Poison The Well

by J.K. Divia

"Break the line, poison the well...”

Born in the wake of tragedy and raised in the cold shadow of Lord Cillian’s castle, Emer lives her life as a simple washerwoman. Her world is built on suds, linens, and her grandmother’s grim warnings of the Bean-nighe—the fairy washerwoman who scours the blood from the linens of those destined to die.

Legends grow from a seed of truth as the nightmares born of myth become Emer's life.

In a world ruled by those with hearts full of greed and ambition, is a promise kept enough to overcome a bargain broken?

Genres: Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Novella

Paperback

Published June 22, 2026

About the author

J.K Divia is a dark fantasy, mythological horror, and contemporary paranormal author whose work is inspired by folklore, selkie lore, witches, and world mythology. Through her stories, she brings readers on emotional journeys that explore loss, resilience, and transformation.

When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, chasing after her kids.

Reviews

[Deborah Fontaine]

I dove into “Poison The Well” completely unaware of its folkloric origins, yet J.K. Divia crafts such immersive and chilling horror that I’ve found myself utterly captivated—and genuinely frightened.

This book was a real delight. The writing is exquisitely dark and gothic, making it a pleasure to explore the various tales woven through time. I particularly valued the dynamic between Ember and her grandmother, as well as the budding romance with Finn. Nevertheless, it’s Ember's relationship with her grandmother that genuinely takes precedence, showcasing an incredibly strong bond. The storytelling is spot on, skillfully developing the characters and their relationships, and the ending left a lasting impression on me.

At the back of the book, there's a glossary, along with a helpful pronunciation guide for the folklore figures right at the front. This captivating work is not yet published, but it’s set to hit the shelves on June 22, 2026.

I am grateful for ARC copy for my review.

[Jess]

*paperback

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ (4.5/5)

I met this author today at the Book Fair in Bel Air. She was so sweet and I had to have this book after she pitched it and told me about the premise.

This book was outside of my regular go to genres. I’m glad I got out of my comfort zone for this one.

It’s a dark, folksy fairytale kind of novella and I really enjoyed it.

I feel like this would be so cool if it were adapted into a grown up fairytale animated short. I think the artwork could be incredible especially just based on the art in the book and on the cover.

The story was intriguing and kept my interest from start to finish.

[Brenda Yager]

I'm grateful that i was apart of the ARC team for Poison the Well. This Celtic folklore, gothic horror novella was perfect. Superstitions are real for some and this story leads us on the part of love, loss and draws us into the story. The artwork was sublime. Thank you for having me as part of the team J.K. Divia. I can't wait for more of your writing!

[Caroline]

This novella takes the reader on a journey through Celtic folklore. It’s a chilling, atmospheric gothic horror that drew me in quickly and held me captive to the end with its beautiful and eerie prose. If you like gothic horror, give this one a go.

[Amy HC]

I enjoyed the folklore telling of this tale. It had a haunting atmosphere to the sad tales of the washerwoman and her lives both pre and post death. You could feel the ache of ages within her.

I liked that this read as if it were a traditional Celtic myth, with none of the false glossiness of modern fairytales. The grimness of the environment, the haunting of a curse, and the follies of the humans within make this a beautiful eerie horror to read.

Thank you so much to J.K. Divia for letting me part of the arc team and my apologies this is so late.

[Johanna Miller]

If you like gothic, folklore based, dark tales, then this book is for you. It was a quick read, it grips you from the get go and will splash you into a tale of less well known fae folk (there is a pronunciation guide and glossary that is helpful) and interwoven are the relationships between Ember, her grandmother, the village, Finn, and the tie in to how they all fit together. As with everything I’ve read by JK Divia, I could have stayed much longer, but that in no way should imply this wasn’t a satisfactory book. It was achingly heartbreaking, you felt it all right along with the washerwoman, it was beautifully written and touches on many themes, for a short book, this is one that will stay with you for a long time. The art is also well done, it matches with the imagery painted by the words. I received it as an ARC and am grateful for the opportunity.

[Reg 🦇]

A captivating and exquisitely ominous folklore horror!
This novella was so layered and ethereal, with a whimsical yet terrifying atmosphere that had me hooked from the first few lines.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the relationships they had with each other. Emer, her Grandmother and Finn were flawed and real and I feel that any reader could see themselves in these characters for various different reasons.
I also valued the way the tension that steadily built was there right from the start, with this uneasy gut feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Haunting and skilfully constructed, Poison the Well was a frighteningly delightful read.

Thank you so much to J.K. Divia for having me on your ARC team 🖤🖤🖤

[Mel]

This is a short folklore-inspired story.

It’s a quick read that leans into the eerie side of folklore, telling a simple but haunting tale about superstition, curses, and the stories that get passed down through generations.

Sometimes the best stories are the small ones, and this one works well as a bite-sized piece of folklore. It also introduced me to a piece of folklore I hadn’t come across before, which made the story even more interesting.

If you enjoy short, atmospheric reads with a folklore feel.

[TalesAndTerracotta]

Thank you first of all J.K. Divia for my gifted ARC of ‘Poison the Well’ - the third interconnected novella released in the Becoming Hamingja series! You’re the loveliest human and i will continue to read every single thing you publish!

This story follows the washerwoman who we meet first, albeit briefly, in ‘A Sea of Blood and Tears’ (which you don’t have to read beforehand, but J highly recommend that you do).

Its a dark mythic retelling of how the frightening creature we know from folklore as the washerwoman came to be, through love and loss. This story, as all of Divia’s writing does, will entwine you, body and soul with its mesmerizing prose and darkly enchanting story.

Divia has an incredible ability to draw you in as a reader into a world where love endures even in the presence of darkness. This unique perspective follows Emer, who has become the nightmarish dark fairy Bean-nighe she was warned about as a child by her beloved Grabdmother… cursed to forever scour the linens of those in death’s doorstep, reliving their memories and their final moments.

This is the perfect book to start your summerween 2026!

[Grant]

Poison the Well is a hauntingly beautiful tale firmly rooted in folklore. So if you enjoy dark, gothic reads with a folkloric connection this is for you.

Since this is a snappy read with manageable chapters, I flew through this. For a short book, Divia manages to convey the various relationships throughout the book really well in a short time. I particularly liked the relationship between Emer and her grandmother.

This novella treads the line between whimsy and terror, crossing back and forth as you learn Emer's story from childhood origins to becoming the harrowing washerwoman, now fated to wash the clothes of the dead and relive their memories and final moments when she touches the fabric.

Illustrated with lovely artwork throughout, there is also a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book which is very helpful for the names if you are unfamiliar with Gaelic.

A great entry point to anyone looking to read based on Celtic folklore. I was thoroughly drawn in and enchanted by Divia's prose.

This was an ARC review

[Liz Fully Booked]

Poison the Well by J. K. Divia is a dark, gothic, Celtic folklore inspired fantasy novella. This popped up on my Instagram feed and looked so intriguing I downloaded and read right there and then.

Emer is an orphan who lives her days washing clothes with her grandmother. The book tells the tale of Emer, her grandmother, and Finn, the hunter’s son who she hopes to marry one day. But it also tells the tale of the Bean-nighe, a Celtic spirit washerwoman who is the harbinger of death, and how she came to be.

This short book is a dark gothic fairytale, and despite its short length, packs a lot in. The storytelling is rich, atmospheric, and wonderfully written. What more can you ask for in a novella? Great read!

[Amy]

This is a heartbreaking story of love and loss, exploring Celtic mythology or washerwomen - Bean-nighe - and their cursed fate.

Emer, a young woman relives her life as a linen washer for the Cillian Castle clan, besotted by her love for Finn, her childhood best friend and betrothed. We follow her life when she was alive, before she was trapped between the living and the dead, as a bean-nighe, forced to warn others of their imminent deaths.

This is a short non-linear novella, that is atmospheric, dark fantasy horror, full of folk horror, and does well explaining the folklore of this deity, the fae folk and hints of other Celtic legends and culture. JK Divia has more folklore inspired novellas that I cannot wait to consume 🩷

[Remy Campbell]

This haunting novella floats somewhere in the shadowy space between folklore and horror. While drawing heavily on Celtic mythology, Divia builds her own universe surrounding these legends and creates a rich and complex story that will haunt readers long after they’ve finished. This book can be read alone or as part of Divia’s wider universe.

[Cherie M.]

‘Tis the season for dark fantasy and this novella absolutely delivers. Ominous and forbidding from the start, this interpretation about the Scottish mythological Bean-nighe (washerwoman) is creatively told through the stories of those whose linens she is compelled to wash. The author imbues her with an emotional depth that captures the humanity in the monstrous.

[Athena Reads]

Dark and Gothic. This book explores stories of family and loss through time.

I want to thank the amazing J. K. Divia for giving me an ARC of her newest book. This was a very fast but insanely interesting read based on Irish folklore. A was captivated from start to finish and read it all in one day.

At the back of the book, there's a glossary, along with a helpful pronunciation guide for the folklore figures right at the front.

[Raven]

I love how Divia's novellas can create so much in so few pages. I wasn't very familiar with the Celtic washerwoman tale, and this story was full of rich and dark folklore with a little bit of horror that made it so twisty and intriguing. The writing is beautiful and ethereal, the story eerie and mysterious. Different timelines weave together the cost of love and fae bargains and I definitely could have kept reading more. I had no idea where things would end up and I definitely enjoyed it.

"What is time to the other-folk but another one of their traps?"

"For in the end, we are nothing more than memories turned to stories."

[Keely Kovacevic]

Is 2026 the year of the novella? Another cracking release under 100 pages, with fully formed characters, rich world building and enough Celtic mythology to satisfy the Queen of the Selkies.

Poison the Well is an interconnected stand alone that follows the washerwoman Emer, a harbinger of death, as she sees out her afterlife washing the grave clothes of people across time. Yearning for an end to her penance and a reunion with the spirits of her loved ones, Emer must accept her fate if she wants a future.

With rich imagery and a narrative that pulls you on to the next page, Poison the Well is a fantastic addition to the becoming hamingja series.

[georgia]

This is was beautiful and melancholy story that stems respectfully from Celtic myth. As someone who adores history and mythology, Poison the Well scratched ALL the itches! The prose is impeccably written with enough detail and mystery to draw personal conclusions and find emotional connections for yourself.

J.K Divia was able to fill a small word count with clarity, the horror bleeding through the pages, I was compelled to read until the final sentence.

Very highly recommend for lovers of horror and folk.

[Melinda Brown]

This book includes Celtic folklore and provides a helpful glossary at the back to review unfamiliar terms. I love how the chapters bind together. My emotions switched from curiosity about where the story would take me to sadness, then peace. I loved the stories of Emer and Finn. I highly recommend this to be on your TBR.

[Terry]

JK Divia has a specific writing talent. The way folklore and then touches of horror is woven together means the story flows so well together.
It makes the story so interesting and good to read.
Definitely go find the other work by this author.

[G M]

ARC copy received from author. This is a stunning slab of the richest chocolate...i raced through it but want to go back & really savour it!! So different to anything else out there...a stunning novella...an atmosphere of disquiet throughout...malevolent fae & celtic folklore.

[C.T. Whistle]

I liked this a lot. Super atmospheric and heart achingly bittersweet ❤️‍🩹😮‍💨👵🏼

[Heidi Mäkynen]

A dark fairytale, retelling of an old myth. With its delicate pacing and back and forth moving timeline, it really kept me spellbound.

ARC received from the author.

[Kim Layman]

This beautiful novella is rich in folklore and love.

Emer, our FMC, is trapped as a Bean-nighe, a washerwomen, who cannot be free until she has completed every unfinished task. She washes, and washes, and it is never enough. It seems she is doomed to be stuck in this role indefinitely.

However, every wash has a story, big or small, and Divia takes us on a journey of the deaths of people are connected to Emer-some more intimately than others. The most painful story is about Finn, her childhood sweetheart, who she was parted from too soon.

As each story brings us closer to Emer’s, the truth behind the curse becomes revealed, and the strength of love proves to be the most powerful force of all.

I enjoyed this lovely and sad tale of loss, powerlessness, family, but ultimately, freedom through selflessness. Put this one on your TBR. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the author for my arc. My opinion is my own.

[Emilyreadthatbook]

This is the third book I've devoured by J.K. Divia. True to form, this one is rife with dark, atmospheric themes woven around a Celtic folktale. A gothic horror novella, this story may be short, but it's packed with depth. Both the characters and the plot draw the reader in as we're introduced to Ember, her grandmother, and Ember's burgeoning relationship with Finn. Even the village plays an important role in the overall tale, adding to the sense of unease that lingers throughout the story.

This is a great pick for someone who wants a quick yet unsettling read. I cannot emphasize the atmosphere enough. It creeps in slowly, wrapping around every scene and making the setting feel just as alive as the characters. For such a short novella, it leaves a lasting impression and proves you don't need hundreds of pages to tell a haunting story.

Thank you so much to J.K. Divia for the opportunity to read and review this book as an e-ARC.

[Dan]

If you have any interest in Celtic folklore, I strongly recommend this or any of JK Divia’s other works. In the short time that we’re allowed to be present in her story, she expertly crafts a tale with rich imagery and a storyline that will leave you content because of how easily it flows off the page. I don’t have much experience with this subgenre but the narrative provided by Divia’s MC demonstrates her ability to translate myths and stories any reader would find enjoyable, one way or another.

[Samantha L Reads]

I absolutely loved this book. J.K. Divia crafted a short folktale filled with rich lore, excellent pacing, suspense, and a satisfying redemption arc. I honestly couldn’t ask for more. Every element felt thoughtfully done and now I am eager to read more of her work.
This is a beautifully written tale about duty, regret, redemption, and the enduring power of love.

[Nikki Zelinski]

If you love creepy folklore, and unsettling stories that keep you guessing, this book is a must read.
Eerie folklore with an exciting plot.
The atmosphere is haunting, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the story.
With shocking twists, rich folklore, and an amazing plot, this is a book that will stay with you.

[Charteir (InkEncountersPaper)]

Wow! What a cool concept for a book. Folklore, horror, with a sprinkle of a love story. This was a perfect short read for anyone who enjoys emotionally layered psychological horror, ethereal storytelling, curses, and fae folklore. Divia’s way of setting the tone and atmosphere—weaving that whimsical feel with horror elements—is no easy feat and she accomplishes that with ease. There’s a constant undercurrent of tension, like everything is just slightly off, and it builds steadily throughout the narrative. The pacing feels deliberate, which works in the book’s favor, allowing me to feel fully immersed in the complexity of the story.

The characters were another highlight for me. They feel flawed and real, and at times frustrating just watching their mistakes. Their motivations aren’t always clear, which adds to the moral ambiguity that runs throughout the novel. I was often left questioning who to trust, including my own assumptions as a reader. And I especially loved the ending. I also really enjoyed the themes of trust, betrayal, and that ripple effect when you make certain choices that can poison everything else.

Overall, it’s a haunting, well-crafted novel that rewards patience and leaves a lasting impression.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Pizarro]

This was a retelling of some folklore. Of course there was a moral of the story. I did enjoy how the story went through time, in both directions.