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daniellereadslikealot_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
I have two words to describe this book: FREAKING COOL. Witches, potions, social justice, really nuanced and badass characters, The Poisons We Drink was a wild and impressive ride. While the plot is certainly page turning and exciting, the characters and their dynamics with each other and the world around them is what really hooked me with this book. I thought the magic system was incredibly unique and interesting. I loved how it was incorporated into modern day D.C. politics. This book explored so many topics like classism, prejudice, grief and trauma and it handled them so well. It’s a pretty fast paced book, but the last 60% was where things REALLY got going. The ending was fantastic and definitely open enough for a sequel (hint hint). My only complaint (such a minor one) is that the romance felt very out of place. I think it just needed a little more…something. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what other readers think!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit
libraryofnyla's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I was super excited to read this ARC as I'm always on the hunt for diverse fantasy and the premise of this book sounded exactly like the kind of story I would want/do read. An urban fantasy with diverse characters and gritty social-political commentary on real-world issues, plus, a stunning cover - what's not to love! Unfortunately, I didn't love it... at all.
To start, The Posions We Drink is marketed as YA which, in my opinion, is not the correct readership. I get that the YA label is an easier sell, but this book should have been a New Adult. The characters are not facing the kind of issues typical of a YA, the FMC is an established character whose main issue is dealing with providing financially for her family and protecting them whilst navigating political and criminal organizations in a world that is weighted with metaphors of real-life systems of oppression. I'm not saying YA readers can't read this material, I just don't see how that's the target audience. There is also frequent swearing, graphic violence, and sexual content - nothing egregious (I've read far worse) but, again, arguably not appropriate to be aimed at YA readers.
Secondly, the writing itself reads as very amateur. I understand this is a debut and an ARC, both of which could be contributing to the problem, but there is a number of copyedit issues. Such as: typos and awkward phrasing and repetitive prose. Beyond the opening chapter, which was very good, the rest of the book read like an early draft.
Thirdly, the storytelling is rough. The pacing is all over the place with long bouts of needless dialogue and interiority then back-to-back action interrupted by more clunky descriptions and dialogue. The book was just non-stop irregular pacing. Character development was also next to nothing, the FMC (and supporting cast) barely changed over the course of the entire book, despite the surplus of external circumstances that could have easily pushed character growth. The plot itself was also very predictable, even with the erratic story beats. I ended up checking the page count to see how much I had left to get through instead of hoping it wouldn't end.
Lastly, the worldbuilding... Ouch. The worldbuilding in the story had SO much potential and yet, it was so badly executed. Every chapter started with an excerpt from an article or a potion or the like outlining some aspect of the worldbuilding and magic system instead of having that information organically being fed to the reader through the story itself. This resulted in me literally skimming the majority and retaining none of that information whatsoever. Additionally, within the story, the worldbuilding isn't woven in but wedged into scenes via long-winded and clunky explanations. Honestly, the worldbuilding was the biggest disappointment because I really wanted this concept to work.
Overall, The Posions We Drink, was a huge miss for me. It had all the pieces to make a great diverse fantasy but unfortunately the execution really failed to bring this original and fresh idea to life
I was super excited to read this ARC as I'm always on the hunt for diverse fantasy and the premise of this book sounded exactly like the kind of story I would want/do read. An urban fantasy with diverse characters and gritty social-political commentary on real-world issues, plus, a stunning cover - what's not to love! Unfortunately, I didn't love it... at all.
To start, The Posions We Drink is marketed as YA which, in my opinion, is not the correct readership. I get that the YA label is an easier sell, but this book should have been a New Adult. The characters are not facing the kind of issues typical of a YA, the FMC is an established character whose main issue is dealing with providing financially for her family and protecting them whilst navigating political and criminal organizations in a world that is weighted with metaphors of real-life systems of oppression. I'm not saying YA readers can't read this material, I just don't see how that's the target audience. There is also frequent swearing, graphic violence, and sexual content - nothing egregious (I've read far worse) but, again, arguably not appropriate to be aimed at YA readers.
Secondly, the writing itself reads as very amateur. I understand this is a debut and an ARC, both of which could be contributing to the problem, but there is a number of copyedit issues. Such as: typos and awkward phrasing and repetitive prose. Beyond the opening chapter, which was very good, the rest of the book read like an early draft.
Thirdly, the storytelling is rough. The pacing is all over the place with long bouts of needless dialogue and interiority then back-to-back action interrupted by more clunky descriptions and dialogue. The book was just non-stop irregular pacing. Character development was also next to nothing, the FMC (and supporting cast) barely changed over the course of the entire book, despite the surplus of external circumstances that could have easily pushed character growth. The plot itself was also very predictable, even with the erratic story beats. I ended up checking the page count to see how much I had left to get through instead of hoping it wouldn't end.
Lastly, the worldbuilding... Ouch. The worldbuilding in the story had SO much potential and yet, it was so badly executed. Every chapter started with an excerpt from an article or a potion or the like outlining some aspect of the worldbuilding and magic system instead of having that information organically being fed to the reader through the story itself. This resulted in me literally skimming the majority and retaining none of that information whatsoever. Additionally, within the story, the worldbuilding isn't woven in but wedged into scenes via long-winded and clunky explanations. Honestly, the worldbuilding was the biggest disappointment because I really wanted this concept to work.
Overall, The Posions We Drink, was a huge miss for me. It had all the pieces to make a great diverse fantasy but unfortunately the execution really failed to bring this original and fresh idea to life
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
storiesatstarfall's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Hate crime, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Murder
natraf_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A beautifully written book reflective of real political issues and a history of racism. The witchers represent black people in America and the discrimination that has historically and unfortunately continues to be committed against this population.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
beccisays's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Definitely recommend you to read this book, the magic system is so unique that I struggle to draw comparisons to anything else I’ve read recently.
The story is heavily steeped in deep lore, originality and magical elements, which truly show the author’s creativity and charm. I wish we could have seen more of these aspects, like make-dos, magical artefacts and other character’s gifts, earlier on as they were really captivating. Chapters began with excerpts of articles, books, letters etc, which reminded me of Fourth Wing and really helped to flesh out your understanding as a reader.
The world Bethany Baptiste weaves is rich in black culture, history and sociological commentary, the parallels between the plight of witchers in her society and POC in our own is enlightening and thought provoking. Especially so with the rights movement and the ample blood spilled and lives lost on the road to freedom. The representation for realistic and true to life ethnicities, cultures, genders and sexualities was refreshing, particularly within a fantasy book.
It did take a while for me to get immersed into the book, I would say around at 50% things took a turn and I finished the rest in one sitting.
The story is heavily steeped in deep lore, originality and magical elements, which truly show the author’s creativity and charm. I wish we could have seen more of these aspects, like make-dos, magical artefacts and other character’s gifts, earlier on as they were really captivating. Chapters began with excerpts of articles, books, letters etc, which reminded me of Fourth Wing and really helped to flesh out your understanding as a reader.
The world Bethany Baptiste weaves is rich in black culture, history and sociological commentary, the parallels between the plight of witchers in her society and POC in our own is enlightening and thought provoking. Especially so with the rights movement and the ample blood spilled and lives lost on the road to freedom. The representation for realistic and true to life ethnicities, cultures, genders and sexualities was refreshing, particularly within a fantasy book.
It did take a while for me to get immersed into the book, I would say around at 50% things took a turn and I finished the rest in one sitting.
Thank you Sourcebooks for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
snapeygan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
OMG, that was so good!!! I fell in love with the books in the first few pages, and I had to go back to the beginning and notes everything in the notes app to be sure I was following EVERY lead and remembering every character correctly! It was so well written, the world building was great and each character was complex and nuanced, I LOVED IT!! The only negative thing I could say about this book was that it wasn’t long enough! But then, I could’ve read thousands and thousands of pages of that book, so that’s on me hihi!! Oh and also, I love how one of the character used the pronouns they/them and it wasn’t a big deal at all! Everyone just went with it, it wasn’t in the spotlight or anything, I loved it!
If you’re searching a book with a black girl with magic, a great critic of the world and of racism, a good story that’ll make you laugh, cry and reflect, The Poisons We Drink is the perfect book for you!
*thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
If you’re searching a book with a black girl with magic, a great critic of the world and of racism, a good story that’ll make you laugh, cry and reflect, The Poisons We Drink is the perfect book for you!
*thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
elizajaquays's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If you believe that magic should have consequences, The Poisons We Drink delivers. The magic system feels unique and fresh with witchers having different callings and then an entirely separate classification of potion brewing. While I loved the concept of it, I definitely found myself struggling to follow along with some of its complexities and keep track of all of the rules.
Venus and her relationship with the deviation It that lived within her made for a fascinating main character. Venus has a tense relationship with her mother, feeling like she’ll never be good enough to earn her mother’s approval. Which means when her mother dies she’s not only trying to figure out why while keeping her sister safe, she’s also trying to prove herself.
Overall, this was an interesting story and I’m glad I read it. I definitely was not the target audience, but I can see people who are that audience loving it. Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own. 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Death of parent, and Murder
womanwill's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
This was a magical and political debut YA/NA fantasy from Bethany Baptise that faltered occasionally only by trying to do too much. I loved Baptiste's overall focus on the juxtaposition of human power v magic and how humans wield their fear as power to even control witchers who are full of immense magic.
Baptiste deftly outlined some of the divides of our current society and politics--divisions between those we see as other--and projected them onto a SFF dystopian DC. This backdrop of DC gentrification and proximity to power illuminates her theme that not all monsters are bad--some act out of love against oppressive forces.
The pacing was a bit off at times - driven by Baptiste taking on too much and not spending more time on flushing out characters. I enjoyed the first part of the book as the worldbuilding unraveled, and Baptiste introduced characters, but then the story spun its wheels for a while. I think Baptiste could have threaded some of the political underpinnings earlier in the story. Then, at about 80%, it's pure action until the end. The pacing made parts of the story confusing. Some of the side characters were flat enough that I couldn't remember who they were or what their motivations were. Even Janus's anger at Venus didn't make sense to me at times because we weren't allowed to sink into it as readers.
But overall, I loved the world building, the special Witcher magic, the attention Baptiste put into the brewing and potions, and the setting of a dystopian ish DC where witchers carve out a place of belonging and resistance much like Black people have in the U.S. for centuries.
I can't wait to see what Bethany puts out next and how she settles into her voice as an author.
Baptiste deftly outlined some of the divides of our current society and politics--divisions between those we see as other--and projected them onto a SFF dystopian DC. This backdrop of DC gentrification and proximity to power illuminates her theme that not all monsters are bad--some act out of love against oppressive forces.
The pacing was a bit off at times - driven by Baptiste taking on too much and not spending more time on flushing out characters. I enjoyed the first part of the book as the worldbuilding unraveled, and Baptiste introduced characters, but then the story spun its wheels for a while. I think Baptiste could have threaded some of the political underpinnings earlier in the story. Then, at about 80%, it's pure action until the end. The pacing made parts of the story confusing. Some of the side characters were flat enough that I couldn't remember who they were or what their motivations were. Even Janus's anger at Venus didn't make sense to me at times because we weren't allowed to sink into it as readers.
But overall, I loved the world building, the special Witcher magic, the attention Baptiste put into the brewing and potions, and the setting of a dystopian ish DC where witchers carve out a place of belonging and resistance much like Black people have in the U.S. for centuries.
I can't wait to see what Bethany puts out next and how she settles into her voice as an author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
quiteawful's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really loved the characters. The magic system was really solid, and quite different to many of the other series I’ve read.
I am certain I’m only thinking this due to recent escalation of events, but it felt like a somewhat naive but hopeful take on the current genocide happening to the Palestinian people. Oppressors oppressing (with violence, threats, extremely one sided laws that severely impact on the oppressed’s movements freedoms and lives). We follow the lives of complicated and imperfect people who are subjected to these rules and regulations, and how they try to work within the system to make changes (mirrored back through recollections and discoveries of their parents ultimately unsuccessful actions). Perhaps naive isn’t the word - innocent/optimistic/gentle. Might not exactly be the target audience! Overall I found there to be a wonderful depth to the well woven plot - a very politically intrigue that provides a steady hand to the characters (without simply shoving them to the next plot point).
I think the author also rushed past some parts to the writing’s detriment, in places. I kept needing to re-read sections, unclear how or what had been gently indicated. (Perhaps it was my comprehension skills? Lmao. Real possibility). Baptiste can only improve and I can’t wait to see where she takes us.
I am certain I’m only thinking this due to recent escalation of events, but it felt like a somewhat naive but hopeful take on the current genocide happening to the Palestinian people. Oppressors oppressing (with violence, threats, extremely one sided laws that severely impact on the oppressed’s movements freedoms and lives). We follow the lives of complicated and imperfect people who are subjected to these rules and regulations, and how they try to work within the system to make changes (mirrored back through recollections and discoveries of their parents ultimately unsuccessful actions). Perhaps naive isn’t the word - innocent/optimistic/gentle. Might not exactly be the target audience! Overall I found there to be a wonderful depth to the well woven plot - a very politically intrigue that provides a steady hand to the characters (without simply shoving them to the next plot point).
I think the author also rushed past some parts to the writing’s detriment, in places. I kept needing to re-read sections, unclear how or what had been gently indicated. (Perhaps it was my comprehension skills? Lmao. Real possibility). Baptiste can only improve and I can’t wait to see where she takes us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
butterbrioche's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Huge thanks to Sourcebooks fire for approving my arc request of this.
Man, between this and So Let Them Burn I’m so fired up about familial relationships and how they inspire us to go farther and say “to hell with it all! I’ll do anything for my blood.” There’s something so powerful about this form of love and watching the way that Venus and Janus loved each other, in their own ways, was so beautiful to witness.
There were a couple of things that threw me off but ultimately I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. I enjoyed the way the characters felt so captivating and uniquely themselves. One of my favorite things was that I felt like no one character’s voice was lost or seemed to similar to the other. I felt myself being curious and interested in all characters presented in this story. It was so action-packed and the witches were not just witches in names only. Too often these days it feels like books are about witches without them actually practicing magic! The magic system that Baptiste created was so much fun to read as well.
I think this book is so prescient right now for many reasons and in order to find out why, I think you should read it. I feel like I’ve been consistently blown away by fantastic debuts for 2024 and this year as well. Definitely grab a copy from your local bookstore or library!
Man, between this and So Let Them Burn I’m so fired up about familial relationships and how they inspire us to go farther and say “to hell with it all! I’ll do anything for my blood.” There’s something so powerful about this form of love and watching the way that Venus and Janus loved each other, in their own ways, was so beautiful to witness.
There were a couple of things that threw me off but ultimately I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. I enjoyed the way the characters felt so captivating and uniquely themselves. One of my favorite things was that I felt like no one character’s voice was lost or seemed to similar to the other. I felt myself being curious and interested in all characters presented in this story. It was so action-packed and the witches were not just witches in names only. Too often these days it feels like books are about witches without them actually practicing magic! The magic system that Baptiste created was so much fun to read as well.
I think this book is so prescient right now for many reasons and in order to find out why, I think you should read it. I feel like I’ve been consistently blown away by fantastic debuts for 2024 and this year as well. Definitely grab a copy from your local bookstore or library!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Vomit
Moderate: Murder