Reviews - This Fatal Kiss | The StoryGraph

898 reviews for:

This Fatal Kiss

Alicia Jasinska

4.06 AVERAGE

lecute_reads's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny medium-paced

val_bookworm1196's review against another edition

4.0

I had a lot of fun reading this book ! I really loved the water nymph found family and I hope we get to see more of them soon. I also enjoyed the progression from annoyances/enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers with Gisela and Kazik. Because SPOILERS? Aleksey is a bies and he was part of the reason why Gisela died and became a rusalka, I’m not sure how I feel about him being with the two other characters. I feel like the book’s ending was setting up for a sequel, (but I could be mistaken) and if there is one, I would love to read it and find out!

katieanne4's review against another edition

3.75

What a completely annoying non-ending!

On the positive side, the vibes were immaculate. Was the island gisela was from supposed to be an analog of the UK?

ANYWAY, I came for the poly love triangle, I stayed for the world building and just to see what would happen. I would probably read the sequel I assume is coming? Even though it's weird that it's not marketed as book one, given how the sequel set up is super obvious.

Anyway, it felt like it could have been a stand alone and she dragged out the final conflict rather than tightening it up and actually resolving things.

nev_skye's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Felt like the romance at the end was paced really oddly to keep up with the movement of the plot in a way that didn't feel natural. But besides that I loved this book

rachelshubin's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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: Complicated

This Fatal Kiss is a whimsical and exhilarating read. While this story is full of dark magic, it is a lighthearted quest that is perfect for fans looking to read a queer romantasy. I appreciated that it was told through all three of the main character's POVs.

I felt like I learned a lot from the Slavic mythology that was included, which really added an interesting layer of Gisela’s journey, to find a way to become human again and reunite with her little brother.

There is a "polyamorous" love triangle, though because it is YA, there is no explicit detail. There are past hookups referred to but nothing is ever showed on page. The story also handles serious topics like suicide, grief, and several discussions around sexuality and gender identity. I appreciated the author's ability to portray a range of serious topics with care and in an interesting way.

I also liked the ambiguity of the timeline of when the story takes place and lack of technology mentioned, which makes it easy for the reader to imagine a lush world unlike modern times. The ultimate found family of spirits!

Favorite quotes:

“For the thousandth time, he reminded himself that his sexuality wasn’t something to be ashamed of; liking people, regardless of their gender, didn’t mean he was broken nor unlovable. There were lots of things wrong with him, but that wasn’t one of them.”

“I think everyone has a side to themselves they keep from other people for fear of being rejected. It’s not just you. Everyone’s putting on an act of some kind. The right person will accept every part of you. I won’t reject you – the real you."