This Poison Heart: From the author of the TikTok sensation Cinderella is Dead
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By Kalynn Bayron
avg rating
3 reviews
‘Kalynn Bayron does more than re-write a fairy-tale … She breaks it apart and rebuilds it into a wholly original and captivating story where girls finally decide for themselves who lives happily ever after’ – Brigid Kemmerer
‘Brings much-needed inclusivity and contemporary flavor to the teen fantasy genre’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘A delicious mix of intoxicating fantasy and coming of age, steeped in Greek mythology and peppered with references to the Jordan Peele films Get Out and Us’ – Observer New Review
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Ever since she can remember, Briseis has had power over plants. Flowers bloom in her footsteps and leaves turn to face her as though she were the sun. It’s a power she and her adoptive mothers have spent her whole life trying to hide. And then Briseis inherits an old house from her birth mother and suddenly finds herself with the space and privacy to test her powers for the first time.
But as Briseis starts to bring the house’s rambling garden back to life, she finds she has also inherited generations of secrets. A hidden altar to a dark goddess, a lineage of witches stretching back to ancient times, and a hidden garden overgrown with the most deadly poisonous plants on earth. And Briseis’s long-departed ancestors aren’t going to let her rest until she accepts her place as the keeper of the terrible power that lies at the heart of the Poison Garden.
Cinderella Is Dead author Kalynn Bayron brings a message of proud inclusivity to this empowering fantasy about a young woman finding the strength to challenge everything she has been told is true.
Don’t miss the sequel, This Wicked Fate, where to save the people she loves, Briseis must change the most dangerous of fates ahead of her …
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lclapham.staff@sidneystringeracademy.org.uk
Builds slowly into something I was not expecting. Her second novel and this is definitely an author to look out for.
This is a young-adult contemporary novel about Briseis, a girl with magical powers that revolve around botany.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I did have three issues.
1/ the protagonist was 16 years old, and the love interest was 376, which made me uncomfortable.
2/ the pacing was inconsistent, it was slow until halfway through at which point it felt rushed.
3/ the author’s hesitation to use labels regarding sexuality, the protagonist has two mothers and nothing was used to describe them, not lesbian, not bisexual, not queer or sapphic, and it felt strange considering the novel has a modern-day setting. the same was for briseis, and her love interest marie, they had a sapphic relationship but again no labels were used.
but for the things I enjoyed, there were several;
1/ the mythology influences, they surprised me but since I had previously read circe, I recognised the references which was enjoyable.
2/ the protagonist, Briseis, she was very interesting and it was great to see a queer, black, female protagonist.
3/ the atmosphere/aesthetic of the novel, the poison garden and briseis’ powers. it was stunning, and it was so magical.
4/ the ending, it was a very intriguing cliffhanger and I am anticipating the sequel immensely.
Overall, a great read, there were issues that I recognised but enjoyed it nonetheless.
I absolutely loved this. Perfect mix of Greek mythology, the Gothic, and botany. Really gripping storyline with characters that are believable. Highly recommend. The main protagonist, Briseis, is a very welcome addition to the growing representation of LGBTQI+ characters in YA Literature.
