***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

I tried with ths one, I really did but it was DNF for me at about 25 percent of the way in.

The book has an interesting concept: Greek Medusa retelling in an American western setting. Sadly, I just could not stay focused on this story. The characters were very underdeveloped and the pace was achingly slow.

I did appreciate that the author listed the TW's at the start of the book. I love to see that so that is what made me give it the extra star.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Allyssa Brinker, I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Cruel Venom Wine. This book is a witchy Medusa retelling, set in 1860s Utah. I know, I know. That sounds like the weirdest combination of words, but the story was overall very enjoyable. At times I did struggle with wording that felt overly "thesaurus-ed," and it definitely needs another round or two of edits because there were quite a few typos, but the bones of the story held it up.

Allyssa was wonderful enough to include Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book, which I always commend. Please be sure to check those before reading, as there are some heavy hitters, including sexual assault as a main driving factor to the story.

Cruel Venom Wine follows Meredith, a crimson witch with an affinity to snakes. She talks to them and they do as she pleases. After a brutal sexual assault (I don't want to add the word attempt here, because the rape is not completed, but she is still, in my book, totally sexually assaulted), Meredith and her sisters flee the wrath of Poseidon and Athena, meeting Percy (IYKYK) along the way.

This book does an excellent job of reminding readers that Poseidon freaking sucks. Zeus, too, although Zeus isn't present as an active character in the story. (I'm not saying Hades is always a stand up guy, but don't listen to Disney channel on this one. If I had to choose one of those three to saddle myself too, it would 100000000000% be Hades. The least of the 3 evils and all that. I will die on this hill. See what I did there?!)

All in all, if you're into Greek mythology, I would recommend this book. I would categorize it as definitely a YA fantasy retelling.

I loved the relationship between Meredith and her sisters! Percy was kind of a boring character, or possibly just too predictable for my preference. The world building lacked slightly throughout this story and it could have used a little more action, but overall is was a decent retelling.

This was such an interesting retelling, I love retellings especially Greek retellings so this was right up my street. IT was a slow burner to begin with but seemed to increase its acing with the flow of the story. It was well written with well developed characters. I couldn't put it down.

This book is a Medusa retelling set in 1860s Nevada. The story follows a witch named Meredith Gorgon who takes care of her two sisters and her pet snakes. One day Poseidon (in this story his name is Trout) attacks her and she fights back against him ruining Athena's temple (in this story Athena is named Attie). After the attack Trout tells Attie that Meredith is a criminal who destroyed her temple, defying a god. Soon a bounty is put on her head and she must flee with her two sisters. To save herself and her sisters she must work on keeping them safe and focusing on her powers.

I knew the story of Medusa very well and it was interesting to see the author's adaptation of the story. The reason I gave the story 4/5 is because everything seemed a little slow in the beginning, about the first 30% of the book. I also wish I could have learned a little bit more about her sisters and their stories. Lastly, I wish there could have been an epilogue about how Meredith's life was progressing after the end of the book.

This novel contains some trigger warning and the author lists them in the beginning of the book Triggers including execution by hanging, robbery, sexual assault, profanity, violence, and illegal activities.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This author is a gem and if you haven't read her books you are missing out. Very well written with no errors that I could detect. An excellent excellent story. Engaging unique and compelling.

Definitely have some mixed feelings about this one!

The book begins with an interesting concept: an ancient Greek Medusa retelling meets an American western. Unfortunately, I struggled to hang on to the meat of this novel. The characters seemed a bit underdeveloped, and some plot points strayed further away from the original story than I would have liked.

Ultimately, I think this book is a better read for a YA reader who would overlook some of the plot's inconsistencies and struggles.

Definitely a huge shout out to the author for adding a list of TW to the description!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very refreshing to read. I have read my fair share of different Greek Mythology retellings and this one did not disappoint. The concept of this book is so simple yet the author is incredibly effective at telling the story. This book is a Medusa retelling set in the 1800s so probably very different to what people have read and I applaud the creativity.

I also noticed minimal mistakes with editing which is good! I did expect there to be more mistakes since it is an ARC but I was pleasantly surprised.

I also deeply deeply appreciate the trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book. Although I was not and do not have many triggers, I like them being there so other readers know what they are getting into. Thank you for doing that and I hope more authors take note and do the same.

Thank you for letting me read this book!
I was really excited to read it but I felt it was really slow for me to read. I think it’s had a lot of plot that didn’t make sense at all!
I didn’t feel any connection to the characters!
But at the middle of the story it’s gotten interesting!
I would think some people will enjoy it!

So I'm not really sure how I want to rate this book. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Like yes it takes the Medusa myth and turns it kind of into a western fantasy story, and I think it does an okay job staying close to the source material. But I think where I struggled to truly enjoy the story is the lack of movement and action in the plot. There's a lot of coming to terms with Meredith's powers, but I think the implementation could have been a little better. Also I think seeing Percy's downfall could have happened a little sooner in the story. I don't know, it was alright, but not my favorite.

A western witches Medusa retelling? Hell yes! 3.75 rounded up. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meredith is a young witch living in Nevada during the 1800's. Some of the Greek deities have come down to earth personified in a place that feels separate from all others. When Trout Posiedon sets his sights on Mer, what lengths will she go to in order to remain her own? And what will it cost? Her family? Herself?

Who doesn't love a unique origin story?! This did not disappoint, and had some new elements that both helped and hurt it in my opinion. The rattlesnakes being controlled by Mer was neat, but upon transforming I did miss that they didn't become a part of her physically. Her curse of turning people who met her gaze to stone was shown in a harmful light to Mer herself, rather than just a weapon she wielded. The western elements were woven into the story really well and breathed a fresh air into the tape with bounty hunters and the like. I really enjoyed this novel and the work the author put into creating a whole new scape in which to tell her tale. You can tell that the author is still honing her craft, and I can't wait to see what she does next. She has the makings to be one of the next big voices in literature.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4. I hope there is a second novel for this series, I know I'll be keeping a close eye on this author for what's to come. Recommended for readers 15+ due to adult themes. Trigger warnings: assault, sexual assault, and other adult themes.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read Cruel Venom Wine.

I love any retelling and I couldn’t wait to read this. The premise of this book sounded really appealing but the writing fell a little flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the plot. However, overall I would say I enjoyed this.

An interesting retelling of Medusa that I'm sure YA readers will love.

Medusa has always been a popular myth and it was fun to read a more witchy aspect to the story. The plot was fast-paced and the Southern aspects were beautifully done and created a sense of atmosphere within Brinker's world building.

Personally I didn't feel that connected to Meredith or her sisters and this made me struggle to get fully involved with the story - the writing felt very "tell" rather than "show. Nonetheless, it was energetic and a fresh start to what I imagine will be a great series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

A superbly well-done retelling of the curse of Medusa. Ms. Brinker's descriptive writing style gives you the feeling of walking alongside Meridith in the scorching Arizona dessert, creating a clear picture in the mind's eye of her trials and triumphs during her journey. The cover art and title drew me in, and the relatable characters, fast-paced story, great plot kept me hooked until the very last sentence. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next.

A MEDUSA retelling? MAGICAL HEROINE? REPTILIAN best friends? Unbreakable sibling bond? Greek Gods? SIGN ME UP

This story had me gripped from start to finish, the pacing was fantastic and the story was SO GOOD. I loved the relationship between Meredith and her sisters - it portrayed the need to protect siblings that may (or may not) need your protection and are not 'porcelain' as Meredith so finely claimed

PERCY - I have so many mixed feelings about him, he seemed alright at first and I rooted for him until the whole 'I have to kill you to save everyone' motive, his actions towards the end of the book were quite child-like and I scoffed more than once at his expense
Meredith's powers were amazing, if a new book were to be released focusing solely on her mastering her powers I would not be disappointed

I received this ARC from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I love a good Greek retelling, and this book delivered! The story of Medusa is one of my favorites and this was well-done. I felt emotionally attached to Meredith the entire time, and the story moved quickly. Great job!

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

This was a very interesting take on the tale of Medusa. The concept was interesting and was a strong series opening. I look forward to the next book in the series.

LOVED THIS BOOK. ESPECIALLY I LOVE HISTORICAL FICTION, MYTHOLOGY AND WITCHES ALSO A POWERFUL FMC, TOO!

Our story sets in 18th century. Our FMC is Meredith. She is a witch. She blessed with magic and she is soo powerful.

Someday, Poseidon attacks Meredith and Meredith cast a spell to Poseidon. Then everything goes bad and from that time on, Meredith have an power, when she look to someone, she can turn them into a stone. Now this story comes you close, right. Because it’s an Medusa retelling.

I always loved Medusa. She is one of my favourite mythological person (I’m not sure 100% that Medusa is a Goddess, so i’m gonna call her a mythological person) and when medusa and her myths mix with magic, it’s the perfect fantasy to me!! I literally can’t tell explain that how much i love Meredith. LOVE HER!

Thanks for the Advanced Reader Copy, and thanks to the author, editor and NetGalley 🫶🏻