If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, then you have to read The Poisons We Drink. I love the ways Baptiste creates this world which feels like looking into our own except with magic. It’s a story about revenge, secrets, and power. Keep reading this book review of The Poisons We Drink for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The world in The Poisons We Drink is immersive and detailed. With the chapters detailing the history and other created books, it feels like you could reach out and touch it. That we could sink into this world of magic, injustice, and power. I also appreciate that magic has a cost in this world. That, for Venus, her power comes at a price. The Poisons We Drink is about cost, revenge, and sacrifice.
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Another element I enjoyed were the sibling dynamics. The family which has to pick itself up, work through the problems, and try to love and support each other. It’s a story with grief. And it’s a story with revenge, chaos, and the words which have the power to end our safety. The Poisons We Drink feels like asking us what we would do if our hands were forced. What happens when we release the magic, when we enact what we feel is justice.
It’s about the heavy burden of magic, power, and sacrifice. If you liked books like Blood Debts, then this is for you! Find The Poisons We Drink on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.