by I.V. Ophelia
Part of The Poisoner
First published 2026
Two years ago, Alina Lis ran from London and from Silas Forbes, the Vipera who claimed her. Now she runs something of her own: a commune of women in 1890s Buffalo, a house built on shared purpose and hard-won safety. She spends her days experimenting on the Vipera, turning her old wounds into weapons. Then Silas arrives. He has not moved on. He has not forgotten. And he has not come alone. Luka Novikov rides with him, the man who once sold Alina out, now carrying a poisoner's mark that refuses to fade and debts he cannot repay in any currency he has left. Three people, all of them damaged by the same history, are now locked in the same city. Alina must keep her women alive. Silas must decide how much he is willing to destroy for a woman who no longer wants him. Luka must find a way to survive being caught between a vampire's obsession and a poisoner's fury. The world of the Vipera and the world of humans are pulling toward each other, and the collision will cost everyone something permanent.
Genres: supernatural, adult, adult-fiction, dark-fantasy, fantasy-romance, historical-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotionally-complex, gritty, intense, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, found-family, second-chance-romance
Setting: London, Buffalo
Period: 1890s
448 pages · Paperback · Simon Maverick
Content warnings: abuse, toxic-relationship, violence