If ever two books started and ended in completely different places than expected, it was This Wicked Fate and This Poison Heart. If ever two books were a whole television series, that's these as well. Although I was a bit lost in the cast of characters in the space between books. I soon caught up and lost myself in this new and very different adventure. To say more would be to reveal the twists and turns of the plot–or should I say fate?–but I was satisfied, and just a little teary, at the conclusion.

This books opening was like getting a hug from your bestie before they took you on an epic adventure. Bayron has such whimsical, lyrical writing that I have quickly fallen in love with. I can’t wait to see what is up her sleeve next. This book was phenomenal! A perfect followup to This Poison Heart. I didn’t want it to end!!

CONTENT WARNING: grief, death of a parent, violence, blood, murder

I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book since the second I finished the last one, but once it was time to start it, I was incredibly nervous, mainly because I was so worried it wouldn’t fulfill my incredibly high expectations after reading This Poison Heart. However, I shouldn’t have worried, because this book and Bayron completely came through for me. Although I really do try not to judge a book by it’s cover, in this case, I was completely justified in doing so—the book is as good as the beautiful cover led me to believe it would be.

It picks up just after the last book left off, with the characters completely rocked by grief stemming from recent events, and new revelations leaving them with an impossible task to save Thandie. Hecate has tasked Briseis and crew with retrieving the last piece of the Absyrtus Heart, but there’s no way that she can do it alone, and she’s forced to lean on not only her new ally, but some people she’s never met before and doesn’t fully know if she can trust, especially after experiencing recent betrayals. And of course, there’s a ruthless group trying their best to get their greedy hands on the heart as well.

Bayron’s writing absolutely shines in this book. She’s already shown her skills in other books (Cinderella is Dead, This Poison Heart), but in this sequel, she truly pulled on my heartstrings even more. We get to see Briseis’ vulnerable side as she faces challenges while learning to manage grief and fear, as well as resolving her feelings over the betrayal. In doing so, we get to see her learn how to let others in, and truly experience a new aspect of family relationships. Relationships are at the heart of the story, with the connection between Briseis and Marie deepening, Briseis opening up to new relatives, and her bond changing with her parents, as well as the connections between Marie, Nyx, Persephone, and Circe. I loved seeing how all of these characters became intertwined so much more deeply throughout the book.

The way that the understanding that Briseis had of plants changed and grew (no pun intended) was another lure of this story. While she has an immense innate knowledge, she absolutely blooms (ok, pun intended here) under the skilled tutelage of Circe, and I loved watching her expand her knowledge and become more secure with her gifts. In addition, this story helped me see different aspects of familiar Greek mythology. There’s some overlap with Circe, and reading the Madeline Miller version of the story helped me understand a lot more of this story, and view it in a more sympathetic light, but I absolutely loved the diversity that was woven throughout this story. Rather than the traditionally white versions of Greek mythology, all the main characters are Black, which never felt like a stretch, and the sapphic representation in this story is absolutely fabulous. We need more books like this, and I can’t wait to see what else Bayron has in store for us!

After reading This Poison Heart last summer, I was immediately anticipating This Wicked Fate, so you can only imagine my excitement when I got the Netgalley approval email! This Wicked Fate picks up immediately from the events of This Poison Heart, and follows Bri and her loved ones as they embark on a quest to find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart and save Bri’s mom in return.

It took me a while to remember the events of This Poison Heart and its characters, and I highly recommend rereading This Poison Heart prior to picking up This Wicked Fate. Or at the very least, reading a synopsis of This Poison Heart, because it took me a hot minute to get back into the mindset of This Poison Heart after leaving it and its characters behind a year ago.

Still, I found This Wicked Fate to be a compelling sequel, and once I started it, I couldn’t put it down! Without giving too much away, This Wicked Fate delves deeper into grief and generational trauma than its predecessor. Throughout This Wicked Fate, Kalynn Bayron poses a couple questions, namely: “How far are you willing to go for the people you love?” and “How is it that some of us have no time left and others have more than anyone could ever truly need?”. If anything, This Wicked Fate is a testament to family; who we define as family, and how much we’re willing to give up for the ones we love. Bri’s grief is a tangible thing; a third party in every room and every conversation, influencing her choices as well as those around her. One of my favorite elements of This Wicked Fate is Bri’s support system. I loved reading more about her family history and how that was intertwined with her magic, as well as how supportive Mo was. I wish that we’d gotten to see more of Bri’s mom in this book, but I did love reading about Mo, as well as Circe, Persephone, and the other people in Bri’s life.


Despite dealing with heavier themes such as grief, betrayal and (im)mortality, Bayron still manages to sprinkle in some lighter moments, and nods to popular culture. As a huge Hadestown fan, I chuckled when Bri mentioned most of her knowledge came from Hadestown and the Disney film, Hercules.

While the character of Marie really did grow on me, I still struggled with the Marie/Bri storyline. Something that I didn’t love about This Poison Heart was how their dynamic felt really insta-love-y, and I had hoped for a little more substance in This Wicked Fate. This Wicked Fate also ties up a lot of loose strings from This Poison Heart, and there were connections that I didn’t even know would happen! I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery aspect of it, and found it to be very fast-paced. It felt a little bit rushed towards the end, but I didn’t mind too much. Overall, I found myself really enjoying This Wicked Fate, although not as much as This Poison Heart, and would still highly recommend it!

Fantastic sequel to the first. It picks up where the first one left off. The characters continued to grow, myths were explored, and the ending! Wish/Hope there can be more.

This Wicked Fate is the continuation of Kalynn Bayron's This Poison Heart series. We are dropped back in right where the first book left off. We get to know Briseis even better and watch as she explores her powers and her relationship with Marie. Bri is struggling with grief with the aftermath of her mother's death in the previous book.
This book didn't grab me the way the first one did. I had to work harder to stick with it, but I'm glad I did.

Whatever was slow about This Poison Heart was purely for payoff in Thus Wicked Fate. Briseis and company are back and are on a new adventure to unite all six pieces of the Absyrtus heart for the mother of magic, Hecate. From the first page, we pick up exactly where we left off in book one. What follows is a fast-paced adventure through Greek mythology featuring some of the BEST (and usually lesser featured) gods and goddesses in Greek myth. Will Briseis be able to save her mom from the underworld? If so, can she do it without even more sacrifice?

I really really really loved this book. The deep cuts Kalynn Bayron makes in Greek mythology made my nerdy English major heart so so happy. I loved how Bayron blended myths we might already know with a fun adventure and super lovable characters. At times, Briseis kind of annoyed me with how incredulous she was about all of these crazy magical revelations, but then I realized that I would be the SAME WAY. I loved the romantic and familial relationships in this book and the way that it is SO representative of LGBTQIA+ people without that being the front and center part of the story. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that, but this was written like a story full of straight people - just something that IS - which is how it should be!

5 stars - love the writing, love the characters, love the mythology, love the pacing, love Kalynn Bayron.

“Magic - and poison - run in our veins.” // “The Heart takes and takes, but what does it give?”

THIS WICKED FATE is the action-packed, emotional conclusion to the THIS POISON HEART duology. These two books tell the story of Briseis, a Black girl with a magical affinity for plants, and her family. It’s a narrative about generational trauma and healing, grief, and abiding love, laced with mystery and rooted in Greek mythology. If this first book felt like a scavenger hunt, the second book feels like a hero’s quest. It’s a wild ride, with more clues to unravel, mythical creatures to befriend or defeat, a centuries-long conflict to resolve, powerful and immortal women to kiss, and of course many more beautiful and poisonous plants. It’s unapologetically queer and Black, with no fewer than ten sapphic Black characters. It did feel a bit rushed to me compared to the first book. Regardless, it’s a fantastic series that I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Bloomsbury YA for the review copy!

Content warnings: injury, poisoning, killing, death of a loved one

The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for the digital ARC of 'This Wicked Fate' by Kalynn Bayron. This book has been on my to-read/wish list since reading 'This Poison Heart' last year. I got the end of the first book and immediately was disappointed I couldn't just pick up the next book and find out what happened next.

When I was little, every night before bed I would have the Greek tales read to me, and I always fell asleep imagining the world of the Gods - even now any retelling of these tales has a special place in my heart. And once again I was blown away by how great one of Kalynn Bayron's books was. The descriptions, and imagery are so enchanting. I loved having the tales of the heros, and gods woven through this book - and especially the realization they're still here guiding our path.

Without giving too much away, the ending was also a good reminder that even in tragedy (which all great heroes face) happiness can be found.

On a side note: Briseis' affinity for plants makes me so jealous... I would love to be able to have that kinship with plants in my own garden. I especially loved the occasional little bits about plant uses whether it was medicinal or ritual etc.

At the beginning of the school year, I had so many students requesting that I add 'This Poison Heart' to the classroom library since they had heard so much about it over the summer. I'm 100% certain that when the new school year starts in the Fall, I will have requests for 'This Wicked Fate' as well.

5/5

I adored the last book of this series. When I became aware of this book being released I was so happy to read more about Bree and her family. The last book kept me on edge waiting for this one. I love all the characters. they all have their little backstories and I love it. I adore Bree she is a girl on fire in an impossible situation. She is dealing with a lot - she's been tricked, and she had these new powers and new people in her life.

This book was compiling - fast pace and just tons of adventure. As this was a continuation there was no lag in the story. The story just picked up on page one.

A great story that I loved since day one.

I must admit, when I first started reading this book I felt terribly confused as it starts out right after the series of events in the first book, which I have not yet read! My bad!

That said, I still greatly enjoyed this book once I gathered all the information I needed. Each chapter just sucks you in and keeps pulling you along as you are taken on this remarkable journey with the protagonists. It was quite dark sometimes, but it just works for this kind of story. It never felt egregious, just natural. The characters were all well written and very funny and relatable. The mythology was so good--and I am not just saying that as a Greek mythology geek! Everything was believable and flowed so perfectly. I would honestly love to see this world expanded further.

I would also love to shout out the queerness of the book--it makes me so unbelievably happy to read queer people not just existing at all in a story but at the forefront of it, to include the main character AND side characters. It makes me wonder how things would have turned out if I had had access to these kinds of books when I was closeted and questioning. So I just want to thank Kalynn Bayron for continuing to do so with every book. I have been a fan of since Cinderella is Dead and This Wicked Fate did not at all disappoint. Now I must read This Poison Heart to get the full story!

I was very excited to read the sequel to This Poison Heart. I felt that the book moved quite slow compared to the previous book though did pick up toward the second half. While there were enjoyable parts which piqued my interest, I was a little let down by the closing book to this duology. It didn't have the same mysterious air it's predecessor did and where the first book ended on such a cliff hanger the pace of this book was far to slow. Overall I enjoyed this book but a bit of a let down after the first one.

"Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate to save the ones you love?

Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. To locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage.

But Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Strengthened by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?

Bestselling author Kalynn Bayron continues the story of Briseis and her family's unique magic in the sequel to This Poison Heart."

I wonder if Owlcrate is going to do a limited edition again...

After the revelations the last book left us with, I was expecting great things from this entry. It picks up right where the first left off, with the group discussing how to move forward and achieve their goal in the time limit they have. Lurking in the background throughout it the specter of the descendants of Jason, who were set up to be major antagonists in the last book, but barely factored into the plot here. They were present, but it was peripheral, mostly just the characters discussing their motives and what they may be doing until they finally show up near the end of the book. Most of the plot is instead focused on the characters, showing the interactions between the main cast and how the newly returned characters mesh with the main group readers are familiar with. There's a lot of set up for their journey to find the last piece of the Heart, so much so that the actual search and resolution part doesn't happen until the last 30% of the book. This is basically how the first book went from what I remember, but in a sequel that is concluding the story, this kind of pacing doesn't work. Some other mythological aspects appear, which were interesting, but overall this book didn't really build on the last, instead it just maintained the plot as is without really adding anything new. I also found at times that the dialogue felt a little forced and unnatural, but the characters themselves are interesting. The ending is wrapped up and doesn't leave any questions, but I found myself getting disappointed with how some of the plot points worked out.

This Wicked Fate picks up right where This Poison Heart ends: Briseis' epic journey to save her mother, fully wield her powers, and untangle her ancestry. Readers will be glued to their books, furiously reading to find out what obstacles, allies, and enemies await Briseis & company. This Wicked Fate further develops the characters from the first, including building on the story arcs of secondary and tertiary characters. AND it manages to add new characters, animals, and plants into the mix! Kalynn Bayron does NOT disappoint, and I'm starting to think she never will. Black girl magic, forever y'all!

I don't have many complaints about This Poison Heart and its sequel, BUT I desperately need this series to get the fully Percy Jackson treatment. I need illustrated guidebooks of all the characters, their backstories, and family trees. I need a This Poison Heart botany book with hand-drawn sketches of all the plants with their features and traits depicted. At least each chapter, I found myself wanting a companion book to read alongside the novel. That is how much you get sucked in - you actually want more books to read simultaneously!

I HIGHLY recommend this sequel to #ThisPoisonHeart by @kalynnbayron !
This book picks up exactly where the first book ends and takes us through the harrowing tale of Briseis, Mo, Circe, and their magical/mythical friends as they try to find the last missing piece of the Absyrtus Heart and bring Bri's Mom back from death.

This book shows the burden of generational trauma, the pain of grief on mind & body. It shows us that love doesn't always reveal itself in the way we expect it to.

If you love mythology, fantasy, and magical adventures, you will love this YA book. I blew through it in less than 24 hours over a 3 day period. ARC provided by #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

Myth: 4/5

Bri’s story picks right back up where we left off in This Poison Heart, getting you right into the thick of the story and right into highest stakes and fantastical explanations that Bri and Mo may or may not be ready for. Bri is like no YA heroine I’ve ever read. She’s a kid, but she’s so level headed, she’s been raised well, she thinks through her emotions, she expresses them rationally, she’s one of the most mature characters, even though she’s really the only kid in the ensemble.



Magic: 4.5/5

If book one gave us a build up to a greek mythology backstory, book two re-imagined so many. With guest appearances from greek gods, generations of greek mythology lore and more than a dash of Bri’s plant magic, this book was a powerhouse.

Overall: 4/5

Bri is the kind of YA heroine that makes a fantastic role model. A story focused on family, generations of burden and those willing to see it through to the end.

“How far are you willing to go for the people you love, Briseis?”

4.5 Sequels are usually a hit or miss for me, because I’ll either hate them to the point of rushing through them just to be done with it, or love them even more than the first book. This was an absolute win for me!

I cried so much, because the relationships were so well-written throughout the duology, that anything that happened to the characters affected me so much. I felt so connected to them, I really understood their pain, their love, their desperation, their relief. I even went back to reread the last few chapters because I was so emotional over what had happened, and the characters’ feelings were so raw and real, I could not stop thinking about them.

The characters were also so complex, I loved seeing them be violent and even a little monstrous. I find a lot of fantasy novels make their female protagonists overly moral and forgiving. It felt so nice to see the characters use the full potential of their power and not hold back on their mission.

I also loved the descriptions in the book. I think I rushed through the first novel a bit quickly, but I took some more time with the sequel. Almost every chapter, there would be a description of the setting that would be so beautiful, I would stop just to imagine myself there in the characters’ place. The gardens, the forests, the seas, the islands… I could almost see myself standing there, looking out at the view, and it made me sad that I was not actually there. That is one of the qualities of a great story: making you yearn so much for a place that does not exist.

One of the criticisms I have is the ending. Although it was heart wrenching, I did think that it wrapped up a little quickly—a criticism that I heard a lot for the first book as well. It felt a bit rushed and I don’t think the book would have felt overly long if the last couple of chapters had been extended and slightly less summarizing. I also found that certain character dialogues felt a little clunky, unnatural, or repetitive, especially at the beginning. It took me out of the story a little bit since it came off as forced.

Overall an amazing end for a great duology! I can’t decide which character I love most, as they all have a special place in my heart, but Briseis is a truly amazing fantasy main character and she deserves only the best in the world.

In book 2, Briseis is on the search for the Absyrtus Heart, which she hopes will bring her mother back from the dead.
Anyone who loved This Poison Heart will be super excited for this sequel that follows Briseis on her journey through more mythical, fantastical adventure.