For a young adult audience this book has a lot of adult content. I would not recommend this to any teenager to read. And it would be a decent book for somebody in their 20s or older. I just don’t agree with the marketing to the age range. That said, I thought that the plot line was choppy and could have used another edit. I think the book was longer than it needed to be but overall I was glad I read it.

Firstly let me just say that the narrator, Lynnette R. Freeman did an amazing job. She brought the book and it characters to life! She's a joy to listen to. No about the story itself. I did really enjoy it. It's a YA urban fantasy where magic users are being discriminated/tyrannized by humans through implanting laws to slowly gain more and more control over them. The worldbuilding and magic system was really unique and well thought out. The ending was full of surprises with it's twist and turns. However this story just couldn't grab my full attention. I think this is mainly because the genre isn't really my thing. So it's more of a me problem.
Overall a very good YA debut book that contains some weighty themes, definitely check out the content warnings.

Narrated by Lynette R Freeman

Story itself was a bit bland but the narration was A++ *chef's kiss*

I'd love to give a decent breakdown of the plot, but it confused me a lot so all I can tell you is that our main protagonist, Venus, makes love potions and eventually lands in hot water that she has to find a way out of. She is in some kind of debilitating pain for most of the story (for various reasons) and her family is generally a hot mess.

There are all kinds of twists and turns, and because I wasn't paying attention the whole time (the political intrigue was BORING) it was very hard to work out whose side people were actually on. It seemed like there was a lot of switching.

So very twisty, and if you're paying closer attention than me you'll likely catch a few enjoyable surprises.

I wasn't sold on the parent-hating this book seemed to favour. We're definitely seeing a teenage point of view here, with parents seeming to be the root cause of everything that goes wrong in this book. I wasn't real keen on it, and it was another thing that set my mind wandering, because I didn't really want to hear it.

That's the interesting thing about audio - if the opinions of the book aren't really shared then it's easy to tune out. I found a lot of the smaller moments really entertaining but missed the depth in a few of the bigger themes because they were wrapped up in packaging that didn't agree with me.

And there are a LOT of big themes here. There's a looooong list of trigger warnings at the start, so expect some heaviness going into this.

The lighter moments are really what kept me listening. There are some really fun scenes and interactions between characters sprinkled in amongst all the heaviness, and it was extra delightful listening to these because the narration was so fantastic.

And here we come to my absolute favourite part - the narration. Freeman did such an incredible job bringing these characters alive. Jay actually annoyed me SO MUCH but at the same time I adored that characterisation. This one gets an extra star from me just purely based on how much the narration added to the story. It was easy to differentiate between characters, and there was so much personality conveyed. Would happily listen to any audiobook from this narrator.

So while I don't think the story will entertain everyone, I would recommend this book purely on the strength of the narration. It was such a fun listen, even though the second half of the actual story dragged. Just those voices were enough to keep me going.

With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC

I really wanted to love this but in the end, I lost interest.

This was LONGGGG and to be honest, I could barely tell you what happened as it failed to keep my interest. I definitely missed out on any excitement of reveals as I'd not kept up with who was who and it just wasn't for me.

Thank you RB Media, NetGalley, Bethany Baptiste, and narrator Lynette Freeman for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The world is filled with magic in the hands of witchers and certain people have the ability to make special spells that can make life better or worse. Venus is one of those that can make love potions that either make things go very right or go very bad. But when her mother is killed she has to make a terrible choice, does she fight for the good and a peaceful future or does she take revenge on those people that are against the witchers? It’s very well written and kept me guessing until the end. This was a fun read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Twist and turns galore. This book at me on the edge of my seat because I never could predict what was gonna come up next. It did get a little bit confusing every once in a while, trying to keep up with all the Witcher and such but overall I would give this book 4 out of 5. The narrators voice did match what I think the characters would sound like however, some of them were just a bit squeaky for my taste, but I definitely am going to read the physical copy when it comes out so I can make better connections

"I made the Poisons We Drink with two cups of Practical Magic, a gallon of Black girls, a sprinkle of bad witches, and a pinch of unbreakable bonds. But when everything's all boiled down, this story is my heart."


Bethany Baptiste, renowned author, breaks down the novel in such a tantalizing way I couldn't wait to dive into the dark fantasy ARC.


Venus Stoneheart is an illegal brewer of love potions in a world of witchers and humans. All this sentient magic and danger just to support her family. She could be thrown in prison, or worse, put to death for her practice.


A taunting voice in her head. Her mother, a timekeeper, pierced by an iron-crafted bullet. Little sister Janus becomes her ward, her responsibility.


Ouija boards. Blood oaths. Forced love.


The Grand Witcher offering her everything she wanted - avenge her mother, murder the one who took her parent from the world.


The story quickly is encompassed by politics and a gameboard strategically arranged like that of a chess game. Trust becomes a fragile thing, and the darkness is clawing it's way out from inside her. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

To start off, this is my personal opinion on this book.

This book was just not for me. I also received the audiobook arc via Net Galley, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this debut ARC.

In my opinion, this book felt a bit too juvenile. I understand it is YA, however the amount of curse words was a little bothersome. I know I sounds hypocritical as a person who does curse a lot when they speak but it is not my cup of tea to read curses on almost every page. It felt like to me, an urban book with fantasy elements.

I was not a fan of the dialogue nor did I like any of the characters. I pushed through and in the end I just ended up not liking it very much.

It’s not a bad book, I just didn’t like it

This is also not a fake account made by that weirdo author. I’m a real person and a person of color. I am tying my best to right his review in the nicest way possible as to not anger anyone.

I really enjoyed Bethany Baptiste's YA fantasy debut, "The Poisons We Drink," I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lynette R. Freeman.

In "The Poisons we Drink", we follow the journey of Venus Stoneheart, a young Witcher and potions brewer for hire. Baptiste does an excellent job guiding the readers through heavy themes such as racism, classism, and political intrigue. The audiobook narrator, Lynette R. Freeman, gives a remarkable performance adding an extra layer of depth, effectively conveying heavy emotions to the readers. The magical world, well-crafted characters, and the richly immersive environment left me craving more. The book's unique magic system, coupled with unexpected twists towards the end, and Freeman's exceptional narration, make it a must-read for all fantasy readers.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was actually really good! I was a little skeptical because it’s a YA book, but I found myself really relating to the characters and the plot was captivating!

I really wanted to like this more than I did. The world building and magic system was really interesting and unique but I was often getting confused by things. The plot was also quite slow and a little disjointed. I think the book could have been cut down quite a bit for better pacing. The characters had promise but I wasn’t really invested in any of them. Overall, a really promising debut and I have high hopes for what the author can do in the future.

What a fantastic story about familial love, political corruption, and magic!

The audiobook narration is absolutely stunning. Freeman brought the characters to life with how they were voiced. The story itself had me thinking about it even when I wasn't listening, wondering how Venus was going to move forward. Grief and strength go hand-in-hand in this book. I loved the sister and the nonbinary representation (side character). The political intrigue interspersed with wanting retribution for a family member's death were really well done.

The author announced there were errors with the book and its publication has been pushed back. I can't imagine how much better the book will be in its final form!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

UNPUTDOWNABLE.

This was one of my most anticipated titles of the year and it did not fail me.

Venus is a potion-brewer with a speciality in love potions and a dark, bloodthirsty "it" inside her chomping to get out. Because love potions have consequences - and so does breaking other witcher rules. Two things Venus knows all too well and will learn over and over again throughout the story.

The prose is fantastic. The characters are excellent (particularly loved the complicated family relationships!). And the twists will keep you turning pages. I listened to the whole damn audiobook (like 15 hours?) in like two days. That's how compelling it is.

The audiobook narrator did a great job with narrating this story. This was a highly anticipated urban novel i couldn’t wait to get my hands on. Unfortunately it just didn’t do it for me and i had to DNF at 87%.

There was an uneven pacing that through me off, way too many characters to keep up with, and i felt the author kept telling me the magic system instead of showing me in the book and letting me as the listener understand it in my own. I listen to audiobooks a lot, i felt myself keep getting lost in the storytelling. Idk if this was because the story wasn’t interesting me or it’s just hard to follow. Idk what it is but something is missing.


Now originally when i first started listening everything was great, engaging and funny, but i just felt lost in it and lost interest about 15% in.

A fantastic YA debut that’s full of danger and corruption in a world divided.
I absolutely loved the magic system and can definitely see Practical Magic as an influence. The brewing in particular is vivid and as colourful as the books cover.
The book starts off at a slow and cozy pace as we are introduced into the world and the characters. The murder mystery element creates tension and the pace seems to flow nicely to a big crescendo at the end.
I enjoyed the underlying themes that are explored through the story and characters. Most obvious is prejudice and oppression that mirrors real world difficulties. The plot does centre around political issues so possibly would be of interest to readers wanting to read a more serious fantasy.
The audio was very well narrated and really brought the story and characters to life.
Overall I think this is a book about love and all its different forms.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Politics, family, and magic! A beautifully constructed world of Witchers living in the DC era trying to live and survive in an environment of fear and prejudice. Venus Stoneheart is the brewer of her family - love potions are her speciality. When the brewing of one familial love potion - reuniting an estranged father and son - sets off a series of wild events with massive and far-reaching consequences not only for Venus herself, but her family, friends, and Witchers country-wide. There is corruption, coercion, love, fear, camaraderie, murder, lies and truths that all unravel into a gorgeous tapestry of this Magical world. It pulls you in with more and more questions as each answer is unveiled!

I received an ALC through Netgalley for review. This is my opinion.

First, the narrator narrates with her whole chest. Seriously, she nails a ton of accents (from BIPOC snarky teens to Indian matriarchal types). Each of her voices are distinct and done well.

On to the book itself!

The Poisons We Drink has:
⭐️Teenaged snark (lots of it)
⭐️Diverse cast
⭐️VENGEANCE
⭐️Big family dynamics
⭐️A complex magic system
⭐️Social commentary through fantasy

The Poisons We Drink is a YA Urban Fantasy about Venus, a potion-brewing Witcher who's taken over for her mom when her mother can no longer brew. Brewing potions is agonizing, requiring pain from the creator, while simultaneously being illegal. When Venus's mother is murdered, she begins working with the Grand Witcher to exact vengeance on the ones responsible. But everything is not as it seems.

I really enjoyed the magic system; the depictions of the gruesome nature of Venus's work were not...enjoyable exactly, given the nature of the description, but really well-written and agonizing to read. Maybe it's just my English Lit degree popping to the forefront here, but the layers of metaphor of being a Witcher and brewer are really interesting and through provoking, particularly through the lens of social commentary and magical racism.

One thing to note about TPWD is that it felt very episodic in nature. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it felt almost like an entire season of a TV show in a book. It's very past-paced with little down time. Not a negative for me, especially since it makes picking up and putting down the book a little easier, like you don't have to figure out where you are if you start the next chapter, you're just on to the next section of the adventure.

Also, I really enjoyed how Baptiste really nailed teenage sarcasm, snark, and that sort of gnarly twist of feelings that come with being a teen. Baptiste's language felt really genuine to kids that age. Props, because that's not easy to do.

Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media, and Bethany Baptiste for the ARC.

This story is about a Witcher named Venus who is trying to support her family by making illegal love potions. She has an inner voice that antagonizes her that she tries to keep at bay but cause her to get into some dangerous positions. Due to some unfortunate circumstances Venus agrees to a blood oath to seek revenge but with the oath she struggles with who to trust.

The premise of the book was definitely interesting but I found myself struggling to follow the story overall. I think this was a me thing as I am not generally a fantasy reader and this was my intro into the genre. I believe that I would have had a better experience if I read this in another format. The book was still good despite some struggles. I would definitely read what the author choose to write in the future

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, which btw, is absolutely fantastic! Obsessed with the narrator! She was perfectly able to show a variety of different voices and emotions for different characters. As many of us audiobook isteners tend to do, I also spend up the audio at some points and her voice still rang clear and consice and I was able to follow along and understand perfectly what was happening. I absolutely loved the narrator and woud definately keep an eye out for this voice actor for future audiobook endeavours. The audiobook was fantastic, so 3 stars, if not 4 for the narration, but personally the story wasn't for me, so I gave a lower rating.

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!

The narrator was PHENOMENAL! I definitely enjoyed the story more because of the narration.