*** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a free honest review. All opinions are my own. ***

“I knew there was a catch… There’s always a catch.”

– Shelley Sackier, The Antidote

The Antidote Review

By: Rae

With snippets into their childhood set the foundation, following a sudden plague that leaves the kingdom of Fireli desolate, three young children are left to pick up the pieces. One is sent away, the other becomes burdened with saving a kingdom, and the third is hidden. 10 years pass, and many secrets are about to be revealed.

The synopsis intrigued me, setting the scene for an exciting story full of magic and secrets. I had expectations and I was anxious to get started. I ended up reading this book in one sitting, trying to keep up and fight this feeling of whiplash at each turn and reveal. As I reflect, I find myself struggling with forced character relationships to detached characters to lackluster motives. The entire thing continues to jumble and taunt me. The biggest issue I had was plot clarity throughout the entire novel, even from the beginning.

I found myself rereading parts to figure out what I missed and still being uneasy that something just didn’t quite click. Each secret reveal left a hole, that when filled created another hole in between lengthy yet not fully explained descriptions and setups. I cannot decide if it was pacing, ongoing drama/action, or both that caused the clarity hiccups. In the end my own inability to translate the story into something I grasped left me feeling cheated and oddly out of tune with everything.

While there was potential, I’m giving a 3/5 rating. It wasn’t a good fit for me but could be for someone else.