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I knew going into Kiss of the Basilisk it was going to be unhinged (honestly, it’s a basilisk book; of course, it’s unhinged). You don’t pick up a fantasy romance about women being trained by giant snake monsters in the art of seduction and expect subtlety.

In fact, when I picked this up, subtle was the last thing I wanted.

I wanted chaos. Indulgence. I wanted something that was fully committed to its own madness. The kind of smutty fantasy you sink into and don’t question. The kind of fantasy book that makes you pause mid-read and think, oh…this is going to be a wild ride.

And for a moment…I thought I was getting exactly that.

I let myself lean in. Stopped asking questions. And let the story carry me.

Because at its core, Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube should have been one of those spicy fantasy books that completely takes over your brain.

If you’re curious what pulled me in, you can check out Kiss of the Basilisk here.

A girl who has never been kissed, thrown into a competition where desire is taught, shaped, and weaponized. A basilisk—Caspen, the Serpent King—paired with her. A prince waiting at the end of it all.

It sounds like something that should make you feel a little unsteady.

But instead…

It kept shoving me out.

Not all at once. That would have been easier to name.

It was slower than that.

A moment that lingered a little too long. A reaction that didn’t quite land. A choice that felt slightly off, but not enough to fully break the spell.

Until it did. Until I realized I wasn’t sinking into the story anymore.

I was watching it at a distance; slowly, everything started to feel harder to hold onto.

Especially her.

TL;DR

This should have been chaotic in the best way, messy, indulgent, impossible to look away from.

Instead, Kiss of the Basilisk feels ungrounded, with a main character who never fully anchors, a love triangle that doesn’t commit, and shock that replaces substance.

I kept waiting for it to come together.

It never did.

Read this if: you love chaotic, smut-forward fantasy and don’t need strong character growth or worldbuilding.

Skip this if: you want emotional depth, consistency, and something you can actually sink into.

Title: Kiss of the Basilisk (Split or Swallow, 1)

Author: Lindsay Straube

Publisher: Bloom Books

Format: KU, Physical

Genre: Romance, Erotica, Smut

Release Date: February 25, 2025

Pages: 528

Star Rating: 2 stars

Spice Rating: 5 chili peppers

Watching Temperance Disappear in Real Time

Temperance (Tem) didn’t just frustrate me.

She wore me down.

Every time I thought, ” This is it, this is where she becomes something solid,” she slipped. Folded into someone else’s expectation. Redirected herself based on how she thought she should be seen.

Temperance is the definition of a pick-me.

And not just in the way that centers men, but in the way she needs to be chosen by everyone. Even people she doesn’t like. Even people who don’t treat her well.

And while that may hold your attention at first, at some point, she should have grown even a little.

Not even drastically. Just…a moment that feels like hers.

I kept waiting for that.

I kept thinking this is where she turns. This is where she becomes something I can hold onto.

But it never came.

I don’t mean that lightly. Because sure, there’s a version of this kind of character that can be deeply compelling in a romance story. The kind that aches a little. The kind you understand, even when they’re making the wrong choices.

But that’s not what this gave.

This felt like watching someone disappear into everyone else. There’s no grounding. No emotional throughline you can trust. Nothing that holds steady long enough for you to attach to.

Just a constant waffling back and forth.

And eventually…I stopped trying to meet her where she was.

Oh, You Like Your Romance a Little Monstrous?

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When There’s Nothing Left to Hold Onto

When you lose the character connection, everything else starts to collapse with it.

Because at that point there’s nothing else here strong enough to catch you.

No anchor. No reason to stay emotionally engaged. You’re just there. Watching it happen.

And that’s when everything else becomes impossible to ignore.

The worldbuilding is nonexistent. For a fantasy book, that absence doesn’t just sit quietly in the background; it becomes a beacon to what should have been foundational. There’s nothing grounding the story, nothing giving weight to what’s happening, so every moment feels like it’s floating just out of reach.

Even the central dynamic—the thing that should carry a story like this— never fully locks into place.

Leo has charm, sure.

There’s a version of his character that feels like it could have been something. A flicker of personality. A glimpse of connection.

But it’s not enough. Not sustained. Not built on.

Caspen feels more like an idea than a character. There’s no emotional texture to hold him with. Nothing that deepens that connection or makes you lean in. He exists, but he doesn’t anchor anything.

(He’s the character that’s built with at least some structure, so that’s saying something.)

And then there’s the love triangle?

It doesn’t work.

It never even feels like it knows what it wants to be.

This should have been a why choose. * Side note* why is the challenger’s scene not canon? That could have added too much depth.

Something that leans fully into its own tension, its own chaos, its own emotional pull.

Instead, it hesitates.

And that hesitation is felt everywhere.

If you tend to love chaotic, boundary-pushing fantasy reads, you might still want to read Kiss of the Basilisk for yourself and see where you land.

kiss of the basilisk taken by the diary of a reader smut romance

The Moment I Checked Out

And then there are moments that don’t just pull you out of the story…

It makes you physically recoil.

There were multiple points where I actually said “EW. No.” out loud while reading. Not because it was bold in a meaningful way.

But because it felt unnecessary.

Unrefined.

There’s a difference between something being boundary-pushing and something being…off.

Like spit? Fine. Sure. Whatever. I know what kind of book I picked up.

But the moment it turns into black goo?

In that moment?

Absolutely not.

That was the point where I paused and thought…yeah, you’re never touching me again.

And once that line is crossed, you unfortunately can’t go back.

By about halfway through, I wasn’t invested.

I was on the outside of the storyline, observing.

At that point, I almost wish I had DNF’d, but if you’re someone who likes to see how far a book will go, you can pick up Kiss of the Basilisk and judge for yourself.

The Book Kiss of the Basilisk Almost Was

Which is maybe the most frustrating part of this entire book review.

Because this had potential. Real potential.

There are glimpses of something here that could have been utterly addictive. Something indulgent in the right way.

But it never becomes that.

I Considered Continuing…Here’s Why I Didn’t

Even after all of that, I considered continuing the series.

I looked into where the story goes next in Between Two Kings, because part of me was still hoping there might be something that pulled me back in—something that rebuilt what wasn’t working for me in Kiss of the Basilisk.

But from what I’ve seen—including the loss of the one character I actually connected with—the direction only moves further away from what I value in a story.

And at that point, the trust is gone.

So, I won’t be continuing.

Who Is Kiss of the Basilisk For?

This might work for you if you’re here purely for chaos. If you enjoy smutty fantasy books that lean heavily into spectacle.

But if you’re someone who reads fantasy romance for emotional depth and connection…

This isn’t going to give you that.

If you still want to experience it for yourself, you can grab Kiss of the Basilisk here and see where you land.

I wanted this to be the kind of fantasy book I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Instead, it’s one I’m still trying to shake off.

And not the way I hoped.

I’m Still Trying to Shake THis One off

If this Kiss of the Basilisk review made you curious, or you want to see where you land with it yourself, this is your reminder to shop indie first.

You can grab Kiss of the Basilisk through Bookshop.org, where your purchases support local bookstores (and you can even choose your favorite one). It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it makes a real difference.

And if you’re not sure yet?

Request it at your local library. Let them bring it in for you.

Amazon will always be there.

But indie bookstores? They’re the ones keeping stories alive in a way that actually matters.

Your TBR Could Use Something More Dangerous.

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