Firstly thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Where to begin... This was an incredible debut novel. The world building was absolutely incredible. The little blurbs at the start of each chapter gave information and context to the novel and its world without feeling patronizing or info-dumpy. The characters are layered, nuanced, flawed and incredible beautiful.

As a reader with a complex and often difficult relationship with their parents Venus's struggles with her mother were deeply, deeply relatable. Her struggles and wants to make her mother proud while feeling that she just couldn't measure up hit deeply. Her relationships with her sister, uncle, aunt and cousins, as well as Presley added incredible depth to her, to her story and to them.

Now the story, what a ride! I loved sitting in this world and learning about it, Venus, her family and the times they are living in. Having this book take place in the year 2023 was an incredible choice. It all feels so present and as if it truly could be our world even though it isn't. As we worked towards the first big tragedy of the story my heart clenched and I worried for Venus and her family. When it struck I shocked, it wasn't what I thought it would be, but I loved being surprised.

As Venus and her family struggle to process this loss and get drawn deeper into the struggle for witcher's rights and freedom to live as they want to live I found myself having to put the book down now and then to process what I was reading. As white reader I am aware of the incredible privileges I hold and sitting with the discomfort of what was happening was something I felt was important, especially given the times we are currently living in. While I am part of the LGBTQ+ community and understand the fear of having to fight for rights that others take for granted, I am also aware I am very lucky in many aspects.

The third act of his book made my head spin in incredible ways. The twists and turns and reveals throughout the last 150ish pages of the digital copy I had access too were amazing. Some I had figured out with context clues and hints along the way while other shocked me to my core and left me in tears. Both of joy and sorrow.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. The world was deep, rich, and layered as were the characters. None of them were perfect, they made mistakes which often got the people they love hurt, but they did what they did because they believed it was right. They did what they knew and when they knew better they did better. I cannot wait to pick up this book when it comes out in March and read it again.

The Poisons We Drink is well-written but not very well thought-out for a book set right now. Venus is a magic potion brewer who decides to find her mother's killer. Yay for Venus. She's got annoying sidekicks, good for them. But given what Venus does and how her magic works, there is nothing about consent here. Most of the potion drinkers don't consent to drinking the potions, which are often--no, almost always--used for extremely problematic reasons. This is an enormous oversight, and I was basically horrified through the entire novel that it never came up in a serious way. Yes, characters can and need to be flawed, but for women and queer characters not to think about this, to willfully ignore it, is why this one only gets 1 star.

The poisons we drink! I devoured this book. Absolutely loved it 😍
Humans versus witches. No one can be trusted! Venus was such a great MC the ups and downs I never knew what was coming next and I loved that!! Pick this up I strongly recommend

"The Poisons We Drink" is a magical debut, with a compelling story that only occasionally gets bogged down with trying to do too much. There's a lot to follow, but the plot threads do weave together nicely - some just don't get quite as much attention with so much going on.

Baptiste created a fascinating world of magic existing in our real world, complete with political intrigue. While the mechanics of the main character's brewing magic are well explored, I wanted to learn and see more of other characters' magic as well.

The themes of family, love, power, and sacrifice set against a backdrop that reflects current events is well done. It was interesting that the "resistance" was primarily painted as morally gray and resorting to some surprisingly underhanded tactics in the fight against oppression. I thought that was something that could have been explored a bit more, especially since much of the antagonism we are shown came from within the Witcher world, rather than from the intolerant humans.

All in all, I enjoyed this novel and think it's a great sign of what's to come from the author's next work. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Immersive and engaging. A recommended purchase for YA and HS school collections where fantasy is popular.

Humans versus witches.
Natural versus supernatural.

Love potions is a dangerous business.
Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence.

But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.

When an enemy bullet kills her mother... it is up to her to keep her reckless little sister Janus safe and out of harms way.

When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge.

The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.'s most influential politicians.


Read this if you like/love:
💖Practical Magic + Breaking Bad
💖Morally gray Black witches
💖Love potions that crawl down throats
💖Ride-or-die nonbinary baes
💖"F*ck the gov" vibes
💖Black family love

I absolutely devoured this book! The world building is so intricate and smart, and the magic is so visceral--I felt it in my bones while reading. Venus doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable, and neither does the author. I wanted to pick THE POISONS WE DRINK apart for everything it says about Black bodies, race in America, and the pain we pass on to our children. But Baptiste is never heavy handed--this book is still fantasy and a captivating read. I couldn't put it down!

Enter a world where magic meets politics as we follow Venus Stoneheart, an empath who brews illegal love potions for money, as she navigates a world that hates her and deals with her sentient magical parasite that constantly tempts her to act on her negative emotions.

Venus is the Love Witcher, a potions brewer who will sell any sort of love potion to the right buyer. But she is also the daughter of revolutionaries who are fighting to keep the witchers’ freedoms in an increasingly violent world that hates and fears them just for being alive. The tension between the magical and non-magical folk is a great allegory for the racial tensions and hate minorities recieve in this day and age. While it is a driving factor for most of the book, it wasn’t the motive that I was expecting it to be (Venus was much more family driven, unlike her political younger sister).

Instead Venus becomes embroiled in the messy politics of her world—something her mother fought to keep her out of—when her mother is murdered and she makes a deal with the Grand Witcher to brew potions to sway senators’ minds and loyalty in exchange for information about her mother’s death. The politics in this world mirror our own, messy and complicated but with facinating twists and turns I mever expected. The magic just made it even more interesting as new characters were introduced and we learned secrets about ones we had already met.

It was hard for me to connect with Venus as a protagonist for a long time—until I was about halfway through the book honestly. Once the story picks up it becomes a tale of what family will do for each other and how sometimes they drive you crazy but your love for them always wins out.

I was also pleased that the author chose to list some trigger warnings at the begining of the book as there were quite a few graphic depictions of violence (ie: Venus’s magic backfires on her when she brews to the point it will physically break her bones and nearly kill her several times) and blood (including some small instances of vore) that I wasn’t quite prepared for with it being a YA novel.

Overall the book was slow to pick up but once it did I couldn’t help but read through until the end. I was pleased that it also had a satisfying ending and didn’t feel the need to set up for a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an advance copy of The Poisons We Drink in exchange for a review! This is a fun, though thought-provoking read that is perfect for late October's spooky season!

I love a good witchy and magical book. I did struggle getting invested into this book though. The overall themes and plot were excellent, it just felt choppy. Too many characters were introduced at once. And the magic wasn’t fully flushed out.

I did like the potions, and the adventure and the modern day themes of the book though!

THE POISONS WE DRINK was a fantastic fantasy debut. I loved that I got to read this in October with the witchy, potions brewing vibes. Venus is a perfect morally gray character – I love a character that is unlikable yet has a deep love for their family and friends. It was incredibly easy to root for her. Additionally, the political backdrop was a great touch. I really liked that the book centered around this big vote around an act that would discriminate against witchers.

What I could have left behind in this read was the pacing of the first 100 or so pages. I felt that there was a lag between the set up and the main action. The world building could have been done much more concisely to create a better foundation before Venus became entangled in the main plot of the book. The latter half of the book was so strong, and I could see how successful a book like this could be. With a little tightening up of the story, this could be a phenomenal debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books Fire for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. THE POISONS WE DRINK out March 5, 2024.
Rating: 4/5 stars

Where do I even start?
The Poisons We Drink blew me out of the water and Venus might be one of my favorite protagonists I've read this year. The magic system, the action, the strength of the writing was so sharp and I genuinely did not want to put this down. Thank you Net Galley!

So highly recommend this thought provoking and emotionally turbulent story. Venus' journey is everything you'd want in a dark, urban fantasy where no one can be trusted. It had me engaged until the end. Baptiste weaves a spell upon the reader.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Venus is a Witcher with an affinity for brewing love potions - illegal in the US. In a world made increasingly more difficult to live in by anti-Witcher laws, Venus’s family relies on her brewing talent to sustain themselves. When Venus’s mother, who also acts as her broker for potion deals, is murdered, Venus goes looking for answers and finds a whole lot more than she bargained for.

This was definitely hugely about racism but I think it tackled the subject well. I also really enjoyed the slang/vernacular used as it really contributed to putting you directly into the story. I feel like some things were under explained (like the deviations and the relationship with Presley) but overall it was enjoyable

TW/CW: Sex, violence, self-harm, police violence, hate groups, death, fantasy violence

RATING: 4/5

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The Poisons We Drink is the story of Venus, a young African American witcher who brews potions for money to support her family. When her mother is murdered, it sends her into freefall as she tries to figure out exactly what happened and how to punish those who did it.

I enjoyed this book. I particularly loved the world-building and the chance to read about a family of witches who aren’t white (as the vast majority of them are). I also liked how this book mirrors and is even an allegory to our current political climate – something which makes it scarier than it should be. This part was done well – it was a poignant addition but not something that drowned out the main story. (Although I don’t think anyone could read this and not at least think about how parallel this world is to the one we live in every day).

I only had a few issues with this book. Firstly, I thought it was too long. There were parts that seemed repetitive and unnecessary – it felt like filler in a book that certainly didn’t need any. Secondly, I thought there was a little too much ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’ – there were a lot of info dumps in this book. Thirdly, I found the last 10% or so of this book FLEW by and I had some problems following exactly what was happening. So…yeah, I guess my major problem with this book would be the pacing. Some things really dragged while some parts flew by too fast.

I did as a whole enjoy this book, though, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of young adult fantasy (it has one mild sex scene in it, so I think it’s YA).

The Poisons We Drink is a stellar debut by Bethany Baptiste. It is a fantasy world unlike any I have read before. Venus Stoneheart is a brewer of love potions, who after tragic events falls into the underbelly of her society determined to fight hate with love. In its essence The Poisons We Drink is a story of love, familial, friendship, of doing things, or of a partner. Just as our lives are threaded through out with love, so are Venus’ and the rest of the cast. In the end through its twists and turns and different types a story of love and loss is told.
I love the characters in this book everyone is vivid and well thought out. The motivations in for each are complex and varied. The Poisons We Drink is a sweet poignant rollercoaster of emotion that will have you turning page after page. I can’t wait to share this book with my family and friends. 10/10 can’t wait to see more from this author.

The Poisons We Drink is a new urban fantasy written by Bethany Baptiste. Venus Stoneheart is a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family in a country divided between witchers and humans. The Poisons We Drink reflects current real world issues with a modern and magical twist.

I enjoyed this book its vivid and a new unique edition to the fantasy genre. The plot itself is a complicated metaphor to current events that’s gripping, intelligent and raw. This book has excellent representation and inclusivity, touching on sexuality, gender identity and cultural backgrounds. Venus is a complex young woman who is only trying to do right by her family and her fellow witcher’s but is caught up diabolical revenge plot.

I really struggled to get in it initially as the plot pace was slow with a rapid introduction of multiple character and concepts that made it hard to keep up. There is a glossary of terms and concepts at the back of the book that I only discovered after I finished the book that would have been helpful to find as I was reading. The Poisons We Drink is marketed as a YA fantasy but I feel a combination of the violence and heavy concepts make this book not necessarily suitable for the target audience.

It seemed like a good book but just not a good fit for me. I liked the idea that magic had a cost and it was interesting how dangerous it was for her to brew her potions. But it was too violent for me – I don’t enjoy hearing about her bones breaking and body getting misshapen. Also the rules of her magic left me with several questions, like why do they feel like they have to use their magic but then their magic is so painful? Why is it so bad for her but not as much for others? How come humans didn't know that magic was debilitating? It felt a bit complex and I wanted more clarity. Some of the plot was frustrating – why did she go into a blood deal with someone terrible to save her sister without explaining to her sister first? I liked the subplot of the evil symbiote. Overall, it was a little hard to care about the characters enough when I was trying to skim over the violence. I would still recommend to someone who enjoys fantasy and doesn't mind it darker.

Debut city this fall and this YA fantasy was a good entry into the release list this year. A topical and relevant novel discussing hate, prejudice, and the fight for love above all. A dark and twisting story with a solid backbone but I think it did struggle with balancing the content. A solid 3/5 and look forward to seeing more from the author.

I would like to thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. The Poison We Drink is author Bethany Baptiste's debut re-imagined modern day YA dystopian fantasy novel.

Venus Stoneheart is an 18yrs old witcher living in DC. In the novel, society is divided between humans and witchers, with the latter being treated as second class citizens. The witchers are heavily policed and face systemic discrimination from the larger society. Young Venus works with her mother as a brewer making illegal potions. Venus is the older sibling working to provide for her family while keeping her volatile younger sister Janus, out of trouble. After their mother is killed, Venus gets pulled into political intrigues and finds herself being used as a pawn in a political war between different factions. She has to deal with her mother's death, her sister and the dark magic that she also wields all while trying to distinguish friend from foe.

I was excited to read this and wanted to enjoy the book, but sadly it wasn't for me. There were a few things that kept getting in the way of my enjoyment. One of them was the over use of the short abrupt sentences. I think they were supposed to make it more powerful, but all it did was take me away from the story. Then there was the voice of the author, which is VERY important to me. One minute she sounded very Maya Angelou-esque, and the next it was slang and urban vernacular. It made the writing awkward and felt disingenuous. Like someone putting on a costume. In the first page of the book, someone is reading a newspaper, in 2023?! I had to google it (turns out some 60% still do), but it was odd. Then we have the pace of the novel. Nothing happened for most of the first half. I kept reading because as I mentioned, I really wanted to like this book. By the time we got to the good stuff, I wasn't that invested in Venus, Janus or their plight.

All of that being said, it is obvious that the author is very talented and intelligent. This novel is a social/political commentary that belongs in the current climate. I believe in this author's talent and with more experience and better editing, she'll be amazing. I can't wait to see what else she has for us in the future.