This book took me awhile to get into, but once I was hooked I just could not stop reading! I loved the way the author entwined actual history with a fictional romance and magic. Both the hero and heroine were multi-dimensional and contributed their own strengths to the story. I love the way the book ended, but I almost wish there would be a second one so I could spend more time with these characters and the alternate history. I'll be on the lookout for Addie Thorley's next books!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley— in exchange for an honest review.

An atmospheric historical fantasy set during the reign of King Louis XIV with an alternate twist of events.

An Affair of Poisons is based on L'affaire des poisons, the major murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV that resulted in 36 conspirators executed. Addie Thorley envisioned an intriguing alternate history to this event which involved La Voisin and the people of Paris. La Voisin was a French fortune teller, commissioned poisoner, and professional provider of alleged sorcery and became the central figure in this wicked affair. Now, that is an impressive resume.

From the very first pages, the lush descriptions and rich details depicted a dark and atmospheric tone. This tense and fast-paced tale is rooted in 17th century Paris on the brink of political revolution and depicted what happens when alchemist, Mirabelle and bastard princeling, Josse have to work together to stop the murder of both nobility and the common people after Mirabelle accidentally murders King Louis XIV for her mother’s (La Voisin) Shadow Society. Descriptions of alchemical magic and deadly smoke beasts gave the plot a wicked advantage.

Thorley was able to keep the intensity of plot without sacrificing the character’s individual, unique voice. Told to us through alternating perspectives, you find yourself quickly falling in love with Mira’s fierceness and courage and Josse’s loyalty and commitment. Together, Mira and Josse supported each other as they battled against their unique struggles of self-worth, acceptance, guilt, pain, trust, and loyalty.

Every character represented the hopes and struggles during this period; however, the story was afflicted by flat characterization. We see one side and a few traits, but most of the characters were generally the same from beginning to end. There is a romance, and it is slow and gives you a feeling of sweet hope without overshadowing the plot.

Overall, this is a memorable fantasy debut by Addie Thorley which tells a creative and alternate history of real life events. Be sure to read Thorley's author note at the end in which she shares the real events, and where exactly her inspiration came from. She also provides additional recommended reading if readers wished to learn more of the Affair of the Poisons.

CW: Murder, death of family, blood and illness, poverty and homelessness

The premise was interesting but executed poorly. There was not much intrigue into the characters and the writing appeared banal.

Told from two viewpoints, the story is an adequate reimagination of the Affair of Poisons in French history. It also contains magic, for better or worse.

DNF @ 51%. After getting about halfway through this book, I've decided to put it aside, because I don't think it's for me. Though the concept is promising, the execution felt mediocre. The story and the plot felt similar to other books I've read, and I found myself dreading picking it up. I'm sure the alternate-history-France setting and the alchemy will make up for the slow pacing for a lot of readers, but these elements weren't enough to keep my attention.

Had this been the only 2019 YA title that mixed French history and fantasy that I had been fortunate to read an early copy of, I may have enjoyed this one more, but unfortunately, AN AFFAIR OF POISONS suffers in comparison to the handful of other titles (at least four, all from major publishers) releasing around the same time. With that said, I did like the general idea behind this story and Thorley shows promise in her debut. I may not have been able to connect to this one fully, but I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This book just did not hook me. The premise was really intriguing but the execution was bland, the writing uninspired and the characters uninteresting. Put this down for a few days and couldn’t even remember what happened when I picked it back up.

This was creative, entertaining and really super fun! I didn't know that this is essentially an alternate history of a true event (and some people) in 1600's Paris. The author's note is cool to read about the history. I really enjoyed Mirabelle for being smart, level headed in many situations and doing her best. Josse is a very dramatic and untrusting person for most of the book. I didn't connect with him as much as Mirabelle but his personality stayed true. I also loved his little sisters and Louis, the true son to the King. The author does a great job to capture the social norms, locations and attitudes of the time period. I can't wait to see what she writes next!