We love a standalone fantasy in this Library!! A super atmospheric, fantastical and compulsively readable story that I have no doubt that my students will be queuing out the door for..

‘You are the only thing that tethers me to this world, the only person I want to share every tomorrow with’ - Jenn Lyons green and deadly things 2026

Review time
Green and deadly things by Jenn Lyons
Rating 5.00
Release date 5th March 2026

This book at me chomping at the bit so much so I knew it was going to be the first book I read for 2026.

Jenn Lyons for me in her fantasy never disappoints this book had me reluctant to leave it and ignore or my other responsibilities because who needs food when you have to find out what is going to happen next.

I adore Math and Kel and just like we have come to love from Jenn Lyons the banter the both of them have is something that keeps me coming back for more.

There are real stakes in this book that could rival chorus of dragons if you ask me the sadness I have that this is not a five book series.

The magic is so cool fed my Druidic heart, the explanation chefs kiss and the spice although only one scene boy was it steamy. I cannot wait talk about this more with a friend of mine who also loves Jenn Lyons because I know she is going to have thoughts and I really want to get back the theorising like we did with chorus of dragons. This could be a whole series and really I would not be mad if it was because I want more Math and Kel. I want more about the magic and most of all I want the kids because adorable.


Review goes up on instagram 2/1/2026

Wow! I was excited and felt very lucky to be able to read this book in advance of the publishing date. And it really did achieve my expectations. The authors writing style was absolutely amazing and really told the story in such a gripping way. And I was glued to the book, not wanting to stop reading the book. The way that the book was developing with the storyline and plot line of the book, made me want to keep reading as I wanted to keep find out what was going to happen next. There was so many twists and turns that had occurred throughout this book was amazing. Mathaiik and Kaiataris was such interesting characters. They faced challenges throughout the book which made the book even more interesting to read. I loved the ending and would love to read more by this author.

Green and Deadly Things follows Mathaiik, a novitiate who has trained his whole life to become a Knight of the sacred order of Idallik Knights, only to find that not everything is as it seems and there's a huge threat hanging over all of their lives.

The plot for this book was absolutely phenomenal, it really gripped and wrapped around me (puns 100% intended). It was kept as center stage throughout the books progression which led to steady pacing throughout. Occasionally, it felt like so much had happened but I'd find that I've only read 10 pages but it didn't feel like a slog at any point. It was definitely action-packed.

The characters were all fantastic. I thoroughly loved Mathaiik and Kaiataris and their relationship with one another as it bloomed beautifully. They were both witty, intelligent, and engaging as characters. The side characters were all very well developed also and carried their roles out perfectly to move the story along. The magic system was brilliant - I loved reading about the various abilities all of the characters had - even those you don't really get to meet and I found it all unique.

The writing style was wonderful. I found the book extremely easy to read despite the fact that there was a lot going on. I think Lyons has become another of my favourite authors as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found the pacing quite medium, but this suited the story because you needed to digest what was happening.

The world building is small but impactful. You get the opportunity to travel to a couple of different places throughout the book, all of which are described wonderfully and build great and vivid imagery but the main focus is the plotline and the characters and this was clear throughout.

I loved the ending. I found it very satisfactory and couldn't have asked for a better way to end the book as I did have a worry that maybe this would become a series and I'd have to wait for the next part but Lyons nailed it.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to those who like fantasy, especially dark fantasy as there is some very descriptive gore throughout the book and there are some descriptive spice scenes. Despite this, I'd easily recommend it.

Green & Deadly Things is a standalone fantasy novel by Jenn Lyons. I was thrilled to read another book by her, and I’m happy to say that it exceeded my expectations. One thing I can always count on from Jenn Lyons is her exceptional worldbuilding. Even though it’s a standalone, the world and characters come to life throughout the story. The plot is never dull and is filled with action, making it impossible to put the book down. Overall, it was a fantastic read, and I will continue to pick up her works. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. This was a perfect standalone fantasy, with compelling characters, good pacing and an easy to follow writing style. It is always hard to get enough world building into standalones but the author really did a fantastic job here. To my surprise ( I really dislike instalove), I really enjoyed how the relationship between the two main characters developed, it felt very organic and the internal conflict of Math was interesting to read. Highly recommend!