Rating: 
Summary: A Quick Taste of the Fantasy Genre, but little Originality
Review: A young boy who is more than he seems, a cast of unusual companions who must help him, and an ultimate evil in the land to be defeated. Sound familiar? Unless this is your first foray into fantasy, you've encountered all these elements before. Douglas Hill's first book in this two-book young adult series published during the 1980's is not spectacular by any means, but it is a nice action-packed, short adventure story.Young Jarrel has suffered a wound from the evil Poisoner's blade, and is destined to die by the next full moon. Only by destroying the blade that gave him the wound can Jarrel be saved, and it will be up to Jarrel's new companions--Archer, Scythe, Mandra and the wizard Cryl-to help save him. What follows is a lively journey to the Poisoner's lair to ultimately defeat the evil-and to discover what remarkable powers Jarrel may possess. The book is only 192 pages long, which means the story detail remains pretty thin, without much complexity and more than a bit cliché. There isn't much recommend Hill's villains, they are two-dimensional evil caricatures that must be defeated, likewise the fantasy world itself mirrors just about any D&D fantasy setting. But the brevity of the story does have its benefits-the story doesn't bog down in exposition, the chapters are often less than ten pages long and it reads quickly. All of these elements make it an appropriate and appealing read to a preteen reader, especially boys, who might be discouraged by longer books, and who are just beginning to discover heroic fantasy. The author's storytelling is strong and his writing is decent , which makes even this bare-bones tale come to life and allows the reader to have a vested interest in the outcome. The book ends with a clear lead in to its companion volume, THE MASTER OF FIENDS, so if you do pick this one up to read, be forewarned, you might want to have the sequel to hand when you finish. Douglas Hill's published a number of books in the fantasy/SF genre, most of which have been out of print for quite a while. But, if you enjoy this tale be sure to check out the sequel, and also Hill's YOUNG LEGIONARY. Probably any intense fantasy reader will find this paltry fare, but for a new reader interested in action tales and pure entertainment, these may be a comfortable introduction. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: A Quick Taste of the Fantasy Genre, but little Originality
Review: A young boy who is more than he seems, a cast of unusual companions who must help him, and an ultimate evil in the land to be defeated. Sound familiar? Unless this is your first foray into fantasy, you've encountered all these elements before. Douglas Hill's first book in this two-book young adult series published during the 1980's is not spectacular by any means, but it is a nice action-packed, short adventure story. Young Jarrel has suffered a wound from the evil Poisoner's blade, and is destined to die by the next full moon. Only by destroying the blade that gave him the wound can Jarrel be saved, and it will be up to Jarrel's new companions--Archer, Scythe, Mandra and the wizard Cryl-to help save him. What follows is a lively journey to the Poisoner's lair to ultimately defeat the evil-and to discover what remarkable powers Jarrel may possess. The book is only 192 pages long, which means the story detail remains pretty thin, without much complexity and more than a bit cliché. There isn't much recommend Hill's villains, they are two-dimensional evil caricatures that must be defeated, likewise the fantasy world itself mirrors just about any D&D fantasy setting. But the brevity of the story does have its benefits-the story doesn't bog down in exposition, the chapters are often less than ten pages long and it reads quickly. All of these elements make it an appropriate and appealing read to a preteen reader, especially boys, who might be discouraged by longer books, and who are just beginning to discover heroic fantasy. The author's storytelling is strong and his writing is decent , which makes even this bare-bones tale come to life and allows the reader to have a vested interest in the outcome. The book ends with a clear lead in to its companion volume, THE MASTER OF FIENDS, so if you do pick this one up to read, be forewarned, you might want to have the sequel to hand when you finish. Douglas Hill's published a number of books in the fantasy/SF genre, most of which have been out of print for quite a while. But, if you enjoy this tale be sure to check out the sequel, and also Hill's YOUNG LEGIONARY. Probably any intense fantasy reader will find this paltry fare, but for a new reader interested in action tales and pure entertainment, these may be a comfortable introduction. Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Sequel to Blade of the Poisoner?
Review: Does anybody out there know if there is a sequel to this book? It is an excellent adventure and I would go to almost any length to obtain a sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasic use of elemental magic.
Review: I first read this book when I was in grade school. Since then it has been the rule that I use to measure other SF/Fantasy books. It weaves a delicately placed tale of the evil tyrant, the Poisoner. A band of four warriors, called "talents," lead the march against him and to save to young unexperienced "talent." Little does anyome know that he has the talent to summon elementals to fight for him......
Rating:
Summary: Blade of the Poisoner
Review: I loved the book, I wish that he would write a sequel to it.....what happens the Cryltaur Tabbetang, the wizard, do they save him or what? Other than that, It is a great book, although it is a little short......
Rating:
Summary: I think it is very entertaining, but not incredibly deep
Review: I read this book in grade school and again in middle school, and have been unable to locate it since. My impressions were, however, that this was a VERY good book. However, it can't compare to a series like Tolkien's Ring cycle or Jordan's Wheel of Time, because it's TOO SHORT! My impression was that this was the first of a long series (like Hill's Warlord series, but better). Unfortunately, it seems that this has never come about, and Hill's work seems to be slowly disappearing from the ken of man. It's a shame.
Rating:
Summary: Totally Awesome Imagination
Review: I thought this was a great book, and was surprised to find it was out of print! I read it when I was in middle school. I truly loved it, and since I am an amatuer writer myself, I try to keep the ideas there in my writing as well. The sequal is called Master of Fiends. Good luck in finding it!
Rating:
Summary: A Sequal to Blade of the Poisoner
Review: I thought this was a great book, and was surprised to find it was out of print! I read it when I was in middle school. I truly loved it, and since I am an amatuer writer myself, I try to keep the ideas there in my writing as well. The sequal is called Master of Fiends. Good luck in finding it!
Rating:
Summary: Totally Awesome Imagination
Review: I'm not a bookworm (pity, really) and have only completed about 6 decent books - Blade of the Poisoner and Master of Fiends being two of those six. I read them about five years ago when I was 14 - it really grabbed me. I haven't read such a book so good that its dewey number has stuck in my head since I finished reading the stories about Jarrad - 826HIL if you're wondering.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining in a brainless sort of way
Review: Talents. Elementals. Good guys. Bad guys. We've seen it all before. Blade of the Poisoner joins a multitude of other generic and contrived young adult fantasies. There's nothing new or particularly inspired; while it does move quickly enough, there's absolutely no substance. 'All sound and fury, signifying nothing...' If you liked this, try The Secret of Dragonhome by John Peel. More of the same doggerel.
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