Review: The Prison Healer Series by Lynette Noni

The Prison Healer Series ★★★★★ | books five, six, and seven of 2023 | paperback/e-book

This review of the entire series is spoiler free, but it’s also a rave because I loved it so much. Lynette Noni has taken her place firmly as one of my favourite authors of all time. This is the second time that she has made me fall completely in love with reading again, completely in love with a series and with a whole set of characters. This series has consumed my every waking moment since I started it. The emotion that Noni evoked from me while I read this series (in particular the final book) is the reason I read. A re-read so I can annotate all of my favourite parts is definitely in my future. Thankyou, Lynette Noni.

The Prison Healer ★★★★★ — Hooked me from the first page. Kiva is such a great main character. It had a plot that sucked me in, but it was the characters, the found family, Naari, Tipp, and Jayden that sealed the deal for me. Honestly, this book gave me the YA fantasy hit I needed. I hate that, once again, I have waited so long to pick up another great book, especially considering I DEVOURED the Medoran Chronicles. The ending to this made me SO glad that I waited until the entire trilogy had been published though. This book kept me on my toes just enough that I didn't quite know what was coming next, but still managed to rip my heart out and made me verbally ‘aawww’ a few times — all the signs of a good book.

The Gilded Cage ★★★★☆ — now I may not have liked it as much as the first book, but boy was I completely entranced. Lynette Noni had me hanging on her every word. I just kept picking this book up at every available moment. This blog is a Jaren fan club, as it is a Caydon fan club. I think the thing that bothered me was because of how attached I have become to Jaren, to Naari and to Tipp, and Kiva’s inability to choose a side when it was so clear which side she needed to take. I love her spunk and especially in the prison healer, I loved her morals. The way she stood up for the people who needed her help, and her loyalty to those she cared for. I just felt like Kiva was a different person in this second instalment, which, because now I am sucked in hook, line, and sinker, just had me screaming at her to pull it together!! As always, my rating is 100% on vibes and I still absolutely LOVED this book, it was just Kiva’s choices and constant conflicting emotions throughout that bothered me (especially with one side of the conflict clearly not being deserving of her). But god, did it make for incredible reading.

The Blood Traitor ★★★★★ — I think I loved this as much as I loved the first one. The trauma, the healing, the found family, the redemption, the love, the magic. I am finding it hard to put into words how this book affected me. I haven’t felt so strongly about fictional characters in a very long time. The main group of characters in this book, their dynamic together and separately was the highlight. Noni gave us some incredible character arcs, some twists I didn’t see coming, and some truly heartwarming and heartwrenching moments. The suspense of the first 80% of this book (iykyk) had me unable to put it down. It was wonderful being introduced to more of the world, and despite me (as always) wanting more exploration of the world Noni has created, it wasn’t necessary to the greater story. The development of friendships and personal growth in this book was one of the things that struck me the most. The plot was more fast-paced in this one than the previous two, and to say I was hanging off every single word is an understatement. It’s impossible to say more without ruining something so I will have to leave it at that.

If you have read this series, let me know how you found it! Are you as completely obsessed as me?

Review: The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper

★★★★★ — The House with the Golden Door was probably my most anticipated read for this year, and boy, I was not disappointed! Please do not read on if you haven’t read The Wolf Den.

The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper is the second in a trilogy, which began with my favourite read of 2021, The Wolf Den. I am always slightly hesitant when it comes to the second instalment of a trilogy, with many (Catching Fire excluded) often serving as nothing more than a stepping stone or filler to a grand conclusion. The House with the Golden Door, however, did not fall into this unfortunate phenomenon.

Historical Context

Elodie Harper has once again produced a captivating historical fiction novel that takes you right into the streets and the homes of ancient Pompeii. Set in 75 CE, Pompeii is still a thriving Roman town, looked on by Venus Pompeiana, the patron deity of the city. When reading this book, it feels like you are walking right alongside Amara, you can feel the heat beat down on you as she sits in her garden, you can feel the cobblestones as she walks the streets and you can almost see the detailed wall paintings described throughout the book. This is particularly interesting since in 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted and the entire city of Pompeii (and the neighbouring city of Herculaneum) was covered in ash, preserving the daily life of ancient Romans in Pompeii.

First Writer: Lovers, like bees, live a honeyed life.

Second Writer: I wish.

— Pompeii Graffiti exchange (pg. 189)

Harper includes vivid detail of surviving wall art, architectural features and even whole buildings (like The Wolf Den which survives along with the erotic wall paintings). Harper continues to include snippets of graffiti from the walls of Pompeii, and introduces us to different homes and interiors. Harper has the distinct ability to use what survives of the ancient city, and the lives of those who once inhabited it, and bring it back to life, or, has given it a second life, a new life.

My Thoughts

This was a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale. As you know, this series of books follows Amara, a Greek woman who was sold into slavery and ended up as a prostitute in the brothel at Pompeii, known as the Lupanar or ‘Wolf Den.’ At the end of the previous instalment, poor Dido was killed, and Amara was freed by Pliny, and given a new home to live in by her Patron, Rufus. So although she was heartbroken with the death of her friend, having to leave her fellow women behind at the brothel and having to end her budding romance with a fellow slave Menander, she was feeling optimistic about her newfound freedom. Just because this book wasn’t set primarily in the brothel doesn’t mean it was a light and happy read. Amara has to be more courageous than she ever has before in the face of heartache and betrayal. Her friendships with the women she left behind don’t remain the same as when they were all at the same social standing, and the fluctuation of these personal relationships made this story feel all the more real.

The gods raised you to freedom. Treating slaves as equals only lowers you back to the gutter you came from.' (pg. 90)

The House with the Golden Door is an incredibly nuanced exploration of the social lives and class structure both in Pompeii and the wider Ancient Roman world. We see these social complexities all through the eyes of Amara, who is grappling with her own shifting status, now as a freedwoman, with slaves of her own, however still at the complete mercy of Rufus, and to another extent Felix. Harper delves into these social complexities by exploring the rules to be upheld and the social expectations to be maintained by a freedwoman, who wants to reclaim agency over her own life but is still restricted. I think what struck me early on was how believable it all felt. We as readers experience the conflicting aspects of Amara’s life, the intricacies of social relationships she has to uphold, and the deterioration of some of her friendships. To expect her relationships to stay static while she changes as a character in both status and mind, would feel false. However, Amara’s liminal role as a freedwoman dependant on a man whose love is dwindling and who knows intimately the life of a slave, traverses a new world of love, deceit and friendship that sees her continually grow in courage and strength.

I love the way Harper sets up her chapters. She prefaces each chapter with a quote, either from an ancient poet or writer, or graffiti found at Pompeii. These aren’t just random quotes, but they are imbued with the theme of the following chapter, and really set either the physical or emotional scene for Amara. These kinds of details absolutely blow me away, and it’s one of the main reasons why I adore this book (and its predecessor).

Have you read The House with the Golden Door or The Wolf Den? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨

Review: Vardaesia and A Very Medoran Kaldoras Novella by Lynette Noni

Vardaesia ★★★★★ // A Very Medoran Kaldoras Novella ★★★★☆

Vardaesia

In this final instalment of The Medoran Chronicles by Lynette Noni, I was expecting heartache and incredibly high stakes and sadness and that is absolutely what I got. In this YA fantasy series we have been following Alex Jennings, a 16 year old girl from Earth who finds herself in a new world, Medora. Not only that, but she was chosen by the library at the school for gifted humans, Akarnae. In Medora there are humans, and there are also a bunch of other mortal races, there are immortal races, Draekons and even more world with even more immortal beings. Suffice to say, this series has absolutely everything you could want in a YA fantasy series. The first novel is definitely focussed on Akarnae and Alex settling in to her new world, finding friends and generally getting into trouble. As the books progress though, the plot deepens, the stories get more depth the characters get more fleshed out and it stops feeling like young YA. There is battles, tests and death but there is also banter, friendships and so much to make your heart warm.

There’s not a lot I can say about this book without spoiling something from the earlier books, so I’ll keep it short. This book takes us to a new world and introduces us to a new group of immortals. The challenges are at their most deadly for Alex, Bear, Jordan, DC, Kaiden and Declan and honestly, I couldn’t stop listening to this book. I was on the edge of my seat for 75% of this story, and so many things happened that I was unprepared for. This book and this series as a whole is fantastic, and it is up there with my favourite YA books/series of all time. I will definitely be reading this series and rereading it again and again for comfort and more self-inflicted heartache.

A Very Medoran Kaldoras

A Very Medoran Kaldoras is a bonus little novella that takes place just less than a year after the end of Vardaesia, and honestly, it’s just a little extra bonus scene to give us a glimpse into our favourite characters lives and how they’re spending the Kaldoras holidays. I have to warn you though - prior to reading this I saw something on Lynette Noni’s instagram saying that she had no plans to resolve the ending of this novella, so I truly think going into this little bonus story with the knowledge that it ends in a cliff hanger helps. I enjoyed it kore knowing that there was a potentially never to be mentioned again cliff hanger at the end of it. It’s still really cute and I would recommend reading it (it’s a free ebook!)

Have you read this series? If you have, please come and chat with me over on Instagram! I cannot stop gushing about it and I want to hear who your fave character is, your fave scene and your fave book from the series! ✨