This Poison Heart

By: Kalynn Bayron

Narrated by: Jordan Cobb

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, read by Jordan Cobb.

Darkness blooms in best-selling author Kalynn Bayron’s new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.

Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.

When Briseis’ aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined - it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage.

When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman whom Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it...until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.

From the best-selling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her.

©2021 Kalynn Bayron (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"A verdant read as rich as the greenery within it, This Poison Heart will wrap its vines around you and never let go." (Kayla Ancrum, author of The Wicker King)

"Bayron takes an old story, turns it on its head, and makes it her own with a stunning display of pacing, character, and legacy." (number-one New York Times best-selling author E. K. Johnston)

"Thrilling and magnetic, This Poison Heart pulses with true Black girl magic and endless mystery." (Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running with Lions)

Awesome!

Couldn't put this down! I highly recommend! Loved this book and will probably listen again.

This Poison Heart

The whole book was great from start to finish. I am glad there is a second part because I didn't want the story to end. It was a pure good read without the overbearing sex and love details.

What took me so long

I don’t know what took me so long to finally read this book but I am so glad I did. I knew from about halfway thru that it was going to be five stars. It didn’t disappoint at all!!!!

Exactly what I needed!

I loved this book. It was beautifully written, the characters are such believable New Yorkers that I felt like I know them. The beginning is also set where I live in Crown Heights!! It was the perfect amount of fantasy for me, revolves around a beautiful family, and doesn’t fall into any tropes– I loved it.

Wonderful use of Greek Mythology

I’ve loved Greek mythology since I was a child and none of those stories included ppl of color. This was such a great read, and I am excited for the next book!

Awesome

I usually don't do reviews but YESS!! This was so good! I can't wait for the second installation. I also read Cinderella is dead from this author and that was a great read as well. I loved the characters and the narrator had a great voice. It wasn't distracting or any over acting. Loved!

so good

didn't love the narration tbh but great book. ready for the next one! the main character certainly engages in some annoying behaviors at times because them seem frustratingly foolish. but I can remember being the age of the character and I don't think it's too far from an accurate depiction of how one can behave at that age. especially when they feel lonely and desperate for community. I would have been annoyed by the ending if I didn't already know a second book was coming.

Well woven and read

Perfect voicing of a frustratingly good story. Voice actor was a delight to listen to. Felt a bit like a long campfire moment.

Great book!

Loved it! Loved the story and how simply and easily the lgbt characters are written. Being lgbt myself, it’s refreshing to see it portrayed without need for explanation or anything else. Great storyline and can’t wait for the next.

Cliff hanger

As many have stated it is a retelling of The Secret Garden but with literal Black Girl Magic & LGBT+ friendliness.
The narrator is okay. She is great at capturing the emotion of the characters but struggled between voices imo.
The premise is a great telling of a familiar story but the writing is drawn out until the last 40 minutes or so which is well paced but turns out to be a huge cliff hanger.
I will definitely listen to the follow up story I legit went slack jawed and so did my spouse who I had no idea was listening along.