What do you think?
Rate this book
Poison The Well
Not yet published
Expected 22 Jun 26"Break the line, poison the well...”
Born in the wake of tragedy and raised in the cold shadow of Lord Cillian’s castle, Emer lives her life as a simple washerwoman. Her world is built on suds, linens, and her grandmother’s grim warnings of the Bean-nighe—the fairy washerwoman who scours the blood from the linens of those destined to die.
Legends grow from a seed of truth as the nightmares born of myth become Emer's life.
In a world ruled by those with hearts full of greed and ambition, is a promise kept enough to overcome a bargain broken?
Born in the wake of tragedy and raised in the cold shadow of Lord Cillian’s castle, Emer lives her life as a simple washerwoman. Her world is built on suds, linens, and her grandmother’s grim warnings of the Bean-nighe—the fairy washerwoman who scours the blood from the linens of those destined to die.
Legends grow from a seed of truth as the nightmares born of myth become Emer's life.
In a world ruled by those with hearts full of greed and ambition, is a promise kept enough to overcome a bargain broken?
Paperback
Expected publication June 22, 2026
6 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
J.K. Divia
5 books96 followersJ.K Divia is a dark fantasy, mythological horror, and contemporary paranormal author whose work is inspired by folklore, selkie lore, witches, and world mythology. Through her stories, she brings readers on emotional journeys that explore loss, resilience, and transformation.
When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, chasing after her kids.
When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, chasing after her kids.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 10, 2026
I dove into “Poison The Well” completely unaware of its folkloric origins, yet J.K. Divia crafts such immersive and chilling horror that I’ve found myself utterly captivated—and genuinely frightened.
This book was a real delight. The writing is exquisitely dark and gothic, making it a pleasure to explore the various tales woven through time. I particularly valued the dynamic between Ember and her grandmother, as well as the budding romance with Finn. Nevertheless, it’s Ember's relationship with her grandmother that genuinely takes precedence, showcasing an incredibly strong bond. The storytelling is spot on, skillfully developing the characters and their relationships, and the ending left a lasting impression on me.
At the back of the book, there's a glossary, along with a helpful pronunciation guide for the folklore figures right at the front. This captivating work is not yet published, but it’s set to hit the shelves on June 22, 2026.
I am grateful for ARC copy for my review.
This book was a real delight. The writing is exquisitely dark and gothic, making it a pleasure to explore the various tales woven through time. I particularly valued the dynamic between Ember and her grandmother, as well as the budding romance with Finn. Nevertheless, it’s Ember's relationship with her grandmother that genuinely takes precedence, showcasing an incredibly strong bond. The storytelling is spot on, skillfully developing the characters and their relationships, and the ending left a lasting impression on me.
At the back of the book, there's a glossary, along with a helpful pronunciation guide for the folklore figures right at the front. This captivating work is not yet published, but it’s set to hit the shelves on June 22, 2026.
I am grateful for ARC copy for my review.
March 12, 2026
This is a short folklore-inspired story.
It’s a quick read that leans into the eerie side of folklore, telling a simple but haunting tale about superstition, curses, and the stories that get passed down through generations.
Sometimes the best stories are the small ones, and this one works well as a bite-sized piece of folklore. It also introduced me to a piece of folklore I hadn’t come across before, which made the story even more interesting.
If you enjoy short, atmospheric reads with a folklore feel.
It’s a quick read that leans into the eerie side of folklore, telling a simple but haunting tale about superstition, curses, and the stories that get passed down through generations.
Sometimes the best stories are the small ones, and this one works well as a bite-sized piece of folklore. It also introduced me to a piece of folklore I hadn’t come across before, which made the story even more interesting.
If you enjoy short, atmospheric reads with a folklore feel.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much J.K Divia for this advanced copy and for allowing me to be part of the ARC team in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this not knowing fully what to expect. I must confess, I am not well versed in the folklore that was explored in this book, but I will certainly be doing a deep dive into it now as it has piqued my interest!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the writing style is beautifully dark and gothic, without being pretentious or filled with purple prose.
I appreciate the author for including a summary at the start on how to pronounce the names of various folklore figures, because I genuinely wouldn’t have had a clue and that would have frustrated me!
What I loved about this book is the relationship between Emer and her grandmother - although there is a love interest with Finn, it does feel as though the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter takes centre stage in Emer’s life. Whilst I do enjoy a good love story, I have lately found myself becoming frustrated when reading books with all the typical tropes of “enemies to lovers” or “love triangles,” so it was refreshing to read a book where there is more balance and less focus on romantic relationships.
The only thing I would say, is that this is more of a novella and I do really love character driven books, so this left me really wanting more, as I would have loved a bit more depth and exploration of the characters. Usually, I’m more likely to say a book could have been shorter, but in this case, I would have loved for it to have been longer, so I could have spent more time in that world and with the characters.
I loved the ending too. It was both satisfying and heartbreaking. I will certainly be checking out more work by this author and am so happy this was my first experience providing a review for an ARC
I went into this not knowing fully what to expect. I must confess, I am not well versed in the folklore that was explored in this book, but I will certainly be doing a deep dive into it now as it has piqued my interest!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the writing style is beautifully dark and gothic, without being pretentious or filled with purple prose.
I appreciate the author for including a summary at the start on how to pronounce the names of various folklore figures, because I genuinely wouldn’t have had a clue and that would have frustrated me!
What I loved about this book is the relationship between Emer and her grandmother - although there is a love interest with Finn, it does feel as though the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter takes centre stage in Emer’s life. Whilst I do enjoy a good love story, I have lately found myself becoming frustrated when reading books with all the typical tropes of “enemies to lovers” or “love triangles,” so it was refreshing to read a book where there is more balance and less focus on romantic relationships.
The only thing I would say, is that this is more of a novella and I do really love character driven books, so this left me really wanting more, as I would have loved a bit more depth and exploration of the characters. Usually, I’m more likely to say a book could have been shorter, but in this case, I would have loved for it to have been longer, so I could have spent more time in that world and with the characters.
I loved the ending too. It was both satisfying and heartbreaking. I will certainly be checking out more work by this author and am so happy this was my first experience providing a review for an ARC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a beautiful and sorrowful Celtic folklore-inspired dark fantasy.
This story includes themes and tropes of nature, dark fae, kingdoms and ruins, death and life, time, promises, bargains, portals, relationships, family, destiny, matriarchy, folklore, horror and gothic tones.
While this is novella length, I feel this book is not meant to be read quickly. You should read it slowly. Re-read paragraphs. Re-read entire pages. Savor it. It is dark and deep. It steps outside the boundaries of time. It reaches into your psyche, memories, daydreams. It is empowering, heartbreaking, provoking but also serene. This story painted such beautiful imagery of the setting. I could sense the sorrow, the weight of legacy and promises, and the regret of deadly bargains.
Choose this when you are ready to sit back with some time for something reflective, but not too hard to read. It’s like choosing the correct bottle of wine for the right time and mood. I absolutely enjoyed this book, the artwork, and the numerous quotes I highlighted. I would read it again.
I received an advance copy from the author for an honest review of this book.
This story includes themes and tropes of nature, dark fae, kingdoms and ruins, death and life, time, promises, bargains, portals, relationships, family, destiny, matriarchy, folklore, horror and gothic tones.
While this is novella length, I feel this book is not meant to be read quickly. You should read it slowly. Re-read paragraphs. Re-read entire pages. Savor it. It is dark and deep. It steps outside the boundaries of time. It reaches into your psyche, memories, daydreams. It is empowering, heartbreaking, provoking but also serene. This story painted such beautiful imagery of the setting. I could sense the sorrow, the weight of legacy and promises, and the regret of deadly bargains.
Choose this when you are ready to sit back with some time for something reflective, but not too hard to read. It’s like choosing the correct bottle of wine for the right time and mood. I absolutely enjoyed this book, the artwork, and the numerous quotes I highlighted. I would read it again.
I received an advance copy from the author for an honest review of this book.
March 15, 2026
Poison the Well is loosely based on a Scottish folklore about Bean Nighe or washerwoman depending on what you would like to call her.
J.K Divia done a fabulous job in creating a story based around this folklore and having the ability to put their own spin on such a powerful folklore definitely makes this story more powerful.
Personally I loved the way the characters were introduce in the story as well as the development throughout the book, I
really struggled to put the book down as I was so engrossed in it.
Emer and her Grandmother really solidified this story as it showcased the love between the both of them and really explained what the Washerwoman was and how they come to be.
Watching Emer grow as a person throughout the book was fascinating then seeing the relationship with Finn and Emer really come alive towards the end of the book was so emotional for me, but I was so glad we got to see this side of both of them.
A line that will stick with me is ..
"Be careful of beautiful words. Be careful not to ignore their meaning,"
Thank you for creating this book and allowing me to be an advance reader.
J.K Divia done a fabulous job in creating a story based around this folklore and having the ability to put their own spin on such a powerful folklore definitely makes this story more powerful.
Personally I loved the way the characters were introduce in the story as well as the development throughout the book, I
really struggled to put the book down as I was so engrossed in it.
Emer and her Grandmother really solidified this story as it showcased the love between the both of them and really explained what the Washerwoman was and how they come to be.
Watching Emer grow as a person throughout the book was fascinating then seeing the relationship with Finn and Emer really come alive towards the end of the book was so emotional for me, but I was so glad we got to see this side of both of them.
A line that will stick with me is ..
"Be careful of beautiful words. Be careful not to ignore their meaning,"
Thank you for creating this book and allowing me to be an advance reader.
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5
I never get ARCs so I was really excited to get my hands on Poison the Well. I think my biggest complaint here is that it's too short for what it really needs. Poison the Well is marketed as a fantasy-horror, but I didn't get "horror" here. I got a dark, folklore-driven fantasy, which is great, but it didn't go as deep into the creepy and disturbing as I was hoping. Had it been longer, I think it could have developed more of the horror aspects.
Also, this is very much a "me thing" but I have no patience for nonlinear timelines, they just drive me crazy at this point :(
There is definitely an audience for this book, and anyone who loves Celtic folklore will want to pick it up. Divia writes beautifully and has a strong grasp of the folklore she writes about. The book also contains gorgeous illustrations that would make a physical copy a real treasure.
I never get ARCs so I was really excited to get my hands on Poison the Well. I think my biggest complaint here is that it's too short for what it really needs. Poison the Well is marketed as a fantasy-horror, but I didn't get "horror" here. I got a dark, folklore-driven fantasy, which is great, but it didn't go as deep into the creepy and disturbing as I was hoping. Had it been longer, I think it could have developed more of the horror aspects.
Also, this is very much a "me thing" but I have no patience for nonlinear timelines, they just drive me crazy at this point :(
There is definitely an audience for this book, and anyone who loves Celtic folklore will want to pick it up. Divia writes beautifully and has a strong grasp of the folklore she writes about. The book also contains gorgeous illustrations that would make a physical copy a real treasure.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 stars!! ⭐
This was my first introduction to any J.K. Divia books and I have to say, I will be buying her other two ASAP!
I love folklore, but I haven't read anything like this Celtic folklore yet. The writing is dark and gothic. The world and atmosphere are so well written you get to fall right into the book and feel like you're there.
The characters are so well done. The story centers around Ember and how she becomes what she does. It's very beautifully written. I felt all of the emotions reading.
While this novella can be read as a stand alone, I'd recommend reading A Sea of Blood and Tears first! And maybe Berja before that too. I totally didn't, but I think it would just make this so much better.
This was my first introduction to any J.K. Divia books and I have to say, I will be buying her other two ASAP!
I love folklore, but I haven't read anything like this Celtic folklore yet. The writing is dark and gothic. The world and atmosphere are so well written you get to fall right into the book and feel like you're there.
The characters are so well done. The story centers around Ember and how she becomes what she does. It's very beautifully written. I felt all of the emotions reading.
While this novella can be read as a stand alone, I'd recommend reading A Sea of Blood and Tears first! And maybe Berja before that too. I totally didn't, but I think it would just make this so much better.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a beautiful twisting folk tale, saturated with old beliefs and the creeping certainty of nature reclaiming what men create.
I’ve never read anything quite like this story. We are looking at the world from the point of view of the monster, learning her story from her time as a human and finding out what brought her to her current wretched state. The senses of despair and desperation are thick in this story, but we’re also shown such love and hope that I was moved to tears.
Absolutely beautiful!
I’ve never read anything quite like this story. We are looking at the world from the point of view of the monster, learning her story from her time as a human and finding out what brought her to her current wretched state. The senses of despair and desperation are thick in this story, but we’re also shown such love and hope that I was moved to tears.
Absolutely beautiful!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This novella was incredible. I really enjoyed the mystery within every page, the wonder of what's going to happen next.
If you enjoy dark celtic folklore with deadly bargains and malevolent fae, you're going to want to grab this and give it a read.
emer's story was beautifully woven. both heartbreaking and soul healing.
The way the novella was written was pieced together so magnificently. The writing style and the shocks had me wanting to devour the story.
This was a five star read for me and I can say with confidence I'll be reading more of her books.
If you enjoy dark celtic folklore with deadly bargains and malevolent fae, you're going to want to grab this and give it a read.
emer's story was beautifully woven. both heartbreaking and soul healing.
The way the novella was written was pieced together so magnificently. The writing style and the shocks had me wanting to devour the story.
This was a five star read for me and I can say with confidence I'll be reading more of her books.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Poison the Well is a perfect blend between a cozy theatrical performance at your local playhouse and a dark moody seaside fairytale for the young at heart. And I mean this in all the best ways. This novella by J.K Divia gives us a little bit of everything including folklore, Fae, Selkies, and the ultimate love story with a ‘til death do we part’ connection.
Who can resist stories about wishing wells, fairy circles, and dark forests? The story is beautifully written and flows off the page and into your soul. I highly recommend this and I'm so happy to be part of the ARC team.
Who can resist stories about wishing wells, fairy circles, and dark forests? The story is beautifully written and flows off the page and into your soul. I highly recommend this and I'm so happy to be part of the ARC team.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received Poison the Well by J.K. Divia as an ARC without any prior experience with the author, and by the final page, I was left utterly speechless. This novella is a hauntingly beautiful dark gem, tailor-made for readers who savor gothic poetry, folklore, and stories with the chilling elegance of Edgar Allan Poe.
I can't wait to read more of J.K Divia's books.
I can't wait to read more of J.K Divia's books.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this take on some Celtic folklore I’m not too well versed in but I enjoyed every moment reading it and although it’s not a huge book it does its job telling the tale it needs too and building a relationship between characters
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had such a good time reading this novella! It's a beautifully dark Irish folklore retelling that is steeped in themes of fate, bargains and forgiveness. If you enjoy fairytale, give this one a read!
March 16, 2026
JK Divia has a specific writing talent. The way folklore and then touches of horror is woven together means the story flows so well together.
It makes the story so interesting and good to read.
Definitely go find the other work by this author.
It makes the story so interesting and good to read.
Definitely go find the other work by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVE reading all of J.K. Divia's mythological novellas!! Most of the myths are very new to me and I have found the stories absolutely fascinating! I was obviously unable to put this one down since I finished it within a few hours (all while taking care of work). :) I am a huge fan!
March 18, 2026
This is going to live rent free in my head. My first experience with Celtic folklore and it was eerie and creepy and perfect. It’s a short story but I want to know so much more about all of the other-folk!
March 15, 2026
Review coming soon
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 stars rounded up!! Full review on the way
Review of advance copy received from Author
J.K. Divia weaves tales of horror and folklore so well! I really enjoy reading multiple tales together across time, which you'll recognize if you've read her other work. There is so much power and emotion in such a quick read! Because of the short length, I meant this to be a palate cleanser between longer books. I should have known better; now my heart aches for the washer woman and I'm done reading for the night 😭
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews