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A review by rachaelarsenault
This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
More detailed written thoughts can be found here:
https://medium.com/@rachaellawrites/magical-and-delightful-bi-panic-an-arc-review-of-this-fatal-kiss-2bcec35f6fce
And if you want my off-the-cuff thoughts in video form, you can find them here:
https://youtu.be/wUVKO79oGYc?si=rtXpEcTZKuFY2Kta
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This was such a fun read!
The shorter chapters and three POVs helped make the story quick to read, and it was easy to get sucked into the world. I loved the variety of spirits and supernatural creatures seen throughout, the way they interacted with each other (especially the sisterly bonds of all the water nymphs), and how they fit within the mortal world.
The characters were also really well crafted and interesting. Kazik struggles with his faith and desire for community while finding it impossible to fit in because of his magic and calling to protect humans from spirits. Gisela struggles with selfishly pursuing her own ends, but is motivated to do so by the desire to return to her life as the selfless sister who dedicated her whole life to caring for her little brother. And Aleksey... ooh, boy, the struggle with his darker side was so juicy. I appreciated how well everything was laid out with his situation - I called elements of it VERY early on, which is a testament to how effective the hints and foreshadowing were.
And the romance between the three of them? So fun, and tense, and confusing for everyone involved.
I also loved how queer this book is. Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey are all attracted to multiple genders, one of the water nymphs is trans, and several are lesbians. While the world isn't queer normative, there's minimal presentation of queerphobia in the text.
I have only two tiny complaints. Some queer rep was a little too ambiguous. I recognize that the characters maybe wouldn't have the language available that we do today, but it's quite unclear what Gisela and Yulia's gender identities actually are. Both express a sense of not being female, and I believe Gisela specifically commented about not feeling male, either, but use she/her pronouns and use feminine-coded language. And while I say that might be a symptom of the time period, I really can't be sure because I don't know what era this is? Buses and landlines phones exist, but there's no clear indication of what decade this book is set in.
Overall, however, this was an excellent read! Looking forward to seeing more of these characters in the future, if that ending is any indication.
More detailed written thoughts can be found here:
https://medium.com/@rachaellawrites/magical-and-delightful-bi-panic-an-arc-review-of-this-fatal-kiss-2bcec35f6fce
And if you want my off-the-cuff thoughts in video form, you can find them here:
https://youtu.be/wUVKO79oGYc?si=rtXpEcTZKuFY2Kta
-
This was such a fun read!
The shorter chapters and three POVs helped make the story quick to read, and it was easy to get sucked into the world. I loved the variety of spirits and supernatural creatures seen throughout, the way they interacted with each other (especially the sisterly bonds of all the water nymphs), and how they fit within the mortal world.
The characters were also really well crafted and interesting. Kazik struggles with his faith and desire for community while finding it impossible to fit in because of his magic and calling to protect humans from spirits. Gisela struggles with selfishly pursuing her own ends, but is motivated to do so by the desire to return to her life as the selfless sister who dedicated her whole life to caring for her little brother. And Aleksey... ooh, boy, the struggle with his darker side was so juicy. I appreciated how well everything was laid out with his situation - I called elements of it VERY early on, which is a testament to how effective the hints and foreshadowing were.
And the romance between the three of them? So fun, and tense, and confusing for everyone involved.
I also loved how queer this book is. Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey are all attracted to multiple genders, one of the water nymphs is trans, and several are lesbians. While the world isn't queer normative, there's minimal presentation of queerphobia in the text.
I have only two tiny complaints. Some queer rep was a little too ambiguous. I recognize that the characters maybe wouldn't have the language available that we do today, but it's quite unclear what Gisela and Yulia's gender identities actually are. Both express a sense of not being female, and I believe Gisela specifically commented about not feeling male, either, but use she/her pronouns and use feminine-coded language. And while I say that might be a symptom of the time period, I really can't be sure because I don't know what era this is? Buses and landlines phones exist, but there's no clear indication of what decade this book is set in.
Overall, however, this was an excellent read! Looking forward to seeing more of these characters in the future, if that ending is any indication.