Do you ever have that book that you keep reading even though it just DRAGS and DRAGS!
That's this book for me...

I saw many people saying they really didn't like Venus, as a character but I found her incredibly relatable as an oldest daughter who was thrust into growing up way to young and had a younger sister to protect. So I felt that I had to see Venus's story through to the end.

The other thing that kept me going was the magic system and the witcher society as a whole. I was so intrigued that it kept me going despite the fact I felt I was slogging through this whole thing.

The downside to the Magic System being one of the big things keeping me going was the fact that I kept finding points where I'd be going "what the hell?" Like I swore there was an insinuation that Presley had a deviation as well from the events they and Venus went through but we never see their Deviation.

Deviation's also felt like a thinly veiled metaphor for mental illness that I ended up feeling kinda iffy on...

I'm overall really sad that I didn't like this book more because their was so much potential here. And so much I wanted to love about it... But it just didn't didn't hit any of the marks.

The audiobook did have points though for the entrancing vibe that it had throughout, with Lynette R. Freeman easily entrancing me to continuing listening with her beautiful voice.

Baptiste's writing is rich and evocative, drawing the reader into the characters' innermost thoughts and feelings. The narrative unfolds at a steady pace, revealing shocking truths and unexpected twists along the way. One of the novel's strengths is its portrayal of the deep-seated emotions that drive the characters' actions. From love and betrayal to guilt and redemption, Baptiste skillfully navigates the complexities of human nature, making the characters relatable and compelling. The author also deftly weaves in themes of race, class, and family, adding layers of depth to the story.
While "The Poisons We Drink" is a poignant and thought-provoking read, it may not be for everyone. Some readers may find the pacing slow, and the story's dark themes may be difficult for some to digest. However, for those who literary fiction that delves into the intricacies of the human experience, this novel is a must-read. Overall, "The Poisons We Drink" is a powerful and haunting tale that lingers long after the final page. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Ok the voice is nice as audio, and yet the story , im still trying to figure what im reading, im not disliking it but definitely not loving it. I feel is a but all over the place and i cannot relate. The whole witch world seem very interesting and the whole building two is just the story what is not clicking it for me at this moment, will definitely give it a second try with the actual book and not the audio

This book was not for me unfortunately, I found the story very difficult to follow and differentiate between the different characters, The magic system was confusing and hard to understand as well. I really wanted to love this story but unfortunately, it was not for me.

3.5 stars

I thought the premise of this was really cool, a modern version of witches (called 'witchers') that brew potions, shapeshift, and can tell the future. These people are persecuted because the general public is afraid of what they can do, so the witchers are forced to be secretive and fear for their lives.

The pacing wasn't consistent and I found the middle to be dragging. Maybe this could be shorter or used the middle to explain a bit more about what the various witcher abilities are?

The characters are pretty morally grey, which I found intriguing, but also sometimes didn't want to root for Venus after she did some crappy things. It did make the story more exciting though and I liked not knowing what to expect from her.

One warning, Venus throws up A LOT in this for some reason, so be aware in case that's an issue.

I thought the audiobook was well narrated and appreciated the shift in tones to help me identify which characters were speaking.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the copy.

DNF at 70%

It's a weird combination for me to give up that far in the story and still rate a book with three stars (which is not bad after all), but I simply can't with this book. I've been struggling with it for weeks and the subpar execution of what seemed like an interesting concept made me wish for it to end, so I can just move on, and for me it's a sign it's time to stop fighting with a book. On language level it was more than many other YA novels have to offer, I have to give the author that. The style here is raw and the story doesn't shun violent themes. Baptiste tried to create a fully-fledged urban fantasy world based on inequality and prejudice. Even though they seemed expository, I enjoyed tidbits of information about this reality at the beginning of each chapter.
But the story was painfully dragging, needed polishing, and it was completely lacking any point. Violet is driven only by rage, which doesn't resonate with me (of course, I'm willing to admit that this book was written with some other reader in mind, but it doesn't make the story better). I found it very hard to care about her or any other characters. I have a feeling that it's another YA fantasy written with very specific anti-systemic themes in mind, in which the author is focusing more on their agenda, and not enough on the plot, which results in a flat story.
This may be the first time that the narrator actually impacted my experience for worse. I just couldn't stand the high-pitched voice for Janice. She sounded like she was screaming all the time.

OMG!!! THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! The storytelling, the characters, the plot along with the development of the world! Thank you for creating a book that I can be seen and know that it's ok to be mad and be unapologetic for it! To say this is her first book, Ms. Baptiste HAS A FAN!!!

I am so grateful for this audiobook, however I couldn't get into the story. The narrator is great. As is the concept of the book. I think it might be too YA for me.

The narrator was amazing… the cadences, the range, the characters representation, and sound effects was down right astonishing!!!

Thoughts while reading:
While I understand there is political and social aspects weaved into this book, it is an urban fantasy book and is being rated as such.

This urban fantasy based in DC was a coming of age story of an amazing young Witcher named Venus. Despite many obstacles including the biggest one of all, losing a family member, Venus does not stop fighting for what’s right. Witchers and Humans alike deserve the same rights and privileges and with understanding a work together in that common goal. This story was very beautiful written and allowed me to connect with it through the world and characters building.



My thanks to NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Loved. the urban fantasy feel of this book. It had the same feel as One Dark Window, but in a different time.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for giving me an advanced reader copy.

The story is about Venus, who makes money out of brewing illegal love potions. It's a dangerous business, and she gets in a lot of messed up situations after her mother get murdered. When the Grand Witcher, head of her coven, offers Venus the opportunity to avenge her mother's death, she must agree to a difficult demand: create harmful potions to control D.C.'s powerful politicians, all for the sake of justice.

Bethany knows how to write an emotion. The audiobook did a fantastic job of capturing these moments. Lynette R. Freeman knows how to voice act and drag you into the story, not letting you go. Her talent for voice acting truly brought the characters to life.

The Poisons we drink was high in my must-read list for 2024, and I was super honoured to see I got accepted for this copy. It exceeded all my expectations, leaving me eagerly anticipating owning a physical copy once payday rolls around. It took me a while to finish the book, pure because I lacked time, not because the book was slow paced. Furthermore, it was anything but slow paced. There are so many characters that you get to know. Some more likeable than others.

This is excellent as an audiobook! The narration brings to life the black-girl magic that Baptiste writes so well. I am definitely a Venus instead of a Janice lol.

The Poisons We Drink is about an alternate 2023 where witches have been outed to society. And predictable as always, humans have responded by trying to repress, control and destabilize the witcher community. Venus is the daughter of two prolific witcher activists and has seen the toll that this persecution has taken. It's difficult enough to find a grocery store that is witcher friendly. Making a living is near impossible. So Venus takes up the magic of brewing potions to provide for her family. Brewers cannot practice other forms of magic because potions require too much of their own life force, which removes her from the normal witcher lifestyle that her sister and cousins exploit.

I loved the way that the author reveals each layer of this magical universe. Just as you start to grasp one repercussion, another is brought to light. By the end you have travelled through to the center of a rich and vibrant world and all you can think is: I'm ready for the next book! There's so much possibility! And Venus is a hero unlike any other. I related so much to her burdens as the eldest sister, the sole provider, the weight of her strict mother and the pain that is required to break free from limitations.

Though the premise is quiet different, I thought this was a worthy recommendation for fans of Crescent City. The writing style and story is just as vibrant with it's detailed magic and the way it sparks your imagination. Both share elements of Breaking Bad and a modern tone that is even more relevant here with the layering of Black and Witcher communities. I cannot recommend this enough!

Like many people, I heard of this book at one of the books targeted by another author to receive false negative reviews. I checked out the books that were targeted and after reading the description I was sure this book would be getting a lot of attention upon its release.
So I was excited to be approved for an ARC of the audiobook.

I love that we get an image of the main character Venus on the cover of the audiobook. Venus makes illegal potions in Washington DC. I enjoyed getting to know her and her world. I felt like Venus was an interesting and likable character who I could see myself wanting to follow through more novels.

Some of the elements didn't work for me that well. The romance was not my favorite, I am not a fan of romance though. Some of the word choices felt much younger than me which is fine because I am not a young adult.

I like that the fantasy in this book is within our actual world, giving you the feeling that these events could be happening right under our noses. I liked the explanation of how potions and magic work in this world and I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters.

The person who read the audiobook did such a good job, giving characters unique voices and performing the emotions of each scene.

The Poisons We Drink would be easy to write off as a magical YA story. However, it is so much more than that. I went in not knowing what all to expect. What I found was beautiful prose, the most realistic borderline dystopic version of Washington DC, and a tale of complex familial relationships. Venus Stoneheart will do anything for her family. From brewing illegal love potions as the family business to committing dangerous and occasionally deranged acts to be able to brew said potions.

I appreciate that the character of Venus is messy. She makes questionable, and sometimes even bad choices. She's not always the nicest person. There were definitely times when she was outright bitchy. And not in a fun, quirky way. She's a complex character who has dealt with a dysfunctional family dynamic spearheaded by her mother and the family's matriarch, Clarissa. Trust me, that relationship has a chokehold on this story. As does the loving and literal blood bond between Venus and her younger sister, Janice.

This story also featured some delightful non-binary rep in the character of Presley. I truly appreciated that we only ever know them as THEM. They are never bothered as a result of their gender identity.

This is a story that does pick its battles. From magical racial politics to complex relationships, it dives into a fair bit. As a reader, the downright dystopic methods used by humans in the Witcher population in line felt not only feasible but realistic. Unsettlingly so, at times.

Baptiste's prose does occasionally skirt the edges of being purple prose-y. However, I refuse to count this as a fault as such a vivid picture is painted for those engrossed in the story. There were some things I just didn't care for, such as a decently heavy reliance on the main character passing out to move along the plot and setting to another day/scene change. All of the instances do feel earned and reasonable. It just happened one too many times for my personal taste.

I listened to the audiobook. Which I need to sing the praises of. Lynnette R Freeman does an exceptional job of giving each character a unique voice in which you can feel the heart of them. I did think she spoke on the slower side, but I think that of most narrators.

All in all, I would highly recommend The Posions We Drink by Bethany Baptiste.

This book had everything I enjoy in a modern fantasy book; political intrigue, a main character that shows growth throughout the series and a unique magic system where all magic comes with a price. Venus is a brewer that sells illegal love potions and brewing always comes with painful side effects. However, Venus is most frightened by the darkness that resides in her that she often calls "it". When her mother is suddenly murdered by an iron bullet, she is thrown into a plan to enslave the most influential political figures in attempt to throw out the most recent Witcher registration law.

I really enjoyed this book. This book was fast paced and had many different themes that were well written in this book such as racism, social injustice and politics. The events that occurred left me wanting to read more as Venus tries to figure out the mystery behind her mother's death, her plan to enslave the senators involved in the voting of the registration law while trying to contain the darkness inside her. The narrator for the audiobook does a great job for each of the characters and I truly enjoyed listening to this book. I highly recommend the audiobook for anyone interested in The Poisons We Drink.

The Poisons We Drink is out now.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to review The Poisons We Drink. All thought and opinions are my own.

venus makes her living as a brewer making illegal love potions. it’s a dangerous business, which becomes even more clear when her mother is killed by an enemy. when venus is given the option to avenge her mother, she takes it, despite the steep price of having to make poisonous potions to use against D.C.’s most influential politicians.

i’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time, and it was absolutely worth the wait! i really enjoyed the magic system, as i think the potion aspect is very unique. it was also unique how this magic had negative physical effects on venus. i loved reading about how this affected her and how she pushed herself anyway (even though she really shouldn’t have) to reach her goals.

i listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator suited venus and the story so well. i highly recommend this book to ya fantasy fans!

Urban fantasy with a strong level/focus on fantasy discrimination (human vs Witches) and pretty brutal magical consequences for brewers like our main character. Its definitely not a feel good story and at times it really felt a little too close to home if I'm being honest. Also filled with unlikable characters and relationship issues of various kinds, it was rough. But surprisingly I was here for it the whole time.

I'm going to say this was a wild ride. I've been in my own sad girl feels so pretty early on into the book I was a little unsure if I'd be able to handle due to its intense topics. Really grateful for the trigger warnings even though I usually dont need them personally. But In this case I thought i might, surprisingly I was so invested and impressed that I kept coming back and managed to finish the book in two days. (I did listen to the audiobook arc provided by net galley which was for sure the only way I could read it with my current mental state) BUT I"M so glad I did! I ended up "enjoying" the book so much!

I've always found it hard to read fantasy and barely read any, but I decided I would read more of the genre this year. Something about this cover was appealing to me, and I love audiobooks so I gave it a go.

I'm impressed with the brilliant writing style and world building, commendable for a debut author. The fact that it's an urban fantasy definitely helped me visualise better, but I found the storyline pretty weak. More than a regular novel that shows the journey from a clear point to another, this one reads like an autobiography, just covering a part of the MCs life. I felt like I was just reading random events in sequence.

An added drawback was how the language wasn't suitable for Teens in any way. There's so much cussing and bad language, so now I think the only reason one might think this novel is YA is because of the age of the MC.

The one thing which carried my reading experience was the narration. I think the narrator was great and gave it all in her performance. The only complaint I have here is that some voices- particularly the MC's sister- were super annoying.

Overall, I totally recommend listening to this book as an audiobook, though I'm not sure I would recommend the book itself.

I received an ARC of this YA urban fantasy thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the audio performance. The magic system was extremely unique and I really loved the concept of the brewing.
I love stories about witches but they often tend to be the same, which is not necessarily bad but this one was a completely different take on witchery.
Instead of over explaining how everything is set up and works, the author explains it through short encyclopaedia articles at the beginning of every chapter. This way the reader gets to know the alternative US piece by piece which was really exciting and refreshing.
As for the characters I loved them all and was really invested in their fate. Queer characters had personalities and complex backgrounds which is amazing.
Sometimes it was hard to follow the story because there were a lot of side characters and no one was exactly introduced but this might be because I listened to the audiobook.

The complex mix of fantasy and politics was absolutely amazing and I really hope there will be more books in this universe.

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

This was a very interesting urban fantasy novel. I thought the system of magic was very well done and I loved learning about it. I want to learn more about this magic and the events that happened before this novel. I really enjoyed this book and all the complexity in the book.