So the buzzwords that intrigued me for this one were Practical Magic and morally grey characters, and let me tell you, that's exactly what we got.
Although the pacing was a bit off at times, I did still massively enjoy this book. I loved the plot and the characters were *chef's kiss*.
Such a great debut novel and I will 100% be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future.

This story followed Venus and her life struggles with magic thrown in there too. The author did a great job of show real life issues in a fictional story.
The characters were bad ass and complex. I think Tyrell was a favourite of mine as he provided some comedy and normalcy.
It was a hard hitting book, I preferred the second half of it where it picked up more.
Loved that this was all for the love of her Sister rather than for a partner.
The magic element was different and much more interesting then other magical books I read.
Certainly worth a read.

3.5 stars
This was such an interesting and unique story full of twists and turns that I never saw coming! I loved the premise of this one and the idea of how potions are used in this world. I also really respected the message of this one and felt so bad for the way those with magic are treated. ⁣
⁣
One of the things I enjoyed about this one was the potion making and how dangerous it can actually be. It definitely added more risk to the story and added to Venus' story and journey throughout this one. ⁣
⁣
While at times this book felt slow to me, which might have been down to how long it was, I felt that it really picked up in the second half and I was intrigued to see how it ended. This book had a lot of potential and I think I would have loved it more if it was 100 odd pages shorter. However, this was a great debut novel! Bethany is an amazing writer and I'm interested in reading whatever she writes next! ⁣

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Considering this is Bethany Baptiste's debut, I am SO curious to see what she'll write next. This was such a promising debut!

It's a really dark story with an absolutely brutal magic system, which felt wholly original. There are so many interesting elements to the story that kept me wanting to read more. Sure, this is a very long book and maybe it didn't have to be, but I was engaged throughout. While this was dark and had so many heavy themes, it was also still really fun to read, which I think is a real accomplishment.

I really wanted to like this book. It had a good concept and honestly after the drama it went through pre-publication, it pains me to be rating it so low. But it was just not a book I enjoyed.

I liked the characters, especially the sister, but for a long time at the start I was struggling to figure out who was related to who. I needed a family tree. Especially for the fathers. It was very hard to get into the book while constantly trying to figure out who was who.

I also found some bits very disjointed. It was mostly small things, but something would be mentioned and it would confuse me and then several paragraphs later there would be an explanation. It took me out of the story because I would be stopping to try and figure out what was happening.

I really really wish I could have given this a higher rating. I really do. But I try to be honest on this blog and honestly this book was not for me.

Do you love young adult urban fantasies that feature politics, family, and love potions? If so, then look no further than The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste. The country is divided between humans and those with magic. Eighteen-year-old Venus Stoneheart supports her family by making illegal love potions. Magic users are being discriminated against and tyrannized by humans. An impending Registration Act law will result in further restrictions on magic users.
When tragedy strikes their mother, Venus must now keep her younger sister Janus safe. When the head of the magic wielders offers her the chance to get revenge, it comes with a steep price. Magic, power, trust, and corruption mix with magic and power in this compelling story.

Venus wants to live in peace, but an event three years ago caused a deviation in her. It’s dangerous and unpredictable. Who will end up controlling who? Janus is reckless, but fun-loving and powerful. The secondary and tertiary characters are well defined and complex as well, but there are many of them.

The worldbuilding was excellent in this one. However, there were some occasional pacing issues and the book seemed a little too long because of that. There is plenty of action and violence as well as a few surprises along the way. A long list of content warnings is provided at the beginning of the book. There are many kinds of love potions, not just the one that immediately comes to mind. A list is provided at the end of the book along with a glossary of terms.

Overall, this was an entertaining story with compelling characters, excellent world-building, and some unique differences in the magic system. Political intrigue, accepting responsibility, discrimination, family, friendship, love, grief, death, trust, vengeance, power, love, fear, and fractured relationships play various roles in this exciting story. I hope this is the first book in a series featuring Venus and her family and friends.

SOURCEBOOKS Fire and Bethany Baptiste provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley.

The Poisons We Drink is a solid debut by Bethany Baptiste: the world is interesting and well explained overall, characters are likeable and solid - with good depth, flaws and personality, and the stakes feel high and urgent all through the story. The potion making as an important, valuable kind of magic that takes its toll on the caster is something fresh in this kind of urban fantasy, so props for that.

Unfortunately the pacing was not great and I struggled until the last 20% where things picked up. There's an overabundance of plot twists and secrets half revealed chapter after chapter, so much that they end up drained of any shock factor and just fly under the radar. Lastly, the main political struggle reminded me too much of the Mutant Registration Act, so when describing what I was reading to friends I resorted to "X-Men but slower". Would I recommend this? Probably yes - but to a very specific kind of reader.

This was so unique and powerful. I enjoyed the use of magic and how unique it was in this book, the author created a dark and consequential version of magic that was all take and a little give to its user.

I’m not sure I enjoyed the conflict in this book and its fantasy racism element, but I can appreciate the author told the story very well and I was immersed in the story.

The poisons we drink

4 ⭐️

Let's start with my favourite part of the book: the magic system. I haven't seen a magic system this complex in a long time. It took me a while to understand all the nuances of it, but I love the notion of magic having a price for the user. I also liked that the author showed you these consequences rather than telling you.

This book is intense, I highly suggest reading the authors note at the beginning. It gives great insight into the thought process behind the book and into our main character. Venus is a very well developed MC. We get to be in her head as she battles with "it," and I think it allows us to connect to her struggle for control very well.

There are a lot of plot twists, and some were quite unexpected. It kept me thinking and engaged with the plot. Combining this with the emotional impact of certain moments makes the book very compelling.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, and I would definitely recommend it to other readers.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Bethany Baptiste, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

My one-sentence review of this book:
Holy f*cking hell, what a wild ride!!

Are you in the mood for an urban fantasy story that grabs you by the balls and doesn’t let go until the very end? How about corrupt politics and witchery and a battle against bigotry? Badass, occasionally morally grey characters, diversity and rep of all flavours, and lots of banter?

Then you want The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste.

I could not put this book down. If I didn’t have to do silly things like work and sleep, I’d have finished it in one sitting.

I loved the way love potions were used as weapons, and the fact that the characters danced along the blurry lines between what is “right” and what is necessary. And f*ck me, the ending had my clutching my pearls over the drama.

You need this book. Go buy it now. You’ll thank me.

"The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste is an exciting debut filled with magic, potions, and teenage angst, all against the backdrop of urban fantasy. We follow Venus Stoneheart, a brewer who specialises in love potions, as she tries to support her family, keep her sister safe, and protect the magic community.

What made this book an absolute page-turner for mewas the fact that even as a YA novel, it did not shy away from the grittier elements of life. Venus and her sister Janus have to confront the darker sides of the world, especially when a peaceful protest turns violent. We also witness them dealing with loss and grief, with Venus experiencing an additional layer in the form of her deviation: the bloodthirsty way her magic manifests after trauma.

I also found it really powerful how the social commentary was executed in this book: witches are tracked by the temperature of their blood, they're not allowed to gather in groups larger than twelve, and are persecuted by hateful groups of humans. Baptiste does an amazing job of highlighting issues in our current society through the means of magic and witchcraft, which I found reminscent of “Her Majesty’s Royal Coven” by June Dawson.

The entire cast of characters was amazing, and the book was filled with unexpected twists and turns. I absolutely recommend "The Poisons We Drink" to anyone interested in a YA urban fantasy filled with magic and excitement.

I have been really thinking about how to start this review . Incredible,. Bresthtaking , spellbinding, gritty, emotional, powerful .jaw dropping .
That is some of what I felt while reading this book.
I feel this book is a breath of fresh air in the young adlut/ new aldut world .
Bethany writing is Beautiful one thing she needs to know is that she has brought a new world for all of us to enjoy . She sucked me in to a wonderful world I did not want to leave .

As for the charaters there is always one that stands out more to me but this time they all was so strong and Vibrant and very much could Relate to the Characters And all the emotions that you can feel through them that to me is very powerful if you can get that from a book .

I would love to see more from this world I feel we haven't seen the last of of bethany fantastic powerful story telling I'm ready for more .

I'm giving this book the most powerful 5 stars 🌟

A very dark world with rich characters. The world building is complex and gripping. As soon as you start reading, you want to know the whys, the whos, the hows... And the author delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks UK for the advance reader copy.

Firstly the cover of this book is stunning and definitely helped with me choosing this as an arc to read.

Secondly, there is a lot going on in this story which at times feels a bit too much but then comes together and fits like a puzzle.

This felt like a dark story that reflected a lot of history whilst adding the element of magic and witchcraft.

I found this an interesting read and also liked the magic system and how it wasn’t easy to get into or be a part of.

I loved this book, it was almost too real. Bethany Baptist’s debut is unrepentantly furious, perfectly capturing the rage at being unjustly oppressed and being caught between a rock and hard place in your personal life.

Young black witch Venus hustles for her family brewing dangerous, illegal potions in a world where humans are viciously persecuting and legally curtailing the civil rights and personal liberties of witchers. When her mother is killed by a human iron bullet Venus is set on a collision course brewing potions to influence and change the course of American politics, if the brewing and the complex web of lies and deception that holds the knife sharp balance of power in her own community and family don’t kill her first.

Venus is real, gritty, and her conflict is real and immersive. Baptiste masterfully renders the toll of persecution and unjust killings on families and how trauma affects how people treat the people them as she perfectly rounds out her cast of characters, Vee’s lively and passionate sister Janus, the sweet and kind, shared past with dark secrets Presley, grumpy with a heart of gold and a bucket or five of regrets Uncle Bram, Cold queen mama bear Clarissa, the viperous Sharma sisters and the vicious backstabbing mess of American politics itself the plot snaps and snarls along so swiftly I was surprised how thick the book was when my copy actually arrived!

This is a brillant, savage rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait to read what Baptiste writes next!

I'm only halfway through this book so far( I think I'll edit some things after I'm done) but here are my overall thoughts.
1. I love the fact that we explore the precarious relationship between Venus and her mother.
2. I love the cover.
3. The little worldbuilding facts are just superb!

This is a captivating fantasy adventure that kept me hooked from start to finish. Venus Stoneheart's journey through a world of dark magic and political intrigue is both thrilling and immersive.
The world-building is rich and vivid, drawing readers into a divided country filled with danger and mystery. The magic system adds depth to the story, while the well-developed characters, especially Venus, feel authentic and relatable.
What sets this book apart is its unpredictable plot, filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. It's a must-read for fans of fantasy and political intrigue, offering a thrilling ride from beginning to end.

**ARC read**
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was....interesting. I found it quite difficult to follow and I found that I was quite confused at some points in terms of what was going on. However, there were a few moments that stood out (twists or shocking developments), and it's because of those moments that I continued reading until the end because I just needed to see it through! I needed to know how things worked out!

The second half of the book had really good flow and had us engaged - we were in the thick of figuring out who killed Venus' mother, and I feel as though the journey we were led on to get the answer was very well done. Now, with regards to the person who did it, I would've never expected it! I didn't pay much attention to them whenever they were mentioned in the book because they seemed like a side character almost, so that was an interesting surprise.

Overall, this book was decent and was pretty good for a debut novel. However, there were a few things that could've been tweaked to make the overall experience much better.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks UK, Sourcebooks Fire. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Poisons We Drink.]

Rating: 3.5/5

The Potions We Drink is a great young adult debut that explores some very poignant themes in an urban fantasy setting not so different from our own. Although I struggled with elements such as pacing, the overall magic system and some of the characters not feeling fleshed out enough, I still think this is a fantastic book and during some of the edge-of-your-seat twists I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

In this reality not unlike our own world, America is divided by humans and witchers and the story is led by Venus Stoneheart, a witcher brewer who specialises in illegal love potions. As she works to support her family, Venus can face severe consequences of brewing potions including debilitating side effects, a prison sentence, and even death. But when her mother is killed by an enemy’s iron bullet, Venus is thrown into a new ruthless game of politics and revenge that comes at a steep cost. As she begins to unravel a corrupt political web, magic and power blur together making it hard to tell which steps will leave her on the right side of history.

The theme that stuck out to me most in this book was the generational trauma that we see the younger characters bear the brunt of. The parents often are shown in a poor light which is understandable, but when considering the greater good, that becomes a trickier call to make. Generally I’m always rooting for the main character, even when their actions are questionable, but I really felt for Venus and her sister who were both trying to do the right thing in their own ways. Their relationship felt so real and I could say the same of the whole family which is why I felt that they were the strongest element of the book.

Some other areas were unfortunately a little lacking for me. I would have loved to hear more about Venus’ diviation and although I felt that this facet of her character aided with the overall storytelling, it still seemed to be missing something. I also felt that some of the relationships outside of the family weren’t as impactful as they could have been which left me feeling a little distanced from certain parts of the story.

Despite any of the more negative comments I might have, this was still a fantastic debut that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys politically driven stories with strong characters and witchy themes. I’m really glad to have read this and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future releases from this author.

Net galley unfortunately wouldn’t let me download even though I was approved. I reached out for support but had no help