Wow. This book had me hooked from the beginning, and the rest did not disappoint.
It’s an engaging and intriguing story, set in a world that’s easy to get into but which I’m excited to explore more of in later books, with a magic system which I am desperate to know more about.
The main characters - Kiva, Jaren, and Naari especially - were understandable, likeable, and felt realistic even when you didn’t necessarily agree with their points of view.
This first book in the series gives you everything you need to understand the story, while simultaneously making it clear how much more there is to learn.
Plus, the ending was absolutely fantastic and left me desperate for the next book in the series. October cannot come soon enough!
All in all, this was absolutely a 5* read for me, and I can’t wait to delve back in to Kiva’s world.

I was surprised by how much I liked "The Prison Healer".
In the beginning, it seemed to be a run-of-the-mill YA fantasy novel with a, in my opinion, rather underdeveloped romantic interest, but the final 10-15 % of this book really took me by surprise.
I definitely enjoyed the plot twists and didn't see most of them coming.
I look forward to reading the next part of the series.

The Prison Healer is a predictable yet gripping YA fantasy novel.

This book follows Kiva, the titular prison healer, as she volunteers to act as Champion for the Rebel Queen and undertakes four elemental trials in the attempt to win their freedom. That’s not all Kiva’s got going on, though; there’s also a debilitating stomach virus ravaging the prison, and unless she can find out what’s causing it the population of the prison is going to continue to plummet. Everyone’s lives are in Kiva’s hands – quite literally.

Let’s start off with the things which impressed me about this novel.

First of all, The Prison Healer is an extremely fast-paced read. Because Kiva is gearing up to face four different trials, there’s not a lot of downtime. The pages which do fall in between the trials is stuffed with investigations, experiments and theories as to what is causing the stomach virus, so there’s always something going on in this book.

The makes it very engaging, but it’s also easy to digest. Lynette Noni has a pleasant writing style which effortlessly weaves the exposition required to flesh out the world she’s created without it becoming info-dumpy, and I didn’t find myself getting fatigued by the history or the politics in this story.

I’m also a huge fan of these characters. Tipp is a particular favourite of mine. He’s Kiva’s assistant, and his earnest, eager to please attitude combined with his stutter just makes me want to do anything to protect him. I also really liked Jaren, whose dry sense of humour and witty banter with Kiva had me chuckling. Their relationship is very paint by numbers YA (we’re-not-quite-enemies-to-lovers, with a few ups and downs along the way) but I’m interested in seeing how it develops over the course of the trilogy. Naari is also very intriguing, as I had her motivations pegged from the beginning but there seems to be a lot more depth to her character. I’m keeping an eye on her…

However, there were a few things which bothered me about The Prison Healer, and that’s why it ended up being a three star for me.

First and foremost, the entire book is painfully predictable. There are a lot of tropes used in this book which I’ve seen done before. Although I haven’t necessarily seen them done better, they diminished the impact of the twists and reveals. I saw everything coming from a mile away. I’m normally good at working out the vague direction that a story is going to take, but when I’m making predictions which seem like they should be farfetched (because of a lack of foreshadowing in the plot) and they’re all spot on (because I’ve read books like The Queen of the Tearling, Red Queen and Shadow & Bone), it’s very disappointing. I tried not to let this impact my rating too much, because someone who hasn’t read a lot of YA fantasy and hasn’t encountered those tropes before will be genuinely surprised, but I’m a little bit too old to fall head over heels in love with this story.

The ending also dampened my enjoyment of the novel quite substantially. Yes, it’s made me excited to see what happens in book two – everything is up in the air, and everything I expected to see revealed throughout the course of the series has already been exposed, so I have no idea what’s going to happen next but I really want to find out! However, the way that a certain piece of information was revealed felt anti-climactic, and if I hadn’t felt so invested with these characters I wouldn’t be picking up The Gilded Cage.

That being said, The Prison Healer is a great look at the way that a book can be set in one very small location and can still give a great sense of the world. With Kiva reflecting on experiences from her childhood, nearby royalty coming to observe one of Kiva’s trials and rumours sneaking into the prison from outside the walls of Zalindov, Lynette Noni paints a great picture of the world outside of the prison while not letting her protagonist out of her confinement. This setting is very claustrophobic, which adds to the tension experienced throughout, and it’s certainly made for one of the most memorable settings I’ve read in a while.

All in all, The Prison Healer is a solid series starter, but it’s just not the book for me anymore. I’m going to carry on with the series and I’m expecting great things from it – especially as Lynette Noni isn’t afraid to explore the darker aspects of YA fantasy – but this isn’t a new favourite just yet.

t/w: mentions of physical and sexual abuse, drug overdose, self-harm

-----Overall Thoughts/Feelings:-----

- Not really a big fan of the romance
- I loved the aspect of friendship and having enough courage to form close bonds with others. Finally being able to trust.
- I adored Naari and Kiva’s dynamic (and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t shipped them way more than the actual couple, they would’ve been so cute together *sighs).* Naari being there for Kiva when she was literally being preyed on by those revolting ass-swipe excuses of “prison guards”, and protecting and caring for her, even though she being a guard shouldn’t have even cared about a mere prisoner had me heart tightening. I need me some loyal friends like her. *sniffs*

----Characters:----

- Kiva: locked up for crimes of absolutely nothing, she spends her days caring for the sick a.k.a. The Prison Healer
- Naari: an absolute dear. I LOVED HER. A supposed ruthless guard, but really just a caring friend, there to stand by your side when you need it.
- Jaren: oops I forgot his name for a sec. eh a boring blonde pretty dude who was introduced way too early in the book in my opinion. A chapter on, and we’ve already met the love interest? I can’t stay I totally ship it, but if they’re happy, then I guess it’s fine.
- **Tipp:** a shining gem in this bleak world of doom and gloom, young as he was, he still somehow found a reason to smile and laugh away Kiva’s worries, breaking down her walls.

---World-building / Plot:-----

- The book takes place mostly in the ominous Prison of Zalindov, a place where the most notorious villains from all kingdoms are caged up like animals, forced to forever suffer from endless strenuous labour and illness, that is if it didn’t kill them first. Once you’re in, there’s no way out.

- Apparently there was a rebellion, led by The Rebel Queen, brewing against this one kingdom whose name I couldn’t for the life of me remember, the usual idea of usurping the throne from the hated royal family.

- Kiva has no plans of even acknowledging the rebellion, until afore mentioned Rebel Queen ends up in prison, half dead, and trialed for her treason to the crown. The Trial of Ordeals, a series of five deadly torments, rigged to literally put you five feet deep in the ground. You don’t even get the relief of passing three out of the five trials. Basically you’re sentenced to death. Kiva has got the heavy burden of keeping the Rebel Queen alive, but with her barely uttering a coherent sentence, kiva is forced to take the Queens place in the trials, at least to prolong the Lady’s life and in the hopes that the rebellion might save them, before it’s too late. I mean JUST HOW DUMB CAN YOU GET IT. HOLY. BISH YOU WILL DIE. Anyways Kiva being the protagonist obviously found a way.

- I don’t get why everyone hates the royal family.


*P.S: i was unable to finish the book in time, so ill be back to update once i finish reading it.

It was an entertaining YA fantasy. Good writing, characters and well paced plot.
Thanks a lot to NG nad the publisher for this copy.

I don’t often read YA, but I do enjoy a touch of fantasy and after reading this novel I’m resolved to try more YA in the future. I think it might be a category some books get pushed into when its hard to pigeonhole them, because this seemed perfectly suited to adults who enjoy fantasy. First, a word about that stunning cover. It’s absolutely gorgeous and will stand out in any book store display.

Our story follows a girl called Kiva, who is serving a life sentence in the death prison Zalindov. This is a place where survival is a daily fight because it houses some of her society’s most violent and notorious criminals. Even guards can’t be trusted, because they are equally violent and often commit sexual assaults that are never punished, Kiva was originally imprisoned alongside her father when she was a small child, but Faran has died. Now Kiva is alone and determined to carry on her his job as prison healer using her extensive knowledge of the healing properties of beautiful and fragrant herbs. She is also informer to the warden in charge, Rooke. Things may be about to change though. Kiva keeps to herself and has nobody close to her in the prison population. She trusts no one and is seen as a bit of an ice Queen. However, two new faces at the prison may change her mind. A new female guard called Naari has started work, but seems to have a very different outlook to the other officers. There is also Javan, a new prisoner. Both of them are very beautiful, but can she trust them?

I loved spending time in this different and brutal world. The prisoners hear that a rebel Queen called Tilda Corentine has been captured is on her way to Zalindov to face the worst punishment meted out to the worst criminals. Trial by Ordeal means facing up to the earth’s four base elements Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Unfortunately the Queen is terminally ill, and Kiva is given the job of treating her and keeping her alive - at least until she can face trial. What will happen if she can’t?

I really enjoyed this world and felt completely sucked in by the author’s storytelling. The focus of keeping the action within 7 days is so clever. It focuses the reader’s mind and makes the prison more claustrophobic than it already was! Somehow the author puts in so much detail about this dark and magical world beyond the prison walls but never detracts from the tension around Kiva’s purpose. She is an incredibly brave and resilient character and is very relatable for female readers, not only is she under increasing strain, she is thinking about normal teenage stuff- such as a developing crush on Javan. This is a dark world, difficult for women to negotiate, and does relate to misogyny in our own lives and in our history. The Trial by Ordeal particularly made me think of witch trials and the dangers women faced in the prison space still apply to any woman who is kept captive. The story was a great mix of scene setting, world building and Introductions to characters who will be relevant throughout the trilogy. The writer’s skill lies in the fact she did all of that, while delivering a great storyline, full of brutality, action and adventure. I’m very glad that the cover drew me to this book and the author.

Unable to review as document was not download in time and sent to my kindle.. Really sad as wanted to read, however have added to my wish list!

Thanks for the opportunity and approving me in the first place.

This is a tricky book for me to review. I really enjoyed the first half and a bit. But, after that I thought it got a bit too repetitive and a bit too exposition- heavy. However, then I did like the last sentence, but it did make me question the logic of what we'd read before that...

All in all, I think it an interesting first book. I'm not sure exactly how things will move on from here...I'll be interested in book 2 when it comes out.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I generally enjoyed this book and it had a lot of promise. The plot was relatively engaging, and the plot twist at the end was something I didn't see coming.

The Prison Healer is a wholly original YA fantasy about a prison and the brewing rebellion when the infamous Rebel Queen becomes a prisoner herself. The story is told from the perspective of the seventeen year old prison healer who receives a note to keep the queen alive. The plot is captivating and fast-paced. The world-building is extremely strong and imaginative. The writing is engaging. And the character development is superb. Highly recommended to anyone looking for their next favorite YA fantasy series.

Kiva is seventeen years old and had spent the last ten years working on horrific conditions as a prison healer in the prison, Zalindov which is also currently rife with a growing number of prisoners with the stomach virus.

In the kingdom which had revolted their ruler, Tarvin, who is now possibly dead, Tilda is captured and withheld within the prison.

It’s soon revealed that Tilda is possibly Torvin’s relation and rightful heir to the throne. But those who are related to Torvin have previously shown elemental or healing powers and so far she’s not showing any powers. With Tilda currently sick and must compete the first trial which is the Trial by Air, Kiva takes her place instead. Kiva has to survive all four ordeals in order to free her.

But it’s not just Tilda her is in on the line. A young boy, Tipp’s life is also in the life if she fails to get through all the trials.

This is a brilliantly written book that I could just not put down. Kiva is such a kick-ass character who is trying to do her best to keep everyone alive despite what may become of her. I loved the supporting characters too.

This reminded me very much of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in terms of how she must just go through death-threatening challenges but the writing style is completely different as well as the end goals and perhaps more grittier. It’s still a fabulous read and one I would highly recommend.

This is the first in a series of novels and signals a very good start to what looks to be a promising series and can not wait to pick the next one up.

‘The Prison Healer’ is one hell of a ride that you should definitely take.

Well damn, this book was good!

Should know anything that is Maas approved it going to be good but I really enjoyed reading this book.

Kiva Meridian has been banished to Zalindov prison along with her father Faran for suspected crimes against the crown.

10 years have passed and Kiva, the new prison healer has the unenviable job of branding each new inmate to Zalindov with a Z scarred onto their hand. Warden Rooke oversees the prison and favours Kiva for any information she can give him about the rebels.

Kiva spends her days healing prisoners with the help of a young boy called Tip who Kiva takes under her wing after the death of his mother.

While going about her duties, three new prisoners arrive, two deceased and one alive, but badly wounded. Escorted by guards and constantly watched, Kiva must heal this new prisoner and make him ready for prison life. Under the watchful eye of the new female guard Naari, Kiva can’t understand why this new prisoner Jaren is so taken with her.

Kiva communicates with her family outside the prison through coded messages that are sneaked into the clothing of new inmates. A missive arrives for her along with a new inmate telling her to keep this person alive, this prisoner is the Rebel Queen who seeks to take the crown of Vallenia.

With the Rebel Queen too unwell to partake in the Trial by Ordeals in which you are tested through trials of the four elements, Kiva takes her place. Now both of their lives are at risk, but if Kiva succeeds, they both go free.

Zalindov is a cruel place and Kiva has survived ten years there. Now there are four trials between her and freedom. A mysterious Prince who seems keen on keeping her alive with the help of his sister and rebellion on the rise. Not to mention a mysterious illness that surfaced 9 years ago which is making its rounds through the hospital and Kiva can’t find out why. All of this is a powder keg for a hell of a book.

This story was honestly so good! Kiva is such an interesting character and I love Naari, Tip and Jaren. Even the smaller characters such as Mot and Olisha provides a more expansive view of prison life, as grim as it is, they are all beacons of light in the darkness.

I was hooked on this story from the beginning and MY GOD I did not see that ending coming. I was anticipating that there would be something but I didn’t expect that.

Lynette Noni, you have left me in awe and wanting more! This is a must read for 2021.

Kiva Meridan has been an inhabitant of the Zalindov death prison since she was just seven years old. Her decade of survival has seen her elevated to the role of prison healer, become an informant for the prison guard, and earned her the distrust of the other prisoners. She did what she must to survive, even if it meant keeping all others at a distance and that her continued existence be a lonely one.

This was such a fascinating read. Much of it took place inside the prison walls and the reader was introduced to, and spared none of the details of, the horror, the abuse, the gruelling work, and the poor living conditions. In it, Kiva, and her apprentice healer, eleven-year-old Tripp, were two of the very few sparks of light. The former had a cold exterior but a caring heart of gold and the latter was a source of continuous amusement and joy, as his spirit refused to be dwindled by his setting.

These were not the only characters to immediately steal my heart, as well as the limelight. A new prisoner, a possible rebel queen, and a female guard all bonded together to become a motley crew of individuals as spirited and brave as they were pure and good.

This band of survivors braved their horrifying circumstances whilst they fought for something more. There was a series of trials to overcome, a political focus to get to grips with, and much lessening of the walls one had to build around themselves to live in Zalindov.

All of this ensured this was a novel as emotionally dense as it was action-packed and I loved witnessing these lovable rogues overcome the mental and physical burdens in their way. It concluded with a twist I did see coming but still had me eager for book two to arrive immediately in my hands.

3.5 stars!

Who else guessed that ending? - well I did!!

This was fun though..and got really dark at times (like really dark). The middle section of the book meanders somewhat and the trials weren't that good but the set up for the series is interesting and while I have some inclination how everything will play out, I am intrigued enough to see how the author executes the main conflict.

I honestly, don't know how I feel about the MC, Kiva. She appeared one thing through out the book but the ending gave a whole another vibe about her personality. I can't help but feel like she's such a big hypocrite. However, if I am being honest, I don't think that's her, maybe it's some misguided attempt to live up to her family's legacy. That being said, I would love to see how she navigates the outside world.

Jaren's great (the boy got made fool of though and he doesn't even know it yet), I truly feel bad for him because he is such an empathetic character.

TW: off-screen rape, allusions to the MC being assaulted, torture, whipping, almost drowning, fire, burnt flesh, vomit, stabbing, abusive language and names towards MC, death of a parent, death of a sibling, self-harm, fall from heights

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for being kind enough to grant my request for this eARC. All views and opinions discussed here are my own.

HOLY SHIRTBALLS. I AM IN ABSOLUTE SHOCK AND AWE ABOUT HOW AMAZING THIS BOOK WAS. I was utterly hooked from the first page to the last but this book just kept getting better and better. I cannot get over how well written this book is; there are so many plot threads that weave together subtly to a reveal, but when you think back over the rest of the book it makes absolute sense and all it makes me want to do is re-read this book so I can bask in the knowledge that I now have.

This book is so well paced. Throughout the whole thing I felt like the flow of the plot was really well done and we got to know enough about Kiva and the prison before the rest of the action started. I felt like I had a good idea of the world and was rooted with the knowledge given out by Noni. I don't think there was ever a point where the book slowed down or Noni took their foot off the peddle. I kept just wanting to read more and more until finally i'd finished it and can sit here in absolute shock.

Let me tell you the absolute smugness I felt by guessing that SPOILER REDACTED . I WAS SO SMUG. Patting myself on the back for a job well done at guessing a YA plot arc. And then. Noni comes along and goes, you think you're clever do you, well had you guessed ALL OF THIS. no Goddess Noni I had not, not even for one moment had I thought of any of the plot twists you threw my way and this makes me so hyped for this book because it was just so well-written. Looking back on it now I can see those subtle threads that are there to give us clues, but I was so hooked into the story that I wasn't even thinking about what twists might come. AND WHAT TWISTS THEY ARE!! Holy Shirtballs is all I have to say

I adore the characters so much and my delightful found family trope; Kiva, Jaren, Tripp, Naari, and even good old Mot, are all developed well as individuals and as a group. Now don't get me wrong, we know almost nothing about each character and yet I do not mind!! I loved the way they developed alongside each other and how they came together as a group. Given what I now know, I am so utterly intrigued about where these characters are going to go in the next book.

Honestly, the actual desire I have right now to go into a wide open field and scream about how amazing this book is, is so strong. I'm not sure I can resist it.

This book was extremely well crafted, well-executed, and leaves me on the utter edge of my seat until the next one comes out. This very well has the potential to become one of my favourite YA fantasy series...

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review :)

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

The world building is intriguing. The whole action of the book happens in Zalindov. The prison is a very dark place with a lot of violence. I found the idea interesting and it felt realistic in a lot places. I found it very interesting. The rest of the world is still a mystery for me, but I am very intrigued. I really hope the next book will have of the politics of the world.

Kiva as a main character is interestingly done. The story is only from her point of view and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. She is an intelligent, inventive and caring. Even though the life in prison is horrible for her, she manages to make some interesting great friends. I was impressed by these relationships and how they were presented. I also enjoyed the healer position she had in the prison. She has a very scientific way of thinking about medicine and I enjoyed that part of the book. The twist at the end made me curious, but also a bit annoyed... You find out something about Kiva at the end, that it felt very strange to be kept a secret from the reader, especially because the story is from Kiva's point of view. This is the only bit that felt like a disappointment for me. I don't want to say much about the rest of the characters other than they are awesome!

I totally recommend this book, it is very entertaining and interesting! I totally recommend you search for trigger warnings! The action happens in a violent prison, so expect a lot of problematic issues and violence.

That was quite a read. While I did enjoyed most of it, some other parts were just meh for me. The biggest let down would be the elemental trials themselves. From the synopsis I thought they would play a big, important part of this story but instead they were just, there. On the side. Quite short. I am also disappointed we didn't learn more about the elemental magic but I guess we just have to wait for the next books in the series.

I liked Kiva as a character, how she's resilient and willing to fight — in her ways — after everything, but sometimes I would just, [rolling eyes]. ‘I am not swooning’ she says as she is swooning (talking about that, the romance couldn't interest me less. General basic YA boy for a love interest. All the while Kiva was "no I don't want to get close to him" but was doing it anyways so?)

Kiva's love for Tipp, a younger boy in the prison, was one of the thing I liked the most. Their relationship was like a ray of sunshine within the darkness of the prison (and of the story. Please check the TW before reading this because this can get dark).

Most of the plot twists were really predictable so I couldn't be surprised by the revelations. Most of the /plot/ was predictable. The ending, though, changes everything and I am honestly really curious to see where the story will go next. I also want to know more about some characters (namely, Naari and Mirryn.)

3.5/5

It took me a while to finish The Prison Healer. The story is quite slow paced and repetitive at times. The elemental trails Kiva had to face should have been thrilling, but ultimately they were a let down. Although the tasks were terrible, they felt rushed and there was no real sense of danger. This is because after the first one it was obvious, at least to me, what the outcome was going to be for the rest.

While the story dragged at some points I still found it interesting enough to continue on. Kiva was a very easy main character to like. Throughout her ten years as a prisoner she endured many hardships at the hands of both the guards and prisoners alike. Yet she still held on to her selfless drive to care for and look after everyone. The Prison Healer deals with a lot of dark themes, so I would advise looking up content warnings. In terms of secondary characters, I loved Tipp, a young boy who helps Kiva with her healing duties. Their relationship was that of siblings and it was beautiful and heart breaking.

I didn't care for the budding romance between Jaren and Kiva. The reason being that I found Jaren to be a cardboard cut out of a typical YA love interest. No personality expect the kindness he showed Kiva. There is, however, room for character development in the sequel when we see more of the world.

I admit I was torn about whether I would be reading the sequel until the plot twist at the end. I honestly didn't see it coming and was shocked. That being said, it didn't really make sense to me. I can't say more without spoilers, but given that we were in Kiva's head the whole time it felt like she became a bit of an unreliable narrator.

Overall, The Prison Healer was a decent read and I'm curious about the sequel given the plot twist at the end.

I am a new reader of the fantasy genre, and I am loving it. There was just enough 'normality' and fantasy for me.
I was immediately drawn into the story, and did not escape the story until the last page. It consumed me, and I was a willing participant!
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the characters, the world, the theories...
The characters were clearly defined, the emotions were so well written and I felt their pain alongside Kiva and the others.
I am so excited for the next installment, The Gilded Cage!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for kindly providing me with an eArc so I can read and review this book!

My gosh this was AMAZING! I am blown away. I’m so glad that I have a copy coming so I can re-read this in the future! Thank you so much!!