With this being a debut book, I wasn't expecting it to absolutely thrill me in all the surprising and unique ways it did. This was absolutely mesmerizing and Venus is a wonderful character who is so dynamic, you can't help but be captivated by the story!

I was so excited to get an ARC for this book, I mean, look at that cover!! Thanks to #NetGalley I was also lucky enough to land the audiobook too, which btw, is absolutely fantastic! Obsessed with the narrator!

So, I wanted to like this book so badly! After hearing about all the drama surrounding a certain unnamed author attacking and harrassing a number of #bipoc authors, I sort of went on a mission to read and support the authors being harrassed, so naturally, with this stunning cover and intriguing synopsis, I was really hyped to start this book.

Unforunately, I have a history of not liking books I start off excited about, so I'm not sure what I expected. It also took me over a month to get 70% into it, which should have been a sign considering I usually can read a book of this length in 2-3 days. I'm so sad I didn't enjoy this because I really super wanted to love it! I also feel a bit weird about posting a negative review, but I am also adamant about supporting and encouraging readers to pick things up on their own, and decide for themselves what they like and dont like, so I'm going to share a bit of my feelings (good and bad) about this one and maybe it's totally up your alley, who knows.

The Poisons We Drink takes place in moddern day America where humans and witches (witchers) live together. It's about a young woman running her own business in love potions when she gets swept up in "less-than-ethical" deals of a political variety. There is also some sort of mystery behind her mother's death that I believe is linked to her or the people she's working for/with, but I dnf'd the book, so I'm not sure.

There were a few aspects I feel like I should have enjoyed, such as the "It" inside our heroine's head. It loosely reminded me of what I had wanted after the end of Holly Black's The Book of Night. I like that the heroine is a young sort of entrepreneur running her own system. I like the concept and idea of the potions and the magic system. I think the concept is fun, and yay for black excellence!! I wanted to appreciate the interconnectedness of the story, and the drama, the lore and how we're fed information, but honestly it made my head spin. The story is jam-packed and a lot is going on, so I think people who like many different aspects of one main conflict will enjoy it. There was also a non-binary love interested that I liked and wished we had gotten more of. I actually think the book could be so fun, but it just somehow fully missed the mark for me and I'm disappointed I didn't like it... but I think so many people *will love this.. sadly it wasn't for me.

I don't know if I can pinpoint what I didn't like, since it's mostly all over the place. I was somehow able to get my hands on the ebook and audiobook and neither medium worked for me! I was so painfully bored and uninterested in what was going on for the character, as well as not feeling connected to her character (and as a character-driven reader, she felt cold and unemotional to me, so I wasn't able to emotionally connect to her). This could just me a me thing since I definitately zoned out a bit while reading, but I also found the story a bit disorganized and chaotic. There was a lot going on and I think it was supposed to come across as actiony and a business for the main character, to show she's got a lot going on, but it felt too hectic for me to follow. I wish there had been more racial tension. I feel like this was how it was sold to me and either I was zoned out when that was going on or, it's at the end of the book that I didn't read, but I was looking forward to that and feel like I missed it.

I wanted to love this and I tried SOOOO hard to stick to it, but I DNF'd at 72%. It was getting to the point, for me, where if I had continued, I would begin to hate the book, rather than just not like it, and that seems unfair, so I'm stopping here.

I wish there was more critical input I could give, so people could determine if this is something they want to pick up, but at this point, I can't. I know there's definiately an audience for it, and I will always recommend books (especially for YA readers) by black authors, but I personally will not be reading this again (or, likely, finishing it).

In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family. Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her. Then an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.'s most influential politicians. As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it's hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. The characters and plot are so intricately developed. Venus is far from perfect but she is fiery and determined to save all of those she loves. I love the family dynamics - especially between Venus and Janus. They are so incredibly close but also push against each other as sisters should. There are a few obvious plot holes but the twists at the end took me completely by surprise. If you enjoy urban fantasy I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Venus is a brewer of love potions Ina magical and also quite dangerous world. Venus just just wants to support her family but is under constant worries. Some, most, have to dowith the themes of this story that dig deep into social injusti6and similar issues. Issues that affect her and her loved ones but also many others.

I suppose, even more than the storytelling, even though the storytelling was fantastic, I loved the attention to this type of hatred that still takes place in our world today.

Overall, a really great read.

Out March 5, 2024!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

It started out slow for me but this one really took a turn for the better and I was impressed. I ended up really enjoying the story and Venus was a kickass heroine. While at first the overly lengthy descriptions made me zone out as we got to the meat and bones of the story I was hooked. I thought Venus and her family had the great relationships I've been missing from YA as of late.

This story was so unique and I wanted to read non-stop. It is about brewing illegal potions, with believable characters , politics and many other themes. The family dynamics are complicated . I think it is an important book to read because of its many and deep themes.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Venus is a brewer, which means that she makes potions for a living. It sounds much safer than it is. As witchers, things are already difficult for her, her mother, and her sister Janus. So much of the world hates them, or at least, the part that doesn’t want to exploit them.

It’s the latter part that comes in handy, since Venus’s love potions are illegal, and brewing them comes with a brutal kickback that leaves her barely able to stand afterward. But it’s the only way her family can continue to survive, so Venus continues brewing.

But then Venus’s mother is murdered, and a law that would endanger witchers makes it to the Senate. When the Grand Witcher shows up with an offer for Venus, she has a difficult decision to make. She can get revenge on her mother’s murderer, but only if she brews enough potions to poison some of D.C.‘s most notorious politicians.

I received an advanced reading copy of The Poisons We Drink in exchange for an honest review.

The Poisons We Drink is a young adult fantasy novel by Bethany Baptiste. But while I say it’s young adult, it does have crossover appeal for adults too, and deals with a lot of heavy topics.

In fact, the version of the book I got started out with a long list of content warnings, some of which I’ll include here, but keep in mind that I might miss some in my own list. This book contains racism (against witchers, but it has enough parallels to real life that it could be difficult to deal with), self harm (for brewing potions), guns and gun violence (including both injuries and death), curse words, dead parents, blood, and gore. Again, I’m sure I’m missing some, so I’d recommend checking the list at the beginning of the book thoroughly before diving in.

The Poisons We Drink builds an absolutely fascinating world. I love books like that, which have witches and magic living in our world, in our day-to-day, and I’m so glad I’ve been finding them lately. Liselle Sambury did an amazing job with Blood Like Magic, and if you liked that, this is the perfect book for you. Here, the setting is an alternate D.C., where witchers were revealed a long time ago, and are fighting to keep the same rights regular humans take for granted.

But that’s not the only big society that Baptiste builds into this. This book is also filled with the intricacies of witcher society, their abilities, and their power structure. It was fascinating to read about the different social hierarchies that Venus and the other characters had to navigate, especially in the context of our world when there’s already a lot to work through. Baptiste was able to keep these nuanced and complex, and I could see their effects leaking into the main plot.

I know I’ve talked a lot about the world so far, because it was so impressive! But know that the plot does not slack at all. At first, I wasn’t completely sure where this was going, but once Venus’s mother is found dead, the plot takes off and there’s hardly any time to breathe. In fact, often the only moments when the reader sees Venus relax is when she’s unconscious, because while she’s awake, she has a lot to do! Not only is she taking over the incredibly dangerous brewing of several love potions, but she’s also infiltrating politics (both human and witcher), fighting for her life, and saving her companions from danger. This poor girl just does not stop!

And what helps keep the breakneck speed of this is just how many twists there are in this story. I could never see the next moment coming, and I really enjoyed the experience. It was like riding a brand-new rollercoaster, where you’re strapped on and hanging for dear life, jolted this way and that, half hoping that the bars holding you in place don’t give out, and half screaming your head off in excitement. That’s really the best comparison I can think of for this book, but it’s also late at the time I’m writing this review, so there might be better comparisons out there.

The Poisons We Drink was such an epic story, and I’m both overwhelmed (in a good way) and impressed. If urban fantasy is your cup of tea, this is the book for you. If you want something darker and more complex than normal YA, this is also the book for you. If you just want to spend the next few days staring wide-eyed at this book, inwardly screaming and hoping that the main character survives, this is also the book for you! I’ll be keeping an eye on Bethany Baptiste’s next works for sure!

The Poisons We Drink was originally scheduled to release on March 5, but has been shifted to March 26. You can preorder your copy from Sourcebooks Fire here.

I was very excited to read this book but for me it fell a bit short. I never got the sense of how the magic system worked and there were a bit to many "gotcha" moments. I guess that's my way of saying that it was a bit hard to follow from time to time. I liked Baptistes prose and I adored the complex characters that felt very real. I adore a heroine that gets to be angry and complicated.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the digital ARC of "The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste.

The premise was what drew me into requesting this book... illegal love potions and witchers vs. humans. The magic system in this book was really intriguing, and the internal and external conflicts read almost like a modern socio-political commentary. I also loved that the Roman mythology names Venus and Janus were also appropriate and very fitting for the characters and their abilities. Overall a solid concept, and story.

The one thing that prevents me from rating this higher is the overly lengthy descriptions in the book, and a lot of detail that seemed unnecessary. There were some parts where an entire page was taken up to describe one thing, or there was a lot of unnecessary detail during a conversation between two characters. I understand trying to build the world... but it detracted from the book when I frequently got lost reading, and had to backtrack to remember what I was reading about. Due to this I wasn't necessarily sucked into the book right away like I normally am, it took a bit to get used to the writing style.

I can definitely see this being a book that my students would enjoy though.

3/5

I really liked the premise of this, and the characters as well, but the execution wasn't great in my opinion. The writing just wasn't in depth or well down and I struggled to connect with the book because of this. The world within was interesting but it just didn't click with me unfortunately. I would still recommend this as I think it's worth checking out.

Short and Sweet Review
Venus brews love potions illegally, but she does what she needs to keep her mom and sister afloat. In this book we see a divide between witches and humans. When Venus’s mom Clarissa dies from an iron bullet, Venus’s world is turned upside down, but when Venus is offered the chance to make a difference for witches and get revenge on her mothers killer by the grand Witcher, Venus accepts. All Venus needs to do is brew poisons that will have politicians follow the wishes of the grand Witcher. The further Venus goes on in this scheme the more she realizes that everything around her is corrupt and she doesn’t know who to trust including herself.
This was an interesting take on a book about witches. It takes place in current times but the country is divided and there’s laws that are going to be voted on soon that aren’t favorable to witches. Venus isn’t too worried about that yet, she’s more focused on making potions for customers. We see that Venus cares about her family and after the death of her mother she really feels like she has to keep her sister Janus safe. I think Clarissa’s death sets everything in motion, we see Venus start to work for the grand Witcher and stop the vote against the witches. There’s a lot going on in this book and I thought the pacing was off. There were times where things were picking up and then other times when it was so slow that it made me feel like I’ve been reading this book forever. I was thinking this book could have been a part of a series but its just a standalone and it kind of made sense why it was so long, but thinking back it could have been cut down a bit. I liked seeing the different types of magic that the witches had. Venus has a good support system behind her but we see through the book that Venus starts to lose herself and really has to dig down deep to remember who she is and what she should be fighting for. Venus had a romantic interest, Presley, but I feel like there was really no time for romance in this book. The book is good and you get some glimpses of amazing writing and story telling but there’s points in the book where it drags and you just wonder why everything has slowed down so much. The pacing is almost like a rollercoaster ride and not a fun one when it comes to keeping your attention.
Overall, I did like the story it was interesting and the world is really something different. Venus is a character that will have you rooting for her and just wanting her to be safe and get everything she wants especially with all that she’s been through. The only downfall was the length of the book and again the pacing, but besides that its a good read.

I loved the story. I loved the concept of focusing on one kind of magic and as always, magic comes with a price. I just didn't vibe with the writing style and that definitely can happen, it's nothing against Bethany. But I was interested enough in the story that I needed to know how it ended so 3 stars for me

Unfortunately I listened to the audio book which took away significantly from my enjoyment of the book. The story itself was interesting and a unique spin on traditional tales of magic and potions. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique tale. I also thought the amount of profanity was unnecessary and distracting.

DNF - I had a feeling when I read the content warning in the book that this wasn't a good fit for me. I hope it finds it's audience though.

While I absolutely loved this novel, it took me a while to really get into it. The inciting action of the story, the murder of Venus's mom, doesn't happen till about 20% into the book. A couple of chapters later, when the Grand Witcher offers Venus revenge, the story starts becoming interesting. To clarify, the story leading up to that part wasn't bad, but with how the summary is written, I thought the murder would happen sooner.

Everything else about the novel was amazing!! I love how the magic system worked, especially where using/brewing magic has a cost to the user. The limits on magic in the novel made it more believable when there were set backups. Not to compare it to other magic systems, but the endless power that is present in other fantasy novels makes problems seem too easy to solve. With this, Venus has to make sure her power isn't drained, along with keeping control of her deviation. Venus has so much pressure on her shoulders as an older sister and all the expectations her mom, Clarissa, laid out for her that watching her grow over the novel to realize that relying on others isn't a weakness was wonderful to read.

The side characters were completely fleshed out as well. Janus, Venus's sister, had such a typical big sis, lil' sis relationship that felt so familiar at times to my relationship with my big sister. It's not perfect but it was so real, plus, at the end of the day, they both truly love the other. Along with Janus, we have Tyrell, Venus's cousin, and Presley, Venus's love interest playing leading roles in the novel. Tyrell was so much fun, but he wasn't only comic relief for the rest of them. There were many times were Tyrell had to give Venus some hard truths. I love love love the nonbinary representation we have with Presley. Venus and Presley's relationship is multi-faceted as both have so much trauma from their own lives and childhood, and they care so much for each other, but don't know if the love they have for one another will survive what happens. I appreciate Presley being nonbinary wasn't some big deal, it just was.

The story itself was so compelling, especially with our current political climate. I fear that what is present in this novel will come to pass in some areas of the country. The murder mystery wasn't the only issue going on but the political drama threaded through the whole story is a commentary on what is going on with BIPOC, queer, Arab, and other minorities. I was actually surprised by the ending and totally bought the red herring suspect. It was great to see how all the characters weren't necessarily all bad or all good but shades of grey.

2.5 stars!⭐

“Brew, get your bag, and bounce.”🔮💸🚶

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this story we follow Venus, a young promising love-potion brewer who works under the close eye of her mother. One day, Venus’s mother is tragically shot and killed leading Venus to run the operation. Venus risks being killed or falling into legal trouble and is well aware of the risks if she does not abide by the law. Venus will do anything to protect her younger sister Janus and provide for her needs. Venus is presented with the opportunity for revenge by the coven’s leader. Will she be satisfied once revenge has been had? Will she be able to fight the darkness within herself? What else is going to be asked of her and how deep will she be buried in her oaths?

This read like a more mature YA story which I really did enjoy. The contents of the book seemed to match the description. The author did a great job of posting thorough trigger warnings for readers who may be sensitive to these specific topics, so please check them out.

I really liked the concept of our FMC being a smart and reliable narrator despite struggling with her own thoughts, and power. She was a very dedicated sister, brew-master, and “lover.” When it mattered the most, she was always there to step up in times of importance. Her struggles on contemplating good vs. bad are very relatable:

“And what if I don’t think it’s worth saving? What if all I want to do is watch this bitch burn down because there’s no good left in it?”

I am going to be honest and admit I found it difficult to follow the magic system. I feel as if there were a lot of inter-woven blood oaths and was often confused as to who was tied to who. I also found it hard to follow the relationships between the characters as new family members and friends were often introduced and it was hard to track who-was-who as I was getting more into the story. I think if I were to have created a chart or a “cheat sheet” that would have helped. There was also a looottttt happening within the plot. One thing led to the next, to the next, to the next which made my head spin. It is easier for me to read along with stories that have a few bits of conflict within them, but I feel as if this story just had one too many subplots. I was uncertain of what ending our FMC was desiring towards the end of the book since there was a lot of chaos ensuing all within the same time frame.

Overall, I think it is a promising debut and am looking forward to more books from this author!

If you are someone who is better at following a more complex magic system in a fantasy novel, give this one a go! ❤️📖

To be honest this one took me a while to get into and I found it overly long. That said, I did enjoy immersing myself in a new urban fantasy world divided by 'Witchers' and humans. Full of Black girl magic and inspired by Practical Magic and Breaking Bad, this YA debut features a grieving young brewmaster who makes illegal love potions to help support her family. I loved the nonbinary love interest, the way the relatable world building and the emotion driven action as Venus Stoneheart seeks revenge for her mother. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Tracy Deonn and Liselle Sambury. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 Stars
Firstly thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
"The Poisons We Drink" is an urban fantasy that deals with of BIPOC in America. It follow a love witcher names Venus who make illegal love potions. Its magic system is unique with witchers being born with different type of magic or giving that up to brew certain types of potions. The characters a flawed and have to deal with their own mistakes. The book deals with complex family dynamics. The characters in the book are morally grey and will do what is best for their family. The Poisons We Drink" is a tale of love, exploring the lengths people will go to for those they hold dear, and the sacrifices they are willing to make in the name of love.

Oh man I love loved this urban fantasy alternate universe witchy book. It had A+ world building, complex characters, and was just so engrossing. Plus will you look at this cover?! So so pretty.

Venus and her family are all witchers, trying to get by selling love potions. Her dad died when she was just a baby as part of a anti-Witcher discrimination protest, so all along the edges of her life is the battle between humans who would legislate discrimination against her and her family. Set in Washington DC, Venus is drug into the world of politics and power as her Witcher powers are used by those around her to get what they want. Venus is also dealing with a darkness inside of her that wants desperately to get out and feed its blood lust.

This is definitely fantasy, but set in a world that is so recognizable as the US. The power dynamics and the corruption and the ways in which the government institutes discrimination are so reflective of the real US, but then the addition of magic really ratchets up the tension. Even though the books is following Venus throughout, the side cast of familiars, family, enemies and supporters is so week developed and I was rooting for all of them. I super loved this book and if you’re looking for a fun fantasy, check it out!!

This urban fantasy follows Venus Knox as she tries to find her place in a world divided by witchers – beings who possess magical abilities – and humans. In this version of DC, witchers experience a lot of discrimination very similar to the real discrimination faced by the Black community and other minority groups in the United States today.

As witchers, Venus and her friends and family possess both a birthright, innate magical abilities, and a calling, special abilities unique to the individual. Venus works as a Love Witcher, a gig that requires her to brew illegal love poisons for those willing to pay the hefty price and accept the inherent risk.

Baptiste did an incredible job creating this urban fantasy world. Rooted in reality, the magical twist to a modern America felt completely believable. The magical system was great. Between callings, poisons, familiars, and more, it was complex, but very well thought out and explained to the reader.

I liked the importance family played in this novel. Different family members, including siblings, parents, aunts/uncles, and even grandparents played a huge role in the plot. This book included a large host of characters, all of whom felt well-developed. Also, we love a non-binary love interest. 💗

While this book was quite long and did drag at some points, it was able to keep my interest because I was caught up trying to figure out all its twists and turns. I only wish the lead-up to the final reveal had been swifter, as it felt like there was a lot of stopping and starting for longer than was necessary. Once the first domino fell, I expected things to start to progress a lot quicker, but that wasn’t the case. However, I liked how things revealed earlier were called back to as the story progressed, showing that everything Baptiste included was done so for a reason.

Thank you to Turn the Page Tours and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for sending me an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.