The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson: A Book Review

Harlow Carrenwell kills with a kiss, and her family has been making use of that talent for years. The Poison Daughter has a genuinely interesting premise. Whether it fully earns its 630 pages is another question.

About the Author

Sheila Masterson lives outside Philadelphia and writes fantasy romance with, as she puts it, a hint of heartache. Before landing a traditional deal with Zando (a Penguin Random House imprint), she self-published seven novels, a path that’s becoming increasingly common in romantasy, and one we’ve seen before with authors like Brynne Weaver, Raven Kennedy, Chloe Walsh, Keri Lake, and Penelope Douglas. The Poison Daughter is her first USA Today bestseller. She returned to writing during pandemic lockdown and describes herself as a pantser, someone who writes by the seat of her pants rather than plotting in advance.

Synopsis

Harlow is the poison-lipped youngest daughter of Lunameade’s magical founding family. Everyone she kisses dies, and her family has long used her as an assassin to eliminate their rivals. Her first husband is in the ground. Her new betrothed is next. But Harlow has a second life her family doesn’t know about: she moonlights as a vigilante for abused women, luring their tormentors in and killing them with a kiss.

Then one night she kisses her mark, and he doesn’t die. Worse, he’s Henry Havenwood, her betrothed, and he now knows exactly what she is. Instead of exposing her, he whisks her away to wed in his mountain stronghold, miles of vampire-infested wilderness from home. To protect her family and her city, Harlow has to work out what the Havenwoods are planning, and make the man who knows she’s a killer fall in love with her anyway.

My Review

The Poison Daughter doesn’t break any new ground. It follows the romantasy formula, and if that’s what you’re after, it delivers.

The central pull is the mutual deception: both Harlow and Henry are lying to each other for most of the book, and that push-pull enemies-to-lovers trope keeps the pages turning. There are some plot twists that give the story a degree of originality, even if it ultimately stays firmly within the conventions of the genre.

That said, the book has its problems. The anachronisms are jarring. Characters in a pre-industrial fantasy world of horses and vampires reference self-care, wear what are described as stretchy skin-tight pants for their morning run, and use small metal lighters with wheels. It yanked me out of the story, making me scoff a little. There are also plot holes I can’t point out without spoiling things, but if you’re a reader who notices these things, you’ll spot them.

What I liked / What I didn’t

What I liked

The premise is decent, and the twists are interesting. A woman who kills with a kiss then turns that same power to protecting other women. The cat-and-mouse between FMC Harlow and MMC Henry, each hiding their true agenda from the other, is the strongest element of the story. The smut scenes are filthy, which was also fun.

What I didn’t

The modern references were jarring. ‘Self-care’, Zippo lighters and activewear belong in a different world. And there are plot holes, convenient story arcs, and improbable/tenuous pivots. Justice for Gaven. And at 630 pages, it’s long due to being a standalone book.

Final Verdict

The Poison Daughter is a solid romantasy, with enough twists to keep things interesting. It won’t surprise you at a genre level, but it will keep you company for six days. Borrow it from the library.