The Poisoner
I.V. Ophelia
The Poisoner #1
Cover and Synopsis
The Poisoner Cover & Blurb
“Have you ever wondered how long it would take for a lethal dose of arsenic to kill you?
Thirty-five hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifteen seconds.
I should know. I counted myself.”
Amidst the gaslit alleys and cobblestone streets of Victorian London, two killers find themselves entangled in a waltz they cannot escape.
Alina Lis , a botanist and hobbyist poisoner, has a pastime of killing unsavory men in her twisted sense of poetic justice. When she targets the conceited playboy, Silas Forbes , only to find him in her apothecary the following week, she discovers human men are the least of her problems.
The pair’s unlikely association sparks gossip among affluent society. As their mysterious bond deepens, a chilling truth emerges—concealed identities, lurking foes, and questions as plentiful as the hydra’s head brew within this haunting Gothic tale of violent passion.
Will Silas and Alina find themselves in each other’s arms, or will the shadows of their past keep them apart?
Book Information
The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia
Published January 2026 by Simon Maverick.
The Poisoner was originally independently published in May 2024 by I.V. Ophelia.
Audiobook narrated by Matt Sykes & Stephanie Willis.
Genre : Paranormal Romance
Pages : 400 pages, Paperback
The Poisoner Trigger Warnings
This is a Gothic Romance and includes explicit sexual scenes. The book also has elements of horror and mystery, which mean there may be descriptions of violence, gore, and blood. These characters may take part in consuming substances that are inappropriate and should not be repeated. Some scenes include light BDSM, which in reality would be preformed by experienced partners who have had extensive conversations about trust, consent, and boundaries. There is a discussion of past sexual assault. Not all actions in this book were made for sexual gratification and should not serve as a reference for healthy or realistic sexual and emotional relationships. As always, depiction is not endorsement.
The Poisoner Dedication
None of these characters should be held in high regard, they are sometimes not even palatable to the most senseless of us. The were designed strictly for fictional consumption. Eat well, my loves.
The Poisoner Tropes
Vampire MMC
Botanist FMC
Enemies to Lovers
The Poisoner Kinks
Primal play, Non/Dubcon, a variation of knotting, risk-aware consent kink, chasing, biting, & hair pulling. Blood play, forked/split tongues, light creature features. Brat/brat tamer, spitting, predicament and mutual stalking. Impact play with a whip, inappropriate use of rice, degradation/praise and sadism.
Review
The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia Review
Minor Spoilers
Have you ever wondered how long it would take for a lethal dose of arsenic to kill you? Thirty-five hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifteen seconds. I should know, I counted myself.
The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia is a dark, gothic, paranormal romance between a vampire and a human. And it’s been sitting on my shelf so long I now have to pick up a second copy because I have the og indie edition and Ophelia has since been picked up by a traditional publisher. Love that for her. Hate it for my shelves. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook and/or doing an immersive read. There is an audible visceral clicking noise when Alina, the fmc, is being stalked by Silas, our vampire mmc. It reminds me of the Last Of Us video game/tv show and it pushes The Poisoner to standout.
The question is, how much would I have liked The Poisoner had I read it and not listened to it. Unfortunately, I don’t think I would have liked it as much. I think part of the reason it has done so well is because of the audiobook. The plot itself is fine. It’s okay. It’s average. There is nothing overly remarkable about it though. Vampire X Human is a common trope. Enemies to lovers is a common trope. In my opinion, The Poisoner stands out not just because of the audiobook but because of the world as well.
I really enjoyed the world Ophelia created. The Victorian, gothic vibes oozed from the pages and had me wanting to wander around the house by candlelight or out lighting gas lamps. Loved it and I can’t wait to go back to Victorian London in The Arachnid. I’m hoping going forward the pacing improves. I found the first half or so of The Poisoner to be slow and I was struggling to find the plot. It did improve in the back half but I found the ending a bit rushed.
At the end of the day, even though Ophelia is a traditionally published author now, The Poisoner was her first release. I will be continuing this series and have since picked up a copy of Fruit of the Flesh. For The Arachnid I will be listening to the audiobook, the vampire clicking noises are seriously everything. I’ve heard good things about the audiobook for Fruit of the Flesh as well but I’m undecided which way I will go for that one.
“I have not known fear until I met you, Alina.”
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