Book Blab @ Stevenson H. S.

Review by M. Johnson.

Yelena is in prison and about to be executed for murder when she is offered the chance to become the Commander of Ixia’s food taster. She says “Yes” and then comes the bad news. Not only will she be in danger of dying from poisoning, if she doesn’t see the Chief of Security every day for her antidote , she’ll die horribly from  the “Butterfly Dust” poison she was deliberately given in the course of her training. Yelana has to learn to deal quickly with the politics of court and country, while trying to keep herself alive and keep the Commander from being assassinated as well. What is it about Yelena in particular that she has so many enemies?  This is not a good time to fall in love, especially with the man who holds her life (and medicine) in his hands. And did she really commit murder, or was it an act of heroism? This is a fast-paced, suspenseful read with a smart, crafty heroine in an unusual situation.