Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bethany Baptiste knocked it out of the park with this! This is a plot heavy, fast paced, story of Venus Stoneheart; a witcher and brewer of love potions. Venus faces so many different adversities in this book- from her complicated relationships (both familial and romantic), to persecution of witchers on a congressional scale, all while trying to navigate her own grief when a loved one dies. She will do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves, but some of those actions have severe consequences.

There are a lot of heavy themes, (death, grief, murder, a little bit of body gore) I would definitely read the trigger warnings before picking this up, but I think this is an important book to read because it transcends the YA genre, which is typically looked at like fluff. This is not a fluffy book. This is the most well thought out urban fantasy of our time.

This is truly a gem of a book. If I could give it 6 stars, I would. The Poisons We Drink, is the best YA I have read in a long time. Everything Bethany Baptiste writes will immediately get bought by me from this point forward.

Venus and Janus lost their mother. She was murdered early on in the book. Venus wants to find out who did it and wants revenge. The Grand Witcher offers her that. She brings her the killer to dispose of. But Venus is dragged into a world of witcher politics that her mom didn't want her involved in. It's what killed her dad. There is a bill up to pass against the witchers though and Venus knows that it cannot pass. She's willing to risk her life by brewing more potions that she can to kill the bill. She struggles with protecting the people she loves while doing this. She also finds out secrets from the past and it seems there are very few people she can trust.

I enjoyed the magic system in this. The recoil (think that would be the right word) is pretty brutal and graphic at times. The pacing was decent and I really grew to like both Venus and Janus. I struggled at times in the beginning to remember people and their magic, but I think that's more because I've been sick than anything.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an eARC of The Poisons We Drink!

I absolutely devoured this book. It has queer rep, political intrigue, magic, and action. I couldn't stop turning the pages (or swiping, since it was an eCopy!). I definitely recommend this book and encourage everyone to preorder!

This was a decent start to a new fantasy, albeit a bit confusing. The world building was lacking in certain aspects, with some factors being completely brushed over or not explained thoroughly enough. The characters themselves were quite interesting and i was compelled to continue reading, and I believe with time and sharper writing this author has potentional for a greater series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Baptiste mention that if you like "Practical Magic + Breaking Bad" or "love potions that crawl down throats" then you'll like this. Those two particular descriptions caught my interest and I was immediately intrigued. Check out the authors review on Goodreads. The content warnings are very thoughtful.

This book was awesome! The main characters as well as side characters were all very relatable! It was slower paced but I did not mind at all! This world building was immaculate and I will be recommending for the new year!

Here's my main issue: There is too much going on. The Poisons We Drink takes on so much: magic, murder and the grief that follows, plus fantastical racism and its role in politics. Then there's an extensive cast of characters on top of that. It's an information overload.

That being said, I absolutely adored the first 20% of this book. If the book had ended there, I would have given this four stars.

Before getting into the bad things, here's what I genuinely enjoyed.

- The literal Black girl magic - Most YA fantasy novels are about the lives of younger, white protagonists whom I love but struggle to relate to. The representation in this book deserves a star.

- The casual queerness - There's a lot of hate in this book. Thank you to the author for deciding to leave homophobia and transphobia out of this. Plus, we all know I love a cast of casually queer characters. (And alliteration. If you've been following my reviews, you know I love alliteration.)

- Patches, the cat - Can we please have pets play a starring role in books more often? While Patches isn't a pet in the traditional sense, I was still a fan.

And now, let's get into what I did not enjoy...

Our MC Venus breaks hearts, promises, and vows all the time. But she has endless chances, something that I can't accept.

There's all this talk about the rules witchers are required to follow. If they break these rules, they risk losing their magic. But with Venus, it's almost as if the consequences couldn't touch her. The lengths taken to save her were laughable. She did so many silly things and still bounced back. It's as if her "main character" privilege kept her safe. This book could and should have been so much shorter.

In my opinion, some events happened solely for the shock factor. Things got so over the top that it detracted from my enjoyment. Many moments fit into this, but I'm referring to everything that happened on the yacht. I unprepared for those revelations, and I don't feel they added anything.

Ultimately, The Poisons We Drink solidifies what I suspected: I am not a revenge book reader. I sympathized with the situation, but I cannot stand behind this behavior. There is so much hatred in this book that it hurts to read. I could not celebrate any of the witcher wins; everything felt dirty.

Bottom line: I wanted so bad to like this, but I didn't.

A decent debut novel. However I don’t believe it should be marketed toward YA audiences, more NA. The content has profanities and adult themes that I feel as an adult as fine but maybe too strong for a young adult. The writing style is unique, if a bit clunky at times but it is a debut, and it might be the authors style of writing that didn’t flow for me at times. Unfortunately that did not help me connect to the characters through the story as well, that being said I do think it will work for other readers.

Thanks NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS FIRE for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was an interesting read full of family and politics. It was a very on point novel for the current political climate but told in a way that makes the story feel less like a political statement. The family dynamics in this story are very complicated. The different levels and type of magic was interesting. The story was very well written.

The concept and the book’s explanation of what it’s like being a Black woman in America represented through a magical, fantasy world was brilliant. The author’s note and acknowledgments were raw and real and led to an even deeper level of understanding to the story. Unfortunately, it was too slow paced for my liking and just didn’t work for me overall. I do think that the younger target audience will love this one, though.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

This was such a good read! a fantasy that centers around a Black girl who doesn't always have to scream strong black woman but still shows strength. Love the whole theme of love in all its forms in this book and the queer and NB rep. The political system was also intriguing and was really developed rather than aesthetic with no real effect on the plot. Highly recommend!

This is an ambitious urban fantasy that has many cool ideas but also so many threads and high stakes that I kinda lost track of them all.

There's definitely lots of interesting worldbuilding elements, but I also didn't quite get how they fit together. The main character's potion brewing has extreme side effects, but other completely different magics seemed pretty normal other than having a time limit? It probably has rules in the author's head but things just didn't connect for me. All of the different elements also made the pacing a bit weird. It took me over a week to read this which is ages for me.

When it introduced her ‘deviation’ - essentially evil sentient magic inside her head - I was super hyped because I love that trope! But it’s barely explained and very underutilised in my opinion? I kept waiting for it to become more relevant. Maybe in a sequel....

There's good parts for sure, very vivid characters, and as I said lots of cool ideas! Some of this is just my personal taste, and I'm giving it four stars because I think it definitely has its audience.

I really loved the characters. The magic system was really solid, and quite different to many of the other series I’ve read.

I am certain I’m only thinking this due to recent escalation of events, but it felt like a somewhat naive but hopeful take on the current genocide happening to the Palestinian people. Oppressors oppressing (with violence, threats, extremely one sided laws that severely impact on the oppressed’s movements freedoms and lives). We follow the lives of complicated and imperfect people who are subjected to these rules and regulations, and how they try to work within the system to make changes (mirrored back through recollections and discoveries of their parents ultimately unsuccessful actions). Perhaps naive isn’t the word - innocent/optimistic/gentle. Might not exactly be the target audience! Overall I found there to be a wonderful depth to the well woven plot - a very politically intrigue that provides a steady hand to the characters (without simply shoving them to the next plot point).

I think the author also rushed past some parts to the writing’s detriment, in places. I kept needing to re-read sections, unclear how or what had been gently indicated. (Perhaps it was my comprehension skills? Lmao. Real possibility). Baptiste can only improve and I can’t wait to see where she takes us.

I adore the worldbuilding of witches and potion-makers in a modern dystopia setting, sort of? LOVE
Also love how diverse the characters are, how strong and unapologetic Venus is, and the writing style. It was so good!

Life is tough as a Witcher in a world where what you are is illegal. Venus uses her powers to moonlight as a brewer of potions, which can get her killed in so many ways. The cost of a spell can kill her, but so can the authorities if they discover what she is doing. When her mother dies from a bullet, the Grand Witcher gives Venus the opportunity to dole out justice in return for Venus's help with controlling the local politicians who are set to vote on a bill that would devastatingly affect all Witchers. However, little does anyone know how much control Venus must exude to keep her inner being caged, because if that evil force gets out, there is nowhere safe…for anyone.

This gorgeous cover contains a multi-faceted story, reminiscent of Justine Ireland’s Rust in the Root, though set in modern times. The divide between the races combined with the LGBTQ love story creates a complication for Venus that she uses for fuel for her magic. A little long, building the Witcher world was heavy at the beginning but the story really builds steam about halfway in. Venus’s love for family pushes this tale to its thrilling conclusion, though it is the family that may break her. This is not a sprint but a long marathon, completely satisfying at the finish.

I loved this! I thought that the family dynamic was so cozy and well done. I also felt that the compelling world-building really made the story come alive. If you're interested in a magical YA story, that's a little on the older side, with a lot of well done and relevant themes, then you're going to love this! I do think that it was a little bit too long, and I found moments where the pacing seems to oscillate between fast and slow, but overall I just loved the themes of family and trauma and how do you protect those you love from the world. I'm definitely excited for more from this author!

I enjoyed this book! I loved the world building & reading about a family of witches! I really enjoyed the characters.

however I found it slightly too long and it was more of a “telling” than “showing”. The pacing was also slightly off - some things going by really quick and other bits being dragged out.

I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of characters, and I know it’s in the YA category, but it seems a little older.
I love books with themes of magic and family, and this has both, along with power and a setting very reflective of current events.
The Poisons we Drink is captivating and I can’t wait to see what else Bethany Baptiste writes.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

This book is wonderfully written, inspired by the author’s experiences as a Black woman in America and the systems of oppressions within it.

Venus is trying to navigate her complicated familial relationships while also trying to protect her family from the hardships of the world. In this world, humans don’t understand witchers and power is something to be weary of, whether human or witcher. While some people may have the same goals, their means to an end can be quite different. The book is thought-provoking and captivating.

Although this book is considered YA fantasy, I’d say it is closer to adult fantasy due to the language and violence in it.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advanced readers copy!

Riveting, deep with description and painting the most vivid picture of a young woman who is forced to grow up too soon through trauma and tribulations. This is truly a masterpiece of a novel made all the more powerful by the honest and heartfelt point of inception. In magic, love, and power, Bethany Baptiste weaves a daring tale of a young woman, her family, and what it means to start a revolution.