Rating: 5 stars

On Kindle Unlimited: no

Publication Date: 1/13/2026

Page count: 400

HEA: No, but it’s book 1/3

Version: Paperback

“The Poisoner” is one of those books whose reading I put off for a long time because, thanks to the author’s brilliant marketing, I knew perfectly well what I would find: a story that slips into your thoughts like a snake, slowly and without asking permission, until it’s too late and you realize you are completely obsessed with it.

Books like this are not easy to find. With very few but extremely striking elements, I.V. Ophelia has built a seemingly straightforward story that is pure catnip for lovers of romantasy and dark romance, without ever fully falling into either genre. The female protagonist is Alina, who distills deadly poisons alongside medicines in her apothecary (the title truly speaks for itself), and there is a vampire, Silas (whose species is called Vipera in here, which is the Italian for Viper) that will become completely obsessed with her.

Alina’s interest in Silas develops on two different levels. At first, she approaches him like a true cabinet of curiosities, trying to study all the small details that make him different from a human like herself. Later, on a physical and emotional level as well, Silas becomes not only her hunter (always appearing at the most inconvenient moments) but also a confidant and a lover.

What seems like a linear plot actually hides a great deal, like a matryoshka doll, and the introduction of a third character opens the door both to the most shocking scenes in the book (whether in terms of triggers or pure shock) and to a completely different and extremely thrilling plot development.

“The Poisoner” is a novel steeped in Victorian and decadent atmospheres, a sensual gothic tale in which vampires turn high society into their hunting ground, keeping you on the edge of your seat. My expectations for the sequel, “The Arachnid”, are sky-high, and I can’t wait to read more about Alina, Silas, and… the mysterious character.

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