Змейка и крылья ночи

Crowns of Nyaxia #1

by Carissa Broadbent, Карисса Бродбент

Однажды король нашел на руинах девочку-сироту, взял ее к себе во дворец и воспитал как родную дочь. Вот только король был не простым, он управлял ночерожденными вампирами, а девочка оставалась человеком. Чужая и для вампиров, и для людей, Орайя решает участвовать в смертельно опасном турнире, победитель которого получит благословение богини. Ведь только так Орайя избавится от человеческих недостатков и станет равной приемному отцу. А еще обретет силу, нужную, чтобы отыскать родных, возможно оставшихся в живых. Чтобы победить, Орайя вынуждена объединиться с соперником. Постепенно союзники поневоле осознают, что их связывает нечто большее, чем желание выиграть турнир…

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Vampires, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction

544 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2022

About the author

I've been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance.

When I'm not writing, I'm working at my day job in cybersecurity marketing, watching too many movies, or drawing. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ve all probably seen the same kinda selling points with this book but lemme just tell you that they weren’t the ones that got me to start the book. No, what got me to start was the fact that there was one ADORABLE grumpy and stubborn as FUCK single daddy (who is not the MMC tho *sigh* ) that does not coddle his daughter but prepares her for the worst at all times. His way of showing he cares had me in literal tears you guys I’m that senti over him ✋

anyWAY, I could not be happier that I finally read the book.

Along the way, obviously my love for the main characters grew but damn Vincent you will ALWAYS be famous 😭💗

For whoever still wants my take on the book, this is how I would convince you:

➜ vampires with wings and powers (but no speed ugh)

➜ Reverse grumpy x sunshine

➜ one BAD ASS fucking fmc. I love her sfm. Her sarcasm? Scrumptious.

➜ human fmc that can hold her own with the vampires. No woe-is-me going on here.

➜ plot twists galore — like ur gna be ~ascending~ in the last 20% it’s INSANITY

➜ Fuck around and find out mentality *grins evilly*

➜ hunger games meets ACOTAR.

➜ there’s a conflict/war on the back burner (this is something that would usually put me off lmao but the fact that it’s not the centre focus of this book is what I loved)

➜ okay so hear me out, it’s single pov (which NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT- bro I was lit scavenging thru reviews and I didn’t see anyone say a single thing about this! So here you go loves mwah) BUT the fmcs brain? so entertaining I didn’t even realise until halfway that there wasn’t a second pov. She was enough for me. Ngl I wouldn’t complain if I did get Raihn’s pov in the next book tho…



But if any of that hasn’t grabbed you..the slow but AMAZINGLY DEVELOPED ROMANCE will grab you caress you CHOKE YOU. They don’t fall into lust/love at first sight no they gradually get to that point and when they do? Explosive. THE SMALL MOMENTS BITCHESSSSS THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. The tender moments got me screaming. The rough offhanded “I fucking care about you so shurrup sit the fuck down and let me tend to ur wounds” moments? Orgasmic.

The characters

Oraya was such a refreshing fmc to read about. She had that dark humour which spoke to my SOUL lmao I loved that sm. Her being the most insensitive unapologetic person was the BEST thing I swear she had me cackling so loudddd-

What I adored most about her character was that she reciprocated the love and compassion perfectly. She didn’t just make the guy do all the work after they both accepted that they loved/cared for each other. Their romance was so balanced and delicately handled and I JUST LOVE IT OKAY

I liked that she was trained to withstand and protect herself from the brutality of where she was living but I would’ve enjoyed it better if we got to see her train, fall and repeat until she became who she was at the start of the book. Even some flashbacks on that would’ve been great (and I don’t usually like flashbacks) to get that satisfaction of seeing the fruit of all that hard work and not just being told bam she’s learnt everything and now the story begins.

Raihn this mofo was the most adorable lovable caring guy ever pls ✋ imma start sobbing..

Their banter was top notch like I will remember it for the rest of my life. That’s hm i loved every interaction between them. Like hello??

╰┈➤ ❝ “There she is” ❞

live footage of me every time he said this:



His friendship with mische was the most wholesome thing. He got brownie points for that idc idc. And I really felt like his hair colour would be a problem for me but it wasn’t! I eventually accepted it was dark red/ almost black (ngl the almost black hair part did sweeten the deal for me tho sksk ) and I’m happier for it. He’s so hot I’m not even jokinghhhhh 🤭💗🦋

Vincent my one true love. Every time he opens his mouth I am THERE my eyes will savour every letter twice over 🤞💗

I still don’t accept the ending and I don’t believe he did what he was accused of doing bc I’m an advocate for innocent until proven guilty 😚

No but srsly this guy actually WANTED Oraya to win and succeed in life. He LOVED her sfm dammit and those last quotes were EVERYTHINGGGH to me 😭❤️‍🩹 it had me sobbing at 2am. Watching him nurture her care for her support her protect her- those all encompassing hugs when she was smol just hit different 🥹🔫
He can do no wrong in my eyes ✋

✨ SPOILERS PLS SKIP TO WHERE THE SPOILER ENDS IF UVE NOT READ THE BOOK OK BYE <3 ✨
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That bitch raihn better BEG for forgiveness. He deserves jail time for doing that to Vincent idgaf if he’s the main character I’ll never forgive him for it.

And I WILL NEVER ACCEPT THAT VINCENT IS- *chokes on a cry* nope it never happened. He’s just a bit injured and that’s it. Watch how he comes back to life all sexy looking in the next book 🤭

ALSO OMG I CALLED ALMOST EVERY PLOT TWIST OMF HAHAHAHH IM GOING MANIACAL RNNN

I knew that he would be dying and Oraya would wish to save him and that she IS Vincent’s kid and he didn’t just pick her up.

The betrayal twist would usually be so obvious but I actually didn’t guess this bc I thought it would be only one book about them lol. But I loved the shock factor and the betrayal uff I was swearing like a sailor in my mother tongue 😭✋ my mom would be horrified if she heard me. No bc I was HURT by that.

I wanted him to wake up from death and be like “I wish for Oraya to be my coriatae” likeeeeeee??? Imagine how that would’ve been such a pretty ending ???! BAM. Oraya is vampire and immortal. BAM. Vincent would be alive. Slap in some Vincent x Raihn war scene where they hug it out. then Raihn becomes his son in law likeeeee cmon. Add a couple chapters of bonding time and we’re golden! Everyone’s happy!! Carissa u really missed out on this smh.

The part that devastated me sfm was seeing oraya’s full circle moment. Like all that progress and comfort she found in Vincent has collapsed and now she’s gone back to how she started, using her teeth as her only weapon. Lit broke my heart 😭💔

But anyway RISHAN BITCH U BETTER FIND A WAY FOR ORAYA TO BE A VAMPIRE OR IMMA BEAT U UP- I'm not here to fuck around bestie 🔪

ALSO IM SO FUCKING HAPPY THAT ORAYA IS POWERFUL AS WELL YASSSS IM LIT BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS I’ve been wanting her to equal (or be even more powerful than) raihn bc I hate when they stay human and the other one is immortal. I need balance. And I’m sorry but they need to grow old TOGETHER or I’ll hate the book. I’m petty like that.

also can we talk about the feeding scene bc hot damn it got me clutching my sheets fr. But the spice scene, as good as it was, i needed moreeee. I’m counting on the second book to do them (and me) justice 🤞🤞

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✨SPOILERS ARE OVER✨

The book is so well written I kept marvelling at the way It’s so immersive and the action scenes were so VIVID in my head like it was a whole movie playing right there. It ALWAYS had something exciting happening every other page. I don’t think I skimmed anything and that’s how I can recognise a great book. I was not bored once.

Carissa has an amazing way with words and I cannot wait to devour all her works 🤭

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
Their size difference being mentioned quite a bit would annoy some ppl but I honestly found it adorable.

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧

My Crowns of Nyaxia playlist

𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“I loved it—really, truly loved it—when they underestimated me.”
~hehehehehe I’m living for this

“His hair was dark red—nearly black—and fell across his shoulders in rough waves.”
~His hair is black bestie

“So I stabbed the bastard.
Apparently he wasn’t expecting that, because he hissed, “Ix’s fucking tits!” and staggered away from me.”
~IM HOWLINGGGGGG

“I’m sorry I didn’t aim higher.”
He looked pointedly down at himself. “A little higher, or a lot higher?”
That was almost funny. It caught me a bit off guard. It was rare that vampires made jokes. “
~NAH IM ACTUALLY GIGGLING 🤭

“They’re designed specifically for you.”
~Vincent is after my heart it’s true ✋

“Fuck, I thought, just before all the demons were on me.”
~OMG OMG IM SHITTING BRICKS RN

“I could smell you even from the east tower. And let me tell you, you smell fucking delicious.”
~FUCK. ME.

“You don’t give an inch, do you?”
My eyes flicked coldly up his body.
“Do you? Or is an inch all you have to offer?”
~I JUST CHOKED- 💀✋

“Fuck, did I just kill him? I didn’t mean to. At least, not yet.”
~LMFAOOO

“You’re worried about my self-control? How sweet.” He leaned close enough that I felt his words skitter over my cheek. I didn’t know why I didn’t move.
“I have plenty of self-control, Oraya,” he murmured. “Don’t you worry about me.”
~WELL HOT DAMNNN

“And as if he knew—as if he sensed my fear—Raihn’s thumb traced a circle over my back in one gentle, wordless reassurance.
It startled me, that touch. It startled me because it comforted me. I didn’t think it was possible to find a touch comforting ever again.”
~Crying in a bathtub rn

You ready? I asked him.
He was already lifting his sword. Always.
~that’s so hot IM SCREAMING PLS-

“a Hiaj contestant tried to fly up above the carnage, only to immediately fall to the ground, wings shredded. A barrier. Wings or no, there was no avoiding the pit of death.”
~ I love how Carissa said ur all gonna fucking eat shit Hahhahah

“I recall,” he said softly. “It was the first time I saw you smile since I had brought you here.”
“I didn’t remember that part.”
“I never forgot it.”
~PLEASE STOP IT 😭

“I can’t take credit for everything that you’ve become, Oraya. Even if sometimes I wish I could. But if I’m responsible for just one small piece of that, it will have been the greatest accomplishment of my life.”
~HELP I WANT TO KMS

“You don’t even know, Oraya.” The corner of his mouth, where a little smudge of my blood remained, curled as he shook his head. “The things I’ve thought about. ‘Want’ doesn’t even fucking cover it. I have a list.”
~DO YALL HEAR ME SCREAMING???? AHHHH

“I would beg,” he murmured. “For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?”
~Sigh

“I am so sorry, my little serpent.”
~ITS LIT 2AM AND IM SOBBING INTO MY PILLOW RN PLS END THIS MADNESS 😭😭😭😭

“Are you going to kill me, Oraya?”
“Not tonight,” I said.
~stop it rfn that cannot be the ending I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS DISGUSTING BEHAVIOUR 🔪


𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
Hunger games
ACOTAR
From blood and ash
Assassins blade/Throne of glass

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Post finishing

I need a.. I just.. my brain needs a damn minute to collect my thoughts bc I think I’m still in shock? . . . WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ?! IVE JUST BEEN THRU SMTH TRULY TRAUMATISING YOU GUYS HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SIMPLY MOVE ON?!

The last 15% made me take leave of my senses fr.

My brain during the last couple chapters: 🫨🫨🫨🫨😵‍💫😵‍💫😭🔫🫣🤣😭🤬🥹💔🔪🤞 they had me crying screaming howling dying on repeat it was madness.

Thank you sm medollga for BR this w me <333

***
Before starting

Someone confirm what colour hair the mmc has bc the fanart is telling me it’s either black or red. I’ve been told it’s red but the black hair is making me second guess.
Also If the black hair fanart is the ppl being like nope delete the red hair and insert dark locks then I Stan that 🤭

(This is me asking you to tell me his hair is dark so I can be delulu and finally start this book 💀🤞)

[Yun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I don't know what's wrong with me. Obviously, I enjoyed this. I really did. But I can't help feeling disappointed that I didn't love it as thoroughly as I thought I would.

On the surface, this should've been a 5-star read for me. When you put together things like adopted human daughter of a vampire king, a legendary tournament where only one can survive, and a forbidden attraction between two contestants—one human and one vampire—it all sounds so good. If ever there was something right up my alley, this would be it. So what's my problem? Honestly, I'm still trying to figure that out.

I think part of the issue for me was that there was so much fighting and not enough characterization. The tournament has five parts and we are treated to detailed descriptions of every play-by-play, along with countless wounds and gashes and blood galore. In fact, the sheer amount of injuries in here is quite eyebrow raising considering we only follow a few characters. And since everyone heals quickly and gets injured again immediately, I soon lost track of it all.

I also found Oraya to be rather one-dimensional. I'm all for my female characters to be badass, but what is her personality other than fight first and talk later? Sure, she is distrusting and stab happy, but that doesn't paint a picture of a real person to me. And she keeps mentioning how vampires don't have a sense of humor, but it's hard for me to see her sense of humor when she just keeps stabbing everyone.

Not really connecting with Oraya made it hard for me to see what Raihn saw in her, which in turn made it hard for me to understand the romance in here. It seems like Oraya disliked Raihn for a long time, and then all of a sudden, she likes him. And Raihn was attracted to her for no reason I could discern other than she keeps stabbing him.

Each of these complaints, while small on their own, just added to the feeling that the whole thing wasn't really gelling together for me. Whenever I read a story, I want that immersive experience, and this is especially true for fantasy. It's a chance to escape the real world and wholly commit myself to another. So it's always a bit disappointing when I don't get that, and it feels like I'm just reading words on a page, however good they may be.

And make no mistake, this is a well-written fantasy with a lot of potential and a lot of depth. There is a rich world here (and I realized halfway through there is a glossary to help me keep it all straight). And the book did eventually grab me, with the last hundred pages being so full of revelations and surprises, I think my mouth was hanging open the whole time. It finally became as exciting and riveting as I'd hoped for.

Still, I can't help but wish the whole book had been more like the finale. Maybe my expectations were just too high here. I wanted to be enthralled and captivated and completely riveted from beginning to end. Instead, I was merely entertained for the majority. I kept waiting for the moment when the story would grab me and not let go, and that didn't really happen until the very end.

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[Warda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hold your horses and fix your faces, I know you are rolling your eyes at me with this 3-star rating.

I rolled my eyes. Not at myself, but at the book.

It’s just a matter of opinion and personal taste and my taste wasn’t taking into consideration when the author decided to write a plot-driven story.

I know, the nerve.

This is just a me thing. I will never enjoy a story when the plot overtakes the development of the characters, even though I liked the plot in this case.

But so much of this story relied on the plot and after a certain point, I wasn’t a fan. Why should I care for the plot when I hardly grew to care for the characters? They were hardly given any focus.

I can admit that the plot was exhilarating and where the strongest focal point lied. I enjoyed the world-building and seeing the stakes that were present in this Hunger Games style battle they were participating in.

What made it even better is that this is a world of vampires. With wings. I will always have a thing for those leeches. 🥰

However, I can’t say I understand the origins of the games and why it needed to take place. Or what made Oraya strong enough to handle these vampires when she’s a mere ‘human’. Or that I even understood the world. Because what was the conflict exactly between the two clans/factions?

What I had a major issue with was the characterisation. It was lacking. There was not a lot of depth to them, which honestly just annoys me. I did not understand what motivated our main character, Oraya. Yes, she wanted to win to become stronger but had we had more information as to why she wanted to save her hometown, I could’ve gotten on board with the plot.

I don’t know if this was intentional, but we really could’ve benefitted from a Raihn POV. Heck, Vincent should’ve had one. That man was a pure mystery and I needed more.

I needed layers, backstory, something more that would’ve allowed me to connect to the characters on a deeper level. The hints at background we did get were very few and far in between and we know there’s more to Oraya than what we have been given.
Particularly when it comes to her powers, where she came from, Vincent rescuing her and her upbringing and training after the fact. But we weren’t privy to that.

I would’ve loved to have seen something similar for Raihn in those regards too.

This is not to say I didn’t like them. I liked them. And I liked the romance. There was a particular scene that had me swooning. 🫠🤤 But it never really stepped into the love territory. There was too much of a disconnect, simply because there was no opportunity given for the reader to really understand the main characters. The plot never allowed for that to happen.

I wish we had more of a gradual process of the character development incorporated into the story. And that there was a better balance between the plot and characters.

Book Two better deliver since the ending made things interesting. And Oraya better get on board with things asap!

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

convinced nothing could top this masterpiece (maybe the sequel)

the second i opened up page 1, i couldn’t put this book down. my eyes were gorilla glued to the pages. i knew i’d enjoy this book but i didn’t know i’d love it to the point of actually considering how i could cement it into my brain, skin, and body. 😤

this was the hunger games meets Underworld. from the world building to the lush writing, nothing was a miss to my eyes. from characters i’d literally move continents for to a slow burning romance that ached me to the core. the plot was giving as much as the romance. and we got enough of both.🫠

oraya! female rage incarnated to the max. she’s so effortlessly fierce, badass, and strong. usually battle/fight scenes bore me but it’s the way i couldn’t get enough of it when she was involved. this book is all in her pov and it was the best decision. she’s not only my favorite character in this series but one of all time now. she deserves the world and i’ll gladly kneel before her 🧎🏻‍♀️

raihn. my man (that doesn’t know he’s my man yet) god i love his personality. he’s so babygirl. he’s so charming. but he has a lot of growing on me to do which i’m hoping to get in the sequel.🧎🏻‍♀️yet i still want him till i am diagnosed with SEVERE spine and back problems 🥰

but i gotta say, my favorite part about this book was the plot over the romance. i was so entranced in the writing and world building that i could clearly imagine every corner, inch, and cobblestone of this world and its kingdoms. and gahhh damn those last 30 pages…you could have a gun to my head and i wouldn’t have guessed the way things ended. i was shocked to say the least. my brain must have paralyzed entirely as some point. i lost all mobile functionality. i finished this book breathing hard and staring at the walls for like 20 minutes processing the intense shit i just read. 🤯

carissa broadbent count your fucking days because my therapist and lawyer say i’m entitled to emotional compensation, they’ll be in contact…

[chan ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

sarah janet walked so this brutal shit could run

i've had a hard time finding a fantasy romance to satisfy me. they often lack proper world building and fantasy elements or the relationships feel rushed and unjustified. and let's be honest, i'm a notoriously picky bitch.

but this book was pretty satisfying on all fronts. a fairly complex political system with vampires being the ruling class. in- fighting amongst vampire factions. a hunger games-esque competition. relentless brutality. and a compelling romantic relationship that i couldn't help but root for. oh and don't let me forget about the complex father-daughter relationship!!!

my only complaint is that i wish we had a little info dumping early on. weird to ask for, but i wanted to better understand the reason for the Hiaj/Rishan conflict. i get that bloodthirsty power thirsty beasts can just be mean to be mean but i think it would have helped me to understand the stakes more if we knew more about the differences between factions/species.

otherwise? fantastic. and i'll be picking up the sequel when it comes out :)

[Carissa Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

My bloody, angsty, stabby, spicy book child is now in the world!

I am so so excited to share this book with you officially, and I hope that you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it. After finishing The War of Lost Hearts series, I was so afraid of venturing into a different world with different characters after those ones had so captured my heart. But as soon as I got to know Oraya and Raihn and their dark, dangerous world, those anxieties were immediately put to rest.

So, will I give myself five stars? Hell yeah I will -- I had five stars worth of fun writing this book!

I so hope that you love it! <3

--

I didn’t realize my lips had curled until his thumb moved, tracing the curve of that smile as if it was something worthy of reverence.
“Are you going to kill me, Oraya?” he murmured.
I didn’t run. Didn’t move. Instead, I lay my palm flat against his chest.
I surprised even myself when I replied, “Not tonight.”

[jessica yeung · Rating 4 out of 5]

not exactly an original story, but it is some seriously high-quality fantasy.

i really enjoyed the writing, the characters, the world-building, the plot, and the romance. there is a really perfect balance between all of these elements - they are all fully developed and share the story well together.

if it had felt more unique, it definitely would have gotten 5 stars. but the entertainment value alone is through the roof.

↠ 4.5 stars

[Haley pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

[Mia Sacre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Booktok you’re on your last warning

[Eryn McVay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might be outgrowing this genre.

Do you like piss-poor world building? A “protagonist” who’s a blatant rip off of Feyre + Aelin + Katniss and a love interest who is a worse, plagiarized Casteel with shades of Rhys? Do you want a plot that makes no sense? Side characters with vague goals and convenient motivations that make no sense? How about prose that is so self-congratulatory, overly-flowery, non-specific, and - although it’s written in first person - in no way matches the protagonist’s dialogue voice? Then oh boy do I have the book for you!

Listen. I’ll be the first to admit that ACOTAR has problems and some of the writing is underdeveloped. But SJM at least understood how to lay breadcrumbs through action in her story so the reveals had some actual weight. This author so obviously wanted to do that, but has zero understanding of craft and story structure so it falls laughably flat. I don’t think self publishing is always a red flag, there are exceptions, but sometimes you need an editor .

Hot-girl-with-a-knife is not a character. Hot-guy-who’s-mean-but-also-sensitive is not a character. Call me a stickler but your character’s should have specific objectives, motivations, and nuance to feel alive, not just tonal choices that fit an aesthetic. Also you can see the “”””reveal”””” she’s attempting to set up with Septimus from 1000 miles away. Borderline plagiarism of ACOMAF incoming, I guarantee it.

Throwing tomatoes for the rest of my life at this book. And there’s FIVE MORE AAAHAHHAHAA jfc

[Clace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75!

“Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence.”

Honestly not a bad book at all! I enjoyed it but it just wasn't that wowing or maybe I was just very hyped to start it. I feel like Carissa's writing is really good, it is engaging because I read it very fast, and it kept me very engaged. I also think setting this book and the writing in it to the standard of a high fantasy novel is not right because its a totally different think, I think that's why most people end up disliking romantasy but besides that I would say that when it came to the plot it was very interesting, I just dont think that the characters were that captivating. I think the writing really carried the book for me because it easily brought out the enjoyment factor.

“I would beg,” he murmured. “For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?”

Oraya, our fmc definitely has potential to be a badass warrior and honestly I did like her but there was something keeping me away from truly enjoying her pov its not feeling disconnected but rather how lacking her character felt in terms of development, we also didn't really get to see any flashbacks but I liked her as a warrior and a human trying to survive in a vampiric world. Raihn, our MMC, and uhhh he was okayyy, again it's not that I didn't like him, His banter with Oraya was very fun to read and he was very charming but he didnt really intrigue me enough and honestly I wasm't really interested in reading about him but I feel like my feeling might change after the way this book ended. Also I soooo wanted Mische's story with septimus idk why I just did.

“Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Then climb your cage until you are so high no one can catch you. Break its bars and make them your weapons. Nothing is sharper. I know because I did it”

The romance, Ahahahaah it didn't help that at the beginning I shipped her with Vincent (🤡) but after her father dialogue that quickly faded away. Her with Raihn was just okayy, I liked the forbidden aspect but still it was just very lacking, I loved their bickering but I just didn't like Raihn FOR her, he felt very ehh but I am hoping that he improves because im fairly certain that he is the endgame for her, even the spicy scene felt okay because I just didn't really feel the chemistry between them.

“Don’t be so quick to throw away your humanity, Oraya,” he said. “You might find you miss it once it’s gone.”

The plot is easily this books saving grace because I was hooked with the trials and with the way everything was going and I loved how she listened to Vincent but also the ending with the plot twist I was not expecting and I LOVED it, it makes me so excited to read it!! I got the book so I am even more excited. I think with the way it ended book 2 has a lot of potential for this series and honestly can we talk about the Standalones in this series?? masterpieces! I loved both slaying the vampire conqueror and six scorched roses so hoping that book 2 improves as well.

Overall, it could be better but I enjoyed it!
~~~
I can't believe I haven't read this yet. I am so excited because the reviews have been amazing sooo far! and vampires with enemies to lovers!?! 🫦 Hunger games like trials? 🙂‍↕️ GIVE IT TO ME 🫴🏻

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My friend. My enemy. My lover. My captor. King and slave. Human and vampire."

I have no words except that I LOVED IT. It was absolutely perfect.

Love the series ACOTAR? FBAA? Hunger Games? Pick this up right now. I promise you won't even regret reading it, it's so so worth it. 🥺🥺 I personally think it's better than FBAA

✔️ Hate to love
✔️ Slow burn- angsty
✔️ Witty banter
✔️ World building
✔️ Vampires (with wings)
✔️ Magic
✔️ Action packed
✔️ Tending to his wounds
✔️ Drama

"I would beg. For you, I would. You have destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?"

Our FMC, Oraya is human and raised by the vampire king, Vincent. Entering the tournament called Kejari, held by the goddess of death; Oraya wants to be something more. All she has to do is defeat the vampire warriors of the three houses; where she meets Raihn, our MMC and of course a vampire. Everything about him alludes power, charm, and enemy to the king. As their paths collide and an alliance is formed complications arise.

Honestly, I loved every minute of it and every page of it. From the first chapter till the last one, it stayed consistent, intense and action packed. It's paced in a balanced manner- where things need to be fast, it is fast and where things need to be slow, it is slow. The world building is so interesting. And honesty I was glad that for a change the word "fae" wasn't mentioned, cause lately everything has been fae and it's started to grow old. Not that I'll stop reading them. The author wrote this in such an immaculate manner, I was fully immersed. The book is big but it doesn't bore one with unnecessary details.

"I give you my body. I give you my blood. I give you my soul. I give you my heart. From this night until the end of nights. From daybreak until our days are broken. Your soul is my soul. Your heart is my heart. Your pain is my pain. I bind myself to you."

The romance is so moving. The chemistry is perfect. Oraya and Raihn bring life to the book. Tho they're very similar to the dynamic of Feyre and Rhysand, it is still fun and lively. I would say that Oraya is more of an original personality, cause her zeal and her humanity is what makes her stand out. She has got tricks up her sleeve as well and radiates grump energy tbh lol. Raihn's personality, similar to Rhysand. I love Rhysand, I love Raihn too. There are a lot of other similarities between the two- the way they carry themselves, the wings, the banter and their motives. Tho he may not sound original, he has the potential to win you over and trust me, he will.

Septimus is an interesting character and pretty sure we're going to see more of him. But am not a fan of his name 🙈 Mische, is like Mor. That's all I'll say lol

The ending was so tense and full of drama. I could not put the book down at all. The plot twists had me screaming 😩😩 I seriously cannot wait to read the next book.

Y'all just read it. Highly recommended.
This is high key the best book I read so far this year.

[Ceceliaₓₒₓₒ | hotforbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】
ALL THE STARS!

I was immediately swept up in The Serpent and the Wings of Night. I have been lucking out with phenomenal series after phenomenal series! This was no exception. I was hoping for an epic and edge-of-your-seat adventure with romance that would make my heart beat a little faster – and that is exactly what I got.

Oraya is our human FMC in a world where humans are no more than livestock. However, she refuses to be preyed upon or allow her human vulnerabilities to hinder her. 🚨 BADDIE ALERT!

⬥ I couldn’t be stronger than them, so I had to be more precise. No time for mistakes.

Her fight and determination make her easy to root for. Oraya was rescued as a child by the Nightborn vampire king and raised as his adopted daughter. He taught her not only to defend herself and eliminate any threat — Never trust. Never yield. Always guard your heart. But, also to take the power she so desperately wanted.

⬥ “Do you feel unsafe here, little serpent?” … “Good. You are not safe. Not in this castle. Not in this room. You are prey in a world of predators.”

⬥ “Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Then climb your cage until you are so high no one can catch you. Break its bars and make them your weapons. Nothing is sharper.”

The romance between Oraya and Raihn made me melt. I loved the progression of their relationship. How patient and understanding Raihn was. His need to protect her. Oraya is just as drawn to him, but she doesn’t offer her trust easily. The banter between them had me doing all the -ing’s — swaying, sighing, panting, giggling, melting, and cherishing. I made a section below to feature some of the quotes that had me swooning.

I will not discuss the Kejari tournament so you can experience it. Hopefully, it does not cause you a sleepless night as it did me. I just could not put this book down for anything. The ending has me theorizing! I have thoughts on the direction the series might be going and certain characters that are a bit of an itch I cannot reach to scratch. I need to know more!

⬥ “I hope you can find it in your heart to call me a friend,” he said, as he slipped the box into his pocket. “You may find we have more in common than you think. We’re the only ones here who know what it’s like to fight against time. Counts for a lot in this world, doesn’t it?”

𝓗𝓸𝓽 𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼
⟢ Little serpent is an accurate nickname.
⟢ Bloodborn vampires are the most terrifying vampires. And yet, the most relatable to humans.
⟢ The best line throughout the book is, “there she is.”
⟢ The second best line is, “Give me one honest thing.”
⟢ The trials in the Kejari tournament are BRUTAL. Very much like Hunger Games.
⟢ There is only one word to describe vampire family dynamics – ruthless.
⟢ The entire cast of characters — brilliant and intriguing. I need to learn everything about Jesmine.
⟢ Septimus…I have my third eye on you.
⟢ Carissa Broadbent knows how to captivate and entertain…with an extremely well written high fantasy romance.

𝓢𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓷𝔂 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼
“Give me one honest thing, Raihn Ashraj.”

“I’ve lived through some injustices in the last couple of centuries. Seen some fucking travesties. But one of the biggest, Oraya, is that anyone taught you that you should become anything other than exactly what you are.”

He smelled like the sky—he tasted like falling. His lips met mine like he’d been waiting his entire life for this kiss and had known exactly what he would do when he got it.

“You are the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen, Oraya.”

“You don’t even know, Oraya.” … “The things I’ve thought about. ‘Want’ doesn’t even fucking cover it. I have a list.”

“Give me one honest thing,” he murmured.
One honest thing. The most terrible honest thing of all was that with Raihn, it was all honest—it always had been.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel this much. Want this much.

The hint of a smile creased the corners of his eyes. “There she is.”

“So don’t you fucking dare stop fighting, princess. It would break my damned heart.”

His hands gripped my hips, his eyes never leaving mine. “I would beg,” he murmured. “For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?”

Overall, if you enjoyed the vampire/human romance in Twilight, the high-stakes competition in Hunger Games, and the gritty political intrigue in Game of Thrones - this IS your book. Run, friends. Don't walk.

Thank you for taking the time to read this review. 🤝


⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

UPDATE (4/12/23): Switched back to the ebook for my reread. The audiobook narrator sounded like a southern belle that was skipping in a field of flowers and not dodging bodies and fangs. Just, no.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

UPDATE (5/24/23): All of our dreams are coming true and we are getting a new audiobook narrator! 🎉🎉🎉

The Crowns of Nyaxia series will now be narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb - who many of you might know from A Court of Wings and Ruin!
Because of this change, there will be a temporary lapse in availability of the audiobook of The Serpent and the Wings of Night. The current version of the audiobook will be coming down shortly, and a preorder for the new version will be going up next week.

🗓️ 𝓐𝓾𝓰𝓾𝓼𝓽 ⓯ is the new audiobook release date!!!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️ The Hunger Games meets ACOTAR but with vampires. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this!!!!


The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination - nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child.


WHAT TO EXPECT:⁠
✨ dark fantasy romance
✨ humans x vampires
✨ magical competition where the winner gets one wish from the goddess of Night
✨ she's the human daughter of the vampire king and a total badass
✨ he's a powerful vampire and her biggest competition in the trials
✨ enemies to allies to friends to lovers
✨ star-crossed lovers
✨ reverse grumpy x sunshine
✨ fantastic banter
✨ slow burn
✨ 2.5/5 spice (three-ish open door sex scene)
✨ action-packed
✨ high stakes
✨ interesting world building
✨ found family⁠
✨ plot twists and reveals
✨ shocking ending⁠ with a somewhat resolved cliffhanger
✨ single POV
✨ TW: violence, torture (off page), flashbacks of rape (consent withdrawn), self-harm, emotional abuse, slavery, and references to sexual abuse


My Thoughts:

Wow! This. Book. Is. AMAZING! And that's high praise coming from me. I read a decent amount of fantasy, but most of the time, I'm unimpressed either by the story, the characters, or the writing. But this captivated me from the first page and kept me enthralled till the end. Carissa Broadbent is a talented writer and I will be reading her entire backlog.

This book has been on my radar since it was published, but I decided to wait because, honestly, I just didn't believe all the hype. I'm annoyed I waited so long to read it, but at the same time, I'm glad because book 2 is out now so I don't have to spend months dealing with the emotional damage from that ending!


So what did I love?


This vampire world. I've mostly read about vampires in a contemporary setting or historical time period, so to read about them in a true fantasy world was interesting. The tone of this story is very dark and gritty, which emulates the ways of the brutal vampiric society. Vampires only respond to strength, so there's constant bloodshed. If you're not a born vampire (turned vampire or human) you are considered less than, meaning this world is extremely dangerous and most live under the constant threat of abuse and death.

Oraya is a refreshingly fantastic FMC and quite the paradox. She is a girl between worlds. A human raised by the Nightborn vampire king, who taught her how to protect herself in a world designed to kill her. She longs to be one of them, to be their equal, but she can't quite stomach what they truly are. Yet she is not quite human either, since they are no more than helpless livestock in this world and she is anything but helpless. Oraya has complex thoughts and feelings regarding her place in this world, and it was fascinating watching her struggle through this.

Oraya is a total badass. Since she is a human in a vampire world, her father taught her from a young age how to protect herself - mentally, emotionally, and physically. She's been training with him for years, growing stronger, learning how to fight, and preparing for the Kejari tournament, all with the hope that she will win and be granted a single wish from the goddess, Nyaxia - the goddess of vampires. Also, without her father knowing, she sneaks off at night to the 'protected' human districts to hunt down rogue vampires looking for easy prey. I loved this little act of defiance against vampires and that she chooses to protect the helpless. Made me respect the hell out of her even more.

She's also incredibly smart, resourceful, determined, and persistent. Even though she was raised in a cold, heartless place, she still has her humanity and a hidden compassion for others. She also radiates big grump energy because doesn't trust anyone except her father and is always serious and on edge, so watching her build relationships was entertaining. I think she's one of my favorite MCs of all time.

Daddy Vincent aka King of the Nightborn vampires. I have so many complicated feelings about this man because just like his adopted daughter, this man is a walking paradox. On one hand, he is the Nightborn king - ruthless, powerful, cunning, and cruel. But on the other hand, he took in a small human child and raised her as his own. And as Oraya's father, he would soften and let love and concern for her shine through. Plus, he calls Oraya his little serpent and always says it with such a tone of endearment. 🥺 He's a savage king where his one and only weakness is his daughter. (I mean, I know he's morally grey AF and I know I shouldn't love him, but I totally do.) Oraya truly believes he loves her. But after everything that happens and from what we discover at the end, there's just so many questions that leave me (and Oraya) wondering, was it really love? And I think this is the beauty of his character and this relationship. The 'love' isn't clear, which makes it all much more interesting.

Raihn. He's a mysterious, powerful vampire and Oraya's greatest threat in the competition. It takes them a while to warm up to each other, but once they do, she starts to see more vulnerable sides to him - full of pain and love. What I admire most about Raihn is that even though he's had a difficult life and has the ability to abuse his power (just like others abused him), he's determined to make life better for others. I don't mean he's a softie. No, he still kills and is extremely deadly. But the way he takes care of those he loves - Mische and eventually, Oraya - is everything. He may play the role of a brute, but deep down, he is anything but that. If you're an ACOTAR fan, I think you'll see a few similarities between Raihn and Rhysand. They're both charming, sexy, persistent, winged, hard to read, and easily slips into different roles/characters. And if you love Rhysand, you'll fall in love with Raihn.

The enemies-to-lovers / star-crossed romance. I mean, I COME ON! How could you not be into this?! They're opponents in a freaking death competition and from rival vampire houses! There's so much tension and underlying hatred my skin was boiling. The romance is soooooooo slow, but the progression from enemies to allies to friends to lovers was so natural and realistic. Oraya doesn't EVER give her trust or love to anyone except her father, so it takes a lot of time, patience, and reassurances for Raihn to make Oraya truly believe that she's safe with him. Watching her finally open up and trust was so beautiful. And while there's only three-ish spicy scenes, they were well worth the wait!

Also, I really appreciated how Oraya's past sexual trauma was handled. It was well done.

Mische is a delight. I love her. I want to be her best friend. She is just such a joyful ball of sunshine in this dark story, but also a badass vampire with magic. I love her individual relationships with Raihn and Oraya, and cannot wait to see how things pan out for her in future books. Maybe she'll even get her own story, since apparently they're going to be six books total in the series that are split into 3 duologies??? 👀

The tournament as a whole and the individual trials were so interesting. While some fantasy stories with action can bore me to death, this never lost my attention. Each scene is described in a way that makes you feel as if you are there experiencing it yourself. I was constantly at the edge of my seat, eager to find out what would happen next. It was absolutely gory and I fucking loved it. Plus, I thought it was interesting that the trials were based on the goddess Nyaxia's own story, so it only enhanced the world-building.

The shocking ending. I don't really know what I expected, but THAT was not it. I wasn't surprised by who won, but everything that happened after. I mean, the plot twists and reveals just kept coming and didn't stop! Bravo, Carissa Broadbent, for this fantastic ending! I cannot wait to read the next book!


With everything I loved about The Serpent and the Wings of Night, there was only one thing that bothered me.


Raihn repeatedly says, "There she is," to Oraya and it becomes a sort of catch phrase. He says it whenever he wants her to know he really 'sees' her and her strength/determination/perseverance. I like that he says this, but it was used too frequently and in such a short span of time that it felt like overkill and became a bit cheesy.


Overall, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a phenomenal first book in The Crowns of Nyaxia series! I'm so captivated by the characters, the romance, this dark fantasy world, and the shocking ending that I will immediately be reading Book 2: The Ashes and the Star Cursed King.

-

Crowns of Nyaxia Series:

1. The Serpent and The Wings of Night: 4.75 ⭐️
1.5 Six Scorched Roses: 4.5 ⭐️
2. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King: 3.5 ⭐️

-


Favorite Quotes:

I loved it - really, truly loved it - when they underestimated me.
_______

"Death isn't frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence."
_______

"Don't be so quick to throw away your humanity, Oraya. You might find you miss it once it's gone."
_______

"I've lived through some injustices in the last couple of centuries. Seen some fucking travesties. But one of the biggest, Oraya, is that anyone taught you that you should become anything other than exactly what you are."
_______

He smelled like the sky - he tasted like falling.
_______

"You're safe, Oraya. I need you to know that."
"I know." And I meant it.
_______

"I would beg. For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya.”
_______

"A dead lover can never break your heart."
_______

Love was a sacrifice at the altar of power.
_______

I had lost my autonomy, my name, my blood. I had lost my country. But at least I had kept my heart.
_______

My friend. My enemy. My lover. My captor. King and slave. Human and vampire.
_______

I hated him. And I loved him.
_______

[Edgar Allan Hoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

sarah j maas committed a war crime when she created rhysand. he's everywhere, like a cancer he just keeps spreading and it has become an epidemic

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆⋅⋆ ─── 1st read 2022: 4.25 stars
☆⋅⋆ ──── 2nd read 2023: 4 stars

Denial is a river in Egypt. I refuse to believe the last 15% of this book happened. Justice for my vampire king.




Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti, Raven Kennedy and Kerri Maniscalco are shaking right now.. Carissa Broadbent is coming in hot as the newest queen of romantasy books. 👑

Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence.

SONG:
Distraction – Kehlani


─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
⌁ PLOT
─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Oraya (h) is a human girl who got adopted by Vincent, the Vampire King of House of Night, when she was eight years old. For full context there is also the House of Blood and House of Shadows, but they are irrelevant for now. Every 100 years the Kejari takes place, a tournament, where people all over Obitraes can participate. The contestants have to go trough five trials over the period of four months to win. The winner will get granted one wish by Godess Nyaxia the mother of all vampires. The House of Night is kinda divided into two rival vampire clans: the Hiaj and the Rishan vampires. Basically the whole story of The Serpent and the Wings of Night is that Oraya goes through the trials and has to ally with Raihn (H) to survive the tournament.

─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
⌁ REASONS WHY THIS BOOK IS AMAZING
─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

☪ What is hotter than a vampire? A vampire with wings.



The world that Carissa Broadbent created with this book is amazing. Vampires always get romanticise in books and I love in this book shows a different side. Vampires are savages, brutal, bloodthirsty and really don’t give a flying fuck. Humans are pretty much livestock here and it’s amazing. Savage vampires meet The Hunger Games.

☪ The plot and magic.

Trials and tournaments are probably my favorite plots. Authors can really get creative with coming up with all kind of games and trials and part of the fun is theorizing what could happen next. And the fact that each of the trial in this book was connected to Nyaxia’s story was so interesting to read. There were so many gods and goddesses mentioned in this book that it will open so many doors for future books in this world and I can’t wait to learn more. The author said that she plans five more books in this series and I have some theories for what the next book might be about, but for the rest I really have no idea where she wants to take this story and I can’t wait to learn about it. Watch me being 55 yo and still read this series. 🥰

☪ Oraya and Vincent’s relationship.

The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination—nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child.

the moment the book started with this quote, I knew their relationship had me by the throat. I have to be honest here and say that Oraya and Vincent’s relationship was the MVP for me and that’s not a shade at Oraya and Raihn’s romance. I’ll come back to that later, but my depraved brain was lowkey shipping Oraya with her father.. yes you’ve read that right they are not blood related so where is the problem 🤡 there is just something about a ruthless, powerful vampire king that takes in a human stray from the street that is so good 🤌 it was giving Kaname x Yuki (Vampire Knight) and Thanos x Gamorra (Marvel) vibes

“You do not have to do this, my little serpent,” he said softly. “I realize only now that perhaps I never told you that.”

HE CALLS HER HIS LITTLE SERPENT DLSFJSDLFJS how can you expect me not to fall for this?! 😩 Vincent was such an interesting character to me .. his duality was so hot. On one hand he is this savage king who rules with an iron fist and has no problem burning a city with 500k men, women, children, human or vampires to the ground. On the other hand he is a nurturing father where his one and only weakness is his little serpent.

Vincent, my father, loved me above all. But Vincent, the Nightborn King, was too ruthless to allow the slightest challenge, love or no.

The complexity of their relationship spoke to me. Vincent was definitely the kind of father that raised Oraya with tough love. He protected her, he taught her how to fight, he taught her how to be hard, he taught her how to be efficient, he taught her how to be ruthless, but most importantly he taught her how to survive in this cruel world of predators. He took away part of her humanity. But underneath all the hard exterior he is such a softie for his little serpent. Every time Oraya barely survived one of the trials and her seeing Vincent reactions to it.. my heart 😭

For me, Vincent was that person. Even when I had no one else, I had him, and I knew beyond any doubt in this world or the next that he would do literally anything for me.

Part of Oraya’s journey was realizing that even though she loved Vincent, she knows he is not a good man. These conflicting feelings made the story more compelling.

“Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Then climb your cage until you are so high no one can catch you. Break its bars and make them your weapons. Nothing is sharper. I know because I did it.”

Did I mentioned that Vincent won the Kejari 200 years ago and gained enough power to become the Nightshade king? HE IS SO HOOOT I CAN’T 😭 he isn’t even a morally grey characters, he has straight out villain traits and committed so many crimes, but do I give a fuck? Clearly not cause I love him the most 🥺👉👈

“I can’t take credit for everything that you’ve become, Oraya. Even if sometimes I wish I could. But if I’m responsible for just one small piece of that, it will have been the greatest accomplishment of my life.”

I WANT TO DIIIEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭 LADFJALSKF 😭😭😭😭😭 idk what to do with this unhealthy obsession of mine with this side character like what the hell is this .. every time Vincent opens his mouth I either want to die or want to fuck him there is no in between 😔

Miss Broadbent I need to have a word with you asap! I’m still having a mental breakdown of the last 20% of this book and how dare you for what you did…

☪ Oraya.

I really liked Oraya as the female main character. Even though her character isn’t very original, since she has many of the typical fantasy protagonist traits such as chosen one, weak human that turns powerful, I still like how she questions her own humanity despite being still human. Oraya had the chance to turn her back on this vampire world and find a safe place among the humans, but I love how she say that she rather stays in this place and make a change than being ignorant and safe.

“Don’t be so quick to throw away your humanity, Oraya,” he said. “You might find you miss it once it’s gone.”

Her quest for power is admirable and I want to see more what her vision is for Obitraes is. It feels like this cruel world can’t sink any lower with all the war that has been raging on for quite some time and I’m curious to see how Oraya will handle all the problems.

☪ Oraya and Raihn romance.

Oraya and Raihn have kind of a reverse grumpy-sunshine situation where Raihn is not really a sunshine, but compare to grumpy paranoid Oraya .. you should say he is. While I do love a good reverse grumpy-sunshine dynamic it took me a while to warm up to their relationship due to my inability to stop shipping Oraya with her father until I had to realize that this will never happen and they worked well together. I think my problem with Raihn’s character is that he was so nice and normal compared to all the other vampires? In a world full of backstabbing, cunning and ruthless killers .. Raihn seemed dare I say boring in comparison. I needed more angst, more drama, more backstabbing between the couple and the second half gave that to me.

“Are you going to kill me, Oraya?”
“Not tonight.”
“You might destroy me anyway.”

Another thing that works in Raihn and Oraya’s favor is star crossed of romance of two rival clans. Their romance is very slowburn, but I’m happy to report that the smut scenes that we got where pretty good. My favorite was the biting scene that was 🔥

“We’ll probably die tomorrow,” I said. “Show me something worth living for.”

─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
⌁ WHY NOT 5 STARS
─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

☪ There was quite a lot of tell and no show in this book that bothered me a bit. If you didn’t know already Vincent is my fav character from this book, but it was always told to the reader how powerful he is and how he killed so many people and how he did all these horrible things, but I would have loved to see it actually happening. Maybe then I would have put him less on a pedestrial but ahahahah who are we kidding I would have been even more obsessed 🥴. Even with Raihn and Oraya’s training in between the trials, it was always tell, but I would have loved to see more of them fighting and getting stronger on page.

☪ This is such a dumb thing to be petty about, but I HATE FANTASY NAMES AND PLACES. THEY GIVE ME A HEADACHE. It takes me my last remaining 3 brain cells to even remember half of the names in this book and only because Raihn is actually one of the easiest one. But then there is Nyaxia, Atroxus, some guy’s name that reminds me of Salamander, Sivrinaj, Ministaer, Jesmine, Nessanyn, Cairis etc. It took me 10 minutes to look up all these names, cause I only remembered like the first two letters 💀💀

☪ as I mentioned above, it took me a bit to warm up to Raihn. Not because he is not likable or a bad developed romance or anything, but I was too busy shipping two other characters that I had no business shipping that whenever Raihn and Oraya interacted.. I was like “okay cute she’s warming up to him whatever, give me another father daughter scene!!” but I think that’s a me problem, since I don’t think I saw any other reviews who had any problem with him. Something happens toward the end that as long as I live I will never forgive Raihn for, but at the same time it made his character so much more interesting and complex.

─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
⌁ CONCLUSION
─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Before reading The Serpent and the Wings of Night I was very impressed with the 4.54 rating this book has because it’s so rare that the first book in a series gets rated so high, but after reading it.. I can’t lie, it deserves it. This series will be the next most popular romantasy series in the future and it should be! I wish more people will read this book, because the plot is amazing, it’s very fast paced, it has intriguing characters and slowburn romance.

┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
CROWNS OF NYAXIA SERIES

#1 The Serpent and the Wings of Night – 4 stars
#2 The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King – 2.75 sstars
#3 tbd – tbr
#4 tbd – tbr
#5 tbd – tbr
#6 tbd – tbr
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know a series has its fangs in you when you start ghosting peeps to binge-read.

Oraya > Feyre
⠀
Raihn > Rhysand⠀


I said what I said. (That's the review).

1. The Serpent and the Wings of Night ★★★★★
2. Six Scorched Roses ★★★★☆
3. The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King ★★★★★
4. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone ★★★★★
5. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror ★★★★☆
6. The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk ★★★★★

🔹🔹🔹

Fixed my priorities. This was breathtaking. RTC. Maybe.

🔹🔹🔹

The audacity to myself that I let this vampire Hunger Games go unread for so long! Fixing priorities, immediately.

[vee! · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 4 stars ✰

"i would beg. for you, i would"

well you better do so in the sequel 😤

okay i'm definitely gonna to be in the minority here
so please don't rip my head off for this rating 😭

starting off strong, the ending was really good, i didn't expect this at all, my jaw? on the floor, lol. the tournament and the backstory of each trial were thought through well and were really interesting but that's about it lol

speaking of trials, they were what i looked most forward to in the book but i can't be the only one who was hella confused by them? they all seemed too similar and the fighting scenes were insanely repetitive and it lowkey made me wanna skim read them

oraya is a strong character, she is badass and i love her. but in said trials, she was saved so many times last minute by raihn and it made her seem week and it annoyed the hell out of me

tension? where? i can't see her 🧐 i needed more angst, i craved it and i didn't feel like i had to know what was going to happen next. i put the book down multiple times because i was bored

there was this scene between oraya and raihn at 70%, which was good but hello?? you're telling me i had to wait that long to just feel a tiny weeny bitty spark? i needed more of the banter that we saw so early on & also, it bothered me so much how often he said "there she is"🧍🏽‍♀️ like, okay.. no need to mention it every single time

vincent, oh vincent, i love him. that's all i have to say

this was supposed to be a 5 star book, i really needed it to be one but after finishing the book, i thought about it and had to give it a 3.5 rating (lol the dramatics) 🫠 looking back at my review i might lower the rating 💀 but for now i will stick with it, just because of the plot twist & my soft spot for romantasy

— SPOILER WARNING (this part is going to be even more messy because i can't be bothered to bring structure in it)

there were a lot of holes in the world building and it made me so angry because they could've been easily explained in the beginning. so there are 3 different vampire clans, the bloodborn, the shadowborn and the nightborn. why does everyone hate the bloodborn? what is the conflict between the hiaj and rishan? is it only about power? about revenge? and revenge for what? for overthrowing each other in the past? i. don't. get. it

isn't it weird that mische and raihn never talked about how they might have to kill each other if it comes to it?

i can't be the only one who felt nothing when raihn died? it was so obvious he wasn't gonna stay dead

we were robbeddddddd!!!???? we could've had training scene with full of tension, did we get it? no, of course not. wasted potential, smh

[Saranya [hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars!

How am I supposed to exist after reading this? I walked into this book with zero expectations and I am leaving it with every single word permanently etched into my soul. What did I just read? I'll be honest- I'm not a fan of the Romantasy genre. In fact, I have never liked any Romantasy before but this is a devastating, beautiful masterpiece that has instantly claimed a spot as one of my favourite books of all time. Any word I say here is not enough to express how much I loved reading this one. This book is my Roman Empire- the bane of my existence.

❥ vampires with wings
❥ reverse grumpy x sunshine
❥ slow burn
❥ angst
❥ action-packed
❥ bloody trials
❥ plot twists

This book captured me from the very first page. The plot is incredibly well-crafted, but the emotional core is what really makes it a high-wire act. On one side, there is romance. Raihn is everything. There is something about the way he speaks that feels like a resurrected teenage crush the kind that made me blush at every single line. The connection between him and Oraya was breathtaking because it transcends dialogue. They both understand each other without having to speak. I loved the fact that Raihn would rather die than hurt her. That level of devotion was just stunningly beautiful.

"A dead lover can never break your heart."

There is such a raw and captivating pulse to Oraya and Raihn’s connection. Their chemistry didn't just drive the plot but it gave the entire story its soul, making the romance feel both inevitable and unforgettable.

“I’ve lived through some injustices in the last couple of centuries. Seen some fucking travesties. But one of the biggest, Oraya, is that anyone taught you that you should become anything other than exactly what you are.”

Oraya stands out as a truly original protagonist. What made her special is how she mixes her intense determination with her human side. Between her tactical brilliance and her signature grump energy, she was as unpredictable as she was relatable.

The bond between Oraya and Vincent (her so called father) was devastatingly, heartbreakingly beautiful. Their relationship is something I want to bottle up and keep forever. Vincent is the ultimate gray character- perhaps not a good man by the world's standards, but a father who loved Oraya like his own. He adored her so deeply that he would rather clip her wings than lose her. The ending left me in shock and I am still trying to process the weight of his love versus his actions.

The Trials were something original- I have to give that. Also, one moment for Ibrihim, everyone. Rest in peace. He deserved so much more than the hand he was dealt.

I have read neither From Blood and Ash nor ACOTAR. I'm planning to do so soon, but based on the other reviews, it seems like this book is even better than ACOTAR. I'll have to find that out after reading them too. But lie me not, this book was a masterpiece!

I am still reeling after that ending. That ending left me forced to sit with the crushing weight of a love that is both beautiful and deeply flawed. Everything I felt about Raihn just got washed away in the end. And I hope to fall in love with him again in the next book. You know? It takes only seconds to break the love we have developed for someone because of his/her actions- just seconds. This book kept me hooked from the first page until the last. Those plot twists? My jaw is still on the floor! This book is going to stay with me for a long time now.
────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

my reading journey through updates:🦇🩸🧛🌃
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
~ Ibrihim, no

~ he begs😩😩🥹

~ love the fact that the vampires aren't being romanticized.

~ the dance- Vincent sounded like my last year's Physics coaching teacher. Omg, I'm crying.

~ He knows when she's lying and pretending. Omg, the butterflies in my stomach!

~ His entire body tensed. The bedspread shifted as he clutched it tighter.
“You alright?” I asked.
“Define ‘alright.’”
“Alive.”
He scoffed. “Glad you have such high standards.”
Lmaooo

~ He groaned. “Why is it always me? Why is it never your name they’re screaming through the sun-cursed door?”
She smiled sweetly. “Because I’m nice and pretty.”
“I’m nice and pretty,” he grumbled.
BAHAHAHA

~ Oh my God. The relationship between Oraya and Vincent is so precious that I want to bottle it all up.

~ Okay, I have a massive crush on Raihn. Everything he's saying is making me blush. It's like that teenage crush. Oh God, I never thought I could feel that again but a book made me feel that.

~ Oraya is completely me and Raihn- OMG😻🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

~ pg 57- yes, I knew what was in store for Ilana's fate.

~ Vincent, her non-biological father is so good. I want to cry.

~ the prologue makes this so promising. I'm so invested. Wow.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[Jay H (Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 Stars✨

Unpopular opinion alert please don't jump me 🙏🏼

I really wanted to enjoy this, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. My biggest issue was the writing. It felt juvenile and overly reliant on modern slang, which pulled me out of the story every time. And the word "fuck"? Used 244 times. Yes, I counted. I get that some people don't mind this style, but I can't stand modern slang in fantasy it completely ruins the immersion for me. This is the second time I've struggled with a book by this author. I DNF'd Daughter of No Worlds after expecting to love it, and now this.

The romance didn’t do it for me at all. There was no chemistry, and it felt so forced. The only relationship I actually cared about was between Oraya and her father. I picked this up because of that audio, “My father is the worst man alive, and I am his favourite daughter.”

Honestly, I am exhausted by the overuse of the "shadow daddy" trope in romantasy. Can we let it go already??? 😩 Oraya's motivation for joining the trials made no sense either. If turning into a vampire is so dangerous, why would entering a deadly trial filled with vampires somehow be the safer choice? It felt like a weak justification to set up the plot.

A lot of people have praised the worldbuilding, but... WHERE?? I didn’t see any depth to the world that wasn’t surface level at best. I understand why some find it an easy read, but there’s a difference between turning your brain off to enjoy something and being forced to ignore glaring plot holes to make it work.

The one saving grace for me was the ending. It had enough intrigue that I might pick up the second book to see how things unfold. But overall, this just wasn’t for me. Maybe if I’d read it back in 2023, I would have enjoyed it more but at this point it left me frustrated and unimpressed




__________________
Pre-Read:

It's time for me to meet this so-called Raihn 🤭

[bella · Rating 1 out of 5]

no bc what’s up w everyone frothing at the mouth at these mid ass fantasies filled with plot holes and wattpad writing and shitty characterization????? i’m sawry this was even worse than fourth wing bye

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

”he was a terrible person in so many ways. and yet I loved him.”

me too oraya, me too.

I was thoroughly enthralled by the elaborated world-building and the author's penmanship, which employed a simplistic vocabulary and skillfully avoided excessive verbosity. the trials presented in the narrative effectively conveyed through the chapters the palpable adrenaline that kept me on the edge of my seat. however, I found myself more drawn to the complex dynamic between (daddy) Vincent and Oraya than with the supposed male love interest; Kaihn. while I didn't actively dislike him, I didn't experience a deep emotional connection with him either. their interactions had some poignant moments, but they lacked the intensity and chemistry that would have made me invested in their relationship; it was largely unremarkable.
I would have appreciated greater insight into their bond, particularly through the lens of their rigorous training together. the plot twist, however, was a masterstroke that left me reeling. I sobbed uncontrollably, despite the character involved being intended to be reviled and despised. In fact, that character has become my favorite in the book.

———•———
im freaking CRAVING a good romantasy

[luna_inthesouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have found a new favorite fantasy series!!!!😭😫

the last 100 pages were so eventful I was at the edge of my seat the WHOLE time, in agony and shock!!😫

THE PLOT TWIST?!?? Didn't see that cominggg

4.75 🌟

It was CLOSE to perfection!



---------------------------------
pre-read

Thank you, everyone, for participating in my poll🤗, this one was picked so let's go!!!!

[Minni Mouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, boy. 2.5 stars because that was strong book chemistry allergy within the first few chapters. I'm wondering if this author has all her friends writing reviews for her work because her other popular and largely lauded book Daughter of No Worlds was also a huge bust for me.

THE GOOD
1) Lots and lots of potential here. Books featuring vampires that don't sparkle but rather are lethal, deadly, and batshit crazy should automatically be given a chance here.

We had some crazy House of Vampires political scheming led by Vincent, our scary vampire who's also a gruff softie toward Oraya. Repressed houses biding their time, mysterious vampires named Raihn who, of course, have a slowish-burn romance...we've got it all.

2) The end reveals were pretty cool. I didn't see all that coming.

THE BAD
1) Enormous amounts of "tell, not show." We're told that Vincent is all powerful and ruthless and wipes out thousands of people/vampires at a thought. We're told that Oraya hunts vampires in the human villages due to some deeper, repressed reason. We're told that the trials are a big deal for vampires everywhere. We're told that the various lines of vampire Houses are feuding and unstable and deadly. We're told that vampire lines have various powers. We're told that, despite being human, Oraya seems to harbor powers of her own and is somehow allowed to participate in a vampire tournament. Riiight. To all of it.

2) Variations of the word "fuck" were used what felt like once or twice a page to the point where it seemed juvenile and bro-ish. It also made the book seem like the setting should be a paranormal urban fantasy with the modern language and settings around us versus dealing with centuries old vampires. I imagine this was all in an attempt to make the book New Adult vs. Young Adult...but there's much more to Adult or New Adult books than merely using the word "fuck" profusely.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I skimmed this book liberally. Unlike The Hunger Games, which sets up the characters and dystopian setting well into the exposition before launching the Games for the core of the book, we're entering the Kejari tournament so, so soon before I could event have time to understand Oraya, the world she was living in, the threat and power of vampires, and what the tournament means to the vampire Houses.

In short, I still feel like this author's too green in her writing to pull off the level of convincing and complex fantasy story that she's trying for here.

Having said that...yes, I'll probably still skim-read the sequel.

[ANTC · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. The heroine is insufferable. I am SO tired of feisty/sassy heroines who are just completely bitchy and intolerable 24/7 for no reason. If I were the hero or literally anyone else in the book, I'd have torn her head off within minutes.

Also, the story and world-building are unclear and hard to follow; things don't really add up or make sense. There are a lot of plot-holes where if you dig a little deeper and ask analytic questions, the plot and characters start to fall apart.
- Example 1: Everyone will die at the end of the competition except the winner...yet it's not pointed out as weird when the heroine learns that two of her allies are best friends who joined the competition together and would quote "kill for each other".
- Example 2: The contestants are housed in a palace for four months when they're not competing in the four trials. Well, the first day they get put into the palace basically turns into a free-for-all where all the contestants start killing each other to reduce their competition and increase their odds of winning. But even though this is allowed throughout the whole competition...the palace killing only happens on the first night. It didn't really make sense why the contestants didn't just try to kill each other at all times...even walking to the trials in the hallways and stuff.
- Example 3: Contestants are allowed to leave the palace during certain hours every day. During this time, the heroine meets her father, a vampire king...who gives her super over-powered, fancy, poisonous weapons...as well as healing potions. I don't know why this isn't considered cheating...the poison in her weapons was brought up multiple times throughout as having saved her life. Why didn't other contestants poison their weapons?
- Example 4: Magic is confusing and doesn't really make sense. Many of the vampires have really powerful magic (that's not described very well btw)...as well as super-strength/senses/speed/etc...yet the heroine somehow wins all these fights or gets saved at the last minute (like 20x).
- The list goes on...and I only read to 35%.

Time also passed very quickly and left me feeling like I missed a lot. For example, immediately after the heroine allies with the hero and literally moves into his suite in the palace, three weeks of relationship development are skipped over. The author tells us afterwards that the hero and heroine trained together for several hours each day...but it just felt way too early to be skipping time like that. I feel like the early stages of the hero's and heroine's dynamic is so important.

[✰⋆☾ ⋆ Anna ⭑☽ ✧˖°. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I would beg,” he murmured. “For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?” 😍

[levi (i promise I’ll be more active soon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A dead lover can’t break your heart.”

This book was the equivalent to travelling half the world in one day and then ending up again in your lonely home. Whyyy was the ending so bad ughhhhh why does every good book has to end with a bad ending.

“Love was the sacrifice at the altar of power.”

So the story revolves around a human girl living in a world of vampires ruled by her dad who is also a vampire (duh). And there’s these trials held by the goddess of the night and our dear human girl has prepared all her life to participate in these trials and in these trials she falls in love with the big bad scarred vampire.

“I loved it-really, truly loved it -when they underestimated me.”

Oraya the main character was one of those fmcs that shout ;”i am woman hear me roar.”
The way she kills oh my god. She could kill me and id still thank her. I’m not even joking cuz oh to die from her blade

“He looked like a man undone. Destroyed.”

Let’s talk about him raihn. I hate him so much ahhhhhhhh why did he do that to oraya. I genuinely thought he loved her. But after the ending omggg. Also can’t wait to see what happens next.

“I may be the serpent, but even snakes run for cover when hawks soared overhead.”

Anyway can’t for the next book.
Because wtf was the ending

“Are you going to kill me, Oraya?”
“Not tonight.”
“You might destroy me anyways.”

Anyway br with my bestie Uswah

“And love, understand is sharper than any stake.”

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


✅ Plot twists / Betrayal
✅ Sexual tension and some smut
✅ Doomed romance / Kind of hate-to-love
✅ Pace
✅ Plot and action
✅ Politics
✅ Vampires and magic
✅ Tournament to the death
✅ Characters
✅ Gorgeous writing
✅ Dark atmosphere
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: blood, torture, death, some gore, murders, and mentions of past sexual abuse and past self-harm
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

_______________________

Third read/listen:
Wow. It was my third time reading this book, and it was still as good as the first time! 🖤

I listened to the audiobook this third time, which was a whole new experience. It made me appreciate Carissa's gorgeous writing even more. 🥰

_______________________

The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination— nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child.

Oraya is a human who was saved and raised by Vincent, the Hiaj vampire king after her family was killed and her house destroyed in a rebel attack when she was a little girl. Vincent raised her as if she was his daughter, teaching her how to fight, survive, and kill, and getting her ready to enter the Kejari. Once in a century, the Kejari is held as a tribute to Nyaxia, the Goddess of the night. Dozens of vampires enter the tournament, but only one will survive and be crowned victor, gaining one favor from the goddess herself. Oraya is counting on that favor to become strong enough to finally avenge her human family and help protect the humans living among vampires, but surviving in a tournament designed to kill vampires is no easy task when you are a human. Oraya will find herself forced to find an ally, even though she was taught never ever to trust a vampire.

But maybe this place made all of us that way. Taught us to hide love in sharp edges.


Vincent had carved these lessons into me. Never trust. Never yield. Always guard your heart.

The world-building is complex enough to be very interesting and complete, and the information is not dumped on the readers but rather integrated seamlessly into conversations and descriptions. Obitraes is a ruthless realm, full of vampires fighting and destroying each other to gain more power. To them, humans are no more than cattle, blood bags that they can use as they see fit and discard with no consequence. Humans are supposed to be protected in their district, but Oraya knows that this “protection” they are under isn’t worth anything. Every description portrays this dark and desolate world Oraya lives in, and we can feel her despair and anger at her situation and the humans' fate.

Politics take a lot of room in the plot too, so here is a little summary of the political situation in Obitraes:
- There are three vampire Houses: the House of Night, the House of Shadow, and the House of Blood (nobody likes the House of Blood though).
- Vincent is the king of the House of Night, but in that house, two factions have been at war for centuries: the Hiaj and the Rishan (Vincent is Hiaj).

The descriptions were great and created a dark atmosphere. We could see how poorly humans are treated, how little they’re worth, and how hopeless some of them are. It’s not as bloody or gory as Empire of the Vampire, but there is a similarly dark and gloomy vibe to the book that I enjoyed. The author has a gorgeous way of writing her characters and the story, making it a dark and immersive journey.

He was not the physically strongest vampire. He was not the fiercest warrior nor the wisest sage. But they said he was blessed by the goddess Nyaxia herself, and anyone who had ever met him would swear it to be true. Power seeped from his every pore, and death stained his every breath.


“You cannot accomplish anything in this world without power,” he said. “And power requires sacrifice, focus, and ruthlessness.”

Vincent is the Hiaj king of the House of Night. He is cold and ruthless, but he has a soft spot for his adoptive daughter, Oraya. He made it his mission to teach her everything he knows about combat, but even though we can see that he cares for her in his way, their relationship is very complicated. There is no such thing as saying to someone that you care for them in the world they live in, and no such thing as physical affection or real trust. Oraya knows that Vincent loves her, but she also knows that he’s the only one she is safe with and that she must always remain vigilant, even in the castle. She also comes to realize that Vincent might be more vicious than she thought, but she also knows that being King of the Vampires is no easy task, and it comes with tough choices. As the book progresses, there are a lot of mixed feelings between the two of them, but I really like their complex dynamic. I also love that Vincent was more than just a brutal vampire looking to use anyone and everyone, he does truly care about Oraya and shows it in his way, although that does not excuse some of the decisions he made. It would be interesting to get a prequel book about him.

This struck me, strange and confusing. My humanness had been the reason why I’d spent a lifetime dimming myself. For these people, it was the reason they burned brighter

Oraya was raised in this dark and vicious world, surrounded by predators, and because of her unusual upbringing, she does not consider herself fully human, but she also knows that she is not a vampire. She falls somewhere in between the two groups. I said that she is ruthless and good at killing but we can also see a softer side of her that emerges as she spends more time with vampires that are not evil and trying to kill her, and as she spends time just mingling with humans instead of trying to protect them from afar. She comes to realize that she is human just as they are, despite what she or Vincent might think, and that all the training and brutality in the world will not change that fact.

Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence.”
An insignificant existence. Those words hit me unexpectedly hard. Because what existence was more insignificant than this? Living in constant fear, hobbled by my own blood and my own human weakness? I could never be anything this way, fighting so hard to survive that I could never do anything.

I like the complexity and grayness of Broadbent’s characters. The “good” characters often have to do questionable things for the greater good, or simply to survive, and the “evil” ones are often much more complex than just being evil and power-hungry. They have depth and layers, and I love how she finds a way to “humanize” them, even if it’s only a little bit. The characters are flawed and make mistakes or bad choices, but it makes them so much more relatable. I fell in love with her cast in the War of Lost Heart series, and I fell in love with the characters in The Serpent and the Wings of Night too. I need more of them.

You ready? I asked him.
He was already lifting his sword. Always.


“Give me one honest thing, Raihn Ashraj.”
After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke. “I’ve lived through some injustices in the last couple of centuries. Seen some fucking travesties. But one of the biggest, Oraya, is that anyone taught you that you should become anything other than exactly what you are.”

Raihn Ashraj is another contestant in the Kejari. He appears to be a strong and powerful brute at first, but it’s clear that there is much more to him than meets the eye. He’s witty and seems to be more human than the rest of the vampires. He doesn’t see humans as walking blood-bags, and he even seems to have feelings besides hunger for blood, sex, and violence. He’s trying to show Oraya that although most of the vampires are vicious predators, not all of them are, and he’s trying to prove to her that she can trust him not to hurt her.

His personality paired with Oraya’s stern and rude behavior was so funny at first, but the real magic happened when they were forced to work together and spend more time together… The banter and the fragile trust between them were everything. Their relationship is a very slow burn, built on shaky foundations, and they are both competing in a tournament where there can only be one winner, hence the “doomed romance” checkmark at the beginning of the review, but there is hope for a happy ending for them later in the series. There is sexual tension between them and even some smut near the end, but while there is hope for a happy ending, they are not close to being there yet!

And then I realized. I realized that fear, when embraced, hardens and sharpens.
That it becomes rage.
That it becomes power.
I would not die here.
I let my fury explode.
I let it spill out through my mouth and my eyes and my fingers and the tips of my hair. I let it erupt all the way to the sky— past the stars, the moon, reaching for Nyaxia herself.

The ending. OMG.
The last 20% of the book was just this crazy roller coaster of emotions, betrayal, plot twists, and shocking revelations. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE where the relationship between Raihn and Oraya is heading, and the angst-lover in me is hysterically clapping her hands because there is so much potential for an epic sequel!

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a darker fantasy adventure, full of deadly trials, murders, and vicious vampires, with a dash of dry banter, a great slow-burn between kinda-enemies-now-forced-to-be-allies, and very well-developed and layered characters. Once again, Ms. Broadbent delivered an amazing book!

After all, vampires know better than anyone how important it is to protect their hearts.
And love, understand, is sharper than any stake.

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[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A human child is adopted by a powerful vampire and grows up to compete in the Hunger Games. She almost dies several times, being a human fighting a shitload of vampires, and allies herself with a big immortal hunk who probably apologizes to inanimate objects when he bumps into them. The vampire dad, King of the Hiaj Neck Nibblers, fluctuates between quiet brooding and nervous hand-wringing, and frankly I’d totally bang him. The hunk, Raihn, is pretty content to party and stuff but Oraya is convinced he wants to eat her — which he does, but only a specific part of her and not for nutrition. My parents called me “pumpkin” when I was a kid but I guess “little serpent” is… fine. There is a scene in a cave that you are not ready for. Oraya is sure she’s going to die approximately seventeen thousand times and is consistently incorrect. Ever read a reverse enemies-to-lovers? You could! If you tire easily of the words “I spat”, maybe skip this one. There is a plot twist of M. Night Shyamalan proportions. Did I mention the hot dad? The dad is hot.