Review: The Antidote by Shelley Sackier
The Antidote by Shelley Sackier
Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques that have been painstakingly recorded in lieu of using the mystical arts. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret.
Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom.
Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous.
If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.
I really wanted to love THE ANTIDOTE, but I had really a hard time staying interested while reading. The premise in the blurb fascinated me and there was a lot of potential, but the actual execution just failed to keep my attention. There were an incredible amount of twists and turns throughout, but I always felt like something was missing, some vital bits of information withheld that would have assuaged some of my confusion and better hooked me into the story. This just made the twists and turns feel a bit forced and over the top as if they were thrown in there to keep interest rather than any true reveal or substance.
Unfortunately, in the end the entire book was a large disconnect for me. I continued reading as the characters and the potential kept me hoping for a pay off in the end. But alas, even after finishing, I'm still left scratching my head at a few things as while the descriptions of things were extensive and almost flowery, they weren't ever actually made clear. Granted I'm not a huge fan of lyrical prose, instead preferring strong character driven plots, and a structured action-packed plot. So all in all, THE ANTIDOTE wasn't my cup of tea, but may be the perfect read for more whimsical and lyrical driven readers.
(Received a copy from the publisher)
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