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The Poisoner #2
The Arachnid
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26The hauntingly beautiful second book in the gothic romance Poisoner series, where Alina Lis finds herself the prey of her vampiric ex-lover, Silas. They’re a couple deadly as sin, and as intoxicating as a sip of poison...
Return to the world of The Poisoner...
In the shadows of 1890s Buffalo, a poisoner’s bite leaves more than just scars—even for the undead.
Two years after fleeing London, Alina Lis has built something she never thought a home. Leading a commune of women like herself, she's found a new, greater purpose; experimenting on the Vipera. But peace, she learns, is as fragile as a spider's web in winter.
Silas Forbes, the Vipera she escaped, hasn’t forgotten. But his thirst for Alina threatens everything he's created in her absence. And he's brought another along for the Luka Novikov, the man who once betrayed her, now bound to them both by wounds that won't heal and debts that can't be paid.
As human and Vipera worlds violently collide, old poisons surface and new alliances form. In a society where survival means choosing sides, Alina must protect the family she’s built, Silas must decide what price he’ll pay for his obsession, and Luka—marked forever by the poisoner’s kiss—must survive the clash of an immortal’s longing and a woman’s fury.
Some venoms have no antidote. Some hungers can never be satisfied.
The Arachnid is the second installment of the darkly seductive Poisoner series, where humans and Vipera twist together like lovers in the dark.
Return to the world of The Poisoner...
In the shadows of 1890s Buffalo, a poisoner’s bite leaves more than just scars—even for the undead.
Two years after fleeing London, Alina Lis has built something she never thought a home. Leading a commune of women like herself, she's found a new, greater purpose; experimenting on the Vipera. But peace, she learns, is as fragile as a spider's web in winter.
Silas Forbes, the Vipera she escaped, hasn’t forgotten. But his thirst for Alina threatens everything he's created in her absence. And he's brought another along for the Luka Novikov, the man who once betrayed her, now bound to them both by wounds that won't heal and debts that can't be paid.
As human and Vipera worlds violently collide, old poisons surface and new alliances form. In a society where survival means choosing sides, Alina must protect the family she’s built, Silas must decide what price he’ll pay for his obsession, and Luka—marked forever by the poisoner’s kiss—must survive the clash of an immortal’s longing and a woman’s fury.
Some venoms have no antidote. Some hungers can never be satisfied.
The Arachnid is the second installment of the darkly seductive Poisoner series, where humans and Vipera twist together like lovers in the dark.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 14, 2026
35 people are currently reading
8967 people want to read
About the author
I.V. Ophelia
5 books1,962 followersUSA Today Bestselling author I.V. Ophelia is known for the gothic vampire series The Poisoner. Born in small-town New England, she now haunts the streets of New York City, writing the most unhinged tales she can conjure. When not crafting gothic romance, she works as a full-time artist, hoards nineteenth-century gowns and antique furniture, dotes on her menagerie of pets, and plots her next literary transgression.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Want to read
June 6, 2025FINALLY BOOK TWO!!!
July 7, 2025
loved book one, very excited
hoping this isn’t a “why choose” moment…
hoping this isn’t a “why choose” moment…
July 2, 2025
Sooooo excited to see our dearest shadow and her favorite vampire once more! Alina, honey, make it hurt!
Want to read
June 7, 2025back at it again with the unhinged excitement mwahahaha
we finally get more silas and alina content AHHHHH. IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONEEE😩🙂↕️
october 7th come quick please. i miss you autumn and it’ll be the arachnid month 😩
be prepared for the unhingedness that will ensue ;)
we finally get more silas and alina content AHHHHH. IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONEEE😩🙂↕️
october 7th come quick please. i miss you autumn and it’ll be the arachnid month 😩
be prepared for the unhingedness that will ensue ;)
Want to read
August 6, 2025Guys, synopsis has been released and I am scared 😟. Please don’t make a why choose romance out of this masterpiece now 😭. I need a grovelling trope done RIGHT
Currently reading
June 6, 2025Silas Forbes has quickly become one of my all time favorite vampires! The Poisoner has changed me. I look forward to learning everything I can about the Vipera species. And seeing what journey I.V. Ophelia takes us on. It's gonna be incredible!
Want to read
June 30, 2025WAIT…..Is it gonna be a Why choose????
December 4, 2025
[I was provided an ALC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
screaming into the void about these books and these characters!!!
the narrators ate this UP and I would genuinely listen to any of them read a grocery list. they did an incredible job with the characters, their nuances and personalities. it did not feel like they were reading off words from a book, but felt more like genuine thoughts, feelings, and conversations.
can’t wait to find out what happens next because the cliffhanger ending sent me into a spiral🙂↕️
5/5 ⭐️
2/5 spice rating🌶️
screaming into the void about these books and these characters!!!
the narrators ate this UP and I would genuinely listen to any of them read a grocery list. they did an incredible job with the characters, their nuances and personalities. it did not feel like they were reading off words from a book, but felt more like genuine thoughts, feelings, and conversations.
can’t wait to find out what happens next because the cliffhanger ending sent me into a spiral🙂↕️
5/5 ⭐️
2/5 spice rating🌶️
not-for-me-do-not-read
October 8, 2025
June 18, 2025
I'm so excited 😊
June 7, 2025
You have no idea how much I LOVED THE POISONER and how bad I needed book 2 - almost as much as I need my next breath
and here we are!!!! I CAN NOT WAIT
and here we are!!!! I CAN NOT WAIT
June 11, 2025
sooo sooo excited!!! The first book is one of my absolute favorites!! I read it on Kindle and then had to have it for my shelf ❤️
June 12, 2025
I started this book in the early hours of the morning thinking it was gonna be a simple read about vampires and that’s it. I get halfway through it and then I got curious. I’m like I know that there’s a second book a coming out in October. Is it like in the same universe type scenario then I go on TikTok and I search about it and I find some Things that might deteriorate me from continuing the book and waiting till the second book comes on October I knew what the ending I knew it was gonna happen and certain things that were gonna happen, but I continue to read it knowing for what the ending was I’m getting towards the ending and I’m getting to those chapters where you’re like poor girl why is she going through this??? And I feel pity for her and then we get to the last chapter where it’s the most open ending besides the giver and I’m crying tears running down my cheeks and us have a mental breakdown, not knowing what happens and having to wait till October. so yes, I would recommend that 100%. It’s a great book. It’s amazing. It’s fantastic. Look the characters love the character development of the ark. Everything love the setting love the words they use their diction and syntax everything except I would recommend you wait till October to the second book comes out because what the ending of this book does to. You ain’t very pretty. It’s not pretty at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2026
Thank you so much to IV Ophelia and her team, Simon Maverick, and Astoria Book Shop for the won physical ARC and gifted ARC.
I quite literally have no words. I ate this story up from beginning to end. This was the best story I have read in a very, very long time and I have a feeling it will sit on my top 5 books ever read for life. The story is AMAZING, truly unique and unlike anything I have ever read before. The found family within these pages, the character growth and trauma, the romance… everything was so perfect. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait for this book to officially be out to the public so I can talk about it with EVERYONE I know. 10/10 I cannot wait for book 3 to see how everything ends. IV, you are a gift to readers and I’m so happy you decided to start writing.
I quite literally have no words. I ate this story up from beginning to end. This was the best story I have read in a very, very long time and I have a feeling it will sit on my top 5 books ever read for life. The story is AMAZING, truly unique and unlike anything I have ever read before. The found family within these pages, the character growth and trauma, the romance… everything was so perfect. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait for this book to officially be out to the public so I can talk about it with EVERYONE I know. 10/10 I cannot wait for book 3 to see how everything ends. IV, you are a gift to readers and I’m so happy you decided to start writing.
January 22, 2026
I have enjoyed the series so far, it is told in a multi POV (Like 4+) so it is very dynamic in getting a wide variety of character development and personalities. I did get a little bit lost sometimes because there was so much going on. I did however find my way back to it at the end and it definitely ties it all together.
Definitely read your trigger warnings with this book because there are some themes that could be triggering for some people. I enjoyed the year paranormal fantasy vibes and the world building. It is definitely a different take on vampirism that was a little bit more political in nature when it came to dynamics of nests.
4.25 🌟 3 🌶️
Definitely read your trigger warnings with this book because there are some themes that could be triggering for some people. I enjoyed the year paranormal fantasy vibes and the world building. It is definitely a different take on vampirism that was a little bit more political in nature when it came to dynamics of nests.
4.25 🌟 3 🌶️
June 29, 2025
The first book has already wrecked me twice: once as an e-book, most recently, the audiobook, and it will be thrice when I order my hardcover version.
Just reading the description for the second book has me choked up. I simultaneously cannot wait, but am also afraid, to read it.
for honesty’s sake, I did not even mean to hit the stars at all, since obviously I’ve not read it yet. My opinion stands & and I’ll fairly update later.
Just reading the description for the second book has me choked up. I simultaneously cannot wait, but am also afraid, to read it.
for honesty’s sake, I did not even mean to hit the stars at all, since obviously I’ve not read it yet. My opinion stands & and I’ll fairly update later.
June 18, 2025
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
July 6, 2025
I cannot wait for the story to continue!
August 22, 2025
I NEED MY ALINA BACK. I NEED SILAS TO GROVEL AND BEG!!!
September 22, 2025
Can't wait to read book 2!
Read
January 20, 2026dnf @ 78% not necessarily bad but i didn't care to finish the story and one of my new year's resolutions was to not waste my time finishing books that i lost interest in so.... womp womp
Want to read
January 23, 2026god pls let me get the arc
December 23, 2025
Welcome back to the Poisoner universe! The Arachnid is the SECOND book in The Poisoner Series. The Duet audiobook will be available with the standard formats on release day!
Here’s some things to expect:
🕷️Three POV characters
🕷️Ensemble Narration Audiobook
🕷️Yuletide season in Buffalo, NY
🕷️Second chance
🕷️Larger cast of characters
🕷️Groveling and angst
🕷️More vipera mischief
The release has been delayed until April 14th, 2026 due to The Poisoner Series being acquired by Simon & Schuster’s Simon Maverick! Working with them has been so amazing. It’s refreshing to work with publishers who are just as excited as I am. The Re-release Poisoner will include: - New Cover
- New interior
- New chapter header art (alternating, just like the indie version)
- Sprayed edges (first print run ONLY)
- Available in major chains and libraries
- Rapid release of the trilogy in 2026
- Teaser chapter of Arachnid
Poisoner Re-Release: January 13th, 2026
Arachnid Release: April 14th, 2026
Preorder Poisoner https://www.amazon.com/Poisoner-I-V-O...
Preorder Arachnid https://www.amazon.com/Arachnid-Poiso...
🕷️Three POV characters
🕷️Ensemble Narration Audiobook
🕷️Yuletide season in Buffalo, NY
🕷️Second chance
🕷️Larger cast of characters
🕷️Groveling and angst
🕷️More vipera mischief
The release has been delayed until April 14th, 2026 due to The Poisoner Series being acquired by Simon & Schuster’s Simon Maverick! Working with them has been so amazing. It’s refreshing to work with publishers who are just as excited as I am. The Re-release Poisoner will include: - New Cover
- New interior
- New chapter header art (alternating, just like the indie version)
- Sprayed edges (first print run ONLY)
- Available in major chains and libraries
- Rapid release of the trilogy in 2026
- Teaser chapter of Arachnid
Poisoner Re-Release: January 13th, 2026
Arachnid Release: April 14th, 2026
Preorder Poisoner https://www.amazon.com/Poisoner-I-V-O...
Preorder Arachnid https://www.amazon.com/Arachnid-Poiso...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews