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The Poisoner #2
The Arachnid
The 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.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2026
933 people are currently reading
18742 people want to read
About the author
I.V. Ophelia
5 books2,378 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 - 30 of 707 reviews
April 14, 2026
THAT ENDING!! I love the development of our characters in this and I’m very excited with where the plot is heading 👀
Want to Read
January 31, 2026FINALLY BOOK TWO!!!
April 17, 2026
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The arachnid doesn’t have to suffocate her prey for them to know she is dangerous; they need only believe she is venomous.”
Tangled within it's web, the Arachnid gripped me the same way it's predecessor did and I willingly surrendered.
This installment delivers on the decadent depravity one would expect from I.V. Ophelia, with new predators emerging and a an unconventional found family founded by Alina and Phoebe—and that dynamic of all was my favorite addition.
Two years later after relocating to New York, Alina resumes her indulgence in her twisted craft even amid her growing responsibilities as the dam of her Vipera nest whom are led by three rules: autonomy, sustainability, utilitarianism.
We were bonded by the cause of creating a better world, since the men were not the best at improving anything.
Meanwhile, Silas clung to the hope that Alina would return to him but he had crossed the point of no return with his previous actions, so is he willing to follow her across the globe to repent? Or will he allow his obsession to fade away? If you knew Silas well enough you already have your answer.
The new cast of female characters and their bonds were wholesome (even it had it's dark and twisted quirks).
Alina and Silas's chemistry is addictive!! The poisoner and the creature continue their wicked waltz even with their insatiable hunger for one another consumes them.
Luka's arc, however, took quite the turn.
The pacing felt a tad slower than the first book, still I devoured every page and interaction and by the end of the book I was gasping at the audacity of ending it on such a cliffhanger.
I have to applaud once again the incredible narrators for bringing to life these characters, although they are words on paper but they almost feel tangible to me. It was as if the narrators were truly possessed by the spirits of these characters, an exaggeration I know but I need to gush about their spectacular performance!
I highly, HIGHLY recommend experiencing the audiobook. It's a stellar cast!
Looking forward to more depravity and wickedness in The Cannibal.
This is a gothic romance with explicit and triggering content, please ensure to look up the content warning.
“The arachnid doesn’t have to suffocate her prey for them to know she is dangerous; they need only believe she is venomous.”
Tangled within it's web, the Arachnid gripped me the same way it's predecessor did and I willingly surrendered.
This installment delivers on the decadent depravity one would expect from I.V. Ophelia, with new predators emerging and a an unconventional found family founded by Alina and Phoebe—and that dynamic of all was my favorite addition.
Two years later after relocating to New York, Alina resumes her indulgence in her twisted craft even amid her growing responsibilities as the dam of her Vipera nest whom are led by three rules: autonomy, sustainability, utilitarianism.
We were bonded by the cause of creating a better world, since the men were not the best at improving anything.
Meanwhile, Silas clung to the hope that Alina would return to him but he had crossed the point of no return with his previous actions, so is he willing to follow her across the globe to repent? Or will he allow his obsession to fade away? If you knew Silas well enough you already have your answer.
The new cast of female characters and their bonds were wholesome (even it had it's dark and twisted quirks).
Alina and Silas's chemistry is addictive!! The poisoner and the creature continue their wicked waltz even with their insatiable hunger for one another consumes them.
Luka's arc, however, took quite the turn.
The pacing felt a tad slower than the first book, still I devoured every page and interaction and by the end of the book I was gasping at the audacity of ending it on such a cliffhanger.
I have to applaud once again the incredible narrators for bringing to life these characters, although they are words on paper but they almost feel tangible to me. It was as if the narrators were truly possessed by the spirits of these characters, an exaggeration I know but I need to gush about their spectacular performance!
I highly, HIGHLY recommend experiencing the audiobook. It's a stellar cast!
Looking forward to more depravity and wickedness in The Cannibal.
This is a gothic romance with explicit and triggering content, please ensure to look up the content warning.
April 16, 2026
What is life if you cannot find something you love, and let it kill you?
I hate to say it, but this book felt like yet another filler where the plot is stretched way too thin, and everything remotely interesting is dumped into the final chapters…
Pros:
– poetic writing
– Silas’s delulu confidence
– Luka’s… let’s call it a redemption arc (barely)
Cons:
– Alina’s stubbornness (which really tested my patience)
– Phoebe’s sudden romantic feelings (wtf?)
– the lack of grovelling that was clearly set up
At one point, I was convinced I was done with this series. But that ending… the cliffhanger definitely made me pause. I might continue, but I’m still undecided.
I hate to say it, but this book felt like yet another filler where the plot is stretched way too thin, and everything remotely interesting is dumped into the final chapters…
Pros:
– poetic writing
– Silas’s delulu confidence
– Luka’s… let’s call it a redemption arc (barely)
Cons:
– Alina’s stubbornness (which really tested my patience)
– Phoebe’s sudden romantic feelings (wtf?)
– the lack of grovelling that was clearly set up
At one point, I was convinced I was done with this series. But that ending… the cliffhanger definitely made me pause. I might continue, but I’m still undecided.
February 6, 2026
3.75/5 stars rounded up.
I think compared to The Poisoner, I liked The Arachnid a bit less. But this was still an entertaining read (and I already preordered the physical copy, hehe). My opinions on Silas still haven't changed much. He continues to irritate me but I enjoy Alina a lot more. In my review for The Poisoner, I mentioned enjoying the banter, and the same thing can be said for me with The Arachnid. I love a book with some good witty or dry banter.
I appreciated how Alina felt like a stronger, more self-assured version of herself. She didn't give in to Silas as much as I had remembered her doing so in the first book. I thought Silas had to do a lot more "making up" to Alina as well, which I appreciated. I again, really enjoyed the writing and atmosphere in this book. Vampires, poison, and a gothic setting are an immediate "yes" from me.
I did find myself struggling with the plot and some of the secondary characters. At times I had to reread some parts to fully understand what was going on, and really focus in with who some of the characters were. There are some books that I would prefer to read a physical copy instead of a digital copy because in moments of confusion, it's easier to flip backwards to reacquaint myself than scroll through an ebook. This was one of those books. I think I would like to reread books 1 and 2 with the paperback to get a more solid experience. I think my mild confusion with the plot led to my feelings on this book coming and going. I was completely locked in once I reached about 70% because everything felt much more clear and smooth to me than points in the book prior.
I plan to read book 3, so I also liked getting the sneak peek of The Cannibal. I'm excited to have the printed version of The Arachnid in my hands on pub day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Maverick Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own!
I think compared to The Poisoner, I liked The Arachnid a bit less. But this was still an entertaining read (and I already preordered the physical copy, hehe). My opinions on Silas still haven't changed much. He continues to irritate me but I enjoy Alina a lot more. In my review for The Poisoner, I mentioned enjoying the banter, and the same thing can be said for me with The Arachnid. I love a book with some good witty or dry banter.
I appreciated how Alina felt like a stronger, more self-assured version of herself. She didn't give in to Silas as much as I had remembered her doing so in the first book. I thought Silas had to do a lot more "making up" to Alina as well, which I appreciated. I again, really enjoyed the writing and atmosphere in this book. Vampires, poison, and a gothic setting are an immediate "yes" from me.
I did find myself struggling with the plot and some of the secondary characters. At times I had to reread some parts to fully understand what was going on, and really focus in with who some of the characters were. There are some books that I would prefer to read a physical copy instead of a digital copy because in moments of confusion, it's easier to flip backwards to reacquaint myself than scroll through an ebook. This was one of those books. I think I would like to reread books 1 and 2 with the paperback to get a more solid experience. I think my mild confusion with the plot led to my feelings on this book coming and going. I was completely locked in once I reached about 70% because everything felt much more clear and smooth to me than points in the book prior.
I plan to read book 3, so I also liked getting the sneak peek of The Cannibal. I'm excited to have the printed version of The Arachnid in my hands on pub day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Maverick Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own!
February 13, 2026
….well this is the perfect example of middle book syndrome.
It lacked the strength of plot that carried book 1. I was lost on what the stakes were for the majority of the book. It felt as if there was a pert 1 and part 2- but just in goals that didn’t translate cohesively. The overall plot was just very stagnant.
The amount of characters dumped on us had them all stale and unmemorable. The characters who we were told to hate in book one had the weakest redemption arc to date that I’ve read. And the romance was so forced, the banter was dry in form that just came off as forced and ingenious.
It lacked the strength of plot that carried book 1. I was lost on what the stakes were for the majority of the book. It felt as if there was a pert 1 and part 2- but just in goals that didn’t translate cohesively. The overall plot was just very stagnant.
The amount of characters dumped on us had them all stale and unmemorable. The characters who we were told to hate in book one had the weakest redemption arc to date that I’ve read. And the romance was so forced, the banter was dry in form that just came off as forced and ingenious.
Currently Reading
May 1, 2026Guys, 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
April 17, 2026
I honestly liked this one more than the first 👀
Alina felt like such a stronger version of herself this time around, which I loved. She wasn’t just giving in to Silas so easily, and he actually had to work for her forgiveness for once. It made their whole dynamic way more satisfying.
And the tension?? Absolutely insane. It’s that perfect mix of wanting to hurt each other and wanting each other, and it makes everything feel so intense. The chemistry is messy, toxic, and completely addictive, but there are also moments where you see a softer side to both of them, which adds a lot more depth than just chaos.
I also feel like we got way more character development overall. It’s not just “unhinged killers” anymore, there’s actual growth happening and a bit of a redemption vibe going on for multiple characters, which I was really into. The extra POV was a surprise too I did NOT expect to care about The Fixer, but here we are… he kind of became one of the more reliable ones??
The side plots kept things interesting, even if we’re still left with some questions that are clearly setting up book three.
The tension, the drama, the toxicity it’s all still there, just better this time. I’m definitely continuing the series and I really hope the audiobook drops at the same time again because it just hits different (IYKYK) 😏
Alina felt like such a stronger version of herself this time around, which I loved. She wasn’t just giving in to Silas so easily, and he actually had to work for her forgiveness for once. It made their whole dynamic way more satisfying.
And the tension?? Absolutely insane. It’s that perfect mix of wanting to hurt each other and wanting each other, and it makes everything feel so intense. The chemistry is messy, toxic, and completely addictive, but there are also moments where you see a softer side to both of them, which adds a lot more depth than just chaos.
I also feel like we got way more character development overall. It’s not just “unhinged killers” anymore, there’s actual growth happening and a bit of a redemption vibe going on for multiple characters, which I was really into. The extra POV was a surprise too I did NOT expect to care about The Fixer, but here we are… he kind of became one of the more reliable ones??
The side plots kept things interesting, even if we’re still left with some questions that are clearly setting up book three.
The tension, the drama, the toxicity it’s all still there, just better this time. I’m definitely continuing the series and I really hope the audiobook drops at the same time again because it just hits different (IYKYK) 😏
April 18, 2026
This second book had a completely different tone from the first one. Our FMC Alina is going through a bit of an identity crisis and is spiraling a bit behind the scenes . This takes place 2 years after the first book so in that time frame she has established her own Nest - of all women , Hosts & Vipera. There is a threat outside their walls that becomes somewhat of a mystery.
I have to say I did not enjoy this as much as the first book. The pacing felt all over the place, the chapter would end and we’d have so much missing time or things not continued it felt like little pieces of the book at once. I thought Lukas POV was unnecessary , in my opinion he brought nothing to this book except confusion…As a reader of the indie edition I had his image already established in my mind as a total villain, but after she deleted that ONE scene from her trad published edition, I could not see him as anything but that . He was painted as this big bad WELL KNOWN Vipera , yet he’s taking instruction and discipline from the human girl who he had captured in the first book… the characters felt very unfamiliar from what we knew of them.
The ending was predictable but as such a lover of the first book I really want to know what happens so I will continue on.
I have to say I did not enjoy this as much as the first book. The pacing felt all over the place, the chapter would end and we’d have so much missing time or things not continued it felt like little pieces of the book at once. I thought Lukas POV was unnecessary , in my opinion he brought nothing to this book except confusion…As a reader of the indie edition I had his image already established in my mind as a total villain, but after she deleted that ONE scene from her trad published edition, I could not see him as anything but that . He was painted as this big bad WELL KNOWN Vipera , yet he’s taking instruction and discipline from the human girl who he had captured in the first book… the characters felt very unfamiliar from what we knew of them.
The ending was predictable but as such a lover of the first book I really want to know what happens so I will continue on.
April 3, 2026
Okay, so, to preface: I really liked The Poisoner. The Victorian vibes were hitting, the premise was original, I adored Alina. She is fierce and fiery and a force to be reckoned with. And, per usual, I ate up the rich, smart, shitty & blonde Silas.
This book, though? I’m floored.
It’s like—everything above, on another level. The hate to heat is even hotter, the plot twists are wild, the character growth is excellent. The world gets bigger but in a way that always feels purposeful.
I was SO MAD at Luka. And Silas, for his complicity, for that matter. They both still fully won me over. Like, I felt truly terrible for Luka by the end. Insane.
🎧 Oh, also, this book, on audio?! INSANE. The three-narrator duet floored me here. Also—the clicking noises? I need to touch grass, after what they did to me.
This series is just—you know that goth artsy girl who gave kinda loner vibes but was just, so cool? That is The Poisoner. She’s that girl, and you should be reading her.
If you want something gothic and weird and twisty, and are open to some kinda strange but shockingly hot 🐍 smut, this is the one. Vipera are the only basilisks I would be kissing, personally.
THANK YOU Simon Maverick for the ARC & ALC!
This book, though? I’m floored.
It’s like—everything above, on another level. The hate to heat is even hotter, the plot twists are wild, the character growth is excellent. The world gets bigger but in a way that always feels purposeful.
I was SO MAD at Luka. And Silas, for his complicity, for that matter. They both still fully won me over. Like, I felt truly terrible for Luka by the end. Insane.
🎧 Oh, also, this book, on audio?! INSANE. The three-narrator duet floored me here. Also—the clicking noises? I need to touch grass, after what they did to me.
This series is just—you know that goth artsy girl who gave kinda loner vibes but was just, so cool? That is The Poisoner. She’s that girl, and you should be reading her.
If you want something gothic and weird and twisty, and are open to some kinda strange but shockingly hot 🐍 smut, this is the one. Vipera are the only basilisks I would be kissing, personally.
THANK YOU Simon Maverick for the ARC & ALC!
May 4, 2026
This series has sadly gone downhill.. was not a huge fan of it as the plot was pretty lackluster and the characters didn’t intrigue me as much as it did in the first book, probably won’t be continuing the series but will see when the last book comes out
February 8, 2026
Just like with The Poisoner (book 1), I need to make it abundantly clear that I am NOT a dark romance girlie, yet somehow I.V. Ophelia has made her books into an exception for me. And I think that says a lot--when you get someone into a genre they are not normally into! Alina and Silas are infuriating and hot all at the same time. But I am a sucker (pun intended) for a vampire. I think Alina has a stronger backbone in this one and I liked her even more in this installment. It's hard to discuss without giving away anything but I'll try to give a little! We pick up about two years after The Poisoner and Alina has been a very busy girl and has honestly changed, which we see in her interactions with others. Still a poisoner, still experimenting, and I honestly love what she has built--but I won't go into details! She has a good thing going. Her tentative peace is shattered with the arrival of Silas, the Creature, and Luka, the Fixer. Our three find themselves wrapped up in another mystery of drained bodies. We have a surprising redemption arc, excellent dialogue and banter, and that infuriating but tantalizing love/hate thing with Alina and Silas. In this book, we explore the dangers of obsession. And it's not always with a person either, though that's certainly part of it. It is dark, it is gritty, it is captivating. And we get another killer cliffhanger. I.V. Ophelia, your endings slay me!!!
Huge thank you to Simon Maverick for the ARC! Book releases 4/14/26.
Huge thank you to Simon Maverick for the ARC! Book releases 4/14/26.
May 1, 2026
This series remains a tantalizing game of poisoner & deadly vampiric creatures. Per usual, I get wrapped up in I.V Ophelia’s immersive storytelling and this time we’re in Buffalo, New York. 🕷️
There is something mysteriously sickly & wickedly going on within the world, crawling in corruption, and fear on every corner.
Silas remains the same allusive creature, so fixed, & violently feral for Alina. He always seemed very untrustworthy, as if there was always something up his sleeve. Yet, he really proved himself, and carefully treaded lightly around her to let her fully trust him again. He groveled & yearned so aggressively, it was exactly what we needed.
“I feel you could do anything to me. You could squeeze my heart, and it would still beat proudly for you, swelling until it bursts in your fist.”
Alina, is a deadly botanist but acquired some new skills. Let’s say they are a bit more macabre, and I was chilled to the bone. She’s strong & independent but seeing her sit back for a bit to indulge in happiness and pleasure, was admirable.
Feminine rage & being unapologetic is my forte, & this did not disappoint.
”Every godforsaken day, you are chronic. Incessant, ever present, and vicious, the way you leave me with phantom pains.” I fear this is flirting in the oddest but satisfying way for these two🙂↕️
I felt the tension between Alina & Silas fuming off the pages, the tug of war between forgiveness & revenge. The hate is so visceral making the passion between them undeniable. There’s an exploration of softness & endearment knowing they both are complex, and I loved it.
I was intrigued by the newest POV, did not expect to grow a little interest in The Fixer. The tables have turned and he kind of becomes the reliable one. I also loved seeing Phoebe, and hope maybe she’s going to get a POV in the next installment.
4.5 ✨
That ending left me gasping for air, ensnared me in its web, I’m stuck & did not expect that at all!!
Thank you to Simon Maverick, NetGalley, & I.V. Ophelia for sending me this ARC.
There is something mysteriously sickly & wickedly going on within the world, crawling in corruption, and fear on every corner.
Silas remains the same allusive creature, so fixed, & violently feral for Alina. He always seemed very untrustworthy, as if there was always something up his sleeve. Yet, he really proved himself, and carefully treaded lightly around her to let her fully trust him again. He groveled & yearned so aggressively, it was exactly what we needed.
“I feel you could do anything to me. You could squeeze my heart, and it would still beat proudly for you, swelling until it bursts in your fist.”
Alina, is a deadly botanist but acquired some new skills. Let’s say they are a bit more macabre, and I was chilled to the bone. She’s strong & independent but seeing her sit back for a bit to indulge in happiness and pleasure, was admirable.
Feminine rage & being unapologetic is my forte, & this did not disappoint.
”Every godforsaken day, you are chronic. Incessant, ever present, and vicious, the way you leave me with phantom pains.” I fear this is flirting in the oddest but satisfying way for these two🙂↕️
I felt the tension between Alina & Silas fuming off the pages, the tug of war between forgiveness & revenge. The hate is so visceral making the passion between them undeniable. There’s an exploration of softness & endearment knowing they both are complex, and I loved it.
I was intrigued by the newest POV, did not expect to grow a little interest in The Fixer. The tables have turned and he kind of becomes the reliable one. I also loved seeing Phoebe, and hope maybe she’s going to get a POV in the next installment.
4.5 ✨
That ending left me gasping for air, ensnared me in its web, I’m stuck & did not expect that at all!!
Thank you to Simon Maverick, NetGalley, & I.V. Ophelia for sending me this ARC.
May 3, 2026
yeah i knew i wasn’t gonna like this one after finishing the first one. i just cannot STAND the fmc, and on top of that the plot just feels a little messy to me. i don’t feel a ton of depth in anything. could just be that i’m checked out idk. didn’t love the writing. just don’t really have anything nice to say here i fear 🫣
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc!!
pre-read
i didn't love the first one but i fear i requested the arc of this before i finished that and now ... well ... i'm stuck reading this ... so ...
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc!!
pre-read
i didn't love the first one but i fear i requested the arc of this before i finished that and now ... well ... i'm stuck reading this ... so ...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
what the ever living FUCK do i do until september? hm? HM?!
IV OPHELIA WHEN I CATCH YOU (iloveyouandyoursickandtwistedbrain)
This was one of my most anticipated sequels…maybe ever? and it did not disappoint! The direction IV took us in with this second installment was so unexpected but equally enthralling, chilling and sensual as The Poisoner.
The Arachnid explores more of the relationship between the creatures and the hosts while also reinforcing the story’s powerful feminist theme. Alina steps into a new role that challenges her and I loved getting to see her rise to the occasion while supported by the women around her. I was also very intrigued by the character POV that was added in this installment and applaud how seamless this inclusion was without jarring the reader with this new perspective.
Silas, my down tremendously bad king! Wow, he yearned so good in this book. Every moment of dialogue between him and Alina was intoxicating and the chemistry remains palpably scorching off the page. I am… unwell after that ending and have a very strong feeling better things are about to get exceptionally more unhinged for the conclusion.
Bring
It
Onnnnn
Thank you to Simon Maverick for the digital arc in exchange for my honest thoughts 💌
IV OPHELIA WHEN I CATCH YOU (iloveyouandyoursickandtwistedbrain)
This was one of my most anticipated sequels…maybe ever? and it did not disappoint! The direction IV took us in with this second installment was so unexpected but equally enthralling, chilling and sensual as The Poisoner.
The Arachnid explores more of the relationship between the creatures and the hosts while also reinforcing the story’s powerful feminist theme. Alina steps into a new role that challenges her and I loved getting to see her rise to the occasion while supported by the women around her. I was also very intrigued by the character POV that was added in this installment and applaud how seamless this inclusion was without jarring the reader with this new perspective.
Silas, my down tremendously bad king! Wow, he yearned so good in this book. Every moment of dialogue between him and Alina was intoxicating and the chemistry remains palpably scorching off the page. I am… unwell after that ending and have a very strong feeling better things are about to get exceptionally more unhinged for the conclusion.
Bring
It
Onnnnn
Thank you to Simon Maverick for the digital arc in exchange for my honest thoughts 💌
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April 16, 2026
4.5/5 ⭐️
2/5!🌶️
I went into The Arachnid by IV Ophelia with high expectations after reading The Poisoner more than once. I was obsessed with that book, and this one delivers a solid, addictive follow up.
Ophelia’s take on vampire lore continues to shine. The gothic atmosphere is rich and immersive, shifting from 1890s London to New York without losing its edge. We pick up two years later with Alina and Phoebe building a “nest” of their own. It feels like stability, but it is fragile from the start.
Silas is just as obsessive and dangerous, and bringing Luka into the mix adds another layer of tension. Luka is still marked by Alina and watching the two of them try to work their way back into her world is messy in the best way. Alina is not here for it, and that energy carries the story.
“The Corrupted” raise the stakes fast. They are feral, violent, and impossible to control. When one of their own is killed, Alina goes on the offensive, determined to find the source. The reveal hits hard, and the ending lands with a brutal sense of finality. It feels like everything is about to explode.
I really enjoyed this book, but it did not quite have the same sharpness as the first. The banter felt a little softer, and the writing was not as consistently smooth or striking. It is still strong, just missing a bit of that bite.
I am still completely hooked. I need the final installment. I need to know what happens to these characters. Thanks to I.V., their publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!
2/5!🌶️
I went into The Arachnid by IV Ophelia with high expectations after reading The Poisoner more than once. I was obsessed with that book, and this one delivers a solid, addictive follow up.
Ophelia’s take on vampire lore continues to shine. The gothic atmosphere is rich and immersive, shifting from 1890s London to New York without losing its edge. We pick up two years later with Alina and Phoebe building a “nest” of their own. It feels like stability, but it is fragile from the start.
Silas is just as obsessive and dangerous, and bringing Luka into the mix adds another layer of tension. Luka is still marked by Alina and watching the two of them try to work their way back into her world is messy in the best way. Alina is not here for it, and that energy carries the story.
“The Corrupted” raise the stakes fast. They are feral, violent, and impossible to control. When one of their own is killed, Alina goes on the offensive, determined to find the source. The reveal hits hard, and the ending lands with a brutal sense of finality. It feels like everything is about to explode.
I really enjoyed this book, but it did not quite have the same sharpness as the first. The banter felt a little softer, and the writing was not as consistently smooth or striking. It is still strong, just missing a bit of that bite.
I am still completely hooked. I need the final installment. I need to know what happens to these characters. Thanks to I.V., their publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2026
Recieved an e-arc through netgalley, all opinions are my own
3.5
I quite enjoyed the arachnid, and hadn't really realized just how much I missed Alina! Her growth is so visible in this book, and I really loved seeing her bring more people in to her life/heart. It gave her so much more to lose and gave some incredibly stakes to the plot.
The beginning was a bit slow, as we are getting updated on what has changed between Silas and Alina and their current lives, but once it starts going?? OOO does I.V. Ophelia know how to write a DARK romance! I loved their dynamic. And you can see just how different they both are. Their growth only enhances their relationship and shows just how much they truly connect with one another.
I do think that the personalization of the new characters that were introduced was a bit lacking, there wasn't much time to engage with them and understand their personalities. Alina does make such an amazing mother hen, and that pack/nest dyanmic was interesting to show her taking on more responsibility. And Silas- what a simp. I love him for it too.
That ending made me SO excited for the Cannibal! Can't wait to read more from I.V. Ophelia. She's such a breathe of fresh air in the Dark romance genre.
3.5
I quite enjoyed the arachnid, and hadn't really realized just how much I missed Alina! Her growth is so visible in this book, and I really loved seeing her bring more people in to her life/heart. It gave her so much more to lose and gave some incredibly stakes to the plot.
The beginning was a bit slow, as we are getting updated on what has changed between Silas and Alina and their current lives, but once it starts going?? OOO does I.V. Ophelia know how to write a DARK romance! I loved their dynamic. And you can see just how different they both are. Their growth only enhances their relationship and shows just how much they truly connect with one another.
I do think that the personalization of the new characters that were introduced was a bit lacking, there wasn't much time to engage with them and understand their personalities. Alina does make such an amazing mother hen, and that pack/nest dyanmic was interesting to show her taking on more responsibility. And Silas- what a simp. I love him for it too.
That ending made me SO excited for the Cannibal! Can't wait to read more from I.V. Ophelia. She's such a breathe of fresh air in the Dark romance genre.
April 19, 2026
I wanted to love this book but I was struggling. I might be in a reading slump because nothing was sticking in my head. It also lacked the humor from the first book. There were still some good moments and I will read the next one because of that ending
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 ;)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I liked this one a bit more than the Poisoner, what I liked:
- I loved Alina's character development, she becomes a force in this one.
- Silas's pining got to me even though I still hold a grudge.
- The writing and the gothic atmosphere.
It sort of gave me twilight feels but more adult and messed up, and my teenage self was obsessed with that series.
I will be reading book #3 for sure.
What I didn't love:
- The heavyhanded foreshadowing made the plot twist too obvious.
- Luka?? I dont like him and I never will.
- Silas doing stupid stuff again.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!
- I loved Alina's character development, she becomes a force in this one.
- Silas's pining got to me even though I still hold a grudge.
- The writing and the gothic atmosphere.
It sort of gave me twilight feels but more adult and messed up, and my teenage self was obsessed with that series.
I will be reading book #3 for sure.
What I didn't love:
- The heavyhanded foreshadowing made the plot twist too obvious.
- Luka?? I dont like him and I never will.
- Silas doing stupid stuff again.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!
April 23, 2026
Neutrali šiuo klausimu, klausiau, kad pasižiūrėti, kas gero 😄 tai liko tai pat kaip ir buvo su pirma.
April 23, 2026
i.v. ophelia doesn't write with a pen, but a quill: every stroke of her brush is finely honed & perfectly gothic. such a deliberate masterpiece.
this is how you keep a sequel interesting! it's no longer a cat-and-mouse game. now, there are two predators - with silas and alina so perfectly alternating between hunter and hunted. i so adored reading about alina coming into her corrupt nature. broken as she was after the events at the end of the poisoner, she picked herself back up and leaned into her dark side. beware a woman's fury, it simmers quiet and dangerously.
decadent, devious, delicious. / 5 stars
˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚
I have dreams of my two creatures coming for me, plunging their fingers into my gut, and ripping out all my pieces until I was but a shell.
They say you are born with the fear of the dark, of the unknown. I say we are born with an insatiable curiosity, and that hunger alone is enough to ward people from dark places.
The danger of insatiability, yet the dark is filled with wonder, practically teeming in the void. It called for me, I hungered for a taste.
Whether or not I wanted to kill her was a question that had been on my mind. While my heart raced at the thought of finding her again, of holding her in my arms, opposing ideas tainted my thoughts. Thoughts of squeezing her hard within that embrace, hard enough to break her ribs in my grasp. I wanted to crush her bones under my grip. To squeeze her until her heart popped from the pressure and she bled freely into my arms. I have known betrayal, but none as deep as my pariah’s, Alina.
Oh, to be the reason for those wicked expressions once more.
I would not blame anyone who might be lured by her energy alone. It was dark, tempting, lethal. Everything about her made me want to drop to my knees and repent for the things that came to my mind. All the terrible, awful things I wanted to do to her.
She will eat you alive. Her demeanor reminded me of the movements of certain felines. Slow and calculated
While she could not have become more beautiful, she became more terrifying.
Nature was taking over, and all I could think of was to pounce.
She placed a gloved hand on my shoulder, dragging it across my chest as she circled. I followed her with my eyes, my hand reaching her waist as she returned to the front. I stepped, and we circled like an ouroboros, wondering when the tail ends.
She leaned one way; I pulled her the other. A natural push and pull that turned chaos into a fluid, impetuous capriole. Her nails clawed at my clothes, desperate to pierce the skin beneath, a subtle violence that filled the heart with a gleeful fever, the very energy that made us move each other, forever locked in a deadly waltz.
I saw those beautiful, delicate fingers curled around the hilt of a small blade, buried intimately just beneath the surface of my skin. “Creature.” Her voice was different, warm and stern, calm and deadly. I relaxed into the knife, plunging it deeper. Like the pain itself was reassurance that it was all real, she didn’t take her eyes off me.
“Whether you are my pet or my prisoner is up to you.”
Even now, even when he pretended to hate me, and I him, he was so gentle when he finally caught me.
I didn’t have to see the face under the mask to recognize Silas. I knew it was him from the rage in my heart alone.
“I had nightmares about you.” “Because you wish me to haunt you?” “Because you broke my heart,”
My darling shadow, appropriately named for her mood-dampening attire, still and focused as ever. Not even the black veil could hide the visceral disgust she held just for me.
it was her terror. Raw yet tame. A fire I wanted— I needed. To possess such a thing that brings gods to their knees— or rather, turns them to dust. The ultimate flirtation with death.
“Not all stories deserve the decency of being written,” I laughed. “Why not?” “Because then we must acknowledge that they were real.”
Her lips came close, and I wasn’t sure if she would kiss or bite; at least that part was the same.
I could not stop myself from touching her, holding her face, and soaking in the attention. Her fingertips left cool trails wherever they touched. I wanted her to plunge them inside me and squeeze my burdened heart already.
“Who gave you this affliction?”
“It was you, my long-lost fixation.”
My trembling hand smoothed down her wet hair, unsure how to soothe her.
“Forcing her hand is my favorite thing to do.”
“No, my dearest shadow.” He stepped forward to cup my face in his hands. “It is what I like most about you. Every time you look at me with those unforgiving eyes, I feel you could do anything to me. You could squeeze my heart, and it would still beat proudly for you, swelling until it bursts in your fist.”
“I will always be your lover, even if that love is unrequited.”
“You won’t admit that I am the only one to make an unfeeling thing like you feel alive. Truly alive,” he whispered. “Do you make me feel alive, or wish for death?” “I would give you both, if you let me.” Our breath mingled in the air. How jealous I was of the mist that could escape. Even then, just us being close enough to let each breath disguise itself together was too scandalous of an insinuation for me. “Use me.”
“We could only be each other’s peace; we are too chaotic to find it elsewhere.”
The leather of his gloves were cold and impersonal despite the soft touch. “I want everything.”
you make me violently ill, crazed and feral at just the sight of you,” he groaned, lifting my leg up on his hip, thrusting forward with an audible thud against the wall every time. “Every godforsaken day, you are chronic. Incessant, ever present, and vicious, the way you leave me with phantom pains.”
“Do you regret me, Silas Forbes?” “Never.”
“You are the same creature you’ve always been.” I swallowed. “Will I ever be rid of you?” “In death, plausibly.” His lips lingered by my ear. “Mine or yours.”
The low groan from him, coupled with the dangerous frequency of clicking, reminded me how exciting it was, how dangerous it was.
it. “Your blood, your screams, your pleasure. They belong to me.”
“The things that make my dead heart sing are much worse than anything I’ve dared to say to you.”
I’m selfish, I’m greedy, and I wanted you to live.
“How could my heart forget a betrayal like yours?”
“What is life if you cannot find something you love, and let it kill you?”
A terror rose deep inside me; there was nothing more dangerous than a woman’s rage,
it was like she had grown a hunger. An instinctual need to dominate.
“You created that nightmare,” I told him. “Are you not pleased?” “I think that was a love letter.” The corner of his lip tugged into a grin, and his eyes shone with what could only be described as deep reverence.
“Is it you? My nightmare?” “What dares to haunt you but me?” Silas whispered...
my sweetest demise
“Will you let us be each other’s ruin?” I silenced him with a long, steady kiss before resting my cheek against his, hugging him tightly. “May it be in another nightmare, my creature.”
The only thing I could do is relish in the pleasure of reliving them all again with her. Every old experience becomes new through her eyes, and I simply have the pleasure of being present. I have seen everything from every view, except hers. It was like experiencing everything for the first time again; she made all the things I took for granted seem new and exciting.
“Has it ever occurred to you,” I lowered my face to hers, making sure she was looking at me, “that I show you off because I am proud of you?” I could see her pulse jump by the throbbing of her jugular. I could smell the change in her blood sugar just from those simple words. I had a feeling she didn’t hear those words often. “I am proud of you,” I repeated. “You could be made of
stars the way you outshine everyone around you, including myself. I am simply happy to be bathed in the light.” I cupped her face with both of my hands.
“You deserve all of the attention this world can afford.” “I don’t believe you—” “If I could change true north to wherever you stood, I would do it.” “How do I know I am not just food to you?” she snapped, placing her palms on my chest, but it wouldn’t stop me from holding her. “If you were food, I would treat you like food,” I breathed. “I clothe you, feed you, adorn you, fawn over you, and you think that I only see you as food?”
“I don’t want you under my boot, Alina, I want you in my arms.”
The shock on her face at seeing our entwined fingers was more severe than when I had nearly killed her in that alleyway.
The view of him on his knees painted an intimate picture of his silent suffering,
When our eyes met, it was like a fire was alight within me, burning deep in my core, enough where I swore the smoke would cloud my vision. The rage, the excitement, my heart beating so fast. Restitution; something very few women gain. My entire reason for poisoning in the first place. My natural purpose. I couldn’t help a sarcastic smile. “Kneel, Luka.”
It is a natural instinct to want those who have subjugated you to suffer, to feel the pain you once harbored deep within your bones. I looked at him now, and the power in my grasp was strong enough to make my very soul clamor.
If I want to reach my aspirations, I need someone who knows the belly of the beast as well as his own appetites.
...nothing compared to Silas. No bliss could compare to my angel-haired woe.
My beloved tempest of storms and rage, of the quiet calm before a rumbling thunder, a force strong enough to move the stone that sat in place of a heart.
“Do you love me?” “No,” my reply was nearly instant, and my heart squeezed tighter. “Love is too weak a word to describe what I feel for you, but simultaneously the only word I have to describe it.”
“I feel that if you left this earth, the stars would die, and the flame within me would smother along with them. I would stay by your side, even in death, until I, too, started to decay where I stood. I would gladly feed the birds, the bugs, and become foliage as nature intended, right beside you.”
A thing like me must be all right with loneliness. It was expected.
this is how you keep a sequel interesting! it's no longer a cat-and-mouse game. now, there are two predators - with silas and alina so perfectly alternating between hunter and hunted. i so adored reading about alina coming into her corrupt nature. broken as she was after the events at the end of the poisoner, she picked herself back up and leaned into her dark side. beware a woman's fury, it simmers quiet and dangerously.
decadent, devious, delicious. / 5 stars
˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚
I have dreams of my two creatures coming for me, plunging their fingers into my gut, and ripping out all my pieces until I was but a shell.
They say you are born with the fear of the dark, of the unknown. I say we are born with an insatiable curiosity, and that hunger alone is enough to ward people from dark places.
The danger of insatiability, yet the dark is filled with wonder, practically teeming in the void. It called for me, I hungered for a taste.
Whether or not I wanted to kill her was a question that had been on my mind. While my heart raced at the thought of finding her again, of holding her in my arms, opposing ideas tainted my thoughts. Thoughts of squeezing her hard within that embrace, hard enough to break her ribs in my grasp. I wanted to crush her bones under my grip. To squeeze her until her heart popped from the pressure and she bled freely into my arms. I have known betrayal, but none as deep as my pariah’s, Alina.
Oh, to be the reason for those wicked expressions once more.
I would not blame anyone who might be lured by her energy alone. It was dark, tempting, lethal. Everything about her made me want to drop to my knees and repent for the things that came to my mind. All the terrible, awful things I wanted to do to her.
She will eat you alive. Her demeanor reminded me of the movements of certain felines. Slow and calculated
While she could not have become more beautiful, she became more terrifying.
Nature was taking over, and all I could think of was to pounce.
She placed a gloved hand on my shoulder, dragging it across my chest as she circled. I followed her with my eyes, my hand reaching her waist as she returned to the front. I stepped, and we circled like an ouroboros, wondering when the tail ends.
She leaned one way; I pulled her the other. A natural push and pull that turned chaos into a fluid, impetuous capriole. Her nails clawed at my clothes, desperate to pierce the skin beneath, a subtle violence that filled the heart with a gleeful fever, the very energy that made us move each other, forever locked in a deadly waltz.
I saw those beautiful, delicate fingers curled around the hilt of a small blade, buried intimately just beneath the surface of my skin. “Creature.” Her voice was different, warm and stern, calm and deadly. I relaxed into the knife, plunging it deeper. Like the pain itself was reassurance that it was all real, she didn’t take her eyes off me.
“Whether you are my pet or my prisoner is up to you.”
Even now, even when he pretended to hate me, and I him, he was so gentle when he finally caught me.
I didn’t have to see the face under the mask to recognize Silas. I knew it was him from the rage in my heart alone.
“I had nightmares about you.” “Because you wish me to haunt you?” “Because you broke my heart,”
My darling shadow, appropriately named for her mood-dampening attire, still and focused as ever. Not even the black veil could hide the visceral disgust she held just for me.
it was her terror. Raw yet tame. A fire I wanted— I needed. To possess such a thing that brings gods to their knees— or rather, turns them to dust. The ultimate flirtation with death.
“Not all stories deserve the decency of being written,” I laughed. “Why not?” “Because then we must acknowledge that they were real.”
Her lips came close, and I wasn’t sure if she would kiss or bite; at least that part was the same.
I could not stop myself from touching her, holding her face, and soaking in the attention. Her fingertips left cool trails wherever they touched. I wanted her to plunge them inside me and squeeze my burdened heart already.
“Who gave you this affliction?”
“It was you, my long-lost fixation.”
My trembling hand smoothed down her wet hair, unsure how to soothe her.
“Forcing her hand is my favorite thing to do.”
“No, my dearest shadow.” He stepped forward to cup my face in his hands. “It is what I like most about you. Every time you look at me with those unforgiving eyes, I feel you could do anything to me. You could squeeze my heart, and it would still beat proudly for you, swelling until it bursts in your fist.”
“I will always be your lover, even if that love is unrequited.”
“You won’t admit that I am the only one to make an unfeeling thing like you feel alive. Truly alive,” he whispered. “Do you make me feel alive, or wish for death?” “I would give you both, if you let me.” Our breath mingled in the air. How jealous I was of the mist that could escape. Even then, just us being close enough to let each breath disguise itself together was too scandalous of an insinuation for me. “Use me.”
“We could only be each other’s peace; we are too chaotic to find it elsewhere.”
The leather of his gloves were cold and impersonal despite the soft touch. “I want everything.”
you make me violently ill, crazed and feral at just the sight of you,” he groaned, lifting my leg up on his hip, thrusting forward with an audible thud against the wall every time. “Every godforsaken day, you are chronic. Incessant, ever present, and vicious, the way you leave me with phantom pains.”
“Do you regret me, Silas Forbes?” “Never.”
“You are the same creature you’ve always been.” I swallowed. “Will I ever be rid of you?” “In death, plausibly.” His lips lingered by my ear. “Mine or yours.”
The low groan from him, coupled with the dangerous frequency of clicking, reminded me how exciting it was, how dangerous it was.
it. “Your blood, your screams, your pleasure. They belong to me.”
“The things that make my dead heart sing are much worse than anything I’ve dared to say to you.”
I’m selfish, I’m greedy, and I wanted you to live.
“How could my heart forget a betrayal like yours?”
“What is life if you cannot find something you love, and let it kill you?”
A terror rose deep inside me; there was nothing more dangerous than a woman’s rage,
it was like she had grown a hunger. An instinctual need to dominate.
“You created that nightmare,” I told him. “Are you not pleased?” “I think that was a love letter.” The corner of his lip tugged into a grin, and his eyes shone with what could only be described as deep reverence.
“Is it you? My nightmare?” “What dares to haunt you but me?” Silas whispered...
my sweetest demise
“Will you let us be each other’s ruin?” I silenced him with a long, steady kiss before resting my cheek against his, hugging him tightly. “May it be in another nightmare, my creature.”
The only thing I could do is relish in the pleasure of reliving them all again with her. Every old experience becomes new through her eyes, and I simply have the pleasure of being present. I have seen everything from every view, except hers. It was like experiencing everything for the first time again; she made all the things I took for granted seem new and exciting.
“Has it ever occurred to you,” I lowered my face to hers, making sure she was looking at me, “that I show you off because I am proud of you?” I could see her pulse jump by the throbbing of her jugular. I could smell the change in her blood sugar just from those simple words. I had a feeling she didn’t hear those words often. “I am proud of you,” I repeated. “You could be made of
stars the way you outshine everyone around you, including myself. I am simply happy to be bathed in the light.” I cupped her face with both of my hands.
“You deserve all of the attention this world can afford.” “I don’t believe you—” “If I could change true north to wherever you stood, I would do it.” “How do I know I am not just food to you?” she snapped, placing her palms on my chest, but it wouldn’t stop me from holding her. “If you were food, I would treat you like food,” I breathed. “I clothe you, feed you, adorn you, fawn over you, and you think that I only see you as food?”
“I don’t want you under my boot, Alina, I want you in my arms.”
The shock on her face at seeing our entwined fingers was more severe than when I had nearly killed her in that alleyway.
The view of him on his knees painted an intimate picture of his silent suffering,
When our eyes met, it was like a fire was alight within me, burning deep in my core, enough where I swore the smoke would cloud my vision. The rage, the excitement, my heart beating so fast. Restitution; something very few women gain. My entire reason for poisoning in the first place. My natural purpose. I couldn’t help a sarcastic smile. “Kneel, Luka.”
It is a natural instinct to want those who have subjugated you to suffer, to feel the pain you once harbored deep within your bones. I looked at him now, and the power in my grasp was strong enough to make my very soul clamor.
If I want to reach my aspirations, I need someone who knows the belly of the beast as well as his own appetites.
...nothing compared to Silas. No bliss could compare to my angel-haired woe.
My beloved tempest of storms and rage, of the quiet calm before a rumbling thunder, a force strong enough to move the stone that sat in place of a heart.
“Do you love me?” “No,” my reply was nearly instant, and my heart squeezed tighter. “Love is too weak a word to describe what I feel for you, but simultaneously the only word I have to describe it.”
“I feel that if you left this earth, the stars would die, and the flame within me would smother along with them. I would stay by your side, even in death, until I, too, started to decay where I stood. I would gladly feed the birds, the bugs, and become foliage as nature intended, right beside you.”
A thing like me must be all right with loneliness. It was expected.
April 16, 2026
This book screamed "smash the patriarchy/all men are bad" slop. Both the mmc and the fmc had about as much character depth as a shallow puddle. One of the worst reads of the year, which is saddening.
Oh also, the author called potential readers illiterate, so there's that. 🤷
Oh also, the author called potential readers illiterate, so there's that. 🤷
April 5, 2026
Where was this groveling I was promised??
Silas yes does say a few pretty words, and crawls but like it was simply still to get what he wanted and at no point felt true guilt for his actions. Lukas still being alive and just doing his thing especially at the end?!
This one was a bit all over the place for me, and overall just made me decide to be done with the series. Which is sad for me since I adored book one, but this was just a mess.
The plot?
The corrupted which I felt wasn't explained well, and truly needed more time to be developed. On top of that, it felt extremely obvious where they were coming from. The questions asked by Alina, the missing from work..
It was too obvious and it made the pacing feel extra slow because I was just waiting for the reveal.
The ending? Chaotic at best which felt like the author didn't truly know how to end this series. Why the corrupt was the plot of this book when it should have been Silas' father made no sense to me. Yes I get there is another book coming, but the flow between plots felt choppy at best and just not truly enjoyable.
Pacing was highly off in this book. This could have cut the mundane acts, and focus on the relationship and plot but instead I felt I was following Alina as she was just dilly dallying around. It worked in the first book because of the stalking element with Silas, in this it felt just boring.
There were positives to this book-
I highly enjoyed the concept of the Nest that Alina made and how she was going about it. I wish the dynmics and the relationships were more of a focus so some of the scenes felt a bit more powerful.
This is an arc review, all thoughts are my own.
Silas yes does say a few pretty words, and crawls but like it was simply still to get what he wanted and at no point felt true guilt for his actions. Lukas still being alive and just doing his thing especially at the end?!
This one was a bit all over the place for me, and overall just made me decide to be done with the series. Which is sad for me since I adored book one, but this was just a mess.
The plot?
The corrupted which I felt wasn't explained well, and truly needed more time to be developed. On top of that, it felt extremely obvious where they were coming from. The questions asked by Alina, the missing from work..
It was too obvious and it made the pacing feel extra slow because I was just waiting for the reveal.
The ending? Chaotic at best which felt like the author didn't truly know how to end this series. Why the corrupt was the plot of this book when it should have been Silas' father made no sense to me. Yes I get there is another book coming, but the flow between plots felt choppy at best and just not truly enjoyable.
Pacing was highly off in this book. This could have cut the mundane acts, and focus on the relationship and plot but instead I felt I was following Alina as she was just dilly dallying around. It worked in the first book because of the stalking element with Silas, in this it felt just boring.
There were positives to this book-
I highly enjoyed the concept of the Nest that Alina made and how she was going about it. I wish the dynmics and the relationships were more of a focus so some of the scenes felt a bit more powerful.
This is an arc review, all thoughts are my own.
Read
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!
April 25, 2026
The first and last few chapters are all you need
There are spoilers in this review.
I really liked book 1. I thought it was a very different approach to a spicy, dark, vampire romance. I liked that Silas and the other vampires were sophisticated but kinda reptilian. I like that the FMC was brave and would not let fear overshadow her curiosity. My main issue with the book was the cliffhanger but that was to be expected.
This book was a lot of nothing. The beginning of the book bridges book one and two and gets us caught up on where the MCs are since the end of book one. After that, it’s a day in the life of these fictional characters. They keep house, go to work, bicker, plan family outings and events, hunt, wallow in despair, rinse and repeat for the majority of the book. I became bored about 65% in and by the 75% mark I still didn’t understand the point of the book and was struggling to not DNF. Around the 82% mark I was grossed out and started to skim.
I dislike when authors write a series where each book ends with a cliff hanger but each book has new and different conflicts that don’t connect to the over all story. I also don’t like when the author makes significant personality changes to the character that aren’t for the sake of development or growth. Book one Silas and Alina are completely different from book two.
In book one, Silas burned down his father’s well establish nest, Alina was scholarly and curious but also a notorious killer. After the events in B1, Silas’ father was looking for him and there was supposed to be repercussions to what happened. This is a blip in this book. There are now new problems, new characters, new personalities and a lot of eluding and clue dropping that never really get fleshed out.
I was confused for pretty much the whole book the story didn’t transition well from one chapter to the next so I was often wondering what was the resolution of different interactions between characters or what was the purpose of what I read.
By the end of the book, I don’t understand the point and purpose of anything: what’s going on with Silas’ dad and his nest of capable ppl? Why is Silas’ dad waiting to pop up? Why is Luka still in the picture? His purpose makes no sense. For how horrible he was in B1, the author should have let him die and make the Luke in B2 a different person cause he is essentially a different person. Why does Alina feel like the world’s problems are her fault and she has to fix them as a 25y/o British transplant in NY? What happened with the Dam who lost her husband? What is wrong with Alina? Was the trip to see Cormac necessary to this story or a waste of page? How is Silas so rich and Alina so poor if they both fled the UK? How come the Vipera are not phased with knowing Alina is a poisoner who kill and rob other vipera? She is just going around telling ppl she is sourcing their blood for poison. By the end of this book I was confused and aggravated cause this book felt like a waste of time.
I almost DNF’d but pushed thru and unfortunately the last couple chapters renewed my interest. I think I have an idea of what will happen so I don’t know if I want to keep reading.
Big spoiler <~~
Cunniligus during Menses at the 82% mark. Eeeeeeyuuuk. Why?!? That could have been left out. The almost made me quit. I’m still grossed out
There are spoilers in this review.
I really liked book 1. I thought it was a very different approach to a spicy, dark, vampire romance. I liked that Silas and the other vampires were sophisticated but kinda reptilian. I like that the FMC was brave and would not let fear overshadow her curiosity. My main issue with the book was the cliffhanger but that was to be expected.
This book was a lot of nothing. The beginning of the book bridges book one and two and gets us caught up on where the MCs are since the end of book one. After that, it’s a day in the life of these fictional characters. They keep house, go to work, bicker, plan family outings and events, hunt, wallow in despair, rinse and repeat for the majority of the book. I became bored about 65% in and by the 75% mark I still didn’t understand the point of the book and was struggling to not DNF. Around the 82% mark I was grossed out and started to skim.
I dislike when authors write a series where each book ends with a cliff hanger but each book has new and different conflicts that don’t connect to the over all story. I also don’t like when the author makes significant personality changes to the character that aren’t for the sake of development or growth. Book one Silas and Alina are completely different from book two.
In book one, Silas burned down his father’s well establish nest, Alina was scholarly and curious but also a notorious killer. After the events in B1, Silas’ father was looking for him and there was supposed to be repercussions to what happened. This is a blip in this book. There are now new problems, new characters, new personalities and a lot of eluding and clue dropping that never really get fleshed out.
I was confused for pretty much the whole book the story didn’t transition well from one chapter to the next so I was often wondering what was the resolution of different interactions between characters or what was the purpose of what I read.
By the end of the book, I don’t understand the point and purpose of anything: what’s going on with Silas’ dad and his nest of capable ppl? Why is Silas’ dad waiting to pop up? Why is Luka still in the picture? His purpose makes no sense. For how horrible he was in B1, the author should have let him die and make the Luke in B2 a different person cause he is essentially a different person. Why does Alina feel like the world’s problems are her fault and she has to fix them as a 25y/o British transplant in NY? What happened with the Dam who lost her husband? What is wrong with Alina? Was the trip to see Cormac necessary to this story or a waste of page? How is Silas so rich and Alina so poor if they both fled the UK? How come the Vipera are not phased with knowing Alina is a poisoner who kill and rob other vipera? She is just going around telling ppl she is sourcing their blood for poison. By the end of this book I was confused and aggravated cause this book felt like a waste of time.
I almost DNF’d but pushed thru and unfortunately the last couple chapters renewed my interest. I think I have an idea of what will happen so I don’t know if I want to keep reading.
Big spoiler <~~
Cunniligus during Menses at the 82% mark. Eeeeeeyuuuk. Why?!? That could have been left out. The almost made me quit. I’m still grossed out
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2026
thank you netgalley and simon maverick books for the arc copy!! appreciate it cuz i was waiting so long for this book since reading the first one 😫 yes i read it in a day, don’t be surprised.
im ngl… i was a little underwhelmed first half. i think that the first book was ofc a 5 star masterpiece (despite what some ppl say🙄) so i had high expectations. i truly think that it could have been a standalone. however, i still liked this one a lot when i got to like idk halfway but still liked it OVERALL. i was so relieved that luka wasn’t a love interest omg. didn’t need his chapter pov’s but also like okay she wanted to build more of a story from his end so i understand that perspective.
i just thought like alina was being stubborn. like okay i understand ur mad at silas for kind of (KIND OF) betraying you but like he was showing u all the ways he was a good man for you by throwing all his money for you (which idek how he was all of a sudden rich?) and resisting ur blood to show ur more than just food to him and also like just showering u with banter and compliments…. she’s stronger than me cuz i would have instantly folded. anyway…. yeah like i loved their banter and all their dialogue scenes but it took so long for her to forgive him😫😫
and the ending ??? kinda giving literally twilight hello. at least i think that’s what happened. she basically died (like was describing a lot of blood leaking out of her neck) and fainted and silas was screaming her name so im picking up the pieces ur giving me and she’s gonna turn into a vampire or whatever creature silas and the gang is. is he a snake or vampire??? like i think both based on the description but we really don’t know i swear. its def both ,.. a creature mix of some sort, if you will.
anyway yes ofc ill be reading the third one cuz i do love most of her writing and want to support her 😍 and are we gonna/we better get another 🍓 scene iykyk because yeah sue me it’s well written. i’ve said worse.
im ngl… i was a little underwhelmed first half. i think that the first book was ofc a 5 star masterpiece (despite what some ppl say🙄) so i had high expectations. i truly think that it could have been a standalone. however, i still liked this one a lot when i got to like idk halfway but still liked it OVERALL. i was so relieved that luka wasn’t a love interest omg. didn’t need his chapter pov’s but also like okay she wanted to build more of a story from his end so i understand that perspective.
i just thought like alina was being stubborn. like okay i understand ur mad at silas for kind of (KIND OF) betraying you but like he was showing u all the ways he was a good man for you by throwing all his money for you (which idek how he was all of a sudden rich?) and resisting ur blood to show ur more than just food to him and also like just showering u with banter and compliments…. she’s stronger than me cuz i would have instantly folded. anyway…. yeah like i loved their banter and all their dialogue scenes but it took so long for her to forgive him😫😫
and the ending ??? kinda giving literally twilight hello. at least i think that’s what happened. she basically died (like was describing a lot of blood leaking out of her neck) and fainted and silas was screaming her name so im picking up the pieces ur giving me and she’s gonna turn into a vampire or whatever creature silas and the gang is. is he a snake or vampire??? like i think both based on the description but we really don’t know i swear. its def both ,.. a creature mix of some sort, if you will.
anyway yes ofc ill be reading the third one cuz i do love most of her writing and want to support her 😍 and are we gonna/we better get another 🍓 scene iykyk because yeah sue me it’s well written. i’ve said worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2026
In April, I read both The Poisoner and its follow-up, The Arachnid. I thought The Poisoner was a strong start, fast-paced with an engaging story that felt complete and well-structured. While I didn’t love what happened between the characters toward the end, I did appreciate how Alina handled it. The ending was compelling enough to pull me straight into the sequel.
Although The Arachnid continues the story, it feels more like an expansion of the world, and I think I might have liked it even more because of that. What stood out most to me was Alina’s growth. She has more agency here, shaped by her experiences, but she still carries doubt and internal struggle. It feels like she’s learning to thrive rather than survive, which makes her arc more satisfying.
The addition of new characters was another highlight. I enjoyed their dynamics, especially the sense of found family and the different ways they choose to interact with the world around them. The book also leans into genuinely gruesome scenes, which I personally loved and felt enhanced the atmosphere.
Interestingly, while the romance is still volatile, messy, and occasionally spicy, it isn’t the main draw for me in this series. I find myself much more invested in the world itself and where the story is heading.
Overall, The Arachnid feels like a transitional book that is setting up a third instalment, but it has done enough to keep me fully invested. I am definitely looking forward to what comes next.
Although The Arachnid continues the story, it feels more like an expansion of the world, and I think I might have liked it even more because of that. What stood out most to me was Alina’s growth. She has more agency here, shaped by her experiences, but she still carries doubt and internal struggle. It feels like she’s learning to thrive rather than survive, which makes her arc more satisfying.
The addition of new characters was another highlight. I enjoyed their dynamics, especially the sense of found family and the different ways they choose to interact with the world around them. The book also leans into genuinely gruesome scenes, which I personally loved and felt enhanced the atmosphere.
Interestingly, while the romance is still volatile, messy, and occasionally spicy, it isn’t the main draw for me in this series. I find myself much more invested in the world itself and where the story is heading.
Overall, The Arachnid feels like a transitional book that is setting up a third instalment, but it has done enough to keep me fully invested. I am definitely looking forward to what comes next.
April 21, 2026
“I feel that if you left this earth, the stars would die, and the flame within me would smother along with them. I would stay by your side, even in death, until I, too, started to decay where I stood. I would gladly feed the birds, the bugs, and become foliage as nature intended, right beside you.”
The ending is diabolical and borderline CRUEL.
Everything was so perfect, the girlhood meant a lot to me although I wished to see a bit more of it, but it was super adorable.
The evolution of Silas & Alina’s relationship is melting my heart, they’re so precious I can’t 😭😭 ALSO SO DAMN HOT I’m foaming at the mouth a bit #ngl
I’m very curious about the path Alina will take in book 3, especially after all those dreams, ect…
I can’t lie I might have to steal a copy of it because I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait!!!
The only thing that bothered me is LUKA. I’m so super super fan of the redemption arc-ish thing going on, but also I can’t lie— his character is just so interesting. I hate that he made me laugh… hate that sometimes he was right… However I’m glad Alina had her little revenge.
I also had a feeling about THE plot twist/ origin of the corrupted but it still hurts 💔💔
The ending is diabolical and borderline CRUEL.
Everything was so perfect, the girlhood meant a lot to me although I wished to see a bit more of it, but it was super adorable.
The evolution of Silas & Alina’s relationship is melting my heart, they’re so precious I can’t 😭😭 ALSO SO DAMN HOT I’m foaming at the mouth a bit #ngl
I’m very curious about the path Alina will take in book 3, especially after all those dreams, ect…
I can’t lie I might have to steal a copy of it because I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait!!!
The only thing that bothered me is LUKA. I’m so super super fan of the redemption arc-ish thing going on, but also I can’t lie— his character is just so interesting. I hate that he made me laugh… hate that sometimes he was right… However I’m glad Alina had her little revenge.
I also had a feeling about THE plot twist/ origin of the corrupted but it still hurts 💔💔
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