Annette is a nun in a garden themed religion. She has worked hard to become the best of her class ever since she was given over to the abbey at ten years old. Then, just like that, the award for top poisoner goes to a different nun. Annette, who never felt like she fit in at the abbey, quickly decides to sabotage the abbey recertification. If her plan works everything that year will have to get looked at and redone. She hopes this will lead to her getting her award. Along her path for revenge she teams up with a relic that talks to her in her head and a demon named Rigo.

Annette is the POV character. At first, I didn’t like Annette. She immediately jumped to revenge. Also, her attitude that the award was owed to her I found somewhat off putting. Over the course of the story I grew to really enjoy Annette and what I first thought was a weakness in character writing I came around on. Annette isn’t well liked by the others that live in the abbey and Greer shows the reader why that is. Greer also digs deeper so by the end of the story I feel like I watched Annette grow and mature. I started the story rolling my eyes at her childishness just to eventually understand why she acts the way she does. I ended the story cheering her on.

The world building was very interesting and pulled me in right away. A religion based around gardening? Nuns sticking their feet in dirt to ground themselves as part of their daily practice? Love all of that. I would like to see more stories take place in this world. I want to learn more about the world outside of the abbey. I want to learn more about the demons.

Overall, I enjoyed Poisoner’s Vengeance. The plot was pretty predictable, imo, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. The world building kept me reading till the plot picked up. The characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked to see but we are only seeing them through Annette’s eyes. I’d recommend this to anyone that likes romantasy stories. I do hope Greer keeps writing in the world she created.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skull & Violet Books for providing me an advanced copy of this book.

2/5 🌶️


Thank you Netgalley and the author Talia Greer for the early access of Poisoner’s Vengeance.

🕯️Slow Burn
🕯️Enemies to Lovers
🕯️Gothic Fantasy
🕯️Dangerous Bargains
🕯️One Bed
🕯️Demon x Nun

Synopsis:
💫Annette, a nun seeking freedom and to be top of her class, is devastated when a new novitiate wins the coveted award. Fueled by revenge, she teams up witddh Rigo, the abbey’s demon prisoner, to sabotage recertification. Rigo, seeking freedom and the relic bound to Annette, plans to use her for escape. The relic, believing in Annette’s cause, intensifies her wrath, but its self-proclaimed holiness raises doubts. To unravel the abbey’s secrets, Annette must confront her beliefs, decide between the relic who is a symbol her faith, or trust the demon she feared.💫

My thoughts:
💫The romance in this story is definitely secondary. The main plot revolves around Annette’s quest to reclaim her award and unraveling the secrets of the abbeys’ past. I didn’t experience the slow-burn romance or the enemies-to-lovers trope that the book is heavily marketed with. Furthermore, I didn’t feel a strong connection between the female protagonist and the male lead, as their interactions were limited before their romance began. While I enjoyed the beginning of the book, the second half left me craving more, as the book failed to deliver on its promises.💫

Thank you to NetGalley, Skull & Violet Books and author Talia Greer for this eARC

I was so excited to read Poisoner's Vengeance! I mean what's not to love?? A vengeful nun out to poison those who wronged her teaming up with a demon to gain his freedom and a mysterious relic? Count me in!

Unfortunately I was left disappointed.

Firstly, the fact that Annette is an accomplished at making poisons is completely irrelevant as she did not poison anyone or anything through the whole book. Not a single brew.
Secondly while yes, she deserved that prize/title her reaction was way too extreme and felt more like a temper tantrum than a journey of vengeance.
Third there was zero character development. Because it turns out Annette's plan for revenge are actually what saves the abbey it kinda makes it seem like she was in the right and there were no consequences to her action except that she got exactly what she wanted from the very beginning.

Rigo our demon friend was fine. He wasn't really all that demonic but an okay sidekick.

The whole relic mystery wasn't really a mystery cause unless you read with your eyes closed you knew very, very quickly how that storyline would play out.

This review may seem a bit harsh. The book wasn't bad. It's well written and it kept my attention, but I was just hoping for so much more!

I had really high hopes for this book ....and in the beggining i really thought that would be a home run but i feel that i got in to the book because it was marketed as ‘romantic fantasy’, but at the best was a gothic mystery with paranormal elements in it.
i actually enjoyed the book because there was full of action and suspense...However I think the way it was done was just not very thought out. It could've been SO GOOD but sadly it wasn't.

Poisoner’s Vengance ARC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, this was an intriguing read with a fun mystery aspect. I liked the plot and the setting. It just felt like something was missing. I also was able to guess a lot of the twists.

I would have liked to have seen a little more bonding between the FMC and MMC earlier on in the story. It kind of happend at all once within mostly one or two scenes. I understand that it was intended to be a slow burn, but it kind of felt like no burn and then everything happened all at once.

I was expecting the MMC to be a little less…nice? He was so sweet and I love that, BUT he is a demon. I would have liked to see him even just a tiny bit more wicked/morally grey.

(I was also hoping it would be spicer than what it was but I didn’t reflect that in my rating as I don’t feel that’s fair.)

Thank you, Netgalley and Talia Greer, for the ARC.

When I saw the cover for the first time, I thought 'wauw that is really beautiful'. And the blurb sounded promising! I was really looking forward to reading this book.

I thought the story was original. A nun and a demon falling in love, although they are enemies? Give me all the angst! I've never read such a trope.

The story had a slow beginning but a satisfying conclusion. It was a tad slow-paced, and I sometimes hoped the pace would pick up. Most of the action happens at the end of the story.

The twist in this story wasn't surprising to me. I knew who the entity that occupied the FMC's mind would be.

Overall, it was a quick read. It wasn't bad but also not really exciting. It was more dialogues than action.

Ever since Annette was dropped off at the convent by her parents when she was ten, Annette has been working towards earning her Chief Poisoness award. But when the ceremony took place, the new novitiate Narissa received the honor instead of her. Doomed to be a nun with no other purpose is unthinkable to Annette, so she begins to plot her revenge. Then, the perfect opportunity falls into her lap - the Prioress is coming to the abbey and there are so many preperations that need to be made. Someone needs to go down to the basement and organize the files. Annette volunteers for that task, hoping she will find something that can help her while she is down there. When she arrives down there she discovers an imprisoned demon named Rigo, held captive for more than twenty years. When Rigo offers Annette his assistance, she can’t help accepting. All he wants in exchange is his freedom–and the ancient relic Annette has accidentally bound to herself. Though the relic also believes in her cause and nurtures her wrath, its self-proclaimed holiness doesn’t quite add up, leaving her unsure who to trust. To untangle the web of lies and secrets lying beneath the abbey, Annette must decide. Trust the ancient relic, a symbol of her faith, who claims to have her best interests at heart? Or trust the demon–the monster–she was taught to fear, whose intense gaze and keen observations make her feel seen like never before?

This book was so good. I adored Annette. She was so feisty, and not at all nun-like. I really liked Rigo too, which is weird to say, because, hello, he was a demon, but he was the least demon-like demon i have ever read about. I was actually cheering on a romance between the two by the end of the book....how crazy is that? There was plenty of drama & intrigue, and although you had an idea of what might be going on, it was like you were looking at a puzzle with just a missing piece or two so the picture didn't completely make sense. If you love a good romantasy, then this should be right up your alley. Go check it out!

I really enjoyed reading this. I only wish this was marketed as just an action novel about a nun out for revenge and the extent they'll go to. The slow burn part?? Don't really need. The novel was just full of action and every chapter had some new development of the plot, so it was thoroughly enjoyable.

We support women’s rights, but most importantly women’s wrongs. - a summary of this gothic romance that blends dark tones with decently crafted characters and a good plot.


Thank you NetGalley for an arc, all thoughts are my own.

Love a good gothic fantasy with a religious twist and an enemies to lovers, slow burn. The most that I loved about this is FMC, she is flawed but so unapologetic about it. She knew who she is and just honest with how she presents herself, which is so refreshing to read. The romance aspect could have been better executed, but it was done well nonetheless.

But please check the trigger warnings!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher!

What an incredible introduction to a new author. This book blew me away then reeled me back in and sunk it's claws in me for the duration of the story. Looking forward to more books by Talia.

Overall rating: 4.5

I went into this book essentially blind and devoured it QUICKLY. It was definitely up a different alley than my usual reads, but I loved it all the same.
The plot was great. There were some predictions that I guessed correctly, but at other points I was thoroughly shocked. I was at no point bored during the book. It was gothic, dark, and vivid in its descriptions. It maintained my interest without being rushed or skimming over details. Instead, I felt fully immersed in the worldbuilding and plot progression.

Can we give it up for Annette? I hated her at first, and I loved that I hated her. She was inherently self-serving, rude, and to be frank, a brat. She was perfectly imperfect. Her actions made perfect sense in conjunction with her past traumas and sudden upheaval. I loved her journey during the novel, her consistent intelligence paired with her desire for revenge. I even loved that by the end of the novel, she was not perfect. She was still, to a degree, avoidant due to fear. But her growth was not to be ignored. Also, love to see black main characters. I loved the little notes about Annette—simply things like doing her hair were so strong and symbolic in my opinion (especially when compared to Narissa, but that’s a whole different story).

And Rigo!! I liked him a lot, but to be honest, I was there for Annette. He was a great addition, and I loved how the pair grew closer to each other. But honestly, he wasn’t a necessity in my opinion (no shade! Annette was just such a strong character on her own). That being said, I appreciate him not overriding the plot. The mystery and conflict still remained at the forefront despite his involvement. Live laugh love slowburns, but I wish we saw more of the romantic development besides lust and physical attraction.

I loved the antagonists too. I won’t go into depth with *who* the antagonists are, but their stories were all incredibly dynamic and added a lot to the story.

The author outdid herself with this one. I feel the withdrawal coming already. Those on the fence, don’t be. You might just find your newest obsession.

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars! This definitely kept me on my toes, but I think by the end I felt like something was missing from the story. The blurb is what initially interested me. Poison nuns, demons, relics, and a romance subplot? How could I not want to read that?! I wish there had been more emphasis on the work they do with Poisons. We know that our main character, Annette, is a Chief Poisoness but we never get to see that in action. I do love her as a character though - she might be a nun but she's kinda wicked. I liked the demon, Rigo, as well; but as a demon, I expected him to have something morally grey about him at the very least. If we hadn't been explicitly told he was a demon, I wouldn't have believed it because he's the golden retriever boyfriend type. Overall, this was pretty enjoyable and I think others will like it too. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : Poisoner's Vengeance
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Talia Greer

This book is a gothic thriller fantasy with a small splash of romance.

The main female character is called Annette, she is a nun who.... lets say is morally grey. She seeks revenge on her convent after she feels she is slighted and works together with a demon, Rigo, to enact her wishes.

I enjoyed this book but i feel it could of had more to it, The romance was little, i like my romance. I feel Annette's character could of evolved more within the book, plus i wish there was more poisoning. Rigo was more of a Golden Retirver Demon rather than what you could expect as a Demon. Which is fine but i prefer my Demons... more morally grey than the female.

I really quite enjoyed this book. I loved the twists and turns within the book.
i normally don’t reach for fantasy but this was a nice change. definitely not your average nun but very very good.

thank you again net galley for this arc

An interesting premise with clumsy execution and poorly developed characters. The pros are unexpected plot twists and a world with potential, but they’re overridden by annoying characters and writing that feels condescendingly obvious.

To their credit, the author tries to show and not tell, but when using obvious descriptors like ‘smooth like a snake’ they might as well just say the character is lying.

My next peeve is the protagonist, who is purely unlikeable. She is unkind, rude, and self-serving—this is all right if she’s written true, but the author clumsily tries to redeem her in the latter half of the book as a reluctant heroine without giving her any character development to make it believable. I actually liked that she had insecurities and uncharitable thoughts as I thought that meant we could delve into her psyche. She relates to a mysterious figure we latter learn about, but it’s a red herring that doesn’t serve to expand on her characterization.

The romance is also completely unbelievable because they barely interact positively—we only get the sense that Annette is horny and her physical attraction is all that drives their relationship, if it can be called that. Furthermore, her counterpart ‘demon’ is that in name only. Tying back to how this world is a disappointment: we never learn why demons are ‘bad’ when we meet more morally gray/evil nuns than we do demons. The one demon we are exposed to is an emotionally intelligent gentleman so I can only assume nuns vs. demons is a case of interspecies prejudice rather than good vs. evil.

In conclusion, I think it’s an interesting read to imagine the universe, but a waste of time for thoughtful reading with its extensive reliance on suspension of disbelief.

Poison brewing Nun, revenge... what more could I want... a book that delivers would be perfect, and sadly that was not this one for me.
I was invested in Annettes character from the start and wanted the revenge for her, but the enemies to lovers trope was completely missed for the first half and then added almost as an after thought in the second half, which was very disappointing, there was no real tension or build up to it so it was very blah when it did happen.

Thank you NetGalley and to the author for allowing me to read this as an ARC!

2.5⭐️

Overall this was an easy book to read and I enjoyed the FMC. What really threw me off was that this is marketed as a Romance/fantasy with enemies to lovers. Unfortunately this is wrong lol and should definitely be fixed prior to release. The FMC and MMC barely have a relationship and it all happened so fast and seemed rushed and this was towards the 2nd half/ending of the book. The relationship just seemed surface level and didn’t really make any sense. This definitely is more of a Fantasy with a mystery subplot and a dash of romance! I still recommend everyone giving this a try! It just let me down cause this storyline wasn’t what I was expecting.

This book was amazing! I love Annette and would do anything for her--she deserves the world. I was so invested in her revenge, and it was so satisfying to see her choose herself and what she needed.

I found the idea behind Poisoner's Vengeance intriguing: poison-brewing nuns, demons and vengeance. It sounded like a rip-roaring tale, but sadly in the end it was more mediocre. Annette was not a compelling lead as she was selfish and quite frankly stupid as far as some of her decisions were concerned. Rigo initially showed a bit more promise, but he also lacked character depth and development. Their relationship felt sudden, and the world building was somewhat lacking. I kept wondering more about the nuns' role in society and other aspects that were never explained. On the plus side, though, it was a quick and mostly entertaining reading, and, as noted, the idea behind the story was not bad at all. I feel it had undeveloped promise and could have been so much better with a longer format and more time to explore the world, the characters and their relationships. I am giving it 3 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.