this one was INCREDIBLE! full of magic, friendship, myths and fairytales. my favourite type of book - creepy, magical and haunting.

"I think of Hella, running across hard earth, the dark night lit by the fire behind her. Running until she felt her heart would burst. This story lives in my bones."

Blood to Poison is a South African inspired fantasy that keeps you turning the page from the beginning to the every end. It follows the character of Savannah, a seventeen year old girl who is a descendant of Hella, a slave who cursed her enslaver and his descendants to die young, not knowing that his child currently lived inside of her. Anger is filling Savannah and each fit of rage brings her closer to death. She must find a way to save herself, or die trying.

Before I go into my review of the contents of the book, I can't ignore the masterpiece that is the cover. If I saw this in the bookstore there is no way that I could ignore it, and i'm sure i'm not alone in this. It is ultimately what drew me into the book, and I am so glad it did.

This book discusses so many important topics, including: slavery, racism, poverty, misogyny to name but a few. The Author, Mary Watson, also added her influences and reasons for what she wanted to convey which I thought added more depth and insight and I really enjoyed reading this before beginning the book.

The characters were each enjoyable to read, Savannah being my personal favorite, a bold, unapologetic, angry heroine who dealt everything she faced in a way that was true to herself. I enjoyed the plot but I must admit I didn't completely follow everything that was going on with the Jackal in the middle of the book, but that being said as i reached the end i think more clarity was developed.

Overall a really enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend. (Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me the eARC to review)

Really liked this book. The characters were interesting, especially the main character and her relationships with those she was close to. I liked the way she knew her own mind even when facing absurd situations. The book itself was engaging, the plot was different to stuff i have read before and it also managed to end in a satisfactory way - which many books that start off well seldom do. I will probably look for it when it is properly published.

The central premise of this novel was hugely intriguing, a kind of urban fantasy vibe, rich in cultural intricacies and full of magical world building.

I enjoyed it for the most part and the ending was brilliant- the only downside for me was a central point incoherence- the world building if you like became over convoluted and I occasionally literally lost the plot - overall though an imaginative piece of storytelling with some great characters.

As a child Savannah heard rumours throughout her family of ‘the curse’. That some women of the family would die before their time because of a cause put on a long gone ancestor of theirs. But it was all stories the older aunties told the children.

As Savannah gets older she wonders about the curse. With her auntie dying young it makes her think there may be something in the stories, especially when she finds marks on her body, the same marks that appeared on her auntie before her time was cut short.

Are the stories of curses and witches just that or is it more magic than myth?

I have absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the magic and story of the curse and the characters were brilliant. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going there was another twist to put me off the scent. I thought Savannah and Dex’s relationship was really interesting and I could imagine this book as a series because even though it ended really well I feel like there could be many more stories to be told from Savannahs magical world.

I think the premise of this book is excellent-- South African urban fantasy with veilwitches, prophecies, curses, and girls getting angry. Savannah is descended from Hella, a slave during colonial times who cursed her enslaver and all his descendents to die young, not knowing his child was growing inside her.

Now it's Savannah's turn to face the curse and she isn't about to go down gently.

Sounds fantastic, right?

Unfortunately, I don't think it ever really came together. The mythology - which so intrigued me at the start - quickly became convoluted and I won't pretend I understood everything that was going on with the Jackal, the Arrow, the Claw and the Worm. A lot of plot points lacked cohesion: this happened, then this happened, then this happened and it felt a bit like stopping and starting, never running smoothly together.

In fact, the whole book was a bit like that. I would just start to get interested in something, then the story would get bogged down with forgettable side characters and scenes that didn't seem important (like the romance, which did nothing for me). It made it very difficult to stick with it. But I did stick with it and the ending was quite good... it is only unfortunate that I wasn't more invested in the story throughout, as I think that would have given the ending a bigger impact.

Also, a major factor that drew me to this book was this part of the blurb:

The anger is bursting from Savannah - at the men who cat-call her in the street, at her mother's disingenuous fiancé, even at her own loving family. Each fit of rage is bringing her closer to the edge and now Savannah has to act to save herself. Or die trying.


Because I love angry girls. I get angry girls. It's why I like Courtney Summers, Elana K. Arnold and, more recently, Louise O'Neill. But Savannah's anger at the unfairness around her is, we quickly discover, an anger brought on by supernatural means, which was less interesting to me.

I read this book in a couple days as the writing style was engaging and easy to read. It also had a lot of mystery and twists that I didn’t see coming which meant I was eager to continue reading to find out what was going to happen.

It follows the story of Savannah and an old family curse she is trying to break; before it breaks her. During her search to find the cure she discovers that magic is all around, if only you can see it. She is full of anger and the situations that she explodes at are very entertaining. She is seventeen, strong and fearless. It is set in South Africa and explores themes of feminism and South African history. I would definitely recommend this for YA Fantasy fans.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for proving me with an e-arc.

This is going to be one of my top reads of this year for sure.

Firstly, I must talk about how this book discusses so many important topics. Slavery, misogyny, rape, racism, poverty, to name some. The author discusses her influences for the story at the beginning and what she wanted to convey which I felt was a really great touch and insight. These important topics really added value to the story and a thought prevoking aspect that fantasy doesn't always possess.

I have so much admiration for Savannah who is bold, shameless and unapologetically herself. Its so refreshing to have a female character who is allowed to be angry and emotional. I was always her no.1 cheerleader throughout this book 📣 She refuses to let her spirit be crushed or to let men hound her into changing. We see her brazen moments but also her vulnerable ones which creates such a 3D character.

The community of aunties surrounding Savannah was an aspect I loved, I loved seeing Savannah have such a comforting support network of women. All the aunties have their own personalities which are so endearing, my favourite being Aunt Dotty who ICONICALLY says "...for heavens sake, wear a damn bikini. Nothing wrong with showing a bit of tit" 😂

My favourite thing plot-wise about this book is how Savannah combats the curse. Rather than using violence as often portrayed in fantasy, the solution is through unlocking her heritage and undertaking a journey of discovery - it felt so fresh!

The ending of this book isn't necessarily surprising and it did feel a bit rushed but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it still conveyed an intensity that makes the reader devour it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this amazing ARC 💜

Unfortunately, I could not get into this. The premise was intriguing, the execution less so for me personally. I loved the vibrance of the atmosphere but honestly, I didn’t like Savannah and I didn’t care for any other secondary characters either, which is a shame as I've heard really good things about this book!

I requested this on behalf of my 11year old daughter.

She wouldn't quite give me a review, but for me- she really isn't in to reading and this is the first book in years I've witnessed her start and finish. She gave me a casual "Yeh it was good" in response to me asking her for a review.

She said she would definitely read a book by this author again.

So I think it's a solid 5 stars from her (and from me for getting her to read!!!) *****

Blood to Poison

3.5/5 stars

This was my first book by Mary Watson, and it was definitely a good first introduction. The setting of the story was very unique with the incorporation of African history in there. It was brilliant to read a book with this slant, as there definitely aren’t enough books out there like this.

The story follows 17 year old Savannah who is cursed to die young, this curse has followed her family for generations and manifests itself through anger. Throughout the story Savannah tries to find a way to break this curse, leading to her learning a lot about her family history and the magic that surrounds her.

I love any book about magic, and even more when it’s hidden in plain sight, so I was so excited to get approved to read this book! The way Mary immersed us into Savannah’s world was truly magical, and the plot was fast paced enough to keep me interested. While the plot itself was not super unique, the setting was what kept me reading so I would recommend for that! Savannah’s experiences I definitely related to several of them, so I was cheering at several moments where she got some payback.

However, there were some problems with the book for me. I was not a fan of the romance, I did feel like it was put on and a bit out of place. I’m not quite sure what it added and would have been happy without that in there! The idea of the curse was great as well, but the way it was written came across to me more as just petty anger, almost tantrum like, I was picturing more anger and retribution?

Overall, I would recommend this book to my YA lovers out there, and this is a great introduction to fantasy books.

Firstly, thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for this ARC!

‘Blood to Poison’ is a story that follows Savannah and her journey in exploring and fighting a curse that has passed down through generations in her family. I found the premise of this story really interesting. I was intrigued by the main elements of the story—the unfolding of the mystery, the romance and the significance of family that plays out across the arc of Savannah’s building anger, I also loved how it brought forward South African history, including the language that is weaved into the dialogue. But the writing style wasn’t for me, unfortunately. Occasionally the story felt so fast-paced I didn’t get time to connect with the characters, so whilst I really liked Savannah as the main character, I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to. Overall, a brilliant premise, it just didn't quite have me gripped.

The story of Savannah's curse, passed down through generations of women and destined to kill her before her time, is one of the most compelling stories I've read for a long time. As a metaphor for intergenerational trauma it is haunting and a must read for young adults.

When I start thinking about my review for books I always like to think “what did I NOT like” first because that’s usually the easiest thing to think of. With Blood to Poison when I asked myself that question I had nothing!
Blood to Poison manages to weave a tale of a cursed girl, simmering (and at times boiling) coming of age anger, generational trauma and magic, into a well paced, intense, interesting story that I couldn’t get enough of.

Amazing read, truly memorable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

It's a century old family curse. They call them Hellas girls, based on their enslaved ancestor Hella who it all began with. Hellas girls die young but before they do so they get fiercely angry. 17 year old Savannah is one of Hellas girls, will she be able to break the curse?

Mary Watson combines a century old family curse, forbidden magic, South African history and feminism so well. It's a well written novel that sometimes got so intense that I could not believe it is YA. Savannah is such a strong character and very well developed. Some twists really surprised whereas others were a bit predictable. However my understanding of feminism (it might be cultural - is not based on women hating men but women fighting for their equal rights and as such) is a different one from what Watson portrayed through Savannah. Which led me to my 4 star rating. Overall it's an enjoyable really intriguing story which I highly recommend.

Mary Watson is a writer of great skill, and unsurprisingly, Blood to Poison sings with blood and magic. This rich, vibrant story of a girl living in the shadow of a curse, and the delicate balance of personal stakes and the weight and brutality of intergenerational trauma makes for an impactful and compelling read. Female agency, and the different shapes that seeking autonomy and power can take, the need to feel safe within your home and skin, and the desire to make sense of the world around you provide the backbone and Watson's facility for building magical systems that feel grounded in grit and folklore as well as plots that keep the reader in suspense without ever feeling contrived or inorganic combine to form a book that is hard to put down and harder to forget.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
"'Don't poke the bear.' What if the bear pokes you first?"
Blood to Poison is a tale of generational trauma, female anger and the power of finding your people, set against the background of South Africa's Cape Town, it takes myth and magic and blends it effortlessly with an urban setting in a way that makes it truly believable. Part mystery and part magica., coming for age, it really was a joy to read and I am surprised by how little buzz I have heard about it. It truly is a standout of my reading year so far.
You wouldn't think an urban fantasy could conjure up an atmosphere so vivid and vibrant, but the author does such a great job at featuring settings that are so sensual and brilliant that you cannot help but be drawn in.
The characters have so much anger and faults that are so deeply human and believable and their relationships are strained at times which really just adds to the believability. I loved the family element of this book and it truly did feel like a little community.
There are definitely some harder to read scenes and themes in this book so check content warnings, I do think things were handled with care and only included where it made senses to the plot and weren't used for shock factor. The mystery did still keep my on my toes and paired with the writing and pacing, I sped through this one.
Definitely check this book out, I will be looking at this authors previous books too.

I really like the core elements of Blood to Poison, and the idea of embracing and exploring anger. Savannah is a fresh perspective as a young person who is allowed to be genuinely and uncontrollably angry, and I think connecting that to her family's past, and that of South Africa, was a good choice. Unfortunately, I just never really connected with the book, and I wonder if it's a question of balance. Rather than diving into Hella's story and intergenerational trauma more broadly, I feel the story got a little bogged down in details of the worldbuilding and unnecessary twists. I think I was ready for a more reflective read than I got. That's not to say this is a bad book, and I think it absolutely hits the brief for interesting real-world YA fantasy, but I wanted more from this genius premise.

Blood to Poison is an enchanting fantasy novel set in Cape Town, South Africa. Savannah is the latest woman in her family to take on 'Hella's curse'; powerful angry magic that seems to be consuming her and the city she lives in.

I'm not generally a fantasy reader, but I chose this ARC because of its location, which I know well. Cape Town felt like the perfect setting for angry magic, and the writers use of Afrikaans and Capetonian slang throughout connected so well to the story. The re-envisioning of Green Market Square was perfect.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did, I was hooked and didn't want it to end. I will definitely recommend this to friends who have been to Cape Town and I'm really hoping there will be a sequel.

Thanks Bloomsbury and Mary Watson for the ARC!