The Poisoner Volume 1

By: I.V. Ophelia

Narrated by: Matt Sykes, Stephanie Willis

The Lost Apothecary meets Gothikana in this Victorian gothic romance of poison, passion, and dark secrets following a botanist who likes to poison unsavory men, but when her next target visits her apothecary, they discover their dark bond runs deeper than they imagined.

Have you ever wondered how long it would take for a lethal dose of arsenic to kill you?
Thirty-five hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifteen seconds.
I should know. I counted myself.

Amidst the gaslit alleys and cobblestone streets of Victorian London, two killers find themselves entangled in a waltz they cannot escape.

Alina Lis, a botanist and hobbyist poisoner, has a pastime of killing unsavory men in her twisted sense of poetic justice. When she targets the conceited playboy, Silas Forbes, only to find him in her apothecary the following week, she discovers human men are the least of her problems.

The pair’s unlikely association sparks gossip among affluent society. As their mysterious bond deepens, a chilling truth emerges—concealed identities, lurking foes, and questions as plentiful as the hydra’s head brew within this haunting Gothic tale of violent passion.

Will Silas and Alina find themselves in each other’s arms, or will the shadows of their past keep them apart?

obsessed

This book was a masterclass in storytelling. From the very first page, I was hooked—completely unprepared for the twists that followed. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the plot took another sharp turn, each more jaw-dropping than the last. The narrator was magnetic, guiding me through each moment with such intensity and depth that I found myself hanging onto every word. Every chapter felt like a cliffhanger, keeping me on edge and craving more. This wasn’t just a book—it was an experience.

Fantastic performances for a captivating story

This was my first vampire novel and omg have I been missing out. The narrators’ accents and tone really added to the gothic vibes of the book. Absolutely amazing. I cannot wait for book two!

Victorian Dark Gothic Romance

Fantastic narrators, beautiful writing style.
I read this book was self published by the author and while I enjoyed the story, there was a particular chapter that I found to be unnecessarily cruel and humiliating. After *a lot* of unfavorable feedback, the author has since changed the chapter and I agree with those changes. Alina goes through enough on this journey, that added bit of cruelty really soured the book overall to me.
I enjoy this updated version and I’m looking forward to the next book. Narrators are truly fantastic

I need more Silas!

Absolutely fell in love with this book. I am soo excited for the next ones! I adored Silas and Alina. I will say, I am not fond of Alina later in the book but they both were great. I loved their interactions and banters. I figured the plot twist so I wasn't too surprised but I like how the plot developed.

Audiobook wise, I LOVE IT! I loved hearing the noises that Silas makes. It gives me chills and It scratches a part of my brain that I really loved it. The narrators were great! I did have to increase the speed a bit because it was a bit slow at first. Though it is a duet, I noticed that the male narrator did just Silas' voice. I thought he would have done the other male voices when it is Alina's POV as well.

Worth slow burn

Beautiful storyline and performances, enjoy the extra vampiric and animalistic sound added in the story