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aroma_of_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Vomit
eje_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I absolutely adored the first half of this book. The first half alone would warrant 5 stars from me. I adore Venus and the introduction of her world, both how Witcher society works along with her family and friends. The world building kept me turning pages and I was locked in for the ride
But then came the last half. While there were some great and tender moments, I feel there was too much talking and revealing things in conversation and inner monologue than action. Any action sequences were extremely rushed which was disappointing because they were done so well in the first few chapters. The ending felt rushed in the span of a few chapters, and the antagonist revealed at the end felt a little cartoony for me considering the heavy topics that went into the creation of this book. And it felt like every few pages was a big reveal/twist that wore me down after a while the more we came across. It didn’t feel thrilling as much as just hoping for an action sequence and not another chapter of talking.
I love Venus and consider her a fantastic character as well as a handful of others in the novel. I heard this was originally supposed to be two books which I feel could have solved the pacing issues in the last half for me. I would love a world of two books in this series to really flesh it out and live in the world like we do in the beginning.
I wish the author all the success in the world. Moments where you know she wrote from the heart shined through, and I’m so happy her novel was published.
But then came the last half. While there were some great and tender moments, I feel there was too much talking and revealing things in conversation and inner monologue than action. Any action sequences were extremely rushed which was disappointing because they were done so well in the first few chapters. The ending felt rushed in the span of a few chapters, and the antagonist revealed at the end felt a little cartoony for me considering the heavy topics that went into the creation of this book. And it felt like every few pages was a big reveal/twist that wore me down after a while the more we came across. It didn’t feel thrilling as much as just hoping for an action sequence and not another chapter of talking.
I love Venus and consider her a fantastic character as well as a handful of others in the novel. I heard this was originally supposed to be two books which I feel could have solved the pacing issues in the last half for me. I would love a world of two books in this series to really flesh it out and live in the world like we do in the beginning.
I wish the author all the success in the world. Moments where you know she wrote from the heart shined through, and I’m so happy her novel was published.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
miladyofscott's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Child death, Violence, and Blood
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have mixed feelings regarding this book….
There are some parts that I like and some parts that didn’t really work out for me even though the blurb sounds very interesting.
The characters are well developed and very complex, there’s a lot of morally grey characters with their own secrets and reasons for their actions which sometimes makes it hard for me to pin point the culprit behind Venus’s (FMC) mom murder.
Venus was a great character, I admire her love for her sister, her intelligent and her strength.
The world building is unique but at the same time it’s also quite complicated, especially regarding the witches and their powers.
I struggled to remember all the terms and information given at the beginning which sometimes can be confusing for me.
I found out there’s a glossary at the end of the story that explains some of that information. It would be nice if it was put at the beginning of the story.
This story felt too long and also dragging in some parts, the main plot also didn’t start until it hit the 30% mark. Although, the last few chapters are quite intense and I was surprised by that plot twist!
Just a warning that some parts/topics in this story can be sensitive to some readers, there’s a list of trigger warnings inside the book but I’ll listed here for you if you want to know beforehand.
For a debut novel, it was pretty good – I love the plot idea and the unique world building.
It would've been better if the length was shorter and maybe made this into a series so the readers can immersed into the world building slowly.
Thank you to Turn the Page Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: This story contains morally grey characters, complicated parent-child relationships, police brutality, fantasy violence, fantastical racism, magical coercion, gun violence, politics, parental death, child death, and dying/death.
In addition, there are depictions of post-traumatic stress disorder anxiety, and depression.
Self-harm, blood, gore, sexual situation, fantasy drugs, underage drinking and profanity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Death, Cursing, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Vomit
kingjk2002's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Animal death, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Death, and Child death
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Police brutality
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
Minor: Hate crime, Sexual content, and Vomit
themelleh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved it. I wasn’t sure where it was going at times, but I absolutely loved it.
This world that Bethany has started building is so gorgeous and I am gagging to know more. More about the magic system, how it works, it’s just so delightfully fascinating!
Not sure if my favourite character is Patches, but, it is possible. We love a hard working and protective good boy. But then I also just loved the relationship between Venus and Janus and how they communicate at different stages through the book. Being a sister is hard and being the older sister is hard so we see you Venus!
I’ll just be sitting over in the corner hoping there’s a part 2 so we get more Venus and Presley. 😍
This world that Bethany has started building is so gorgeous and I am gagging to know more. More about the magic system, how it works, it’s just so delightfully fascinating!
Not sure if my favourite character is Patches, but, it is possible. We love a hard working and protective good boy. But then I also just loved the relationship between Venus and Janus and how they communicate at different stages through the book. Being a sister is hard and being the older sister is hard so we see you Venus!
I’ll just be sitting over in the corner hoping there’s a part 2 so we get more Venus and Presley. 😍
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gaslighting, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Vomit
daniellestarredpages's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 Stars.
"The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste was on my list of most anticipated releases of 2024 and I am glad to have read an ARC of it. I enjoyed the story and think this is a book that I could very easily recommend.
The magic system Baptise created for this story was well-crafted and a delight to read. I found the drawbacks to being a 'Witcher' in this world, whether it being the possibly deadly recoil of potion brewing or the pain of shapeshifting on your own, to be a great addition to the story as it not only added stakes and tension but it also does a job of reining in the magic so that it is not some all-powerful force Witchers possess.
I found it interesting that Baptiste wrote Witcher Stigma in the place of Racial Stigma, I was actually quite relieved at the fact that I didn't have to see the characters dealing with Racism AS WELL AS the discrimination due to their magic. The way it was handled however still made it obvious that the discrimination of Witchers was a critique and representation of real types of discrimination in the world. I am quite glad with how the characters fought back and took charge of their situations.
The relationships between the characters in this book were written well. The sibling relationships in particular felt very realistic, especially with how they cared for each other while being angry with each other. I found the dynamic between Venus and her mother to be particularly interesting and I love how it was written. I especially loved how even though Venus came to learn about how deeply her mother cared for her, her mother was not absolved of the things her mother did and the way she treated her and her sister Janus.
I do have to say though, while I was interested in the story from the very first page, I found myself just passively taking in the story until about 50% of the book, which is when I really started to love the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste was on my list of most anticipated releases of 2024 and I am glad to have read an ARC of it. I enjoyed the story and think this is a book that I could very easily recommend.
The magic system Baptise created for this story was well-crafted and a delight to read. I found the drawbacks to being a 'Witcher' in this world, whether it being the possibly deadly recoil of potion brewing or the pain of shapeshifting on your own, to be a great addition to the story as it not only added stakes and tension but it also does a job of reining in the magic so that it is not some all-powerful force Witchers possess.
I found it interesting that Baptiste wrote Witcher Stigma in the place of Racial Stigma, I was actually quite relieved at the fact that I didn't have to see the characters dealing with Racism AS WELL AS the discrimination due to their magic. The way it was handled however still made it obvious that the discrimination of Witchers was a critique and representation of real types of discrimination in the world. I am quite glad with how the characters fought back and took charge of their situations.
The relationships between the characters in this book were written well. The sibling relationships in particular felt very realistic, especially with how they cared for each other while being angry with each other. I found the dynamic between Venus and her mother to be particularly interesting and I love how it was written. I especially loved how even though Venus came to learn about how deeply her mother cared for her, her mother was not absolved of the things her mother did and the way she treated her and her sister Janus.
I do have to say though, while I was interested in the story from the very first page, I found myself just passively taking in the story until about 50% of the book, which is when I really started to love the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Vomit, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Gore
Minor: Stalking and Child death
raikowlreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for giving me an advanced reader copy.
The story is about Venus, who makes money out of brewing illegal love potions. It's a dangerous business, and she gets in a lot of messed up situations after her mother get murdered. When the Grand Witcher, head of her coven, offers Venus the opportunity to avenge her mother's death, she must agree to a difficult demand: create harmful potions to control D.C.'s powerful politicians, all for the sake of justice.
Bethany knows how to write an emotion. The audiobook did a fantastic job of capturing these moments. Lynette R. Freeman knows how to voice act and drag you into the story, not letting you go. Her talent for voice acting truly brought the characters to life.
The Poisons we drink was high in my must-read list for 2024, and I was super honoured to see I got accepted for this copy. It exceeded all my expectations, leaving me eagerly anticipating owning a physical copy once payday rolls around. It took me a while to finish the book, pure because I lacked time, not because the book was slow paced. Furthermore, it was anything but slow paced. There are so many characters that you get to know. Some more likeable than others.
The story is about Venus, who makes money out of brewing illegal love potions. It's a dangerous business, and she gets in a lot of messed up situations after her mother get murdered. When the Grand Witcher, head of her coven, offers Venus the opportunity to avenge her mother's death, she must agree to a difficult demand: create harmful potions to control D.C.'s powerful politicians, all for the sake of justice.
Bethany knows how to write an emotion. The audiobook did a fantastic job of capturing these moments. Lynette R. Freeman knows how to voice act and drag you into the story, not letting you go. Her talent for voice acting truly brought the characters to life.
The Poisons we drink was high in my must-read list for 2024, and I was super honoured to see I got accepted for this copy. It exceeded all my expectations, leaving me eagerly anticipating owning a physical copy once payday rolls around. It took me a while to finish the book, pure because I lacked time, not because the book was slow paced. Furthermore, it was anything but slow paced. There are so many characters that you get to know. Some more likeable than others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Death
jkreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5⭐️
I had really high hopes for this one which I probably should have tempered going into it, because it may have affected how I perceived the book overall. I was really drawn in at the start and it felt really promising, but I felt like there were too many characters and plot points going on towards the middle and end of the book which really impacted the author‘s ability to explore them all adequately.
The MC and the ensemble characters all showed great potential but I feel like we only got to know them on a surface level. Same with the world-building and magic system - it was interesting, with a lot of potential but the depth just wasn’t there.
I loved seeing a non-binary romantic interest, that’s something I’d love to see more representation for in YA fiction and just fiction in general!
I read this book on audio and would highly recommend doing that if you’re wanting to check this one out - the narration was great! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for books read by Lynnette R. Freeman in the future because her voice is gorgeous.
Overall this was a pretty solid YA fantasy, again I think if I hadn’t set my expectations so high I would have enjoyed it much more. This is definitely one I’ll recommend to anyone looking for a witchy YA read!
I had really high hopes for this one which I probably should have tempered going into it, because it may have affected how I perceived the book overall. I was really drawn in at the start and it felt really promising, but I felt like there were too many characters and plot points going on towards the middle and end of the book which really impacted the author‘s ability to explore them all adequately.
The MC and the ensemble characters all showed great potential but I feel like we only got to know them on a surface level. Same with the world-building and magic system - it was interesting, with a lot of potential but the depth just wasn’t there.
I loved seeing a non-binary romantic interest, that’s something I’d love to see more representation for in YA fiction and just fiction in general!
I read this book on audio and would highly recommend doing that if you’re wanting to check this one out - the narration was great! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for books read by Lynnette R. Freeman in the future because her voice is gorgeous.
Overall this was a pretty solid YA fantasy, again I think if I hadn’t set my expectations so high I would have enjoyed it much more. This is definitely one I’ll recommend to anyone looking for a witchy YA read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Death of parent