Rating: 4 / 5
THIS POISON HEART by Kalynn Bayron follows Briseis, a young woman with a unique affinity toward plants. Kaylynn can grow nearly instant plants from just a seed and bring nearly dead flora back to life. When she has let people in on her secret, it hasn’t always gone well, so she tries to keep it a secret from all but her family. The fact that plants react to her even when she doesn’t intend it makes this a struggle.
When a lawyer approaches Briesis to let her know that her biological family has left her an estate, it might be just what she and her moms need to get them back on their feet. When they reach the new home, they find it in less than ideal conditions, but there is something about the land that calls to Briesis. She finds a hidden garden of poisonous plants hidden away on the estate and apothecary that it seems her bio family has run for generations. Not everyone seems to be happy to have Briesis in town and there are strange figures lurking around the house leaving Briesis with a lot of questions to get answered.
I really enjoyed this book! The build up is initially a bit slower in places, but I think the author did a great job of introducing Briesis and her abilities. Briesis doesn’t know her biological roots so she doesn’t know where her affinity for plants comes from or the extent of her abilities. She’s mostly learning through trial and error and testing the limits of what she can do without causing damage to herself. As we reach her old family estate, we begin to learn more about her abilities right alongside her which plays out really well.
The action really picks up later into the book and there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming. I was glad to see Briesis expanding her social network, in addition to having a fantastic family with two mothers who really loved their daughter and gave her a lot of room to explore and grow on her own.
This was a very entertaining read and a very unique magical system and I look forward to checking out book two when it comes out later this year!
DG Reads 