It’s no secret that we at No Page Unturned love Jenn Lyons and everything she writes. Her latest standalone novel, Green and Deadly Things, is no exception and still managed to be a distinct and wonderful experience of its own. Despite its often dark and horror-adjacent elements, Green and Deadly Things is the closest thing to a romp that Lyons has written. With short, snappy chapters paired with some classic story elements like a cool magic system and some steamy romance, this book was absolutely the escapism I needed here in the spring of 2026.

Green and Deadly Things features two main characters: Mathaiik, a novitiate in the magical order of Idaliik Knights, and Kaiataris, an ancient and recently awakened wizard. In the wake of an attack by sentient tree people called the Parnathi Math and Kai race across the continent to stop a Parnathi invasion and clear Math’s name of treason, all with a side order of saving the world.

Green and Deadly Things showcases one of Lyons strengths: worldbuilding without lore dumping. I had read a description of this book months ago when it got announced and I put in my pre-order, but didn’t review that description going into the book. I had faith, which was confirmed, that Lyons would set a rich and deep world in front of me and give me exactly what I needed to know at the right moment. There are many many authors out there who are incredible worldbuilders but the best ones know exactly when to serve you the right details at the right time.

Similar to the right-on-time drip of worldbuilding elements, this book has an excellent balance of surprising and expected plot points. You know pretty much instantly that Math and Kai are going to fall in love and bone down. Does this ruin the experience of watching it happen? Absolutely not. I’m not even spoiler tagging this because it’s immediately obvious from the moment they meet what is going to happen and yet seeing it develop is fully earned and satisfying. Woven in through the romance are a couple terrifying and unique antagonists, hilarious semi-feral children, an interesting magic system (two, even!) and classic Lyons element: cool horse people. 

While I admit I am predisposed to get attached to Lyons’ writing, I want to emphasize how much this book grabbed me and held on. I feel like my appetites for media have changed so much in the past few years and it was so nice to read a book that was fun, creative, funny, sweet, and made me think and theorize a bit without going down a mental rabbit hole. While dark and poignant at times it did not inflict additional psychic damage, invoking realistic concepts without feeling Too Real. I loved the Parnathi as antagonists, they’re a great twist on tropes about the natural world being inherently peaceful and virtuous. The Parnathi are almost alien in the ways they experience the world differently from humans, and they are at once relatable and horrifying. Math and Kai are absolutely adorable together and the book features Lyon’s steamiest love scene yet. It’s chock full of diverse, rich characters and will make you laugh, ponder, sweat and go “awwwww.”

Green and Deadly Things is an absolute slam dunk that should be on your spring/summer/anytime reading list.