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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75/5
Surprisingly funny and charming, which I didn’t expect. But it also felt like the cute dating-sim romance interfered with the plot and that the plot interfered with the cute romance. I was kind of hoping for a better balance between the two, and more of both. More monsters please. AND more kissing!
The characters were so delightful, and I really hope that there’s more books coming soon!
Surprisingly funny and charming, which I didn’t expect. But it also felt like the cute dating-sim romance interfered with the plot and that the plot interfered with the cute romance. I was kind of hoping for a better balance between the two, and more of both. More monsters please. AND more kissing!
The characters were so delightful, and I really hope that there’s more books coming soon!
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Alicia Jasinska's “This Fatal Kiss” is a dark fantasy that, on the surface, seems to have a promising plot set in a small village. The author does a fantastic job of creating an immersive world with an intricately written ambiance while providing elaborate descriptions of the environments that assist in setting up an interesting background for the story.
One of the most remarkable aspects about this book is its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters, especially where some key characters are bisexual. It is significant because it makes visible those who are often absent from this genre. However, having numerous characters with the same sexual orientation feels unnatural and may give an idea that it’s too much focused on this attribute at the expense of other qualities.
Though strong, the story’s pacing is uneven—rising and falling between sections of high tension and slower ones that fail to produce suspense instead diluting any urgency in the plot which made me find it hard to be involved in this tale deeply enough.
Additionally, the plot itself is not always consistent. Some elements and subplots are introduced but are not sufficiently developed or resolved, leaving loose ends that were frustrating for me and lead me to think there might be a second book.
Alicia Jasinska's “This Fatal Kiss” is a dark fantasy that, on the surface, seems to have a promising plot set in a small village. The author does a fantastic job of creating an immersive world with an intricately written ambiance while providing elaborate descriptions of the environments that assist in setting up an interesting background for the story.
One of the most remarkable aspects about this book is its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters, especially where some key characters are bisexual. It is significant because it makes visible those who are often absent from this genre. However, having numerous characters with the same sexual orientation feels unnatural and may give an idea that it’s too much focused on this attribute at the expense of other qualities.
Though strong, the story’s pacing is uneven—rising and falling between sections of high tension and slower ones that fail to produce suspense instead diluting any urgency in the plot which made me find it hard to be involved in this tale deeply enough.
Additionally, the plot itself is not always consistent. Some elements and subplots are introduced but are not sufficiently developed or resolved, leaving loose ends that were frustrating for me and lead me to think there might be a second book.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What isn't there to love about a stupid, cute romantasy based on folklore? There's not much that isn't to love. Especially when it's written this well.
I've gotta start with the world. It was genuinely so cool to read about. It was also interesting learning about different pieces of Slavic folklore along with it. And the world-building entwined with the writing was just... *chef's kiss.* It was beautiful.
The characters were also fantastic. Their interactions with each other were so wonderful and funny, and they each had their internal conflicts that affected how they treated each other. I loved it!
I want to thank whoever decided there should be a pronunciation guide. I wouldn't have made it through this book without it. Usually, I'd be mad about hard-to-pronounce names in books, but this one has a legit reason. And once you get it, you get it.
Now here's why it's not five stars... the ending. It wasn't awful, it just wasn't what I expected. It ended in a cliffhanger and from what I'm able to tell, this seems to be a standalone. Standalones really shouldn't have cliffhangers.
That was pretty much the only thing, though. I did really enjoy this book. I couldn't put it down.
I've gotta start with the world. It was genuinely so cool to read about. It was also interesting learning about different pieces of Slavic folklore along with it. And the world-building entwined with the writing was just... *chef's kiss.* It was beautiful.
The characters were also fantastic. Their interactions with each other were so wonderful and funny, and they each had their internal conflicts that affected how they treated each other. I loved it!
I want to thank whoever decided there should be a pronunciation guide. I wouldn't have made it through this book without it. Usually, I'd be mad about hard-to-pronounce names in books, but this one has a legit reason. And once you get it, you get it.
Now here's why it's not five stars... the ending. It wasn't awful, it just wasn't what I expected. It ended in a cliffhanger and from what I'm able to tell, this seems to be a standalone. Standalones really shouldn't have cliffhangers.
That was pretty much the only thing, though. I did really enjoy this book. I couldn't put it down.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧thank you netgalley and peachtree teen for this arc!
3.5 ⭐️
this fatal kiss is a sweet, queer, polyamorous, fairytale romance based on slavic folklore. gisela, a water nymph, strikes a bargain with kazik, a grumpy spirit exorcist who’s not gisela’s biggest fan. in exchange for gisela keeping kazik’s secret, he plays matchmaker for her and his friend, aleksy, in hopes of gisela gaining her humanity back through a kiss. but the object of gisela’s affections has some secrets of his own.
i really enjoyed reading this. the imagery was beautiful, the characters were lovable and complex, and i don’t think ive ever read a novel quite like this one. it was definitely a magical experience, the cover art really captures the vibes of this book.
i only really have two gripes with this fatal kiss:
1. a bit too much telling instead of showing. the exposition tended to repeat itself and i found myself skipping over information because i already knew what i was being told.
2. IF this is a standalone, i didn’t love the ending. it was way too open ended for my taste, but that’s a matter of preference. i don’t mind some ambiguity but i felt a bit dissatisfied. i did however see jasinska say she’s hoping this will be the first of a series, so im really hoping that’s the case!!
those two things aside, this was a beautiful book!! i love the representation, i love the the world building, i love the atypical romance, and i love the focus on found family.
i’ll be crossing my fingers that this does in fact turn into a series.
3.5 ⭐️
this fatal kiss is a sweet, queer, polyamorous, fairytale romance based on slavic folklore. gisela, a water nymph, strikes a bargain with kazik, a grumpy spirit exorcist who’s not gisela’s biggest fan. in exchange for gisela keeping kazik’s secret, he plays matchmaker for her and his friend, aleksy, in hopes of gisela gaining her humanity back through a kiss. but the object of gisela’s affections has some secrets of his own.
i really enjoyed reading this. the imagery was beautiful, the characters were lovable and complex, and i don’t think ive ever read a novel quite like this one. it was definitely a magical experience, the cover art really captures the vibes of this book.
i only really have two gripes with this fatal kiss:
1. a bit too much telling instead of showing. the exposition tended to repeat itself and i found myself skipping over information because i already knew what i was being told.
2. IF this is a standalone, i didn’t love the ending. it was way too open ended for my taste, but that’s a matter of preference. i don’t mind some ambiguity but i felt a bit dissatisfied. i did however see jasinska say she’s hoping this will be the first of a series, so im really hoping that’s the case!!
those two things aside, this was a beautiful book!! i love the representation, i love the the world building, i love the atypical romance, and i love the focus on found family.
i’ll be crossing my fingers that this does in fact turn into a series.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes