Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books for an eARC of This Wicked Fate in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a Kalynn Bayron stan since her debut Cinderella is Dead released in 2020! This Poison Heart is a favorite of mine so I was excited to read the sequel. This Wicked Fate is magical and follows Briseis as she embarks on a hero’s journey to get her mom back the underworld. It is fantastical but also explores grief and generational trauma.

Over the course of the book, Briseis learns more about her family history from her aunt Circe. She also discovers new aspects of her power and how to better control it. She does all of this while carrying the all consuming grief of losing her mom in such a vile way.

After reading This Poison Heart and seeing the cover of This Wicked Fate I was hoping for more Marie and Briseis cuteness 🥰 Kalynn delivered 🙌🏾 There were so many sweet moments between them: hand holding, neck nuzzling and kissing! Besides Briseis, Marie is my favorite character in this duology. She is hilarious, rude, always down for a fight and such a softy for Bri.

I went in expecting for Karter to play a bigger role than he did in this sequel. I was sure there would be a big showdown between him and Briseis. I’m actually glad that nothing happened the way I expected it to. It made the story a lot less predictable which is always fun! I wasn’t expecting to meet other Gods, Goddess and mythical creatures which made for a thrilling addition to the story and an unexpected treat!

Persephone Colchis was such an interesting and mysterious character! I wanted more of her backstory. Like how exactly was she related to Briseis, How did she obtain/become a piece of the Absyrtus Heart and how long has she been alive because in TPH her headstone didn’t have a date. I hope Kalynn comes back to this world in future projects because I would love to know more about Persephone, Nix and a few other characters. A prequel about Briseis’ mom Selene would be epic!

Trigger Warnings: Past death of a parent, grief, mention of past murder, mention of violence, threats, past deaths, illness, fighting, violence, sword/knife violence, blood, vomit, gore, kidnapping, murder, death

Representation: Lesbian, Black

This Wicked Fate is the continuation of This Poison Heart. We pick up right where we had left off, Briseis is attempting to reassemble the heart in order to save her mother. While she searches for the final piece, Briseis is reunited with her blood relatives and must race against her enemies to find it first. Can she do the impossible? And how much is she willing to sacrifice to get back what she has lost?

Yayyyyyy!! So excited to be back in this world and pick up where we left off last summer! I have loved learning so much about this world and Gods we all grew up learning about. The author does an amazing job creating this fantasy world that touches on well-known stories. The first book was such a fantastic read and I’m pleased to say the sequel does not disappoint! While the first was adventurous and happy, this story spotlights the pain that is living and loving. The author does an amazing job balancing these in this duology!

The author also does a fantastic job creating characters that you love and hate to see suffer. Bri’s journey with grief is heart wrenching and makes the reader sympathize for the entire book. The lovable characters such as her moms and Marie continue in this story, but also experience pain and darkness. The twist of a lovable character becoming the bad guy was also written so well, it’s hard to hate them! With everyone suffering so much, it would be easy to say this story is very depressing, but this is so not true! The story is grief, it’s growth, it’s found family, it’s acceptance. It’s everything.

I could weep. I loved this book as much as the first! I love the uniqueness of it mixed with the mythology. I know there's only 2 books in this series but ugh there's one line that makes my heart hope....

This Wicked Fate is one of my most anticipated sequels hands down. I adored This Poison Heart for its cleverness, its heartfelt characters, and the intrigue. So you will love to hear that I enjoyed This Wicked Fate SO much! This direct sequel basically starts immediately when the first ended and they have to reckon with the consequences. How will they manage to reclaim what has been lost? To find their loved ones? While the beginning is still riding that wave, This Wicked Fate ends up ramping up slower than I expected.

But in that time frame, Bayron intersperses and introduces even more Greek mythology. If you loved that aspect of the first, then be prepared to be even more thrilled! There are more references, more people who pop up, and even more stories! Plus if you love this idea of archaeological clues and puzzling, contemporary treasure hunting vibes, this is it!

4.5 stars

There is only one way that Briseis can save her mother. She must find the final piece of the Absyrtus Heart, one of the most deadly things in the world. In order to find it, Briseis must learn about her family history. Turning to blood relatives that she's never met and learning about their secret powers is the only way that she can save her mom. 

However, it turns out that Briseis and her family aren't the only one looking for the last piece of the heart. The fates spell out a journey, one that could lead to more tragedy. Will Briseis be able to harness her power and magic in time to save the ones that she loves?

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for an advaced copy of this to review! I eagerly awaited this sequel after reading This Poison Heart, because how could you not with that ending? I had to know what was going to happen next, and I'm so glad this lived up to my expectations!

What I loved about these books is the way that Bayron plays with Greek mythology. It feels different than any other retelling that I've read before. This is truly where she excels in writing because even though you might be familiar with the story, there's unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing all throughout. If you're at all familiar with the myths here, you'll love the tiny easter eggs throughout.

And the characters! The combination of the world building, the magic, and the characters makes this a truly engrossing book. Despite a bit of a slow start, once the action picks up, it never lets go. You won't be able to get to the end fast enough. And then you'll be sad it's over.

It's definitely safe to say that Kalynn Bayron is a writer I will continually be watching for her amazing skill for retellings!

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but when you grow something for someone, there is a very good possibility that it will never die”

In this sequel to a personal favourite, Kalynn Bayron returns with the same beloved characters where the stakes are higher than ever before and the magic is just beginning. In hopes to bring back a fallen loved one, Bri and her newfound family and friends tackle their pasts and futures on this saga spanning continents and generations.

Unlike this series’s first installment, This Poison Heart, Briseis is not alone with her powers and new family have come to show her how it’s done. These new characters work so well alongside the already well-developed ones, and their selfless and kind nature is a nice change from the twists of the first book. However, this sequel had much to live up to and I felt that it was lacking some of the charm that I loved so much in the first book. While the goal is clear: bring Hecate the heart, there is very little else happening. And, with the emotional completion of this book, I was disappointed to find that this was a duology. This Wicked Fate could easily have set up a dramatic and powerful third book in a trilogy, but instead, the ending rushed some of its more heartwarming parts.

Overall, I loved the spins on Greek mythology and the extremely well-researched archaeological history lessons. For lovers of quests and Black Girl Magic, this duology is a must read.

Ahhhhhh I loved this book so much! I am always so worried going into a sequel when I love the first book, but This Wicked Fate absolutely lived up to This Poison Heart for me! I love the way that Bayron writes -- her descriptions are such a perfect fit for the magic and flowers that she's painting a picture of. And then there's the storytelling, which pulled emotions from me as I was reading. I am so glad I still have one of her backlist books left to tackle.

This Wicked Fate is an excellent conclusion to this duology. It picks up immediately after the dramatic, heartbreaking events that end Book 1. There is plenty of grief and heartbreak shown in a very honest way, while also having plenty of love, humor, and family moments as well. This sequel also ups the level of action and adventure, and there's even more emphasis on all of the Greek Mythology elements. If you want to read about Greek Mythology in a way you haven't before, this book is excellent.

Overall I am satisfied with the ending we got to Bri's story. Throughout the novel we get to see her grow in her confidence with her abilities, fight for the things that are important to her, and really come into her own. There weren't really many big plot twists or moments that completely threw me for a loop, but I did enjoy getting to follow Bri's hero's journey and to finally see these myths and stories told from a Black point of view. These types of adventures aren't completely unfamiliar, but it was nice to see small details from Bri's head wrap to Marie's sense of humor that felt familiar to me as a Black woman. And to see a story that beautifully held space for both Black pain and Black love and joy.

I really loved that the story had conversation about so many different kinds of relationships. There's romance, of course, and this story really centers on queer romance in a lovely way, both young first love that Bri experiences, the steady and powerful love her mothers experience, and love with a little bit of heartbreak in its history. Beyond romance, there is also familial love, Bri's strong love for her mothers as well as trying to figure out her feelings about her birth family and where they fit in her heart. I think it brings up a lovely and important conversation about what family truly is, and shows that the definition doesn't have to be so straightforward. There's also moments about friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and we get plenty of new characters to care about. Overall I really liked the way all of these different relationships played out.

As I've said, I think this was a great conclusion. It balances moments that break your heart with ones that make you laugh, and the theme of family at the center of the story was one that I really liked. It's got some mildly dark moments and violence, but nothing really graphic. Definitely will like this if you enjoyed book 1.

An enjoyable enough conclusion to a very imaginative duology.

Even though I didn’t end up loving this one as much as This Poison Heart (which was one of the best books I read in 2021), I will definitely recommend this duology to anyone who is looking to read someone with plant magic or Greek mythology.

As a whole, it has a great cast of characters, a fantastic magic system, and a fun story.

The cliffhanger at the end of This Poison Heart absolutely gutted me, so this sequel was high on my list of anticipated books this year. And Briseis’s moms stole nearly every scene in that book, so I couldn’t wait to see what happened with them.

Briseis and her friends are given one cycle of the moon – twenty-eight days – to save her mother, and the clock starts from page one. That length of time may sound like a lot, but they’re charged with finding the last piece of the Absyrtus Heart – something no one has been able to locate in centuries. Joining in the search is Briseis’s biological aunt, Circe, and seeing their relationship develop, as well as Circe’s relationship with Briseis’s adoptive moms, is one of my favorite parts of of the novel. Whether romantic, platonic, or familial, all the relationships in this duology are heartwarming and written so well. As an added challenge, adversaries are racing against Briseis and friends to locate the heart fragment.

As with the first book, it’s clear the author did extensive research in botany, and she explains the benefits of plants and their medicinal uses. And also how certain types are poisonous and fatal. She incorporates vivid descriptions of them to set beautiful backgrounds for these characters. Plants are drawn to Briseis, and she still controls them, but newfound abilities also help in her quest. As a fan of Greek mythology, I’ve really enjoyed how it’s been woven into this duology. Parts of it were kind of a refresher course from middle school.

I get that arrangements had to be made, but with a limited amount of time to save Briseis’s mom, I expected the pacing to be a little faster. It could just be me – patience isn’t one of my strengths. Once things started moving though, it was a brisk pace until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this duology and highly recommend it to fans of urban fantasy blended with mythology and magic. I’ll be looking for future releases by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just read This Poison Heart earlier this spring, so I was very excited to read the sequel as soon as I could. Bayron did not disappoint. I liked This Wicked Fate every bit as much as This Poison Heart because This Wicked Fate builds on the mythology and magic even more, which I loved. I also appreciated that in their quest, Bri and her family and friends did not come out on the other side entirely whole. It felt more realistic that way. I am not a fast reader, but I ripped through this book because I just couldn't put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This Wicked Fate (TWF) picks up where This Poison Heart (TPH) ended. Bri’s mom was just killed and taken away by the goddess Hecate, who gave Bri a timeframe to bring her mom back before she was gone for good. Bayron also teases two characters who are fully introduced in TWF — Circe and Persephone, blood relatives Briseis never knew.

One thing I loved about TPH was the inclusion of mythology, and with Circe and Persephone now major players for TWF, Bayron makes the mythology much more integral to the story. Most notably, Bayron uses to mythology to inform Briseis’ family history and show just how deep and far back its roots go. It challenges Briseis to re-think her belief of mythology, which she largely imagined as the stories present in certain Disney movies. Briseis is an intelligent and resourceful young lady, so sooner or later she would be able to uncover other myth-turned-fact facets of the Colchis line herself. However, I greatly appreciated that as Bri began learning more and more family history, Bayron used Bri’s relatives to relay nearly all the information through their own ties and knowledge to help her.

Briseis herself goes through quite a bit throughout the book, especially with her grief about her mom and her anger about Karter’s part in her mom’s death. It was so interesting to read how Briseis refuses (rightly so) to forgive Karter for his betrayal yet watch her have brief moments of sympathy for him. Bayron uses that to showcase how Briseis handles the death of her mom, with a grief that’s always there but not necessarily always at the forefront.

Moreover, Briseis also sees wonderful moments of both power and tenderness. Something that remained in my mind while reading this is how, to me, Hecate showing herself to Briseis is a testament to how truly powerful and remarkable she is, and readers get to see that manifest as Bri learns the scope of her powers and how akin to magic they are. Readers see how Briseis begins to trust Circe and view her as family as Circe teaches her. Additionally, while Briseis and Marie’s relationship in TPH was more about getting used to each other’s company, this time around Bayron shows how well-suited the two are and the big and small ways in which they care for each other.

With This Wicked Fate, Bayron once again brings an enthralling story to the table. TWF bursts with just as much magic as its predecessor, if not more. It’s rich with mythology that readers will revel in, and Bayron cleverly uses her world to explore generational trauma and mortality and the fragility of life. Her main cast of characters are a delightful and well thought out group with so much depth (Marie is a personal favorite). Every area in which This Poison Heart excels, This Wicked Fate carries to the next level. It’s the perfect conclusion to Bayron’s duology.

There was a lot I didn't like about the first book in this duology, This Poison Heart. The plant magic and mythology were probably my two favorite things about it, though, and this sequel expands on both of those aspects in fascinating ways. Bayron did a beautiful job of bringing the plants and Briseis's powers to life with vivid descriptions. The re-imaginings of so many mythological beings were fun to read, and the use of the characters felt fresh. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Briseis's family history and seeing her relationship with her long lost aunt Circe develop into something special. Briseis learned a lot from the horrors she experienced in the first book, and a large part of her journey in this book was re-learning how to trust others. She also had to figure out how to face those who had wronged her all while struggling to deal with the grief from a major loss. Her character felt much more compelling in this installment than the previous one, and the growth of her character was a really great arc that grounded the entire story. Unfortunately, the romance element still felt forced and a bit superfluous, even though the love interest was one of my favorite characters in this book. Her blunt attitude was incredibly fun to read, but I just didn't buy into the relationship. The pacing in this book was much improved compared to the first book. Everything moved along at a pretty quick speed, and I appreciated that it didn't get bogged down as much as the first book. However, much of the plot felt really convenient with the characters having or finding the right information or people at just the perfect time. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the journey in this book and thought this was a great follow up to This Poison Heart that built upon the previous book's strengths (the interesting magic and fresh take on myth) while ramping up the pace and providing a compelling arc of growth for Briseis. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.

This is book 2 and the conclusion to This Poison Heart. This is a lovely duology about a young girl who has the power to grow plants and has a strange immunity to poisonous plants specifically. A family member of hers passes away and she is given a big mansion through inheritance and it has a lot of secrets along with it. It also has some mythology elements thrown in and they really shine in this sequel with more of a Percy Jackson feel which was fantastic since it was teased at the end of book 1.

Plus! The main romance is a sapphic romance which is clearly displayed on the cover, it’s a really enjoyable story and I’m really satisfied with the ending.

This Wicked Fate is the sequel to This Poison Heart, which I really enjoyed last year. The author does a really good job of recapping the important bits of the previous book right off the bat and bringing the reader back up to speed in a way that isn’t too clunky – hard to do when the book picks up in medias res. I appreciate the recap, as I often have trouble remembering plot details from previous books when it’s been a while since I read them.

This book, like the previous one, is beautifully written and well plotted. However, I’m still not really connecting with the romance between Marie and Bri. I think it’s partly because, like I mentioned in my previous review, their relationship was insta-love-y and not well developed, but I’m also not a huge fan of the “centuries-old person who forever looks like a teenager falls in love with actual underage teen” trope. The whole thing feels forced and inconsequential, like the author wanted to include a romance in the book (because it's a YA novel and a romance subplot is basically required) but wasn’t sure how to properly integrate it into the story in a way that felt organic. The familial love, on the other hand, is really strong and palpable, especially between Bri and her moms, and between the two moms themselves. The relationship between Bri and Circe also has a chance to take root, and with that newfound relationship to her blood family, Bri’s powers thrive.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that while I didn't like it as much as the first one, I was satisfied with the conclusion.

Representation: Lesbian and bi/pan characters (including main characters), Black main character, most characters are black or other POC

**3.5 STARS**
The second book in the This Poison Heart series continues right away from events in book one. This time, Briseis has to help save her mom but she has lots of help.

There is a lot of action in this one as Briseis and her group come up with a plan to find the last piece of the Absytrus Heart to save her mom. The story immerses us even more into Greek mythology so if you love mythology, you will love this book. The story is fast paced and full of adventure especially when they go after the Heart.

A lot of characters from book one are here again: Marie, Nyx, Mo, Circe and Persephone. Even Karter makes an appearance towards the end. The lovely LGBT+ representation is in the story again with Marie and Briseis' budding romance. It's not the main focus of the story but it was nice to see. And of course I was rooting for Bri's mom to be saved!

Only thing for me was I have to be in the mood to read stories about Greek mythology and I had a little trouble getting back into the story in the beginning.

Why you should read it:
*LGBT+ representation
*Greek mythology, magic, and adventure
*love of family

Why you might not want to read it:
*not into Greek Mythology

My Thoughts:
I think this was the perfect conclusion to this duology series. It's got action, adventure, romance, magic, Greek mythology, LGBT+ representation and it's a beautiful story about family.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, and Bloomsbury YA in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED (and raved about) THIS POISON HEART... heck I even helped get it on the list of 2022 nominees for the MA Teen Choice Book Awards. So of course I was psyched to start THIS WICKED FATE to see what happens after Briseis discovered that her aunt Circe is actually alive and well. I am happy to say that this lived up to my expectations! Picking right up where THIS POISON HEART left off, Bayron takes readers on a journey that keeps the pressure on the entire time. It's an adrenaline ride through botany and Greek mythology. This series is full of strong women who may be flawed and vulnerable at times, but overall are powerful.

The pace is intense, the stakes are high, and the resolution is satisfying. And what I wouldn't give to meet Roscoe. Bayron continues to tackle the deep impacts of generational traumas with the finesse that allows such a heavy topic to not weigh the plot down. You know it's a good duology when the story is both complete and at a point where readers want more. This series is Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden meets Greek mythology and I am here for all of it.

Thank you Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for gifting me an eARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

This is a sequel of This Poison Heart and picks up where it left off from book one. This Wicked Fate has a lot of magic, history, artifacts, Greek mythology and lore. And I love it! Briseis wants nothing more than to bring her mother back as Hecate tasks her with finding the pieces of the Absyrtus Heart to put together by the next moon cycle. The story follows Bri and her wonderful band of ladies (Mo, Nyx, Persephone, Marie, and Circe) on her quest and shows a lot of family history on how the family trees intertwine with the Greek Gods and Goddesses as their descendants.

What I really enjoyed are the women in the book. They have their own strengths and all support each other. Their love for friends, family, and even more, is one to behold and it's incredible how far they will go for their loved ones. My favorite character is Marie. She's lived a long life and keeps people at arm’s length. She's sarcastic and witty, but deep down she's caring and loving, she just doesn't always say or show it. As they race against time and enemies, they uncover truths, deception and revelations in this amazing adventure to bring back Thandie. This is a fantastic duology with one of the best and diverse cast of characters and amazing plot.

A continuation of This Poison Heart, This Wicked Fate jumps in right where the first book in the series left off. Can Briseis save her Mom from the underworld by completing the task assigned by Hecate? Wrought with peril, the journey proves to be one no one in the family will ever forget.

I really wanted to love this book. The Greek mythology aspect helps make this read so fun and interesting, but the pacing of the story is what killed it for me. I felt like the entire first half was entirely unnecessary/could have been wrapped up a lot faster than it was. It seems like that portion existed solely to make it so our main character and her companions would have to rush to complete their quest and I really dragged through it. Overall, this series is intriguing and an absolutely fantastic idea (I loved the POC and LGBTQ+ inclusion) but the pacing could bother some readers and put them off altogether, especially as the first half of both books in the series are slow.

It was solid, but not quite the groundbreaking amazing hug that the first one was (I feel like this is a trend for me in the sequels I'm reading this year). It was really, really good, but it was just missing something and I don't know what. Also, it had the immortal and 17 year-old falling in love trope, and I just am not a fan of that.

But the joy! The grief! The plants! The way Bayron tweaked Greek mythology!