The Prison Healer – Lynette Noni (English)

Hi everyone!

Sometimes you see a lot about a book on social media even before the official publication date. That happened to me with this book. There were already a few readers who read this book and were very enthusiastic. This made me quite a bit curious. And when my e-arc request got accepted I was incredible happy. The cover, the description and the loving words from other readers made me want to read this book very bad!

• Title: The Prison Healer
• Author: Lynette Noni
• Published by HMH Books for Young Readers
• Read from March 14th to March 16th 2021
• Soundtrack: The Dark Knight (Rises) – Hans Zimmer

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.
When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.
Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.
But no one has ever survived.

With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

With a brutal and emotional event, the author introduces the exact moment that seals Kiva’s fate. Apart from this scene, not much is revealed about Kiva’s childhood and the years she spent in Zalindov ever since. Now, ten years later, all she knows is how to survive. Because soon it becomes clear that Zalindov is an intense and brutal place to live in. Here and there the author gives a few hints about unthinkable things that happen within the walls of the prison, but it’s not yet explained in any details. Instead the author slowly gives a few details about these happenings, just like Kiva’s past and motives.

The calmer introduction feels quite pleasant on the one hand. It gives the reader time to get to know Kiva’s character and the other inmates she comes across regularly. On the other hand, it makes the story feel a bit slow. the author invests quite some time on Kiva’s thoughts and memories. The latter are only discussed occasionally and this increases the curiosity about her past. In the meantime, enought exciting and interesting things happen to keep the story going. Eventhough Zalindov is potrayed very negatively, Kiva has found some rays of light in the form of the work she does as a healer, and in some other characters. This ensures that the negative undertone doesn’t always prevail and creates a good alternation. The other characters are playing an increasingly important role and the developments that Kiva is going through are breathtaking. The more confidence she gains in herself, the more trust she dares to gain in others. The dialogues that arise as a result are very strong.

As the story progresses, the magical side unfolds. The trials are approaching and the tension increases. Kiva has only one goal in mind: surviving the trials to keep the rebel queen alive and regain their freedom. The four trials are always two weeks apart, which means that quite a bit of time passes during the story. The author does not hesitate to let a few days pass by and to briefly summarize what happened in those days. In the meantime, Kiva is looking fort he cause and a cure for a deadly disease plaguing Zalindov. The alternation between this quest and the trials she has to endure are pleasant and increases the intensity of the story. Furthermore, some quite intense and emotional themes are discussed, such as mourning, self-harm, brutal violence, assault and abuse. How these themes are incorporated in the story and the characters made it feel like the author is quite serious about it and sees the importance of not simply avoiding it, but talk about it. This is reflected in the thoughts and dialogues that arise between the characters.

As the end of the story approaches, Kiva doesn’t seem to have made the same amount of progress in everything. As a reader you wonder in which direction the story is going, but the author has thought about it better than you might except. The last chapters are very exciting really. Tremendous secrets will be revealed and the last three pages of the book will leave the readers with their jaw dropped to the floor, even after they’ve closed the book.

The Prison Healer is raw, intense and magical. The author has shown a strong piece of writing within this book. What a powerful and amazing story.

Rating:

~ Minca