This book was such a wild read. I really loved the main character in this read. I also really enjoyed this boook for start to end. This book also features some of my favorite elements, book set in small setting, a small cast of characters you love, character with a unique job and a child character. I also loved how this book had a lot of elements that worked togrther to create unput downable read. I also loved the mystery illness that was the heart of this read. I also really enjoyed the twists that really shocked me and i am dying to read book 2!! ( )

This book was such a wild read. I really loved the main character in this read. I also really enjoyed this boook for start to end. This book also features some of my favorite elements, book set in small setting, a small cast of characters you love, character with a unique job and a child character. I also loved how this book had a lot of elements that worked togrther to create unput downable read. I also loved the mystery illness that was the heart of this read. I also really enjoyed the twists that really shocked me and i am dying to read book 2!! ( )

Actual rating 3.5/5

I was rather conflicted about The Prison Healer. In fact, I finished this almost a week ago and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it!

The Prison Healer gripped me right from the very beginning. I thought the prison setting was quite original in a YA fantasy, where the daily reality of living in a place like Zalindov is represented and the main characters aren't constantly planning an escape. In some ways, Kiva almost seems resigned to her fate (even though she continues to hope her family will free her) and tries to make the most of her circumstances.

The world-building was also rather well executed and the elemental magic system was clear and easy to follow. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, but I guess I felt more forgiving of it because the characters were stuck inside the prison and, well... couldn't show much. The Trials themselves were, for me, probably the weakest part of the book but I still felt the pressure and anxiety Kiva was under. Despite that, they felt a bit repetitive and, by the time the final one rolled around, I had no more doubts as to what would happen next. The search for a cure to the plague sweeping the prison was by far more interesting for me, even though that too became slightly monotonous by the end, but again I could feel Kiva's frustration and concern.

Kiva was definitely the best part of the book. She's a highly compelling and complex character, struggling to survive in a place meant to crush and destroy everyone who sets foot inside. Her guarded behaviour felt very realistic in an environment where no one can be trusted, and I enjoyed seeing her grow and change throughout the story. I loved having a main character in a fantasy book whose main skills lie outside fighting, quite literally carving her place in this world while trying to make a difference in spite of everyone's suspicions and hatred. The rest of the cast was also very well-developed, and I enjoyed the group dynamic immensely.

So, all good right? Well, not quite. The Prison Healer was shaping up to be one of my favourites so far this year... until the ending. Now, I'm definitely in the minority here and most people seem to have greatly enjoyed the ending, but for me it really fell flat and kind of ruined the whole book. It just felt really inconsistent with everything we had seen and heard so far, and meant Kiva had somehow been lying the whole time... in her own thoughts? I could have accepted it far more easily if we hadn't been following her POV, inside her head, thoughts and feelings, for the whole book. As it was, it just seemed slightly too convenient and built for the sake of a big shocking moment. It was a real shame, because I had been loving it up until then!

Overall, The Prison Healer was an engaging read and (minus the ending) a solid start to a new series. I'll probably continue this as I did love the characters and I'm curious to see what will happen next!

CW: contains mentions of rape, graphic violence, torture, drugs, self-harm, child abuse, and death.


I received an e-arc of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. ( )

Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Fire, near death experiences, torture, imprisonment, riot, death of a person in a prison, self-harm
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

I was hoping that this would be a good fantasy novel after the not-so-good ones I've read and an Australian writer wrote this to boot so my expectations were raised even higher than usual and of course, this met my expectations; didn't exceed them however this was still enjoyable. It starts off in the Zalindov prison and I've seen novels like this before but never have I seen one so well executed, but anyways Kiva the main character is introduced alongside other characters and the first 100 pages starts off slowly; it thickens when Tilda the Rebel Queen is imprisoned and is forced to do the Trial but Kiva steps in to do the Trial for her essentially sacrificing her life for her just to show her strength and I didn't know where this was going but I read on to see what would happen. She does the first Trial by Air by jumping off a tower and she almost fell to her death if it weren't for prince Jaren and he plays a major role later on and a few pages later she notices that people were getting sick so she investigates and initially she doesn't know but it was revealed they were all poisoned and I knew something big was imminent. Anyways she survives the next three trials with Jaren's help saving her from death like four times; towards the end there was a revolution she feared would happen and Tilda was killed in the process however she proclaims herself as the Rebel Princess and it all ends in a epic cliffhanger; can't wait to read the next two books in the series. ( )

4.5 Stars

I went into this with little expectations as I am not much a young adult reader or a fantasy reader. I have also heard so many great things, and this one lived up to the hype.

I think that two things really kept my interest: the world and the romance. The world was easy to understand which is great for non-fantasy readers. I also loved the brewing romance.

I have seen people talk about the ending, but the way my jaw hit the floor! I did not see that coming. The author did a great job making sure you want to pick up book two!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. ( )