This Poison Heart: A modern fairytale where magic takes root and darkness blooms
Kalynn Bayron
Subjects
- Facts & Information - lists, stats and plenty of facts
- Fantasy Worlds - awesome adventures of magic and mystery
Average rating
‘Kalynn Bayron does more than re-write a fairy-tale … She breaks it apart and rebuilds it into a wholly original and captivating story where girls finally decide for themselves who lives happily ever after’ – Brigid Kemmerer
‘A delicious mix of intoxicating fantasy and coming of age, steeped in Greek mythology and peppered with references to the Jordan Peele films Get Out and Us’ – Observer New Review
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Poison runs through her veins …
Briseis has a gift: with a single touch she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms.
When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents hope that surrounded by plants and flowers, she will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they never expected – it comes with a mysterious set of instructions, a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world, and generations of secrets. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it.
From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes an enchanting story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her.
Don’t miss the sequel, This Wicked Fate, where to save the people she loves, Briseis must change the most dangerous of fates ahead of her …
Reviews
This is a young-adult contemporary novel about Briseis, a girl with magical powers that revolve around botany. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I did have three issues. 1/ the protagonist was 16 years old, and the love interest was 376, which made me uncomfortable. 2/ the pacing was inconsistent, it was slow until halfway through at which point it felt rushed. 3/ the author’s hesitation to use labels regarding sexuality, the protagonist has two mothers and nothing was used to describe them, not lesbian, not bisexual, not queer or sapphic, and it felt strange considering the novel has a modern-day setting. the same was for briseis, and her love interest marie, they had a sapphic relationship but again no labels were used. but for the things I enjoyed, there were several; 1/ the mythology influences, they surprised me but since I had previously read circe, I recognised the references which was enjoyable. 2/ the protagonist, Briseis, she was very interesting and it was great to see a queer, black, female protagonist. 3/ the atmosphere/aesthetic of the novel, the poison garden and briseis’ powers. it was stunning, and it was so magical. 4/ the ending, it was a very intriguing cliffhanger and I am anticipating the sequel immensely. Overall, a great read, there were issues that I recognised but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Anonymous 29.07.2021
