Prince of Poison

Fortune Favors the Fae #7

by Alice Winters

Silas

The fae prince caught my eye the moment I saw him, and no, it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that he was being abducted. It’s not even that Callisto adores the large mount who wants to maim him. Or that every time he smiles, flowers bloom around him. No, there’s something else that draws me to him, though when the kingdom begins to fall apart around us, I realize I’m not the only one who wants him.

But the others want him dead.

With memories of my past hanging over me, I’m trapped between who I want to be and who I need to be to protect Callisto.



Callisto

While being officially crowned prince should be my main concern, something isn’t quite right with the king—unless it’s normal to have an evil mist hanging around you. Then again, who am I to judge when I can poison someone with just a kiss?

When an attack on the royal court leaves me wounded, I have no one to turn to but Silas, but he wants to keep me at a distance… like he’s afraid of me finding out the secrets he holds.

Thankfully, with Dandelion (my sweet mount—don’t listen to Silas), a strange and suspicious coin, and Silas’s friend who can speak to animals (who don’t seem interested in speaking to him) at our side, we’re going to tip this fight in our favor and prove that heroes (and love) come in all forms.

Prince of Poison is a part of the multi-author series, Fortune Favors the Fae. From spicy to sweet, zany romps to epic adventures, there’s something for everyone in this mystical series. Discover destiny and true love and follow the coin on its fickle journey to the next world and a new magical adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Magic, Romance, Fae, Paranormal, Audiobook

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2024

About the author

Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.

Follow me on Facebook where I put up short stories, teasers, and giveaways: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Alice...

Join my newsletter: https://www.alicewintersauthor.com/

Reviews

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread/Relisten: October 2024

Love these two and this whole found family! Especially with chapter 21!! haha

I wish that this was a whole series with these characters, but sadly its not haha, just a interconnected author series haha

Original Read/Listen: July 2024
Audio: 5 million stars for Michael Ferraiuolo!! Just dropped on Audible, and it even has a bonus story at the end that he narrates!

Book: 4.5-5 stars

I loved this book. Period.

The amount of times I laughed and smiled throughout this book was infinite!

I loved: Silas, Callisto, Dandelion, Titus, and even Madden haha! This whole group was top tier!

Ugh wish this didn’t have to end. I would read more about these characters in a heartbeat! Haha

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This book kept me up until 3.30am because I couldn't stop reading and I had to finish it in one go.

I'd very much like more from this setting as well please Alice!

Loved absolutely everything about this narrative, from the double twists, the unexpected reveals, the world building and both Callisto and Silas.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. I think Silas and Callisto are up there with my top favorite characters by this author. And of course Dandelion was adorable, when he called Callisto "Papa" or when he shifted I couldn't stop laughing. Lots of fantasy and action with fun characters and unexpected twists.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book and just like all other Alice Winters books this had humour, the weirdest pets, incredible side characters, and a lot of action. Silas and Callisto's first meeting is definitely not a meet cute but it could be if you think hard enough. Callisto was being abducted and Silas was watching it happening. Somehow, though, it is the start of their random and weird adventures and the start of their love story. They both have secrets, they both need to open up, and Silas needs to admit that Dandelion, the huge mount Callisto saved from the slave market, is just the cutest and sweet angel, definitely not a monster who will eat him. In perfect Alice Winters fashion, Dandelion and Titus, the two pets of the story are everything and I haven't stopped laughing yet. The story couldn't be completed without a side character who is the opposite of a magnet and also a bit inappropriate, Madden: the more he wants someone, the more he is rejected, and he's so mean to Callisto but in a hilarious way so he's sort of forgiven.
What is the story about? Callisto, a fae prince with the power to poison people with a touch and to grow or kill flowers, is hurt by the king being controlled by a weird mist. Silas helps him and together they must escape while trying to understand what is happening and how to save the kingdom, who are the good and the bad guys.

I loved how you could see just how happy Callisto was by the huge flower garden growing at his feet and how jealous or sad he was by all the dead plants surrounding him. The story was lots of fun to read but it was not all laughs and love, and I really like how Alice always balances the light and dark parts of the stories, making them unputdownable.

[Ditte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another funny book from Alice Winters, this time with faes. 

Calisto and Silas were great but my fave has to Dandelion. I literally laughed out loud at every "papa", too freaking funny

It's the usual set-up for her books: one over the top, often unhinged sunshine, mc x one grumpy mc, at least one (strange) pet, and a hilarious side character everyone pretends is annoying but who's actually helpful and also gets his own love interest. 

I'm not sure why I don't get tired of this formula but I really don't lol. Winters does it so well, and Michael Ferraiuolo is a perfect narrator as always. 

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adding the bonus story from Madden's pov was a really lovely addition to the audio!

Ah, I loved this!

Prince of Poison is a complete standalone story with grumpy/sunshine and found family vibes. As with all Alice's books, there's plenty of humor and even some surprises.

The only element which carries on from each book is the magical coin. I loved how it was used in this book.

Each of the main characters has a darker past and is trying to live with it. I think that's part of why they work so well together. They are really cute as a pair when they learn to lean on each other. I really liked Calisto and Silas equally. It was easy to see why they fell for each other.

Lots of action and battles because the focus is on the plot rather than just the romance. It's lower heat because of this, which absolutely made sense to me. When they did have steamy times, they were filled with affection and humor.

The abilities the characters have are so cool! Calisto's powers, in particular, are fun. Especially when he gets the flowers and vines involved.

There are a couple of side characters who seem to have their own romance, and I was here for it! I did want to know if Titus really was saying those things about Calisto - so funny!

This one goes in the re-read pile for some of the surprises alone. There are a few!

[nisie draws · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like 2 books smashed into one - there wasn't enough clues for the reader to understand the layers until 60% through. The plot was convoluted and relied too much on characters explaining it. Lastly the language and dialogue felt really off, they all sounded like teenagers instead of fantasy characters. I'm not exactly expecting Tolkien, but am expecting significantly less "like"s and "I guess" es. Overall I think this had the potential to be a great story but could have used stronger editing.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started this amazing book I couldn’t put it down. Real life was not allowed to interfere with the adventure that Silas and Callisto took me on.
Circumstances bring these two delightful men together and before long the fate of the kingdom lies with them. Along the way their merry band face plenty of action and drama, whilst collecting some weirdly amazing pets along the way and managing to give me a multitude of LOL moments. With everything going on Silas and Callisto also navigate the sweetest heartwarming romance which blends the perfect amount of sweet/steam with humour on the way to their well deserved HEA.
I loved every moment of this very engaging and enjoyable read. There’s a great cast of main and secondary characters and an intriguing story line all brought to life by the superb story telling ability of this author. Silas, Callisto, Dandelion, et al still have me chuckling and smiling as I type this up!

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

September 2024
Kindle edition

Took a while to get into this one, but once it was out Callisto wasn't the prince things got interesting. Stayed up late and continued when I woke up. Silas was OP and it was a good thing Callisto wasn't afraid of him. Madden took a while to get used to. Still unsure whether he was telling the truth about Titus. Dandelion was great. Awkward. Very very awkward, but great. Shame coin didn't get shoved down Silas' pants, would've been funny to see it's reaction.

[Katie Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince of poison was such an fun epic and magical adventure to read

Silas and Callisto were such fun and incredible characters to follow I just fell in love with them completely and the chemistry was so intense and good it was just brilliant

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, interesting book. I absolutely adore Callisto. Such a sweet little poison prince. Silas is a typical Alice character. Slightly grumpy, funny and underneath a darling who wants love. The secondary cast are great. Dandelion is so fun and Madden needs a hug! A great addition to this series, unique and quirky.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince of Poison is the new story in this Fortune Favors the Fae series, as always anything written by Alice Winters is a fantastic with lots of hilarious moments, I couldn’t put it down. Callisto and Silas were put together to under circumstances that is going to bring dangerous situations but not everything his bad, they meet weird but delightful characters along the way. I loved that Callisto was a sweetheart, his soul was just pure joy and wants to see the best in everything, thats how he gained a “son” out of his lol. Silas, Callisto and his merry band face a lot of action and drama while trying to discover what is happening, but also Silas and Callisto have so many heartwarming moments together, I love them!! I have so much fun reading their story! This is definitely a great read!!

[Michelle Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Alice Winters hit! I just can't get enough of the humor that is laced throughout her books. The main characters are perfect for each other, and the twists and turns had me completely enthralled. Dandelion is my new favorite side character (hopefully he gets a short story of his own).

[lovesbooks1986 · Rating 5 out of 5]

papa

Callisto is a fae prince and Silas is tavern keeper who harms people with his cooking.

I truly enjoyed this book and was laughing from the get go.

This book shows that you don’t have to be someone to make a difference in life.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic, gentle, humorous Alice Winters.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like with all Alice Winters' stories this is such a funny read and I love it. I love Silas and Callisto! I just love these characters and this adventure that they go on. I just couldn't put this book down. Such an amazing read.

[Amandala Tomato · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audio
I desperately tried to pay attention to this book. It was convoluted and confusing. It was like nothing was happening at the same time as a bunch of useless things were happening. It was all over the place. Perhaps I should have just read it after realizing the audio wasn't holding my attention, but honestly, it didn't really feel like it.
The narration it itself was fine. The confusion I had with the book seemed due to the writing rather than the pacing or something the narrator did. The only complaint I had with the narration was that I thought the two MCs "voices" were a bit too similar.

[She Who Shall Remain Nameless · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah! What a ride!

Alice Winters release days are my most favorite days ever. I get to immerse myself in whatever crazy world she has invented and laugh myself silly at the ridiculous shenanigans of her fabulously flawed characters. The editing is always top notch as well. I’m not going to give away any of the story, but I will highly recommend that you pick this up and read it posthaste. Now, I should really go change as I’m still in my pajamas and it’s almost noon; although, maybe I’ll just put on a different pair and reread the Fanged Mistakes series and call it good. 😉

[Cindaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Winters at her best: an interesting but easy-to-follow plot, delightfully weird characters, and - ofc - banter that literally makes me lol.

"And did you see what I did to his hair?" "It looks awful." "I'm too embarrassed to sleep." Literally laughed out loud.

Anyway, I loved this book in this series. It has actual fae, cool magic, the coin plays a very large part in the plot, and it's just overall one of the best in the series, up there with Michelle Notaro and Tavia Lark. (I cannot wait for Michelle Frost and Eliot Grayson's.)

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this series has not only great authors but hit books. I really enjoyed this one a lot. There's always a vibe with multi author series where you can tell which authors were part of the meeting to define the world(s) and its overlapping characteristics and which ones couldn't be there and ended up with the cliff notes. Alice was in the meeting. It was not only the same high quality and delightful mix of comedy and seriousness I've come to expect from Alice, but also a good addition to the series

[isthisakink · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5. It was adorable, interesting, funny, and very on brand. I wouldn’t have minded more because I wanted to know more, but it was a great fluffy bomb of goodness. So far, I haven’t disliked a book from this series, but I’ve also done the unthinkable and read just a couple and all out of order. I know, I’m losing my touch.

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 / 5
Audio 5 / 5

Michael Ferraiuolo made it great as expected. Delightful listen, funny and charming. Callisto is an absolute sweetheart who deserves the world. Silas, however... lacked something. The only personality he had was supplied by Ferraiuolo's performance.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 4%. I am not really connecting with the humor in this one.

[Mayra · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read Aug 2024 —> actual rating: 4.25/5

[P Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing booking and I would highly recommend it.

I was cracking up from beginning to end. Callisto was a ray of sunshine so I wasn’t surprised when he set eyes on Silas and Dandelion. Both were equally dangerous but he won their hearts over.

Brilliant book and I really enjoyed it.

*I voluntarily read this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's*

[Kalmia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin duda se convirtió en una de mis historias favoritas de Alice.
Soy mala dando reseñas, así que daré mi opinión del libro:
Los personajes son graciosos y agradables, aunque creo que esto es muy normal si hablamos de las historias de la autora. Incluso Madden, que se supone es canonicamente molesto, se vuelve alguien entrañable.
Dandelion es mi personaje favorito.
Las habilidades únicas de Callisto y Sillas son interesantes y además muy únicas, lo que hace que uno se hunda más en la trama; el cómo se conocen los dos protagonistas y el cómo se desarrolla su relación hace que su relación tenga algo único.
La historia hace lo suyo manteniendo el misterio y las sorpresas a mi punto de vista no fueron predecibles, logrando mantenerme enganchada.
Mi única duda es ¿Titus realmente era así de malvado?

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolute must read. I love it and the series.

Rating: 4.5🌈

Alice Winters is a favorite author of mine. Her ability to write stories and characters that inspire outrageous emotions, high and low humor along with subtle layering of poignancy and pain never fails to entertain and engage me.

So my expectations for her novel, Prince of Poison, in the Fortune Favors the Fae series was high. What a wonderful story! I still find myself cackling at scenes involving Dandelion and Madden or Callisto’s few attempts at romantic gestures. Absolutely gems of hilarity.

There’s just so much to this tale of fantasy romance and epic adventures. Winters has created some great characters, given all of them intriguing histories or origin stories, layered in various plots from those of mystery to romance to high suspense that fascinate and engage right to the ultimate battles and magical fights towards the end.

I love this. And really can’t go into the details about the characters and their relationships without divulging any spoilers. To give away major revelations would be a shame. But I’ll say that Dandelion is an absolute masterpiece and I need more.

I love the growth in the relationships between the characters and that it occurs naturally as trust and respect become real between them. And not only them.

Winters manages to use humor as a tool to slide in moments and subtle references to the true darknesses the characters have or have had to endure. It’s done beautifully and with great emotion. And it always makes us connect with the characters and their stories with genuine heart and feelings.

If I had a few issues here, it was with a disappearing character, a wisp called Titus, who I felt wasn’t well developed or terribly needed. He feels more like a distraction than anything else. At the end of the novel, Titus isn’t mentioned at all.

However, if you are like me and look into bonus content by authors, this story has an additional thirteen bonus pages that include Titus, and expand on what happened next between Madden and Dandelion. This is from Madden’s perspective, which makes sense that it wasn’t intended for the novel. But it does give Titus a bit more personality and lets us know where Titus was at the end of the book. See the author’s note for this content.

Prince of Poison (Fortune Favors the Fae Book 7) by Alice Winters is an absolute must read. I love it and the series. Highly recommend!

Love these covers , just fantastic , some of my favorites in years.

Fortune Favors the Fae - 15 books:
- [x] A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I'm the Gay Holy Maiden by AJ Sherwood #1❤️
- [x] The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae by Michele Notaro #2 ❤️
- [x] Bound to the Wild Fae by Tavia Lark #3 June 13❤️
- [x] The Sorcerer’s Thief by Lee Colgin #4 ❤️🔷
- [x] The Fae Menagerie by Edie Montreaux #5
- [x] Never Darling by Sam Burns #6
- [x] Prince of Poison by Alice Winters #7 ❤️
- [ ] Grave Misfortune by Nazri Noor #8 - July 18,2024
- [ ] Fae for Pay by Meaghan Maslow #9 - July 23,2024
- [ ] Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand #10 - August 1,2024
- [ ] Smoke and Mirrors by Kai Butler #11 - August 8, 2024
- [ ] Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer #12 - Aug 15,2024
- [ ] I Destroyed the Elf Prince’s Harem by Jocelynn Drake #13 - Aug 22,2024
- [ ] A Fae Called Wylder by Michelle Frost #14 - Aug 29,2024
- [ ] Lucky or Knot by Eliot Grayson #15 - September 5,2024

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Winters is one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception! She has a wonderfully witty writing style that just borders on irreverent, so I know I'll always read exquisite characters, fast-paced and fascinating plots, and with a healthy dose of wit and snark that never fails to make me either laugh out loud or at least snort and grin. While Prince of Poison doesn't go as hard with the humor as some of her other books, I adored getting a fun dose of Alice Winters fantasy with this book! Silas and Callisto have such a weirdly wholesome relationship (another Alice Winters staple) and the plot was fast-paced and entertaining! Exactly what I needed.



Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Absolutely.


See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: As a personal preference, I find it impossible to not like her characters and Silas and Callisto are no exception. They have a perfectly balanced banter and are complex in a way that their humor makes sense to their characters as well. On one level is the "I hide trauma with humor" that they both share, which enables them to use the humor both to protect themselves, process that trauma, and ultimately heal. As a talented 'thief', Callisto doesn't truly realize the power he has (which is his journey) whereas Silas has a lot of magical power (quite specific and fascinating too!) and throughout this book he grapples with truly coming to terms with what that magic means about who he is. They're fae and human (mage?) and their relationship ends up being rather wonderfully balanced, even when there are clear areas that one excels more than the other. And, we must'nt forget the brilliant supporting cast, Dandelion and Madden and Titus. Truly wonderful whenever they're on the page!


PLOT: Ten years after two kingdoms were at war, something strange is happening in the court of Vermillion. Silas has given up his soldiering life and keeps to himself, but Callisto is a bright spark who could never be inconspicuous. And suddenly Callisto finds himself hunted by his uncle the King and he and Silas undertake the journey to discover what is going on and 'save the realm' as it were. Both a quest adventure and a mystery, the plot is fast-paced and truly entertaining, especially with how glorious the characters are.





EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.


2:5/low. Not all of her books have a lower intensity, but I found this standalone to be more of a light read and pure entertainment, though it did have some deeper themes. It felt more cozy than anything else.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?

90%. I'm always wishing for more in that final climactic moment, and here is no different. However, we have our HEA and things are wrapped up quite well. This book gave me exactly what I needed it to, which was an entertaining read that took me away to a fantasy realm of pretty boys and adventure!

[Sudsana Reads (mostly smut) · Rating 4 out of 5]

📗3.8→4 stars. Read 24th Oct, 2025.

Not reading the entire series, but just the ones that caught my eyes. A handsome tavern keeper rescues a sassy Fae Prince from getting kidnapped. This is hilarious from page 1. It’s almost like a brat and brat tamer combo. That broth, bro, the irony… LMAO 💀

“We do seem to have a lot in common. I poison people through magic, you do it through food.”
BRO. 💀💀

❧Narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo!!

🔹Story- 4.6⭐, Characters- 4.8⭐, Sex- 0⭐, Epilogue- n/a⭐

There’s so much OM drama i genuinely thought the four of them are probably a polycule. But the romance happened b/wn Calli & Silas only. i couldn’t hate the 4 at all tho??! Not even freaking Madden cuz apparently Callisto likes him too. 😭😭 It was all so funny and cute!

❧Calli has this magical Sugar Plum Princess vibe, with flowers blooming at his feet and trees swaying his way. i absolutely love him! Ironic he has the power to both give and take life.

❧There’s a lot going on and there’s a murder plot for Calli. His past is truly tragic and is reconstructed through dreams. It’s a mystery plot with LOTS of twist and turns.

❧ OMG Silas’ secret!! And Calli figuring it out!! 😭 Loved that Silas chose to save him and how protective he is.

❧HOLY SHII DANDELION!!!!!!!! i died, absolutely died. His constant rivalry with Silas was hilarious! It gives Ryder and Maximus energy from Tangled.

i had issues with it. The glaring of which are:

♦Super slow burn. They don’t confess love till 93%! There's NO SPICE at all. 1 bad sex scene at 95%, and neither MC makes a single sound. Disappointing as hell. Then they start talking mid-act too! Bruh? No thanks. 😭. i'd rather there'd be no sex than whatever the fck this was. i hate when sex is delayed “just cuz.” A few random sex acts before that, but i skipped those.

♦Last chapter is about Madden and Dandelion as a “short story”.

♦ And the OM drama… ugh. Madden, the creepy “friend,” stalks Silas and watches him bathe. Silas isn’t interested, but the guy won’t quit. Later he tries to “claim” Silas, Calli gets jealous, and suddenly Madden’s tagging along, touching, riding together, the works. Ugh. But they all become friends lol And don’t even get me started on Dandelion’s chaos!!! 😂😂😂

Tropes & tags: •Fae prince x ex soldier tavern owner, •grumpy x sunshine, •jealousy, •MCs on the run, •magic, •mystery, •adventure, •funny, •1st person dual pov, •very slow burn.

CW: Mentions and marks of animal abuse, MC almost killing a beast.