Split or Swallow · 2025
Between Two KingsSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 6 trigger warnings flagged
From Lindsay Straube, 2025: Between Two Kings, book 2 of Split or Swallow. Expect war, morally grey, romantasy and why choose. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 3 (dark). The heaviest flags readers report are death, violence, blood. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2025. Book 2 of Split or Swallow.
Between Two Kings tropes
On this shelf, Between Two Kings is filed under War romance, Morally grey heroes, Dark romantasy and Why choose / reverse harem. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Between Two Kings spice level
Is Between Two Kings dark romance?
Yes. Between Two Kings scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.
Between Two Kings trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 62 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, injury/injury detail, animal death. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (6) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full Between Two Kings trigger warnings
Split or Swallow reading order
Between Two Kings is book 2 of 2 in Lindsay Straube's Split or Swallow series. Start with Kiss of the Basilisk.
- Book 1 Kiss of the Basilisk · 2024
- Book 2 Between Two Kings (this book) · 2025
Order checked against the StoryGraph Split or Swallow series page on 13 October 2026. The Split or Swallow series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Between Two Kings
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Blood of Hercules
Blood of Hercules
Jasmine Mas
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: War romance, Morally grey heroes
- Psycho Gods
Psycho Gods
Jasmine Mas
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: War romance, Morally grey heroes
- The Never King
The Never King
Nikki St. Crowe
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Dark romantasy
- Shadows So Cruel
Shadows So Cruel
Liv Zander
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Morally grey heroes, Dark romantasy
- Court of Nightmares
Court of Nightmares
K.A. Knight
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Morally grey heroes, Why choose / reverse harem
- Their Vicious Darling
Their Vicious Darling
Nikki St. Crowe
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: War romance, Morally grey heroes
- Her Feral Beasts
Her Feral Beasts
E.P. Bali
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Morally grey heroes, Why choose / reverse harem
- The Wrath of the Fallen
The Wrath of the Fallen
Amber V. Nicole
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: War romance, Morally grey heroes
Books like Between Two Kings, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Between Two Kings?
Between Two Kings spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).
What are the Between Two Kings trigger warnings?
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 62 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Between Two Kings dark romance?
Yes. Between Two Kings scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.
What tropes are in Between Two Kings?
On this shelf Between Two Kings is filed under War romance, Morally grey heroes, Dark romantasy and Why choose / reverse harem.
Who is Between Two Kings for?
Pick this up if you want war and morally grey with explicit spice. Look at the warnings before you commit. Start earlier in Split or Swallow if you can.
What are some books like Between Two Kings?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas; Psycho Gods by Jasmine Mas; The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe; Shadows So Cruel by Liv Zander; Court of Nightmares by K.A. Knight; Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/between-two-kings.
Is Between Two Kings a standalone?
No. Between Two Kings is book 2 of 2 in the Split or Swallow series by Lindsay Straube. The series starts with Kiss of the Basilisk.
What order should I read the Split or Swallow series in?
1. Kiss of the Basilisk; 2. Between Two Kings.
How many books are in the Split or Swallow series?
The Split or Swallow series by Lindsay Straube has 2 main books.
What is the Between Two Kings age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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