Talia Greer
Skull & Violet Books
31 March 2025
301
eBook - EPUB
Fantasy
ARC via NetGalley
Poison-brewing nun Annette has one goal in to be awarded the top of her class, and with it, gain her freedom. When a new novitiate steals the award, her dream turns toward revenge.
Her retribution? Teaming up with a demon to secretly sabotage the abbey’s recertification.
When Rigo, the abbey’s demon prisoner of twenty years, 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, too, 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?
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.
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