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. Overall I think this is a book about love and all its different forms.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I had high expectations for this book and I must say that they were met!

The world building turned out to be original , rich and very vivid and the best part of it was definitely the magic system. The writing is fluent and between that and the various plot twists I devoured this book!

The characters were all described and all of them turned out to be very interesting ,especially Venus and er growth

In short if magic, political intrigue and action are your cup of tea, this is the book for you!

I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read it

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste is a complex YA fantasy with a healthy dose of political intrigue and Machiavellian machinations. I was first drawn to the book because of its vivid cover, the artwork is truly exquisite and really reflective of the world of the book. A good cover alone however is not enough to sway me , but the premise of this book immediately made me very excited to pick it up. I loved the concept of a world where witchers , as the magical beings are called in this book, show affinities for different types or branches of magic, and where straying outside your magical lane has devastating consequences.
The main POV character in this book is young witcher Venus Stonehart who has an affinity for brewing love potions- not just of the romantic kind, but also to help people love themselves or strengthen familial relationships or friendships. The price of brewing these potions is not cheap, with a heavy cost exerted on Venus both physically and mentally each time, not to mention the risk of imprisonment or death since they are illegal, but her family needs the financial support that the dangerous work provides so she is willing to bear the cost. To complicate matters tensions are running high between the witchers and those without magical powers, and a contentious Witcher Registration Bill is in the offing. When Venus's mother is killed the Grand Witcher, the leader of those with powers, offers Venus a chance at revenge, but in exchange she will have to brew potions to enslave several high ranking politicians in an effort to block the Bill.. If she takes on the task she may kill herself in the process, but the desire for revenge runs deep.
This was quite a slow burner for me, which I did not mind in the beginning as it gave me time to get to know the characters and learn the world and the magic system but once I got to grips with that I started to feel a little bogged down, especially in the middle sections of the book. I loved the characters, particularly Venus and Patches, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that most of the characters had some moral greyness making them more complex and more believable. I thought the parallels between the magical world that the author created and the issues faced by many minorities in the world of today were really well drawn, clearly there but in a way that felt very natural to the story being told. I did feel that the ending felt just a little rushed, especially in comparison to the pacing of the book as a whole . This book showcases an author with a lot of potential and some of the issues I found may well have been resolved in the final edition of the book as this review is based on an ARC supplied via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a great YA read, i found the magical system different in such a refreshing way! it had me hooked, and i loved the different character POVS !

Potions and magic in a world divided? I'm so in love with this fantasy world and Venus is a brilliant main character

I absolutely adored this YA debut, which follows witcher and love brewer Venus as she seeks to avenge her mother's murder, look out for her younger sister and keep the evil bubbling up inside her at bay.

Well written, addictive and the kind of book that you don't want down until you finish. Diverse and interesting characters, who are well crafted, believable and nuanced. Great plot that makes sense throughout and that provides a speculative mirroring of the real life conflicts, oppression and barriers faced by Black women in the US and across the States.

Can't wait to write about this book and teach about it too!

There are parts of this book that drew me in from the start.
I loved the characters and the premise.
Unfortunately I just lost my way with it.
I was reading this at the same time as Bloodmarked by Tracey Deonn and perhaps that's why for me i found this book slow as it went on.
I just couldn't get my head around the magic system.
I ended up not finishing the book.
I have heard that the arc differs from the published version so I'm going to buy the published version and try again as I'm a fan of the author.

I truly wanted to love it book and I won’t say that I didn't enjoy because there were definitely aspects I liked reading: I liked the characters, I liked how complex they were and while at times Venus was hard to root for, I still enjoyed it. Though I will say, I came out of this liking Patches the most. The plot and premise had a lot potential but unfortunately I didn’t fully understand the magic system, it’s pretty confusing but I recognise that the copy is not the final edition so this could change. The writing is sometimes clunky and that’s a major thing that affects my experience im reading but this is an arc so…

I love the presentation of minority groups, as a queer and desi girl and makes me so happy to see the rep I didn’t growing up

Three stars is by no means a bad review from me. I think this a wonderful debut and I’m sure there’s a audience that will enjoy this book more than I did and that’s okay - reading is subjective. I will definitely be looking out for more books from the author in the future!

I really enjoyed the magically dynamic in this book, That each potion comes with a price.
Also the character were flawed and made mistakes (usually with the best intentions).
A really well written book, where the characters felt real, they weren't perfect, or all powerful.
Also uses the distinction between humans and witchers to put across some really important points that reflect on real life issues.
Would love to read more by this author :)

It's one of those books that sadly, for me, followed the "very good idea but bad executing" issue. I wouldn't have made a request for the ARC if the blurb wasn't appealing to me and I found it really interesting, but sadly it was a disappointment.

The idea was actually really great. I liked the idea of all characters being morally grey, that none were good and it was more a level of how bad people are and how bad they can be for x reasons (even tho I believed the "bad guy" from this story was kinda too much). I really liked the idea of callings, having multiple time of potion brewers and each having their speciality and not being able to brew another's calling without losing their power - also the fact that there were few brewers in the country, which makes everything rare and risky.

However, I wasn't expecting the story to turn more around politics than magic/potions. It's extremely slow-paced, and there weren't a lot of magical stuff happening, and when it did with potions it was almost always the same kind. The final fight was super confusing for me I had so much hard time understanding what was happening (also Venus was way too "strong" to my liking, it's a bit too much as well).

It's really sad because the idea was great. But it didn't worked for me :(

The Poisons We Drink was a good book with an interesting concept and magic system, even if sometimes it was a bit confusing. It touches important topics too, such as discrimination, racism, oppression, politics, etc. So why a low rating? Because my problem was with the characters. I couldn't fully connect with them, and some of them irritated me, especially Venus' sister. Consequently, I didn't care for them and that penalized the reading. But being a debut novel it was still a great story.

Loved this. Can’t get behind this enough. Magic and a world where it’s forbidden is my total jam. I cant wait for it to be released into the world and everyone to enjoy it too!

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste is a brilliant fantasy debut.
The story is centred on a Witcher named Venus Stoneheart and her family. Venus works as an illegal brewer of potions in a community where humans and witchers are divided. Venus finds herself out of her depths, as she is forced to brew potions for the Grand Witcher’s political gain.

I really enjoyed The Poisons We Drink. The characters were likeable and relatable and the world building was brilliant. I found it hard to put this book down, although I did find it was a little longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed all the twists and turns, many of which I did not expect. I would recommend The Poisons We Drink to fantasy enthusiasts and I look forward to reading future books by Bethany Baptiste.

I really enjoyed this book but I'm not sure YA is quite the right description for it. Although the main character is only 18, the book includes quite a lot of graphic descriptions, especially of injuries. Some of them really made me cringe so would likely be a bit much for a young teen audience. It also includes a sex scene, and while this scene is fairly short and not very detailed, it may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Beyond this, the story was brilliant and so gripping. I loved all the representation in this book - more Black-led fantasy please! The way that queer characters were dealt with was fantastic - there were no lengthy explanations or big songs and dancing, the characters were there and they were accepted. It was really refreshing to see they/them pronouns used for an important character too.

I'm a big fan of the magic system in this book, even more so because it is explained well and without loads of info dumping. It's incredibly well-thought-out and makes sense. The only thing I wanted more clarity on was the idea of deviations as I'm still slightly confused by this, but overall, everything was done really well.

I loved the layered mystery in this book and that I was never sure what was going to happen next. Venus really does get put through the wringer! Some of the pacing seemed slightly off to me though and that really impacted the end. At some points a lot of things happened within a single day, spanning several chapters but at other points we'd jump past several days. The ending seemed to happen so much quicker than expected and I think more time being spent on the big reveal and ending would have made sense and added to the suspense.

The book is great as a standalone but also has the opportunity to be developed into a series, and I really won't be mad if it is. I'd be excited to see how the world develops and how Venus grows as a character after all that she's been through.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I absolutely tore through the first 35% of this book. I loved the magic system, I was so interested in the potion brewing and the deviations and
And then the plot just kind of… meandered a bit. I found it very hard to keep my focus. I don’t know if it was the pacing, or just the story elements not coming together, but it just dragged and dragged.

Don’t get me wrong. This is a well written story, reflecting real world issues. I just don’t think I’m the target audience for this. If you want an intriguing magic system, immersive writing, and characters that fuck up a lot, this might work for you!

Venus Stoneheart belongs to belongs to a magical community that’s oppressed by the state, so she has to keep her potion brewing under the radar—she isn’t able to give it up, despite the risk and the debilitating consequences of brewing because she needs to support her family. The best thing about this book was the worldbuilding. The magic system is so cool, and very complex (there are certain aspects that stop making sense if you think about them too hard so I just. Didn’t think about them too hard).

I think this would have been a solidly four star book for me if the prose didn’t make it insufferable to read. So many paragraphs were a single line long. When used in moderation this can go a lot of vary or speed up the pacing, but it happened so. Much. That it ended up feeling jerky and repetitive. Eventually I gave up and skim-read so I could know how to story worked out without paying too much attention to the actual words.

I’ve seen some other reviews quibbling over whether it’s ‘age appropriate’ for teenagers — yes, it is. Suitable for teenagers doesn’t mean suitable for ALL teenagers, and kids that aren’t ready or don’t want to deal with certain topics, including violence or non-graphic sex (no genitals are shown, it’s about the feelings not the actions, also it takes up literally a single page of space), can decide that based on the content warnings. Certainly, none of this would have phased fifteen-year-old me, and the discussion around racism, state violence and mental illness are important ones.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste is a compelling tale that seamlessly weaves together elements of magic, societal injustice, and familial devotion.

At its heart lies Venus, a resilient protagonist who navigates the treacherous waters of a magical world eerily reminiscent of our own.
As a brewer of illicit love potions, Venus strives to support her family.

Through poignant backstory and vivid world-building, Bethany Baptiste immerses us in a realm where prejudice and discrimination lurk at every corner, echoing the stark realities of our own society.

What sets The Poisons We Drink apart is its thought-provoking exploration of themes deeply rooted in contemporary issues. With poignant parallels to modern-day racism and echoes of historical atrocities like the Holocaust, the story invites readers to confront uncomfortable truths.

Yet, amidst the darkness, there is hope embodied by Venus’s unwavering determination to protect her loved ones. Her journey becomes a poignant homage to the resilience of those forced to mature prematurely in the face of adversity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what Bethany Baptiste writes next.

Thank you for granting me early access to this novel. Right off the bat, it's a very easy novel to get into, I enjoyed the character development, they're all very distinct, even the side characters are memorable. My problem with this book isn't the plot it's more about the magic, I had problems understanding or believing the magic, it didn't seem powerful or impactful enough, it's almost like the characters were strong enough to carry on fighting without magic and it would have still worked. Maybe it's just a me thing. Looking forward to seeing more opinions when it hits the shelves.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the world that Bethany Baptiste created within this book, the world and the magic system were super complex and inventive. I especially loved the relationship that Venus had with her family, no matter what happened Venus was there to help and protect those around her, and her family was there for Venus no matter what.