Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book not knowing I was a little burnt out on fantasy, so it took me a bit longer to finish it then it might have ordinarily. but this was still a fantastic book, with a very fun and unique magic system and compelling, characters with believable motivations and gray morals. I was also pleasantly surprised when the person I was convinced was the big bad turned out to not be that, as I pride myself on usually being able to predict twists. It's always fun to be kept on my toes. The resolution was satisfying, but I also wouldn't be averse to seeing more books set in this universe, if the author were so inclined.

I think that the premise is interesting. I think that the magic system is unique. I think that the themes of the book are important. However, every time I put the book down it's a struggle to pick it back up.

One of the ways in which I am struggling is in my understanding of the magic system. Because of Venus's vow of abnegation, I don't fully understand how witcher magic usually works. I know that they have a birthright and a calling, but I don't know what a birthright is or what exactly Venus has sworn not to use. I've been very slowly learning things, but because I don't know what Venus is capable of I don't know what she is giving up to be a brewer.

I am also struggling to fully understand what exactly a deviation is. I know it's trauma-related, and that it changes the color of Venus's aura, but I don't know what the deviation is. Is it like a possession, where it can be removed? Is it her own magic gaining sentience? Is it someone else's magic that gets warped and/or stolen? I don't know, and I can't tell why it's generally bad to be a deviant. When Venus talked to Presley about their deviation it made it seem as though deviations themselves aren't necessarily bad, so I can't tell if people are specifically wary of Venus's deviation because of its nature or because of its existence.

I may come back to this book at some point in the future, but for now, it isn't working for me. I think it's mostly a mismatch between me and the book, not an issue of the book itself. I'm going to have to DNF, at least for now.

To be completely honest - I enjoyed this novel so much more than I was originally anticipating. The story was compelling and kept me engaged the whole way through. But the biggest thing that made me love this book were the difficult topics explored - from police brutality, to mental illness, to classism and politics - this book had it all. It didn’t feel preachy, it felt raw and real. I always appreciate when fiction novels incorporate important real world topics, and Bethany Baptiste did it beautifully.

I enjoyed this book (and thought I would from the minute I read that dedication). Venus is smart and interesting, but what I really loved was the magic system. I liked how it was integrated with a contemporary-style world and all that it entails. The relationships Venus has are layered and complexed and, despite the magic, feels realistic. I think that my students will enjoy the current issues and magical world. I think it is a great debut and, while there were sections that perhaps felt a little overly written, it was overall a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Phenomenal premise, good writing, interesting enough main character…but this is a DNF for me. I think it’s just a matter of preference tho - it doesn’t click for me because I’m learning that urban fantasy isn’t my thing. But! This book has excellent BIPOC rep and it seems to be building to incredibly poignant and critical political commentary - I almost stuck it out just for that but I don’t want to risk a slump when I’m not vibing with a book.

I do think there is a big audience for this story and other readers should and will love it. It just isn’t for me.

I really want to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review The Poisons We Drink.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste is a story that tells a very important tale. The plot surrounds a society of witches and humans, separated by a few strands of DNA, but creating a big divide between the two groups. Because of the innate magic that witches have the humans are afraid of them and choosing to turn that hate into violence and actions against them.

The story follows a young witch named Venus who is the primary brewer of love related potions for her family - bringing in most of their income. The rest of her family all have their own issues going on, but Venus is also dealing with keeping a deadly force within her bottled up. As things get more and more dangerous with political friction between witches and humans, Venus gets pulled into the inner mechanisms due to the aftereffects of her family's decisions. And Venus ends up having to make some difficult decisions to keep what means most to her.

This book was a difficult one to read. It was definitely a good book, and the message is really important. But reading it, the animosity and friction is palpable from the first page. It made it a very hostile read. And as this was an advanced copy I really hope that all the typos and formatting issues will be resolved by the time it goes to print - there were a lot!

Overall, while it was difficult to get into, I really do think this has an important message and the plot is good. I will probably continue with this series, since I'm invested in the main characters. (A lot happened in this book!) But sadly it wasn't my favourite read so far this year.

I was drawn to this book by the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous and extremely compelling visually. The premise was interesting to me although somewhat outside my typical genre preference. Still, I was curious to see where it would go. I liked the way it started, and there were interesting elements throughout, but I rather quickly found myself floundering to follow the story and the characters. It felt like there was a lot going on but also not much at the same time for great swathes of pages... I'm definitely in the minority and not connecting with this one, so I think I was just not the right reader for this book.

“The Poisons We Drink” has so many great things going for it that I was super excited to jump in. Venus and her family are witchers, who live in a state of tension alongside humans and are subject to discrimination and restrictions on their freedoms due to their inherent powers. Venus in particular has the ability to feel the negative emotions of people around her, as well as a much darker power that she has suppressed. She also brews love potions for wealthy people in DC, at great personal cost. Though there were many aspects of this book that should have made it amazing (Venus alone is as compelling a protagonist as anyone can ask for), I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping due to how overwritten it was. Many of the supporting characters also fell very flat and it was difficult to tell who anyone really was. I think there are many people out there who will enjoy this book a lot, but the combination of the writing and the lack of character depth didn’t work for me.

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!
CW: death of a parent, violence, body gore, murder, gun violence, grief, police brutality

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

For the good of her Witcher family, Venus Stoneheart accepted the dangerous role of Brewer to help make ends meet. But Brewing is not easy, and Venus struggles to survive each potion she makes. When Venus’ mother dies unexpectedly, Venus is forced to become more of a leader than she has ever been, and in addition to ensuring her family’s survival, she must get to the bottom of the mystery of her mother’s death. Along the way, Venus grapples with the demons within her and around her, growing and maturing as she uncovers the hidden truths in her midst.

This fantasy story blends the concept of magic with elements of real life in a parallel, yet fictional, world. Witchers are feared by society, and there are great inequities they face on a daily basis simply because of who they are. At the beginning of each chapter, a small piece of information is provided to offer context for readers who are immersing themselves in Venus’ world, and extensive back matter gives readers additional points of reference, if necessary. These inclusions provide more information than the narrative itself can do, and they help to enhance the reader’s understanding of this fantasy world. Though fantasy is a large part of the narrative, there is also a good amount of social commentary woven into the plot, which encourages readers to think critically about inequities that exist in their own world.

Well-written and intriguing, this young adult novel is one that will keep readers engaged from start to finish. Strong language and challenging subject matter make the book best suited to mature young adult audiences, and a content warning at the beginning of the novel helps to guide readers in the right direction. Complex family and friend relationships are found at the heart of the story, and a range of diverse characters surround them. Readers who enjoy rich fantasy storytelling with a strong social message will find this book to be particularly memorable. This is a unique addition to library collections for young adult readers and older.

This book is so timely and important, with themes of racism and institutionalised prejudice ringing very true to events today. With a truly morally gray main character, an intelligent magic system, and a heartwarming found-family-esque cast of side characters, fans of upper YA and urban fantasy will absolutely eat this up.

Phenomenal debut! This book is perfect for the Emerging Adult/New Adult age group, with mature writing and content. Plenty of content warnings are needed, but one is provided at the start of the book which is excellent. One of the few books I've read that really flesh out the entire cast/family and truly show the hard, dark lengths someone would go through for family.

Stunning.

A sweeping, visceral ride. Venus's emotions are portrayed with such rawness and clarity—she's an unforgettable narrator!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I hesitated on reviewing this book, as I DNF at 35%. However, I realized that what I did read would lead me to easily recommend it to anyone interested in modern fantasy, so I figured that was worth a review! The lore and magic of this world is fascinating, and the characters feel real and complex. I wish I'd realized I was so close to the archive date for me, but that said I really enjoyed the third of the book I got through!

For sensitive readers, there is violence, racism, and removal of consent via magic.

This was an excellent debut. It took me a little while to get immersed, but once I did I was hard to put it down. I loved the representation in it, as well as the parallels of discrimination of witchers to the many ostracized groups in our society. Looking forward to more from the author!

This story centers around an 18 year old Witcher, Venus, who is a brewer of love potions. Secret, powerful, and illegal love potions.
Venus finds her world changed forever, and she will uncover the secrets that seem to plague every corner of her life. In the process, she begins to learn how far some people will go…

The country is divided into humans and witchers, witches with various abilities. Witchers are being watched, are forced to use segregated spaces, and are being targeted and killed by human groups. Very reminiscent of a pre-civil rights world.

This book does an excellent job addressing political issues and paralleling racism in society. I thought this book was so well written, many family relationships are also examined. We feel the full range of emotions our families can bring us. Love, friendship, distance, grief, regret, absence, and so much more. Our families are truly what we make them - the people we care about most, we will do anything to protect.

There is a lot of plot in this book and originally I had a little trouble following it about the 30-50% mark. However, the end of this book did a PHENOMENAL job wrapping it all up. Everything came back and served a purpose. I was AWE STRUCK how incredibly this story wrapped up. The last 15% of this book had me going crazy - I couldn’t wait to find out how this was all going to unravel!!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.75?? | 😘=4 | 🤬=4.5 | ⚔️=5 | 16+

summary: so basically there’s witchers and humans and our FMC brews like evil potions and stuff idk

thoughts: this was incredibly boring and felt three thousand pages too long and there were too many villain monologues and an incomprehensible plot with a weird number of twists that didn’t feel foreshadowed enough to be twists and the world building was just like not well developed (like it relied on a lot of “as you know, character B, here is the political turmoil currently destroying our specific demographic” stuff) and also the whole It character was weird to me––like is it a mental illness/disability metaphor or is it a monster that makes the MC freak out with violent fits that kill people or is it a cutesy animal sidekick that banters with her like make up your mind please?? but also mental illness is complicated so I get it?? that’s probably the thing that consistently bugged me the most, but also I know that the author is disabled so I’m not going to point fingers and say “disability representation bad.” it was just weird for me. anyway. a book I liked that had the “magical ailment as mental illness metaphor” thing was A Song of Wraiths and Ruin , which is inspired by West African folklore and one of the main characters has anxiety and also a demon living in his brain but like it really worked for me and for some reason The Poisons We Drink didn’t. also I think it was too sexy for YA which is a pet peeve of mine lol.

Overall I enjoyed this. I did get a free ARC from Netgally for my honest review.
First, I know this is just an arc, but I hope the final product that is released later this month has better editing. There were a lot of typos and missing words or sentences that were messed up.
For a debut, I think this pretty good. I would have liked to see the world fleshed out a bit more. I did like how we got information at the heading of each chapter and that helped.
The magic system was interesting and unique. I’d like to learn more about aberrations though since it was such a big part of who Venus was. I also wish they’d called it something other than It. Or hadn’t also italicized it on top of capitalizing it. It was said so much in some sentences it was a bit jarring.
That being said, I hope there is a sequel so we can see more of it.

(2.5) The Poisons We Drink is a high-stakes, low fantasy, immersive, and wonderfully diverse tale. Just not for me.

I found it really difficult to get into the writing style, and while the wide range of characters were interesting, I just found it hard to connect to them. The slow pacing despite the supposed high stakes similarly added to its tedious nature.

I have also heard some complains about the on-page s*x and graphic descriptions, which I definitely agree with. This is a New Adult book, not a YA one.

I do think that this book has the potential to be good. Perhaps I would be able to enjoy it better in the future.

This book was a little bit of a slow burn for me and took me a few chapters to really get into it. Venus is a tough-as-nails character who brews love potions in order to support her family. Magic has a cost, and being a brewer means there are horrific blowbacks from potions. Every time Venus brews, her potions have effects on her, such as broken bones or burned skin.

Regardless of the blowback, Venus is the main breadwinner of her family. Her mother, Clarissa, sacrificed her magic by breaking a magical vow, and her father is dead. When Clarissa is killed with iron bullets, Venus is sucked further into the underground trade of magic potions. The world is about to burst with humans demanding that witchers be on a public registry, a registry that would allow people to find them and likely kill them. Venus gets roped into a political scheme to poison senators with love potions to sway their opinions.

The story builds its tension beautifully, and while I did find some plot points fairly predictable, this book still had plenty of twists and turns. Venus's little sister Janus can create portals and is determined to follow in her activist father's footsteps. A lot of Venus's motivation is to protect Janus. I thought the push-pull of their relationship was so realistic and well done. I also have a half-sister, and the dichotomy is similar.

Presley's character was easily my favorite character. I thought the expression of their gender fluidity/non-binary expression was well done. Too many people get caught up in the idea of pronouns. Presley didn't have a painful coming out or confrontation. They just were. I enjoyed that the author didn't try to add an additional level of struggle.

I did think that the secondary storylines were a bit hobbled together. We understand Venus's motivation isn't political, but the other characters seem to have no motivation but power. It just didn't flow well. I kept expecting like a villain info dump to better understand the power dynamics and struggles. The issues between humans and witchers also lacked nuance, which sort of made sense when looking at the parallels of racism.

Overall, I thought this was a good read, and I'd read the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.