This book is a perfect mix of botany, folklore, and all things witchy. It is a very interesting read, especially for non-fiction, and is beautifully illustrated throughout.

REVIEW: Botanical Curses and Poisons: A Fascinating - WWAC REVIEW: Botanical Curses and Poisons: A Fascinating - WWAC

I’ll be honest, at first a book about just poisons didn’t seem as wide of a topic as a book about herbal medicine in general, and so I was surprised to see that Botanical Curses and Poisons is actually quite a bit longer than Folk Magic and Healing. But describing it as a book about poisons is selling it short. Lots of plants can be poisonous but only in specific ways—maybe only a certain part of the plant is toxic or it’s dangerous only if prepared in a certain way. (Inky cap mushrooms, for instance, are safe to eat unless consumed with alcohol, at which point they become poisonous.) Plus, in addition to poisonous plants, it covers all sorts of plants with sinister history, ranging from uses in dark magic to mythological associations with death. The latter is actually a huge category, as there are all sorts of fascinating reasons a plant would become associated with death—perhaps it’s the favored flower of a goddess of death, or it might grow in graveyards, or it smells like rotting flesh, or maybe it just has a pale and spectral look that made people think of ghosts. Beans were associated with death in the British Isles because people noticed that more accidents happened in the mines during the season when bean plants flower, which was definitely caused by the beans and not the fact that mines were more dangerous during the rainy season! Other plants have built-in abilities that can feel sinister or malevolent. Cogon grass is very flammable and burns hotter than regular flames, an ability it uses to burn down the other plants around it to make room for cogon shoots to sprout in the newly barren earth. Your first thoughts about gothic fiction may not include vicious, thriving plant life. But if you’re a nature-lover, I invite you to take a closer look at the subgenre called “botanical gothic.” At a fundamental level, we are all sustained by plants, either from the oxygen they supply or from the food they can provide or by using them to build shelters. But we would be foolish to think of them as passive lifeforms that can accept being munched by any passing animal. They have developed sophisticated defences to stop them from disappearing down the gullet of a herbivore. These defences can vary from the spiked leaves, sour-tasting stems all the way to the utterly lethal parts of some plants that can kill an animal in a short space of time.I'm not a plant aficionado. Hell, I can't keep a cactus alive. This book isn't here to shame; it's here to inspire. Okay, that may not be the healthiest thing...probably shouldn't take too much advice from this particular text. Inkwright has crafted a book that educates and entertain it's reader. There's an intriguing relationship between how writers have discussed these botanicals, how they've been used to kill (intentional and accidental), and what makes them spectacular. I’m undoubtedly a botanical gothic fan, so I’m compelled to include my newly released novel The Haunting of Willow Creek. The novel evokes a modern botanical gothic feel. Brimming with whispering willows, ghoulish paintings, and slithering roots, I intertwine ghosts, nature, and daylight horror along with a heavy dose of weeping willow folklore. First off I have to start by saying that this book about botanical curses and poisons is really quite stunning. It has a tactile cover which makes you want to stroke it before you open to reveal end papers which are filled with dramatic images of skulls, bones, berries and pretty cup shaped flowers, all of which I am sure have deadly portents. Fez Inkwright is an illustrator, author, and folklorist. Her greatest passions are botany, nature, primitive religions, and folklore, which flavour most of her work. For the past eight years she has produced work for children’s books, hand-drawn maps, and tattoo design, and now spends her time indulging in conservation work and writing. She lives in Bristol, UK, with two cats and several hundred bees. For more Fez merch head over to The Crow and Crown. More titles from Fez:

Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants

Filled with information as well as stories this novel presents a nice balance into the past of these plants. There are many more than I knew of and learning how some were used in plots and executions was very interesting. The narrator did a great job reading through these plants alphabetically, but knowing there are so many poisonous plants out there(or which I don't know how to identify) has definitely made me feel less prepared for an apocalypse. If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.’ My current WIP features a carnivorous plant that I invented. When I got to the carnivorous plant section, I learned that it would likely be a part of the sundew family and not entirely impractical in it's invention. This is what I mean by inspiration. There's a never-ending supply of fun ways to kill characters. Perfect for any mischievous writer. The reason tomatoes are included in this tome is worth the retail price. Med-evil history of poisonous plants and fungi. I listened to the audiobook, but apparently the physical copy is beautifully laid out—sad I missed that.In this magical collection of flash fiction fairy tales, encounter science-minded fox spirits, tiger wives, books that can be read by anyone but their owner, and more! The writing is wonderful too. The sub-title sums this one up perfectly; 'The Shadow-Lives of Plants'. Particularly as an avid reader of Historical Fiction there is so much here that I found so compelling; opium use in Victorian England, which has been mentioned in several of my recent Historical Fiction choices, herbalism and the persecution of witches...

Botanical Curses and Poisons by Fez Inkwright | Open Library Botanical Curses and Poisons by Fez Inkwright | Open Library

Thank you so much to @turnaround_books and @liminal11 for sending me a copy of this stunning book in exchange for an honest review. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.’ – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. What you get: I'm Asha and the one constant in my life is that I have always had an enormous, overflowing pile of books to read. Physically. In my house. Taking up all the space. Threatening to break the bookshelves. It's probably about time I read them. If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later."– Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Gamers never feel more present and alive than when their efforts come to fruition; GMs will weave crooked quests concerning the gathering of ingredients for poisons or curatives, players will brew concoctions of deadly verdance for the sake of good or ill. This is an essential companion for the darkly poetic, the riddler, the night elf. Imbue your Druids with dripping poison sap, your carefully whittled arrows with unspeakable banes, your potions with natural scourges. Create notable villains that offer vile physic - and wise player characters that plait thorns in their hair and might well have been raised in jagged-leaf nettle beds. This book is truly a stunning work of art as much as it is a writing on the A-Z of plants and their sometimes dark and nefarious history. The text flows around and between beautiful illustrations, and includes poems, quotes and various wisdoms about each plant as well as the history and folklore associated with it. So, I listened to the audiobook, and this is a bit like having the plant dictionary/encyclopedia read to you. But I used to read encyclopedias as a kid so that’s just fine. A youth-friendly addition to the list, this illustrated short horror story about a family visiting an exotic garden can be read for entertainment and a cautionary tale. The moral contained within is reminiscent of early botanical gothic fiction. Gorgeous, whimsical drawings are juxtaposed against a creepy tale to great effect. 5. The Haunting of Willow Creek: A Hopeful Horror Novel by Sara Crocoll Smith It is well known how plants have been used through time for healing and their medicinal properties, but as with all nature where there is good bad will surely follow.

Review: Botanical Curses and Poisons – A Cat, A Book, and A Review: Botanical Curses and Poisons – A Cat, A Book, and A

High rating mostly because of emotional connection to the narrator. (I listened to this when i was tired or emotionally exhausted, so over time we kinda (one-sidedly) bonded.) Fez Inkwright is an illustrator, author, and folklorist. Her greatest passions are botany, nature, primitive religions, and folklore, which flavor most of her work. For the past eight years she has produced work for children’s books, hand-drawn maps, and tattoo design, and now spends her time indulging in conservation work and writing. She lives in Bristol, UK, with two cats and several hundred bees. Available As: I've learnt about Mother in-law's tongue and how it was used to punish Carribbean slaves to how to the folklore of the Yew tree keeping the souls of the deceased from returning and peering upon the world.I’ve rounded up a list of six botanical gothic books as a great entry point into the genre. While by no means an exhaustive list, with these books, you’ll be ready to plant your own gothic garden in no time. Overall, an interesting and informative reference book that I would be interested to see in other formats. I’m a big gardener, and I’m also a fantasy author. When I started writing one of my current works in progress, I realized that after the pandemic and health issues and all the emotional upheaval and stress from that, I wanted to write a book that was maybe a bit softer, with a magic system that paid homage to the plant world that I love so much. But I didn’t really want a “kitchen witch” feel to the magic. I wanted something else entirely. I settled on a “flower magic” system. Gothic author Eleanor Sciolistein says: “Another gorgeous slice of eerie Southern Gothic from a talented writer whose gift for building memorable and relatable characters is matched only by her ability to send a chill up the reader’s spine. Perfect for anyone with artistic leanings, The Haunting of Willow Creek is a rewarding read for any fans of gothic literature. Highly recommended.” 6. Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright The folklore elements in this book really brought it alive, beyond what I had anticipated and I really liked that it didn't just focus on the "celebrity" plants (as I described them to my mum when I told her I was reading this.) There was a lot focus on the folklore surrounding herbs, which I had no idea about and I found these parts really interesting and educational.