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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very different to what I usually read! I enjoyed the folklore of it and will definitely read the next one.
It seems like they are setting up a sequel? Not sure if I'll be continuing this. I had to drag myself through finishing this book. I did like the overall atmosphere of the book, however.
Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. "This Fatal Kiss" by Alicia Jasinska is a delightful and atmospheric YA fantasy romance. It's an absolutely beautiful read filled with whimsical magic and rich Slavic folklore.I need admit I wanted read this book just for the cover, I know I know such a cliche. But I wasn't disappointed about, I enjoyed the moody ambiance and way the characters well so well develop and honestly is a easy and engaging read i finish on one day. Can't wait to read more of the author.
funny
inspiring
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:
Yes
4.5 ⭐️
This Fatal Kiss is triple POV starring Gisela, a water nymph; Kazik, an exorcist; and Aleksey, Kazik’s childhood peer. Gisela has the most POV chapters and Aleksey has the least. All three of these characters are bisexual and it is a sunshine x grumpy x sunshine friendship/relationship. It was interesting seeing the stark differences in their perspectives. The town where all three live is filled with spirits, nymphs, and other creatures. There is a bit of found family between the water nymphs (female water spirits), drowners (male water spirits), and the water goblin, who acts like a father she never had. These water nymphs haunt the waterways where they drowned, emerging mainly at night, since they will die if their hair dries out. It features a unique religion with slavic folklore. The town families also own magical bath houses which bless bathers with unique enhancements. There’s also some yummy sounding food.
Gisela is on a mission to get a kiss by either a boy or a girl so she can become human again. She chooses Aleksey as her target and makes a deal with Kazik to help her achieve this goal. Throughout the story, Gisela uncovers what happened to cause her death and what links all three characters. Kazik exorcizes demons and thinks Gisela is evil. This adds interesting commentary when the POV switches, especially with how he calls them demons and she calls them spirits. I also picked up on the hints that Aleksey was a demon/spirit. This was most likely intention because he reveals it in his POV chapters. I thought it was a bit ridiculous how Gisela and Kazik didn’t suspect a thing though despite the author’s assertions.
I love how queer the book is. Two water nymphs are in a relationship, and another is a lesbian. Spirits don’t care about gender like humans do which is refreshing. The non-binary water nymph can join the drowners if she ever wanted. In fact, she was assumed to be male at first due to her flat chest. Meanwhile, Gisela doesn’t feel strongly about her own gender. It’s relatable how she finds it easier to let them think she’s a girl than to explain she doesn’t always feel like one. Maybe in another life she could be born as a tall buff guy. She’s also not entirely comfortable showing off her chest, though she finds it attractive on others. Kazik is the same height as Gisela which I always like. He thinks girl clothes are cuter and wonders why she would want to wear his. If only he knew. This Fatal Kiss includes a bit of discovering gender, sexuality, and polyamory with descriptions for each which felt a bit out of place in this world. The book is advertised as being polyamorous and it barely is. Maybe in the next book if there’s a sequel. I wish there was more polyamory since they just admit that they like each other and Aleksey leads them towards polyamory.
I loved all three POVs. Gisela is pretty funny and a flirt. She also has anxiety, dark thoughts, and is prone to melancholy, such as by having self-harm and busy thoughts. Meanwhile, Kazik is grumpy and dedicated to his job as the town exorcist. Aleksey’s chapters are few and far between, but when they happen, they provide a unique perspective. The book is very bisexual and it gets into the struggle of bi-erasure. Gisela has to defend being bi because she’s chasing 2 dudes and Kazik’s cousin thinks he’s not actually into women. They also mention attractive guys and to a lesser extent girls throughout the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that could have been done better including pacing. While reading I couldn’t put this book down and kept thinking “just another chapter.” However, I think the whole story could have been resolved in one book if there was less repetition. Explanations are repeated a little too often, like describing what her hair comb does. I hope this becomes a duology because I was not expecting an open-ended/cliffhanger conclusion until I saw how few pages were left. The conflict with Aleksey is left very much unresolved.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!
This Fatal Kiss is triple POV starring Gisela, a water nymph; Kazik, an exorcist; and Aleksey, Kazik’s childhood peer. Gisela has the most POV chapters and Aleksey has the least. All three of these characters are bisexual and it is a sunshine x grumpy x sunshine friendship/relationship. It was interesting seeing the stark differences in their perspectives. The town where all three live is filled with spirits, nymphs, and other creatures. There is a bit of found family between the water nymphs (female water spirits), drowners (male water spirits), and the water goblin, who acts like a father she never had. These water nymphs haunt the waterways where they drowned, emerging mainly at night, since they will die if their hair dries out. It features a unique religion with slavic folklore. The town families also own magical bath houses which bless bathers with unique enhancements. There’s also some yummy sounding food.
Gisela is on a mission to get a kiss by either a boy or a girl so she can become human again. She chooses Aleksey as her target and makes a deal with Kazik to help her achieve this goal. Throughout the story, Gisela uncovers what happened to cause her death and what links all three characters. Kazik exorcizes demons and thinks Gisela is evil. This adds interesting commentary when the POV switches, especially with how he calls them demons and she calls them spirits. I also picked up on the hints that Aleksey was a demon/spirit. This was most likely intention because he reveals it in his POV chapters. I thought it was a bit ridiculous how Gisela and Kazik didn’t suspect a thing though despite the author’s assertions.
I love how queer the book is. Two water nymphs are in a relationship, and another is a lesbian. Spirits don’t care about gender like humans do which is refreshing. The non-binary water nymph can join the drowners if she ever wanted. In fact, she was assumed to be male at first due to her flat chest. Meanwhile, Gisela doesn’t feel strongly about her own gender. It’s relatable how she finds it easier to let them think she’s a girl than to explain she doesn’t always feel like one. Maybe in another life she could be born as a tall buff guy. She’s also not entirely comfortable showing off her chest, though she finds it attractive on others. Kazik is the same height as Gisela which I always like. He thinks girl clothes are cuter and wonders why she would want to wear his. If only he knew. This Fatal Kiss includes a bit of discovering gender, sexuality, and polyamory with descriptions for each which felt a bit out of place in this world. The book is advertised as being polyamorous and it barely is. Maybe in the next book if there’s a sequel. I wish there was more polyamory since they just admit that they like each other and Aleksey leads them towards polyamory.
I loved all three POVs. Gisela is pretty funny and a flirt. She also has anxiety, dark thoughts, and is prone to melancholy, such as by having self-harm and busy thoughts. Meanwhile, Kazik is grumpy and dedicated to his job as the town exorcist. Aleksey’s chapters are few and far between, but when they happen, they provide a unique perspective. The book is very bisexual and it gets into the struggle of bi-erasure. Gisela has to defend being bi because she’s chasing 2 dudes and Kazik’s cousin thinks he’s not actually into women. They also mention attractive guys and to a lesser extent girls throughout the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that could have been done better including pacing. While reading I couldn’t put this book down and kept thinking “just another chapter.” However, I think the whole story could have been resolved in one book if there was less repetition. Explanations are repeated a little too often, like describing what her hair comb does. I hope this becomes a duology because I was not expecting an open-ended/cliffhanger conclusion until I saw how few pages were left. The conflict with Aleksey is left very much unresolved.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t realize it wasn’t a standalone. So I was a little confused at the end.
Overall, I really liked this one. It was genuinely unique in a sea of books that feel copy and pasted. The folklore was lovely and I loved the characters.
I’ve talked about this before, but believable throuples are tricky to write, because you’re writing four relationships in one. This book does it effortlessly, though. I was extremely impressed. And onboard.
If I had one critic it’s the unclear setting. I initially assumed it was fantasy time with civilization based on that of a few hundred years ago. But then there were telephones and buses and some very modern lingo, while still having the vibes feel old timey. It was very Naruto-core.
Plot: ★★★★
Prose: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
World: ★★★
—————————
Final Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes