Editorial Content for Poison's Cage

Breeana Shields is a young adult fantasy author from the Pacific Northwest. Her debut, POISON’S KISS, was released in January 2017. A reader, writer, traveler and graduate of Brigham Young University, Shields has received much acclaim for her first novel. The sequel, POISON’S CAGE was released in January 2018.

POISON’S CAGE is the thrilling conclusion to Breeana Shields’s magical duology. Picking up in the middle of the action soon after POISON’S CAGE ends, it follows both Marinda and Iyla as they struggle in espionage, trust and danger. Marinda has decided to return to the Naga Castle to spy on the Nagaraja, and Iyla is unsure of where her loyalties lie. Through spying and deception, they must work together to free themselves from all those who hold them back from happiness. The world and mythology expand, and a better understanding of the scope of the world is achieved.

"Shields artfully seized the opportunity to enhance this mind-bending and fascinating world that is full of surprises....Even if you were not thrilled by POISON’S KISS, I would recommend giving POISON’S CAGE a chance."

POISON’S CAGE was even better than POISON’S KISS. It involved the same characters with a few dynamic additions and took the world to new heights. Immediately, I was excited by the new approach to this novel: dual points of view. Iyla and Marinda are not always together in the novel, making it necessary for Shields to alternate between them. I think this improved the story rather than adding unnecessary complications. Because of this new mode of narration, more action occurred, and the story ran at a much faster pace.

The chapters of the book involve more cliffhanger endings than the first book because the reader has to wait now for another chapter to hear from the other character. Iyla’s point of view made me a little skeptical at the beginning about her motives and trustworthiness, but she quickly developed into one of my favorite characters. Her point of view allowed Shields to slowly peel back the layers of her mind and motivation until she was fully exposed. Perhaps Marinda’s change was even more revolutionary; she became increasingly daring with her mind and not just her poisonous kiss. She utilizes new powers that connect her with mysterious characters. Kadru also added depth to the plot that was beyond what I ever had expected. Devon was his usual supportive self, and Mani has always been an adorable character. New characters added so much to the story and were able to expand what was known about the mythology of the world in book one.

Shields artfully seized the opportunity to enhance this mind-bending and fascinating world that is full of surprises. I was thrilled with how the story turned out, and the ending was exactly what I wished for. All in all, this duology took me for a ride I was not expecting. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I highly recommend both of the books to young adult readers who love breathtaking stories filled with intriguing and fantastical elements. Even if you were not thrilled by POISON’S KISS, I would recommend giving POISON’S CAGE a chance. It uses a slightly different means of telling the story and much more happens throughout the book.