Poison Study (Soulfinders Book 1) by Maria V. Snyder

      "Murder, mayhem, and magic...
      Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die - but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman's noose. 
      But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia's food taster - chosen to ensure that the Commander's food is not poisoned - has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed - me - must be offered the position."










      This is a very well-written adult novel. The action is continuous throughout, while flashing back to the main character's haunting past. While there are some serious events, the language is kept clean enough to understand the severity and cruelty of the actions, but are at the same time kept discreet. This includes several murders, a rape, and a near sexual assault (in which the main character, through her past struggles has gotten stronger and ends up thwarting her attacker). There is also an extremely clean romance. All in all, I found this novel to not shy away from the harsh realities of an unfortunate life, while keeping the descriptions to a minimum. This isn't a feel-good novel, but rather one about fighting one's demons in life and conquering them.

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