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This Poison Heart #2
This Wicked Fate
How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?
Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,305 reviews
July 3, 2022
This Poison Heart was one of my favourite reads of last year, and I was over the moon when I received an arc of the sequel. Reading the opening words of This Wicked Fate, was like a deep breath of fresh air. There is something so whimsical about the way Bayron writes. The descriptions of the flowers blooming and flowing as Bri commands, the intoxicating poisons, the rich greenery and the overgrown gardens. Every image was like a little painting in my mind.
One of the reasons I rated This Poison Heart so highly was because of the incredible ending. Every chapter of This Wicked Fate topped the final moments of the previous book. Bri’s journey was a thrill from start to finish, and there is just far too much to unpack in one review. As I stepped back into her world, the tone was potent, and I felt the weight of grief suffocating the protagonist. I really struggle to read books about bereavement, but Bayron writes about grief in such a compelling way. This book pulls at your heart strings. Bri’s emotions are so palpable, they lift effortlessly off the page. Bri is such a beautiful soul. Bayron has crafted a character that the reader can truly care about. Bri is captivating and real, which is why the stakes were so high. I loved how grief was described in waves, returning when least expected, creeping up at the worst possible moments.
What I really appreciated was that Bri did not need to be strong. The people around Bri were so supportive, and I loved the soft tones of sisterhood. Mo is one of my favourite characters and I could just feel how much she loved her daughter. The idea that love can stretch beyond lifetimes was so charming, and I felt that message through Circe. The most interesting and mysterious character, Circe had such a profound depth. That woman has been through the ringer. Despite everything, the way she wrapped her warmth around Bri and embraced her niece was so poignant. Their little group were so wonderful, and I loved reading every single interaction.
This Poison heart introduced mythology, but This Wicked Fate knocked it out the park. I had so many questions after the first book ended, and the sequel answered them in ways I couldn’t have guessed. The introduction of mythical creatures, including one of my absolute favourites, was so thrilling. The first book felt like a mystery set in an abandoned mansion, while this sequel felt like the sapphic Percy Jackson adventure of my dreams! Every single reveal blew my mind. Whenever I wanted something to happen, Bayron would give me every single drop and so much more. The strength of the writing and world-building is hard to ignore.
The true, beautiful highlight of this phenomenal book were Marie and Bri. Their relationship was somehow both tender and thrilling. Marie was the soul of this book. I loved finding out all the intricacies of Marie and learning what drove her actions. Their romance was written so well, and I got a little sunshine and grump energy from them at times, which I absolutely adored. I loved how Marie protected Bri, while the protagonist helped the former open up to those around her.
The representation in this book is beyond superb. There are so many beautiful, sapphic relationships, and guess what? It made perfect sense. It worked. Why would I want to read books that lack the representation when there are books like This Wicked Fate? Bayron is genuinely one of the best YA writers out there right now, and I cannot recommend her work enough.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and the author for sending me a digital ARC of This Wicked Fate, in exchange for an honest review!
You can follow me on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
One of the reasons I rated This Poison Heart so highly was because of the incredible ending. Every chapter of This Wicked Fate topped the final moments of the previous book. Bri’s journey was a thrill from start to finish, and there is just far too much to unpack in one review. As I stepped back into her world, the tone was potent, and I felt the weight of grief suffocating the protagonist. I really struggle to read books about bereavement, but Bayron writes about grief in such a compelling way. This book pulls at your heart strings. Bri’s emotions are so palpable, they lift effortlessly off the page. Bri is such a beautiful soul. Bayron has crafted a character that the reader can truly care about. Bri is captivating and real, which is why the stakes were so high. I loved how grief was described in waves, returning when least expected, creeping up at the worst possible moments.
What I really appreciated was that Bri did not need to be strong. The people around Bri were so supportive, and I loved the soft tones of sisterhood. Mo is one of my favourite characters and I could just feel how much she loved her daughter. The idea that love can stretch beyond lifetimes was so charming, and I felt that message through Circe. The most interesting and mysterious character, Circe had such a profound depth. That woman has been through the ringer. Despite everything, the way she wrapped her warmth around Bri and embraced her niece was so poignant. Their little group were so wonderful, and I loved reading every single interaction.
This Poison heart introduced mythology, but This Wicked Fate knocked it out the park. I had so many questions after the first book ended, and the sequel answered them in ways I couldn’t have guessed. The introduction of mythical creatures, including one of my absolute favourites, was so thrilling. The first book felt like a mystery set in an abandoned mansion, while this sequel felt like the sapphic Percy Jackson adventure of my dreams! Every single reveal blew my mind. Whenever I wanted something to happen, Bayron would give me every single drop and so much more. The strength of the writing and world-building is hard to ignore.
The true, beautiful highlight of this phenomenal book were Marie and Bri. Their relationship was somehow both tender and thrilling. Marie was the soul of this book. I loved finding out all the intricacies of Marie and learning what drove her actions. Their romance was written so well, and I got a little sunshine and grump energy from them at times, which I absolutely adored. I loved how Marie protected Bri, while the protagonist helped the former open up to those around her.
The representation in this book is beyond superb. There are so many beautiful, sapphic relationships, and guess what? It made perfect sense. It worked. Why would I want to read books that lack the representation when there are books like This Wicked Fate? Bayron is genuinely one of the best YA writers out there right now, and I cannot recommend her work enough.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and the author for sending me a digital ARC of This Wicked Fate, in exchange for an honest review!
You can follow me on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
August 9, 2022
GUYS Kalynn has done it again!! this will forever be the best conclusion to this duology and it made me feel so many things at once, i felt like i needed a hug after i’ve finished this. it deserves all the stars in the world <33
February 15, 2023
Dużo roślinek, akcji i nieoczywistych rozwiązań
January 2, 2025
Don't get me wrong, I love the works of Kalynn Bayron. She's bursting with amazing new concepts that always have me plucking her books straight off the store shelves, but honestly, This wicked Fate was a complete let down for me.
I rewarded myself for finishing it, that's how much it seemed to drag on. The only thing keeping me from pulling out the bookmark was the first book which, apart from a few issues I won't bother explaining, was actually a good read.
To make it simple for anyone thinking whether or not to purchase this, I'll put the reasons why I gave it one star into three points:
1) Half the book is a babble of nothing. Just the characters standing around making plans and hiding everything from Bri so, like Bri, you have no idea what's going on. The secrecy is supposed to make the book more interesting, to compel the story forward because you want to find out more, but Bayron overused this, making the story incredibly frustrating and the characters unlikable.
2) The book picks up exactly where it dropped off in the first book. No recap, no quick reminder about what's going on. Most books usually squeeze some sort of a recap somewhere in their first pages. The characters from the first book were not exactly that memorable in the first place so by the time I got my hands on this second book, I had no clue who any of them were. Even by the end of the book, there was no recap of where most of the characters came from.
3) The characters had zero development. Bri's love interest Marie only has two character traits which were 'I'm strong and tall' and 'Even look in my direction and I'll flip and probably commit murder.' There was also no connection between the characters, specifically between Bri and Marie. Their relationship didn't develop, didn't grow. They were just in love despite not really knowing each other. Don't even start me on Circle's love interest. I don't even know who she is.
Overall the book lost the gothic, mysterious vibe about the house's past and Bri's powers that made the first book so interesting. It was replaced with a cram of mythic retellings and a Percy Jackson like adventure that has zero of the original charm. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, unless they’re happy to read Bri imagining strangling people with plants for like 50% of the book.
I rewarded myself for finishing it, that's how much it seemed to drag on. The only thing keeping me from pulling out the bookmark was the first book which, apart from a few issues I won't bother explaining, was actually a good read.
To make it simple for anyone thinking whether or not to purchase this, I'll put the reasons why I gave it one star into three points:
1) Half the book is a babble of nothing. Just the characters standing around making plans and hiding everything from Bri so, like Bri, you have no idea what's going on. The secrecy is supposed to make the book more interesting, to compel the story forward because you want to find out more, but Bayron overused this, making the story incredibly frustrating and the characters unlikable.
2) The book picks up exactly where it dropped off in the first book. No recap, no quick reminder about what's going on. Most books usually squeeze some sort of a recap somewhere in their first pages. The characters from the first book were not exactly that memorable in the first place so by the time I got my hands on this second book, I had no clue who any of them were. Even by the end of the book, there was no recap of where most of the characters came from.
3) The characters had zero development. Bri's love interest Marie only has two character traits which were 'I'm strong and tall' and 'Even look in my direction and I'll flip and probably commit murder.' There was also no connection between the characters, specifically between Bri and Marie. Their relationship didn't develop, didn't grow. They were just in love despite not really knowing each other. Don't even start me on Circle's love interest. I don't even know who she is.
Overall the book lost the gothic, mysterious vibe about the house's past and Bri's powers that made the first book so interesting. It was replaced with a cram of mythic retellings and a Percy Jackson like adventure that has zero of the original charm. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, unless they’re happy to read Bri imagining strangling people with plants for like 50% of the book.
July 5, 2023
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Rating: 3.5 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I am obsessed with this cover and the stunning illustration of Briseis and her girlfriend! The cool colour scheme also makes the design striking, and I love how the plant magic central to the series is displayed.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The picturesque writing laced with witty humour made this an easy, engaging read. What's more, the fascinating magic and Greek mythology aspects of the world are further developed in this sequel, enriching the story. My only issue was that the constant deluge of unnecessary details, like how noise-cancelling headphones work, gradually weakened the tension and slowed the story.
"How far are you willing to go for the people you love"
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟
This sequel picks up where the previous book ended and neatly recaps significant moments as the characters plan their next steps. However, the pace is slow, and the story is slightly drawn out until the quest begins in the second half. Surprising twists and constant danger made this half of the story gripping and led to a satisfying ending.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
Reeling from the betrayal and loss she experienced, Briseis's character is given some depth and relatability through her pain. Despite this, I wanted more depth or growth for Bri, especially since little is done to help her process her grief.
"We find purpose in the way we help others"
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I loved the warmth and banter between those close to Bri and enjoyed discovering more about these characters. Several antagonists also pop up across the story, and these are nicely developed and used to drive the story.
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟
The light romance woven into this story leads to some cute moments between Briseis and her girlfriend. Beyond this, their relationship has little impact as they do not experience any romantic friction or complexity.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Naturally, Jordan Cobb delivers skilful vocal changes that enrich the story and listening experience.
All in all, 'This Wicked Fate' is a satisfying conclusion to this duology. Although it took some time to get going, the interesting quest and characters kept the story engaging. Check out Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker for another family-oriented YA fantasy with protagonists of colour.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I am obsessed with this cover and the stunning illustration of Briseis and her girlfriend! The cool colour scheme also makes the design striking, and I love how the plant magic central to the series is displayed.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The picturesque writing laced with witty humour made this an easy, engaging read. What's more, the fascinating magic and Greek mythology aspects of the world are further developed in this sequel, enriching the story. My only issue was that the constant deluge of unnecessary details, like how noise-cancelling headphones work, gradually weakened the tension and slowed the story.
"How far are you willing to go for the people you love"
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟
This sequel picks up where the previous book ended and neatly recaps significant moments as the characters plan their next steps. However, the pace is slow, and the story is slightly drawn out until the quest begins in the second half. Surprising twists and constant danger made this half of the story gripping and led to a satisfying ending.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
Reeling from the betrayal and loss she experienced, Briseis's character is given some depth and relatability through her pain. Despite this, I wanted more depth or growth for Bri, especially since little is done to help her process her grief.
"We find purpose in the way we help others"
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I loved the warmth and banter between those close to Bri and enjoyed discovering more about these characters. Several antagonists also pop up across the story, and these are nicely developed and used to drive the story.
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟
The light romance woven into this story leads to some cute moments between Briseis and her girlfriend. Beyond this, their relationship has little impact as they do not experience any romantic friction or complexity.
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Naturally, Jordan Cobb delivers skilful vocal changes that enrich the story and listening experience.
All in all, 'This Wicked Fate' is a satisfying conclusion to this duology. Although it took some time to get going, the interesting quest and characters kept the story engaging. Check out Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker for another family-oriented YA fantasy with protagonists of colour.
October 4, 2022
This was really enjoyable!! When I picked it up, I was in the mood for something that was pretty light but also had depth- and this was the perfect book!! It was such an entertaining read 🥰🥰
This Wicked Fate is the highly anticipated sequel to This Poison Heart, which I read earlier this year and loved. I can't really explain the plot of this book without spoilers, but the series as a whole is about a girl called Briseis who essentially has 'plant powers'- she can grow and control plants. In Book 1, she inherits a house in a small country town from her aunt and moves there with her family. But strange things start to happen there, and Briseis will learn dark secrets about her family as she attempts to root out the threat.
Firstly, the characters. There isn't a HUGE cast of characters in this series and the main group mostly consists of Bri, her moms, Karter, Marie, and some other members of her family. I did like the characters in this, but they weren't AMAZING, if you know what I mean. Like, they were well-developed and many of them were very likeable, but they didn't blow me away. That may also be because I read this immediately after Queen of Shadows, which has a VERY strong cast of characters, but I dunno. However, I did really like our main character, Briseis- her struggles with grief felt very genuine and she was very easy to root for. I also liked Circe and Bri's moms. Overall, pretty good but I didn't adore them.
Secondly, the writing. I actually really liked the writing style! It's very simple and easy to read and the kind of writing where you can fly through it effortlessly. The modern style was nice and I also enjoyed some of the descriptions of the plants and the different settings. So, yeah, that was really great!! 🥰🥰
Next, the plot. The plot was really great! It did take a little while to get to the 'good' parts, but the pace still felt even and natural. I really enjoyed both the climax and ending, and I'm glad the characters got a HEA. I also LOVED the Greek mythology and botany elements- they were both woven wonderfully into the story and were just so INTERESTING!!
Lastly, the romance. The romance is the weakest part of the story imo- it just felt kinda unnecessary and I could never really root for the couple. I also wasn't a big fan of the love interest and overall, I just didn't really like it :/
Overall, this was a great read! I will say that I preferred the first book, but this was still a good sequel and a very satisfying ending to the series. You should definitely give this duology a try if you are looking for an urban fantasy that puts a twist on Greek mythology and botany. Highly recommend 🥰🥰
~ 4 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really enjoyed this!! Such a lovely read 🥰🥰🌷🌷RTC!
This Wicked Fate is the highly anticipated sequel to This Poison Heart, which I read earlier this year and loved. I can't really explain the plot of this book without spoilers, but the series as a whole is about a girl called Briseis who essentially has 'plant powers'- she can grow and control plants. In Book 1, she inherits a house in a small country town from her aunt and moves there with her family. But strange things start to happen there, and Briseis will learn dark secrets about her family as she attempts to root out the threat.
Firstly, the characters. There isn't a HUGE cast of characters in this series and the main group mostly consists of Bri, her moms, Karter, Marie, and some other members of her family. I did like the characters in this, but they weren't AMAZING, if you know what I mean. Like, they were well-developed and many of them were very likeable, but they didn't blow me away. That may also be because I read this immediately after Queen of Shadows, which has a VERY strong cast of characters, but I dunno. However, I did really like our main character, Briseis- her struggles with grief felt very genuine and she was very easy to root for. I also liked Circe and Bri's moms. Overall, pretty good but I didn't adore them.
Secondly, the writing. I actually really liked the writing style! It's very simple and easy to read and the kind of writing where you can fly through it effortlessly. The modern style was nice and I also enjoyed some of the descriptions of the plants and the different settings. So, yeah, that was really great!! 🥰🥰
Next, the plot. The plot was really great! It did take a little while to get to the 'good' parts, but the pace still felt even and natural. I really enjoyed both the climax and ending, and I'm glad the characters got a HEA. I also LOVED the Greek mythology and botany elements- they were both woven wonderfully into the story and were just so INTERESTING!!
Lastly, the romance. The romance is the weakest part of the story imo- it just felt kinda unnecessary and I could never really root for the couple. I also wasn't a big fan of the love interest and overall, I just didn't really like it :/
Overall, this was a great read! I will say that I preferred the first book, but this was still a good sequel and a very satisfying ending to the series. You should definitely give this duology a try if you are looking for an urban fantasy that puts a twist on Greek mythology and botany. Highly recommend 🥰🥰
~ 4 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really enjoyed this!! Such a lovely read 🥰🥰🌷🌷RTC!
July 14, 2022
rtc when i can see through my tears. somehow even better a second time.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 3, 2022
It was solid, but not quite the groundbreaking amazing hug that the first one was (I feel like this is a trend for me in the sequels I'm reading this year). It was really, really good, but it was just missing something and I don't know what. Also, it had the immortal and 17 year-old falling in love trope, and I just am not a fan of that.
But the joy! The grief! The plants! The way Bayron tweaked Greek mythology!
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
But the joy! The grief! The plants! The way Bayron tweaked Greek mythology!
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
January 9, 2023
“Teníamos esta preciosa vida y lo que hiciéramos con ella dependía totalmente de nosotras. Yo quería usar la mía para amar y ser amada a mi vez.”
Segunda parte y última (por el momento, no estoy segura) de “Este corazón venenoso”. La verdad es que ha estado mucho mejor que su anterior entrega, pues la primera parte a mi modo de ver solo fue una mera introducción a los personajes y al mundo.
En esta segunda parte, desde un punto de vista argumental es mucho más interesante y llena de acción, te entretiene y te dan ganas de seguir leyendo hasta el final. Asimismo, esta novela se lee en un suspiro, yo me la leí en día y poco solo leyendo de noche. La prosa de la autora es ligera y no se te hace pesada y siento que está más pulida que en la primera entrega.
“La mayor parte del tiempo solo intentamos sobrevivir, y creo que nos hemos olvidado de vivir.”
A pesar de que me haya gustado y entretenido no soy capaz de darle más de tres estrellas poque me ha parecido que le faltaba profundidad en general tanto en el desarrollo de la historia, la relación de los personajes entre otras cosas. Eso sí, la idea de la obra me parece interesante y se nota que la autora indagó sobre el tema. Con esto no quiere decir que vaya a dejar de leer a la autora, siento que escribe bien y como dije antes me lo paso bien leyéndolo. Así que ya cataré en un futuro el resto de sus obras.
“La magia y el veneno corren por nuestras venas”.
PD: Siento que esta obra debería tener más entregas, aunque con los personajes secundarios siento que hay cosas que quedaron en el aire y me gustaría respuestas.
Segunda parte y última (por el momento, no estoy segura) de “Este corazón venenoso”. La verdad es que ha estado mucho mejor que su anterior entrega, pues la primera parte a mi modo de ver solo fue una mera introducción a los personajes y al mundo.
En esta segunda parte, desde un punto de vista argumental es mucho más interesante y llena de acción, te entretiene y te dan ganas de seguir leyendo hasta el final. Asimismo, esta novela se lee en un suspiro, yo me la leí en día y poco solo leyendo de noche. La prosa de la autora es ligera y no se te hace pesada y siento que está más pulida que en la primera entrega.
“La mayor parte del tiempo solo intentamos sobrevivir, y creo que nos hemos olvidado de vivir.”
A pesar de que me haya gustado y entretenido no soy capaz de darle más de tres estrellas poque me ha parecido que le faltaba profundidad en general tanto en el desarrollo de la historia, la relación de los personajes entre otras cosas. Eso sí, la idea de la obra me parece interesante y se nota que la autora indagó sobre el tema. Con esto no quiere decir que vaya a dejar de leer a la autora, siento que escribe bien y como dije antes me lo paso bien leyéndolo. Así que ya cataré en un futuro el resto de sus obras.
“La magia y el veneno corren por nuestras venas”.
PD: Siento que esta obra debería tener más entregas, aunque con los personajes secundarios siento que hay cosas que quedaron en el aire y me gustaría respuestas.
June 27, 2022
I've enjoyed the uptick in Greek myth retellings over the last few years (Hiiii Lore Olympus) but it does mean some of them don't quite hit the mark, this is one of them. I think the fact that our main set of characters have the same names as the characters of yore is a bit on the nose. (Also why would you call your child Circe tho? Or Medea? like these names do not have good vibes).
This book opens straight after the previous one, which is great, if a year a later I decided to re-read Poison Heart the day before. But fun story, I did not. So I had literally no idea what was going on and honestly it harmed my enjoyment of the book. I *really* *really* would have liked a recap or some sort of optional 'here's what happened last time'. There's a level of arrogance from publishers/editors that think we do nothing in our lives but wait for new installments of series.
The story itself was alright. We spend half the book (about 52% on my Kindle) waffling about 'how do we find Briseis's mum' there's some romance, but tbh because we don't know theses chracters and I barely rememebered what was going on I didn't engage with it. Also the interactions with the gods is a bit Percy Jackson with none of the humour (it felt cobbled on).
I think what is realistic (ha!) is that our MC EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS A GREEK NAME AND POWERS hasn't put much thought into Greek mythos/stories etc. Seems realistic for sure for a Gen Z character. So her ignorance with the fates etc didn't ring true (also because she keeps referencing the Disney Hercules and they have a role in that?!). So the myths side was fairly poorly done. The romance was angst ridden (which you know I loathe) and queer or otherwise I just wasn't invested in the characters. I wanted to be because the first book was a lot of fun!
All in all, a rush and not very good IMO.
This book opens straight after the previous one, which is great, if a year a later I decided to re-read Poison Heart the day before. But fun story, I did not. So I had literally no idea what was going on and honestly it harmed my enjoyment of the book. I *really* *really* would have liked a recap or some sort of optional 'here's what happened last time'. There's a level of arrogance from publishers/editors that think we do nothing in our lives but wait for new installments of series.
The story itself was alright. We spend half the book (about 52% on my Kindle) waffling about 'how do we find Briseis's mum' there's some romance, but tbh because we don't know theses chracters and I barely rememebered what was going on I didn't engage with it. Also the interactions with the gods is a bit Percy Jackson with none of the humour (it felt cobbled on).
I think what is realistic (ha!) is that our MC EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS A GREEK NAME AND POWERS hasn't put much thought into Greek mythos/stories etc. Seems realistic for sure for a Gen Z character. So her ignorance with the fates etc didn't ring true (also because she keeps referencing the Disney Hercules and they have a role in that?!). So the myths side was fairly poorly done. The romance was angst ridden (which you know I loathe) and queer or otherwise I just wasn't invested in the characters. I wanted to be because the first book was a lot of fun!
All in all, a rush and not very good IMO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2022
Briseis has grown up a lot. (Spoilers if you haven't read book #1). She's learned how her family, descendants of Medea, daughter of Hecate, niece of Circe, wife of Jason, is tasked with guarding the Absyrtus Heart--a plant that just happens to be incredibly deadly. Pieces have been separated over hundreds of generations. Jason's line has always wanted the heart and has been hunting it and Bri's family. Her family has been trying to get the pieces of the heart back and destroy them all. But the stakes are even higher now: if they do not get them all back within 28 days, Bri's mom will be lost forever.
What follows is a wonderful, queer mythical fantasy adventure that will completely sweep you off your feet! Bri is one of my absolute favorite heroines in YA literature. She is smart, funny, and real (and bi), and her focus on family is just lovely. Bayron's writing is just gorgeous: the descriptions of gardens and plants are so beautiful, not to mention all the mythology. She brings to life the world of Medea and all these mythical places and gods and goddesses. I felt as if we truly got to know Circe more.
These books are wonderful in that they are fun fantasy reads but also cover serious topics; as Bayron states: generational burden, grief, and healing. It covers the bonds of family and also friendship.
Overall, I love this series, and I found this book to be absolutely stunning! 4.5+ stars.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
What follows is a wonderful, queer mythical fantasy adventure that will completely sweep you off your feet! Bri is one of my absolute favorite heroines in YA literature. She is smart, funny, and real (and bi), and her focus on family is just lovely. Bayron's writing is just gorgeous: the descriptions of gardens and plants are so beautiful, not to mention all the mythology. She brings to life the world of Medea and all these mythical places and gods and goddesses. I felt as if we truly got to know Circe more.
These books are wonderful in that they are fun fantasy reads but also cover serious topics; as Bayron states: generational burden, grief, and healing. It covers the bonds of family and also friendship.
Overall, I love this series, and I found this book to be absolutely stunning! 4.5+ stars.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
July 22, 2022
This was just… not good. As one of my most anticipated reads of the year I was so let down! I wish I had DNF’d this but I have a habit of disliking the second book in a duology and was determined to prove otherwise. Clearly I haven’t broken that trend.
As well as finding this book generally quite boring, I had a major issue with the characters. This is a very short book, to its detriment. We are thrown straight back into the story with very little recap and suddenly there were all these characters and I’m still trying to work out who was who. And the characters that were very present in the first book (mainly Marie) just didn’t feel like themselves? I don’t understand why she was just angry all the time when she wasn’t like that in the first book. I know the characters were dealing with a lot of grief but I don’t think that was even dealt with very well.
The plot is essentially a glorified fetch quest that Percy Jackson did 100 times better. Something I really liked about the first book was the mystery element, about the house, Bri’s powers and her family, and this was completely missing in this book. I feel like every interesting was revealed in the first book and left no room for intrigue in this one. If I have to read another line about Bri imagining Devil’s Pet restraining someone I’m gonna scream.
I did like getting to learn more about the gods and I wish this had been explored more because that was the only real interesting thing about this book.
Overall I am just really disappointed and I am reluctant to pick up another Bayron book in the future.
As well as finding this book generally quite boring, I had a major issue with the characters. This is a very short book, to its detriment. We are thrown straight back into the story with very little recap and suddenly there were all these characters and I’m still trying to work out who was who. And the characters that were very present in the first book (mainly Marie) just didn’t feel like themselves? I don’t understand why she was just angry all the time when she wasn’t like that in the first book. I know the characters were dealing with a lot of grief but I don’t think that was even dealt with very well.
The plot is essentially a glorified fetch quest that Percy Jackson did 100 times better. Something I really liked about the first book was the mystery element, about the house, Bri’s powers and her family, and this was completely missing in this book. I feel like every interesting was revealed in the first book and left no room for intrigue in this one. If I have to read another line about Bri imagining Devil’s Pet restraining someone I’m gonna scream.
I did like getting to learn more about the gods and I wish this had been explored more because that was the only real interesting thing about this book.
Overall I am just really disappointed and I am reluctant to pick up another Bayron book in the future.
July 25, 2022
2.5 rounded up
this was... a book i read, i guess
this was... a book i read, i guess
June 19, 2022
4.5* Kalynn Bayron has nailed it once again.
Delving further into the mythological elements introduced towards the end of This Poison Heart, This Wicked Fate answers all of book ones questions in unexpected and brilliantly clever ways. Bri continues to blossom throughout the book, as does her relationship with Marie and her various family members. There is so much to love about this series but I think the emphasis on family and the different familial dynamics and relationships in This Wicked Fate was explored especially well. The action was non-stop and addictive, the writing stunningly descriptive and all encompassing and the characters superb. I adored Bri's strength and humour, Marie's unapologetic ferocity and heart full of love, Circe's complexity and love and Persephone's badassery.
Filled with magic, love, adventure, heartwarming queer rep and a cast of powerful Black women, This Wicked Fate is a superb follow up to This Poison Heart and managed to leave me both totally satisfied with its ending and wanting more.
Delving further into the mythological elements introduced towards the end of This Poison Heart, This Wicked Fate answers all of book ones questions in unexpected and brilliantly clever ways. Bri continues to blossom throughout the book, as does her relationship with Marie and her various family members. There is so much to love about this series but I think the emphasis on family and the different familial dynamics and relationships in This Wicked Fate was explored especially well. The action was non-stop and addictive, the writing stunningly descriptive and all encompassing and the characters superb. I adored Bri's strength and humour, Marie's unapologetic ferocity and heart full of love, Circe's complexity and love and Persephone's badassery.
Filled with magic, love, adventure, heartwarming queer rep and a cast of powerful Black women, This Wicked Fate is a superb follow up to This Poison Heart and managed to leave me both totally satisfied with its ending and wanting more.
February 23, 2023
If you want a book that confuses feminism with violence and that butches Greek mythology, congratulations, you have found it.
August 14, 2022
#1) This Poison Heart ★★★★☆
i'm so desperate for this 😭
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
September 20, 2023
Such a good follow up. Loved all the Greek mythology and magical powers. Excellent cast of characters and I felt like I knew them all and was invested in their story.
March 13, 2022
I really enjoyed This Poison Heart, so going into this I was nervous - what if the sequel wasn't as good? As with most sequels, my review will focus on the duology as whole as well as the book itself.
This Wicked Fate picks up where the last book left off (sorry for the lack of summary, I don't want to give any spoilers). IT IS SUCH A GOOD SEQUAL!!
I actually enjoyed this more than the first book. The pacing was perfect, the characters felt like real (if a bit magical) people, and the world building was rich with detail. Bayron stepped away from the secret garden elements, and the duology became a Greek myth retelling of Medea's tale. This was done in such an interesting way and I don't think I've read anything like it before. The magic system is still one of my favourites I have ever read, and as someone with an interest in botany I was fascinated by Briseis's powers.
I think one of the real strengths of this book is the relationships between the characters, and how each of them are impacted by this generational trauma. The characters are all interconnected by trauma, and they are all working hard to take care of each other in a world where they are constantly threatened. It leads to really interesting character dynamics (I especially love Briseis's relationship with her mums and aunt).
However, my only criticism of this book is also related to relationships. Marie and Briseis's romance felt forced, and didn't really add much to the plot. The time frame of this duology is short (only a couple of months), so that relationship didn't feel very meaningful or help character development. It felt like an after thought - they read as friends who would kiss sometimes. I don't think it took away from my enjoyment of the story, but it did feel rushed.
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend you pick up this duology. 4.5, rounded up! Book 2 is published on June 21st.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This Wicked Fate picks up where the last book left off (sorry for the lack of summary, I don't want to give any spoilers). IT IS SUCH A GOOD SEQUAL!!
I actually enjoyed this more than the first book. The pacing was perfect, the characters felt like real (if a bit magical) people, and the world building was rich with detail. Bayron stepped away from the secret garden elements, and the duology became a Greek myth retelling of Medea's tale. This was done in such an interesting way and I don't think I've read anything like it before. The magic system is still one of my favourites I have ever read, and as someone with an interest in botany I was fascinated by Briseis's powers.
I think one of the real strengths of this book is the relationships between the characters, and how each of them are impacted by this generational trauma. The characters are all interconnected by trauma, and they are all working hard to take care of each other in a world where they are constantly threatened. It leads to really interesting character dynamics (I especially love Briseis's relationship with her mums and aunt).
However, my only criticism of this book is also related to relationships. Marie and Briseis's romance felt forced, and didn't really add much to the plot. The time frame of this duology is short (only a couple of months), so that relationship didn't feel very meaningful or help character development. It felt like an after thought - they read as friends who would kiss sometimes. I don't think it took away from my enjoyment of the story, but it did feel rushed.
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend you pick up this duology. 4.5, rounded up! Book 2 is published on June 21st.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2025
Fair warning about the start: This one throws you back in. I had to remember how the first book ended, and I was slightly confused at first when paying for the catch-up.
I loved the Greek Mythology interwoven with the magical realism of today.
My biggest issue is that I want more, and I want it to be longer. I love these characters, and there is a lot of room to write about them for quite a while. I hope this isn't ending at a duology because so much more can be explored.
Love the older gods and all of the fun with plants and poisons!!
Solid 5 Stars
I loved the Greek Mythology interwoven with the magical realism of today.
My biggest issue is that I want more, and I want it to be longer. I love these characters, and there is a lot of room to write about them for quite a while. I hope this isn't ending at a duology because so much more can be explored.
Love the older gods and all of the fun with plants and poisons!!
Solid 5 Stars
August 3, 2023
Briseis and co. journey to the mythical island Aeaea to find the last Absyrtus Heart piece and save Briseis's mom.
Not as captivating for me as This Poison Heart, different vibe. Mythological adventure vs. TPH's creepy gothic mystery.
Star Criteria:
⭐️ Entertaining? Yes.
⭐️ Creative? Yes.
⭐️ Educational value? Yes -- Greek mythology, plants.
⭐️ Foregrounds voices historically underrepresented in mainstream literature? Yes.
⭐️ Innovative? Challenges established literary norms/expectations? No.
Not as captivating for me as This Poison Heart, different vibe. Mythological adventure vs. TPH's creepy gothic mystery.
Star Criteria:
⭐️ Entertaining? Yes.
⭐️ Creative? Yes.
⭐️ Educational value? Yes -- Greek mythology, plants.
⭐️ Foregrounds voices historically underrepresented in mainstream literature? Yes.
⭐️ Innovative? Challenges established literary norms/expectations? No.
Read
April 2, 2024DNF
December 26, 2022
This Poison Heart was one of my top 10 books the year it came out, so I was beyond excited to see how This Wicked Fate played out. Thankfully, it delivered.
I loved Briseis and this group of characters. They're all loyal and loving and strong af. I loved the devotion and the history and the one liners.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a thread of tension and urgency woven through the story until the very end and it was perfect. The imagery of the plants was easily the best part and I found myself googling the names of some of them, only to find the photo was exactly what I saw in my head.
Overall, this is a series I know I'll be coming back to and I'll definitely be reading Kalynn's other books.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Briseis and this group of characters. They're all loyal and loving and strong af. I loved the devotion and the history and the one liners.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a thread of tension and urgency woven through the story until the very end and it was perfect. The imagery of the plants was easily the best part and I found myself googling the names of some of them, only to find the photo was exactly what I saw in my head.
Overall, this is a series I know I'll be coming back to and I'll definitely be reading Kalynn's other books.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
March 8, 2023
A list of grievances:
1. This series should have been one 450 page book rather than a duology. I feel VERY strongly about this one. >:(
2. It's a pottery SHERD and a glass SHARD. Every time they said shard I missed a paragraph because I was distracted by being salty. I did not dig up a thousand buckets of dirt in Greece for you to not look up a word.
3. As much as I'm pro-Heinrich Schliemann slander, the most BS archeologist in history, I need some sources to back up these claims.
4. NOT THE COTTON GLOVES. PLEASE. There is very rarely an instance where cotton gloves should be used over nitrile gloves or clean hands in an archeological/antiquities/museum/archive setting. And they are VERY specific times.
Overall, disappointed and kind of annoyed.
1. This series should have been one 450 page book rather than a duology. I feel VERY strongly about this one. >:(
2. It's a pottery SHERD and a glass SHARD. Every time they said shard I missed a paragraph because I was distracted by being salty. I did not dig up a thousand buckets of dirt in Greece for you to not look up a word.
3. As much as I'm pro-Heinrich Schliemann slander, the most BS archeologist in history, I need some sources to back up these claims.
4. NOT THE COTTON GLOVES. PLEASE. There is very rarely an instance where cotton gloves should be used over nitrile gloves or clean hands in an archeological/antiquities/museum/archive setting. And they are VERY specific times.
Overall, disappointed and kind of annoyed.
August 22, 2022
Though not as strong as it’s first book, still a fun exploration of black womens’ familial relationships with a heavy dose of adventure and a sweet side romance. The vibes were much less mystery and way more Percy Jackson killer quest this time around.
I found the plot to be very predictable and far lower stakes than before, and the convenience of everything falling together made the ending just slightly less satisfying than I’d hoped. Not much happened in terms of character development or problem solving - it was a very straightforward conclusion to the conflict that had been set up from book one. Bri’s general lack of knowledge was repetitive and slightly frustrating, as were Marie’s anger issues and the constant keeping of obvious secrets. Karter’s entire justification for his actions in the first book is explained away in a single sentence that I wish would have been explored more.
Still, this duology was entertaining and heartfelt, and I’d absolutely push it in the direction of any Greek mythology fan looking for a black, queer fantasy
I found the plot to be very predictable and far lower stakes than before, and the convenience of everything falling together made the ending just slightly less satisfying than I’d hoped. Not much happened in terms of character development or problem solving - it was a very straightforward conclusion to the conflict that had been set up from book one. Bri’s general lack of knowledge was repetitive and slightly frustrating, as were Marie’s anger issues and the constant keeping of obvious secrets. Karter’s entire justification for his actions in the first book is explained away in a single sentence that I wish would have been explored more.
Still, this duology was entertaining and heartfelt, and I’d absolutely push it in the direction of any Greek mythology fan looking for a black, queer fantasy
March 14, 2022
4.5* an epic conclusion to such a wholesome, yet thrilling fantasy duology. The greek mythology elements were so much more in this book and it was WILD. Can’t wait to see what the author does next!
(netgalley arc)
(netgalley arc)
March 13, 2023
Hello, this is my first review ever on Goodreads so don’t take it too seriously. I’m just having fun sharing my thoughts, and if I say something you disagree with, please keep in mind that these are MY personal opinions.
Also, keep in mind that is is NOT a spoiler free review!!
ALSO also, English is not my first language so if you see any typos or incorrect grammar anywhere, no you didn’t.
🌱🌸🌱
Oh boy, I knew this was gonna be a shit show the moment I picked it up, after having been through the disaster that was the first book…
First of all, I’ll say that I think Bayron’s writing is not horrible, like at all. I think the thing I don’t like about her books is that she has some killer ideas, but she’s unfortunately not very good at executing them. She has awesome characters that I think she just unfortunately made the wrong choices with regarding development.
An example of this is Marie, the main character’s girlfriend. At the beginning, Marie was a mysterious girl that didn’t seem too unusual. However, the moment we first step foot into her home and we meet Alec, we start to see the violent side of Marie. Marie is an immortal hothead. She has a short temper and her first solution to any sort of conflict or problem is violence. She scolds, sasses, threatens and very often uses physical violence to get her way. Aaaaaand that’s it. Sometimes she serves as the sarcastic comic relief, but it’s still done with sass or threats.
There’s a whole scene on a plane to Turkey where Marie is calling herself a monster, and Bri ensures her that she’s so much more than her powers. But I found myself struggling to figure out what other traits Marie has than being angry and having powers. She’s lovey-dovey with Bri, sure, but that’s about it, and it stays like that the entire book. I would’ve loved to see her realize that not every problem you have can or should be solved with violence.
Speaking of Bri and Marie, I believe their relationship was waaaay too rushed. Also, the “immortal 100 year old whose mind is stuck at 17 is together with an actual 17 year old” trope gives me the ick.
But if we’re gonna just try to disregard that and talk about their relationship alone; there’s nothing there. Okay, maybe there’s SOMETHING there, but we spent so much time with the story that we didn’t have a chance to see Bri and Marie just be a couple for a while. This really sucks, there’s a farewell scene near the end where Marie is about to sacrifice herself that had so much potential. It’s so apparent that it was supposed to be an emotional and gut-wrenching scene, but I felt absolutely nothing.
This is because there was nothing holding up their relationship, there was barely anything to fall in love and/or make me invested in them at all. There were some kissing, and some times of comforting, but that’s it. There was nothing else.
However, something that me and my friend (who was reading this book along with me) agreed on is that we thought this scene could’ve been a lot more impactful if Bri and Marie’s relationship had grown over the course of the two books. Instead, they became a couple in the beginning of the second book, having only known each other for a few weeks beforehand.
My next issue with this book is the protagonist, Briseis. I must confess that I have never hated a main character as much as I hate Bri, not only is she annoying, she’s also dumb, rude and just straight up boring. She suffered from severe main character syndrome, EVERYTHING WENT HER WAY. On page 269, where Circe had been put in a coma-like state by one of the villains (more on them later), Bri knows exactly what to do to wake her back up, because of course she does. And then she performs magic that she’s never even thought about doing ever in her life before, and she knows exactly how to do it, because of course she does. And she DOES IT PERFECTLY ON HER VERY FIRST TRY EVER, BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE F***ING DOES.
After Bri’s mom’s death she started having violent thoughts about strangling people with her plants, she took joy in her enemies suffering and at page 69 she even laughed at a man’s unconscious body. This all comes out of nowhere in my opinion and is a big 180 on her character from the first book, and it’s frankly the ONLY sort of character development she ever gets.
She also has the horrible habit of cutting people off. I swear half of the story could’ve been cut short and we could’ve gotten so many more answers to our questions, if Bri had just let people finish their freaking sentences.
The pacing of the story is dreadful, absolutely awful. NOTHING happens until you’re 70% into the book. Did you hear that? 70% of this book is the characters talking about how to get Bri’s mom back, threatening some people for information, and then lallygagging in the house. It was a PAIN having to plow through all that to get to the “good stuff”. Me and my friend were reading two to three chapters each week and then we’d call up and discuss them with each other (basically we had a bookclub with only two members). There were several times where we had almost nothing to say, because nothing of importance had happened, and when something did happen, it was almost always said with frustration or disappointment.
Me and my friend both agreed that the fact that the main characters only had one piece to find of the heart made the story’s pace worse. We think if there had instead been two to three pieces of the hearts missing, it would’ve been a way more satisfying and eventful fetch quest than the one we got (if you can even call it a fetch quest to begin with).
The pacing is one of the main factors to the story being boring, but another very big factor is that there was never any real danger. Because Marie and Persephone had overpowered abilities and were also literally immortal, there was never really anything that could hurt the main cast. Marie and Persephone would just swoop in at any given chance and pulverize everything in their path. And during the few times that they didn’t do that, the group were miraculously saved by some other means than themselves, such as a literal god at one point.
There were never any sense of dread at all for their safety or that something was gonna happen. The ending scene where it’s revealed that Marie and Persephone were gonna have to sacrifice themselves so the pieces of the hearts could be reunited, I thought “finally, something’s at stake!”. But that was immediately ruined when it was revealed that Persephone had made sure to be the only one to die, so that Bri could have her mother back without losing Marie.
When I read that, I wanted to scream. I had looked forward to angst, I wanted things to finally not go Bri’s way. I wanted Bri to have to accept that she can’t have both and that she was gonna have to choose, but nope. I’m usually not a fan of sad endings, but I found myself being so unreasonably angry with this ending. It was foreshadowed THE ENTIRE BOOK that Marie was gonna have to sacrifice herself to get Bri’s mom back, and she had even accepted her fate and all, only for it to not even matter in the end. I was so freaking disappointed.
There was a point near the end where the group was attacked and put to sleep through magic. It’s revealed shortly after that their attackers were their rival family, and that one of them, Viv, had powers. Viv had the potential to be a real danger, because of her ability to put people in such a deep sleep that they develop amnesia. But we only have about 1 chapter of being excited about this new villain before she’s just immediately killed, and off screen at that. *inhale* AAAAAAAAAH!! It was right there!! A dangerous person that could actually hurt the group was there, and Bayron just said no, and killed Viv off for the sake of keeping her characters overpowered.
Another frustrating thing is that everyone is keeping secrets from Bri, and in turn, us as the readers. The Goodreads user Chantell Saunders (link in the end of the review) wrote something in their own review that I absolutely 100% agree with and can’t put into any better words:
“The secrecy is supposed to make the book more interesting, to compel the story forward because you want to find out more, but Bayron overused this, making the story incredibly frustrating and the characters unlikable”.
I can’t stress enough how much I agree with this statement, I found myself seething in frustration every single time Bri asked a question and she was dismissed or just told “we’ll see”. Not only did we have to wait until the end to find out the answers to Bri’s questions, but some of them weren’t even answered at all. Bri asked Nyx what she is, because Nyx is immortal, has super strength and speed, just like Marie and Persephone. But unlike them, Nyx wasn’t a piece of the heart and we never got to know what her deal was.
🌱🌸🌱
This review is so long already, so I’m gonna make my smaller and less important points into a list down below:
- Karter was the only good character in this book, and he deserved WAY better.
- I hate that the book started IMMEDIATELY where the first book ended off, no recap, no nothing.
- Bri and Circe’s relationship grew way too fast for me. There’s no way I’d feel comfortable calling someone Auntie after having only known them for a month.
- The scene with the Fates was absolutely unnecessary and could’ve been cut without any change to the story.
- The griffin?? Did absolutely nothing?? Why was there a griffin if it wasn’t gonna be with us for the journey?? Unnecessary as heck.
- Not important, but I wanted to know about Bri’s biological dad. But there was no mention of him whatsoever, not in this book nor in the first book.
- The name choices were horrible. I’m mostly thinking about Persephone here and how it clashed and got confusing when we were introduced to the goddess Persephone.
- I understand this is supposed to be a feminist women-empowering book, but the lack of nice male characters rubbed me the wrong way. There was Alec, Dr. Brant’s father, Karter (in the end) and Hermes (kinda). The rest were bad guys or had beef with Marie. Also, being violent towards people isn’t feminism, just straight up abusive (looking at you, Marie)
🌱🌸🌱
That being said, I do not recommend this book. Only reason you should read it is if you read the first one and you have the patience of a saint.
2/5
⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Marcus for helping me with my review and for reading this book along with me.
Marcus’ link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Chantell’s link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Also, keep in mind that is is NOT a spoiler free review!!
ALSO also, English is not my first language so if you see any typos or incorrect grammar anywhere, no you didn’t.
🌱🌸🌱
Oh boy, I knew this was gonna be a shit show the moment I picked it up, after having been through the disaster that was the first book…
First of all, I’ll say that I think Bayron’s writing is not horrible, like at all. I think the thing I don’t like about her books is that she has some killer ideas, but she’s unfortunately not very good at executing them. She has awesome characters that I think she just unfortunately made the wrong choices with regarding development.
An example of this is Marie, the main character’s girlfriend. At the beginning, Marie was a mysterious girl that didn’t seem too unusual. However, the moment we first step foot into her home and we meet Alec, we start to see the violent side of Marie. Marie is an immortal hothead. She has a short temper and her first solution to any sort of conflict or problem is violence. She scolds, sasses, threatens and very often uses physical violence to get her way. Aaaaaand that’s it. Sometimes she serves as the sarcastic comic relief, but it’s still done with sass or threats.
There’s a whole scene on a plane to Turkey where Marie is calling herself a monster, and Bri ensures her that she’s so much more than her powers. But I found myself struggling to figure out what other traits Marie has than being angry and having powers. She’s lovey-dovey with Bri, sure, but that’s about it, and it stays like that the entire book. I would’ve loved to see her realize that not every problem you have can or should be solved with violence.
Speaking of Bri and Marie, I believe their relationship was waaaay too rushed. Also, the “immortal 100 year old whose mind is stuck at 17 is together with an actual 17 year old” trope gives me the ick.
But if we’re gonna just try to disregard that and talk about their relationship alone; there’s nothing there. Okay, maybe there’s SOMETHING there, but we spent so much time with the story that we didn’t have a chance to see Bri and Marie just be a couple for a while. This really sucks, there’s a farewell scene near the end where Marie is about to sacrifice herself that had so much potential. It’s so apparent that it was supposed to be an emotional and gut-wrenching scene, but I felt absolutely nothing.
This is because there was nothing holding up their relationship, there was barely anything to fall in love and/or make me invested in them at all. There were some kissing, and some times of comforting, but that’s it. There was nothing else.
However, something that me and my friend (who was reading this book along with me) agreed on is that we thought this scene could’ve been a lot more impactful if Bri and Marie’s relationship had grown over the course of the two books. Instead, they became a couple in the beginning of the second book, having only known each other for a few weeks beforehand.
My next issue with this book is the protagonist, Briseis. I must confess that I have never hated a main character as much as I hate Bri, not only is she annoying, she’s also dumb, rude and just straight up boring. She suffered from severe main character syndrome, EVERYTHING WENT HER WAY. On page 269, where Circe had been put in a coma-like state by one of the villains (more on them later), Bri knows exactly what to do to wake her back up, because of course she does. And then she performs magic that she’s never even thought about doing ever in her life before, and she knows exactly how to do it, because of course she does. And she DOES IT PERFECTLY ON HER VERY FIRST TRY EVER, BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE F***ING DOES.
After Bri’s mom’s death she started having violent thoughts about strangling people with her plants, she took joy in her enemies suffering and at page 69 she even laughed at a man’s unconscious body. This all comes out of nowhere in my opinion and is a big 180 on her character from the first book, and it’s frankly the ONLY sort of character development she ever gets.
She also has the horrible habit of cutting people off. I swear half of the story could’ve been cut short and we could’ve gotten so many more answers to our questions, if Bri had just let people finish their freaking sentences.
The pacing of the story is dreadful, absolutely awful. NOTHING happens until you’re 70% into the book. Did you hear that? 70% of this book is the characters talking about how to get Bri’s mom back, threatening some people for information, and then lallygagging in the house. It was a PAIN having to plow through all that to get to the “good stuff”. Me and my friend were reading two to three chapters each week and then we’d call up and discuss them with each other (basically we had a bookclub with only two members). There were several times where we had almost nothing to say, because nothing of importance had happened, and when something did happen, it was almost always said with frustration or disappointment.
Me and my friend both agreed that the fact that the main characters only had one piece to find of the heart made the story’s pace worse. We think if there had instead been two to three pieces of the hearts missing, it would’ve been a way more satisfying and eventful fetch quest than the one we got (if you can even call it a fetch quest to begin with).
The pacing is one of the main factors to the story being boring, but another very big factor is that there was never any real danger. Because Marie and Persephone had overpowered abilities and were also literally immortal, there was never really anything that could hurt the main cast. Marie and Persephone would just swoop in at any given chance and pulverize everything in their path. And during the few times that they didn’t do that, the group were miraculously saved by some other means than themselves, such as a literal god at one point.
There were never any sense of dread at all for their safety or that something was gonna happen. The ending scene where it’s revealed that Marie and Persephone were gonna have to sacrifice themselves so the pieces of the hearts could be reunited, I thought “finally, something’s at stake!”. But that was immediately ruined when it was revealed that Persephone had made sure to be the only one to die, so that Bri could have her mother back without losing Marie.
When I read that, I wanted to scream. I had looked forward to angst, I wanted things to finally not go Bri’s way. I wanted Bri to have to accept that she can’t have both and that she was gonna have to choose, but nope. I’m usually not a fan of sad endings, but I found myself being so unreasonably angry with this ending. It was foreshadowed THE ENTIRE BOOK that Marie was gonna have to sacrifice herself to get Bri’s mom back, and she had even accepted her fate and all, only for it to not even matter in the end. I was so freaking disappointed.
There was a point near the end where the group was attacked and put to sleep through magic. It’s revealed shortly after that their attackers were their rival family, and that one of them, Viv, had powers. Viv had the potential to be a real danger, because of her ability to put people in such a deep sleep that they develop amnesia. But we only have about 1 chapter of being excited about this new villain before she’s just immediately killed, and off screen at that. *inhale* AAAAAAAAAH!! It was right there!! A dangerous person that could actually hurt the group was there, and Bayron just said no, and killed Viv off for the sake of keeping her characters overpowered.
Another frustrating thing is that everyone is keeping secrets from Bri, and in turn, us as the readers. The Goodreads user Chantell Saunders (link in the end of the review) wrote something in their own review that I absolutely 100% agree with and can’t put into any better words:
“The secrecy is supposed to make the book more interesting, to compel the story forward because you want to find out more, but Bayron overused this, making the story incredibly frustrating and the characters unlikable”.
I can’t stress enough how much I agree with this statement, I found myself seething in frustration every single time Bri asked a question and she was dismissed or just told “we’ll see”. Not only did we have to wait until the end to find out the answers to Bri’s questions, but some of them weren’t even answered at all. Bri asked Nyx what she is, because Nyx is immortal, has super strength and speed, just like Marie and Persephone. But unlike them, Nyx wasn’t a piece of the heart and we never got to know what her deal was.
🌱🌸🌱
This review is so long already, so I’m gonna make my smaller and less important points into a list down below:
- Karter was the only good character in this book, and he deserved WAY better.
- I hate that the book started IMMEDIATELY where the first book ended off, no recap, no nothing.
- Bri and Circe’s relationship grew way too fast for me. There’s no way I’d feel comfortable calling someone Auntie after having only known them for a month.
- The scene with the Fates was absolutely unnecessary and could’ve been cut without any change to the story.
- The griffin?? Did absolutely nothing?? Why was there a griffin if it wasn’t gonna be with us for the journey?? Unnecessary as heck.
- Not important, but I wanted to know about Bri’s biological dad. But there was no mention of him whatsoever, not in this book nor in the first book.
- The name choices were horrible. I’m mostly thinking about Persephone here and how it clashed and got confusing when we were introduced to the goddess Persephone.
- I understand this is supposed to be a feminist women-empowering book, but the lack of nice male characters rubbed me the wrong way. There was Alec, Dr. Brant’s father, Karter (in the end) and Hermes (kinda). The rest were bad guys or had beef with Marie. Also, being violent towards people isn’t feminism, just straight up abusive (looking at you, Marie)
🌱🌸🌱
That being said, I do not recommend this book. Only reason you should read it is if you read the first one and you have the patience of a saint.
2/5
⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Marcus for helping me with my review and for reading this book along with me.
Marcus’ link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Chantell’s link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2023
2.25⭐️
rozczarowałem się. pierwsza część to jeden z moich faworytów, natomiast to nie przypasowało mi aż tak jak przypuszczałem. zaczne od tego, że książka mogłaby być o wiele dłuzsza i mam wrażenie, że autorka nie dokońca wykorzystała potencjał tego co nabudowała w pierwszym tomie. niektóre sceny - jeżeli tak to mogę ująć, wyglądały jakby były pisane na szybko, na kolanie. zakończenie totalnie nie spełniające moich oczekiwań. co prawda, to jak historia się potoczy było dość przewidywalne, ale nie podoba mi sie w jaki sposób autorka ją poprowadziła. na plus są oczywiście nawiązania do mitologii, ale jestem bardziej na nie niż na tak.
rozczarowałem się. pierwsza część to jeden z moich faworytów, natomiast to nie przypasowało mi aż tak jak przypuszczałem. zaczne od tego, że książka mogłaby być o wiele dłuzsza i mam wrażenie, że autorka nie dokońca wykorzystała potencjał tego co nabudowała w pierwszym tomie. niektóre sceny - jeżeli tak to mogę ująć, wyglądały jakby były pisane na szybko, na kolanie. zakończenie totalnie nie spełniające moich oczekiwań. co prawda, to jak historia się potoczy było dość przewidywalne, ale nie podoba mi sie w jaki sposób autorka ją poprowadziła. na plus są oczywiście nawiązania do mitologii, ale jestem bardziej na nie niż na tak.
August 26, 2022
Maybe I'm being extremely hard on this book after reading the amazing first book, but there's a lot I really didn't like in the second book. I felt like 50% of the book is padded with just excessive planning, I don't like the Greek mythology present here, the fun aspects of the apothecary aren't around anymore, and Bri doesn't seems as much of a central character compared to this first book.
This just REALLY didn't work for me, and by the time the action scenes started 75% in, I was already lost as a reader.
This just REALLY didn't work for me, and by the time the action scenes started 75% in, I was already lost as a reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2022
I am insanely disappointed.
I was obsessed with Cinderella is dead and still enjoyed this poison heart but this was a let down.
I feel like there was so much unnecessary talk in between and the problem was solved in like t last 40 pages so so anticlimactic.
This shouldn’t have been a whole book the author should’ve kept this as a stand-alone and just added the ending real quick cuz I forced myself to finish this one.
If you’re interested in this duology read the first one and maybe just read the summary of the second lol not worth it
I was obsessed with Cinderella is dead and still enjoyed this poison heart but this was a let down.
I feel like there was so much unnecessary talk in between and the problem was solved in like t last 40 pages so so anticlimactic.
This shouldn’t have been a whole book the author should’ve kept this as a stand-alone and just added the ending real quick cuz I forced myself to finish this one.
If you’re interested in this duology read the first one and maybe just read the summary of the second lol not worth it
April 17, 2023
Ilość mitologii w tej części przewyższyła moje wszelkie oczekiwania haha🧞♀️- także jeśli jesteście fanami greckiej mitologii to pozycja obowiązkowa!
Niestety coś mi na początku nie siadło i w porównaniu do 1 części ta wypada jak dla mnie gorzej aleee i tak warto ją przeczytać 🌱✨
Zakończenie mnie nie zawiodło więc jestem zadowolona🫶🏼
Niestety coś mi na początku nie siadło i w porównaniu do 1 części ta wypada jak dla mnie gorzej aleee i tak warto ją przeczytać 🌱✨
Zakończenie mnie nie zawiodło więc jestem zadowolona🫶🏼
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