly hooked me, and I couldn’t help but cheer for her throughout the book. And Josse! I didn’t realize this was a dual POV when I picked it up, but he was so wonderful! He is prideful, cunning, and kind, perfectly flawed in the best way. His character arc was definitely my favorite. This is a dual POV first person novel, but I didn’t feel lost among the POVs. Their voices were very distinct.
  
  The romance, while predictable, was sweet—I totally ship it! It also didn’t take over the story, which I really appreciated.
  
  I could probably say note, but instead, I’m going to tell you, go read the book! It was such an unexpected little success for me, and I’m going to recommend it like crazy! If anyone likes 1660’s Paris with alchemy, poison, a hint of magic, and a lot of intrigue, this book is for you!
• I loved this take on an alternate-history France, where magic grows alongside history, and poisoners can bring a monarchy to its knees. The story is told in two POVs, each of them distinct and engaging (their banter is terrific), and the rest of the cast of characters are also well developed (many were given new life from the historical record, something the author explains at the end of the book). While they try to bring order to chaotic Paris, the two main characters also struggle to free themselves from their parents' beliefs about who they are—I adored this thrilling, beautifully written, and atmospheric book!
• Made my husband read the hardcover edition. Tho this isn’t his typical read, he liked it and thought the author did “a darn good job and had a way with words”. High praise indeed! I, on the other hand listened to the audible edition. I loathe leaving a bad review but on this I must. The audible performance was terrible and I detested the main character based on her voice. The male voice was no better. I couldn’t finish the audible edition and hope to someday read our hardcover. Perhaps I will like the heros when I no longer hear the readers voice in my head. Congratulations to Addie Thorley for an exciting read. Skip the audible version.
• I have to say, I was unaware of the real-life L'affaire des poisons, a major murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV in which members of high society were implicated and convicted of seeking out drugs and poisons from female fortune-tellers in order to murder their rivals. Addie Thorley's alt-history re-imagining of this time was SPECTACULAR! I fell in love with her characters and world building from the get-go and the story was layered, vivid, and wonderfully fast-paced. I loved it and would highly recommend AN AFFAIR OF POISONS to anyone who enjoys historical fantasy.
• This AU historical takes the actual Affair of Poisons in the Sun Kings court and adds a dash of magic, romance, action, and adventure. It's a page turner from start to finish and utterly impossible not to fall in love with Mira and Josse. I adored the slow-burn romance. The author is great at weaving a lush, believable world that drags you in and refuses to let go.