a captivating young adult fantasy novel that takes readers on a magical journey through a world filled with intrigue, danger, and dark secrets.

This one didn’t quite hit home for me. I wanted to absolutely love it, the concept is cool, the magic system sounds great and had potential but I just got really lost in the detail and structure that it made following it a little distracting.
I did find the narration a little over acted in places which may have also added to the distraction but I did like the atmosphere it created and the general storyline, when I got a hold of it, was good.
I think as a debut this shows some great potential, it could benefit from being a little shorter with better flow between the characters and the plot and in my opinion simplified for its target audience, at times I felt it dragged with info dumping and I found myself uninterested in some of the character, largely because there is a lot of them, I had to keep reminding myself who they were and how they were connected which detracted from being invested in them, but if your looking for a book with and urban setting, dramatic magical and political plots and complex characters with questionable motives, I think you would get on well with this book.

This was an entertaining read with good worldbuilding, an interesting magic system and engaging characters. While there is action, I felt this book dragged in some places and may have been longer than necessary. However, as I was listening to the audiobook, I could speed it up a little and the narrator kept me engaged with what was happening within the plot. They gave each character a distinct voice which made it easier to remember who was who in this relatively large cast. Over all, this was really enjoyable and I would read more by this author!

A bold and necessary new voice in YA fantasy. I loved this one. Great pacing and really compelling characters. The narration is dynamic and I'll definitely keep an eye out for this narrator in future.

This book simply wasn’t for me. I’m not an overly critical reader, and I liked the overall concept of this story. However, I got terribly lost in the details. I’m hoping future books by this author resonates a bit more for me, especially considering this was their debut.

Let’s start with my likes:
- Modern urban setting (D.C in 2023)
- How close Venus and her family were (for the most part)
- The strong community feel
- The concepts behind the magic system
- I really liked the narrator. Their range of character voices/personalities was insane. I do think a few expressions didn’t match the words being described, but that’s being persnickety.

Where I struggled:
- World building: once I figured it out, I liked it. It took me muddling through for way too long to piece details together though.
- I struggled to keep the large cast of characters straight which made 👇 far worse.
- I got terribly confused in the intel details. I couldn’t keep it straight. This was such an issue that the climatic finish was lost on me. I could barely keep the plot straight.

Left me feeling anxious. I found the book to be an unpleasant read and admit that I wound up putting it down before I finished. I don't like an us against them scenario where the US in question is abusive and not really an "us". I guess maybe if I kept going I understand the reason why Venus' mom abuses her (making your child suffer pain that you could keep from them because you aren't willing to suffer that pain yourself is abuse in my book), but it puts me in an uncomfortable and unpleasant place as a reader. I also found that in the audiobook, the choice to use the word "Witcher" instead of just saying witches really stood out in a bad way. Witcher is a franchise, not an everyday term. Even my autocorrect capitalizes it for me. We don't need to be fancy in fantasy just for the sake of being fancy

Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for sending me a copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

I am so conflicted about this book. On the one hand, the premise was great and had such amazing potential, It was a really poignant story about family and love and loyalty. On the other hand, it felt juvenile at times, and I definitely think the narrator ruined a lot for me. It was overly dramatic narration most of the time and made the modernization of fantasy feel cringy.

I really wanted to love this book, and I did particularly like the magic system and the world it's set in. It's such a unique magic system and the exploration of it left me wanting to know more. Except I felt like I still don't understand anything about Venus' deviation. I really wish that had been explored more because it was such an interesting part of the story.

This might be the book for some, but for me it really fell flat.

I can’t actually think of anything I didn’t enjoy about this book. I loved the familial relationships in this book and the way the magic worked, from the process of brewing different potions and only being able to stick to your one type of magic or facing consequences. I was so invested in the story and how the characters would overcome and fight against the non-magical people trying to take away their rights. There were high stakes for the characters and reveals that had me unable to put the book down. I really enjoyed how the audiobook narrator told the story and the emotion that was put into their voice when needed. Would definitely recommend this book and also audiobook

Mini review

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. - Why?

MC has a septum, and look at this cover!

The book REALLY did not disappoint. Rather, it was endlessly complex and tragic, I think One has to read it for oneself to understand just how much. One easily became immersed and invested in the world and characters. However, the coolest part was definitely the magic system, it was beautiful and balanced. Magic also showcases the fear of the "other", and does so in the most horrifying way.

This read would have been 5 stars, had I not been in a slump and had a hard time concentrating.

Lastly, I'd like to add that the narrator of this ALC gave the book life, and the narration was genius!

I'm so sad that I didn't love this one! I really wanted to for multiple reasons, this is a Black YA fantasy book which I love to see more of, and the author was subject to review bombing in the recent incidents so I was hoping to combat some of that negativity. Additionally the publishers haven't been treating this author quite poorly, with continuously pushing back the release date for this book with no solid reasoning. But I'm going to be honest with my review and say that this book was just okay for me. There was a really interesting base but sadly it was (for my personal preferences) still in need of some editing.

There is magic present throughout this book, and it's really interesting in its execution however, we don't get any real explanation on a number of the functions of this magic (or any of it really) and that ends up being really frustrating by the end of the book. This is something that I could've forgiven more easily if the book had been the first in a series as that progression could have come in future books. As it is it leaves the book feeling underdeveloped and in a weird limbo.

This is the same for the political aspects in this book. There seems to be a complex integration of this magical society into our regular world, and this is explored slightly, but I would have loved to have a bit more information.

And yet, seemingly in opposition to everything I've just said. This book was quite long for what it did give us. The 400+ page count wasn't utilised as best as it could have been for the information that we did get.

BUT! I do have positives!!

First up, the narrator did a great job with this. I was a bit annoyed by her rendition of J's voice but she did a great job in differentiating all of the characters and I never got confused between them.

Additionally, the relationships in this book are done fantastically. The parent-child relationship is very strained, but in a realistic and relatable way for teens. And the romance that is present is really sweet, without being saccharine, and was really believable, something that often isn't achieved with YA bookish relationships. This is an area where Baptiste really excels.

There is also some fantastic messaging in here for teens (like how you shouldn't push yourself too hard and that self care is important) and I do think that teens will absolutely adore this book. I can't rate it higher than I have (3 stars) without lying about my thoughts, but it should be noted that I'm not a teen. I'm 27 long years old and I expect and desire different things from my books than a 15 year old will. I think this is a fantastic book for today's teens and it's going to be such a beloved read. It just has less crossover potential to the general adult reading populace. And that's okay! We're not the audience!!

I absolutely enjoyed Baptiste’s debut, The Poisons We Drink. The world building and plot were complex and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out the rules for the world, for the magic, as well as trying to figure out the mystery unfolding on the page. This book is full of family, potions, and unique characters. I can’t wait to see what else Baptiste writes because I will definitely be checking it out!

The narrator, Lynette R. Freeman, did a fantastic job bringing this full cast of characters to life. I could always tell who was speaking, just from the different tones and rhythms that they used for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Recorded Books, and Bethany Baptiste for an alc of The Poisons We Drink in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me, I couldn't get on with the audio narration so had to DNF. I will be reading this book digitally in the future. Rating as 3 stars for now as a rating is required.

4/5 stars

Tropes and what to expect:
- unique magic
- queer characters
- politics
- racism (against a fantasy race)
- set in the present with dates mentioned (2023)

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I liked the unique magic system as well as the personalities of all of our main characters. I feel like Bethany brought a great perspective to this story. I am especially impressed because this is Bethany's debut novel, so I can't wait to see what her books are like as her writing career takes off.

The magic system in this book, especially the lore around brewing and potions felt really refreshing and interesting. While not entirely a unique system it is definitely more rare than the typical ones that are seen in fantasy and YA. I feel like Bethany gave us just enough lore and background details to flesh out the magic without getting bogged down in unnecessary complexities. The magic integrated so well into the plot and the world. But I do feel like there is a bit of a learning curve with fantasy books, and since this one doesn't provide tons of context it may feel confusing or odd for a first time fantasy reader.

The story in this book takes a while to get going, the first 20% is all setup with lots of focus on getting to know the characters. This book does have a ton of characters. It took me a little time to get everyone straight but I don't feel that any of them were unnecessary. The large cast does all play important roles and their personalities are fleshed out and distinct. Once the plot does really kick in the pacing is great, I really enjoyed the plot that this book laid out. I don't want to go into details but I was surprised by a few of the little twists and turns that the story took.

My ARC was for an audiobook copy of this book, and I really enjoyed the audio. The audio quality in this book is really nice. The narrator does a great job with all of the different voices without feeling excessive. Every character has a somewhat unique and easily identifiable voice. My favorites were Venus, Janice and Presley, I can tell that extra care was taken to make their voices stand out. There were no background noises or any kind of mouth/narrator noises, the audio is clear. There are a few points where you can hear a cut & retake but none of them are jarring, just a little noticeable.

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

For those who enjoy urban fantasy with substance, this is a must-read. This novel stands out with its emotionally complex narrative. It tackles themes like racism with a maturity that speaks to young adults on a deeper level. The audio narration was enjoyable, yet a physical copy might have been better to be able to review certain parts. The first half's slower pace laid down the groundwork for the world, while the latter half ramps up, setting the scene for a sequel. Some plot points felt rushed, which slightly detracted from my overall rating. Despite this, the book's strengths make it a compelling read, and I am awaiting the next installment to see how the story evolves.

I liked this fine but I felt like the pacing was off, it was a bit too long and I wasn't fully invested. I did like the magic system and the main character was really cool. I was taken aback by some of the twists but it became all too much in the end. I feel like it really could have been shorter. I didn't know what to feel about all the relationships and in the end, I was mostly invested in the relationship between the main character and her sister.
Overall, it was still a good debut but I feel like its potential wasn't fully reached.

The magic system of this world was so interesting to me! I really liked the idea of sort of a hidden market of potions. There is a lot of depth to the characters and the decisions they have to make in this story. I had the audiobook and I thought the narrator did a great job but I did feel like her voice felt a little old for the character so it was a little hard to get all the way into the story.

This book was incredibly enjoyable, poignant, and exactly what YA readers need. It’s heavier than some YA, but the whole point genres for young adults like this one is to challenge their thinking. I recommend this for anyone who loves magic, Black people, and challenging narratives.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste.
"The Poisons We Drink" is an intriguing story set in a world divided between humans and witchers. Venus Stoneheart, a brewer, makes illegal love potions to support her family. While the premise offers a solid foundation, the abundance of characters, makes it challenging for readers to fully engage with the storyline. I found myself trying to remember who was who and the role they played in the story. Although I enjoyed the narrator's voice, I often found myself wanting a physical copy of the book in order to flip back to review details.

Urban fantasy allegory for real-world racism, coupled with some non-binary representation. The potion trade to represent the drug trade was a cool concept.

The first half was a bit slow for me, though that's not unusual for the first book in a fantasy series. The latter half did pick up though. Though I don't think it was enough for me to want to continue the series in the future.

Thanks to Recorded Books, NetGalley, and Bethany Baptiste for the advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Poisons We Drink has one of the most compelling magical worlds and systems that I've read. The modern-day DC but twisted to include Witchers was a fantastic backdrop to the story. The inevitable divide, hatred, and ongoing battle for Witcher rights felt fresh and relevant. That the main characters were active in the resistance and the political intrigue added a lot to the story. The magical system including the terrible consequences and the pain it caused the main character felt original with a lot of heft.

While the main character, Venus, was strong and complex, I did struggle to connect with her and others in the cast. I believe this was actually tied to the narration which I personally found distracting and grating (especially for the male characters). It often made me mentally drift, tarnished my emotional investment, or transformed what would be a good scene into melodrama. It was unfortunate because I think this story had all the makings of something great, and I could hear that Baptiste's writing was beautiful, but it really ruined it for me.

Given that issue with the narration, I've decided to pause the book for now. I will wait until my pre-order arrives so I can read it and hopefully enjoy the excellent writing and worldbuilding.