Thomas the Poisoner is an eloquently written tale with a legendary quest interwoven within it. As a fan of role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons, I immediately related to the storytelling style portrayed by the author. The novelist Kelly R. Martin gets it right with his blend of Greek quest (think Homer), Shakespearian drama (think Tempest), various mythos, and an overarching originality that makes Thomas the Poisoner a truly interesting read.

Fans of epics such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings are sure to enjoy the characters, plots, and dynamic landscapes portrayed within the pages of this book. In other words, if you enjoy the concept of a timeless tale, this book delivers.

Without giving too much away, Thomas the Poisoner is a story of mythical beings that once held semi-ordinary lives and through certain circumstances find themselves caught up in a drama that they do not clearly understand the ramifications of. It is a story of justice that in a way reminds me of Clash of the Titans only on a broader level.

I applaud this installment of Kelly Martin’s “Reading Dragon” series and eagerly await the other two books in the trilogy. Also it should be noted that although Thomas the Poisoner is book number two in the installment, it can be easily read as a standalone title without necessarily reading Book One beforehand.

I found the book hard to put down and read it from cover to cover in less than a week. In closing, I just want to say, “Well done, Kelly. Well done, indeed!” ( )