Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia

15 reviews

taymorin's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

crinkledmochi's review against another edition

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

UM… imma be honest I was enjoying this until the last few chapters, there was a warning at the beginning of the book but  why did all the characters just act like that was normal 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

novellearts's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

No star rating yet as I'm not sure how I feel about this one at the moment. I picked this book up for the beautiful cover and because I thought it was a horror book. I was very surprised once I started getting into it and finding out that it was more vampiric dark romance.

That being said, I liked Alina a lot as a character, I liked Silas a lot less. There were some really hot scenes and there were some that I didn't care for. I will say that I personally hate when books include any version of knotting. I find the concept repulsive and invasive especially as the books that include knotting usually love to use it as a "surprise." 

• “I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing the skin on my shoulder and up to my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair and keeping me in place, pushing his hips firmly into mine.   “You said you wouldn’t,” I breathed.  “I lied,” he said lowly.   “Why?”  “Because you are mine.”
• Quote of Silas and Alina's conversation after he knotted her, saying that he wouldn't and that he "doesn't do that to humans."

I did mostly enjoy the banter in this book, but I wish that it centered more around Alina's job and her actually poisoning men.

Overall, I think I liked this until around chapters 46 and on. Up until this point, there were definitely a lot of instances of abuse, stalking, and toxicity but (and I know this sounds crazy) it was a tolerable level. Both characters mostly reciprocated the same energy to each other and it wasn't completed unwanted. Chapters 47 and on took a turn. Chapters 48 and 50 were not my cup of tea.

The rape scene with Viktor in Chapter 48 really pissed me off, especially with how he "revealed" what he did to Silas. Then in Chapter 50 with Viktor and Silas both feeding from Alina.

The Poisoner story felt incredibly reminiscent of Haunting Adeline to me. It just felt like a vampire version. Though I will say, I liked this story more than Haunting Adeline and I liked the characters much more. I also kept finding myself wishing that Alina would just end up with Phoebe, because let's be honest, that would've been much better than Silas or Viktor.

The ending of this was unsatisfying to me as well. It was so rushed and incredibly open-ended. We didn't learn as readers how

Alina and Phoebe made it out or what happened to anyone in the Nest.

I understand that this is book 1 and that it'll most definitely be covered in book 2, but I personally would've liked a lot less ambiguity here.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cannibalism

thombe's review

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

It was dark, twisted, with a lot of trigger warnings. There were points where it dragged, but I liked the strong FMC who got her revenge.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death and Cannibalism

smcrain's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Stalking, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Kidnapping

This book is full of dark elements that might be off-putting to people. People into a bit of horror, gore, blood and creatures might enjoy it though. I'm one of those people. I enjoyed a lot of it, but there was something there that wasn't clicking as well as I hoped. I really liked the individual parts, STEM women in Victorian society, heck yeah. A murderous waltz between two dark characters, I'm there. I really loved Silas and

all stuff revealed around him, his anatomy and the type of creatures they turn out to be

and the writing is fine. I sat trying to think about what it was, I think there's something about the fmc's sort of cold aloofness that doesn't resonate with the type emotional reader I am, and I feel like that was some kind of barrier for me to relate with characters and their choices. That being said I think it goes with that gothic Victorian era. I also didn't know it wasn't fully ended, would be excited to see what might happen in book 2, also not sure how many planned books there are for this series.

isabelleroyall's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

thecatconstellation's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Grief, and Death of parent

maravchristine's review

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

souleater_'s review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

rey_art3mis's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence