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Split or Swallow #3
Kneel Before Me
Praise for KISS OF THE BASILISK, Book 1 of the Split Or Swallow series
'So you're thinking, 'A basilisk? Really?' The answer is YES. REALLY. This book changed me' @katiec
'Absolutely not safe for work, but so addicting you'll read it in the break room anyway' @bookbiche
'I had to pray the rosary before and after each chapter' @ktgroberts
'Too hot to read in one sitting, pace yourself' @michaela.whitney
'This book will slither its way right between your thighs and into your heart' @geenareena
'If you don't end up hissing after you read this book, then READ IT AGAIN. This unhinged, addictive, and smutty book was the highlight of my month! 5 freaking stars!' @naz
'I am not a monster romance girlie but want me to tell you why I railroaded this book in A SINGLE DAY? BECAUSE ITS INCREDIBLE' @Shannon
'SOS, I need help because of how in love with this story I am (put me down)' @brooke.ends
'Any of my non-smut loving friends, avert your eyes please! You have been warned . . .' @H2
'Serpent summer FOREVER' @Arshia.khan
'Miss Straube ATE and left no crumbs with this one' @Dayna
'A wild ride' @Lindsay's mom [really!!]
'What Lindsay's mom said' @girly_pop_00
'So you're thinking, 'A basilisk? Really?' The answer is YES. REALLY. This book changed me' @katiec
'Absolutely not safe for work, but so addicting you'll read it in the break room anyway' @bookbiche
'I had to pray the rosary before and after each chapter' @ktgroberts
'Too hot to read in one sitting, pace yourself' @michaela.whitney
'This book will slither its way right between your thighs and into your heart' @geenareena
'If you don't end up hissing after you read this book, then READ IT AGAIN. This unhinged, addictive, and smutty book was the highlight of my month! 5 freaking stars!' @naz
'I am not a monster romance girlie but want me to tell you why I railroaded this book in A SINGLE DAY? BECAUSE ITS INCREDIBLE' @Shannon
'SOS, I need help because of how in love with this story I am (put me down)' @brooke.ends
'Any of my non-smut loving friends, avert your eyes please! You have been warned . . .' @H2
'Serpent summer FOREVER' @Arshia.khan
'Miss Straube ATE and left no crumbs with this one' @Dayna
'A wild ride' @Lindsay's mom [really!!]
'What Lindsay's mom said' @girly_pop_00
507 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2026
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December 4, 2025Dear god, there's going to be another one 😑
Thankfully, its a prequel bc the only time I want to see Tem again is if she’s following thru on Apollo’s pegging fantasy
Thankfully, its a prequel bc the only time I want to see Tem again is if she’s following thru on Apollo’s pegging fantasy
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Excuse me while I try to be calm and collected while writing this review 😭 THIS WAS AS UNHINGED AS THE REST OF THE SERIES.
First off, IT IS A PREQUEL, so we all know how it sort of ends since Book #1 is already published. I had already read Kiss of the Basilisk and wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to enjoy this one as much since, you know… it’s Tem’s mom lol 👀
BOYYY, WAS I WRONG 😭
I love how the author took us back 20+ years to a very similar situation which is the mom (Daphne) competing for the prince’s hand and even though we basically know the entire process and how it goes, I LOVE that it still felt like the first time ‼️ We get Caspen POV besides our main characters, which adds more towards his character arc (ILOVESM) and get a sense of how the basilisks society actually work.
I loved getting to know Daphne and seeing how she fell in love with her basilisk, but also getting a glimpse into basilisk society and the royals. We already know what’s up from Book #1, but I think this gives us an even better foundation 🐍 I won't deny it I was into the Prince for a little bit.. the scenes were H O T even if our basilisk man had hotter scenes with Daphne. Hmm tbh I was into both hahah!
ANYWAY this book gives us a deeper understanding of how Caspian felt before meeting Tem, what Apollo is like, why Tem is the way she is, and even how the royals and basilisks carry themselves within the same society. There were SO many little details that made this book hit differently and now… I’m itching to reread Kiss of the Basilisk again lmaoooo 😭✨
I end this review with this: If you are a smutty smut smut lover and adore a good vibe book that is full of banter, flirtiness, snakes and the occasion GASP (sexy wise) then HOP INTO THE BASILISK TRAIN ALL ABOARD because it was that good in the vibes lol.
I also have a note for the author seriously the TOURNAMENT UNDERNEATH THE CAVE WAS INSANE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
That is all!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･I HAVE THIS IN MY HAND AND I AM SO READY!!!!
Thank you Bloom for my gifted ARC copy.
First off, IT IS A PREQUEL, so we all know how it sort of ends since Book #1 is already published. I had already read Kiss of the Basilisk and wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to enjoy this one as much since, you know… it’s Tem’s mom lol 👀
BOYYY, WAS I WRONG 😭
I love how the author took us back 20+ years to a very similar situation which is the mom (Daphne) competing for the prince’s hand and even though we basically know the entire process and how it goes, I LOVE that it still felt like the first time ‼️ We get Caspen POV besides our main characters, which adds more towards his character arc (ILOVESM) and get a sense of how the basilisks society actually work.
I loved getting to know Daphne and seeing how she fell in love with her basilisk, but also getting a glimpse into basilisk society and the royals. We already know what’s up from Book #1, but I think this gives us an even better foundation 🐍 I won't deny it I was into the Prince for a little bit.. the scenes were H O T even if our basilisk man had hotter scenes with Daphne. Hmm tbh I was into both hahah!
ANYWAY this book gives us a deeper understanding of how Caspian felt before meeting Tem, what Apollo is like, why Tem is the way she is, and even how the royals and basilisks carry themselves within the same society. There were SO many little details that made this book hit differently and now… I’m itching to reread Kiss of the Basilisk again lmaoooo 😭✨
I end this review with this: If you are a smutty smut smut lover and adore a good vibe book that is full of banter, flirtiness, snakes and the occasion GASP (sexy wise) then HOP INTO THE BASILISK TRAIN ALL ABOARD because it was that good in the vibes lol.
I also have a note for the author seriously the TOURNAMENT UNDERNEATH THE CAVE WAS INSANE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
That is all!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･I HAVE THIS IN MY HAND AND I AM SO READY!!!!
Thank you Bloom for my gifted ARC copy.
Did Not Finish
March 21, 2026How tf is this series still happening lol
Want to Read
February 3, 2026MY LOINS ARE GIRDED & I'M READY!!!
September 23, 2026
Thank you for the audio ARC of the first 75% of the novel. Unfortunately, this is just a rewrite of the main series. Same character traits, same plot points. Daphne admittedly has slept with half the town, yet has not received a compliment ever in her life. She’s praising Kronos for doing the bare minimum, such as respecting her boundaries and not wanting to assault her. This one is just riddled with misogyny, both plot wise and from statements the author is making. Every “hidden meaning” is spelled out for you. The characterization of Caspen is insane as well. A complete 180 from the main series.
I enjoyed Elena Wolfes narration, but every time Auron Wood took over, I got frustrated. He growls at the end of every sentence and his voice for Kronos is comical.
Once the book is published, I’ll read the rest and update with some insane quotes. This one is somehow worse than Between Two Kings lmao. As much as I don’t wanna finish it, I love being a well informed hater.
Update: Finally finished. Still one star. So glad to see in the acknowledgements that this is the last book in the main series. Ends completely how you would expect it to. Here’s a list of insane quotes that I promised.
“She resisted her instinct to run her hand over him. Daphne had just told the basilisk her boundary. Yet when such temptation was placed before her, it was difficult to adhere to her word. She was only a woman after all.”
- booooo 🍅🍅🍅
“She reached forward, so that his hands were cradled in hers. She stared at his long fingers, which extended halfway up her forearms.”
- we get it, she’s so small and petite and he’s so huge and massive
“Maximus had a stash of wine in every room in the castle, including his daughter’s nursery.”
- dad of the century
“Maximus had never seen Daphne cry before. The sight made him sick to his stomach yet also giddy at the same time. Even with tears in her eyes, she was beautiful. Perhaps more beautiful than without them.”
- ??????
“Maximus was no saint. He was a human man, and a woman had been placed before him. What the fuck else was he supposed to do?”
- she’s crying dawg wtf
I enjoyed Elena Wolfes narration, but every time Auron Wood took over, I got frustrated. He growls at the end of every sentence and his voice for Kronos is comical.
Once the book is published, I’ll read the rest and update with some insane quotes. This one is somehow worse than Between Two Kings lmao. As much as I don’t wanna finish it, I love being a well informed hater.
Update: Finally finished. Still one star. So glad to see in the acknowledgements that this is the last book in the main series. Ends completely how you would expect it to. Here’s a list of insane quotes that I promised.
“She resisted her instinct to run her hand over him. Daphne had just told the basilisk her boundary. Yet when such temptation was placed before her, it was difficult to adhere to her word. She was only a woman after all.”
- booooo 🍅🍅🍅
“She reached forward, so that his hands were cradled in hers. She stared at his long fingers, which extended halfway up her forearms.”
- we get it, she’s so small and petite and he’s so huge and massive
“Maximus had a stash of wine in every room in the castle, including his daughter’s nursery.”
- dad of the century
“Maximus had never seen Daphne cry before. The sight made him sick to his stomach yet also giddy at the same time. Even with tears in her eyes, she was beautiful. Perhaps more beautiful than without them.”
- ??????
“Maximus was no saint. He was a human man, and a woman had been placed before him. What the fuck else was he supposed to do?”
- she’s crying dawg wtf
Want to Read
November 23, 2025prequel? 👀 book? 👀
September 30, 2026
DNF after Chapter 18.
I went into Kneel Before Me knowing exactly what kind of literature I was dealing with. I read the first two Split or Swallow books. I was not expecting Dostoevsky with basilisk sex.
Those books were ridiculous, excessive, occasionally shocking, frequently made me laugh, and regularly forced me to stare into the middle distance wondering what the fuck I had just read. And honestly? That was part of the fun. There were bizarre plot developments, absurdly graphic sex scenes, and enough questionable decisions to provide endless discussion material with a friend who was reading them alongside me.
Kneel Before Me, unfortunately, committed the one crime I wasn't prepared to forgive:
It bored me. To death.
This prequel follows Daphne (Tem's mom) and Tem's previous generation, but instead of expanding the world or giving these characters their own identities, it feels like someone took the first book, changed the names, shuffled a few details and hit print.
The competition, character constellations, relationship dynamics, personalities, romantic developments and even the way the slow burns are constructed feel painfully familiar. I understand children resembling their parents. What I don't understand is apparently an entire generation inheriting their parents' personalities, relationship patterns and narrative arcs with astonishing precision.
Reading this gave me constant déjà vu, except without the suspense of the first book because I already know how this world and the competition work.
And underneath all that repetition is an astonishing amount of dialogue that seems to accomplish very little. Good dialogue doesn't always need to advance the plot. It can reveal character, shift a relationship, create tension, establish subtext, change a power dynamic or expose something we didn't previously understand. But I repeatedly finished long conversations here asking myself: What changed because these characters just had this conversation? Far too often, my answer was: absolutely nothing.
Then there's Caspen.
I struggled with him in the original books but eventually developed some sympathy for him, particularly toward the end of book two. Somehow, meeting younger Caspen made that significantly harder.
His conflicts and emotional reactions frequently feel bizarrely adolescent. His relationship with Harmony, a woman openly playing with him and his brother Apollo, left me wondering why he supposedly develops feelings for her at all beyond sexual attraction. The fact that the woman actively destroying harmony between two brothers is literally named Harmony almost feels like the book is bullying me personally.
But nothing prepared me for Caspen confronting his mother, becoming overwhelmed by the conversation and then simply...
turning around and running away!!!This is an adult basilisk/man! And since basilisks spend considerable amounts of time naked in their underground realm, my brain unfortunately supplied the full visual of a grown, naked man fleeing an uncomfortable conversation with Mommy.
Spoiler allert: His arms were not the only things flailing. I am so sorry.
There are smaller moments that bothered me for the same reason. At one point Daphne finds a spider in Maximus's chambers and carefully takes it outside while they discuss the value of even the smallest life. I understand what this scene is presumably trying to communicate: Daphne is compassionate and considers life precious. The problem is that I could practically see the characterization happening in capital letters. Instead of revealing compassion through a meaningful decision with actual emotional or moral weight, we get the familiar "she even saves spiders" shortcut.
And that ultimately summarizes my biggest problem with this book: the characters don't feel psychologically distinct or particularly multifaceted. They frequently behave according to whatever emotional archetype or narrative function the scene requires rather than feeling like complicated adults with individual inner lives. People can absolutely behave irrationally, immaturely and stupidly. Real people do it every day. But believable stupidity still needs to emerge from believable psychology.
After three books, I'm increasingly noticing the limitations of the character writing.
I could forgive a LOT in this series because the first two books were quite entertaining. They were messy, unhinged and often completely fucking ridiculous, but they gave me something to react to.
This one mostly gave me a story I felt like I'd already read, except slower, duller and populated by essentially the same people, only with different names.
My friend fought her way valiantly through all 500-ish pages. Godspeed to that brave woman.
I went into Kneel Before Me knowing exactly what kind of literature I was dealing with. I read the first two Split or Swallow books. I was not expecting Dostoevsky with basilisk sex.
Those books were ridiculous, excessive, occasionally shocking, frequently made me laugh, and regularly forced me to stare into the middle distance wondering what the fuck I had just read. And honestly? That was part of the fun. There were bizarre plot developments, absurdly graphic sex scenes, and enough questionable decisions to provide endless discussion material with a friend who was reading them alongside me.
Kneel Before Me, unfortunately, committed the one crime I wasn't prepared to forgive:
It bored me. To death.
This prequel follows Daphne (Tem's mom) and Tem's previous generation, but instead of expanding the world or giving these characters their own identities, it feels like someone took the first book, changed the names, shuffled a few details and hit print.
The competition, character constellations, relationship dynamics, personalities, romantic developments and even the way the slow burns are constructed feel painfully familiar. I understand children resembling their parents. What I don't understand is apparently an entire generation inheriting their parents' personalities, relationship patterns and narrative arcs with astonishing precision.
Reading this gave me constant déjà vu, except without the suspense of the first book because I already know how this world and the competition work.
And underneath all that repetition is an astonishing amount of dialogue that seems to accomplish very little. Good dialogue doesn't always need to advance the plot. It can reveal character, shift a relationship, create tension, establish subtext, change a power dynamic or expose something we didn't previously understand. But I repeatedly finished long conversations here asking myself: What changed because these characters just had this conversation? Far too often, my answer was: absolutely nothing.
Then there's Caspen.
I struggled with him in the original books but eventually developed some sympathy for him, particularly toward the end of book two. Somehow, meeting younger Caspen made that significantly harder.
His conflicts and emotional reactions frequently feel bizarrely adolescent. His relationship with Harmony, a woman openly playing with him and his brother Apollo, left me wondering why he supposedly develops feelings for her at all beyond sexual attraction. The fact that the woman actively destroying harmony between two brothers is literally named Harmony almost feels like the book is bullying me personally.
But nothing prepared me for Caspen confronting his mother, becoming overwhelmed by the conversation and then simply...
turning around and running away!!!This is an adult basilisk/man! And since basilisks spend considerable amounts of time naked in their underground realm, my brain unfortunately supplied the full visual of a grown, naked man fleeing an uncomfortable conversation with Mommy.
Spoiler allert: His arms were not the only things flailing. I am so sorry.
There are smaller moments that bothered me for the same reason. At one point Daphne finds a spider in Maximus's chambers and carefully takes it outside while they discuss the value of even the smallest life. I understand what this scene is presumably trying to communicate: Daphne is compassionate and considers life precious. The problem is that I could practically see the characterization happening in capital letters. Instead of revealing compassion through a meaningful decision with actual emotional or moral weight, we get the familiar "she even saves spiders" shortcut.
And that ultimately summarizes my biggest problem with this book: the characters don't feel psychologically distinct or particularly multifaceted. They frequently behave according to whatever emotional archetype or narrative function the scene requires rather than feeling like complicated adults with individual inner lives. People can absolutely behave irrationally, immaturely and stupidly. Real people do it every day. But believable stupidity still needs to emerge from believable psychology.
After three books, I'm increasingly noticing the limitations of the character writing.
I could forgive a LOT in this series because the first two books were quite entertaining. They were messy, unhinged and often completely fucking ridiculous, but they gave me something to react to.
This one mostly gave me a story I felt like I'd already read, except slower, duller and populated by essentially the same people, only with different names.
My friend fought her way valiantly through all 500-ish pages. Godspeed to that brave woman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2026
UPDATED!!
I feel like they missed a golden opportunity to give us a story where a person doesn't have to choose. That Tems gets her ending with both Caspen and Leo. Because otherwise, what was the point? The entire premise of the book was the choice, but sometimes we simply cannot choose. I think it's lazy to have it end in that way to only jump into a prequel (unless that's buying us some time). Tems' story doesnt feel like it's done. So far everyone else has had to make a choice - resurrect Caspen, so that he can make a choice. And give us some fraternal twins please! Thanks.
Anyway, I'm begrudgingly going to read this one.
~~~~~
So i read the book. I ate it up in 1 day!
And whilst I MAINTAIN that this prequel is premature, I fuck with it heavily and all the water weight I lost from crying is proof!
Everything made sense, and made the ending of Kneel bittersweet bc its history repeating itself, and karma coming to bite our fave in the butt. It made me reread Kiss of the Basilisk so I can really appreciate what little we can glean from her mother, having seen what happened to her. The mother's backstory was also so very special and precious to me which got me so emotional. In light of all the recent cases of sexual violence, it was a little triggering and yet empowering. I'm emotional just typing this out.Kronos just seems like such a nice fucking guy! And he loved her, honoured and respected her boundaries - PHEW! I hate what happened to him, but justice was served in the end.
THAT SAID - how'd she get pregnant so soon? I hate that the main act of sex was forced on them like that, BUT i get it for the sake of the story's progression.
WITH THE ABOVE STATED - I think there's still hope for Caspen. Lindsay Straube I have some ideas, call me! LOL
I think, even without the sex, it is such a beautiful world with such memorable characters, that I see myself immersing into again and again. The storyline/plot is what makes the series for me, the sex is just a bonus - really. I just need my fraternal twins please. And Caspen alive. Again Miss Lindsay, I have ideas! LOL
I feel like they missed a golden opportunity to give us a story where a person doesn't have to choose. That Tems gets her ending with both Caspen and Leo. Because otherwise, what was the point? The entire premise of the book was the choice, but sometimes we simply cannot choose. I think it's lazy to have it end in that way to only jump into a prequel (unless that's buying us some time). Tems' story doesnt feel like it's done. So far everyone else has had to make a choice - resurrect Caspen, so that he can make a choice. And give us some fraternal twins please! Thanks.
Anyway, I'm begrudgingly going to read this one.
~~~~~
So i read the book. I ate it up in 1 day!
And whilst I MAINTAIN that this prequel is premature, I fuck with it heavily and all the water weight I lost from crying is proof!
Everything made sense, and made the ending of Kneel bittersweet bc its history repeating itself, and karma coming to bite our fave in the butt. It made me reread Kiss of the Basilisk so I can really appreciate what little we can glean from her mother, having seen what happened to her. The mother's backstory was also so very special and precious to me which got me so emotional. In light of all the recent cases of sexual violence, it was a little triggering and yet empowering. I'm emotional just typing this out.Kronos just seems like such a nice fucking guy! And he loved her, honoured and respected her boundaries - PHEW! I hate what happened to him, but justice was served in the end.
THAT SAID - how'd she get pregnant so soon? I hate that the main act of sex was forced on them like that, BUT i get it for the sake of the story's progression.
WITH THE ABOVE STATED - I think there's still hope for Caspen. Lindsay Straube I have some ideas, call me! LOL
I think, even without the sex, it is such a beautiful world with such memorable characters, that I see myself immersing into again and again. The storyline/plot is what makes the series for me, the sex is just a bonus - really. I just need my fraternal twins please. And Caspen alive. Again Miss Lindsay, I have ideas! LOL
August 24, 2026
This would have been best read first. This is coming partially from a chronological reader & partially from the standpoint that given the first two books- you already know how this all ends.
Knowing what I know made this a bit boring tbh.
I loved Kronos + Daphne a lot though. Their dynamic was absolutely perfection. & I did enjoy getting Maximus’ background. The ending was eerie.
Knowing what I know made this a bit boring tbh.
I loved Kronos + Daphne a lot though. Their dynamic was absolutely perfection. & I did enjoy getting Maximus’ background. The ending was eerie.
August 25, 2026
This was a 4.5⭐️ read for me and an absolute joy to jump back into this world. While it had elements of Kiss of the Basilisk (as it should), it was still remarkably its own storyline with a different perspective on the competition that took place 20+ years before. I didn't know if I would be bought into the new FMC/MMCs because of my love for the original series, but I found myself liking the FMC more and more. I could see elements of her personality that were similar and different from the other FMC - an incredibly feat to balance. I also liked seeing snippets of characters from the original series in this book. I feel like I have a different perspective of all the MMCs now that I've read this version and, dare I say, have empathy for quite a few. While we often think a woman scorned is dangerous, this book proved that male scorned could be equally as intense. Thank you to NetGalley and Lindsay Straube for providing me with this eARC!
September 27, 2026
Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Lindsay, you will be hearing from my therapist! I knew what was going to happen because I'd read the other two books, but I was still so unprepared for this, and I was sobbing. Prepare yourself for a wild ride that will not let up until the end!
This book follows Tem’s mom, Daphne. I loved being able to go back in time and see what her mother went through under the mountain and how it shaped her character. Daphne realized she wasn’t going to have sex with the basilisk or the king because she wants to be in love the next time she has sex. Her whole life, men have used her for sex, and you can tell how much it’s worn her down and how it’s shaped who she is as a character. She has been used by men so often that she wanted to finally be with a man who wanted her for more than her body.
I loved Max and Kronos. At first I didn’t know whom I wanted Daphne to choose because they both seemed so great for her. I wanted her to choose Max because he seemed like he genuinely cared for her and wanted what was best for her. But as the story progressed, when Max wasn’t able to have Daphne, he became mean and lashed out. Kronos never cared if he didn’t get what he wanted from Daphne; he was just happy to be around her. The ending though?! I HATE YOU, MAX! I hope he rots (even though we know he doesn’t) and never finds love. He can be unhappy the rest of his life, and now I feel validated in hating him in Kiss of the Basilisk. I wish that he could have changed, but this felt like his villain origin story.
This was definitely a new side of Caspen; I mean, he was basically a cuck in this book. When we met him in Kiss of the Basilisk, he seemed so strong and sure of himself, but I didn’t get that same vibe from him in this book. He felt very unsure of himself and was fighting over the same woman as his brother. You can tell it hurts him that he and his brother want the same woman. I felt bad for him, and I understood the connection that they had, but I wanted to scream at him!! Move on; someone else is coming who is better for you! I loved seeing into Caspen’s past and what happened 20 years prior.
Overall, this is yet another amazing book, and I loved getting more of the backstory! If you are a smut lover, this is definitely the book for you!
Lindsay, you will be hearing from my therapist! I knew what was going to happen because I'd read the other two books, but I was still so unprepared for this, and I was sobbing. Prepare yourself for a wild ride that will not let up until the end!
This book follows Tem’s mom, Daphne. I loved being able to go back in time and see what her mother went through under the mountain and how it shaped her character. Daphne realized she wasn’t going to have sex with the basilisk or the king because she wants to be in love the next time she has sex. Her whole life, men have used her for sex, and you can tell how much it’s worn her down and how it’s shaped who she is as a character. She has been used by men so often that she wanted to finally be with a man who wanted her for more than her body.
I loved Max and Kronos. At first I didn’t know whom I wanted Daphne to choose because they both seemed so great for her. I wanted her to choose Max because he seemed like he genuinely cared for her and wanted what was best for her. But as the story progressed, when Max wasn’t able to have Daphne, he became mean and lashed out. Kronos never cared if he didn’t get what he wanted from Daphne; he was just happy to be around her. The ending though?! I HATE YOU, MAX! I hope he rots (even though we know he doesn’t) and never finds love. He can be unhappy the rest of his life, and now I feel validated in hating him in Kiss of the Basilisk. I wish that he could have changed, but this felt like his villain origin story.
This was definitely a new side of Caspen; I mean, he was basically a cuck in this book. When we met him in Kiss of the Basilisk, he seemed so strong and sure of himself, but I didn’t get that same vibe from him in this book. He felt very unsure of himself and was fighting over the same woman as his brother. You can tell it hurts him that he and his brother want the same woman. I felt bad for him, and I understood the connection that they had, but I wanted to scream at him!! Move on; someone else is coming who is better for you! I loved seeing into Caspen’s past and what happened 20 years prior.
Overall, this is yet another amazing book, and I loved getting more of the backstory! If you are a smut lover, this is definitely the book for you!
September 5, 2026
I thought I loved Tem, wellllll… I like her mom even more!
I loved Daphne as a character. She’s self-assured, promiscuous, and completely comfortable with what she wants, but she’s also trying to learn to value herself enough to not automatically act on those wants. The fact that she actively chooses not to sleep with either man when that’s exactly what she wants to do? She’s better than me, girl! Pact shmact. I’d jump both their bones immediately. With a side of Caspen and Apollo too, please!
I really enjoyed the backstory for Caspen and Apollo. Getting to see their relationship through the perspective of having a woman between them gave me such a better understanding of the characters I met in the first two books. I actually came to dislike Caspen a little more after this. He’s just so… safe. And I can totally understand why Harmony would want both men, aside from the obvious reasons. Together, they’re balance. And speaking of Harmony.. I loved to loathe her. The chokehold she has these men in? My gawdddd. She is truly diabolical and I am both impressed and disgusted at how she so effortlessly plays both men.
I also really enjoyed the parallels between Tem and Daphne’s stories. They both end up in competitions they never wanted to be part of, caught between two men they never expected to like as much as they do.
Early book Maximus? Delicious. A grieving single dad with a knack for banter and tension??? Take my moneyyyy. I love a man who is down bad, and oh boy, is Maximus DOWN BAD for her. The night of the Frisky Sixty? 🤭🤭 One of my favorite scenes FOR SURE.
Now, Kronos. He is no Caspen. I didn’t like him immediately, but he definitely grew on me. I love that he always wanted to honor Daphne’s choices while still making his feelings known. But sir… express some interest before getting mad that she might have done something?!
I really enjoyed watching Maximus go through this mental war, desperately trying not to become his father, and then, as we know, ultimately becoming him. There’s something so tragic about the idea that, despite how hard we try to be different from our parents, sometimes we end up becoming more like them than we ever wanted to.
Sooo… around 85%, I realized I don’t actually love Daphne. 😂
I understand the need to idealize Kronos and make him the “right” choice, but GIRL. You do Maximus SO dirty. That man is YEARNING. He is down horrendous, constantly trying to show her how he feels, trying to please her, trying to prove himself, and she just… doesn’t seem capable of seeing past the version of him she’s decided exists in her head.
Meanwhile, Kronos can seemingly do no wrong.
At least Leo had a fighting chance. It feels like Max never really did. Daphne is so hot and cold with him, and she doesn’t want him to stop pursuing her, but she also won’t actually let him go. It just felt unfair to him.
And Kronos is almost… too nice? Daphne getting upset with him because she thinks he knew about the crest had me like GIRL, COME ON. You practically begged him to do it! And now you’re acting like he orchestrated the whole thing just to sleep with you? STOP IT RIGHT NOW. 😂
That said, I really enjoyed how everything tied together in the end. Maximus turning evil was sad, but honestly, expected. Watching him slowly become his own father was tragic, but it also gave me so much more insight into the character from the previous books and why he is the way he is.
And Bastian?! WHAT A PIECE OF WORK. I was genuinely shook when he chose Harmony and Kronos. I gasped. What a perfect way to get rid of them, but DAMN, that man is evil.
Kronos commanding Daphne not to look for him was heartbreaking. I really felt for them.
Overall, I loved getting this deeper look into the characters and the world. Reading this prequel makes me want to go back and reread the entire series and experience everything from this new perspective. There’s so much more meat to these stories now, and I really appreciate how this book added so much depth and context to characters I thought I already understood.
I loved Daphne as a character. She’s self-assured, promiscuous, and completely comfortable with what she wants, but she’s also trying to learn to value herself enough to not automatically act on those wants. The fact that she actively chooses not to sleep with either man when that’s exactly what she wants to do? She’s better than me, girl! Pact shmact. I’d jump both their bones immediately. With a side of Caspen and Apollo too, please!
I really enjoyed the backstory for Caspen and Apollo. Getting to see their relationship through the perspective of having a woman between them gave me such a better understanding of the characters I met in the first two books. I actually came to dislike Caspen a little more after this. He’s just so… safe. And I can totally understand why Harmony would want both men, aside from the obvious reasons. Together, they’re balance. And speaking of Harmony.. I loved to loathe her. The chokehold she has these men in? My gawdddd. She is truly diabolical and I am both impressed and disgusted at how she so effortlessly plays both men.
I also really enjoyed the parallels between Tem and Daphne’s stories. They both end up in competitions they never wanted to be part of, caught between two men they never expected to like as much as they do.
Early book Maximus? Delicious. A grieving single dad with a knack for banter and tension??? Take my moneyyyy. I love a man who is down bad, and oh boy, is Maximus DOWN BAD for her. The night of the Frisky Sixty? 🤭🤭 One of my favorite scenes FOR SURE.
Now, Kronos. He is no Caspen. I didn’t like him immediately, but he definitely grew on me. I love that he always wanted to honor Daphne’s choices while still making his feelings known. But sir… express some interest before getting mad that she might have done something?!
I really enjoyed watching Maximus go through this mental war, desperately trying not to become his father, and then, as we know, ultimately becoming him. There’s something so tragic about the idea that, despite how hard we try to be different from our parents, sometimes we end up becoming more like them than we ever wanted to.
Sooo… around 85%, I realized I don’t actually love Daphne. 😂
I understand the need to idealize Kronos and make him the “right” choice, but GIRL. You do Maximus SO dirty. That man is YEARNING. He is down horrendous, constantly trying to show her how he feels, trying to please her, trying to prove himself, and she just… doesn’t seem capable of seeing past the version of him she’s decided exists in her head.
Meanwhile, Kronos can seemingly do no wrong.
At least Leo had a fighting chance. It feels like Max never really did. Daphne is so hot and cold with him, and she doesn’t want him to stop pursuing her, but she also won’t actually let him go. It just felt unfair to him.
And Kronos is almost… too nice? Daphne getting upset with him because she thinks he knew about the crest had me like GIRL, COME ON. You practically begged him to do it! And now you’re acting like he orchestrated the whole thing just to sleep with you? STOP IT RIGHT NOW. 😂
That said, I really enjoyed how everything tied together in the end. Maximus turning evil was sad, but honestly, expected. Watching him slowly become his own father was tragic, but it also gave me so much more insight into the character from the previous books and why he is the way he is.
And Bastian?! WHAT A PIECE OF WORK. I was genuinely shook when he chose Harmony and Kronos. I gasped. What a perfect way to get rid of them, but DAMN, that man is evil.
Kronos commanding Daphne not to look for him was heartbreaking. I really felt for them.
Overall, I loved getting this deeper look into the characters and the world. Reading this prequel makes me want to go back and reread the entire series and experience everything from this new perspective. There’s so much more meat to these stories now, and I really appreciate how this book added so much depth and context to characters I thought I already understood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2026
This was my first read by Lindsay Straube, and I understand this is the prequel/backstory to the rest of the Split or Swallow series. I may not have been the right fit for this book, or maybe I would've felt differently going in if I'd read the other books first, I'm seeing a lot of rave reviews for this one, so it's possible the context I was missing mattered more than I realized.
There were things I genuinely enjoyed and things that drove me a little insane. I didn't care for the writing overall, and small repetitive tics, like Caspenon rolling his shoulders multiple times within chapter one alone, pulled me out of the story more than I expected. Hopefully some of that gets tightened up before the final published edition.
I loved the tension between Kronos and Daphne, and between Max and Daphne too, and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot itself. On the other hand, I didn't feel much connection to Caspen, Apollo, and Harmony, and honestly disliked their dynamic. The world itself, though, I really enjoyed overall. Some portions did feel like they were circling without really moving forward, which slowed my momentum at times. Still, I enjoyed this overall and would read the other books in the series. It just didn't fully live up to the expectations I had going in.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, SourceBooks for the e-arc.
There were things I genuinely enjoyed and things that drove me a little insane. I didn't care for the writing overall, and small repetitive tics, like Caspenon rolling his shoulders multiple times within chapter one alone, pulled me out of the story more than I expected. Hopefully some of that gets tightened up before the final published edition.
I loved the tension between Kronos and Daphne, and between Max and Daphne too, and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot itself. On the other hand, I didn't feel much connection to Caspen, Apollo, and Harmony, and honestly disliked their dynamic. The world itself, though, I really enjoyed overall. Some portions did feel like they were circling without really moving forward, which slowed my momentum at times. Still, I enjoyed this overall and would read the other books in the series. It just didn't fully live up to the expectations I had going in.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, SourceBooks for the e-arc.
October 11, 2026
I was prepared to be absolutely disgusted bc I thought it was gonna be like mother like daughter, but I enjoyed this prequel. I also liked Daphne and her discernment much more than Tem and her choices. There was more yearning and relationship development alongside revenge and deception. I think the last chapter was wasted bc it didn't give me the reunion I wanted. I need a bonus chapter. I'm Team Kronos now.
Additionally, the female narrator was fine, all characters sounded different. The male narrator gave everyone the same British dialect. 🤦🏾♀️ That wasn't why I gave it a lower than 5 rating, but it was a problem for me.
Also, I just had a thought. *slight spoiler* Daphne doesn't know what was in the contents of the elixir. 🫣
Additionally, the female narrator was fine, all characters sounded different. The male narrator gave everyone the same British dialect. 🤦🏾♀️ That wasn't why I gave it a lower than 5 rating, but it was a problem for me.
Also, I just had a thought. *slight spoiler* Daphne doesn't know what was in the contents of the elixir. 🫣
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Tantor Media, and Sourcebooks Bloom for this wonderful ALC/ARC!
4/5
Is this a wildly unhinged concept? YES. Did I love it? ALSO YES.
This was such a wild ride, much like Kiss of the Basilisk (I haven't read Between Two Kings yet), and it absolutely did not disappoint.
We get multiple POVs and so much backstory that really puts a lot of Kiss of the Basilisk into perspective.
So much of the story runs parallel to Tem's story, but we also get to see all the ways they are complete opposites.
I loved Daphne so much more than Tem, and Kronos? The best.
Even Maximus, to be honest.
I will say I got quite the jump scare when I read Caspen's first chapter. I really wasn't expecting him. It was also interesting to see the role he played here and how his story develops later on.
As for the ALC, we get the return of Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood. I was so happy to hear these two again, and I felt they both did a fantastic job.
And thank you to Courtney for letting me know there was an ALC available to request. This made for a very fun buddy read!
4/5
Is this a wildly unhinged concept? YES. Did I love it? ALSO YES.
This was such a wild ride, much like Kiss of the Basilisk (I haven't read Between Two Kings yet), and it absolutely did not disappoint.
We get multiple POVs and so much backstory that really puts a lot of Kiss of the Basilisk into perspective.
So much of the story runs parallel to Tem's story, but we also get to see all the ways they are complete opposites.
I loved Daphne so much more than Tem, and Kronos? The best.
Even Maximus, to be honest.
I will say I got quite the jump scare when I read Caspen's first chapter. I really wasn't expecting him. It was also interesting to see the role he played here and how his story develops later on.
As for the ALC, we get the return of Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood. I was so happy to hear these two again, and I felt they both did a fantastic job.
And thank you to Courtney for letting me know there was an ALC available to request. This made for a very fun buddy read!
Read
October 15, 2026If you read the other two books, you’ve read this one. If anything, only read the last 10%. It adds very little to the series & you learn virtually nothing new. But I still had to read it. 🐍 👑👑🤴
September 30, 2026
Terrible. I DNFd about 35% through. It seemed like it was a copy and paste of book 1. I hope it gets better, but for me, this is a no.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books for the eARC.
Thank goodness I had the audiobook to get me through chapter 40, because this is a very generous 3 ⭐.
Like mother, like daughter. The ability to be utterly useless is a family trait apparently. If you disliked Tem in KOTB, you will hate Daphne, because she knew what Tem would go through, but still let her fail with no heads up.
Is it considered plagiarism if you are stealing from your own work? Because "Kneel Before Me" is practically a scene for scene copy of KOTB with some "Between Two Kings" mixed in so it wasn't a complete copy. So many of the same things happen to Daphne that I was wondering what new experiences she would encounter, and by my count, there was only 1 thing that did not appear in either of the previous books.
Because this is a prequel, you already know how the story ends. There was no need for this to be a 500 page book of nothing. A simple novella would have been an adequate avenue for Daphne's story, or it would have been prudent for this to come out first. If you have already read KOTB and BTK, you can skip KBM. If this is your first foray into the basilisk world, start with KBM and then decide if you want to experience another willfully ignorant person in this bloodline.
Trying to find logic in this series is a futile effort. Things do not simply make sense. It does not make sense for Daphne to go through all this and then never tell her daughter about anything basilisk before sending her off to the caves to experience the almost identical series of events. At least there were fewer "such is the basilisk way" in KBM, so there is that going for it. The main difference between Daphne and Tem is that Tem entered the caves a virgin and Daphne entered as a woman of loose morals. That was Daphne's whole personality and how she decided she wanted to create a new identity for herself, no matter who she hurt in the process. Both Tem and Daphne had simple solutions to their problems right in front of them and both tried to solve it in the worst possible way. How can we take the most amount of time and be the least effective in how we handle this? That is the Verus way.
Straube has a very unique writing style that lends itself to the absurd and ridiculous. This series is so unique and interesting, but ultimately did not need to be 3 books. I am grateful this series is now completed and I look forward to see that level of absurdity Straube comes up with next!
Thank goodness I had the audiobook to get me through chapter 40, because this is a very generous 3 ⭐.
Like mother, like daughter. The ability to be utterly useless is a family trait apparently. If you disliked Tem in KOTB, you will hate Daphne, because she knew what Tem would go through, but still let her fail with no heads up.
Is it considered plagiarism if you are stealing from your own work? Because "Kneel Before Me" is practically a scene for scene copy of KOTB with some "Between Two Kings" mixed in so it wasn't a complete copy. So many of the same things happen to Daphne that I was wondering what new experiences she would encounter, and by my count, there was only 1 thing that did not appear in either of the previous books.
Because this is a prequel, you already know how the story ends. There was no need for this to be a 500 page book of nothing. A simple novella would have been an adequate avenue for Daphne's story, or it would have been prudent for this to come out first. If you have already read KOTB and BTK, you can skip KBM. If this is your first foray into the basilisk world, start with KBM and then decide if you want to experience another willfully ignorant person in this bloodline.
Trying to find logic in this series is a futile effort. Things do not simply make sense. It does not make sense for Daphne to go through all this and then never tell her daughter about anything basilisk before sending her off to the caves to experience the almost identical series of events. At least there were fewer "such is the basilisk way" in KBM, so there is that going for it. The main difference between Daphne and Tem is that Tem entered the caves a virgin and Daphne entered as a woman of loose morals. That was Daphne's whole personality and how she decided she wanted to create a new identity for herself, no matter who she hurt in the process. Both Tem and Daphne had simple solutions to their problems right in front of them and both tried to solve it in the worst possible way. How can we take the most amount of time and be the least effective in how we handle this? That is the Verus way.
Straube has a very unique writing style that lends itself to the absurd and ridiculous. This series is so unique and interesting, but ultimately did not need to be 3 books. I am grateful this series is now completed and I look forward to see that level of absurdity Straube comes up with next!
October 12, 2026
Listen I know this series is basilisk erotica BUT this one was so deep!!!!!! Women with boundaries who put themselves first!!!! Love Daphne so much. My fav FMC in the series.
Final thoughts. Slut for Kronos. Maximus SUCKS. Bastian needs his head ripped off 👀 Caspen actually deserves a little justice IM SORRY. & I love Apollo forever and ever to the ends of the earth.
Final thoughts. Slut for Kronos. Maximus SUCKS. Bastian needs his head ripped off 👀 Caspen actually deserves a little justice IM SORRY. & I love Apollo forever and ever to the ends of the earth.
October 9, 2026
I loved all the spit and swallow series and this one did not disappoint!! I don't know what it is but I can't get enough of these books lol! Super smutty snake train wreck with a decent plot that I couldn't stop reading!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐ 3 | ❤️ 5/5
Note: This review is based on the first 40 chapters (first 75%) of the audiobook for Kneel Before Me, which is the prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk.
Recommended reading order: For those who are not yet initiated to the Split and Swallow series, I would recommend starting with Kiss of the Basilisk before reading the prequel Kneel Before Me, because it’s the strongest introduction to the universe and the most structured. Reading Kneel Before Me before Between Two Kings would give you the most optimal experience for Between Two Kings due to having more context about Caspen and Rowe, but honestly it could be read before or after Between Two Kings depending on what mood you are in after Kiss of the Basilisk.
TL:DR: Recommended reading order:
1. Kiss of the Basilisk
0. Kneel Before Me
2. Between Two Kings
Since I never wrote a review for Kiss of the Basilisk or Between Two Kings, this review will include some brief thoughts on the series, since it’s relevant to Kneel Before Me. Kiss of the Basilisk is a really polarizing book: either you loved the high camp and absurdity of it or you hated it. From reading reviews, it seemed that those who hated it disliked the FMC (understandably), took it at face value, and disliked the writing. I’m not saying the writing is without fault-- in the prequel especially, I noticed that the dialogue sometimes veered more cringey than I recall the other two books being. The writing is very earnest, but I felt like it was self aware and that the author was winking at us. My bookish friend and I are in disagreement about it, but I took it to be satire of fantasy romance that we were all in on. The author takes tropes from the genre and then pushes them to the extreme, which made for an entertaining, fresh read if you can suspend belief.
If you haven’t read Kiss of the Basilisk yet, this review contains spoilers for book 1. Do not proceed.
Kneel Before Me is a multi POV including POV chapters from Daphne (Tem’s mom), Maximus (Leo’s dad), and Caspen. This felt very familiar due to many of the major plot beats being the same as Kiss of the Basilisk. The key differences are that FMC Daphne is promiscuous whereas Tem was a virgin, the basilisk MMC Kronos being all green flags vs Caspen’s red flags, the addition of a variant of fake dating, the additional love triangle between Caspen/Apollo/Harmony, and all the other differences were pretty minor.
Plot & Pacing: Kiss of the Basilisk had the marriage competition to anchor the plot around, whereas Between Two Kings felt unfocused with the side plots. Kneel Before Me isn’t as meandering as Between Two Kings but isn’t quite as tight in its plot as Kiss of the Basilisk, and the freshness and novelty of Kiss of the Basilisk didn’t carry over into the prequel or the sequel. I found the pacing to drag in this installment particularly in the first half. I was wondering if this book had lost the absurdity and edge of the first two books until I got halfway through, which was oddly comforting yet familiar.
Romance: I got whiplash when Kronos declared his feelings for Daphne at 15% in, because the romance didn’t feel earned to me at that point. I also didn’t understand Caspen’s and Apollo’s infatuation with Harmony at all; it felt like we were dropped in the middle of it. What did work for me was the tension between Maximus and Daphne, which felt electric early on.
If you loved Kiss of the Basilisk and want more of this world: I would recommend you give Kneel Before Me a try, but only if you don’t mind instalove and romance that has a sweeter tone. Will I read Apollo's book when it comes out? Most likely yes.
Audiobook listeners: This was a dual narration. I found Daphne’s dialogue to feel wooden in her POV chapters, but I’m not sure if it’s the narrator Elena Wolfe’s execution of the dialogue or if it’s the writing itself. I didn’t listen to the previous books in audiobook format, so I don’t have those as a point of comparison. It seemed to get better in the later chapters though.
I found the narration of the male POV chapters by Auron Wood to be inconsistent. Sometimes Maximus’s and Caspen’s voices sounded robotic, but then other times Maximus’s voice didn’t sound robotic and instead sounded posh. Sometimes the narrator put on an affectation when narrating Maximus, where he drew out the syllables especially the final syllable in a sentence, which was jarring. It was also distracting that the two narrators pronounced Caspen's name differently (Elena pronounced it cas-pe-non, whereas Auron pronounced it cas-pan). For these reasons, I’d recommend the print format over the audiobook unless you generally prefer audiobooks.
CW: Misogyny, slut shaming, torture
0. Kneel Before Me ⭐ 3
1. Kiss of the Basilisk ⭐ 4.25
2. Between Two Kings ⭐ 3.25
This review is based on a partial ALC (up to chapter 40) provided by Tantor Media via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Note: This review is based on the first 40 chapters (first 75%) of the audiobook for Kneel Before Me, which is the prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk.
Recommended reading order: For those who are not yet initiated to the Split and Swallow series, I would recommend starting with Kiss of the Basilisk before reading the prequel Kneel Before Me, because it’s the strongest introduction to the universe and the most structured. Reading Kneel Before Me before Between Two Kings would give you the most optimal experience for Between Two Kings due to having more context about Caspen and Rowe, but honestly it could be read before or after Between Two Kings depending on what mood you are in after Kiss of the Basilisk.
TL:DR: Recommended reading order:
1. Kiss of the Basilisk
0. Kneel Before Me
2. Between Two Kings
Since I never wrote a review for Kiss of the Basilisk or Between Two Kings, this review will include some brief thoughts on the series, since it’s relevant to Kneel Before Me. Kiss of the Basilisk is a really polarizing book: either you loved the high camp and absurdity of it or you hated it. From reading reviews, it seemed that those who hated it disliked the FMC (understandably), took it at face value, and disliked the writing. I’m not saying the writing is without fault-- in the prequel especially, I noticed that the dialogue sometimes veered more cringey than I recall the other two books being. The writing is very earnest, but I felt like it was self aware and that the author was winking at us. My bookish friend and I are in disagreement about it, but I took it to be satire of fantasy romance that we were all in on. The author takes tropes from the genre and then pushes them to the extreme, which made for an entertaining, fresh read if you can suspend belief.
If you haven’t read Kiss of the Basilisk yet, this review contains spoilers for book 1. Do not proceed.
Kneel Before Me is a multi POV including POV chapters from Daphne (Tem’s mom), Maximus (Leo’s dad), and Caspen. This felt very familiar due to many of the major plot beats being the same as Kiss of the Basilisk. The key differences are that FMC Daphne is promiscuous whereas Tem was a virgin, the basilisk MMC Kronos being all green flags vs Caspen’s red flags, the addition of a variant of fake dating, the additional love triangle between Caspen/Apollo/Harmony, and all the other differences were pretty minor.
Plot & Pacing: Kiss of the Basilisk had the marriage competition to anchor the plot around, whereas Between Two Kings felt unfocused with the side plots. Kneel Before Me isn’t as meandering as Between Two Kings but isn’t quite as tight in its plot as Kiss of the Basilisk, and the freshness and novelty of Kiss of the Basilisk didn’t carry over into the prequel or the sequel. I found the pacing to drag in this installment particularly in the first half. I was wondering if this book had lost the absurdity and edge of the first two books until I got halfway through, which was oddly comforting yet familiar.
Romance: I got whiplash when Kronos declared his feelings for Daphne at 15% in, because the romance didn’t feel earned to me at that point. I also didn’t understand Caspen’s and Apollo’s infatuation with Harmony at all; it felt like we were dropped in the middle of it. What did work for me was the tension between Maximus and Daphne, which felt electric early on.
If you loved Kiss of the Basilisk and want more of this world: I would recommend you give Kneel Before Me a try, but only if you don’t mind instalove and romance that has a sweeter tone. Will I read Apollo's book when it comes out? Most likely yes.
Audiobook listeners: This was a dual narration. I found Daphne’s dialogue to feel wooden in her POV chapters, but I’m not sure if it’s the narrator Elena Wolfe’s execution of the dialogue or if it’s the writing itself. I didn’t listen to the previous books in audiobook format, so I don’t have those as a point of comparison. It seemed to get better in the later chapters though.
I found the narration of the male POV chapters by Auron Wood to be inconsistent. Sometimes Maximus’s and Caspen’s voices sounded robotic, but then other times Maximus’s voice didn’t sound robotic and instead sounded posh. Sometimes the narrator put on an affectation when narrating Maximus, where he drew out the syllables especially the final syllable in a sentence, which was jarring. It was also distracting that the two narrators pronounced Caspen's name differently (Elena pronounced it cas-pe-non, whereas Auron pronounced it cas-pan). For these reasons, I’d recommend the print format over the audiobook unless you generally prefer audiobooks.
CW: Misogyny, slut shaming, torture
0. Kneel Before Me ⭐ 3
1. Kiss of the Basilisk ⭐ 4.25
2. Between Two Kings ⭐ 3.25
This review is based on a partial ALC (up to chapter 40) provided by Tantor Media via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2026
**𝓝𝓞 𝓢𝓟𝓞𝓘𝓛𝓔𝓡𝓢**
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- Kneel Before Me by Lindsay Straube
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 MF 🌶🌶🌶️/ 5 - 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
Which books have I also given this same rating?
(𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth Wing / Bound by Inked Flame / Anathema / The Lies of Lena / Of Silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ ACOTAR / Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird / Kiss of the Basilisk
3⭐️ We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
Genre- Erotic Fantasy Romance / Dark Romantasy / Paranormal Romance
🎧 23 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 17 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀- (I listened at 1.7x speed)
📖 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀- 507
𝗣𝗢𝗩- Multi 1st person POV, Dual-voice audiobook narration.
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀- Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲-1 September 2026
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒜 ℳ𝒾𝓍, with particularly strong character histories and political worldbuilding.
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- spit or swallow, 0.5 prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk.
Reading order? ✅ My recommended order is Kneel Before Me → Kiss of the Basilisk → Between Two Kings.
𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅
𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- Medium
𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? 🤔 meh…
𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? Themes of sexual autonomy, prejudice, exploitation and judgement of women based on their sexual history.
Did I enjoy this book? ✅ Yes
Would I read anything else by this author? ✅ Yes
🚨🅲︎🅷︎🅴︎🅲︎🅺︎ 🆃︎🅷︎🅴︎ 🆃︎🆆︎!🚨
Misogyny, slut-shaming, coercive power dynamics, violence, torture, dangerous competitions, sexual exploitation and explicit sexual content. Please check the author’s full content warnings before reading.
⚜️𝕊ℙ𝔼ℂ𝕀𝔼𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐:
💋𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠
🐍 Basilisks / Serpent Shifters
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 scenes include: MF encounters, multiple romantic interests and erotic competition dynamics. 🌶🌶🌶️ / 5
🔥𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 elements
🥵𝒟𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ / ᒪᑌᔕT
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟
🔺 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒
💀𝔉𝔬𝔯𝔟𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔫 𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢
❤️🔥 Romantic rivalry and jealousy
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
🏆TᖇIᗩᒪՏ
🪧Pᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ Iɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
👑𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
🤬 Feminine Rage
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
🩸 Generational secrets
🐍 Shifter society and royal traditions
❤️🔥 Competing love interests
✨𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔?✨
Anyone who enjoys erotic fantasy! If you like complicated royal politics, dangerous traditions, unusual supernatural cultures, morally questionable decisions, emotionally messy romances and family secrets that influence future generations, this is a fantastic choice. If all you want is wild monster smut in a paranormal world then this series is for you.
I’d especially recommend starting with this book if you’re new to the series. Although it’s a prequel, the additional context completely transforms how you understand the characters and events that follow.
✨ TᕼᗴᗰᗴՏ ✨
Love versus power, sexual autonomy, exploitation, prejudice, jealousy, sacrifice, ambition, generational consequences, loyalty, political control, social hierarchy, family secrets, emotional vulnerability and the price of difficult choices.
✨MOODS; ✨
𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄, 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚, 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍, 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒚, 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕𝒚, 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒚, 𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔.
📝Cliff Notes Review-
Possibly the best book in the Basilisk series for worldbuilding because this gives us what the previous two were lacking. The spice is less frequent, but the political intrigue, character histories and revelations are considerably stronger. So many unanswered questions finally make sense, and I genuinely wish I’d experienced this prequel first. My recommended order is Kneel Before Me, Kiss of the Basilisk, then Between Two Kings.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️
(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?)
Either format would work well, Unlike the other two books, where the narration really elevated the experience for me, this time the writing itself was the standout. There is so much history and lore to absorb that I could easily imagine enjoying a physical copy, especially if I wanted to annotate all the connections and revelations.
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The audiobook was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t describe the casting as perfect. Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood both gave good performances, although I personally felt the female narration was stronger and more convincing.
At 1.7x speed everything sounded perfectly fine. The dialogue remained clear, the emotions came through and the story flowed comfortably. However, when I increased the speed to 2.0x, the male narrator began sounding noticeably rushed. Some of the natural pauses and dramatic breathing room disappeared, so I dropped back to 1.7x and found the experience much better.
Neither performance was bad. I simply didn’t feel either narrator embodied the characters quite as perfectly as I would have liked. The female narration had the edge for me, while the male performance occasionally lacked the natural timing and emotional weight I prefer.
😥 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕟𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤?
As much as I enjoyed this book, there were still a few things I wanted more from. My biggest frustrations were A-not getting to witness Max meeting Tem. I would have loved to know whether he recognised who she was and, more importantly, what that recognition would have meant to him. After everything this prequel reveals about the characters and their histories, that missing interaction felt like such an interesting opportunity. And B- not getting the story of how the basilisks were put in the dungeon and connected to the wires, followed by any taunting and especially the making of the gold cuffs.
I also found that some elements of the competition echoed the events in Kiss of the Basilisk quite closely. Although I enjoyed seeing those parallels and understanding how history repeated itself, there were moments when I wanted the story to move into completely unfamiliar territory. Some sections felt slower than necessary, and a few character dynamics didn’t interest me as much as the central storyline.
The additional lore was brilliant, but I still wanted more depth in certain relationships and greater development of some of the secondary storylines. Particularly with Harmony, I would have really enjoyed a bonus chapter in her pov!
I would have appreciated a couple more detailed scenes too. The part where Daphne was getting home and trying to wrap her head around being pregnant would have been so much better if we knew if she was alone, had help? How had she coped? What did her mother say? Etc… I would also have liked to see the moment max chose his wife and what she thought, along with their wedding and consummation as I’m guessing that was hard and fast and full of hate/ resentment on both parts.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
THIS is the worldbuilding I wanted from the beginning!
I’ve enjoyed this series in a way, but one of my biggest criticisms of the earlier books was that the political intrigue and supernatural society were fascinating without always being explored deeply enough. There were so many interesting traditions, relationships, rivalries and power struggles that deserved more explanation.
Kneel Before Me finally gives us that missing foundation. We go back more than twenty years and experience events that shaped the society, characters and relationships we encounter in Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings. Suddenly, decisions that previously seemed strange have history behind them. Character motivations become clearer, political tensions gain context and the consequences of earlier choices ripple through the generations.
I particularly loved learning more about basilisk society and both of the royal families. Understanding the traditions, competitions, social expectations and historical relationships gave the entire series much greater depth. The additional perspectives were equally valuable because they allowed me to see familiar characters in a completely different light.
What impressed me most was how much this changed my understanding of the later books. It’s not simply a prequel offering a little extra backstory for established fans. For me, it contains information that genuinely improves the experience of the entire series.
My advice is to ignore publication order and read this one first. I genuinely believe the series would have been even better for me if I’d started here.
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Daphne was a fascinating FMC to follow. Knowing her connection to Tem immediately made me curious, but I loved discovering who she was before the events of the other books. She has her own experiences, desires, insecurities and boundaries, and I appreciated seeing her determined not to let powerful men dictate her worth. Her romantic storyline was compelling because the different men offered very different possibilities, and the emotional tension made her choices interesting even when I already understood some of their future consequences.
Kronos was a particular highlight. I loved the sincerity and tenderness he brought to the story. His feelings for Daphne offered a softer contrast to the more ruthless aspects of basilisk society, and I appreciated that his character had more to offer than simply being another powerful supernatural love interest.
Maximus was equally interesting, although for very different reasons. Watching his behaviour and relationships develop gave me a much better understanding of the man we encounter later. I found his choices, motivations and reactions fascinating, even when I didn’t particularly like them. It’s exactly this kind of character history that makes a prequel worthwhile. I was even rooting for him for most of the book!
Caspen was another character I was pleased to revisit. But I didn’t like him around harmony at all! Seeing him at a different stage in his life, with different relationships and insecurities, gave me a fresh perspective on his personality. I particularly appreciated how the multiple POVs allowed us to understand the emotional complications behind some of the political and romantic decisions.
The additional storylines involving Apollo and Harmony also helped connect the generations, although I wasn’t equally invested in every relationship. Some dynamics felt less developed than others, and I would have liked a little more time exploring the motivations behind certain attachments.
Overall, I thought the characters were interesting and distinct, but the greatest strength was seeing how their relationships, mistakes and decisions influenced the world we already knew.
⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
I won’t be re reading no. Because I don’t feel like this story is a journey, rather it’s more a fact giving book. Now I know it there’s no need to revisit.
I would recommend the series to readers who enjoy outrageous erotic fantasy, serpent shifters, morally questionable royalty, complicated relationships and plenty of political drama. However, if you’re looking for a traditional fantasy romance with restrained sexual content and uncomplicated relationships, this probably isn’t going to be your thing.
🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
The reduction in spice worked but it’s not what I was expecting. Yet having more room for the politics, history and character development made this a much more satisfying fantasy experience.
This book answered so many questions I had while reading the others and made me realise just how much of the series’ history I’d been missing. I loved seeing the foundations of the royal conflicts, learning more about basilisk society and understanding why certain characters behave as they do.
It wasn’t flawless. Some sections dragged, a few relationships could have been explored further, and I still have questions I wish the author had answered.
But I had a great time with this story, and I think it’s an important addition to the series.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...
IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...
***********************
🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action / fade to black
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- Kneel Before Me by Lindsay Straube
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 MF 🌶🌶🌶️/ 5 - 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
Which books have I also given this same rating?
(𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth Wing / Bound by Inked Flame / Anathema / The Lies of Lena / Of Silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ ACOTAR / Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird / Kiss of the Basilisk
3⭐️ We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
Genre- Erotic Fantasy Romance / Dark Romantasy / Paranormal Romance
🎧 23 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 17 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀- (I listened at 1.7x speed)
📖 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀- 507
𝗣𝗢𝗩- Multi 1st person POV, Dual-voice audiobook narration.
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀- Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲-1 September 2026
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒜 ℳ𝒾𝓍, with particularly strong character histories and political worldbuilding.
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- spit or swallow, 0.5 prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk.
Reading order? ✅ My recommended order is Kneel Before Me → Kiss of the Basilisk → Between Two Kings.
𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅
𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- Medium
𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? 🤔 meh…
𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? Themes of sexual autonomy, prejudice, exploitation and judgement of women based on their sexual history.
Did I enjoy this book? ✅ Yes
Would I read anything else by this author? ✅ Yes
🚨🅲︎🅷︎🅴︎🅲︎🅺︎ 🆃︎🅷︎🅴︎ 🆃︎🆆︎!🚨
Misogyny, slut-shaming, coercive power dynamics, violence, torture, dangerous competitions, sexual exploitation and explicit sexual content. Please check the author’s full content warnings before reading.
⚜️𝕊ℙ𝔼ℂ𝕀𝔼𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐:
💋𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠
🐍 Basilisks / Serpent Shifters
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 scenes include: MF encounters, multiple romantic interests and erotic competition dynamics. 🌶🌶🌶️ / 5
🔥𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 elements
🥵𝒟𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ / ᒪᑌᔕT
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟
🔺 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒
💀𝔉𝔬𝔯𝔟𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔫 𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢
❤️🔥 Romantic rivalry and jealousy
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
🏆TᖇIᗩᒪՏ
🪧Pᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ Iɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
👑𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
🤬 Feminine Rage
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
🩸 Generational secrets
🐍 Shifter society and royal traditions
❤️🔥 Competing love interests
✨𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔?✨
Anyone who enjoys erotic fantasy! If you like complicated royal politics, dangerous traditions, unusual supernatural cultures, morally questionable decisions, emotionally messy romances and family secrets that influence future generations, this is a fantastic choice. If all you want is wild monster smut in a paranormal world then this series is for you.
I’d especially recommend starting with this book if you’re new to the series. Although it’s a prequel, the additional context completely transforms how you understand the characters and events that follow.
✨ TᕼᗴᗰᗴՏ ✨
Love versus power, sexual autonomy, exploitation, prejudice, jealousy, sacrifice, ambition, generational consequences, loyalty, political control, social hierarchy, family secrets, emotional vulnerability and the price of difficult choices.
✨MOODS; ✨
𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄, 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚, 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍, 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒚, 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕𝒚, 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒚, 𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔.
📝Cliff Notes Review-
Possibly the best book in the Basilisk series for worldbuilding because this gives us what the previous two were lacking. The spice is less frequent, but the political intrigue, character histories and revelations are considerably stronger. So many unanswered questions finally make sense, and I genuinely wish I’d experienced this prequel first. My recommended order is Kneel Before Me, Kiss of the Basilisk, then Between Two Kings.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️
(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?)
Either format would work well, Unlike the other two books, where the narration really elevated the experience for me, this time the writing itself was the standout. There is so much history and lore to absorb that I could easily imagine enjoying a physical copy, especially if I wanted to annotate all the connections and revelations.
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The audiobook was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t describe the casting as perfect. Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood both gave good performances, although I personally felt the female narration was stronger and more convincing.
At 1.7x speed everything sounded perfectly fine. The dialogue remained clear, the emotions came through and the story flowed comfortably. However, when I increased the speed to 2.0x, the male narrator began sounding noticeably rushed. Some of the natural pauses and dramatic breathing room disappeared, so I dropped back to 1.7x and found the experience much better.
Neither performance was bad. I simply didn’t feel either narrator embodied the characters quite as perfectly as I would have liked. The female narration had the edge for me, while the male performance occasionally lacked the natural timing and emotional weight I prefer.
😥 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕟𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤?
As much as I enjoyed this book, there were still a few things I wanted more from. My biggest frustrations were A-not getting to witness Max meeting Tem. I would have loved to know whether he recognised who she was and, more importantly, what that recognition would have meant to him. After everything this prequel reveals about the characters and their histories, that missing interaction felt like such an interesting opportunity. And B- not getting the story of how the basilisks were put in the dungeon and connected to the wires, followed by any taunting and especially the making of the gold cuffs.
I also found that some elements of the competition echoed the events in Kiss of the Basilisk quite closely. Although I enjoyed seeing those parallels and understanding how history repeated itself, there were moments when I wanted the story to move into completely unfamiliar territory. Some sections felt slower than necessary, and a few character dynamics didn’t interest me as much as the central storyline.
The additional lore was brilliant, but I still wanted more depth in certain relationships and greater development of some of the secondary storylines. Particularly with Harmony, I would have really enjoyed a bonus chapter in her pov!
I would have appreciated a couple more detailed scenes too. The part where Daphne was getting home and trying to wrap her head around being pregnant would have been so much better if we knew if she was alone, had help? How had she coped? What did her mother say? Etc… I would also have liked to see the moment max chose his wife and what she thought, along with their wedding and consummation as I’m guessing that was hard and fast and full of hate/ resentment on both parts.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
THIS is the worldbuilding I wanted from the beginning!
I’ve enjoyed this series in a way, but one of my biggest criticisms of the earlier books was that the political intrigue and supernatural society were fascinating without always being explored deeply enough. There were so many interesting traditions, relationships, rivalries and power struggles that deserved more explanation.
Kneel Before Me finally gives us that missing foundation. We go back more than twenty years and experience events that shaped the society, characters and relationships we encounter in Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings. Suddenly, decisions that previously seemed strange have history behind them. Character motivations become clearer, political tensions gain context and the consequences of earlier choices ripple through the generations.
I particularly loved learning more about basilisk society and both of the royal families. Understanding the traditions, competitions, social expectations and historical relationships gave the entire series much greater depth. The additional perspectives were equally valuable because they allowed me to see familiar characters in a completely different light.
What impressed me most was how much this changed my understanding of the later books. It’s not simply a prequel offering a little extra backstory for established fans. For me, it contains information that genuinely improves the experience of the entire series.
My advice is to ignore publication order and read this one first. I genuinely believe the series would have been even better for me if I’d started here.
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Daphne was a fascinating FMC to follow. Knowing her connection to Tem immediately made me curious, but I loved discovering who she was before the events of the other books. She has her own experiences, desires, insecurities and boundaries, and I appreciated seeing her determined not to let powerful men dictate her worth. Her romantic storyline was compelling because the different men offered very different possibilities, and the emotional tension made her choices interesting even when I already understood some of their future consequences.
Kronos was a particular highlight. I loved the sincerity and tenderness he brought to the story. His feelings for Daphne offered a softer contrast to the more ruthless aspects of basilisk society, and I appreciated that his character had more to offer than simply being another powerful supernatural love interest.
Maximus was equally interesting, although for very different reasons. Watching his behaviour and relationships develop gave me a much better understanding of the man we encounter later. I found his choices, motivations and reactions fascinating, even when I didn’t particularly like them. It’s exactly this kind of character history that makes a prequel worthwhile. I was even rooting for him for most of the book!
Caspen was another character I was pleased to revisit. But I didn’t like him around harmony at all! Seeing him at a different stage in his life, with different relationships and insecurities, gave me a fresh perspective on his personality. I particularly appreciated how the multiple POVs allowed us to understand the emotional complications behind some of the political and romantic decisions.
The additional storylines involving Apollo and Harmony also helped connect the generations, although I wasn’t equally invested in every relationship. Some dynamics felt less developed than others, and I would have liked a little more time exploring the motivations behind certain attachments.
Overall, I thought the characters were interesting and distinct, but the greatest strength was seeing how their relationships, mistakes and decisions influenced the world we already knew.
⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
I won’t be re reading no. Because I don’t feel like this story is a journey, rather it’s more a fact giving book. Now I know it there’s no need to revisit.
I would recommend the series to readers who enjoy outrageous erotic fantasy, serpent shifters, morally questionable royalty, complicated relationships and plenty of political drama. However, if you’re looking for a traditional fantasy romance with restrained sexual content and uncomplicated relationships, this probably isn’t going to be your thing.
🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
The reduction in spice worked but it’s not what I was expecting. Yet having more room for the politics, history and character development made this a much more satisfying fantasy experience.
This book answered so many questions I had while reading the others and made me realise just how much of the series’ history I’d been missing. I loved seeing the foundations of the royal conflicts, learning more about basilisk society and understanding why certain characters behave as they do.
It wasn’t flawless. Some sections dragged, a few relationships could have been explored further, and I still have questions I wish the author had answered.
But I had a great time with this story, and I think it’s an important addition to the series.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
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🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action / fade to black
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.
October 14, 2026
ela voltou.... a queridíssima fonte de porra descontextualizada.......
October 5, 2026
As usual the story had me hooked but I need to wash my eyes out
August 21, 2026
*Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsay Straube, and Bloom Books for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest and authentic review - All opinions are my own.*
Okay. So I’m conflicted on this one. Having LOVED the first book of the series, and HATED the second one- I was hoping for a redemption story for Caspen and this was not that.
So let me break my review down in Daphne’s (Tem’s mom) story VS Caspen story:
Daphne- loved her, loved how strong willed and dedicated she was to making sure no man took advantage of her again. She stood her ground against basilisk and human male alike.
Her love story with Kronos was legit so sweet and endearing and the way Kronos loved her was everything I wanted. Having read the other books this story was both beautiful and tragic, but watching how Daphne’s relationship with Max impacted her life in such a devastating way was a very intriguing way of doing a prequel.
Caspenson- his story sucked. I don’t know what happened between book one and when the author decided she didn’t like him anymore but I had hoped she was going to give him something after the brutal way she treated him in the second book.
Nope. She made him pathetic, weak, and I honestly don’t even know why he was in this book. I wish she would have just told us all she hated him before she made us like him in book one.
So Daphne’s story was the bright light of this book and I rated it as if Caspen wasn’t in it- because it would have been better if he wasn’t.
Okay. So I’m conflicted on this one. Having LOVED the first book of the series, and HATED the second one- I was hoping for a redemption story for Caspen and this was not that.
So let me break my review down in Daphne’s (Tem’s mom) story VS Caspen story:
Daphne- loved her, loved how strong willed and dedicated she was to making sure no man took advantage of her again. She stood her ground against basilisk and human male alike.
Her love story with Kronos was legit so sweet and endearing and the way Kronos loved her was everything I wanted. Having read the other books this story was both beautiful and tragic, but watching how Daphne’s relationship with Max impacted her life in such a devastating way was a very intriguing way of doing a prequel.
Caspenson- his story sucked. I don’t know what happened between book one and when the author decided she didn’t like him anymore but I had hoped she was going to give him something after the brutal way she treated him in the second book.
Nope. She made him pathetic, weak, and I honestly don’t even know why he was in this book. I wish she would have just told us all she hated him before she made us like him in book one.
So Daphne’s story was the bright light of this book and I rated it as if Caspen wasn’t in it- because it would have been better if he wasn’t.
October 11, 2026
⭐⭐⭐
Kneel Before Me
Book 3 from Split or Slallow series by Lindsay Straube
A short prequel with big lore & monster vibes. 🐍🖤
A quick pit stop back in Lindsay Straube’s world! As a prequel focusing on Daphne and Kronos, it gave us great backstory, but I definitely wanted a bit more depth before that 20-years-later time jump!
Here is the quick breakdown:
👑 The Growth & Magic: Watching Daphne set strict boundaries and learn to trust again was so empowering. The dark royal court rituals and magical danger kept things moving fast!
🐍 The Relationships: Kronos respecting Daphne’s choices? Swoon! That slow-burn, "no sex" rule tension was exquisite. Plus, getting those teasers with Caspen and seeing how everything connects 20 years later set up the future so well!
The Verdict: A solid 3-star prequel. Perfect for hardcore fans who want the extra lore and character setups!
💬 QOTD: Are you a fan of monster romance, or do you prefer human fantasy heroes? Drop your thoughts below! 👇
📌 Save this post for your reading order and hit FOLLOW for more honest romantasy reviews! ✨
@lindsaystraube
#KneelBeforeMe #LindsayStraube #SplitOrSwallow #Romantasy #BookTok
Kneel Before Me
Book 3 from Split or Slallow series by Lindsay Straube
A short prequel with big lore & monster vibes. 🐍🖤
A quick pit stop back in Lindsay Straube’s world! As a prequel focusing on Daphne and Kronos, it gave us great backstory, but I definitely wanted a bit more depth before that 20-years-later time jump!
Here is the quick breakdown:
👑 The Growth & Magic: Watching Daphne set strict boundaries and learn to trust again was so empowering. The dark royal court rituals and magical danger kept things moving fast!
🐍 The Relationships: Kronos respecting Daphne’s choices? Swoon! That slow-burn, "no sex" rule tension was exquisite. Plus, getting those teasers with Caspen and seeing how everything connects 20 years later set up the future so well!
The Verdict: A solid 3-star prequel. Perfect for hardcore fans who want the extra lore and character setups!
💬 QOTD: Are you a fan of monster romance, or do you prefer human fantasy heroes? Drop your thoughts below! 👇
📌 Save this post for your reading order and hit FOLLOW for more honest romantasy reviews! ✨
@lindsaystraube
#KneelBeforeMe #LindsayStraube #SplitOrSwallow #Romantasy #BookTok
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of a preview of the audiobook through Chapter 40 (about 75%) :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read the first two books in the series as ebooks and so I did not know what to expect going into the audiobook, but this was SO GOOD I will have to go back and listen to the first two because the audio really adds to the experience.
I won't spoil what happens in this book, but if you loved the other two, I would highly recommend picking up this one as well! It's got everything I want from a Split or Swallow book : basilisks to love and basilisks to hate, humans to love and humans to hate, and a plot that keeps me hooked until the end (or as far as I've read for now haha)
I have to switch to the ebook to finish the story, but as soon as it's out, I will return and listen to the rest of the audiobook.
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Media for this opportunity to listen to an advanced preview of the audiobook through Chapter 40. Kneel Before Me is already out in the UK, and comes out everywhere else on September 29th, 2026.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read the first two books in the series as ebooks and so I did not know what to expect going into the audiobook, but this was SO GOOD I will have to go back and listen to the first two because the audio really adds to the experience.
I won't spoil what happens in this book, but if you loved the other two, I would highly recommend picking up this one as well! It's got everything I want from a Split or Swallow book : basilisks to love and basilisks to hate, humans to love and humans to hate, and a plot that keeps me hooked until the end (or as far as I've read for now haha)
I have to switch to the ebook to finish the story, but as soon as it's out, I will return and listen to the rest of the audiobook.
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Media for this opportunity to listen to an advanced preview of the audiobook through Chapter 40. Kneel Before Me is already out in the UK, and comes out everywhere else on September 29th, 2026.
September 10, 2026
Thank you netgally for the arc!!! I really really enjoyed this prequel. It gave me a lot of backstory for our characters in the main series, and it was a good way to calm down after reading book 2………… anyways. As it is a prequel, I was fully aware of the pain that was coming my way so I was totally unable to put this down, dreading the page where I knew I was going to get hurt lol. Highly recommend this trilogy and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
September 29, 2026
This is a prequel. It’s still unhinged and super spicy. Questioning why I applied for the ARC.
You are going back 20 years, and basically seeing the mom go through the same stuff. Trying to get to Prince and learning from a baslisik.
You are going back 20 years, and basically seeing the mom go through the same stuff. Trying to get to Prince and learning from a baslisik.
October 13, 2026
This book was chefs KISS and I liked it so much more than the others!!!!! So much more story without being just smut 🥹🥹 and everything tied together with the other two phenomenally since it filled in the gaps
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