What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of Wonder and Woe #3
A Poem Penned in Poison
NAOMI WEATHERS is running from something—and no one knows it.
THE POET POISONER is on the hunt…and Naomi has just stepped into his path.
In the enchanting and deadly third installment of the TALES OF WONDER & WOE, a healer and a poisoner clash in a wicked struggle for survival...a struggle that might be a blade in both of their hearts.
THE POET POISONER is on the hunt…and Naomi has just stepped into his path.
In the enchanting and deadly third installment of the TALES OF WONDER & WOE, a healer and a poisoner clash in a wicked struggle for survival...a struggle that might be a blade in both of their hearts.
- GenresFantasy
666 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2025
7 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Renee Dugan
16 books176 followersRenee Dugan is an Indiana-based fantasy author who grew up reading fantasy books, chasing stray cats, and writing stories full of dashing heroes and evil masterminds.
Now with over a decade of professional editing, administrative work, and writing every spare second under her belt, she has authored THE CHAOS CIRCUS, a portal fantasy novel, and THE STARCHASER SAGA, an epic high fantasy series.
Living with her husband, son, and not-so-stray cats in the magical Midwest, she continues to explore new worlds and spends her time in this one encouraging and helping other writers on their journey to fulfilling their dreams.
Now with over a decade of professional editing, administrative work, and writing every spare second under her belt, she has authored THE CHAOS CIRCUS, a portal fantasy novel, and THE STARCHASER SAGA, an epic high fantasy series.
Living with her husband, son, and not-so-stray cats in the magical Midwest, she continues to explore new worlds and spends her time in this one encouraging and helping other writers on their journey to fulfilling their dreams.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
October 30, 2025
This was my most anticipated ARC of the year, and I really enjoyed it. Renee Dugan’s writing is so easy to fall into. It’s vivid, emotional, and quietly immersive in a way that sneaks up on you. Naomi felt like such a real, grounded character. I liked that she wasn’t perfect. She makes mistakes, she doubts herself, but she keeps trying to do what’s right, even when she isn’t sure what right actually means anymore.
Her dynamic with Kai was one of my favorite parts. It starts with that familiar enemies-to-lovers spark, but what I loved most was how their relationship grew through honesty and vulnerability, not just the usual witty back-and-forth.
What really stayed with me, though, was how the story handles morality. It asks how much of your past you let define you, and how far you’ll let others hold it over your head. It also questions what’s truly right or wrong, and whether something can be justified just because it’s understandable. I liked that the book didn’t try to give easy answers.
Some of the twists were a bit predictable, and I saw a few reveals coming early, so it didn’t surprise me as much as I hoped. But even when I guessed what was going to happen, I still wanted to keep reading. The world, the characters, and the writing were strong enough to carry the story.
Overall, it’s a story that feels warm and familiar in the best way—emotional, morally complex, and quietly powerful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her dynamic with Kai was one of my favorite parts. It starts with that familiar enemies-to-lovers spark, but what I loved most was how their relationship grew through honesty and vulnerability, not just the usual witty back-and-forth.
What really stayed with me, though, was how the story handles morality. It asks how much of your past you let define you, and how far you’ll let others hold it over your head. It also questions what’s truly right or wrong, and whether something can be justified just because it’s understandable. I liked that the book didn’t try to give easy answers.
Some of the twists were a bit predictable, and I saw a few reveals coming early, so it didn’t surprise me as much as I hoped. But even when I guessed what was going to happen, I still wanted to keep reading. The world, the characters, and the writing were strong enough to carry the story.
Overall, it’s a story that feels warm and familiar in the best way—emotional, morally complex, and quietly powerful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2025
This was an exciting high stakes adventure, filled with sabotage, assassins, treachery, missions and survival.
Naomi is blackmailed into stopping a killer, as a talented healer and poison study, she is sent to live with the royal family and work out how to stop the poet poisoner from killing again.
Naomi is a strong FMC, she notices all the small details, is creative and brave, and I loved seeing her investigate the murders and figure out the assassins methods.
This was an entertaining murder mystery plot, with a slow burn romance and some forced proximity.
Naomi is forced on the run and to work with assassin Kai, who holds many secrets and schemes, but who she trusts and owes for saving her life.
They work together and uncover a villainous plot against the royal family and have to infiltrate assassin lairs and survive their enemies.
I loved the character growth, understanding their tragic pasts, and seeing their protection of each other.
It's a dark and gritty world, with murders and mayhem, and an unhinged villain, with an intricate plot of conspiracies, revenge, redemption, and connection.
Naomi is blackmailed into stopping a killer, as a talented healer and poison study, she is sent to live with the royal family and work out how to stop the poet poisoner from killing again.
Naomi is a strong FMC, she notices all the small details, is creative and brave, and I loved seeing her investigate the murders and figure out the assassins methods.
This was an entertaining murder mystery plot, with a slow burn romance and some forced proximity.
Naomi is forced on the run and to work with assassin Kai, who holds many secrets and schemes, but who she trusts and owes for saving her life.
They work together and uncover a villainous plot against the royal family and have to infiltrate assassin lairs and survive their enemies.
I loved the character growth, understanding their tragic pasts, and seeing their protection of each other.
It's a dark and gritty world, with murders and mayhem, and an unhinged villain, with an intricate plot of conspiracies, revenge, redemption, and connection.
October 31, 2025
Four and a half
As a fan of this series I couldn’t wait to get my grabby hands on this book . Naomi is everything I want in a female lead as she’s an adult not a bumbling child, brave, clever and unafraid to make difficult decisions . She’s a healer but carries a shameful secret that prevents her from not just confiding in her friends but actually believing in her own goodness at times . She’s blackmailed into going to a neighbouring kingdom to find out who is poisoning people and from the first moment she arrives Naomi finds herself a target ! Getting to know the younger members of the royal family leads Naomi to where she believes the Poet Poisoner is getting his insidious ingredients but she needs to tread lightly or else she could be his next victim !
I never have a clue how these stories will play out as they start sometimes slowly and then truly take the reader and its characters on a magical journey . As a reader you think you have an inkling of how things will play out but this amazing and very original author always decides to write their own rules ! Whilst not my favourite book in this series I still thoroughly enjoyed my time falling down this rabbit hole and thoroughly recommend this book.
This take is of a book that I requested
As a fan of this series I couldn’t wait to get my grabby hands on this book . Naomi is everything I want in a female lead as she’s an adult not a bumbling child, brave, clever and unafraid to make difficult decisions . She’s a healer but carries a shameful secret that prevents her from not just confiding in her friends but actually believing in her own goodness at times . She’s blackmailed into going to a neighbouring kingdom to find out who is poisoning people and from the first moment she arrives Naomi finds herself a target ! Getting to know the younger members of the royal family leads Naomi to where she believes the Poet Poisoner is getting his insidious ingredients but she needs to tread lightly or else she could be his next victim !
I never have a clue how these stories will play out as they start sometimes slowly and then truly take the reader and its characters on a magical journey . As a reader you think you have an inkling of how things will play out but this amazing and very original author always decides to write their own rules ! Whilst not my favourite book in this series I still thoroughly enjoyed my time falling down this rabbit hole and thoroughly recommend this book.
This take is of a book that I requested
November 4, 2025
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It’s no secret that I love this series. This series has a way of drawing you in and teaching you new things about yourself if you let it.
Renee Dugan’s writing is pure magic. She has a way of drawing you in, and making you want to know as much as you possibly can about her characters. Naomi Weathers? She was no exception.
Enemies to lovers? Check. Hot bad boy? Check. Poisoners?? CHECK.
I simply loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next one.
It’s no secret that I love this series. This series has a way of drawing you in and teaching you new things about yourself if you let it.
Renee Dugan’s writing is pure magic. She has a way of drawing you in, and making you want to know as much as you possibly can about her characters. Naomi Weathers? She was no exception.
Enemies to lovers? Check. Hot bad boy? Check. Poisoners?? CHECK.
I simply loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next one.
October 3, 2025
I loved how rich this world is, and with each book I get to explore a new part of it! Naomi was a character we've met before in A Story Spun in Scarlet (but these are interconnected standalones, so you don't need to have read it) and it was interesting to dive into her character. She is, at her core, a protector skilled in healing (and some poison too). When her past comes back to haunt her she's sent to a rich, yet dangerous, land to track down a killer. Now, Malakai, I loved him. He was so soft, yet determined to make the world safe for others. As Naomi gets to know the poisoner, she realizes maybe they're not so different.
Overall, I loved this book. It was cozy and intriguing, blending the mystery of The Poet Poisoner and his origins with the tender love story of two burdened protectors. There were definitely some twists I didn't expect and I always enjoy getting to know a new member of the friend group (though Jaik and Audra remain my favorite).
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review (which is that you should give it a try because it's a perfect fall read)
Overall, I loved this book. It was cozy and intriguing, blending the mystery of The Poet Poisoner and his origins with the tender love story of two burdened protectors. There were definitely some twists I didn't expect and I always enjoy getting to know a new member of the friend group (though Jaik and Audra remain my favorite).
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review (which is that you should give it a try because it's a perfect fall read)
August 19, 2025
Goodness! Poison? Imposing cities? Haunting backstories? Charged showdowns? A Poem Penned in Poison presented me with an intoxicating charcuterie board of tasty ingredients I was all too happy to indulge in.
I wanted to get some of the weak points out of the way in order to open the curtains deservedly on everything I had fun with. I wanted to give it every star, but I think the execution needed a bit more polish. At times, I found some of the dialogue/exposition a touch choppy, found "..." overused in text, and did stumble upon some typos and grammatical errors. Further, I did think some backstory from the other books and worldbuilding was written in a little clumsily and took me out of the immersion of the scenes happening; I wish it was integrated a little smoother, and speaking of smoothness, had every Malakai chapter still labeled with his name to be clear the POV changed!
But for what I had to knock off for the book needing, to me, a little more combing through and streamlining, I found myself filled in that extra space with the absolute joy that was the plot and characters. After a somewhat slow start, I found myself ravenous for clues and action relating to Naomi's hunt for our 'Poet Poisoner.' Having quite literally stepped off the ship to assassins, Naomi, and by extension us, the readers, found ourselves tied up with the threads of dangerous mystery. Naomi felt very raw and likeable in her own, troubled way, and I was glad to be looking over her shoulder for most of the plot. (Though, I wasn't the biggest fan of 'flipping' being in her common vernacular haha). Her journey and the unfolding of the plot was so exciting to me, and I even let out an "OOOOOOH!" at the part when she figured out how the poison was administered. And then we have Malakai! I loved the transformation we got to see with him, and the satisfaction of the devastating slow-burn between our two as they realize there's no easy or good way out of what was transpiring. My morality went out the window far earlier than it ought to have on account of my fondness for him, and he made me recite that maybe sometimes murder was okay.
Action? Yes. Longing? Mhmm. Webs of intrigue? Yeah.
I thought the villain got a little too unhinged villain-y at the end, but it made for a really fun and hot showdown, so I can't even say I'm mad.
I wanted to get some of the weak points out of the way in order to open the curtains deservedly on everything I had fun with. I wanted to give it every star, but I think the execution needed a bit more polish. At times, I found some of the dialogue/exposition a touch choppy, found "..." overused in text, and did stumble upon some typos and grammatical errors. Further, I did think some backstory from the other books and worldbuilding was written in a little clumsily and took me out of the immersion of the scenes happening; I wish it was integrated a little smoother, and speaking of smoothness, had every Malakai chapter still labeled with his name to be clear the POV changed!
But for what I had to knock off for the book needing, to me, a little more combing through and streamlining, I found myself filled in that extra space with the absolute joy that was the plot and characters. After a somewhat slow start, I found myself ravenous for clues and action relating to Naomi's hunt for our 'Poet Poisoner.' Having quite literally stepped off the ship to assassins, Naomi, and by extension us, the readers, found ourselves tied up with the threads of dangerous mystery. Naomi felt very raw and likeable in her own, troubled way, and I was glad to be looking over her shoulder for most of the plot. (Though, I wasn't the biggest fan of 'flipping' being in her common vernacular haha). Her journey and the unfolding of the plot was so exciting to me, and I even let out an "OOOOOOH!" at the part when she figured out how the poison was administered. And then we have Malakai! I loved the transformation we got to see with him, and the satisfaction of the devastating slow-burn between our two as they realize there's no easy or good way out of what was transpiring. My morality went out the window far earlier than it ought to have on account of my fondness for him, and he made me recite that maybe sometimes murder was okay.
Action? Yes. Longing? Mhmm. Webs of intrigue? Yeah.
I thought the villain got a little too unhinged villain-y at the end, but it made for a really fun and hot showdown, so I can't even say I'm mad.
November 21, 2025
Gut rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CAWPILE rating: 4.50
Spice: 🌶️
Publication date: 31st October 2025
Tropes:
- assassins guild
- "who hurt you?"
- slow burn yearning
- righteous villain
- betrayal
Trigger warnings: Murder, blood, death, injury, violence, torture, medical content, police brutality, death of parent, child death, classism, sexual harassment, kidnapping
Quote: “It’s a dangerous thing to hold a villain’s heart in your hands.”
Synopsis: Threatened with death for her poisonous past, healer and King's advisor Naomi Weathers has no choice but to agree to act as emissary of Mithra-sha and travel to the land of Hadrass-Drui to investigate a poisoner targeting the royal family. As Naomi infiltrates the poisoner's sanctuary to foil his plans, Naomi must maintain her head (and heart) to save the kingdom and herself.
Review: What a fantastic read! A vivid world with rich descriptions, an action packed story with danger everywhere, assassin guilds, double agents, and murky alliances creating tension and twists. The romance was a slowwww burn, building up emotions and connection before they finally gave in to their feelings.
Although this is the third book in the series, I didn't feel like I was thrown in the middle of the story as the book does a great job of filling in the gaps and events from the first two books. I initially found it difficult to keep track of all the definitions for the royal titles across two countries and would have liked the glossary at the start of the book. The chapters are very short and the story is gripping which made it a quick read despite the book being over 600 pages.
CAWPILE rating: 4.50
Spice: 🌶️
Publication date: 31st October 2025
Tropes:
- assassins guild
- "who hurt you?"
- slow burn yearning
- righteous villain
- betrayal
Trigger warnings: Murder, blood, death, injury, violence, torture, medical content, police brutality, death of parent, child death, classism, sexual harassment, kidnapping
Quote: “It’s a dangerous thing to hold a villain’s heart in your hands.”
Synopsis: Threatened with death for her poisonous past, healer and King's advisor Naomi Weathers has no choice but to agree to act as emissary of Mithra-sha and travel to the land of Hadrass-Drui to investigate a poisoner targeting the royal family. As Naomi infiltrates the poisoner's sanctuary to foil his plans, Naomi must maintain her head (and heart) to save the kingdom and herself.
Review: What a fantastic read! A vivid world with rich descriptions, an action packed story with danger everywhere, assassin guilds, double agents, and murky alliances creating tension and twists. The romance was a slowwww burn, building up emotions and connection before they finally gave in to their feelings.
Although this is the third book in the series, I didn't feel like I was thrown in the middle of the story as the book does a great job of filling in the gaps and events from the first two books. I initially found it difficult to keep track of all the definitions for the royal titles across two countries and would have liked the glossary at the start of the book. The chapters are very short and the story is gripping which made it a quick read despite the book being over 600 pages.
August 15, 2025
4 ☆ / 1 🌶 (kisses only) / first person dual pov (most of the chapters are from the FMC's pov)
This was such a good read! A story about a healer who poisons and a poisoner who saved a life, I really enjoyed it. My anxiety was through the roof in the best way with this one.
I adored both the FMC and the MMC and loved their character development. Naomi felt very likeable, it was so nice to see a FMC who didn't make me want to gouge my eyeballs out. She was quick-witted, funny, and made intelligent choices. Plus an adult who acts like an adult? Yes, please.
The romance between her and the Poet Poisoner developed slowly and carefully, it was tender and sweet, full of lots of swoony moments.
My fav character was the villain, though. I just love unhinged, pathetic snaky clown characters like him 🥲
I really liked that the chapters were short. Since I usually read at night, it made things easier for me.
The twists were twisting, and the turns were turning, but a fakeout repetition annoyed me. The first fakeout was mwah, beautiful, it got me. The second one? No, it was just cheap.
Even though it’s the 3rd book in the series, it works perfectly as a standalone. The info provided was enough to understand the world, though those tiny bits about Storytellers were slightly confusing. But they got me really intrigued, so I'll definitely read the other books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a good read! A story about a healer who poisons and a poisoner who saved a life, I really enjoyed it. My anxiety was through the roof in the best way with this one.
I adored both the FMC and the MMC and loved their character development. Naomi felt very likeable, it was so nice to see a FMC who didn't make me want to gouge my eyeballs out. She was quick-witted, funny, and made intelligent choices. Plus an adult who acts like an adult? Yes, please.
The romance between her and the Poet Poisoner developed slowly and carefully, it was tender and sweet, full of lots of swoony moments.
My fav character was the villain, though. I just love unhinged, pathetic snaky clown characters like him 🥲
I really liked that the chapters were short. Since I usually read at night, it made things easier for me.
The twists were twisting, and the turns were turning, but a fakeout repetition annoyed me. The first fakeout was mwah, beautiful, it got me. The second one? No, it was just cheap.
Even though it’s the 3rd book in the series, it works perfectly as a standalone. The info provided was enough to understand the world, though those tiny bits about Storytellers were slightly confusing. But they got me really intrigued, so I'll definitely read the other books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2025
A poem penned in poison had me intrigued from the title alone, and i agree with some of the other reviews i have read before picking this up, you will be invested in the story from the very first chapter.
This story follows Naomi Weathers, an esteemed healer of her home town Mithra-sha, who's secrets are held against her in order to force her to travel to Hadrass-drui to find the culprit of an attempted assassination of the rulling families grandson. Whilst investigating the murders of the famed poet poisener she happens to fall straight into the path of the assassin himself, and infiltrates his plans by becoming his partner in crime. The curious creature that she is, just can't hand him over before he entrusts her with his truth, the very reason for his list of long standing nobles deaths. But holed up in the poet poisners lair there is more brewing than just the poison he is known for as both of their truthes come to light. Will they let their feelings show? Or will it be the very thing that takes them down?
This book is the 3rd in The tales of wonder and woe series, it can be read as a stand alone but I would say that you may get a better understanding of other characters mentioned if you read them in order. It's recommended for audiences at the age of 16 and above.
I absolutely loved how fast paced this book is, by the 3rd chapter you already have the main character on her way to start her mission, the chapters are all almost bite sized, I didn't come across a single chapter that took more than 15 minutes to read which really kept the story flowing, with absolutely no loss of world building and character personality. If there is one thing I could say as helpful feedback for the author and or publisher, is that while the character and geography glossary was included, I feel that they are better placed at the beginning of the book. I am confident that I am one of many out there that finds it frustrating when you aren't sure if you are pronouncing a name right, to then realise when you finish the book it was right at the end. (As a kindle reader, flicking through a book to look at the end isn't like having a hard copy, I think it would really help)
***Thank you to netgalley and wave walker press for the ARC, this review is my honest opinion and has not been influenced in any way.
This story follows Naomi Weathers, an esteemed healer of her home town Mithra-sha, who's secrets are held against her in order to force her to travel to Hadrass-drui to find the culprit of an attempted assassination of the rulling families grandson. Whilst investigating the murders of the famed poet poisener she happens to fall straight into the path of the assassin himself, and infiltrates his plans by becoming his partner in crime. The curious creature that she is, just can't hand him over before he entrusts her with his truth, the very reason for his list of long standing nobles deaths. But holed up in the poet poisners lair there is more brewing than just the poison he is known for as both of their truthes come to light. Will they let their feelings show? Or will it be the very thing that takes them down?
This book is the 3rd in The tales of wonder and woe series, it can be read as a stand alone but I would say that you may get a better understanding of other characters mentioned if you read them in order. It's recommended for audiences at the age of 16 and above.
I absolutely loved how fast paced this book is, by the 3rd chapter you already have the main character on her way to start her mission, the chapters are all almost bite sized, I didn't come across a single chapter that took more than 15 minutes to read which really kept the story flowing, with absolutely no loss of world building and character personality. If there is one thing I could say as helpful feedback for the author and or publisher, is that while the character and geography glossary was included, I feel that they are better placed at the beginning of the book. I am confident that I am one of many out there that finds it frustrating when you aren't sure if you are pronouncing a name right, to then realise when you finish the book it was right at the end. (As a kindle reader, flicking through a book to look at the end isn't like having a hard copy, I think it would really help)
***Thank you to netgalley and wave walker press for the ARC, this review is my honest opinion and has not been influenced in any way.
October 24, 2025
A healer running from blood on her hands and an assassin with a dangerous secret mission as unlikely allies. A grim, dangerous country on the brink of chaos. The lethal razor-edge of trust and a complex, twisty plot where the line between heroes and villains may not be as clear as it seems.
A Poem Penned in Poison was a delightfully atmospheric moody fall read. I loved exploring cities with a dangerous edge alongside Naomi, and I might be a little too fond of a certain poet who doesn't need poison to stop my heart!
This book is as decadent as a good cup of hot chocolate, and I savored every line!
I almost ran out of ink in my annotation pen on this one. And I don't often write in my own books, but this one well deserved it. So many absolutely devastating lines, and so many incredibly gorgeous ones.
Easily hands down one of my favorite books of all time and one I will definitely be reading again. Preferably, with cocoa in hand!
A Poem Penned in Poison was a delightfully atmospheric moody fall read. I loved exploring cities with a dangerous edge alongside Naomi, and I might be a little too fond of a certain poet who doesn't need poison to stop my heart!
This book is as decadent as a good cup of hot chocolate, and I savored every line!
I almost ran out of ink in my annotation pen on this one. And I don't often write in my own books, but this one well deserved it. So many absolutely devastating lines, and so many incredibly gorgeous ones.
Easily hands down one of my favorite books of all time and one I will definitely be reading again. Preferably, with cocoa in hand!
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed it!
Definitely my least favorite out of the four books but it was still a good read
Some parts I felt lagged on a little bit
She’s VERY wordy
Usually I enjoy that, but when there’s not much going on in the plot besides preparing for the climax, it bores me and I skim a little bit
But then it started to pick up and I really enjoyed the pacing and the twists and turns
The villain made me laugh
Like I commented on one scene “stop being so funny DAGONIT IM SUPPOSED TO HATE YOU NOT FIND YOU FUNNY”
No but I do hate the villain though….like genuinely
The MMC is morally grey and I written SO WELL
so realistic
I love Naomi but I think he wish the award for my favorite character
Because I’m able to truly empathize with him
I understand his actions and his mission
I want him to accomplish what he’s setting out to do
You don’t realize just how strong he is yall….
Ugh love him fr
Some scenes were intense like i literally had to stop reading and breathe because I was so NERVOUS to continue
Renee is a WONDERFUL author and I think you’ll enjoy being in the Well Spoken World again!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!! All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Definitely my least favorite out of the four books but it was still a good read
Some parts I felt lagged on a little bit
She’s VERY wordy
Usually I enjoy that, but when there’s not much going on in the plot besides preparing for the climax, it bores me and I skim a little bit
But then it started to pick up and I really enjoyed the pacing and the twists and turns
The villain made me laugh
Like I commented on one scene “stop being so funny DAGONIT IM SUPPOSED TO HATE YOU NOT FIND YOU FUNNY”
No but I do hate the villain though….like genuinely
The MMC is morally grey and I written SO WELL
so realistic
I love Naomi but I think he wish the award for my favorite character
Because I’m able to truly empathize with him
I understand his actions and his mission
I want him to accomplish what he’s setting out to do
You don’t realize just how strong he is yall….
Ugh love him fr
Some scenes were intense like i literally had to stop reading and breathe because I was so NERVOUS to continue
Renee is a WONDERFUL author and I think you’ll enjoy being in the Well Spoken World again!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!! All opinions are unbiased and my own.
August 21, 2025
⭐️ 3.5/5
🌶️ 0/5
I struggled to fully immerse myself in the world building for some reason. I know this is a standalone but also part of a series so I do wonder if it would have helped to have read the others first. The author writes so beautifully, but I sometimes found the lush, descriptive language too distracting when I was trying to wrap my head around such an expansive and intricate world.
The characters were great. I loved Naomi and felt she was perfectly morally grey herself. The romance was a lovely build up, maybe a touch predictable but still satisfying. Some brilliant side characters too, I really enjoyed Caspian!
Overall Thoughts: I felt the poisoner assassin idea was really unique and interesting and it created space for an equally unique plot. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love intricate, lush world-building and a good mystery to be solved. I really think we need more of these murder-mystery vibes in the fantasy/romantasy genre!
Thankyou to NetGalley for the eARC
🌶️ 0/5
I struggled to fully immerse myself in the world building for some reason. I know this is a standalone but also part of a series so I do wonder if it would have helped to have read the others first. The author writes so beautifully, but I sometimes found the lush, descriptive language too distracting when I was trying to wrap my head around such an expansive and intricate world.
The characters were great. I loved Naomi and felt she was perfectly morally grey herself. The romance was a lovely build up, maybe a touch predictable but still satisfying. Some brilliant side characters too, I really enjoyed Caspian!
Overall Thoughts: I felt the poisoner assassin idea was really unique and interesting and it created space for an equally unique plot. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love intricate, lush world-building and a good mystery to be solved. I really think we need more of these murder-mystery vibes in the fantasy/romantasy genre!
Thankyou to NetGalley for the eARC
September 26, 2025
What a magical read. I received the ARC via Netgalley, so thank you. This book was beautifully written and I felt fully immersed in this world. I loved the FMC Naomi and thought her character was fantastic. The characters as a whole throughout the book were well developed and diverse . I enjoyed the story and loved the mystery aspect to this fantasy. I can't wait to continue and read more in this series!
September 30, 2025
3.5⭐️
This one took me a bit to get into. Like the first 20% I really debated DNF’ing. I do think it may be partially because I haven’t read books 1 and 2 of the series so the world building was a bit of a challenge to follow.
However, once we start to get into some murder and deception, the pace definitely picked up and the story became much more enjoyable. I do think the book ran a bit long at times but the writing is good so it wasn’t too too much.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for the ARC.
This one took me a bit to get into. Like the first 20% I really debated DNF’ing. I do think it may be partially because I haven’t read books 1 and 2 of the series so the world building was a bit of a challenge to follow.
However, once we start to get into some murder and deception, the pace definitely picked up and the story became much more enjoyable. I do think the book ran a bit long at times but the writing is good so it wasn’t too too much.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for the ARC.
August 31, 2025
I think this might be my new favorite. Dare I say Thorne from the Starchaser Saga now shares my heart with the Poet Poisoner from this novel.
The pacing, the twists, the character development, the banter and quips, this was Renee Dugan at her best. I'm hoping for many more villain romance tales from her in the future.
Thank you so much to Renee for providing this ARC.
The pacing, the twists, the character development, the banter and quips, this was Renee Dugan at her best. I'm hoping for many more villain romance tales from her in the future.
Thank you so much to Renee for providing this ARC.
September 6, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
a disclaimer before i get started on my review: when i first started reading this book, i wasn’t aware that it was the third book in an interconnected standalone series, meaning that there are two books before this set in the same world that follow different characters. however, given that the author does market this series as standalones, each book theoretically should be able to stand on its own and not require reading of the other books. so keep this in mind on my critiques regarding the world building.
okay, so i picked up this book originally because the blurb intrigued me. the premise of the book seemed interesting, with our female main character, naomi, a healer well-versed also in poisons, being sent on a mission to locate and disarm an assassin specializing in murder by poison. this book did technically deliver on this front, but the way it was delivered was not the best in my opinion.
the romance in this book is your standard romantasy romance. i did not personally enjoy it that much, but that’s a personal preference thing and not a poorly written thing. if you enjoy banter and scenes like them tending to each other’s wounds and him being completely devoted to her, then i think you will enjoy this romance. i personally just wasn’t looking for that type of romance and so didn’t feel much in that regard.
my first main issue is the pacing. this book is pretty long, and i feel like some parts of it dragged and should have been spent instead on developing other characters and the relationships between naomi and other characters that are not the assassin. i can’t really go more in depth on this because they would contain spoilers (which will be a running theme throughout this review), but i feel like a lot of reveals were very abrupt even though i saw the foreshadowing, but i wished there were more of these moments to ease toward the reveals. and while i like that the romance portion was gradually developed, there was a large chunk of that where it felt like too much push and pull, not making any progress, and that space could have been used better. there were many times when i thought about not finishing this book, even though theoretically every part of this should have been pretty fast-paced.
my next issue is the world building. this might just be a me issue because i haven’t read the other two books in this series, where the author may spend more time developing the world, but, again, if you’re marketing the series as a standalone series, then i think this shouldn’t really be an issue. basically, naomi has to go to a different kingdom which is rampant with assassins, who are often part of guilds. there are multiple assassin guilds, and it is in general known as a very treacherous and dangerous place to live. my impression from reading this book is that basically everyone and their mom is either an assassin or working for one. i can count on one hand the number of characters we meet that do not fall in those categories. and this would be fine if we explained why there are so many assassins. the sheer number of assassins begs the question of who is everyone targeting and killing? are there normal citizens? there’s only so many people in power. and like, it would make slightly more sense to me if each of these assassin guilds at a different political goal or stance on how the country should be, and were conducting very targeted attacks to achieve that, but that’s also not the case? it seems like most people are just part of these assassin guilds and are just committing petty murder, since one of the characters literally says that assassins typically don’t have any noble causes to kill for, just a show of power or displeasure. but also displeasure against what? the government? people who wronged them? i just kept finding myself hung up on the purpose of creating a kingdom filled with assassins and i just had a hard time accepting this premise. i also found myself struggling to see how these people would be assassins as opposed to serial killers, since assassins by definition are people who typically kill in a planned attack for political or ideological purposes, which most of the assassins in this world do not. at least that is how i interpreted it but i could be wrong.
i also found other things that were logically inconsistent for me, such as naomi being apparently very vulnerable to attacks because she isn’t very skilled in combat and her being conscious of that and scared, but then also being fine taking multiple solo trips into the city. she sort of flip flops between these two mindsets throughout the book instead of there being a gradual shift in mindset as she comes into herself, which would have been better. also the reveals, particularly naomi’s back story…. i was not convinced of that being a motivator for her actions whatsoever and kind of let out a sigh when i read that, since it so heavily referenced as this mysterious, terrible thing that happened.
the writing itself overall was not bad, but there was a LOT of repetition. “one drop can change everything,” counting to three, “luck,” alluding to her back story, “sullied souls,” all of these are repeated so often. while i understand repetition as a literary device, these i felt like were not utilized well and simply added to the length of the book. i don’t need to be reminded every other chapter that something happened in naomi’s past that she is ashamed of. i don’t need her to repeat the phrase “luck” as a stand in for “god” multiple times to understand that that’s part of this world (side note, typically when an author replaces “god” with a different word, it relates to the world in some way, but as far as i can tell, luck is arbitrarily chosen, as it doesn’t seem like ideologically the people in this world believe or worship the idea of luck, but again, this could be because i didn’t read the first two books).
i also did not really like how everything panned out mostly because i feel like nothing was really resolved, but i can’t get that much into detail because that would mean spoilers.
overall, if you’re looking for a romantasy involving infiltration and spy-work and gaining the enemy’s trust, then you’ll enjoy this book. the logical issues i had are not deal-breakers for understanding this story, but it just prevented me from fully immersing myself in the world.
thank you to netgalley and wave walker press for the e-arc!
a disclaimer before i get started on my review: when i first started reading this book, i wasn’t aware that it was the third book in an interconnected standalone series, meaning that there are two books before this set in the same world that follow different characters. however, given that the author does market this series as standalones, each book theoretically should be able to stand on its own and not require reading of the other books. so keep this in mind on my critiques regarding the world building.
okay, so i picked up this book originally because the blurb intrigued me. the premise of the book seemed interesting, with our female main character, naomi, a healer well-versed also in poisons, being sent on a mission to locate and disarm an assassin specializing in murder by poison. this book did technically deliver on this front, but the way it was delivered was not the best in my opinion.
the romance in this book is your standard romantasy romance. i did not personally enjoy it that much, but that’s a personal preference thing and not a poorly written thing. if you enjoy banter and scenes like them tending to each other’s wounds and him being completely devoted to her, then i think you will enjoy this romance. i personally just wasn’t looking for that type of romance and so didn’t feel much in that regard.
my first main issue is the pacing. this book is pretty long, and i feel like some parts of it dragged and should have been spent instead on developing other characters and the relationships between naomi and other characters that are not the assassin. i can’t really go more in depth on this because they would contain spoilers (which will be a running theme throughout this review), but i feel like a lot of reveals were very abrupt even though i saw the foreshadowing, but i wished there were more of these moments to ease toward the reveals. and while i like that the romance portion was gradually developed, there was a large chunk of that where it felt like too much push and pull, not making any progress, and that space could have been used better. there were many times when i thought about not finishing this book, even though theoretically every part of this should have been pretty fast-paced.
my next issue is the world building. this might just be a me issue because i haven’t read the other two books in this series, where the author may spend more time developing the world, but, again, if you’re marketing the series as a standalone series, then i think this shouldn’t really be an issue. basically, naomi has to go to a different kingdom which is rampant with assassins, who are often part of guilds. there are multiple assassin guilds, and it is in general known as a very treacherous and dangerous place to live. my impression from reading this book is that basically everyone and their mom is either an assassin or working for one. i can count on one hand the number of characters we meet that do not fall in those categories. and this would be fine if we explained why there are so many assassins. the sheer number of assassins begs the question of who is everyone targeting and killing? are there normal citizens? there’s only so many people in power. and like, it would make slightly more sense to me if each of these assassin guilds at a different political goal or stance on how the country should be, and were conducting very targeted attacks to achieve that, but that’s also not the case? it seems like most people are just part of these assassin guilds and are just committing petty murder, since one of the characters literally says that assassins typically don’t have any noble causes to kill for, just a show of power or displeasure. but also displeasure against what? the government? people who wronged them? i just kept finding myself hung up on the purpose of creating a kingdom filled with assassins and i just had a hard time accepting this premise. i also found myself struggling to see how these people would be assassins as opposed to serial killers, since assassins by definition are people who typically kill in a planned attack for political or ideological purposes, which most of the assassins in this world do not. at least that is how i interpreted it but i could be wrong.
i also found other things that were logically inconsistent for me, such as naomi being apparently very vulnerable to attacks because she isn’t very skilled in combat and her being conscious of that and scared, but then also being fine taking multiple solo trips into the city. she sort of flip flops between these two mindsets throughout the book instead of there being a gradual shift in mindset as she comes into herself, which would have been better. also the reveals, particularly naomi’s back story…. i was not convinced of that being a motivator for her actions whatsoever and kind of let out a sigh when i read that, since it so heavily referenced as this mysterious, terrible thing that happened.
the writing itself overall was not bad, but there was a LOT of repetition. “one drop can change everything,” counting to three, “luck,” alluding to her back story, “sullied souls,” all of these are repeated so often. while i understand repetition as a literary device, these i felt like were not utilized well and simply added to the length of the book. i don’t need to be reminded every other chapter that something happened in naomi’s past that she is ashamed of. i don’t need her to repeat the phrase “luck” as a stand in for “god” multiple times to understand that that’s part of this world (side note, typically when an author replaces “god” with a different word, it relates to the world in some way, but as far as i can tell, luck is arbitrarily chosen, as it doesn’t seem like ideologically the people in this world believe or worship the idea of luck, but again, this could be because i didn’t read the first two books).
i also did not really like how everything panned out mostly because i feel like nothing was really resolved, but i can’t get that much into detail because that would mean spoilers.
overall, if you’re looking for a romantasy involving infiltration and spy-work and gaining the enemy’s trust, then you’ll enjoy this book. the logical issues i had are not deal-breakers for understanding this story, but it just prevented me from fully immersing myself in the world.
thank you to netgalley and wave walker press for the e-arc!
October 13, 2025
Naomi Weathers is a healer with a secret she's desperate to keep, who finds herself in a position where exactly that secret gets used against her to force her into an investigation against an assassin who uses poison to kill seemingly random members of the higher class in a foreign country - without ever receiving much training into any kind of investigating or anything. Naomi is set up to either fail or die trying - or not try at all and die either way.
I enjoyed this book a lot, literally from the first few pages I was hooked. It's the writing style that did it for me - almost lyrical, long sentences that just give you so much. The world is literally being built around you and you can watch it happen and it's just a great read. I'll be honest though, the book starts you off by meeting everyone - and there's so many names spelled like a Tragedeigh, I wasn't sure I'd be enjoying myself but the writing carried me deeper and it was just so worth it. (and the names thing gets better too!)
I didn't know that this was part 3 in a series but it's definitively standalone enough to be read by itself - that said I'm totally ordering the other parts, I just had too much fun! There's a lot of world building that happens at first, that may seem a little complicated, probably especially if you didn't read the other books.. But once the real adventure starts, all that takes a step back and we focus on the things at hand - that poisoner assassin and his newest victim for example - so it's really no problem to join midway.
Is difficult to talk too much about the plot because everything may give something away and you really don't want to ruin your ride with this one - it's like a magical journey to a new world, so many things change and happen.. Naomi goes through such a development arc, her whole personality changes and she kind of finds her own strength again. Only Naomi's big secret fell a little flat in my opinion because she's making such a big deal out of it and then it's just.. Hm. Other than that.. I really enjoyed this.
There's a little bit of romance and even that is well done, tasteful, not instalove, not over the top.. A great example for a Romantasy.
There's mostly one point of view, it's Naomi's, and like 3 chapters out of the MMC's. There's a part in the middle where I felt like the book dragged a little bit - a lot of preparation but not much moving on - and yet still, I wouldn't know what part I'd be okay skipping. I just had such a good time, I want to know those details, I want to be there for them, but maybe they could've moved on a little bit faster? This wasn't anything worth quitting the book over though, it's just something I noticed.
Overall, a really good book and I had such a nice time reading this. I'm very happy it was a long one because I feel like this whole adventure wrapped up beautifully in it, this didn't need part 2 or anything, it's perfect the way it is. Another thing that makes me curious about the other 2 books in the series - their stories must wrap up similarly beautifully, a whole adventure wrapped into one book, just set in the same universe and you may meet some of the same characters if I got that hint correctly. I definitively recommend this book!
Thank you Wave Walker Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book a lot, literally from the first few pages I was hooked. It's the writing style that did it for me - almost lyrical, long sentences that just give you so much. The world is literally being built around you and you can watch it happen and it's just a great read. I'll be honest though, the book starts you off by meeting everyone - and there's so many names spelled like a Tragedeigh, I wasn't sure I'd be enjoying myself but the writing carried me deeper and it was just so worth it. (and the names thing gets better too!)
I didn't know that this was part 3 in a series but it's definitively standalone enough to be read by itself - that said I'm totally ordering the other parts, I just had too much fun! There's a lot of world building that happens at first, that may seem a little complicated, probably especially if you didn't read the other books.. But once the real adventure starts, all that takes a step back and we focus on the things at hand - that poisoner assassin and his newest victim for example - so it's really no problem to join midway.
Is difficult to talk too much about the plot because everything may give something away and you really don't want to ruin your ride with this one - it's like a magical journey to a new world, so many things change and happen.. Naomi goes through such a development arc, her whole personality changes and she kind of finds her own strength again. Only Naomi's big secret fell a little flat in my opinion because she's making such a big deal out of it and then it's just.. Hm. Other than that.. I really enjoyed this.
There's a little bit of romance and even that is well done, tasteful, not instalove, not over the top.. A great example for a Romantasy.
There's mostly one point of view, it's Naomi's, and like 3 chapters out of the MMC's. There's a part in the middle where I felt like the book dragged a little bit - a lot of preparation but not much moving on - and yet still, I wouldn't know what part I'd be okay skipping. I just had such a good time, I want to know those details, I want to be there for them, but maybe they could've moved on a little bit faster? This wasn't anything worth quitting the book over though, it's just something I noticed.
Overall, a really good book and I had such a nice time reading this. I'm very happy it was a long one because I feel like this whole adventure wrapped up beautifully in it, this didn't need part 2 or anything, it's perfect the way it is. Another thing that makes me curious about the other 2 books in the series - their stories must wrap up similarly beautifully, a whole adventure wrapped into one book, just set in the same universe and you may meet some of the same characters if I got that hint correctly. I definitively recommend this book!
Thank you Wave Walker Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 17, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Naomi is an overall well-thought and enjoyable MC. Her motivations and decisions made a lot of sense and were really aligned with her past experiences. I wouldn't say she is a "sunshine" character, but she is definitely funny, quirky and lively in her own way. It went really well with the book, as most of the story is told from her POV. Also, I reaaaally loved this dichotomy of her being an outstanding healer but having all this deep knowledge in poisons. It made her really interesting.
I would say Kai is one of the best and realest "morally gray" MMC I have read in a while. I think the way his arc is treated is a good example in how sometimes people are put in situations they definitely not want to be part of, but they need to deal with them, and the consequences and having to decide between whats right and whats needed, something the book tiptoes around I would say in a beautiful and well thought way.
The romance goes slow in this one, but in a nice way, like those warm cups of cocoa Naomi likes to enjoy. You get a taste every page they are together and its delightful, how they keep growing and growing together and you see it and the only thing you can do is smile at the words. And not only as a couple, but as people and how they learn from the other and find a safe place in each other. It's really comforting.
Also, better not speak about the yearning. Ah. Sometimes, less is more and believe me, the tension alone between them is more than enough to make you sigh and swoon like a victorian lady.
Only one big thing I really didn't enjoy and it's one of the twists that felt a bit repetitive and just a plot device to be able to develop the story to a specific point. It's not a big deal though, at least for me.
Writing wise I really like the descriptions of the cities, they felt vibrant and real. Everything sounded really dynamic and, in my humble opinion the writing is really beautiful without being snobbish.
I did not read any of the previous Tales of Wonder and Woe books and I don't feel like I missed anything relevant for this story. The worldbuilding and information provided was enough to be able to understand everything withouth feeling overwhelming.
It is my first book of Renee and I will for sure try a get a hold of the other two in the series.
Naomi is an overall well-thought and enjoyable MC. Her motivations and decisions made a lot of sense and were really aligned with her past experiences. I wouldn't say she is a "sunshine" character, but she is definitely funny, quirky and lively in her own way. It went really well with the book, as most of the story is told from her POV. Also, I reaaaally loved this dichotomy of her being an outstanding healer but having all this deep knowledge in poisons. It made her really interesting.
I would say Kai is one of the best and realest "morally gray" MMC I have read in a while. I think the way his arc is treated is a good example in how sometimes people are put in situations they definitely not want to be part of, but they need to deal with them, and the consequences and having to decide between whats right and whats needed, something the book tiptoes around I would say in a beautiful and well thought way.
The romance goes slow in this one, but in a nice way, like those warm cups of cocoa Naomi likes to enjoy. You get a taste every page they are together and its delightful, how they keep growing and growing together and you see it and the only thing you can do is smile at the words. And not only as a couple, but as people and how they learn from the other and find a safe place in each other. It's really comforting.
Also, better not speak about the yearning. Ah. Sometimes, less is more and believe me, the tension alone between them is more than enough to make you sigh and swoon like a victorian lady.
Only one big thing I really didn't enjoy and it's one of the twists that felt a bit repetitive and just a plot device to be able to develop the story to a specific point. It's not a big deal though, at least for me.
Writing wise I really like the descriptions of the cities, they felt vibrant and real. Everything sounded really dynamic and, in my humble opinion the writing is really beautiful without being snobbish.
I did not read any of the previous Tales of Wonder and Woe books and I don't feel like I missed anything relevant for this story. The worldbuilding and information provided was enough to be able to understand everything withouth feeling overwhelming.
It is my first book of Renee and I will for sure try a get a hold of the other two in the series.
November 14, 2025
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overview
A Poem Penned in Poison is a romantasy novel set in a vividly imagined world filled with magic, political tension, and long-held secrets. The story centres on Naomi, whose life becomes entangled with Kai, a mysterious figure whose presence places her in a dangerous moral and emotional dilemma. As Naomi uncovers hidden truths, navigates threats, and confronts conflicting loyalties, she becomes caught between her duty, her heart, and the risks of exposing secrets that could upend everything.
The book sits firmly within the romantasy and fantasy genres, featuring tropes such as slow-burn romance, forbidden love, secret-keeping, found family, morally grey characters, political intrigue, and life-or-death stakes. It also has the classic fantasy elements of danger, betrayal, and high-tension reveals, as well as the emotional pull expected from a romance woven through an epic plot.
My thoughts
I’ll be honest, this book was difficult to get into at first, and I think that’s largely because it’s the third in a series, while I came into it without reading the first two (which focus on different characters). Because of that, I struggled initially to understand the worldbuilding, the relationships, and who the various characters were.
However, once I got a few chapters in, things began to click, and the story became much more enjoyable - which was a relief given its length. The plot itself was engaging, and there were several points where I was genuinely on edge waiting for certain secrets to finally come out.
I really liked the slow-burn romance between Naomi and Kai, especially the internal conflict Naomi faces as their bond deepens. It was definitely on the cliché side, but in a comforting, genre-appropriate way. That said, there were one too many “back from the brink of death” moments, and I would have preferred a little more originality in how those high-stakes scenes were handled.
Despite its clichés and a rocky start, the book ultimately scratched that romantasy itch for me especially since I haven’t read anything in the genre for a few months. It had all the familiar elements I enjoy, wrapped in a plot that kept my attention once I settled into the world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overview
A Poem Penned in Poison is a romantasy novel set in a vividly imagined world filled with magic, political tension, and long-held secrets. The story centres on Naomi, whose life becomes entangled with Kai, a mysterious figure whose presence places her in a dangerous moral and emotional dilemma. As Naomi uncovers hidden truths, navigates threats, and confronts conflicting loyalties, she becomes caught between her duty, her heart, and the risks of exposing secrets that could upend everything.
The book sits firmly within the romantasy and fantasy genres, featuring tropes such as slow-burn romance, forbidden love, secret-keeping, found family, morally grey characters, political intrigue, and life-or-death stakes. It also has the classic fantasy elements of danger, betrayal, and high-tension reveals, as well as the emotional pull expected from a romance woven through an epic plot.
My thoughts
I’ll be honest, this book was difficult to get into at first, and I think that’s largely because it’s the third in a series, while I came into it without reading the first two (which focus on different characters). Because of that, I struggled initially to understand the worldbuilding, the relationships, and who the various characters were.
However, once I got a few chapters in, things began to click, and the story became much more enjoyable - which was a relief given its length. The plot itself was engaging, and there were several points where I was genuinely on edge waiting for certain secrets to finally come out.
I really liked the slow-burn romance between Naomi and Kai, especially the internal conflict Naomi faces as their bond deepens. It was definitely on the cliché side, but in a comforting, genre-appropriate way. That said, there were one too many “back from the brink of death” moments, and I would have preferred a little more originality in how those high-stakes scenes were handled.
Despite its clichés and a rocky start, the book ultimately scratched that romantasy itch for me especially since I haven’t read anything in the genre for a few months. It had all the familiar elements I enjoy, wrapped in a plot that kept my attention once I settled into the world.
October 5, 2025
From A Poem Penned in Poison's dedication of, “Those who make the hard choices for the right reasons, who stand their ground when it’s unpopular, who take the fall so truth can rise up. Keep fighting the good fight,” I was all in! While The Tales of Wonder and Woe are standalone fantasy stories, each tale is the story of a beloved character from the first tale, A Story Spun is Scarlett. While you do not need to read previous tales to enjoy each story, I highly recommend reading them in order, as there are details and nuances you will notice from reading the other tales.
APPIP follows the adventures of Naomi Weathers, a healer by trade who is also an expert in poison studies. As always the character development is FANTASTIC. Truly Dugan’s development of her protagonist(s), antagonist(s), and supporting characters is like NONE OTHER. Dugan is a master of creating complex, multi-faceted characters, and Naomi and Kai are beautiful examples of her craft. Along with Naomi and Kai, the supporting characters, Phineus (Phin) and Caspian (Cass) are also multi-dimensional. Naomi and Kai are beloved and dear to my heart, and I have not stopped thinking about them or this book since finishing it!
In addition to characters with whom you will fall in love, the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns you will not see coming! It was a book I both wanted to devour and read slowly as I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. This story will wreck you and knit you back together…repeatedly! APPIP is why Dugan will forever be my favorite. I HIGHLY recommend A Poem Penned in Poison.
I received an ARC copy for an honest review, and I absolutely LOVED this book and honestly cannot recommend it enough.
Favorite Quotes (Well, some of my favorite quotes…ones that don’t contain spoilers):
“You’re just an interesting mess of contradictions.”
“From the moment you stepped into my life, you have been the only trustworthy truth in a world of lies.”
“I’m afraid to lose the people I love. To be left behind.”
APPIP follows the adventures of Naomi Weathers, a healer by trade who is also an expert in poison studies. As always the character development is FANTASTIC. Truly Dugan’s development of her protagonist(s), antagonist(s), and supporting characters is like NONE OTHER. Dugan is a master of creating complex, multi-faceted characters, and Naomi and Kai are beautiful examples of her craft. Along with Naomi and Kai, the supporting characters, Phineus (Phin) and Caspian (Cass) are also multi-dimensional. Naomi and Kai are beloved and dear to my heart, and I have not stopped thinking about them or this book since finishing it!
In addition to characters with whom you will fall in love, the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns you will not see coming! It was a book I both wanted to devour and read slowly as I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. This story will wreck you and knit you back together…repeatedly! APPIP is why Dugan will forever be my favorite. I HIGHLY recommend A Poem Penned in Poison.
I received an ARC copy for an honest review, and I absolutely LOVED this book and honestly cannot recommend it enough.
Favorite Quotes (Well, some of my favorite quotes…ones that don’t contain spoilers):
“You’re just an interesting mess of contradictions.”
“From the moment you stepped into my life, you have been the only trustworthy truth in a world of lies.”
“I’m afraid to lose the people I love. To be left behind.”
August 20, 2025
Naomi Weathers is a high-ranking healer in the county of Mithra-sha, and part of the inner circle of advisors to the current ruler. When a dark secret from Naomi’s past is used against her, she finds herself traveling to Hadrass-drui, blackmailed into using her knowledge of poisons to stop an assassin killing members of the elite. But in a country where no one is who they seem, Naomi may have been safer staying home and letting her secret come to light.
A Poem Penned in Poison is the third book in the series, and while each book in the series follows a new narrator, the book does reference events from previous books that would be considered major spoilers for their storylines.
The first few chapters are written in a way that assumes the reader has familiarity with Mithra-sha, which made it hard for me to feel immersed in Naomi’s story without the context from the other books. However, once Naomi began her travels to Hadrass-drui, I was hooked: the world is vibrant, the characters have depth, the romance burns slow, and the story is captivating. I was emotionally engrossed as Naomi worked to unravel the methods and identity of the Poet Poisoner…and decide who is truly the villain in a world full of assassins.
Recommended for readers who enjoy: fantasy worlds, morally grey MMCs, slow burn romances, political intrigue, assassins, and a little dash of poison.
I did not read the previous books in the series before starting A Poem Penned in Poison. I now plan to go back and read the previous two books in this series, and I'm looking forward to reading any future books in this series.
** I was given an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley on behalf of Wave Walker Press, in exchange for an honest review.
A Poem Penned in Poison is the third book in the series, and while each book in the series follows a new narrator, the book does reference events from previous books that would be considered major spoilers for their storylines.
The first few chapters are written in a way that assumes the reader has familiarity with Mithra-sha, which made it hard for me to feel immersed in Naomi’s story without the context from the other books. However, once Naomi began her travels to Hadrass-drui, I was hooked: the world is vibrant, the characters have depth, the romance burns slow, and the story is captivating. I was emotionally engrossed as Naomi worked to unravel the methods and identity of the Poet Poisoner…and decide who is truly the villain in a world full of assassins.
Recommended for readers who enjoy: fantasy worlds, morally grey MMCs, slow burn romances, political intrigue, assassins, and a little dash of poison.
I did not read the previous books in the series before starting A Poem Penned in Poison. I now plan to go back and read the previous two books in this series, and I'm looking forward to reading any future books in this series.
** I was given an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley on behalf of Wave Walker Press, in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2025
Before I get into anything else, I want to note that I *loved* this book, and am thrilled to read more from R. Dugan.
I haven't read any others in the series, and enjoyed that this functioned really well as a standalone. Yes, it is lengthy, but the plot and action were well structured and paced, giving the reader plenty to carry them through the 500+ pages.
I do not have enough space to say all the things I loved about this novel... it gave me everything I look for in a strong fantasy story: intrigue, political machinations, worldbuilding, diverse settings and characters, a strong FMC that has some internal processing to do, morally grey (ok, black) MMC(s), a supporting cast of characters and places that are multi-dimensional, and lots of plot and suspense and guessing along the way! Naomi is a wonderful narrator because she's not perfect, knows it, and we get to watch her struggle with that throughout the course of the novel as she grapples with the age-old question of "What makes something good or bad?". The Hadrassian royal family and Poet serve as great foils for her exploration of this question, and bring out the good and the bad in Naomi. We get a true enemies-to-lovers over the course of this novel, which also feels reasonable and realistic as we cover almost a year's worth of time for them to grow and develop feelings, and I have so many saved quotes and lines from this novel that it's ridiculous. I'll leave you with one to whet your appetite... "Death, when wielded indiscriminately, becomes more harm than help.”
I haven't read any others in the series, and enjoyed that this functioned really well as a standalone. Yes, it is lengthy, but the plot and action were well structured and paced, giving the reader plenty to carry them through the 500+ pages.
I do not have enough space to say all the things I loved about this novel... it gave me everything I look for in a strong fantasy story: intrigue, political machinations, worldbuilding, diverse settings and characters, a strong FMC that has some internal processing to do, morally grey (ok, black) MMC(s), a supporting cast of characters and places that are multi-dimensional, and lots of plot and suspense and guessing along the way! Naomi is a wonderful narrator because she's not perfect, knows it, and we get to watch her struggle with that throughout the course of the novel as she grapples with the age-old question of "What makes something good or bad?". The Hadrassian royal family and Poet serve as great foils for her exploration of this question, and bring out the good and the bad in Naomi. We get a true enemies-to-lovers over the course of this novel, which also feels reasonable and realistic as we cover almost a year's worth of time for them to grow and develop feelings, and I have so many saved quotes and lines from this novel that it's ridiculous. I'll leave you with one to whet your appetite... "Death, when wielded indiscriminately, becomes more harm than help.”
August 3, 2025
A Masterpiece That Poisoned My Soul in the Best Way
One of my absolute best reads of 2025.
From the first page, I was pulled into a world so tangible I swear I could smell the herbs on Naomi’s hands. The writing wraps itself around you heavy with secrets, sharp with heartbreak, and impossibly intoxicating.
Naomi, the protagonist, is one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in a long time. With a past cloaked in secrecy and a gift for both healing and poison, she’s blackmailed into tracking down an assassin targeting powerful figures in a neighboring country. That secret has haunted her for years, driving distance between her and everything she once held dear.
Dropped into hostile territory and surrounded by stories more dangerous than daggers, Noami doesn’t just navigate lies, she becomes part of them. And then comes the Poet Poisoner. Their collision shatters everything. From that moment, the narrative spirals into questions of morality, identity, and the blurry line between justice and vengeance.
This book wrecked me. It twisted and twisted until I couldn’t tell whether I was aching from heartbreak, holding my breath in suspense, or desperately hoping love could bloom in the darkest soil. It made me question everything and feel everything. Morality, trauma, survival, love. Found family, lost self, tentative healing.
I didn’t just read this story. I lived and loved it.
One of my absolute best reads of 2025.
From the first page, I was pulled into a world so tangible I swear I could smell the herbs on Naomi’s hands. The writing wraps itself around you heavy with secrets, sharp with heartbreak, and impossibly intoxicating.
Naomi, the protagonist, is one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in a long time. With a past cloaked in secrecy and a gift for both healing and poison, she’s blackmailed into tracking down an assassin targeting powerful figures in a neighboring country. That secret has haunted her for years, driving distance between her and everything she once held dear.
Dropped into hostile territory and surrounded by stories more dangerous than daggers, Noami doesn’t just navigate lies, she becomes part of them. And then comes the Poet Poisoner. Their collision shatters everything. From that moment, the narrative spirals into questions of morality, identity, and the blurry line between justice and vengeance.
This book wrecked me. It twisted and twisted until I couldn’t tell whether I was aching from heartbreak, holding my breath in suspense, or desperately hoping love could bloom in the darkest soil. It made me question everything and feel everything. Morality, trauma, survival, love. Found family, lost self, tentative healing.
I didn’t just read this story. I lived and loved it.
October 17, 2025
A Poem Penned in Poison is a beautifully written and immersive fantasy.
Naomi Weathers is a renowned healer, royal advisor, and best friend to the Master Storycrafter. But she has a secret in her past that she has tried hard to hide. When a series of mysterious poisonings happen to the rulers and officials in neighboring Hadrass-Dru, Naomi is sent to investigate. But the Poet Poisoner is not going to be found out easily. In a land of assassins and spies, Naomi must decide who she can trust, even if it means finding allies, and love, where she least expects.
I really enjoyed this one! As the third full book in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series, I was easily able to fall back into this magical world. I loved this series so much, and A Poem Penned in Poison is a wonderful installment. I liked Naomi a lot - she is really pragmatic and has her reasons to keep parts of herself hidden, even from those she loves and trusts. I liked her character a lot, even though she is quite different from Audra and Lio. The Poet Poisoner was supposed to be the villain, but he is just so funny and morally grey, and I really enjoyed his character. The plot moved at a great pace, and some parts had me on the very edge of my seat the entire time. Overall, I really loved this book, and found it a really solid installment in a lovely fantasy series.
Thanks to much to NetGalley, Renee Dugan and Wave Walker Press for the advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Naomi Weathers is a renowned healer, royal advisor, and best friend to the Master Storycrafter. But she has a secret in her past that she has tried hard to hide. When a series of mysterious poisonings happen to the rulers and officials in neighboring Hadrass-Dru, Naomi is sent to investigate. But the Poet Poisoner is not going to be found out easily. In a land of assassins and spies, Naomi must decide who she can trust, even if it means finding allies, and love, where she least expects.
I really enjoyed this one! As the third full book in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series, I was easily able to fall back into this magical world. I loved this series so much, and A Poem Penned in Poison is a wonderful installment. I liked Naomi a lot - she is really pragmatic and has her reasons to keep parts of herself hidden, even from those she loves and trusts. I liked her character a lot, even though she is quite different from Audra and Lio. The Poet Poisoner was supposed to be the villain, but he is just so funny and morally grey, and I really enjoyed his character. The plot moved at a great pace, and some parts had me on the very edge of my seat the entire time. Overall, I really loved this book, and found it a really solid installment in a lovely fantasy series.
Thanks to much to NetGalley, Renee Dugan and Wave Walker Press for the advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
October 31, 2025
Admittedly, this is my first book from this author, and thus the first I've read in this series. But by golly if the rest of the series is anything like this book, I just found a new favorite!
Because it's my first, I can attest that these are standalones and you can jump in at any book. That said, the first 10% I really had to read slowly, in part to understand the characters and world-building, and in part because of the prose. It's beautifully written, but also wordy, so it was better for me to slow down, savor, and digest the story than to try to get through it quickly. And though it's long, I wouldn't have cut any of the scenes -- I felt they all added to the bigger picture so that each plot point hits home.
At more than 600 pages with this detailed writing, it definitely took a few days to get through. But oh my gosh I loved it!! I highlighted so many quips, beautiful descriptions, and swoony moments -- I'm not sure I've ever highlighted so many lines in a book before.
And speaking of swoony.... that angst and yeeeaaaarrrrrning was so good!!
I love Naomi and the Poet. I love how despicable she made [spoiler] with his taunting lines. I love the slow-burn romance of it all.
I just friggin loved it. Really looking forward to getting to the rest of this series when I get caught up on my ARCs!!
⚠️ Occasional cursing
🫑 Kisses only
Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for the privilege of being an ARC reader!
Because it's my first, I can attest that these are standalones and you can jump in at any book. That said, the first 10% I really had to read slowly, in part to understand the characters and world-building, and in part because of the prose. It's beautifully written, but also wordy, so it was better for me to slow down, savor, and digest the story than to try to get through it quickly. And though it's long, I wouldn't have cut any of the scenes -- I felt they all added to the bigger picture so that each plot point hits home.
At more than 600 pages with this detailed writing, it definitely took a few days to get through. But oh my gosh I loved it!! I highlighted so many quips, beautiful descriptions, and swoony moments -- I'm not sure I've ever highlighted so many lines in a book before.
And speaking of swoony.... that angst and yeeeaaaarrrrrning was so good!!
I love Naomi and the Poet. I love how despicable she made [spoiler] with his taunting lines. I love the slow-burn romance of it all.
I just friggin loved it. Really looking forward to getting to the rest of this series when I get caught up on my ARCs!!
⚠️ Occasional cursing
🫑 Kisses only
Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for the privilege of being an ARC reader!
September 7, 2025
📚ARC REVIEW📚 via Netgalley
Title: A Poem Penned in Poison
Author: R Duggan
Release date: 31st October
"One drop of poison is all it takes. One drop can destroy everything."
This tale follows Naomi, a healer who has also studied poisons, she is tasked with tracking down The Poet Poisoner, an assassin who is taking out the rich and powerful.....think Robin hood but with more death and less sharing of riches.
Over time it becomes clear that not all enemies are as they seem and not all allies can be trusted.
This Tale of Wonder and Woe had me hooked from the moment I saw the cover and intrigued me as I read the story, it was hard to put down but also written in a style that forced me to really slow down and take in what i was reading. I'm very tempted to read the first two in the series and find out if I missed anything important to this storyline.
Preorder it now if this is a bit of you
📜 Grumpy x sunshine
🗡️ Enemies to lovers villain romance
📜 Only one manse (like mansion)
🗡️ He falls first and hard
📜 Who did this to you
🗡️ He'd burn it all down for her
📜 Poet x muse
🗡️ Assassin x healer
#apoempennedinpoison #rdugan #darkromantasy #romantasy #halloweenrelease #talesofwonderandwoe #arcreview
Title: A Poem Penned in Poison
Author: R Duggan
Release date: 31st October
"One drop of poison is all it takes. One drop can destroy everything."
This tale follows Naomi, a healer who has also studied poisons, she is tasked with tracking down The Poet Poisoner, an assassin who is taking out the rich and powerful.....think Robin hood but with more death and less sharing of riches.
Over time it becomes clear that not all enemies are as they seem and not all allies can be trusted.
This Tale of Wonder and Woe had me hooked from the moment I saw the cover and intrigued me as I read the story, it was hard to put down but also written in a style that forced me to really slow down and take in what i was reading. I'm very tempted to read the first two in the series and find out if I missed anything important to this storyline.
Preorder it now if this is a bit of you
📜 Grumpy x sunshine
🗡️ Enemies to lovers villain romance
📜 Only one manse (like mansion)
🗡️ He falls first and hard
📜 Who did this to you
🗡️ He'd burn it all down for her
📜 Poet x muse
🗡️ Assassin x healer
#apoempennedinpoison #rdugan #darkromantasy #romantasy #halloweenrelease #talesofwonderandwoe #arcreview
October 3, 2025
Thank you to author Renee Dugan, Wave Walker Press and NetGalley for the eARC.
I was so excited when I learned that we would get Naomi's story! While we haven't see that much of her yet, I was so intrigued by her from the glimpses we got in past books. Add to that poisons, intrigue, assassins and an expansion of the amazing world Dugan has built?
Sign me up!!
I will be honest, even though I was so, so excited for this when I started reading it took me a bit to longer to really get into it than previous books in this series. I was not feeling the new characters or Naomi for the first roughly 20ish percent.
But my initial patience really paid off! I think this might just be my new favorite of the Tales of Wonder and Woe!
The world, as always, is so thought out, well done and intricate, the story is engaging and keeps the reader hooked and most of all the characters - Naomi and Kai. I absolutely fell in love with both of them and the way their relationship and individual characters developed was pure perfection!
As every book I have read by the author so far a solid 5 star and one of my favorite books of the year!
Hopefully we will keep getting more stories in this series and I can't wait to read and love them all.
I was so excited when I learned that we would get Naomi's story! While we haven't see that much of her yet, I was so intrigued by her from the glimpses we got in past books. Add to that poisons, intrigue, assassins and an expansion of the amazing world Dugan has built?
Sign me up!!
I will be honest, even though I was so, so excited for this when I started reading it took me a bit to longer to really get into it than previous books in this series. I was not feeling the new characters or Naomi for the first roughly 20ish percent.
But my initial patience really paid off! I think this might just be my new favorite of the Tales of Wonder and Woe!
The world, as always, is so thought out, well done and intricate, the story is engaging and keeps the reader hooked and most of all the characters - Naomi and Kai. I absolutely fell in love with both of them and the way their relationship and individual characters developed was pure perfection!
As every book I have read by the author so far a solid 5 star and one of my favorite books of the year!
Hopefully we will keep getting more stories in this series and I can't wait to read and love them all.
November 4, 2025
꧁ DISCLAIMER ꧂
I received this copy for free as an ARC. I was not paid to review this book, these are my own thoughts and feelings. Thank you to R. Dugan & the publishing company for the free digital copy; Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
This is everything. Everything you could want from a story about a healer who also has an interest in poison.
Naomi is a bright FMC, top of her class for her healing skills as well as her poison studies. She is both sides of a coin; with the power to heal, as well as the power to kill. Such a dangerous combination.
I was enthralled in the world that Dugan created, in the way the characters were written. This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, heart racing, and crying throughout the whole book. There were twists, and secrets. There's heartbreak and butterflies in your stomach.
There's no magic in this world, but in truth I didn't find myself looking for any. There's no monsters, except for the ones behind masks. I also love the way the villain in this story uses poetry. It's such a unique idea, and is executed really well.
If you are on the fence about reading this book, I hope you take the leap and read it. It is easily one of the best books I have read in 2025.
I received this copy for free as an ARC. I was not paid to review this book, these are my own thoughts and feelings. Thank you to R. Dugan & the publishing company for the free digital copy; Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
This is everything. Everything you could want from a story about a healer who also has an interest in poison.
Naomi is a bright FMC, top of her class for her healing skills as well as her poison studies. She is both sides of a coin; with the power to heal, as well as the power to kill. Such a dangerous combination.
I was enthralled in the world that Dugan created, in the way the characters were written. This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, heart racing, and crying throughout the whole book. There were twists, and secrets. There's heartbreak and butterflies in your stomach.
There's no magic in this world, but in truth I didn't find myself looking for any. There's no monsters, except for the ones behind masks. I also love the way the villain in this story uses poetry. It's such a unique idea, and is executed really well.
If you are on the fence about reading this book, I hope you take the leap and read it. It is easily one of the best books I have read in 2025.
August 19, 2025
A Poem Penned in Poison by Renee Dugan is a book that keeps you on the edge of good and evil, and maybe even makes you want the villain to win.
This author really makes you feel, feel suffering, feel joy, feel comfort, and feel despair. I felt every word and every page. I don’t know how the author does it, but the words, always seem right. Each word, a perfect steppingstone in a rushing river of emotions, and tension. Gosh what I would do to be able to read this book again for the first time. The twists and the turns making you wonder where you were going, each guess you had being incorrect. The new information given shining a whole new light to the situation. Gosh.
This book was a slow burn, the banter was amazing, and the looks, the breaths, and the vibes, were IMMACULATE. I swear, how can you not fall in love with the villain. This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire time, I followed the beauty of the main characters’ character growth and I wondered when the pin would drop the entire time. And oh did it. While reading this book you can’t help but fall in love with the characters.
You have to read this book, perfect for the feels, perfect to be bawl your eyes out.
Thank you Renee Dugan for the free book.
This author really makes you feel, feel suffering, feel joy, feel comfort, and feel despair. I felt every word and every page. I don’t know how the author does it, but the words, always seem right. Each word, a perfect steppingstone in a rushing river of emotions, and tension. Gosh what I would do to be able to read this book again for the first time. The twists and the turns making you wonder where you were going, each guess you had being incorrect. The new information given shining a whole new light to the situation. Gosh.
This book was a slow burn, the banter was amazing, and the looks, the breaths, and the vibes, were IMMACULATE. I swear, how can you not fall in love with the villain. This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire time, I followed the beauty of the main characters’ character growth and I wondered when the pin would drop the entire time. And oh did it. While reading this book you can’t help but fall in love with the characters.
You have to read this book, perfect for the feels, perfect to be bawl your eyes out.
Thank you Renee Dugan for the free book.
November 12, 2025
4.5 stars!
The way I would absolutely die, reincarnate myself, and then die again, just for more chapters of Naomi and Kai plotting schemes and drinking cocoa together out of fancy mugs. Repeatedly. Forever.
I love Renee Dugan's writing so much. The world she's crafted is fabulous. I love how we get to spend time with the characters in all the various settings and spaces, yet it never feels like we get too much or too little on something.
The concept of a Poet Poisoner I thought was unique to any other story in the genre that I've picked up before. It was continuously intriguing, first with Naomi unraveling the mystery of the poisonings and then with unraveling the mystery of who Kai is (which I gotta say....I do love a glorious slow burn such as this).
Truly so thankful to the author and NetGalley for an early copy of this. It came out at the end of October, but I made myself take my heckin' sweet time with this because I knew I'd be sad when I finished the last page, just like I was with A Tale Told by Traitors.
The way I would absolutely die, reincarnate myself, and then die again, just for more chapters of Naomi and Kai plotting schemes and drinking cocoa together out of fancy mugs. Repeatedly. Forever.
I love Renee Dugan's writing so much. The world she's crafted is fabulous. I love how we get to spend time with the characters in all the various settings and spaces, yet it never feels like we get too much or too little on something.
The concept of a Poet Poisoner I thought was unique to any other story in the genre that I've picked up before. It was continuously intriguing, first with Naomi unraveling the mystery of the poisonings and then with unraveling the mystery of who Kai is (which I gotta say....I do love a glorious slow burn such as this).
Truly so thankful to the author and NetGalley for an early copy of this. It came out at the end of October, but I made myself take my heckin' sweet time with this because I knew I'd be sad when I finished the last page, just like I was with A Tale Told by Traitors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews