I’m a sucker for ragtag groups of outcasts, dynamic fantasy creatures, strong narrative voices, and eclectic origin stories. Prison of Outcasts, the first book of Kyra Johnson’s Mizlie Series, checks each of these boxes, and it does so marvelously. It had been so long since I’d read a fantasy book I’d enjoyed, let alone one that I couldn’t put down until well past midnight. Here is a book that intrigues, surprises, and has you laughing and crying simultaneously from the first word to the last.
Warning: Mild spoilers ahead!
Nathan/Ning’s origin story is by far one of my favorite origin stories of all time. It’s memorable, humorous, and so out there that you can’t help but find it absolutely brilliant. What an incredible way to set up an incredible book.
Ning is a deceivingly dynamic character. At first, he seems to be the only dull character in the vibrant cast. But he isn’t dull. He just doesn’t know who he is. A reader meets Ning right alongside Ning himself. I so rarely read characters deliberately done like that, so as both a reader and a writer, I found Ning’s character design ingenious.
There is no such thing as a dull Mizlie. Every character, regardless if they’re on every page or only appear in a chapter, is so distinct and so well-written. I’m impressed (and a bit jealous) that Johnson can keep all her characters straight and write each of them to be nothing like the character before them.
The plot never slowed down. Not even a little bit. The pacing was perfect. Johnson doesn’t settle for a gentle kiddie ride—she takes you on a full rollercoaster, and whenever you think it’s safe to unbuckle, she throws you down another hill or around another loop. It’s the epitome of a page-turner.
The Mizlie Series is one to pay attention to. Akin to Percy Jackson and Divergent, this is a series that is going places. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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