The Poisons We Drink introduces a cool urban magical world, gritty and dangerous. Venus comes from a family of Witchers, magic wielding outcasts society is afraid of. Specializing in potions for hire and running covert errands for her mother, Carissa. When Carissa is killed investigating Witcher deaths, Venus is pulled into a political conflict to benefit Witchers. Familial secrets are revealed, which set Venus on a path of revenge.

The world building was woven into the plot without much info-dumping, but I was hoping for more history and background, especially in regard to Venus and It. The pacing overall was choppy and I sometimes struggled to focus on the characters and plot. The abilities of magic wielders and the different types of potions were very neat but at the same time certain aspects left me with more questions than answers. One being the currency and amounts these potions gathered.

As the eldest daughter, Venus had a lot of pressure and expectations from her mother. This didn’t stop after her death. Seemingly leaving Venus to solely care for Janus, her younger sister, even with immediate family present. Unfortunately, Venus’ character development struggled, she was very naive, forced to do someone else’s bidding throughout the book, we never really get to know what her dreams and goals are. The middle of the book was a bore but it picked up once the revenge plot was introduced and secrets revealed.

The big takeaways are the many themes of the book, relating directly to our reality – politics and social justice, racism, oppression, and coming of age; to name a few. I appreciated the writing and the ease of introducing diverse characters, it was very natural and inclusive. The book features both adult language and juvenile behavior, which may attract older teens and young adults.

The narration performance from Lynette R. Freeman was imaginative and entertaining. I enjoyed the delivery and variation in character voices, it made the story easier to follow and the characters to pop. Ultimately, The Poisons We Drink is a good beginner fantasy that’s closer to magical realism with relatable issues and topics, skewing towards familial drama and fight for power.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the listening review copy.

Title: The Poisons We Drink
Author: Bethany Baptiste
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️