*I am lucky to be part of the ARC team for the relaunch of this incredible series, but please be assured that my review is my own opinion, and not influenced in any way, shape, or form.*

The Kiss that Changed Me is book three in the first trilogy of the Queens of Fantasy saga. The first two books completely captured my heart and mind during the time spent reading them. This third book took me a lot longer to read than I intended due to my health, but I got through it as soon as I could while giving it the best attention I could give it while also not rushing. Therefore, that ended up taking me a few months. I also chose to reread the first two books in this trilogy before I finished this one. I wanted to make sure I had everything fresh in my noggin about everything. This third and final book in this trilogy of the saga captivated me just the same as the first two did. If you go look at my reviews of the first two books, you will see that I love these books immensely. I speak praises of the books and Kristy Nicolle herself. She has been so patient and wonderful with me as an ARC reader.

“If there’s one thing I know now about leadership, it’s that showing your fear to those you are leading can cause panic and among other things, chaos.” In this book, both Callie and Orion have to come to terms with where they stand in regards to their leadership. It’s going to be really difficult to talk about that in this review without spoiling anything but I felt like this quote was crucial when leaving my review. I highlighted the moment while reading because it spoke to me but there were many moments while reading that kept coming back into my mind as something important. I feel like other readers coming into this book should keep this in mind too. We have watched Callie and Orion try to come to terms with their leadership, their relationship, and their relationships with themselves in many different aspects during this entire trilogy and it certainly doesn’t end here. I also think it should be noted that leaders also still have to lead themselves as individuals while leading the masses, and that can also cause panic and chaos if they show fear to themselves in large quantities.

Callie continues to further her independence while also learning how to maintain her place comfortably in the community with her people. She and Orion are settling back into their relationship while also fighting for their people and preparing for an all out war that could be the end of everything, even more than what they have already lost. They are traveling everywhere and trying to find as many people as possible to help them, among finding the vestiges. Orion also shows that he truly has made great strides in remembering that Callie is her own person and does not need him watching her every move or controlling her every breath. “I breathe, remembering. She can take care of herself.”

If you’ve read my reviews for the other two books, you know I always make note of how Kristy never fails to bring humor into these books. She certainly didn’t leave us without humor in this one either. “I need to find the vessel, and I doubt they’re inside the two-seater Ferrari.” I don’t know about you guys but vessel or not… I’d sure love to go for a ride in a Ferrari. This next one is kind of backwards humorous but it sure made me chuckle. “A Mermaid has been frightened by a crab. I mean, we’re supposed to be all zen with the sea, and here Marina is having a mini heart attack. The reality of being a Mermaid really isn’t anything like the fairytales; those writers deserve to be shot.” That cracked me up, I can’t lie.

The world building in this whole trilogy has also been executed wonderfully, and I’d like to share a few examples of that. These are some that just made me feel like I was being transported through my own personal portals to be right there next to them, and a couple of them are also examples of the emotions that course through you while reading as well:
- ”The most incredible thing is the Baiae Ruins, the mosaic floors of once great temples, lain out bare for all to see as they’re reclaimed by nature. Statues host a flurry of tasseled nudibranchs and black sea urchins fill the ocular cavities of once magnificent saints and humble martyrs.”
- ”I look around me, where no shadow falls, because I am my own shadow, a thing long ago absorbed. The moon is high above, threatening us all with the heaviness of its full curve, and I feel my eyes dilate as I stare up at the stars, praying that I can somehow become redeemable, but afraid more than anything that I am too far gone.”
- ”The light is warm on my skin and bathes us all in its early morning glory. I look up into its burning imminence, realising that perhaps the sun here is a metaphor for Callie. Almost too beautiful to behold, fiery and dangerous to harness, but beyond perfect. She’d risen into my life, breaking the darkness apart and bringing a kind of warmth I couldn’t describe.”

Now to finish us off, here are just a few that hit me right in the gut because Kristy is a wizard with words and knows how to hit me in the feels. (I’ve mentioned in both of my previous reviews that she should get a fantasy writers throne, and I’m starting to think I might die on this hill if she doesn’t get one soon.)
- ”I don’t know if I ever would’ve had a child, but being told you can’t have one is different than not wanting one. It’s just not the same.” This one hit me very personally while reading this book. I had a hysterectomy in last December due to ongoing fertility issues that they couldn't find the root cause of. I have had three pregnancy losses, and I hadn't yet gotten to decide if I wanted to ever have kids yet or not. But we had to come to terms with the fact that it likely wouldn't ever be safe or successful. This line right here I truly felt in my soul. It's not the same, and it's very hard. To see it represented in romantasy and not ignored, was very validating despite the circumstances being different.
- ”War is the reality of life for everyone. Whether it’s a war on ideology, that which is like fighting smoke, or war on those in far-off lands, the world is covered in it.”
- ”I know only too well how addictive the rage within can become; it makes you strong, makes you invulnerable, but at the same time is almost impossible to cleave from because you start to need it.”
- ”Because if you’re afraid it means, despite what you say, that you do still have something to lose. The fire behind your eyes isn’t extinguished yet, love, and you know, I personally can’t wait to see what happens when you let it blaze.”

And to finish us off, I would like to promise that we have a HEA to finish off this trilogy and you guys are not even ready for just how happy it is. It was so happy it had me in tears. Like, sappy lovey tears. It is beautiful. Okay… that’s all you’re gonna hear from me until I get a move on the next trilogy in the saga! See ya later! Get to reading! xoxo