Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about but haven’t yet read. Most of the time they’re books that have yet to be released, but not always. It’s based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme, which was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week my Can’t-Wait-For Book is This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska!
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Polyamory
Published on: 10th September 2024
Goodreads
Spirit away with a whimsical fantasy filled with dark magic and flirty, polyamorous romance.
Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa 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.
And then there’s Kazik, the brooding, interfering, spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch. He's determined to rid the world of unholy creatures like Gisela. After Kazik botches Gisela’s exorcism, she strikes up a deal. She won’t tell the other spirits that he’s losing his magic, if he agrees to play matchmaker and helps her get a kiss. But Gisela’s plan goes awry when Kazik also falls for the devilishly handsome young man that she sets her heart on—someone who could be linked to Gisela’s troubled past.
Finely crafted with a magical setting, this delectable quest through the spirit world is an enchanting read for fans of queer romantasy.
ALICIA JASINSKA IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her debut Dark Tide is still one of my all-time faves, and her second novel was an amazing story about monster girls falling in love while trying to kill each other: in other words, SUBLIME!
‘Whimsical’ suggests Fatal Kiss might be a bit less feral than her previous books, but that’s okay! It sounds – kind of adorable??? A failed exorcism, oh my gods that must be embarrassing! Does Kazik mind that he’s losing his magic, apart from the embarrassment factor, if he thinks beings like Gisela are unholy? Like, is magic also unholy? I doubt his grandmother would approve of that opinion.
Also, I’m guessing people don’t realise how easy it is to turn a water nymph back into a human? I mean, why doesn’t Kazik just kiss Gisela? Unholy creature is gone! Ta da! Where once there was a nymph, now a human! I’m genuinely interested in finding out why a kiss from Kazik isn’t an option…the blurb doesn’t mention it needing to be true-love’s-kiss, but maybe it does need to be?
I didn’t catch it the first time I read the blurb, but – excuse me, this is set in a MAGICAL SPA TOWN??? This delights me, for some reason??? I just love the idea of it! What do magical spas look like/consist of? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!
And all of this wrapped up in poly. JASINSKA, YOU SPOIL US!
The one thing I’m worried about is that, with Jasinska’s books so far, both have had very unfinished endings. (I’m still begging for a Dark Tide sequel!) So I have my toes crossed that our latest throuple will get a proper, all-threads-neatly-tied-off ending!
Regardless, I’m slamming the preorder button. SIA NEEDS!
I’m also super excited for this one!! So happy it got a GORGEOUS cover too!!
I only found out about it the other day, I can’t believe I didn’t know about it earlier! And yes, the cover is BEAUTIFUL!