A Poison Dark And Drowning is a Young Adult Dark Fantasy book by Jessica Cluess. It's the second book in the Kingdom on Fire series.
It's been some months since Henrietta killed Korozoth after the ward around London came down. In lieu of making another, the people have been fortifying the city against further attack. Henrietta is now a full-fledged sorcerer, and now contributing in her way to the war against the remaining six Ancients.
One day, one of the queen's footmen is found dead in the queen's bedroom, and a message from Rh'lem pinned to his chest. He wants the sorcerers to hand over Henrietta Howel to him as revenge for Korozoth's death, and he will send the other Ancients and their Familiars to every human civilization near London to raze it to the ground until they do so.
In the hopes of finding an alternative, Henrietta learns that Ralph Strangewayes, the man who invented magician magic, had a secret that allowed him to actually control the Ancients. After she, Lord Blackwood, Magnus, and a new friend named Maria, visit the remains of his home, they return to London with a series of weapons that were used to hunt and control the Ancients. Now Henrietta needs to figure out how to use them, lest the Order give in to Rh'lem's threat.
The book was published on September 19th, 2017. The book has a sequel, A Sorrow Fierce and Falling.
A Poison Dark And Drowning contains examples of:
- Bald of Evil: Callax has a head that is described as perfectly round and bald like an egg, and is an Ancient from another dimension said to spirit away and eat children.
- Bittersweet Ending: London has fallen to the Ancients, Rook is the new Korozoth, the Sorcerer population of England's been reduced to a few hundred, and Henrietta's been made Unclean by a marking. However, she and George bring the remaining army to George's home in Sorrow-Fell, where they now plan to make their final stand against the Ancients.
- Blood Magic: This book introduces a spell that can dispel Glamours. All that's needed is a piece of thread and some blood.
- The Fair Folk: On their way back from Strangewayes' house, Henrietta and co. decide to take a shortcut through fairy territory. The fairies aren't too happy about this, and Queen Mab demands one of them give up something important to be allowed to leave.
- Giant Spider:Nemneris is one that lives in the sea.
- Glamour: Ralph Strangewayes' house is surrounded by a spell that makes it appear as a run-down, sunken hut.
- Mundane Luxury: At one point, Henrietta is in awe that Rook got an apple for her, commenting that they're more valuable than gold nowadays.
- Off with His Head!: Mab kills Whitechurch by lopping off his head.
- Pointy Ears: Callax has these.
- The Reveal: Howard Mickelmas reveals to Henrietta that R'hlem is actually William Howel, her father. He got sucked into the Ancients' realm via a portal he, Howard, and Charles Blackwood opened in 1822 to summon an Ancient. By the time Howard had managed to make another circle, William had been in the Ancients' world so long he'd been twisted into a monster.
- Scary Teeth: Henrietta describes Callax's mouth as being full of broken yellow teeth.
- Spider People: Nemneris' familiars, or "Lice". They're humans with eight legs, and a set of mandibles in place of their human mouths.
- Suck Out the Poison: Maria treats Magnus this way after seeing he was bitten by one of Nemneris' familiars.
