A new retelling of Medusa that ties in Indian lore, following Manisha and Pratyush.

I really wanted to like this one because I've enjoyed other books produced by Rick Riordan, but this one was not my favorite for a few reasons. First, it jumps in time between characters. At first, it seems like it will be both, but then Pratyush is pretty much "present day" in the book after the first few chapters. I wish we just didn't have Pratyush's chapters. I don't think it really helped in any way. We could have gotten this from Manisha's pov and been perfectly fine. Secondly, I don't think 14 & up warning is really a good reflection of the sexual assault presented. I think it should be at least 16 and up because it is pretty brutal. Even for me in my 30s, I thought it was really hard to read.

The story was fantastic, and the protagonist was great. While my class read the book, I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to the audiobook, which made the story even more fascinating. The author's exploration of the issue of sexual assault sparked a fruitful discussion in our class.

Amazing reimagining of the story of Medusa, intertwine with South Asian myths and lots of strong females in this story. A great book for teens and confidence booster

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

This book is a retelling of Medusa with an Indian folklore twist. I'm hoping it's the start of a series because it left me with so many questions. Trigger alert- rape is a major theme throughout this book, not only the main character but others are raped. I would suggest an adult be around to talk to the kids about this book, consent and what to do in these situations. I'm told this is a middle school book but it's definitely geared toward older kids if you ask me. All in all a wonderful, powerful story that I hope to continue that has hard topics throughout.

Content warning: sexual assault (on and off page), violence against women, forced servitude, child endangerment

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

This is definitely an older YA, which might throw some Riordan fans off thinking this is another middle grade/younger YA mythological reimagining. That being said, Patel has an important message to tell through the Medusa myth that is relevant to teen readers that can handle reading about heavy topics. The violence isn't gratuitous, it serves a purpose.

I love how Patel handles Medusa's story through Manisha and how Medusa's powers are reimagined. Manisha's snakes are so much more than just a head of hair. It's really clever. I was leery of the somewhat insta-love Pratyush has with Manisha but I felt like it makes sense in the end... and honestly they are teenagers.

A DROP OF VENOM could have been shorter though, the plot does drag at times, and I'm just not sure how many teen readers will stick with it to the end.

Soneela Nankani does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Disney Audiobooks, and Rick Riordan Presents in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting from the Rick Riordan Presents line of books. It is much darker and much more graphic. I believe it keeps true to the Indian mythology of Medusa and the actions that are portrayed are real world types of happenings but I didn’t expect it here. Beyond that, it had moments that were very engaging and moments that were just slow. Due to the graphic nature (rape, sexual mutilation, abuse, death, violence) I would recommend this for much other students. I will not be putting it in my elementary/middle grade collection.

The audiobook narration was well performed. I would recommend listening to this version.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for the ARC. I was really surprised how well the sensitive subject matter in this book was handled. This was a hard retelling about Medusa origins. I listened to the audio and it was very well done. If recommending to some, check the trigger warnings. The author explains what her purpose was for the story.

I have been looking for Medusa love in the mythological retelling scene and this is it! I loved the blend of Greek myth with South Asian culture. The world building was truly outstanding, especially from one of Patel's only fantasy novels. Over the course of events in this book, the reader is forced to ponder what is means to be good vs bad or considered a monster.
This is a tense and heavy read at times. I worry some will see the Rick Riordan imprint and think middle grade when it is in fact young adult. I think if the imprint produces more YA titles, that confusion stands less of a chance of happening.

The story is 4 stars, but I'm adding a star for Soneela Nankani's stellar performance (as always)!

In this reimagining of the Medusa story, Manisha embraces her naga magic after an assault almost kills her. She sets off on a search for the family she hasn't seen in years, using her powers to help women in oppressive and abusive environments along the way. Unbeknownst to her, the boy she loves, Pratyush, has been sent after her - only he doesn't know it's Manisha who's really the Serpent Queen.

This book does not shy away from honest, sometimes graphic depictions of sexual assault and violence upon women. Manisha faces danger after danger, but does not sway in her determination to avenge women and right wrongs. The romance between Manisha and Pratyush feels genuine, and adds to the story.

Patel has created a complex mythology here with characters to match. Neither protagonist is all "good". They have motivations and secrets, trauma that informs their decisions. They are both cogs is a much larger machine, fighting for their own futures apart from a system that controls them. Its fascinating and complex, though a bit slow moving, with a grand scope.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of the Audiobook of A Drop of Venom. This book was hard for me to follow in the beginning but once it got going I was involved and wanted to know the rest of the story. This is a Medusa myth retelling with Indian folklore. This is a YA Fantasy book that is not a typical Rick Riordan presents book. It is not marketed for elementary or middle-grade students. There were times when the physical and sexual violence was a lot to absorb but it is an important aspect of the story. I loved how Manisha grew and came into her own as the story went on. She has a tremendous amount of growth from the start of this book until the ending. I can't wait until the next book comes out, please tell me there is another one coming out!

Since I am the librarian in a school that serves grades 6-12, this book would be a great addition to my collection. Most Rick Riordan presents books are written for middle school. The language and writing style would be okay for middle school, but the content makes this more YA to me. It was interesting to see the Medusa story from the Indian mythology point of view.

It was a gritty, but griping story line.

I really liked the beginning of this book. It had me tue ing the pages and gobbling up the story. When the story it around the 75% mark I stared to get a little bored. I thought the story it was telling was strong and well told. It was the ending that I did not love. I’m not sure if there is going to be a second one or the reader is supposed to make inferences about the ending. I did like the messages it was portraying and I thought it handled the subject matter with care.
This is a Medusa retelling with the authors cultural influences. It is about a monster slayer and a girl who’s taking back her life after being sexually assaulted and who the monsters really are.
I liked this book but it had its flaws. It gets a very low 4 STARS form me.

Listened at 2.5x speed. Narration was still solid and made the story easy to follow.

The story was Indian mythology mixed with a retelling of Medusa. There are strong feminist angles, and the story opens with an extension list of possible triggers--which is always appreciated.

As a YA book, the topics are intense. Menstruations is a common topic, women's bodies are incredible objectified and defiled, and sexual assault is prevalent. While the undercurrent of the romance story is nice to have, it doesn't take away from the fear that the women live in daily. The most positive element would be the power/magic that circulates and must be harnessed...but diving into its use too much would give away the plot.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

I'll tell my students about: LGBT+, language, menstruation, rape, mutilation/gore/violence/death, slavery, supernatural

**Thank you to NetGalley & Disney Audiobooks, Rick Riordan Presents for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I really enjoyed this novel. The narrator was great! The author intro was very well done and gave trigger warnings about some of the harder topics in the book. They were handled very well!

A Drop of Venom is a recent YA Fantasy release pitched as a retelling of the Medusa myth, steeped in Indian mythology. Patel's writing is strong and I appreciate the tough topics that she examined, I liked the incorporation of Indian mythology and thought it added another level to the story. The story was hard to get into. It was very slow moving in the beginning, and it took a bit for things started to pick up. I didnt like the instant love between the MCs tho. Its still worth reading but check the trigger warnings before you do.

Sajni Patel’s <i>A Drop of Venom</i> is not a book to pick up lightly. This is true so much so that I would not ever in a million years suggest this book be put in a middlegrade section, but I can reasonably say that it feels acceptable for young adult. All of that said, please, <i>please</i> read all the trigger warnings and Riordan’s intro before continuing with the book. <i>A Drop of Venom</i> is <b>filled</b> with rape and violence.

I genuinely kind of left this book bombarded with a deluge of varied feelings about the journey I just put myself through following. There were a great many sections of the novel where I felt deeply uncomfortable, and for good reason. In a sense, this book is almost a poster for the war crimes of men. And while women are oftentimes the main victims of such horrors, men are not absent of victimhood, either.

The sheer number of rapes and attempted rapes—perpetrated by men toward both women and men—within the confines of this novel was tragic and unsettling. Understanding, of course, the context of the Medusa myth on which this book is partially inspired by leads to accepting that rape will be an important discussion point of the novel regardless, but I was not expecting the level of center-focus it would take.

It’s an important conversation to have, something that I think a great deal more people need to evaluate. Why is it that soldiers so often fall to this behavior? What is it about the world of men that makes them think to engage in such despicable acts? What do we do with those who perpetuate and participate in this culture? One of the greatest enemies of injustice is knowledge, after all.

<i>A Drop of Venom</i> also has a lot to say about slavery—while packaged in a format that, unfortunately, I think some will miss. This is no fault of the writing, of course, but rather of society. In fact, I think once you really look into the facts of Pratyush’s journey, it becomes unquestionable that he truly is a slave. The King and General are obvious villains, but I think we can easily draw our conclusions toward those of wealth and power and the ways in which they enslave us.

The sheer amount of discussion that I can have in regards to the concept of ‘forcing’ breeding in order to increase the economic capacity of power using the text of this book is impressive and important. The parallels that can be drawn from this to our own real world experiences, now additionally within the United States thanks to the egregious overturning of Roe, are substantial. And I am generally of the mind that to be able to take these lessons from fiction and learn about and discuss them in-depth is so integral toward societal progress. The importance of seeing this in fiction so one can then apply it to their understanding of the world cannot be understated.

I won’t go into too much detail about Manisha and Pratyush’s as people. While they are central, naturally, to the book as a whole, I think it’s important to highlight that the value of this novel lies so heavily in both the minute and obvious details of their day to day. There is a reason the violence in this novel is so heavy and there’s a reason why we also should pay attention to the small events and conversations that occur. Manisha and Pratyush could be anyone and the importance of their experiences would be the same.

We see this story through the lens of Indian mythology, representation that is appreciated and, given historical context, could be essential. This is not a book, however, to pick up solely because you are looking for representation in fiction. <i>A Drop of Venom</i> is a conversation starter, the beginning to further research and developing a more thorough understanding of historical events and impacts, but also how all of this plays a role in our today. Whether that today is our direct lives or the rest of the world.

<i>A Drop of Venom</i> is not a happy story, but it is an empowering one.

As a final note, I did like the narrator. I did find this book was difficult to get into at first, though. I cannot quite say whether that is due to the narrator or due to the fact that the book is slow going in the beginning, though I am leaning toward the latter. After we are introduced to our characters, we have to sit through a fair amount of setup for their love story that I, truthfully, thought was unnecessary. I’d much rather we have been thrown into the middle of them knowing each other rather than witnessing their first meeting. It probably would have made it feel less rushed and, quite frankly, all of that in there was not truly that important to the story.

<i>I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Sajni Patel's A Drop of Venom, and by the end I was interested enough to read further books featuring Manisha and Pratyush. Soneela Nankani's narration was well done, especially since the novel focuses more heavily on Manisha. Patel clearly states the novel's content warnings at the beginning, and several are quite prevalent. Surviving sexual assault and the mistreatment and oppression of women are major themes in the novel, and it has quite an abundance of gore. While these may seem heavy topics for a YA novel, they are handled well. Characters explicitly state that victims are not to blame for sexual assault -- these explicit declarations might feel jarring in an adult novel, but feel necessary in a book written for younger readers.

The pacing of the early sections of the novel is not executed as well as the later portions, but once major events are set into motion, the story becomes more cohesive. A Drop of Venom is technically a Medusa retelling but is otherwise full of fascinating Indian mythology and magical creatures. Pratyush is the kingdom's last monster slayer, and Manisha, the girl he wishes to marry, becomes a nagin, a powerful monster who can turn men to stone and who travels with Noni, a giant golden serpent who is both terrifying and fiercely loyal. A Drop of Venom is a great YA novel with plenty of soul-searching, magical monsters, dangerous battles, and even a touch of romance. It very clearly address the age-old question: what truly makes a being monstrous?

A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel was a refreshing take on an ancient, and frankly over-examined, myth. The merging of Indian and Greek mythology was something I hadn’t realized was missing in my life!
There were many things I enjoyed as I listened to the audiobook. The description was vivid and made the world feel real- both the beautiful and horrific aspects of it. I also found it easy it connect with the characters. Noni is my favourite, and even if you aren’t a fan of snakes, I think you will be hard pressed not to fall in love with this animal side-kick!
Soneela Nankani’s narration was definitely strong, but sometimes I found it hard to differentiate between the character voices. That being said, she was able to elicit emotions from me, and that’s also a reason why I think I would have preferred to read this with my eyes. There was so much sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and descriptions of the trauma resulting from said assaults. I was not prepared for this much rape in a book published by Disney. Nankani’s narration made me feel the feels, which I guess is good, but I wish I could have skimmed over those sections and not have to process the pain.
On a similar note, I think this book should have been an adult fantasy novel, or at the very least, New Adult. There isn’t really any reason that the characters need to be as young as they are beyond the fact that YA fantasy sells better than Adult fantasy. Then they could have leaned into some other more gritty themes and it might have balanced out the pacing a bit.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I give it 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars out of 5.

This story is beautifully written and extremely powerful. Manisha's journey and the horrors and hardships that she endures - and rises above - are not sugar-coated in any way.

It is a book that could - and more than likely will - be triggering to victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The rape culture that Manisha lives in is horrific. The abuses she endures, and there are many, are absolutely brutal. And yet, through all the horrors she goes through, she comes out the other side and takes her agency and her power back. She takes her vengeance and she grows stronger and more powerful. At its core, the story is about female empowerment and coming into your own, and Manisha's journey embodies that 100%.

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Sanji Patel does give a trigger warning at the start of the novel, and it is definitely needed. She takes on the topic with responsibility. She does not try to gloss over the brutality behind the acts depicted in the story and she does not make any excuses for the perpetrators of those horrific acts. She empowers the women in the story, even as she shows those who are still faced with the daily horrors of living in a rape culture.