The quick cut: A girl finds herself stuck in a battle of power when she's asked to brew potions that will poison politicians.
A real review:
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing the arc for an honest review.
Revenge is a powerful thing, but can it heal deep wounds? Or will it just create new ones? These are relevant questions for Venus.
Venus lives in a world where the country is divided by humans and witches. Brewing love potions may make her money, but doing so comes with side effects and is dangerously illegal. When Venus's mom ends up killed by an iron bullet, she's left to protect her sister. Can she keep what's left of her family safe? Or will it end up in a new danger?
This YA debut has really great world building and an understandable potion/magic system. So what's the problem then? All the elements for an amazing story get bogged down by fluctuating pace issues and a overly complicated political plot. It's far too much packed into a single story.
Venus is asked to be responsible for so much at such a young age. She's trying to support her family any way she can when her mom dies, leaving her to take care of her sister. So much responsibility and with very few ways to do so. It's a tough burden incapable of being escaped.
Revenge plays a big role here, but even more so is how many of these characters are put in impossible situations. They may be presented as choices, but the truth is that they're not. The story starts slow, but once these impossible scenarios start, the pace becomes a snowball tumbling down the mountain.
A vibrant world is burdened by an overly complicated political plot.
My rating: 3 out of 5