How long does it take to read Kiss of the Basilisk?
Lindsay Straube
Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube takes about 9 hours 41 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 9 hours 41 minutes
A week or two of reading
First published 2025. 528 pages, about 145,200 words.
20 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 16 hours 8 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 9 hours 41 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 6 hours 3 minutes |
The page count is the median across 2 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
Temperance Verus has never been kissed—not exactly ideal for a girl competing in the palace's most closely watched matchmaking ritual. Every year, a select group is invited to bond with the realm's magical basilisks and train in the art of charm, poise, and influence. The prize? A chance to win the prince's favor—and a life of privilege. Tem expects rules, gowns, and etiquette. She doesn't expect her assigned partner to be Caspen—the Serpent King, commanding, mysterious, and anything but safe. As he pushes her to unlock the strength she never knew she had, Tem finds herself drawn into something deeper, stranger, and far more powerful than royal approval. But not all bonds are built for the court, and some secrets are meant to break them.