Split or Swallow · 2024
Kiss of the BasiliskSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 5/5 (No light) · 7 trigger warnings flagged
Kiss of the Basilisk is book 1 of Split or Swallow by Lindsay Straube, first published in 2024. Expect romantasy. We score it spice 5 (scorching) and darkness 5 (pitch black). The heaviest flags readers report are violence, blood, sexual assault. 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: 2024. Book 1 of Split or Swallow.
Kiss of the Basilisk tropes
On this shelf, Kiss of the Basilisk is filed under Dark romantasy. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Kiss of the Basilisk spice level
Is Kiss of the Basilisk dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. Kiss of the Basilisk scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More no light books. How we rate.
Kiss of the Basilisk trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 330 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, injury/injury detail. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (7) — 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 Kiss of the Basilisk trigger warnings
Split or Swallow reading order
Kiss of the Basilisk is book 1 of 2 in Lindsay Straube's Split or Swallow series. Start here.
- Book 1 Kiss of the Basilisk (this book) · 2024
- Book 2 Between Two Kings · 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 Kiss of the Basilisk
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- What Lies Beyond the Veil
What Lies Beyond the Veil
Harper L. Woods
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Manacled
Manacled
SenLinYu
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Feathers So Vicious
Feathers So Vicious
Liv Zander
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- The Coven
The Coven
Harper L. Woods
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Fated Throne
Fated Throne
Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Wild Wolf
Wild Wolf
Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Court of the Vampire Queen
Court of the Vampire Queen
Katee Robert
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Dark romantasy
- Anathema
Anathema
Keri Lake
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark romantasy
Books like Kiss of the Basilisk, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Kiss of the Basilisk?
Kiss of the Basilisk spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 5 of 5 (No light).
What are the Kiss of the Basilisk trigger warnings?
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death, Murder, Gore. 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 330 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Kiss of the Basilisk dark romance?
Yes, at the very dark end. Kiss of the Basilisk scores 5 of 5 on our darkness scale (No light). The book is not interested in pulling the punch.
What tropes are in Kiss of the Basilisk?
On this shelf Kiss of the Basilisk is filed under Dark romantasy.
Who is Kiss of the Basilisk for?
For readers hunting romantasy with scorching spice. Read the warnings first.
What are some books like Kiss of the Basilisk?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods; Manacled by SenLinYu; Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander; The Coven by Harper L. Woods; Fated Throne by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham; Wild Wolf by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/kiss-of-the-basilisk.
Is Kiss of the Basilisk a standalone?
No. Kiss of the Basilisk is book 1 of 2 in the Split or Swallow series by Lindsay Straube.
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 Kiss of the Basilisk age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 5/5 (no light). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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