What do you think?
Split or Swallow #3
Kneel Before Me
From internet sensation and USA Today bestseller Lindsay Straube comes a prequel in the sexy, biting Split or Swallow series.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
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not-released
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!!!
Want to Read
November 23, 2025prequel? 👀 book? 👀
Want to Read
May 15, 2026I 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.
Anyway, I'm begrudgingly going to read this one.
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 hated.
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 hated.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
UPDATE: Well... apparently this is no longer a 4-star DNF. 😂
The fact that I hadn't finished this book started to torment me. I had spoiled the rest. I knew what happened. I had already made peace with walking away at 56%.
Except apparently I hadn't.
I went back.
I finished it.
★★★★★
Lord.
Leaving my original review below because the journey from “I cannot emotionally put myself through the rest of this book” to FIVE STARS feels like part of the review at this point.
---
★★★★ — 4-star DNF, which is honestly wild.
I DNF'd Kneel Before Me at around 56%, and the strangest part is that I don't think this is a bad book. Not even close. Lindsay Straube can WRITE.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk, so I went into this already knowing far too much about where Kronos and Daphne's story ultimately ends up. And I think that completely changed my experience.
Because I loved Kronos. Absolutely loved him.
So instead of simply experiencing his relationship with Daphne as it unfolded, I was reading with this constant sense of dread because I already knew what was waiting for him. The further I got, the more anxious I became. I would read, stop, come back, read some more, stop again. Eventually I realized I wasn't enjoying the experience anymore.
I should probably also mention that I didn't read Between Two Kings. I started it, discovered where the story was heading, and stopped. I simply cannot emotionally handle a genuine love triangle where I've already become deeply attached to one of the men. That's very much a me problem and not a criticism of the writing.
And I think that same thing affected my experience with Kneel Before Me. I struggled with returning to another competition-style setup and some of the romantic dynamics, especially once I became so invested in Kronos and Daphne.
So at 56%, I stopped and spoiled the rest for myself.
And somehow... that made me appreciate the book MORE.
Once I knew how everything played out, I could see just how carefully Straube constructed this world and how much of what happens here echoes through the later story. The generational parallels, the basilisk politics, the origins of the bloodletting, the choices made by Bastian, Caspen and Maximus, and especially the full tragedy of Kronos and Daphne's story are incredibly well done.
I genuinely think I might have felt differently if I had read this story first.
Imagine meeting Kronos and Daphne without knowing their fate, then going into Kiss of the Basilisk already knowing who Tem is, understanding the significance of her freckles, the chickens, Daphne's history with basilisks, the mysterious voice beneath the castle, and everything Maximus has done.
That dungeon reunion would have DESTROYED me.
So here I am doing something I don't think I've ever done before:
Giving 4 stars to a book I didn't finish.
The book didn't lose me because it failed to make me care.
If anything, I stopped because it made me care too damn much.
And Kronos? Easily one of my favourite characters from this world.★★★★ — 4-star DNF, which is honestly wild.
I DNF'd Kneel Before Me at around 56%, and the strangest part is that I don't think this is a bad book. Not even close. Lindsay Straube can WRITE.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk, so I went into this already knowing far too much about where Kronos and Daphne's story ultimately ends up. And I think that completely changed my experience.
Because I loved Kronos. Absolutely loved him.
So instead of simply experiencing his relationship with Daphne as it unfolded, I was reading with this constant sense of dread because I already knew what was waiting for him. The further I got, the more anxious I became. I would read, stop, come back, read some more, stop again. Eventually I realized I wasn't enjoying the experience anymore.
I should probably also mention that I didn't read Between Two Kings. I started it, discovered where the story was heading, and stopped. I simply cannot emotionally handle a genuine love triangle where I've already become deeply attached to one of the men. That's very much a me problem and not a criticism of the writing.
And I think that same thing affected my experience with Kneel Before Me. I struggled with returning to another competition-style setup and some of the romantic dynamics, especially once I became so invested in Kronos and Daphne.
So at 56%, I stopped and spoiled the rest for myself.
And somehow... that made me appreciate the book MORE.
Once I knew how everything played out, I could see just how carefully Straube constructed this world and how much of what happens here echoes through the later story. The generational parallels, the basilisk politics, the origins of the bloodletting, the choices made by Bastian, Caspen and Maximus, and especially the full tragedy of Kronos and Daphne's story are incredibly well done.
I genuinely think I might have felt differently if I had read this story first.
Imagine meeting Kronos and Daphne without knowing their fate, then going into Kiss of the Basilisk already knowing who Tem is, understanding the significance of her freckles, the chickens, Daphne's history with basilisks, the mysterious voice beneath the castle, and everything Maximus has done.
That dungeon reunion would have DESTROYED me.
So here I am doing something I don't think I've ever done before:
Giving 4 stars to a book I didn't finish.
The book didn't lose me because it failed to make me care.
If anything, I stopped because it made me care too damn much.
And Kronos? Easily one of my favourite characters from this world.
The fact that I hadn't finished this book started to torment me. I had spoiled the rest. I knew what happened. I had already made peace with walking away at 56%.
Except apparently I hadn't.
I went back.
I finished it.
★★★★★
Lord.
Leaving my original review below because the journey from “I cannot emotionally put myself through the rest of this book” to FIVE STARS feels like part of the review at this point.
---
★★★★ — 4-star DNF, which is honestly wild.
I DNF'd Kneel Before Me at around 56%, and the strangest part is that I don't think this is a bad book. Not even close. Lindsay Straube can WRITE.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk, so I went into this already knowing far too much about where Kronos and Daphne's story ultimately ends up. And I think that completely changed my experience.
Because I loved Kronos. Absolutely loved him.
So instead of simply experiencing his relationship with Daphne as it unfolded, I was reading with this constant sense of dread because I already knew what was waiting for him. The further I got, the more anxious I became. I would read, stop, come back, read some more, stop again. Eventually I realized I wasn't enjoying the experience anymore.
I should probably also mention that I didn't read Between Two Kings. I started it, discovered where the story was heading, and stopped. I simply cannot emotionally handle a genuine love triangle where I've already become deeply attached to one of the men. That's very much a me problem and not a criticism of the writing.
And I think that same thing affected my experience with Kneel Before Me. I struggled with returning to another competition-style setup and some of the romantic dynamics, especially once I became so invested in Kronos and Daphne.
So at 56%, I stopped and spoiled the rest for myself.
And somehow... that made me appreciate the book MORE.
Once I knew how everything played out, I could see just how carefully Straube constructed this world and how much of what happens here echoes through the later story. The generational parallels, the basilisk politics, the origins of the bloodletting, the choices made by Bastian, Caspen and Maximus, and especially the full tragedy of Kronos and Daphne's story are incredibly well done.
I genuinely think I might have felt differently if I had read this story first.
Imagine meeting Kronos and Daphne without knowing their fate, then going into Kiss of the Basilisk already knowing who Tem is, understanding the significance of her freckles, the chickens, Daphne's history with basilisks, the mysterious voice beneath the castle, and everything Maximus has done.
That dungeon reunion would have DESTROYED me.
So here I am doing something I don't think I've ever done before:
Giving 4 stars to a book I didn't finish.
The book didn't lose me because it failed to make me care.
If anything, I stopped because it made me care too damn much.
And Kronos? Easily one of my favourite characters from this world.★★★★ — 4-star DNF, which is honestly wild.
I DNF'd Kneel Before Me at around 56%, and the strangest part is that I don't think this is a bad book. Not even close. Lindsay Straube can WRITE.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk, so I went into this already knowing far too much about where Kronos and Daphne's story ultimately ends up. And I think that completely changed my experience.
Because I loved Kronos. Absolutely loved him.
So instead of simply experiencing his relationship with Daphne as it unfolded, I was reading with this constant sense of dread because I already knew what was waiting for him. The further I got, the more anxious I became. I would read, stop, come back, read some more, stop again. Eventually I realized I wasn't enjoying the experience anymore.
I should probably also mention that I didn't read Between Two Kings. I started it, discovered where the story was heading, and stopped. I simply cannot emotionally handle a genuine love triangle where I've already become deeply attached to one of the men. That's very much a me problem and not a criticism of the writing.
And I think that same thing affected my experience with Kneel Before Me. I struggled with returning to another competition-style setup and some of the romantic dynamics, especially once I became so invested in Kronos and Daphne.
So at 56%, I stopped and spoiled the rest for myself.
And somehow... that made me appreciate the book MORE.
Once I knew how everything played out, I could see just how carefully Straube constructed this world and how much of what happens here echoes through the later story. The generational parallels, the basilisk politics, the origins of the bloodletting, the choices made by Bastian, Caspen and Maximus, and especially the full tragedy of Kronos and Daphne's story are incredibly well done.
I genuinely think I might have felt differently if I had read this story first.
Imagine meeting Kronos and Daphne without knowing their fate, then going into Kiss of the Basilisk already knowing who Tem is, understanding the significance of her freckles, the chickens, Daphne's history with basilisks, the mysterious voice beneath the castle, and everything Maximus has done.
That dungeon reunion would have DESTROYED me.
So here I am doing something I don't think I've ever done before:
Giving 4 stars to a book I didn't finish.
The book didn't lose me because it failed to make me care.
If anything, I stopped because it made me care too damn much.
And Kronos? Easily one of my favourite characters from this world.
September 5, 2026
as if these books couldn’t get anymore unhinged, Lindsay pulls this prequel out. We’re used to the elixir now (iykyk) We have another Ranking contest, Caspen and Apollo fighting over the same woman. The prince and a basilisk teacher pining over the FMC - Tems mum. This was a wild ride and i loved it.
We know how this will end based on the events of KOTB, but that doesn’t make it any easier to read. The end of this had me sobbing.
Kronos & Daphne are made for eachother. This man is treats her like she is everything and it’s a delightful read.
I also loved the insight into the history of the royals and the basilisks, i’m not desperate to reread KOTB
The parallels were insane too, Caspen spends the entire time looking down on the humans thinking it’s insane to ever fall for one… some of the links were so well written.
“You want to impress me? Make me smile. Make me laugh. Make me care.” She looked him dead in the eye. “And then make me ~~~”
“Because you unmoor me, Daphne. I am… reckless when it comes to you.”
“She is worth it.” “How can she be? She is a human.” “She is everything.”
This series is the epitome of here for a good time, there ridiculously unhinged, the most insane spice that has ever been written. But they’re just addictive and so much fun.
We know how this will end based on the events of KOTB, but that doesn’t make it any easier to read. The end of this had me sobbing.
Kronos & Daphne are made for eachother. This man is treats her like she is everything and it’s a delightful read.
I also loved the insight into the history of the royals and the basilisks, i’m not desperate to reread KOTB
The parallels were insane too, Caspen spends the entire time looking down on the humans thinking it’s insane to ever fall for one… some of the links were so well written.
“You want to impress me? Make me smile. Make me laugh. Make me care.” She looked him dead in the eye. “And then make me ~~~”
“Because you unmoor me, Daphne. I am… reckless when it comes to you.”
“She is worth it.” “How can she be? She is a human.” “She is everything.”
This series is the epitome of here for a good time, there ridiculously unhinged, the most insane spice that has ever been written. But they’re just addictive and so much fun.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lindsay has done it again, made the unhinged SUPER bingeable and full of absolute heart and emotion.
This is the prequel to her first novel Kiss of The Basilisk, or better known as Split of Swallow! We go back 20ish years to meeting Daphne Tem's mom who is doing her duty to court for the future kings hand in marriage.
Daphne is assigned to a Basilisk named Kronos, who I unfortunately adore. My god that man, snake whatever SWOON worthy. We get multiple POV's Daphne, Kronos, and Maximus (who we know as the king in KOTB) We get A LOT of backstory that adds a ton of depth to the previous 2 released novels and has me wanting to go back for a reread to look for easter eggs! And that epilogue my god Lindsay.
Are these literacy masterpieces? No. Are they super fun and addicting? Yes. I had a GREAT time reading this, it brought me right back to the first time I read SOS back during Lindsay's indie days!
"Did you undress for him?" he asked immediately. "Whatever happened to hello?"
"Only when I think about what life would be like without you by my side. Love in is not pain. The absence of the person you love is."
As always so many thanks to Bloom and NetGalley for the eArc! Kneel Before Me is out on September 29th!
This is the prequel to her first novel Kiss of The Basilisk, or better known as Split of Swallow! We go back 20ish years to meeting Daphne Tem's mom who is doing her duty to court for the future kings hand in marriage.
Daphne is assigned to a Basilisk named Kronos, who I unfortunately adore. My god that man, snake whatever SWOON worthy. We get multiple POV's Daphne, Kronos, and Maximus (who we know as the king in KOTB) We get A LOT of backstory that adds a ton of depth to the previous 2 released novels and has me wanting to go back for a reread to look for easter eggs! And that epilogue my god Lindsay.
Are these literacy masterpieces? No. Are they super fun and addicting? Yes. I had a GREAT time reading this, it brought me right back to the first time I read SOS back during Lindsay's indie days!
"Did you undress for him?" he asked immediately. "Whatever happened to hello?"
"Only when I think about what life would be like without you by my side. Love in is not pain. The absence of the person you love is."
As always so many thanks to Bloom and NetGalley for the eArc! Kneel Before Me is out on September 29th!
September 27, 2026
I should have paced myself! I was so excited to receive an ALC of Kneel Before Me that I listened really fast, but it's a preview that only runs through chapter 40. Diabolical! Now I'm waiting for the release on Tuesday to finish it.
Kneel Before Me is the prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings and tells the story of Temperance's parents, Daphne and Kronos. Underneath the spice, it explores themes of self-confidence, consent, and different types of love. I liked how it showed the relationship dynamic between Daphne, Kronos, and Maximus, but also how Bastien, Caspen, and Apollo fit into the story.
The story felt eerily similar to Tem's with a love triangle (I'm still and will forever be Team Leo), but now things are starting to make more sense. I know where the story is leading, and I'm nervous about how it's going to work out to where Kiss of the Basilisk begins. I suspect Max and Caspen are going to do something awful and will prove that the negative feelings I have towards them are correct. I refuse to believe Apollo will do anything bad, but I guess I'll find out on Tuesday.
Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood, I loved your narration!
Thank you, Lindsay Straube, Tantor Media, and NetGalley, for the listen. All thoughts are my own.
Kneel Before Me is the prequel to Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings and tells the story of Temperance's parents, Daphne and Kronos. Underneath the spice, it explores themes of self-confidence, consent, and different types of love. I liked how it showed the relationship dynamic between Daphne, Kronos, and Maximus, but also how Bastien, Caspen, and Apollo fit into the story.
The story felt eerily similar to Tem's with a love triangle (I'm still and will forever be Team Leo), but now things are starting to make more sense. I know where the story is leading, and I'm nervous about how it's going to work out to where Kiss of the Basilisk begins. I suspect Max and Caspen are going to do something awful and will prove that the negative feelings I have towards them are correct. I refuse to believe Apollo will do anything bad, but I guess I'll find out on Tuesday.
Elena Wolfe and Auron Wood, I loved your narration!
Thank you, Lindsay Straube, Tantor Media, and NetGalley, for the listen. All thoughts are my own.
October 2, 2026
4️⃣⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I simultaneously love and hate this series.
I love it because it’s twisted, sexy, completely unhinged, and wholly unashamed in its frivolity.
I hate it because its own author hates the character I love most. And so I’m forced to bear witness to his CONSTANT literary misery.
I am a Caspenon girly through and through and I cannot apologize for that because Lindsay Straube literally made us fall for him in Kiss of the Basilisk, took him away from us in Between Two Kings, and then made HALF OF Kneel Before Me about him.
But, I digress.
The prequel was *chef’s kiss*.
Daphne—unbearable at times, but human, so…understandable.
Kronos—DADDY. Stoic daddy. Yearning daddy. Love letter daddy. Faithful daddy. Double the fun daddy. Just, daddy.
Maximum—butt hurt prince needs a hug.
Caspenon—tortured.
Apollo—needs a life outside of other people’s emotions.
Everyone else—gets f*cked because this story literally thrives on pain.
Read for the vibes, have a couple epiphanies, resist the urge to re-read Kiss of the Basilisk and put yourself through the pain again.
Four stars. Minus one because of the blatant Caspen hate.
I simultaneously love and hate this series.
I love it because it’s twisted, sexy, completely unhinged, and wholly unashamed in its frivolity.
I hate it because its own author hates the character I love most. And so I’m forced to bear witness to his CONSTANT literary misery.
I am a Caspenon girly through and through and I cannot apologize for that because Lindsay Straube literally made us fall for him in Kiss of the Basilisk, took him away from us in Between Two Kings, and then made HALF OF Kneel Before Me about him.
But, I digress.
The prequel was *chef’s kiss*.
Daphne—unbearable at times, but human, so…understandable.
Kronos—DADDY. Stoic daddy. Yearning daddy. Love letter daddy. Faithful daddy. Double the fun daddy. Just, daddy.
Maximum—butt hurt prince needs a hug.
Caspenon—tortured.
Apollo—needs a life outside of other people’s emotions.
Everyone else—gets f*cked because this story literally thrives on pain.
Read for the vibes, have a couple epiphanies, resist the urge to re-read Kiss of the Basilisk and put yourself through the pain again.
Four stars. Minus one because of the blatant Caspen hate.
August 25, 2026
I’m so excited that I got the chance to read Kneel Before Me as an ARC, especially after absolutely loving the previous two books in the series.
This is technically a prequel, but it needs to be read last, and I honestly think that makes the experience even better. Getting to finally see the story that came before Tem and understand more of what happened was something I’d been so excited for and it did not disappoint.
It’s a solid five stars from me because, of course, it’s just as deranged, unhinged and completely addictive as the rest of the series. 😂 I genuinely don’t know how Lindsay comes up with some of this stuff, but I am absolutely here for it.
There’s something about this series that makes me wish I could wipe my brain and read the whole thing for the first time again, and Kneel Before Me somehow made me want that even more.
I’m so grateful I got to experience this one early because getting to see this part of the story before everyone else AND finally getting the pieces that come before Tem? Absolutely obsessed.
This is technically a prequel, but it needs to be read last, and I honestly think that makes the experience even better. Getting to finally see the story that came before Tem and understand more of what happened was something I’d been so excited for and it did not disappoint.
It’s a solid five stars from me because, of course, it’s just as deranged, unhinged and completely addictive as the rest of the series. 😂 I genuinely don’t know how Lindsay comes up with some of this stuff, but I am absolutely here for it.
There’s something about this series that makes me wish I could wipe my brain and read the whole thing for the first time again, and Kneel Before Me somehow made me want that even more.
I’m so grateful I got to experience this one early because getting to see this part of the story before everyone else AND finally getting the pieces that come before Tem? Absolutely obsessed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Forbidden love
* Torn between two lovers
* Human FMC x Basilisk MMC
Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsay Straube, and Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for this eARC! I AM SO LUCKY to read this early and I devoured this! I savored it! I am full of emotions! 😱
Daphne is such an interesting contrast to Tem. She’s experienced, but also has a softness to her that is vulnerable. She knows what she wants and is steadfast, but also is a hopeless romantic who just wants the love she deserves. While this book mirrors the future, they are quite different in how she navigates her relationships with Kronos and Maximus. I really liked her steadfast devotion to herself and her own worth. Her past is heavy and it really impacts all of her choices.
Speaking of Kronos, where do I begin?!?! “We are intertwined. As deep as the roots of a tree or the current of a stream. We are one, Daphne. How can you not see that? How can you not know?” SWOON 🥹 Kronos has such a way with his words and while their relationship quickly gets closer, I can understand why they both matter so much to each other. He sees the beauty of her soul and truly respects her character because it matches his own. I loved them together so much so of course, I knew I’d get shot right in the heart by the end of this 💔
And Lindsay proves what we know in our world too: most men will neverrrrr appreciate a woman’s worth. I really wanted to believe in Maximus but her writing did a great job of showing the layers of manipulation and mirth that so many men do well to hide until they don’t get their way. I’m just glad his son turned out differently!
The complete opposite ending to the future books, and while I knew most of it, that ending had me spiraling in my emotions! 😭
My only critique? I wish we had some POV from Kronos. I have a feeling this was an intentional choice but it was the one thing I felt missing. I so hope we get extra chapters somehow! But I really appreciate the Casper POV chapters and how they weave so well in this story, and the overall plot arc of this series. When Caspen said, “Nothing duller than a human.” I got quite a chuckle. Ohhhh Caspen…and that ending chapter definitely was a nice surprise POV to have 🥰
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Forbidden love
* Torn between two lovers
* Human FMC x Basilisk MMC
Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsay Straube, and Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for this eARC! I AM SO LUCKY to read this early and I devoured this! I savored it! I am full of emotions! 😱
Daphne is such an interesting contrast to Tem. She’s experienced, but also has a softness to her that is vulnerable. She knows what she wants and is steadfast, but also is a hopeless romantic who just wants the love she deserves. While this book mirrors the future, they are quite different in how she navigates her relationships with Kronos and Maximus. I really liked her steadfast devotion to herself and her own worth. Her past is heavy and it really impacts all of her choices.
Speaking of Kronos, where do I begin?!?! “We are intertwined. As deep as the roots of a tree or the current of a stream. We are one, Daphne. How can you not see that? How can you not know?” SWOON 🥹 Kronos has such a way with his words and while their relationship quickly gets closer, I can understand why they both matter so much to each other. He sees the beauty of her soul and truly respects her character because it matches his own. I loved them together so much so of course, I knew I’d get shot right in the heart by the end of this 💔
And Lindsay proves what we know in our world too: most men will neverrrrr appreciate a woman’s worth. I really wanted to believe in Maximus but her writing did a great job of showing the layers of manipulation and mirth that so many men do well to hide until they don’t get their way. I’m just glad his son turned out differently!
The complete opposite ending to the future books, and while I knew most of it, that ending had me spiraling in my emotions! 😭
My only critique? I wish we had some POV from Kronos. I have a feeling this was an intentional choice but it was the one thing I felt missing. I so hope we get extra chapters somehow! But I really appreciate the Casper POV chapters and how they weave so well in this story, and the overall plot arc of this series. When Caspen said, “Nothing duller than a human.” I got quite a chuckle. Ohhhh Caspen…and that ending chapter definitely was a nice surprise POV to have 🥰
October 2, 2026
ALC review
I was only previewing up to chapter 40 so forgive me.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings and I needed more. When I heard that Lindsay was writing a prequel I just had to have it.
I always wanted to know about Daphne and her story with Kronos, which is in the ending of B2K.
So here we go again back under the mountain to be taught by the basilisks how to appease the prince but Daphne is not to easy to teach. She refuses to be taught and will not let anyone touch her until she is “in love”. Her stubborn attitude and personality I loved so much. When meeting the prince she sees something and it creates a soft spot in her heart for him. They both agree that he needs more time to grieve instead of marrying and they decide to create a plan. As time goes on, the prince starts to fall for her and she starts to fall for Kronos.
Who will she pick? You’ll have to read it to find out.
I was only previewing up to chapter 40 so forgive me.
I loved Kiss of the Basilisk and Between Two Kings and I needed more. When I heard that Lindsay was writing a prequel I just had to have it.
I always wanted to know about Daphne and her story with Kronos, which is in the ending of B2K.
So here we go again back under the mountain to be taught by the basilisks how to appease the prince but Daphne is not to easy to teach. She refuses to be taught and will not let anyone touch her until she is “in love”. Her stubborn attitude and personality I loved so much. When meeting the prince she sees something and it creates a soft spot in her heart for him. They both agree that he needs more time to grieve instead of marrying and they decide to create a plan. As time goes on, the prince starts to fall for her and she starts to fall for Kronos.
Who will she pick? You’ll have to read it to find out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I LOVED that we got Tem’s mom’s book! 🥺 We also got a deeper look into Leo’s dad, Caspen, and Apollo’s past, which I was absolutely here for.
I feel like this book gave us so many of the answers we were left wanting after the first two books, while also giving us the history and story behind Tem’s parents. It really felt like pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.
And Kronos?! I’m OBSESSED. He is literally perfection. 😮💨
And Daphne? I loved watching her make a choice and actually stand by it. She knew what she wanted, and she stuck with it.
As with any book in this series, definitely expect the unhinged spice 😂🔥 but also expect SO much depth to the story.
I feel like Lindsey does the whole unhinged plus emotional depth combination SO well. 🥺 Somehow she can give us the most chaotic moments while still making the story hit you right in the feelings.
I’m obsessed with this series and seriously cannot wait to see what else Lindsey has in store for us!!! 🖤
I feel like this book gave us so many of the answers we were left wanting after the first two books, while also giving us the history and story behind Tem’s parents. It really felt like pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.
And Kronos?! I’m OBSESSED. He is literally perfection. 😮💨
And Daphne? I loved watching her make a choice and actually stand by it. She knew what she wanted, and she stuck with it.
As with any book in this series, definitely expect the unhinged spice 😂🔥 but also expect SO much depth to the story.
I feel like Lindsey does the whole unhinged plus emotional depth combination SO well. 🥺 Somehow she can give us the most chaotic moments while still making the story hit you right in the feelings.
I’m obsessed with this series and seriously cannot wait to see what else Lindsey has in store for us!!! 🖤
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