This is a cozy yet emotional fantasy. I love the darker themes and aspects and felt they added such a unique twist on "cozy". The mmc's had great banter and yearning. The slow burn between Prince Alaric and Eamon was perfect.

I very much liked this cozy fantasy audiobook!. The narrator was great at voicing the different characters - especially all the different 'monsters' of the village. The story itself is enchanting and I really fell for the MCs. I will highly recommend this audiobook to fantasy readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC!

I truly enjoyed the idea of this story and the characters were written really well. A really fantastic cosy fantasy with some darkness woven into the tale. I thoroughly enjoyed all the action that was included and the animosity between the monsters and humans added some good dimension and conflict.

Alaric and Eamon had lovely chemistry, they were perfectly matched with their opposing vibes. There was no spice but the innuendo, banter and tension between them was fantastic. I loved the baking competition plot with Lily, she was a really sweet character.

The pacing was inconsistent, the world building wasn’t impactful and the outside characters didn’t offer enough to be memorable.

I listened to the audiobook and I really wished there had been different narrators for the dual POVs. It was confusing to remember whose POV was being expressed when they both had the same voice. I did enjoy the quirky voices used for some of the background monsters though. Reminded me of the voices I do when reading stories to my kids.

Overall, this was a cute cosy fantasy, with good main characters and an intriguing plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc audio.

Audiobook Review: The Poison Paradox

Title: The Poison Paradox, A (mostly) cozy fantasy for ogres and sunbeams

Author: Hadley Field & Felix Green

Narrator: Thomas Busby

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Prince Alaric is on a mission to track down the greatest potions maker in the kingdom to save his brother’s life. Eamon, the aforementioned potions maker, is currently living in a secret village of monsters as an ogre after using dark magic in a potion to bring a young girl back to life, the same potion Alaric requires.

Thomas Busby was fantastic at providing different voices and accents for the many characters during dialogues. Unfortunately, he didn’t differentiate the inner voices of the two main characters' narrations, so it was, at times, difficult to remember whose point of view was being shared.

What I liked: As the title says, this is a mostly cosy fantasy novel, and it really was. The world-building was charming, the characters were well-developed and likeable. The plot was sweet and humorous and worked well. I would happily read more stories set in this world, one I imagined looked much like the movie “Shrek”, for some reason.

What didn’t work for me: There was possibly a bit too much going on with side stories, which lost a bit of the impact of the main plot and distracted me from the bond being built between Alaric and Eamon. Though I still bought into their connection, it could have been better highlighted at times.

Final thoughts: A sweet, grumpy-sunshine romantasy set in a storybook-style world.

Who would enjoy this: Fans of fantasy based romances, found family, and quirky characters.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me and i was struggling to follow the storyline. I can see why others would enjoy it though

The Poison Paradox is a 'mostly' cozy fantasy with a prince and a ogre and a necromancer and a woodland nymph along with a host of other characters. The main plot idea is solid. Alaric and Eamon are adorable. My biggest issue is you get trickles of information with this story. There's an entire magic system that I'm still not entirely sure I understand how it works. There's a ton of characters And you don't have a good understanding of one before the next one is introduced. The whole story is just very slow moving.

The plot and romance are good. The ending was great and I'm really glad I stuck it out and finished the book. The narration was fantastic. I just wished the book as a whole moved a little faster.

The Poison Paradox by Hadley Field and Felix Green. Narrated by Thomas Busby. Thank you to NetGalley for my audio ARC. This title released end of June.

Eamon used to be a powerful mage but then he dropped out of sight. Now years later Prince Alaric is on a quest to find the mage to help him bring his brother back to life. The mage is the only person who is powerful enough to perform this kind of magic.

There are whispers that Eamon brought a young girl back to life just before he disappeared.

Alaric happens to find Eamon but he is not what he expected, he has turned into a grumpy ogre (well who wouldn’t be grumpy if they turned into a large green ogre) and he refuses to help him.

Eventually Alaric forces the mage to help him by blackmailing him. Only once Eamon starts putting the concoction together does Alaric realise what the consequence will be for him. With all the time they spend together Alaric starts falling for the grumpy ogre. Eamon is the only one who sees through Alaric’s forced happiness – Alaric’s nickname is not Sunbeam for nothing.

The book is also filled with a cast of wonderful side characters: Lily a tree nymph who loves baking, Alorna a nosy goblin, and a centaur who makes spicy stews. Trolls, sprites, and vampires round out this ragtag village of exiled outcasts.

Read this if you love a found family and grumpy x sunshine trope.

This book was so freaking funny! From the crown prince having terrible handwriting to the grumpy ogre feeding the stray cats, this book is a delight.

Sunshine prince x grumpy mage, Magic, curses, dark magic, spell, potions, QUESTS! and of course... ROMANCE!!

The part that had me dying in laughter:
“I don’t have any coin.” -Alaric
“You have your body.” -Shopkeeper
“I’ve been told not to pay for things that way.” -Alaric
“I meant manual labor.” -Shopkeeper
“Oh…” -Alaric

This is a cute, cozy fantasy with humor and will bring a smile to your face.

The Poison Paradox was a wonderfully crafted low-stakes fantasy. Following characters as they decide how far they’d go for love. When bringing someone back to life could mean exile or turning into a strange creature, what would you choose?

The book premise was good, and the story itself was well written. However, this was NOT meant for an audio with one narrator when we are going back and forth between the two male characters in third person. It was so confusing to keep up with who was talking when there was no difference in the voices and not much to indicate we switched characters. The side characters had almost humorous voices I would have liked to see more for the main characters. While I understand adding another narrator would raise the price of the audio, it would have been worth it in this case. I had to rewind multiple times as I was lost often.

3.5 stars.

You know what, this was cute. I don’t think this is sold as YA, but it’s definitely what it’s giving. I wished the magical systems were a little more complex but overall I really enjoyed it. It felt super cosy and I loved the characters dynamics.

What a fun, cozy listen this turned out to be. Thomas Busby’s narration fit the story perfectly, and I was genuinely entertained by how he brought each character to life.

The story itself felt unique, with warm, comforting vibes that make it perfect if you need a lighter read between heavier books. There are a few darker edges, but it still feels like a comforting escape, like wrapping yourself in a soft blanket.

I really liked both Alaric and Eamon, as well as the side characters who added even more charm to their journey. The fantasy lore was fun and surprisingly thoughtful, and the romance was adorable with a steady, believable progression. It is fade-to-black, and I would have loved a few more sweet, quiet moments between them, but what we got still felt satisfying.

At first, it felt a little odd having just one narrator for both POVs, but the characters were written with such distinct voices that it quickly became easy to follow.

This is a cozy, character-driven queer fantasy with gentle humor, emotional healing, and an unlikely partnership at its heart. Perfect if you want something soft but still meaningful.

Despite poison being is the title this story was a delightful gem! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, and I think his accent fitted the story perfectly. The only outcry I had while listening to it is when they faded to black for the romance scene, otherwise it was perfect!

The Poison Paradox is a great cozy fantasy about a prince and an ogre.

Prince Alaric seeks out his father's former mage Eamon to help him with a much needed potion. At first Eamon, who had been changed into an ogre since leaving the palace, doesn't want to help Alaric. Once he does agree the two adventure to find the needed ingredients.

I haven't read a ton of cozy fantasies, but this was a fun one! I loved both Alaric and Eamon, as well as the additional characters in the story.

The audiobook narrator did have pretty cartoonish over exaggerated voices for the characters. It also was sometimes hard to tell which character POV was happening, since there was only one narrator for a first person dual POV book.

Tropes
* Cozy Fantasy
* Ogre + Human Prince
* Grumpy Sunshine
* Only one bed
* Magic Potion
* Adventure through magical land
* Found Family
* Single Dad

3.5 stars

The Poison Paradox is a cozy fantasy that blends magical intrigue, slow-burn romance, and found family into a charming potion of storytelling. Set in a forest village of magical misfits, the story follows Eamon, a former royal potion master turned ogre, and Prince Alaric, a banished royal desperate to save his brother from a mysterious illness. Their reluctant partnership evolves into something deeper as they navigate curses, forbidden magic, and the slow unraveling of the kingdom’s magical fabric.
Thomas Busby’s performance adds warmth and whimsy, with character voices that evoke a Jim Henson-style fantasy vibe.
Eamon’s brooding reluctance pairs delightfully with Alaric’s cheerful persistence.
From a baking-obsessed woodland nymph to a village of outcasts, the side characters are quirky and lovable.
The story explores what it means to heal others while learning to heal oneself.

Thank you to the author, narrators, publisher and Net Galley for providing an E-audio ALC of this title.

Publication date July 29, 2025

It took me a while to appreciate this story as it seemed juvenile, slow, and a bit confusing. Why did the magical-fae-paranormal characters populating the “monster” village like creatures from a Grimm’s folktale act so oddly towards one another? Why did Aemon resurrect Lily, a tree nymph, from the dead? Especially knowing it would lead to his physical change into an orc, and which resulted in his lover’s abandonment? And how in the world did Prince Alaric manage get robbed of his money and boots, leaving him with an out of tune lute? Was he that dim witted? Why did he insist on playing the out of tune lute so often? The beginning interactions in the storyline just felt disparate and tedious and I was a bit bored.
However, about halfway through the book, about the point where Alaric convinced Aemon to work together to create a potion to save Alaric’s brother I began to enjoy the story, and got caught up in caring about the characters in the story. I understood Alaric and Aemon’s earlier inexplicable behavior; I understood how important saving Lily was to Aemon and why that decision led to the loss of his lover, and I understood just how committed Alaric was to resurrecting his brother, Prince Cedric, from his suspended death. The quest to procure the elements needed to make potions of all kinds, but especially the deadly potion to bring back the dead, was creative and interesting. The paranormal beings in the village were fleshed out and had purpose. When Field and Green revealed the evil king’s dastardly plan, Alaric’s brother’s misplaced loyalty to a father who used him (a child who craved parental approval and love), and the events surrounding Alaric’s banishment from the kingdom, and I was fully engaged in and enjoyed the climatic ending.
The narrator was delightful. Accent and pace of speaking enjoyable.

This book has become another DNF far in. I will definitely finish eventually but lord it is so boring. I absolutely love this genre and this could have been as incredible as Sorcery and Small Magics, but I just didn’t connect with the characters at all. They aren’t nearly as loveable as characters in similar books, and the whole Poison thing doesn’t end up being a plot point really, and I am just dragging through this.

An adorable cozy queer fantasy that felt like It could be in the world of Ella Enchanted! The ensemble of characters was the best part of this story for me; very lovable, funny, and made the fantasy world feel whole. The story has Interesting fantasy lore that felt entertaining and relatively well thought out. The romance was adorable and felt like it had a steady progression. The narrator of this audio book was wonderful! Their various voices were incredible, I loved how they changed their voice for each character, even the small characters who we only get a few lines from. Overall such a fun read and will definitely recommend this to my cozy fantasy loving friends!
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an ARC of the audio book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cute cosy fantasy tale about kindness and finding a way to forgivness.

Eamon's life has changed drastically in the last few years- once a well respected potions master he gave that life up and ended up living in a small community of monsters. Between keeping his head down and raising a young girl the best he can, he tries to make the best of his life.

All that is turned on his head when Alaric a careless Prince stumbles upon him and follows him home.

Undaunted by Eamons frightening appearance Alaric is determined to save his sibling at any means nessisary- even if it means blackmailing an ogre to do it.

Eamon is quick to realise that what hides under Alarics constant fake smiles is a deep pain which he is desperate to remedy. Together they fight with their own conciouses about what the future might look like as they work closely together to help the small monster community while working on Alarics request.

A sweet romance built on a friendship, with a dash of political intruigue and plenty of magic.

The audiobook for this book has been great and although I found the use of one narrator confusing for the different POVs to begin with it soon became clear that both men had very different written voices making their chapters easy to discern from each other.

The voice of Thomas Busby gave the whole story a whimsical and folk tale feel, like being read a bedtime story.

Favorite bit- How Eamon is so mindful of his temper and thoughtful about how people perceive him in his current form.

Oh my goodness, this is such a cozy, feel good, fantasy. The romance is light and fluffy and a really good balance of grumpy/ sunshine. There's no spice. only one or two fade to black (up to your interpretation scenes) and some really likeable characters.

* I don't think this is a spoiler since this happens so early on in the book* but, Mage Eamon vanished into the woods, racing for a cure to save a young girl he barely knew. In his quest to save her, his sacrifice turned him into an ogre but she was ultimately saved, Prince Alaric is now searching for the previously renowned mage and ultimately crosses paths with Eamon who wants nothing to do with the royal family.

Alaric, who has some skill in magic, brings his brother back from the dead. However, he doesn't come back right and now he needs the help of someone who has done the same. He understands there is a cost but he would rather have his brother alive than worry abut what may happen to him once he is restored.

Eamon and Alaric are adorable. In all the best ways, this reminds me of Shrek, we are just missing Donkey. and Fiona is actually Alaric who is so charming and caring. I feel as though the ending is open just enough that we could continue to explore more in the world. There's not a ton of action but it makes up for it with a truckload of heart. this was right up my alley and I hope you will give it a chance. I had the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. I just which when he would talk from each characters perspective, he would continue to use "the voices' to ensure I know who's talking.

I loved the characters so much, and I loved their blossoming relationship! I like how it unfolded slowly over months, not just instantly in love.

Spoilers below!
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The main problem is making a potion to bring someone back to life -- I'll suspend my disbelief and buy that someone dedicated to helping as many people as he can would bring a child he barely knew back to life and, in exchange, never brew another potion again after he's forced to leave town because of his appearance. I'll pretend that someone used to triage and warfare would make that calculation and still make that choice. I'll even buy that to bring back a soul requires giving up someone else's -- life for life makes sense. It's harder to but that the crown prince would willingly become an orc zombie so his brother (who he thinks he killed but didn't) can come back to life. But sure, I'll buy it. But why would the king get one brother to kill the other, then exile his one heir to search for the potion brewer to bring back his other son instead of just sending his guards to find the potion brewer, especially since he doesn't know about the cost of potion? Why go through all those extra steps? Why not just find the potion brewer again and force him to brew the potion? If he knew so little about the spell, did he even know that brewing the potion required soul binding first? It felt like a plot twist that didn't really need to happen. I appreciated that the quirk of the spell meant the king was removed from power (I saw that coming a mile off, that was a great moment!) at least.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc, all opinions are my own.