I got about 75% of the way through this book before I decided to stop reading. I was genuinely loving the story. I found the plot engaging. The writing style was easy to read. And I liked the three main characters and their interactions. I loved seeing the ways they were growing and changing throughout the narrative. But at around the 60% mark I realized the book was going to end in a polyamorous relationship and I just don't particularly enjoy reading about polyamory. Since I was enjoying the book so much before noticing, I was going to keep reading, but I just wasn't enjoying it anymore. This is no fault of the book, completely personal preference. Even though I will not be finishing this book, I still highly recommend this book as I loved the world building and the characters.

Wow, this ended up being a complicated pack of feelings, even though it's just an enemies to love triangle young adult fantasy.

The tone of the story is marked by a bizarre duality. While, for example, the darkness of the birth of the Rusalki waves through the entire story and the actions of the girls, the presentation essentially starts with a competition for a lemon cake. While the famously strict and cruel exorcist hunts down our protagonist, she ludicrously flirts with him like an anime protagonist. Gisela's playful characterization is a performance, which, on the other hand, is horribly out of tune with the mood of the world and the themes covered. The only thing it fits with is the romance part, but I had a really hard time figuring out why I should root for either side of a triangle where, at worst, they mutually tried to kill each other.

My other problem is the usual: let's stop making the reader look stupid! You can already guess from the blurb what one of the big twists will be in the story, which is quite well prepared to be honest, and I enjoyed it for a long time, until (view spoiler). There is some solution to this, that at least the author admits to the reader that yes, this was the big twist, but our protagonists stay in the dark for dozens of pages and don't really do anything with this conflict in the world even at the end of the story!

I picked up this book because of the possible polyamory angle, and I don't necessarily consider this a usable representation, because it doesn't go much further than an indecisive love triangle.

What makes me not regret having read the whole story is the sisterhood of the Rusalki. It wasn't as grounded as I wanted it to be, but it felt really good to me and I didn't see that scene coming.

4.5 ⭐ - Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This should be called 3 Bi People Try Not To Fall In Love But Do Anyway. And no one told me this was a series???? 😭😭😭😭 I need book 2 IMMEDIATELY.

This Fatal Kiss uses Slavic folklore to tell the enchanting fairytale of Gisela, a rusalka (water nymph) who's desperate to regain her humanity. All she needs is a kiss from a mortal. Preferably, one who doesn't think she's a monster once they find out she isn't human!

On the other hand, Kazik, the local emo exorcist and Short King™, is desperate to catch Gisela. Armed with righteous fury and holy fire, he tries (and fails!) to exorcise her. In return for her silence on his sudden lack of magic, Gisela strikes a bargain with Kazik to help her win a kiss from a local boy (Aleksey) who has caught her eye - only for Kazik to fall for him too.

This whimsical, slow-burn romantasy has (literally?) stolen my heart. The worldbuilding, albeit minimal, was breathtaking. I adored the various magical creatures and how they all fit into the everyday lives of the villagers 🥺 The exploration of queer and polyamorous romances in this book was also beautifully done and I love that in this world, everyone is free to love whoever they want!

~~~~~~~~~~

However, it was the characters that truly made me fall in love 💜
~ Gisela: she was HILARIOUS and never failed to make me laugh!! I love how witty, flirty and confident she is, no matter who she's with, and I can't believe no one has kissed her yet??? I also loved how both her sexuality and gender were fully explored! Also, her relationship with her "grandfather" is the absolute funniest 😂 I adore them both so much
~ Kazik: he's MY emo exorcist and MY Short King™, thank you very much. He's the perfect mix of brooding and sarcastic (think Emeric Conrad from Little Thieves) and I adore him. He's also another great way the author explores the struggles of being bi - how people first judged him when he says he liked boys, then judged him again when he says he liked girls too. He's honestly just a poor angsty boy who needs a huge hug.
~ Aleksey: now this was a plot twist. (not so) Soft Boy™ has multiple layers to him, which I wish were explored more in this book (though the ending means there will be more of him in the next one!). He's lovely and super nice but can also be humorous and sarcastic 😌 I wish he had more POV chapters as he's a character with a lot of depth, but I can't wait to see where book 2 takes him!
~~ Gisela & Kazik & Aleksey: Gisela and Kazik are my favourite dynamic amongst the trio for sure. Their banter made this book unputdownable and I'm still craving MORE. Their relationship was definitely the most explored and the angst was perfection 🤭 Though there was definitely a ton of pining coming from Kazik, I just wish Aleksey's relationship with both Gisela and Kazik could be explored more. I just couldn't feel the connection like I did with Kazik and Gisela. I foresee book 2 resolving this though!

~~~~~~~~~~

Overall, I ADORED this stunning book. It was such a joy to read and I guarantee it can pull you out of any reading slump!! I am definitely recommending this to all my fairytale, folklore and romance lovers 💜🫶

*Thanks to NetGalley and Alicia Jasinka for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own*

This Fatal Kiss was a good read for summer that takes place between a cozy town known for its idyllic hotsprings and the nearby river. Gisela is an ambitious, charismatic water nymph who “terrorizes” the town and Kazik is the closed-off, self righteous exorcist who hunts spirits like Gisela. They balance each other out while endlessly frustrating the other as they work together on a matchmaking scheme for Gisela. Featuring a rich diversity of spirits from Slavic mythology, this novel is a good recommendation for fans of Where the Dark Stands Still.
I thought that the dialogue flowed well between characters and the witty banter between Kazik and Gisela was so funny. I found it impressive that characters such as Gisela’s fellow nymphs and Kazik’s sister and grandmother were well-developed characters with interesting backgrounds of their own. The progression of the story as the well as the way that background information was revealed, such as the main characters’ memories of the past or their previous experiences with relationships, was really well done and felt natural with the pacing of the story. I would characterize the relationship between the main characters as a love triangle and polyamory is hinted at but not quite realized within the trio.
Last note: It cracked me up that Gisela referred to God as “Sky Daddy”!

I really enjoyed this! It was so different and the characters were very interesting! The only downside was some of the language felt way too modern for the story. Other than that I really enjoyed it and will add to my library!

I found this book boring and the description misleading. There was no real romance in it at all? And not just like because it’s YA but just nothing happened. Period.
It read as a cozy fantasy with the level of plot, but the premise was not cozy fantasy.
I didn’t find any of our three main characters likeable.
The only good part of this book was learning a bit more about the spirits and such of Polish folklore.
And as others have brought up, it was confusing what time period this was supposed to be set in.

This was such a great book!!! 'This Fatal Kiss' takes inspiration from Polish folklore and explores complex queer relationships in young adults. There are so many different elements of the story I could analyze, but I'll let you all see for yourselves what I mean.

I need the next book A.S.A.P.!!!! I love the characters, the world-building is incredible, that cover is STUNNING, and everything else is just as amazing.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy. All opinions are my own.

This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+

This Fatal Kiss is Alicia Jasinska's debut novel, a dark fantasy filled with Eastern European folklore and creatures as fascinating as they are deadly. Like the FMC, Gisela.

Once a teenage girl, now a water nymph (a "rusałki"), doomed to infest the waters where she died, terribly close to the nearby town and its exorcist, a boy named Kazik. Clever, cunning, a little arrogant and for sure antisocial, Kazik has learned the old ways from his grandmother and seeks to extirpate evil from Leśna Woda, especially since last year his grandma was viciously attacked alongside him by a forest demon (a "biesy") and that established the downfall of hers, who died mere weeks later.

It's not rare to see Kazik and Gisela fight, especially since the latter has been dreading to kiss a human, the only way to regain her status as a human. The other way to unbid her fate as a rusałki is forgiving or avenging her death, but it means ascending.

Gisela sets eyes on Leśna Woda's Golden Boy, Aleksey, who is also Kazik's crush, and makes Kazik join her as a team to get this kiss. The plan is going well, as Aleksey is smitten with both, but it also spreads doubts, as Kazik stars to question his beliefs, while also getting dangerously close to Gisela.

And dark forces are lurking near, closer than they all imagine.

...

This Fatal Kiss has instantly smitten with me. I'm all in for a dark fantasy exploring less known folklores, and Slavic is one I always look forward to reading it. Jasinska's prose felt magical, dangerously lush like the book itself and its setting.

Leśna Woda's town was magnificently descripted, and I felt it like I was in the own book, with all my senses. But if I have to be honest I think I was way way more intrigued with the characters.

Gisela, the rusałka, is still the young girl she was before dying, and I really liked how she hid her pain with jokes. It's not a game, she wants her humanity back. She misses her life, her young brother, her family... being alive. And she still doesn't know how she ended like this. It's a void which will create a solid plot thread.

Aleksey is the sunshine of the group, the human boy who doesn't know he's being won over by a literally water demon or who tries to hide that he's also attracted to boys. Especially one. But he doesn't want to lose the girl too.

Kazik was the star of the bok, the one with more growth. Short and somehow funny in a non-comical way, Kazik hids himself, is scared of people. But when he sees more, he's not that willing to return into the shell.

I loved the sisterhood in the rusałki group and in its "leader", a kind of water goblin named Wojciech, who feels like a father figure.

The plot twists were crazy, and I don't know how I survived.

From the ending, I hope there will be a sequel because yeeesssss I'll read it for sure!

...

Rating: ★★★★.25

...

I want to thank PeachtreeTeen for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.

Anais by The Bookish Scorpio

This fatal kiss

Thankyou Netgallery, Alicia Jasinska and Peach Tree publishers for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou Netgallery, Alicia Jasinska and Peach Tree publishers for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Slavic folklore is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The more I read and learn about it, the more fascinating it becomes. Props to this author because we love a pronunciation guide/glossary!

Geisela is witty, smart, and kind-hearted—for a water nymph, anyway. Having lost her life in a violent manner that caused her spirit to linger, she sets out on a quest to get a kiss from a human boy and regain her humanity. Someone needs to look after her brother after all and she needs to reclaim her life. In a surprising turn of events, she teams up with exorcist Kazik, who should be sending her to the afterlife but ends up playing matchmaker instead.

I really love how queer representation is seamlessly woven into the story from the very beginning. There’s also the constant suspense and thrill of unanswered questions: How did she die? Who killed her? Is it the people she’s meeting? Everyone seems suspicious yet not? It leaves you unable to put the book down. The ending was fantastic, and I will riot if I don’t get a second book. It wasn’t a cliffhanger but more of a “you know there’s more to be said and done” ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking into more of the authors work. We also love Australian authors!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_DFMhVSB7k/?igsh=NG4xZ2k4ZGFrNzA2

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6763652059

I have such a hard time reviewing this book because I definitely judged this book by its cover. Although I also thought that the whole water nymph thing and different myths would be very fun to explore. When I went to go mark it as “reading” on good reads I noticed that this is a “newer” author so I REALLY don’t like giving negative feedback to new authors.

However, this book was just… not good. The cover was gorgeous, the premise sounded like it would be amazing but when we got into the actual book…. It just didn’t give off the same vibes. I did NOT like the main character, which I guess she is stuck in a young mind so her immaturity is due to that. However, it annoyed me.

Also it was hard to gauge when this book took place… obviously not the 21st century but I don’t really know where the time frame was. We learn that Kazik is gay, which I loved but again, confused due to the church part. Is it a secret because of the church and its views or is it a secret because he is young and doesn’t want to be outed?

It was also very difficult for me to visualize all of the different areas in the book. There was some great work put into the bath houses but other than that, I could not really picture the town, the river or the water goblins home.

4.25 stars

Time for some math:
Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away + The Little Mermaid + a bit of polyamory + a lot of Slavic folklore = This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska. In other words, TFK is the best of all worlds.

This Fatal Kiss follows a mischievous water nymph, Gisela, who is trying to become human again by getting a mortal to kiss her. Every single one of her attempts has been thwarted by the spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch, Kazik, who feels that it's his mission to exorcise all spirits and demons from the world. After he fails to exorcise Gisela, the two strike a deal: if Kazik helps Gisela get a kiss, she will remain mum on his lost magic and will stop causing mischief in the meantime. In comes Aleksey, the gorgeous childhood classmate of Kazik and Gisela's kiss target. Will she fail? Will he fall?

This book was an absolute delight. A YA fantasy that tackles polyamory?? Wonderful. I loved the main trio and how everything/everyone was connected. I'm also an absolute sucker for eastern European folklore in fantasy books. My main issue with the book was how quickly it ended, but it has me hoping with all my heart for a sequel!

Folks should definitely keep their eyes out for This Fatal Kiss when it hits shelves on September 24!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Peachtree Teen for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree for the ARC. 3.75⭐ rounded up for this charming read.

I had a really good time with This Fatal Kiss. I have yet to consume many novels with fantastical creatures based off Slavic folklore, so this was a refreshing read to get into. At its core, this is a YA fantasy romance that revolves around a love triangle between an exorcist, a water nymph and a mortal boy, which will eventually develop into polyamory. AKA the only kind of love triangles I will put time aside to actually read these days. It is exceedingly helpful that all three leads in the poly romance get POV chapters, meaning that we get to delve into their heads and see the shallow crushes that youths understandably get into evolve into something deeper past the physical attraction and mere pleasantries. Kazik, Gisela & Aleksey spend time and bond with one another; the latter two especially challenging the former's initially rigid views of spirits that he's meant to exorcise. The flirty banter amongst them doesn't feel forced or cringeworthy, and is really freaking cute!

While this world isn't entirely queernormative—there are mentions of taboos of same-gender relationships in their society akin to our existing reality—there is still a lot of positive queer representation, including that of diverse gender identities. Our main characters are staunchly queer ("bi/pan" aren't labels used due to the time period, but they've brought up attraction to other genders), and there are mentions of lesbian water nymphs too. Author Alicia Jasinska also tackles the biphobia experienced by Gisela and Kazik; their queerness isn't invalidated just because they are attracted to the gender different from their own.

Aside from liking the romance, Jasinska balances the mystery aspect of the story well too. She leaves clues that are easily picked up by the reader to figure out Gisela's tragic past and how she's tied to the other two leads, but that doesn't take away from my enjoyment. I loved the reveals! And that ending!! I had thought this was a standalone, but clearly Jasinska wanted to throw us in for a loop. Loose ends aren't quite tied up yet and I am SEATED for the sequel. Also mad props for the sweet found family and sisterhood thrown into the mix.

RATING: 2/5 STARS

I requested THIS FATAL KISS because of the gorgeous cover and interesting premise but the actual story itself was quite dry for me which was a bummer since I was optimistic about the poly rep.

I fell in love with Alicia Jasinska's writing with "Midnight Girls" and could not wait to get my hands on her next book "This Fatal Kiss" - and I was not disappointed. (Minor complaint - there was a formatting issue on my Kindle that I could not fix and it did make reading this a little difficult at times. This has nothing to do with the content of the book so it has nothing to do with my star rating. I just needed to point it out because it drove me nuts!) I loved the writing style, the Slavic folklore, the characters. I actually thought this was a standalone until I reached the end and was happy to discover there will be a sequel (I was worried because I didn't know how the story could properly wrap up without another book!). I cannot wait to have this one my shelf next to the authors' other books!

arc review | this fatal kiss
3.5 ⭐️
~
“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯.”
— Alicia Jasinska, This Fatal Kiss
~
Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical town where she drowned, Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of returning to the living world and the family she left behind. All it takes to regain her humanity is a kiss from a mortal...but everyone sees her as a monster. Especially Kazik, the brooding, interfering, spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch.
~
Thank you so much to NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for giving me access to this ARC! It was so much fun! I absolutely ADORED the characters. Gisela is a playful, cheeky and flirtatious rusałka who perfectly juxtaposes Kazik’s serious and strict personality. They both perfectly encapsulate the sunshine x grumpy/enemies-to-lovers trope. And then there is Aleksey (my personal fav). He’s kind, amusing, and VERY mysterious. I’m not usually compelled by polyamorous romances in books, but I do think this one was written well. The three characters all had chemistry and I was surprised by how much I adored them all together.
~
The Slavic folklore was so unique and refreshing. I absolutely loved it. This magical, whimsical and enthralling tale had a child-like wonder that almost morphed into the gothic. And as much as I was compelled by this, I do think at times the writing style and dialogue didn’t quite fit the story and setting. It almost felt too ordinary. Word choices here and there pulled me out of the magical realm of nymphs and spirits and back into reality. Awkward dialogue that went on for longer than necessary also contributed to this. But with that being said, I had so much fun with the characters and the plot that I was able to stay intrigued and invested.
~
Kazik calling his grandmother ‘babcia’ was so special to me because this was the first time I had ever read a book with that name for grandmother. My grandmother is a babcia so it was honestly so special to me to have that inclusion. But that’s just on a personal note.
~
Overall, I can confidently say that this queer, magical, slavic folklore adventure is perfect for those wanting a fun, light-hearted read with mythical creatures, flirtatious romance, and tension. Stay tuned for release date: September 24 2024 !!!

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.

I don't think I'd have requested an ARC had I known this book ended on a cliffhanger, and I think this surprise made me more critical of the book as a whole.

I had two issues with my digital copy that I hope will be resolved before the official release:
- There should be a trigger warning for <spoiler>self-harm</spoiler>, as it is mentioned briefly during the narration and then not addressed further.
- The PDF was beautiful in Acrobat but I had a few formatting issues when reading in the Kindle app, with break pages being inserted mid-sentences and the PDF header breaking the epilogue's text, for example. Italic was also missing on "flashback" quotes, which was confusing at first glance.

Despite my critiques, This Fatal Kiss is ultimately a beautifully crafted story, set against a charming backdrop. I think its purpose was serving <i>forest witch in a small village</i> vibes, and it delivered. The writing was lovely and immersive. However, the book's length is a point of dissatisfaction to me. At almost 420 pages, it feels like some trimming could have enhanced the pacing; I feel like entire characters could have been removed and their loss would not have been felt whatsoever. For what is ultimately a reimagining of The Little Mermaid, this length felt excessive, especially considering it lacks a proper conclusion.

The characters being sixteen didn't seem necessary. They don't attend school, nor are they under parental supervision at any point during the events taking place. While Gisela has a parental figure who is integral to the plot, this doesn't actually affect her agency/power of decision. Usually, using teenage protagonists is a perfect excuse for authors to make their characters do or say idiotic things; but here, I'm happy to say that our main cast is well-adjusted and reasonable throughout. I was surprised by the decision of making them teenagers.

Now, the main reason I asked for this ARC was the polyamorous relationship. The first quarter of the book focuses on two main characters and while it effectively builds tension between them, I was disappointed that their third would enter the stage so much later, at about 25%. I think his character suffered as a result, it made him feel less developed compared to the other two. He tended to fade into the background, in my opinion. This is also reflected in the stunning cover of the book: there's only a couple there, no hint at any polyamory.

I can't say this book doesn't set-up a polyamorous relationship though, it does a lot of the work! It gets very close to, but does not reach a satisfying ending for the throuple in time for the ending. I do understand it's a job left to the eventual sequel, but I'm still sore about it.

The pacing in the last 30% of the book was somewhat uneven. While the individual pieces were engaging, the climactic moments were often interrupted by extended dialogues that felt like they slowed the momentum built by action scenes. Additionally, the magical system became confusing, as water nymphs handled threats with ease; the powers they were able to wield were not foreshadowed through Gisela's character, which made the final battle too easy of a win.

Despite my few issues with the book, I was seduced by the lovely background imagery and the banter between the characters. The premise felt fresh and was well-executed. The main characters felt like actual persons with complex thoughts-processes, going beyond of the typical YA "style" of single-minded air-heads.
Although my complaint about the book's lengthiness remains, I still appreciated the fact it didn't dwell excessively on melodramatic moments and was propelled forward by the plot in a satisfying way, avoiding lengthy romantic meandering.

A Solid 5 out of 5 Stars!!🌟

Wow, I am absolutely blown away by this book! I can't wait for the sequel—I'm already counting down the days! Huge thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for this incredible ARC!

I haven't been this captivated by a story in ages. The plot, the characters, the twists and turns—it all had me completely hooked! Even during my busiest days, I couldn't resist the pull of this book. The writing is so engaging and immersive, it felt like I was living inside the story.

Gisela is an absolute gem of a character. Her humor and banter had me grinning from ear to ear, whether she was interacting with main or supporting characters. She’s not just entertaining; she’s deeply layered, and the author does a fantastic job of making you want to dive into her world. She’s the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for and fall in love with.

And it’s not just Gisela—Kazik and the rest of the characters are equally well-developed. Each character has their own unique traits, making them memorable and distinctive despite the multi-POV narrative. The dynamics between them are spot-on, bringing depth and authenticity to the story.

From start to finish, the plot had me enthralled. It’s like a magical blend of fairytale and folklore, with a perfect pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Every twist and reveal had me gasping in surprise and excitement! The characters’ thoughts and actions felt so true to the YA queer romance genre, making the story resonate even more.

I’m so grateful to have discovered Alicia Jasinska through this ARC. The magical world she’s crafted is breathtaking, and the vivid setting perfectly captures the shift from summer to fall. This was my first polyamory romance, and it was handled really well, seamlessly woven into the plot! Would highly recommend this!

There’s a special, powerful kind of magic in the connections we make with other people.

rating: 4.25★

that ending?!?! tell me there's a sequel on the way!!!

slavic folklore meets spirited away with a queer polyamorous romance and all the delectable food descriptions you could ever want.

fantastical, whimsical, and richly atmospheric with it's cozy and mysterious mystical beings and a bit of a mystery.

the poly romance was done quite well for me; there's an exciting tension between gisela and kazik. the way she shamelessly taunts and teases him makes for a fun sassy x grumpy dynamic. she also challenges him though on a more serious note: how to take his faith in stride, but also keep his own humanity when dealing with spirits. do spirits not have their own humanity? are they always only bad?

“Do you want to die?” He panted.
“I’m already dead!” Gisela said in a singsong.
“Then die properly this time.”

“This is my dear sweet friend Gisela. She’s so nice. So pretty. She’s—”
“A cold-blooded demon.”
“Someone might find that appealing, actually. It’s like when the other spirits say things about you. Oh, that wicked exorcist. So dangerous. So sexy.”

i also felt like the relationships between the two of them and aleksey were both compelling and done equally well. the trio dynamic had me giggling and kicking my feet for them. i'm more ambivalent typically when it comes to poly, but this had me rooting hard for them.

AND THE FOOD DESCRIPTIONS OMG. with all the cozy witch vibes and summer festivals happening in here, there is no shortage of food so you better have something yummy on hand! i'm about to go make myself a blueberry pierogi just to know how it tastes myself 😭

this does touch on religious trauma and bi/homophobia, and the folklore has some dark elements, but overall this was a very enjoyable YA fantasy!

Spirits are hard to win over, but if you earn their loyalty, you have it forever.

an honest arc review ♡

This Fatal Kiss was a fun read! I didn't know much about rusalka and Slavic folklore going in, but I found the introduction of various spirits to be seamlessly done- it never felt like a lecture. I immediately loved all the characters: Gisela's tenacity, Kazik's dedication, Aleksey's mystery, and the tension building among them. It has a nice, almost cozy feel but with stakes that are anything but low. I sometimes found it difficult to pinpoint a time and place for the setting, which took me out a bit, but this uncertainty did little to distract from the folkloric vibes that mark it as timeless. I would love to read a sequel.