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Lady Slayers #2
Poison Priestess
Book 2 in the Lady Slayers series, about French murderess and fortune teller Catherine Monvoisin
In 17th-century Paris, 19-year-old Catherine Monvoisin is a well-heeled jeweler’s wife with a peculiar taste for the arcane. She lives a comfortable life, far removed from a childhood of abject destitution—until her kind spendthrift of a husband lands them both in debt. Hell-bent on avoiding a return to poverty, Catherine must rely on her prophetic visions and the grimoire gifted to her by a talented diviner to reinvent herself as a sorceress. With the help of the grifter Marie Bosse, Catherine divines fortunes in the IIle de la Citee—home to sorcerers and scoundrels.
There she encounters the Marquise de Montespan, a stunning noblewoman. When the Marquise becomes Louis XIV’s royal mistress with Catherine’s help, her ascension catapults Catherine to notoriety. Catherine takes easily to her glittering new life as the Sorceress La Voisin, pitting the depraved noblesse against one other to her advantage. The stakes soar ever higher when her path crosses with that of a young magician. A charged rivalry between sorceress and magician leads to Black Masses, tangled deceptions, and grisly murder—and sets Catherine on a collision course that threatens her own life.
In 17th-century Paris, 19-year-old Catherine Monvoisin is a well-heeled jeweler’s wife with a peculiar taste for the arcane. She lives a comfortable life, far removed from a childhood of abject destitution—until her kind spendthrift of a husband lands them both in debt. Hell-bent on avoiding a return to poverty, Catherine must rely on her prophetic visions and the grimoire gifted to her by a talented diviner to reinvent herself as a sorceress. With the help of the grifter Marie Bosse, Catherine divines fortunes in the IIle de la Citee—home to sorcerers and scoundrels.
There she encounters the Marquise de Montespan, a stunning noblewoman. When the Marquise becomes Louis XIV’s royal mistress with Catherine’s help, her ascension catapults Catherine to notoriety. Catherine takes easily to her glittering new life as the Sorceress La Voisin, pitting the depraved noblesse against one other to her advantage. The stakes soar ever higher when her path crosses with that of a young magician. A charged rivalry between sorceress and magician leads to Black Masses, tangled deceptions, and grisly murder—and sets Catherine on a collision course that threatens her own life.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2021
14 people are currently reading
2525 people want to read
About the author
Lana Popović
6 books733 followersLana Popović's debut YA contemporary fantasy, WICKED LIKE A WILDFIRE, was published by Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins in August 2017. Lana studied psychology and literature at Yale University, and law at Boston University. She is a graduate of the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program and works as a literary agent with Chalberg & Sussman, specializing in YA.
She lives in Boston, subsisting largely on cake, gimlets, and eyeliner.
She lives in Boston, subsisting largely on cake, gimlets, and eyeliner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 9, 2021
I have received this ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
After reading Blood Countess, about two years ago, I honestly had no idea what was going to happen in Poison Priestess. So, when I saw that I got approved to dive into this a bit early, well, I was pretty hesitant to do so. It's completely a me problem but it's true - it happened. Eventually I decided I was going to dive into it and I'll admit.. I think I was right to be hesitant.
In it, you will meet Catherine. Her story was somewhat entertaining but it felt like I was skimming the entire book at the same time. Maybe it's just me. I just feel like she didn't have a whole ton of development or growth which is kind of weird since this story is all about her searching for security and such. It also dove into interesting topics that could be relatable - toxic relationships/friendships and all that jazz.
I'll admit that I was pretty intrigued when we dove into the toxicity of it all because people are in those constantly. Yet, at the same time, I found myself bored with what was going on. I didn't really dive into this sequel with high expectations so I wasn't really surprised with how I felt towards the end of this either.
I guess, in a way, I'm glad that I dove into this and knocked it out of the way but I was really disappointed in this.
After reading Blood Countess, about two years ago, I honestly had no idea what was going to happen in Poison Priestess. So, when I saw that I got approved to dive into this a bit early, well, I was pretty hesitant to do so. It's completely a me problem but it's true - it happened. Eventually I decided I was going to dive into it and I'll admit.. I think I was right to be hesitant.
In it, you will meet Catherine. Her story was somewhat entertaining but it felt like I was skimming the entire book at the same time. Maybe it's just me. I just feel like she didn't have a whole ton of development or growth which is kind of weird since this story is all about her searching for security and such. It also dove into interesting topics that could be relatable - toxic relationships/friendships and all that jazz.
I'll admit that I was pretty intrigued when we dove into the toxicity of it all because people are in those constantly. Yet, at the same time, I found myself bored with what was going on. I didn't really dive into this sequel with high expectations so I wasn't really surprised with how I felt towards the end of this either.
I guess, in a way, I'm glad that I dove into this and knocked it out of the way but I was really disappointed in this.
August 22, 2021
Poison Priestess is the second instalment in Lana Popovic’s Lady Slayers series. I really enjoyed the first instalment in this series – Blood Countess – so I was intrigued to see where Popvic would take the series next. The story follows Catherine Monvoisin, who lives a comfortable life with her jeweller husband. It’s far away from the childhood she spent in poverty, and her husband is happy to leave Catherine to pursue her interest in the arcane. When their debts begin to mount and Catherine’s way of life is threatened, she finds herself as sorceress to the Marquise de Montespan – the mistress of Louis XIV. As she rises higher in society she becomes tangled in a web of murder and secrets, but will she be strong enough to survive it?
Poison Priestess is a really engaging story. It sucked me in from the very beginning and the fast-paced writing style had me racing through the pages. It’s a relatively short book but manages to pack quite a lot of story in. I ended up reading it in a single day on holiday and it’s left me desperate for another instalment in this series. Like Blood Countess, this is a standalone, based on a historical figure. I knew a little about Elizabeth Bathory – the inspiration for book one, but knew absolutely nothing about Catherine Monvoisin. It was a fascinating tale and I did end up doing some googling to learn more about her.
Catherine is a really interesting protagonist, one who is flawed and makes mistakes but is determined never to return to that life of poverty. I did really like the relationship between her and Marie but wished there was a bit more time to explore the relationship and see it develop. I particularly loved the seance scenes in the story, and Popovic’s beautiful writing really brought them to life. This is an entertaining and fast-paced read, one that will keep you hooked till the very last page.
Poison Priestess is a really engaging story. It sucked me in from the very beginning and the fast-paced writing style had me racing through the pages. It’s a relatively short book but manages to pack quite a lot of story in. I ended up reading it in a single day on holiday and it’s left me desperate for another instalment in this series. Like Blood Countess, this is a standalone, based on a historical figure. I knew a little about Elizabeth Bathory – the inspiration for book one, but knew absolutely nothing about Catherine Monvoisin. It was a fascinating tale and I did end up doing some googling to learn more about her.
Catherine is a really interesting protagonist, one who is flawed and makes mistakes but is determined never to return to that life of poverty. I did really like the relationship between her and Marie but wished there was a bit more time to explore the relationship and see it develop. I particularly loved the seance scenes in the story, and Popovic’s beautiful writing really brought them to life. This is an entertaining and fast-paced read, one that will keep you hooked till the very last page.
April 16, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Poison Priestess is driven by ambition, but at the same time Catherine's story is very much a search for security. It's a quick read that explores toxic friendships and the rise, and fall, of powerful women. My favorite elements were the historical fiction vibes, the magical world building, and Catherine's ambition. I am here for all the queer historical fiction. Just so you know. While I feel like there wasn't enough character development for Catherine in Poison Priestess, I enjoyed reading her story. A world where she serves at the whims of others. It's truly a story about playing with fire, the consequences of being close to the flames.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Poison Priestess is driven by ambition, but at the same time Catherine's story is very much a search for security. It's a quick read that explores toxic friendships and the rise, and fall, of powerful women. My favorite elements were the historical fiction vibes, the magical world building, and Catherine's ambition. I am here for all the queer historical fiction. Just so you know. While I feel like there wasn't enough character development for Catherine in Poison Priestess, I enjoyed reading her story. A world where she serves at the whims of others. It's truly a story about playing with fire, the consequences of being close to the flames.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
August 15, 2021
Okay, I want to start this review by saying I freaking love Lana's writing style, it's captivating. However, I didn't love this book (or the insistence on random French words being used - we get it, it's in Paris. You don't need to say fromage, you can just say cheese - it doesn't sound French because you use the occasional French word, it's just annoying. This would be annoying even if I wasn't a French speaker living in Paris, but even more so because I am.).
Now, I also didn't hate it - it just came as a bit of a disappointment to me as a follow up to Blood Countess (both of which are standalones), which is one of my favourite books of all time. There are a few reasons I don't think this worked as well. For starters, Blood Countess is from the point of view of an 'outsider', with the historical 'villain' as a love interest, but Poison Priestess was from the POV of the historical 'villain', which took away a lot of the mystery and intrigue, and although it wasn't necessarily a more biased POV, it was biased in a different way which wasn't as interesting to read. I did like the idea of the plot, but I just think the wrong angle was taken - I much preferred Blood Countess's way of dealing with a prominent historical figure.
Whilst I did like the idea of the plot, I think there were too many figures and players in the story, and I'm not sure it was a good choice as a retelling. I'm lucky in that I already knew at least the basics of the historical events, so I could follow along, however I think this story is one that wouldn't have made sense if you didn't the know the history, but if you do know the history, it's going to annoy you with how some things are dealt with. It's definitely not historically accurate, which doesn't bother me, but I think some bad choices were made in terms of what to omit or change. For example, in the book they only kill a few people, but in reality it's believed it was in the 1000s - a few people doesn't really feel like enough for them to be so dark.
There was nowhere near enough depth in the relationship between Catherine and Marie (and don't get me started on how mad I am about how Marie's story was basically removed from this book when it had a major part in the actual historical events) - we definitely should've seen Marie in the fabrique and more of their relationship, rather than being introduced to her later. This would've made me care for their romance much more, as if their fates were intertwined. Instead, it felt like it was thrown in at the last minute and not explored. I'm also not sure what Agnesot had to do with any of this? She should've been a much bigger character throughout the novel.
A lot of things Catherine did or thought weren't given enough explanation, and instead of reading a character that felt gothic and eerie, I felt like I was reading about a petulant child. In Blood Countess, I felt Elizabeth was powerful, if immoral. In Poison Priestess, I felt like Catherine was clinging to power but was not actually powerful in herself, rather a pawn for others to toy with. Elizabeth was unapologetically evil, and that is what I enjoyed about her - I'm not reading this to read about the villainess's conscience.
Blood Countess ended sort of historically accurately (even though the actual book itself wasn't), and it felt fitting - as if it could be true, the story that was told. But Poison Priestess took an entirely different ending and twist than the historical events, and is very clearly fiction. This isn't necessarily a critique and won't bother a lot of people, but for me it really took me out of the story and took away from the eerie atmosphere, because I knew it wasn't real.
Poison Priestess felt a lot less intricate and younger than Blood Countess, definitely less lyrical and eerie. Whilst I still like Lana's style, this didn't have the same magic that Blood Countess does for me - if I had read this first, I wouldn't have rushed to continue the series. This could've been so good but the angle and the way it was approached just wasn't right, and I don't think the prose was as beautiful as Lana's previous works. I will definitely still read the next ones and love her as an author, and I didn't dislike this by any means (I read it all in one sitting and it was enjoyable), but I just kept comparing it to Blood Countess and it didn't live up to it for me.
I'm just so frustrated because this could've been next level incredible with more of a focus on Catherine and Marie (pretty sure anyone that doesn't know the history would've been entirely confused by the plot with Adam) and a different perspective shift, like the story was there but it just wasn't told from the right angle. And although there was already some Night Circus vibes with the competing magicians, if the historical events between Catherine and Marie had been explored more there would've been even more of this, and to be honest I just feel cheated. Where Blood Countess felt deep and eerie and I was enthralled in its grasp, Poison Priestess felt quite surface level to me and like it never actually explored anything it attempted to comment on.
You'll notice that basically the entirety of this review is just me comparing Poison Priestess to Blood Countess, and frustrated that it didn't live up to my expectations. This isn't particularly fair, because although they're in the same 'series' they are complete standalones. Unfortunately while I was reading, all I could do was compare the two in my head, because Blood Countess had set such high expectations for the follow up. I still really enjoyed Poison Priestess and definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks the premise sounds intriguing - I would've liked this a lot more if I hadn't previously read Blood Countess and spent the entire time comparing them. And even then, I still enjoyed this, stayed up late to read it and read it all in one sitting. So it wasn't bad by any means, still very enjoyable!
Now, I also didn't hate it - it just came as a bit of a disappointment to me as a follow up to Blood Countess (both of which are standalones), which is one of my favourite books of all time. There are a few reasons I don't think this worked as well. For starters, Blood Countess is from the point of view of an 'outsider', with the historical 'villain' as a love interest, but Poison Priestess was from the POV of the historical 'villain', which took away a lot of the mystery and intrigue, and although it wasn't necessarily a more biased POV, it was biased in a different way which wasn't as interesting to read. I did like the idea of the plot, but I just think the wrong angle was taken - I much preferred Blood Countess's way of dealing with a prominent historical figure.
Whilst I did like the idea of the plot, I think there were too many figures and players in the story, and I'm not sure it was a good choice as a retelling. I'm lucky in that I already knew at least the basics of the historical events, so I could follow along, however I think this story is one that wouldn't have made sense if you didn't the know the history, but if you do know the history, it's going to annoy you with how some things are dealt with. It's definitely not historically accurate, which doesn't bother me, but I think some bad choices were made in terms of what to omit or change. For example, in the book they only kill a few people, but in reality it's believed it was in the 1000s - a few people doesn't really feel like enough for them to be so dark.
There was nowhere near enough depth in the relationship between Catherine and Marie (and don't get me started on how mad I am about how Marie's story was basically removed from this book when it had a major part in the actual historical events) - we definitely should've seen Marie in the fabrique and more of their relationship, rather than being introduced to her later. This would've made me care for their romance much more, as if their fates were intertwined. Instead, it felt like it was thrown in at the last minute and not explored. I'm also not sure what Agnesot had to do with any of this? She should've been a much bigger character throughout the novel.
A lot of things Catherine did or thought weren't given enough explanation, and instead of reading a character that felt gothic and eerie, I felt like I was reading about a petulant child. In Blood Countess, I felt Elizabeth was powerful, if immoral. In Poison Priestess, I felt like Catherine was clinging to power but was not actually powerful in herself, rather a pawn for others to toy with. Elizabeth was unapologetically evil, and that is what I enjoyed about her - I'm not reading this to read about the villainess's conscience.
Blood Countess ended sort of historically accurately (even though the actual book itself wasn't), and it felt fitting - as if it could be true, the story that was told. But Poison Priestess took an entirely different ending and twist than the historical events, and is very clearly fiction. This isn't necessarily a critique and won't bother a lot of people, but for me it really took me out of the story and took away from the eerie atmosphere, because I knew it wasn't real.
Poison Priestess felt a lot less intricate and younger than Blood Countess, definitely less lyrical and eerie. Whilst I still like Lana's style, this didn't have the same magic that Blood Countess does for me - if I had read this first, I wouldn't have rushed to continue the series. This could've been so good but the angle and the way it was approached just wasn't right, and I don't think the prose was as beautiful as Lana's previous works. I will definitely still read the next ones and love her as an author, and I didn't dislike this by any means (I read it all in one sitting and it was enjoyable), but I just kept comparing it to Blood Countess and it didn't live up to it for me.
I'm just so frustrated because this could've been next level incredible with more of a focus on Catherine and Marie (pretty sure anyone that doesn't know the history would've been entirely confused by the plot with Adam) and a different perspective shift, like the story was there but it just wasn't told from the right angle. And although there was already some Night Circus vibes with the competing magicians, if the historical events between Catherine and Marie had been explored more there would've been even more of this, and to be honest I just feel cheated. Where Blood Countess felt deep and eerie and I was enthralled in its grasp, Poison Priestess felt quite surface level to me and like it never actually explored anything it attempted to comment on.
You'll notice that basically the entirety of this review is just me comparing Poison Priestess to Blood Countess, and frustrated that it didn't live up to my expectations. This isn't particularly fair, because although they're in the same 'series' they are complete standalones. Unfortunately while I was reading, all I could do was compare the two in my head, because Blood Countess had set such high expectations for the follow up. I still really enjoyed Poison Priestess and definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks the premise sounds intriguing - I would've liked this a lot more if I hadn't previously read Blood Countess and spent the entire time comparing them. And even then, I still enjoyed this, stayed up late to read it and read it all in one sitting. So it wasn't bad by any means, still very enjoyable!
zzzz
March 1, 2022#1) Blood Countess ★★★☆☆
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August 17, 2020OMG I WANT THIS SO GOD DAMN BAD
October 26, 2022
Not my favourite from this author but still a good book! I wasn't as interested in the plot as her other books, and I found all of the characters flair for the dramatics to be a bit much. I know the dramatics were intentional and I enjoyed it at first, but after a while I got a little sick of it. Also, I know this book takes place in France, but the way would characters would decide to say random words in French at random points throughout their sentences was driving me nuts lol, it was unnecessary and annoying. But on the positive side, Popovic's writing is spectacular as always. Her flowery prose feels very dreamlike and really suits gothic fantasy, especially when it comes to creating atmosphere. This was wonderfully dark, and the imagery of all the finery of the nobles combined with the satanic machinations of the main characters made for excellent choice for a spooky season read
June 27, 2021
If you enjoy magical potions, the art of deception, and a rags to riches story, you will enjoy Lana Popovic’s Poison Priestess.
Unlike Blood Countess that held my interest from beginning to end, Poison Priestess was a slow start for me. The storyline did not capture my interest, but I continued reading to give it a chance for improvement.
The story begins with Catherine Monvoisin’s escape from her childhood misery of tending cast-iron cauldrons in a candle factory by marrying a jeweler. When she discovers that he spends more than he makes, she must find a way to rid her husband of his debts so that she can maintain her comfortable lifestyle. Although she has dabbled in sorcery with her friend Marie in an unsavory downtown sector of the city, she must now find an affluent clientele that will support herself and her husband.
She attends the Marechale’s masquerade ball as Medusa and encounters the magician from La Pomme Noir who tells her, “I wager you could take them (her clients) far deeper into damnation. If only you cared to give your methods just a touch more thought.” This foreshadowing sparked my curiosity, and I was now into the book, “hook, line, and sinker.” After being disinterested with 20% of the book, I am so glad that I had faith in Popovic that it would get better. I became absorbed with Catherine’s path into darkness.
The reader will fear yet hope that Catherine will not heed the warning of the Grimoire’s section of the Darkest Rites: “If you seek that which is buried beneath the soil that lies at the bottom of your heart, then gather what courage you may and turn the page.”
Turn the pages, feel a cascade of emotions, and travel with Catherine on her dark road to reach her goal.
Unlike Blood Countess that held my interest from beginning to end, Poison Priestess was a slow start for me. The storyline did not capture my interest, but I continued reading to give it a chance for improvement.
The story begins with Catherine Monvoisin’s escape from her childhood misery of tending cast-iron cauldrons in a candle factory by marrying a jeweler. When she discovers that he spends more than he makes, she must find a way to rid her husband of his debts so that she can maintain her comfortable lifestyle. Although she has dabbled in sorcery with her friend Marie in an unsavory downtown sector of the city, she must now find an affluent clientele that will support herself and her husband.
She attends the Marechale’s masquerade ball as Medusa and encounters the magician from La Pomme Noir who tells her, “I wager you could take them (her clients) far deeper into damnation. If only you cared to give your methods just a touch more thought.” This foreshadowing sparked my curiosity, and I was now into the book, “hook, line, and sinker.” After being disinterested with 20% of the book, I am so glad that I had faith in Popovic that it would get better. I became absorbed with Catherine’s path into darkness.
The reader will fear yet hope that Catherine will not heed the warning of the Grimoire’s section of the Darkest Rites: “If you seek that which is buried beneath the soil that lies at the bottom of your heart, then gather what courage you may and turn the page.”
Turn the pages, feel a cascade of emotions, and travel with Catherine on her dark road to reach her goal.
May 29, 2021
I'm not usually one for court intrigue but I lapped up this dark and twisted tale of magic and murder in 17th century Paris.
Catherine is another of Lana Popović's morally grey characters who I loved just as much as Anna from the first book in the Lady Slayers series, Blood Countess. Her descent into darkness is thrilling to read, you never know what is round the corner or if she'll get away with all these dastardly deeds!
I think I would have liked a slightly more fulfilling epilogue but I can see why it ended the way it did, I just didn't want it to end!
Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Catherine is another of Lana Popović's morally grey characters who I loved just as much as Anna from the first book in the Lady Slayers series, Blood Countess. Her descent into darkness is thrilling to read, you never know what is round the corner or if she'll get away with all these dastardly deeds!
I think I would have liked a slightly more fulfilling epilogue but I can see why it ended the way it did, I just didn't want it to end!
Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2022
I think these are a lot stronger when they just focus on the toxic relationship. Somehow having a more involved plot made the fast pace I loved in the first book feel super rushed and detached here.
May 5, 2022
I had high hopes for Poison Priestess because I enexpectedly liked Blood Countess, but this one fell short. It lacked passion and I didn't like the MC at all. Some good twists and turns but it doesn't live up to its predecessor.
September 14, 2020
I thank Edelweiss+ and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this novel.
Actual rate: 2.25 stars
Well, I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit disappointed.
I read the precedent novel of this series in January, and I remember highly enjoying because it served a thrilling Historical novel that easily fit in the Horror genre too, and an interesting sapphic relationship that is not your usual YA wlw sOfT instalove. I truly remember thinking how refreshing I found that book, and I still consider it one of my favourite 2020 reads.
This one, sadly, felt like the opposite to me.
The biggest problem for me is that it felt like this novel was nervously improvised rather than carefully written and planned. It was like someone yelled at the author "write me a novel based on X in three days" and the author could do nothing but put some scraps together. All the elements in the novel, from the plot to the singular scenes to the narration itself didn't feel cohesive, it's all so randomly put all over the place. The characters were flat, I couldn't perceive their personalities, their ideals nor their emotions. The relationships didn't make any sense, one day Catherine was talking about her feelings for her best friend then the next day she makes out with a boy she has randomly met and so begins an insta-love story that has hasn't a clear start nor end. The plot wasn't linear, and if you told me to resume it I wouldn't know where to start. The "magic" element was never explained, it just existed, and the moments that were supposed to be "magical" were so incredibly lackluster I often skipped them. There was no real internal debate if using poisons and potions was accetable or not, beacuse I had no idea of what was the protagonist's desire to do with her life. The writing style didn't help either, it felt very choppy and my brain could barely understand what I was reading, and the dialogue was often cringe and unrealistic, especially considering that this is a Historical novel.
Overall I think that this story, as a concept, had potential but it needed a few alterations: first of all, it would have been more interesting if there was no real divination, and Catherine was a just a human "witch" with knowledge of herbs and maybe using a few cheap charlatan tricks. Then it definitely needed to be worked on for more time, carefully planning the development of the story.
Actual rate: 2.25 stars
Well, I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit disappointed.
I read the precedent novel of this series in January, and I remember highly enjoying because it served a thrilling Historical novel that easily fit in the Horror genre too, and an interesting sapphic relationship that is not your usual YA wlw sOfT instalove. I truly remember thinking how refreshing I found that book, and I still consider it one of my favourite 2020 reads.
This one, sadly, felt like the opposite to me.
The biggest problem for me is that it felt like this novel was nervously improvised rather than carefully written and planned. It was like someone yelled at the author "write me a novel based on X in three days" and the author could do nothing but put some scraps together. All the elements in the novel, from the plot to the singular scenes to the narration itself didn't feel cohesive, it's all so randomly put all over the place. The characters were flat, I couldn't perceive their personalities, their ideals nor their emotions. The relationships didn't make any sense, one day Catherine was talking about her feelings for her best friend then the next day she makes out with a boy she has randomly met and so begins an insta-love story that has hasn't a clear start nor end. The plot wasn't linear, and if you told me to resume it I wouldn't know where to start. The "magic" element was never explained, it just existed, and the moments that were supposed to be "magical" were so incredibly lackluster I often skipped them. There was no real internal debate if using poisons and potions was accetable or not, beacuse I had no idea of what was the protagonist's desire to do with her life. The writing style didn't help either, it felt very choppy and my brain could barely understand what I was reading, and the dialogue was often cringe and unrealistic, especially considering that this is a Historical novel.
Overall I think that this story, as a concept, had potential but it needed a few alterations: first of all, it would have been more interesting if there was no real divination, and Catherine was a just a human "witch" with knowledge of herbs and maybe using a few cheap charlatan tricks. Then it definitely needed to be worked on for more time, carefully planning the development of the story.
July 25, 2021
Why did I read Poison Priestess?
Blood Countess! I loved Blood Countess - the first book in the Lady Slayers series, and I was thrilled to read the next book in the series.
The Strengths
I enjoyed how Poison Priestess progressed. Not only was I not sure what was going to happen, I didn't know what I wanted to happen, and I loved that!
The Weaknesses
This was a much slower read for me than Blood Countess. I was able to put it down, but I was glad by the end that I kept picking it back up.
Final Thoughts
I'm a fan of this series, and I will definitely be reading the next Lady Slayers installment.
April 3, 2021
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...
POISON PRIESTESS is an intriguing YA historical fiction that follows Catherine Monvoisin, a fortune teller and infamous master of poisons. Catherine was born into poverty and longed to be free of all the chains that hold her down. As she grows older and marries, she finds her own version of freedom with her married facade. However, when she learns that her husband's debts will land them in ruin, Catherine decides to take matters into her own hands. She begins by making money as a fortune teller, and when her fortunes become prophetic, she rises to the level of the court.
As she becomes embroiled in the world of the wealthy, Catherine must redefine who she is and what she wants. Her fear of poverty and search for stability make her susceptible to the intrigue and dangers of politics and power. At the same time, her intensity carries her through to new heights of her own power.
What I loved: The plot was really intriguing, and there were some interesting themes about politics/power and socioeconomic divides. I appreciated the inclusion of an LGBT romance, though it was mostly background during the book. The powers that she has and those of others, real or fake, were intriguing, and I would have loved to dig deeper on them.
What left me wanting more: I would have liked to dive deeper in Catherine's character and really understand more of her past than the little bit that we see. Similarly, we only understand a little of the decisions she begins to make later, some with dangerous consequences. A deeper dive into the characters could have added more intensity and deeper emotions to the read. I also would have loved additional context to the romance, as we know that it exists and the letters and so on that they send, but it mostly happens off-page.
Final verdict: Intriguing themes and a fascinating historical character make POISON PRIESTESS an interesting YA read. Would recommend for people who enjoy a fast read about a delightfully dangerous woman.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
POISON PRIESTESS is an intriguing YA historical fiction that follows Catherine Monvoisin, a fortune teller and infamous master of poisons. Catherine was born into poverty and longed to be free of all the chains that hold her down. As she grows older and marries, she finds her own version of freedom with her married facade. However, when she learns that her husband's debts will land them in ruin, Catherine decides to take matters into her own hands. She begins by making money as a fortune teller, and when her fortunes become prophetic, she rises to the level of the court.
As she becomes embroiled in the world of the wealthy, Catherine must redefine who she is and what she wants. Her fear of poverty and search for stability make her susceptible to the intrigue and dangers of politics and power. At the same time, her intensity carries her through to new heights of her own power.
What I loved: The plot was really intriguing, and there were some interesting themes about politics/power and socioeconomic divides. I appreciated the inclusion of an LGBT romance, though it was mostly background during the book. The powers that she has and those of others, real or fake, were intriguing, and I would have loved to dig deeper on them.
What left me wanting more: I would have liked to dive deeper in Catherine's character and really understand more of her past than the little bit that we see. Similarly, we only understand a little of the decisions she begins to make later, some with dangerous consequences. A deeper dive into the characters could have added more intensity and deeper emotions to the read. I also would have loved additional context to the romance, as we know that it exists and the letters and so on that they send, but it mostly happens off-page.
Final verdict: Intriguing themes and a fascinating historical character make POISON PRIESTESS an interesting YA read. Would recommend for people who enjoy a fast read about a delightfully dangerous woman.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
July 1, 2021
What's quite annoying about this one's writing style is the sprinkle of random french words like "enfer" or "messe noire", none of them words which are names or anything untranslatable (I'm lenient with pet names like "ma belle" or exclamations - those are present as well). I also suspect a few mistakes like missing accents.
Let me remind you, the characters are supposed to be talking french all the time which we only get to read in english as if "translated" from the author's mind. It makes no sense to leave some words french and doing that is simply a bad habit to create a specific atmosphere. And to be fair, Lana Popović's flowery writing does a naturally great job at summoning the sepulchral setting of 17th century France in the court of the Sun King, meandering between the glitter and intrigue, occult magic and the desperation of the story. She has no need to make it "more french" with a cheap trick.
Though I'd say this novel even more loose with history than Blood Countess (as it also contains actual supernatural elements), so don't expect it to line up with facts. I for one simply enjoyed the tale of Catherine La Voisin scamming depraved nobles with more or less fake witchery while walking on a tight rope fo grey morality, having to choose between power and the love of her girlfriend.
Let me remind you, the characters are supposed to be talking french all the time which we only get to read in english as if "translated" from the author's mind. It makes no sense to leave some words french and doing that is simply a bad habit to create a specific atmosphere. And to be fair, Lana Popović's flowery writing does a naturally great job at summoning the sepulchral setting of 17th century France in the court of the Sun King, meandering between the glitter and intrigue, occult magic and the desperation of the story. She has no need to make it "more french" with a cheap trick.
Though I'd say this novel even more loose with history than Blood Countess (as it also contains actual supernatural elements), so don't expect it to line up with facts. I for one simply enjoyed the tale of Catherine La Voisin scamming depraved nobles with more or less fake witchery while walking on a tight rope fo grey morality, having to choose between power and the love of her girlfriend.
April 15, 2021
In the 17th century, Catherine Monvoison is a 19-year-old wife of a jeweler in France. She was an orphan who had an encounter with a witch when she was a girl. She has the witch’s grimoire that she is dedicated to studying. One day, her friend Marie takes her to the dark side of the city where Marie reads palms. Catherine can see the future, so she starts reading for some of Marie’s clients. Catherine slowly builds a reputation as a seer, which leads her to the dangers of the King’s court.
I love stories about dark parts of history. This series is about women who were “lady slayers” throughout history. I hadn’t heard of Catherine Monvoison before, probably because she was a woman in the 17th century, but this was such a fascinating story.
I found this story to be a quick read. Catherine went through many stages of life, going from an orphanage to a middle class home and eventually to the French Court. The dark arts that Catherine practiced were fascinating to read about. Catherine was a seer and also created poisons from her grimoire. These fantastical aspects made this story exciting and fast paced.
This was such a great story!
Thank you Amulet Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love stories about dark parts of history. This series is about women who were “lady slayers” throughout history. I hadn’t heard of Catherine Monvoison before, probably because she was a woman in the 17th century, but this was such a fascinating story.
I found this story to be a quick read. Catherine went through many stages of life, going from an orphanage to a middle class home and eventually to the French Court. The dark arts that Catherine practiced were fascinating to read about. Catherine was a seer and also created poisons from her grimoire. These fantastical aspects made this story exciting and fast paced.
This was such a great story!
Thank you Amulet Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2021
I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book.
A riveting, twisting and dark young adult fantasy which delves into the forbidden and occult arts. This book is one, which I found to be, a fast-paced read with a dash of French dialect to fully immerse the reader into the story line.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found myself thinking about it after stopping to read it for the night. It was full of well-detailed locations throughout which made me feel as though I was there due to the visuals the author provided.
The characters were also as detailed as the locations throughout the book with our Catherine Monvoisin (the main character) having a very interesting development throughout the book.
I absolutely adored the aspect of the occult and magic throughout the book and found it extremely tantalising. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding everything and even found myself googling some of the incantations and poisons which the author included.
Overall a book I would thoroughly recommend to other young adult readers and I look forward to seeing what Lana Popović brings out next.
A riveting, twisting and dark young adult fantasy which delves into the forbidden and occult arts. This book is one, which I found to be, a fast-paced read with a dash of French dialect to fully immerse the reader into the story line.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found myself thinking about it after stopping to read it for the night. It was full of well-detailed locations throughout which made me feel as though I was there due to the visuals the author provided.
The characters were also as detailed as the locations throughout the book with our Catherine Monvoisin (the main character) having a very interesting development throughout the book.
I absolutely adored the aspect of the occult and magic throughout the book and found it extremely tantalising. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding everything and even found myself googling some of the incantations and poisons which the author included.
Overall a book I would thoroughly recommend to other young adult readers and I look forward to seeing what Lana Popović brings out next.
July 16, 2021
I thought that Poison Priestess was a solid and easy to read historical fantasy. I've heard of Catherine Monvoison before and it was cool to see another unique take on her story. Poison Priestess is chiefly a story of a woman with a ruthless ambition in a time where that was not accepted, and the lengths she goes to achieve it. Catherine is a wonderfully morally grey character, one with obvious flaws but an underdog you can't help but be fascinated by. Catherine's determination leads her down a dark path filled with poison, betrayal, sorcery and ultimately the French Court. It's a cutthroat and ruthless world she inhabits. There is a stream of righteous fury at the heart of her story, one that cries out at the inequity and oppression of women and the poor not only in this time period, but throughout history. Dark and seductive, Poison Priestess sinks its claws into you and has you hooked before you realize it. It's a quick read that fans of paranormal and historical fantasy novels will devour.
September 25, 2021
"Poison Priestess," set during the reign of Louis XIV, is a novel that will thrill and fascinate readers of YA fiction. The young heroine is a fortune teller named Catherine Monvoisin who, through a series of chance occurrences, becomes involved in court politics, black masses and murder. Despite being subject to forces more powerful than her, she is resourceful and independent, always using her remarkable talents and thinking one step ahead. For all the mystery and intrigue of its plot, however, the novel's greatest virtue may be its language—particularly the way it describes Athénaïs de Montespan, the king's maitresse-en-titre and the woman who sets Catherine's fascinating career in motion. "Smug as a cat glutted on too much cream," as anyone familiar with the 17th Century France will know, is a wonderfully accurate description of this all-too-real historical character. Kudos to Lana Popovich for bringing this long-ago era to such vivid life.
April 10, 2021
I loved the setting in the book, every description of this seedy magical underbelly of France left me wanting more. The glimpses of the royal court and the drama surrounding it were expertly woven into Catherine’s world of magic. I loved the drama of her readings and dark rituals particularly once she started partnering with the illusionist. Most of all, I enjoyed how the characters are using what resources are afforded them and their wit to carve out their own spaces in this world. Seeing Catherine interact with the other main characters and how they all used her magic was so enjoyable. All around Catherine was an excellent character and I enjoyed her back story and her drive. Seeing her come into her element as a performer was so cool. I think Lana Popovic has excellent character development in this series and I want to see more Lady Slayers.
May 18, 2022
I did not like the story that much, which illustrates the debauchery and machinations of French society during the reign of Louis the XIV. Too many black masses and dabbling in the occult and sensationalizing evil and satanism was distasteful to me. In hindsight, I found the story more interesting when I realized it is based loosely on the Affair of the Poisons in this time period with many characters in the book actually based on real historical figures: Catherine La Voisin, Marie Bosse, Adam Lesage, Police chief de la Reynie and his “burning court,” the King’s mistress Madame de Montespan and her companion Claude de Vin des Oeillets.
August 19, 2023
This one was a fairly enjoyable read! I already quite liked the first book in the Lady Slayers series and this one also didn't disappoint.
It's an intriguing story about sacrifices and debts, how one thing only comes at the cost of another and how the protagonist had to learn what to truly prioritise in her life. And it comes with a dash of magic!
Though sometimes I was kind of thrown out of the historical era this was taking place in due to the descriptions used in the books. I know it played in the time of King Louis XIV but then again there were moments that felt too modern to fit that time frame.
It's an intriguing story about sacrifices and debts, how one thing only comes at the cost of another and how the protagonist had to learn what to truly prioritise in her life. And it comes with a dash of magic!
Though sometimes I was kind of thrown out of the historical era this was taking place in due to the descriptions used in the books. I know it played in the time of King Louis XIV but then again there were moments that felt too modern to fit that time frame.
March 19, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Lana Popovic for the eARC! I really loved 'Blood Countess' so I had to read this as soon as I knew it existed. This book had such a mysterious and seductively dark vibe to it and it was so fun to read! I also really loved the setting of France during Louis XIV's reign because the descriptions of Versailles and court life was so magical, regardless of the court intrigue and deaths. Overall I just ripped through this book and highly enjoyed reading it! If Lana comes out with another book I'll definitely be adding it to my TBR.
May 25, 2021
I am OBSESSED with these books - I loved Blood Countess so much and knew I needed to read Poison Priestess, so obviously I jumped at the chance.
Poison Priestess is set during Louis XIV's reign and Lana Popovic transports us to the magic that is Versailles and life in court. While it was a pretty similar storyline to Blood Countess it didn't feel so similar it was repeating itself, and I loved that. I really hope the Lady Slayers series continues as I will be rushing to pick up every book in the future.
Poison Priestess is set during Louis XIV's reign and Lana Popovic transports us to the magic that is Versailles and life in court. While it was a pretty similar storyline to Blood Countess it didn't feel so similar it was repeating itself, and I loved that. I really hope the Lady Slayers series continues as I will be rushing to pick up every book in the future.
April 29, 2022
One of my fav thing about this series is that it talks about real life ppl and their profession in such details and care that I can't help searching them after I finish the book. One of my fav thing is that the writer changed Cat & Marie relationship and their ending to a happy one from the real one.
I loved them together and Marie is so precious.
I also loved the plot, the atmosphere, the characters and their stories, loved watching how Cat changed & became more dark, I was worried that her obsession with not being poor and free would ruin her beyond saving but glad I was wrong.
I loved them together and Marie is so precious.
I also loved the plot, the atmosphere, the characters and their stories, loved watching how Cat changed & became more dark, I was worried that her obsession with not being poor and free would ruin her beyond saving but glad I was wrong.
September 29, 2020
This was a atmospheric and dark historic fiction about the cost of getting what you want. I really enjoyed the story line and the plot, and I thought the climax was quite well done, however I wish there had been slightly more emotion at some points in the book. The characters were diverse and interesting and this plot was based on actual historic characters. This is historic fiction so it takes many liberties with the way their actual lives unfolded but it was an enjoyable read.
May 21, 2021
I wanted to give this one a try after reading book one. I think I rated book one around 2 or 3 stars but I loved the idea of Lady Slayers that I wanted to at least give this one a try. Well that one had great world building and a great story. I enjoyed this one a lot more than book one and think I will continue to read these. I loved how the story weaved through this woman's life. But I wished that the author would have gone deeper. Overall, it was entertaining.
July 28, 2021
This one was.... rough. I enjoyed the first one in the series a lot more. This one was not nearly as engaging as the first and I had to push through it to a somewhat unsatisfying ending. I will have to read up more on the historical figure who inspired this book, but I can't say that it's because of the contents of this book. More like, I enjoy learning about history and the name was unfamiliar to me.
I would say this was an okay read, but I won't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone.
I would say this was an okay read, but I won't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone.
February 1, 2023
2.5/5
the intense struggle i experienced to get through this was so 😵💫😵💫😵💫 …after the first book, i had my expectations quite high. i LOVED the first book. however, this one fell quite flat. i didn’t particularly enjoy the ending and the inclusion of french phrases kept pulling me from the story (especially because i don’t know an ounce of french). i really wish i could’ve liked this but it just wasn’t it :’)
the intense struggle i experienced to get through this was so 😵💫😵💫😵💫 …after the first book, i had my expectations quite high. i LOVED the first book. however, this one fell quite flat. i didn’t particularly enjoy the ending and the inclusion of french phrases kept pulling me from the story (especially because i don’t know an ounce of french). i really wish i could’ve liked this but it just wasn’t it :’)
August 10, 2023
I really struggled getting into this book. The story is good and moves at a decent pace, and the characters are decent, but I just could not get through this book without making a real effort. I would have liked something more to pull me into the story. I found it a little slow and that I could not get interested in any of the characters. The book just felt weak, especially considering the strong level of interest that the subject of the book should have held.
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