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Crowns of Nyaxia
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romantasy (2023)She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn’t expect her own to betray her.
Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust… and kill him.
Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a standalone fantasy romance set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world, full of heart-wrenching forbidden romance, dark curses, and epic battles – perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom and the From Blood and Ash series.
Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust… and kill him.
Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a standalone fantasy romance set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world, full of heart-wrenching forbidden romance, dark curses, and epic battles – perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom and the From Blood and Ash series.
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2023
About the author
Carissa Broadbent
17 books23.5k followersI'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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,470 reviews
May 2, 2023
"Because touching Atrius was like immersing myself in every forbidden pleasure at once."
Plot- 4.5/5 🌟
Spice- 3/5🌶️
Oh my word. That was absolutely wild, intense and one worth reading. Carissa Broadbent is making her way to being one of my favourite authors. Read if you like The Bridge Kingdom and FBAA
Crowns of Nyaxia has been a five star read for me so far, and this book maintains it as one of my favourite series.
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Morally grey MMC x Badass FMC
✔️ She's sent to kill him
The book follows the FMC, Sylina who has sacrificed her life, her freedom and her eyes for the Arachessen (think of it as the Black Widows, only cultish). When she sees the MMC, Atrius, a vampire conqueror in action; she finds herself in a complex situation- to earn his trust and kill him.
Sylina and Atrius complement each other so well, I can't imagine them without the other. Their romance is one that burns slow but strong. Both of them are not the type to talk about their feelings, emotions outright but the way they expressed themselves in few words was chef's kiss 🤌 Both are warriors and yet you see their softer sides being brought to light in such delicate ways. Atrius is not a character you love immediately, like their romance, his character builds and grew on me slowly. He's no Vale, but I'll take him. Definitely one who is perfect for an assassin FMC.
The plot is heavy on the action, which I appreciated. I need my romantasy books to focus on the bigger picture as well and this one did so brilliantly. The pacing feels a bit slower than the rest of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, but there was never a dull moment.
I cannot wait to see what Atrius and Sylina have to offer in the Nyaxia world. So excited to see them.
~•~•~
Set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world? Forbidden romance? Mortal enemies to monster lover? Morally grey MMC? Badass FMC? For fans of the Bridge kingdom and FBAA? Can be read as standalone? Damn I'm gonna eat this up. At this rate I'll read anything and everything by Carissa Broadbent.
But NGL the vamp on the cover scares me 😂
Plot- 4.5/5 🌟
Spice- 3/5🌶️
Oh my word. That was absolutely wild, intense and one worth reading. Carissa Broadbent is making her way to being one of my favourite authors. Read if you like The Bridge Kingdom and FBAA
Crowns of Nyaxia has been a five star read for me so far, and this book maintains it as one of my favourite series.
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Morally grey MMC x Badass FMC
✔️ She's sent to kill him
The book follows the FMC, Sylina who has sacrificed her life, her freedom and her eyes for the Arachessen (think of it as the Black Widows, only cultish). When she sees the MMC, Atrius, a vampire conqueror in action; she finds herself in a complex situation- to earn his trust and kill him.
Sylina and Atrius complement each other so well, I can't imagine them without the other. Their romance is one that burns slow but strong. Both of them are not the type to talk about their feelings, emotions outright but the way they expressed themselves in few words was chef's kiss 🤌 Both are warriors and yet you see their softer sides being brought to light in such delicate ways. Atrius is not a character you love immediately, like their romance, his character builds and grew on me slowly. He's no Vale, but I'll take him. Definitely one who is perfect for an assassin FMC.
The plot is heavy on the action, which I appreciated. I need my romantasy books to focus on the bigger picture as well and this one did so brilliantly. The pacing feels a bit slower than the rest of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, but there was never a dull moment.
I cannot wait to see what Atrius and Sylina have to offer in the Nyaxia world. So excited to see them.
~•~•~
Set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world? Forbidden romance? Mortal enemies to monster lover? Morally grey MMC? Badass FMC? For fans of the Bridge kingdom and FBAA? Can be read as standalone? Damn I'm gonna eat this up. At this rate I'll read anything and everything by Carissa Broadbent.
But NGL the vamp on the cover scares me 😂
April 21, 2024
⟶ 4.25 stars
A human assasin sent to kill the vampire conqueror but instead of killing him she fell in love with him? This is how the greatest love stories start.
This book is a standalone set in the same of world of Nyaxia series. The story is about Sylina, an Arachessen sister, an assasin. She is sent on a mission to kill the vampire conqueror of their country. She became his precious seer, earned his trust, but also fell for the mysterious and dangerous vampire, Atrius. Now, she's left with two options — follow her plan or follow her heart?
The world of the Nyaxia series is dark, twisted, and complex. I absolutely loved to explore it with different characters and series. I am impressed by Carissa's thoroughness with this book because the world building was done so well considering it's only a standalone.
It's a romantasy filled with action sequences that will keep you hooked and on edge. The romance is not the main plot but it's quiet and beautiful in an inexplicable way. This was also a slow-burn but the tension build-up was chef's kiss. The plot is predictable and heavy on action but you will have a ride with this book to the very end.
➸ Sylina
I'll always have a special place in my heart for fmc written by Carissa. They are not only strong, independent, intelligent and revengeful women but there is vulnerable quality to their nature and they have sympathy for people and that makes them more real and I love how they use that as their strength. Sylina had suffered a lot in her past, she's trying to leave it behind with a new name and new motive. She wants to prove her worth to the Arachessen so, she didn't hesitated when she was presented with an opportunity to kill Atrius. She has a complicated past and with that comes a very complex personality so it takes some time to understand her and her life choices. I don't blame her for the choices she made because they were all understandable and she tried to make the best of those choices even if those choices were for her survival. I wish I could give her a hug 🥺🫂
➸ Atrius
Atrius's character was even more complicated and complex than Sylina. He had carefully cultivates an image of himself as this ruthless and dangerous conqueror but behind all that he's just a soft-hearted man and, maybe only for Sylina and his people but it was apparent how much he cared for the people he loves. He keeps all the love he has hidden behind the merciless aura. He may not know how to speak out loud the words of affirmation but his actions speaks louder. He fought hard for his people to provide them a new home, he fought hard for Sylina and time and time again he proved he's not just a ruthless vampire conqueror as people thinks him to be.
╰┈➤ Atrius and Sylina
You ever heard about the quiet love stories? Atrius and Sylina had exactly that. They don't talk much to each other about their pasts because of what they both had endured in their lives. They both have scars from their past and they both carry it because they feel responsible for their people. The way they both slowly and steadily opened up to each other, earned each other's trust and the nuanced ways they both broke down the barriers they had guided their hearts with. It was simply beautiful. They fought and made strategies for wars together and protected each other with their lives and that was just so hot. They both are not the talkative type but the way they about their pain, guilt and trauma without making the other feel voilated was so precious. They complemented each other so well.
The ending was perfect. The last ten chapters had kept me on the edge of my seat and I saw the plot twist coming but Carissa never fails to surprise me because the execution of it was done so well. Carissa promised to give us more of Sylina and Atrius in the next books of Nyaxia series and I can't wait to see what roles they are going to play next time!
————————
Hopefully this will get me out of my fantasy books slump 🥲🤞🏻 i trust carissa with my life atp so pls pls dont disappoint me
“How could the man who was about to kill me feel so comforting? Why did I want to press his threads to my soul, deep enough I’d take their memory with me when I went?”
A human assasin sent to kill the vampire conqueror but instead of killing him she fell in love with him? This is how the greatest love stories start.
This book is a standalone set in the same of world of Nyaxia series. The story is about Sylina, an Arachessen sister, an assasin. She is sent on a mission to kill the vampire conqueror of their country. She became his precious seer, earned his trust, but also fell for the mysterious and dangerous vampire, Atrius. Now, she's left with two options — follow her plan or follow her heart?
“You have no idea the things I’ve seen. The things I’ve done. I’m a killer too, Atrius. Don’t underestimate me.”
The world of the Nyaxia series is dark, twisted, and complex. I absolutely loved to explore it with different characters and series. I am impressed by Carissa's thoroughness with this book because the world building was done so well considering it's only a standalone.
It's a romantasy filled with action sequences that will keep you hooked and on edge. The romance is not the main plot but it's quiet and beautiful in an inexplicable way. This was also a slow-burn but the tension build-up was chef's kiss. The plot is predictable and heavy on action but you will have a ride with this book to the very end.
“You shouldn’t be here.” This time he spoke against my mouth—not quite a kiss, but the promise of one.
I whispered, “Why?”
“Because you make me ravenous.”
You make me ravenous.
➸ Sylina
I'll always have a special place in my heart for fmc written by Carissa. They are not only strong, independent, intelligent and revengeful women but there is vulnerable quality to their nature and they have sympathy for people and that makes them more real and I love how they use that as their strength. Sylina had suffered a lot in her past, she's trying to leave it behind with a new name and new motive. She wants to prove her worth to the Arachessen so, she didn't hesitated when she was presented with an opportunity to kill Atrius. She has a complicated past and with that comes a very complex personality so it takes some time to understand her and her life choices. I don't blame her for the choices she made because they were all understandable and she tried to make the best of those choices even if those choices were for her survival. I wish I could give her a hug 🥺🫂
“Because touching Atrius was like immersing myself in every forbidden pleasure at once.”
➸ Atrius
Atrius's character was even more complicated and complex than Sylina. He had carefully cultivates an image of himself as this ruthless and dangerous conqueror but behind all that he's just a soft-hearted man and, maybe only for Sylina and his people but it was apparent how much he cared for the people he loves. He keeps all the love he has hidden behind the merciless aura. He may not know how to speak out loud the words of affirmation but his actions speaks louder. He fought hard for his people to provide them a new home, he fought hard for Sylina and time and time again he proved he's not just a ruthless vampire conqueror as people thinks him to be.
“It matters,” he murmured. Two words that could mean nothing—should mean nothing. It felt like they meant everything.
╰┈➤ Atrius and Sylina
You ever heard about the quiet love stories? Atrius and Sylina had exactly that. They don't talk much to each other about their pasts because of what they both had endured in their lives. They both have scars from their past and they both carry it because they feel responsible for their people. The way they both slowly and steadily opened up to each other, earned each other's trust and the nuanced ways they both broke down the barriers they had guided their hearts with. It was simply beautiful. They fought and made strategies for wars together and protected each other with their lives and that was just so hot. They both are not the talkative type but the way they about their pain, guilt and trauma without making the other feel voilated was so precious. They complemented each other so well.
“I live in dark stories. And I’ve been living in yours for nearly four months. If you’re going to invite me in, invite me.” I pushed against his chest, hard. “I already see you, Atrius. I’m not afraid.”
The ending was perfect. The last ten chapters had kept me on the edge of my seat and I saw the plot twist coming but Carissa never fails to surprise me because the execution of it was done so well. Carissa promised to give us more of Sylina and Atrius in the next books of Nyaxia series and I can't wait to see what roles they are going to play next time!
————————
Hopefully this will get me out of my fantasy books slump 🥲🤞🏻 i trust carissa with my life atp so pls pls dont disappoint me
May 1, 2023
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.
✅ Strong female MC
✅ Hate to love / Enemies to lovers (because I am picky and NO, they are not the same)
✅ Vampires
✅ Set in the world of Crowns of Nyaxia
✅ Pace
✅ Plot
✅ Writing and world-building
✅ Betrayal / Some twists
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Sexual tension and some smut (✅🆗)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: blood, deaths (death of children too), drug use, and voluntary loss of sight
**While this is set in the same world as the Crowns of Nyaxia duology, it can easily be read as a standalone, but reading the Crowns of Nyaxia before will give more insight into the world-building. 🙂
Strong 4.5 stars
As a member of the Arachessen, Sylina must obey the Sightmother and her Goddess. When she is tasked by her Goddess to infiltrate the Bloodborn army that just arrived on their shores to conquer their lands, Sylina is more than happy to have the green light to find the warlord Atrius and end him, but the more time she spends studying him and his army, the more she comes to realize that there is more to them than a bunch of brutes out for blood.
The plot is simple, and overall mostly predictable, but not less enjoyable or addictive for it. There are also a few twists near the end that were somewhat unexpected, but I have to admit that I was not that shocked by the revelations in the last part of the book. Still, once I started this book, it was hard to put it down, and very, very easy to fall into the “one last chapter” trap. There is also action because Atrius’ army is set on conquering the lands ruled by the King and his warlords, which means fighting and invading cities, and it was well-paced, well-written, and highly engaging.
Sylina is an Arachessen who was trained from a very young age to be an efficient, obedient, and ruthless killer in the name of her Goddess. She is a badass, obviously, but she also has strong emotions (that she keeps hidden inside), and a sense of justice. She remains kind despite the violent life she leads, and I loved the mix of violent efficiency and sweet generosity in her. She is also smart, manipulative, and rational, taking the time to think before she acts and she does not let her hormones drive her, despite the obvious physical attraction that develops between Atrius and her as the story progresses, and that really made her feel like the grown-up she is, which I adored. I always find it disappointing when a main character is said to be in his late 20s or 30s even, but still acts like a hormone-driven teenager. Sylina is driven and determined to accomplish her mission, and she does it using her brain.
Sylina is physically blind, in the sense that she can’t see with her eyes, but she traded them for the ability to see the world through threads, and that was fascinating. She can see just as well as anyone else, but she also can feel the thread of people nearby, hidden things, unliving things, and she can even feel some emotions. The author did a great job at explaining how she interpreted everything, and I also liked the seering part. They were mysterious, without being too long or too obvious in their foreshadowing.
Atrius is Septimus’ cousin, from the House of Blood, and if you read the Crowns of Nyaxia duology before this book, you will recognize his story as one Septimus tells Oraya in the second book. He shows a hard, and almost insensitive façade to everyone, being what you usually expect from a cruel, violent conqueror, but as Sylina spends more time in his camp, she comes to realize that he is none of that. He is battle-hardened and does not show mercy to his enemies, but he does not want to kill aimlessly and massacre innocent civilians. He does care and he does have a plan and a goal other than just killing and conquering. He’s a grumpy with a soft heart hidden underneath all his armor and frowns, and he reminded me a little bit of Max in that aspect.
I like that Atrius was always respectful towards Sylina, and never belittled her or treated her like she was inferior to him because she didn’t have the use of her eyes anymore. He knew from the start what the Arachessen were capable of, and always knew that Sylina was as far from a helpless blind woman as can be.
The romance in this book is a hate-to-love, but it is believable, with a slow-burn and great, logical development. Sylina hates Atrius because he is a vampire conqueror, but she does not have anything against him personally, they are just meant to be enemies, and because of that she despises him. Atrius is also wary of Sylina because he knows she probably hates him and as a human living on the land he is conquering, she is his enemy.
It was great to see their distrust and unease that was based mostly on their status and species slowly turn into shacky alliance and partnership out of need, and also because they learned more about each other and they realized that their despise for each other was mostly based on prejudices.
Even though the story overall is less elaborate than Broadbent’s other series, the writing remains amazing, with relatable and layered characters, action, an addictive pace, and a gorgeous world-building. As always, her characters are compelling and relatable, and she has such a way of detailing their motivations, fears, and flaws, that it is very easy to understand them and their goals, even if we do not always agree with their way of doing things. If you are a fan of Carissa Broadbent’s writing and you enjoyed her previous work, you will love this book too for sure!
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ Strong female MC
✅ Hate to love / Enemies to lovers (because I am picky and NO, they are not the same)
✅ Vampires
✅ Set in the world of Crowns of Nyaxia
✅ Pace
✅ Plot
✅ Writing and world-building
✅ Betrayal / Some twists
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Sexual tension and some smut (✅🆗)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: blood, deaths (death of children too), drug use, and voluntary loss of sight
**While this is set in the same world as the Crowns of Nyaxia duology, it can easily be read as a standalone, but reading the Crowns of Nyaxia before will give more insight into the world-building. 🙂
Strong 4.5 stars
As a member of the Arachessen, Sylina must obey the Sightmother and her Goddess. When she is tasked by her Goddess to infiltrate the Bloodborn army that just arrived on their shores to conquer their lands, Sylina is more than happy to have the green light to find the warlord Atrius and end him, but the more time she spends studying him and his army, the more she comes to realize that there is more to them than a bunch of brutes out for blood.
“Just wondering if you’re smart enough to know the value of things that can’t be quantified. Like the value of the offer I made you.”
“I don’t think it was an offer. Offers can be accepted or rejected.”
“You can reject it.”
“But you’ll kill me after.”
He didn’t say anything. Just gave me a grim little half-smile.
The plot is simple, and overall mostly predictable, but not less enjoyable or addictive for it. There are also a few twists near the end that were somewhat unexpected, but I have to admit that I was not that shocked by the revelations in the last part of the book. Still, once I started this book, it was hard to put it down, and very, very easy to fall into the “one last chapter” trap. There is also action because Atrius’ army is set on conquering the lands ruled by the King and his warlords, which means fighting and invading cities, and it was well-paced, well-written, and highly engaging.
Close your eyes, child, and you will see an entire world.
Contrary to what people thought, we were not blind. The threads of life that ran through our world, and our mastery over them, told us everything we needed to know. Everything and more.
Sylina is an Arachessen who was trained from a very young age to be an efficient, obedient, and ruthless killer in the name of her Goddess. She is a badass, obviously, but she also has strong emotions (that she keeps hidden inside), and a sense of justice. She remains kind despite the violent life she leads, and I loved the mix of violent efficiency and sweet generosity in her. She is also smart, manipulative, and rational, taking the time to think before she acts and she does not let her hormones drive her, despite the obvious physical attraction that develops between Atrius and her as the story progresses, and that really made her feel like the grown-up she is, which I adored. I always find it disappointing when a main character is said to be in his late 20s or 30s even, but still acts like a hormone-driven teenager. Sylina is driven and determined to accomplish her mission, and she does it using her brain.
Sylina is physically blind, in the sense that she can’t see with her eyes, but she traded them for the ability to see the world through threads, and that was fascinating. She can see just as well as anyone else, but she also can feel the thread of people nearby, hidden things, unliving things, and she can even feel some emotions. The author did a great job at explaining how she interpreted everything, and I also liked the seering part. They were mysterious, without being too long or too obvious in their foreshadowing.
“Well,” Erekkus said, “he’s like a cat. He doesn’t have friends. He just tolerates your presence.”
Atrius is Septimus’ cousin, from the House of Blood, and if you read the Crowns of Nyaxia duology before this book, you will recognize his story as one Septimus tells Oraya in the second book. He shows a hard, and almost insensitive façade to everyone, being what you usually expect from a cruel, violent conqueror, but as Sylina spends more time in his camp, she comes to realize that he is none of that. He is battle-hardened and does not show mercy to his enemies, but he does not want to kill aimlessly and massacre innocent civilians. He does care and he does have a plan and a goal other than just killing and conquering. He’s a grumpy with a soft heart hidden underneath all his armor and frowns, and he reminded me a little bit of Max in that aspect.
I like that Atrius was always respectful towards Sylina, and never belittled her or treated her like she was inferior to him because she didn’t have the use of her eyes anymore. He knew from the start what the Arachessen were capable of, and always knew that Sylina was as far from a helpless blind woman as can be.
"You shouldn’t be here.”
This time he spoke against my mouth— not quite a kiss, but the promise of one. I whispered,
“Why?”
“Because you make me ravenous.”
The romance in this book is a hate-to-love, but it is believable, with a slow-burn and great, logical development. Sylina hates Atrius because he is a vampire conqueror, but she does not have anything against him personally, they are just meant to be enemies, and because of that she despises him. Atrius is also wary of Sylina because he knows she probably hates him and as a human living on the land he is conquering, she is his enemy.
It was great to see their distrust and unease that was based mostly on their status and species slowly turn into shacky alliance and partnership out of need, and also because they learned more about each other and they realized that their despise for each other was mostly based on prejudices.
Even though the story overall is less elaborate than Broadbent’s other series, the writing remains amazing, with relatable and layered characters, action, an addictive pace, and a gorgeous world-building. As always, her characters are compelling and relatable, and she has such a way of detailing their motivations, fears, and flaws, that it is very easy to understand them and their goals, even if we do not always agree with their way of doing things. If you are a fan of Carissa Broadbent’s writing and you enjoyed her previous work, you will love this book too for sure!
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
June 28, 2023
“𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙢. 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧, 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙙.”
𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨? 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤, 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣.
Atrius was known as a terrible, cruel, evil conqueror who wanted to kill everyone, but as time went by, he was actually not like that. He's not so grumpy and has such a soft heart. He experienced something very sad and painful, but with great faith and courage, he did everything to save and protect his people. He's surprisingly very considerate and respectful; I love him so much-
Raihn and Vale at me rn:
𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.
Sylina is a complicated character, to say the least. The sense of loss that she experienced somehow makes me feel it too. Maybe some people will comment on the life choices she's made, but with everything she's been through, I can totally understand that. But whatever it is, I'm so amazed by how she loves and cares for the people she loves, even those she doesn't know. I love how she's such a baddass, smart, and always thinks rationally. I really admire her for that.
𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
The plot of the story is honestly very predictable, but I love how Carissa brings the story to life; the slow burn is perfect, and I really enjoy the pace. There's so much action that I didn't expect to really enjoy it. It makes me both curious and tense to know what will happen next. Miss Carissa has made another masterpiece. I hope she will make a special book for Erekkus🥹
𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙄 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤.
5⭐
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yes I'm finally doing this
----
the fact that I'm reading 3 books at the moment and this is coming out tomorrow is a crime🗡️
𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭, 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯.
𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨? 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤, 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣.
Atrius was known as a terrible, cruel, evil conqueror who wanted to kill everyone, but as time went by, he was actually not like that. He's not so grumpy and has such a soft heart. He experienced something very sad and painful, but with great faith and courage, he did everything to save and protect his people. He's surprisingly very considerate and respectful; I love him so much-
Raihn and Vale at me rn:
𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.
Sylina is a complicated character, to say the least. The sense of loss that she experienced somehow makes me feel it too. Maybe some people will comment on the life choices she's made, but with everything she's been through, I can totally understand that. But whatever it is, I'm so amazed by how she loves and cares for the people she loves, even those she doesn't know. I love how she's such a baddass, smart, and always thinks rationally. I really admire her for that.
𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
The plot of the story is honestly very predictable, but I love how Carissa brings the story to life; the slow burn is perfect, and I really enjoy the pace. There's so much action that I didn't expect to really enjoy it. It makes me both curious and tense to know what will happen next. Miss Carissa has made another masterpiece. I hope she will make a special book for Erekkus🥹
𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙄 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤.
5⭐
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yes I'm finally doing this
----
the fact that I'm reading 3 books at the moment and this is coming out tomorrow is a crime🗡️
December 1, 2023
“‘You shouldn’t be here.’
This time he spoke against my mouth–not quite a kiss, but the promise of one.
I whispered, ‘Why?’
‘Because you make me ravenous.’”
☆Quick Summ:
Carissa Broadbent brings us back to the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia, following the House of Blood’s castaway vamps as they make their move to conquer the human kingdom of Glaea. Unfortunately for Atrius, the hot vamp leader, the Arachessen (a human cult that serves the goddess Acaeja, that trains their female warriors in the threads of magic in the world…and removes their eyesight) have sent their assassin Sylina (felt a lil familiar…TOG anyone??) to stop the vampire conqueror. What follows threatens everything Sylina was trained to believe…bc what happens when the one she was sent to kill…becomes something more?
☆My Thoughts:
Guys I came here for a spicy vamp read, and I should have known better than to gravitate towards Carissa Broadbent. Silly me!! This ended up being like a very very high 3 stars, rounded up to 4.
For one, this leaned way more towards the fantasy than the romance, which is a common theme in her books that I normally LOVE. She has this impeccable ability to create such complex, magical fantasy worlds, and I truly enjoyed how she expanded upon the Nyaxia universe.
But.
The romance could have been developed a bit more for my taste. The chemistry didn’t sizzle as much as I’d hoped, and though I did get 2 spicy scenes, we didn’t get even kiss or a *hint* of romance til about 50% of the way through. Which is fine! But I came here for SPICE and I wanted to be knocked over the head with it lol. 😅
The story was great, tho a bit predictable. Sylina was SUCH an interesting FMC, and I felt she was so thoroughly developed. Broadbent created layers upon layers to this character and I honestly can’t wait to see where she takes these two in future books!! And that end conflict…WOW my insides were churning!!
We are given a teeny bit of goddess history with Nyaxia and now I NEED a gods/goddess prequel! I’m not in the know with this series so somebody plz tell me if it’s a thing or not!
Unrelated but there was a Beauty and the Beast easter egg reference which was v fitting for the story, and made me completely GASP as it’s my fav Disney movie:
“She led me to the roof of the Salt Keep, over the west wing, an area that I had never been allowed.”
LIKE OKAY, if that’s not a direct reference idk what is!!!! 🤭
☆One Last Quote From My Vampy Conqueror:
“‘I cannot kill you because I know you, Vivi. I know every moment you lied to me, because I know every moment you told the truth. I know your truth. I can’t ignore it. Even though it would be far easier if I could.’”
This time he spoke against my mouth–not quite a kiss, but the promise of one.
I whispered, ‘Why?’
‘Because you make me ravenous.’”
☆Quick Summ:
Carissa Broadbent brings us back to the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia, following the House of Blood’s castaway vamps as they make their move to conquer the human kingdom of Glaea. Unfortunately for Atrius, the hot vamp leader, the Arachessen (a human cult that serves the goddess Acaeja, that trains their female warriors in the threads of magic in the world…and removes their eyesight) have sent their assassin Sylina (felt a lil familiar…TOG anyone??) to stop the vampire conqueror. What follows threatens everything Sylina was trained to believe…bc what happens when the one she was sent to kill…becomes something more?
☆My Thoughts:
Guys I came here for a spicy vamp read, and I should have known better than to gravitate towards Carissa Broadbent. Silly me!! This ended up being like a very very high 3 stars, rounded up to 4.
For one, this leaned way more towards the fantasy than the romance, which is a common theme in her books that I normally LOVE. She has this impeccable ability to create such complex, magical fantasy worlds, and I truly enjoyed how she expanded upon the Nyaxia universe.
But.
The romance could have been developed a bit more for my taste. The chemistry didn’t sizzle as much as I’d hoped, and though I did get 2 spicy scenes, we didn’t get even kiss or a *hint* of romance til about 50% of the way through. Which is fine! But I came here for SPICE and I wanted to be knocked over the head with it lol. 😅
The story was great, tho a bit predictable. Sylina was SUCH an interesting FMC, and I felt she was so thoroughly developed. Broadbent created layers upon layers to this character and I honestly can’t wait to see where she takes these two in future books!! And that end conflict…WOW my insides were churning!!
We are given a teeny bit of goddess history with Nyaxia and now I NEED a gods/goddess prequel! I’m not in the know with this series so somebody plz tell me if it’s a thing or not!
Unrelated but there was a Beauty and the Beast easter egg reference which was v fitting for the story, and made me completely GASP as it’s my fav Disney movie:
“She led me to the roof of the Salt Keep, over the west wing, an area that I had never been allowed.”
LIKE OKAY, if that’s not a direct reference idk what is!!!! 🤭
☆One Last Quote From My Vampy Conqueror:
“‘I cannot kill you because I know you, Vivi. I know every moment you lied to me, because I know every moment you told the truth. I know your truth. I can’t ignore it. Even though it would be far easier if I could.’”
May 13, 2023
atrius is so miserable and hot… just my kind of man i’m afraid
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1647896333i/31792110._UX200_CR0,96,200,200_.jpg)
May 1, 2023
⤅ 2.5 stars, rounded up for good prose. But I reckon this book was written pretty hastily, and it shows.
This is a standalone set in Broadbent's popular Crowns of Nyaxia world, and I was initially pretty intrigued. Enemies-to-lovers with an assassin heroine? A morally grey hero? Yes please.
As so often happens, however, the book didn't quite deliver.
25-year-old Sylina is an Arachessen, a devotee of Acaeja, goddess of fate. Long ago she - like her fellow Arachessen - gave her eyes to Acaeja's service, and now she wears a blindfold symbolising her loss of sight. But not having eyes doesn't mean she can't see. Using Acaeja's magic, the Arachessen are still able to perfectly navigate the world around them, and even gain a vision boost - they can now 'see' things with their inner eyes like souls and emotions, not just people.
⤅ Problem #1: There's a ginormous worldbuilding hole here, because this ability is never properly explained. Apparently, Sylina 'sees' via things called Threads. At one point, she says that living beings have more Threads than nonliving things, so she struggled to 'see' through a cliff vs easily sensing a person's appearance. But... in that case, how is she able to navigate the world so perfectly that she even avoids potholes on the path? Potholes aren't alive either. I'm sorry, but if you're going to make your heroine blind, you have to make her blind. There isn't a single thing Sylina can't see, down to colours and facial expressions, and it's not explained how seeing via Threads is different to seeing in real life.
Moving on: her continent Glaea is suddenly invaded by vampire soldiers, led by centuries-old Atrius. Sylina's friend Raeth is killed in the first attack, so she's more than happy to accept a mission to become Atrius's pet seer and find an opportunity to assassinate him. She murders his present Seer - as she blithely tells us, Acaeja teaches her acolytes that what is Right by fate's law means more than moral right or wrong - and inserts herself into his camp. Concerned that he'll be killing innocent citizens during his invasion, she does her best to misdirect him.
⤅ Problem #2: Sylina's character has no consistency. First we see her killing an objectively innocent woman, and then five seconds later she's expressing an interest in the safety of innocent villagers? To be clear, I have zero objections to an antiheroine who kills people for her own advancement. In fact, I welcome it. It's the illogic I object to; either you accept that what's Right by Acaeja's standards isn't equivalent to moral rightness, so you're fine with anyone being killed because 'that's fate', or you prize everyone's innocence equally. Sylina's self-aggrandising interest in keeping randomers safe from the vampires was SO unconvincing for the rest of the book, because I just kept remembering that murdered seer. It's not like she even underwent an attitude transformation and realised she'd been wrong before, or decides that the seer's death is needed for the greater good; in fact, she literally never thinks about the seer again. It was less hypocrisy and more like the author hadn't invested any time in developing a believable character arc for Sylina.
⤅ Problem #3: Speaking of believable character arcs, IMO Sylina transitions too easily from hating Atrius to being on his side. To be fair, I almost always think this when it comes to 'heroine wants revenge against the hero' plots. After the first few chapters she never even thinks about her dead friend ever again - another huge oversight on the author's part.
⤅ Problem #4: Atrius is NOT morally grey. He is unquestionably a good guy. We NEVER see him killing anyone who isn't actively an evil guy. He doesn't believe in killing civilians. FFS, he won't even let his vampires drink human blood!!! Sylina was more morally grey than him, and that's just because of her murdering his seer at the start of the book with zero awareness that it conflicts with her 'save all the innocents' persona.
⤅ Problem #5: There is no chemistry between them. Sorry, but I never felt their attraction to each other. The connection between Raihn and Oraya (from the author's other series) actually was sizzling and believable; here, I can't pinpoint anything they really love about each other. Even though this is technically a slow-burn, because they don't kiss until after the halfway mark, the speed with which they then come to care for each other feels ridiculously fast-paced.
Ultimately, this concludes with a hasty HFN, because it's a standalone within a series and the characters will be returning later. Understandably the author won't want to give an epilogue set too far forward, but this does leave one feeling unsatisfied.
This is a standalone set in Broadbent's popular Crowns of Nyaxia world, and I was initially pretty intrigued. Enemies-to-lovers with an assassin heroine? A morally grey hero? Yes please.
As so often happens, however, the book didn't quite deliver.
25-year-old Sylina is an Arachessen, a devotee of Acaeja, goddess of fate. Long ago she - like her fellow Arachessen - gave her eyes to Acaeja's service, and now she wears a blindfold symbolising her loss of sight. But not having eyes doesn't mean she can't see. Using Acaeja's magic, the Arachessen are still able to perfectly navigate the world around them, and even gain a vision boost - they can now 'see' things with their inner eyes like souls and emotions, not just people.
⤅ Problem #1: There's a ginormous worldbuilding hole here, because this ability is never properly explained. Apparently, Sylina 'sees' via things called Threads. At one point, she says that living beings have more Threads than nonliving things, so she struggled to 'see' through a cliff vs easily sensing a person's appearance. But... in that case, how is she able to navigate the world so perfectly that she even avoids potholes on the path? Potholes aren't alive either. I'm sorry, but if you're going to make your heroine blind, you have to make her blind. There isn't a single thing Sylina can't see, down to colours and facial expressions, and it's not explained how seeing via Threads is different to seeing in real life.
Moving on: her continent Glaea is suddenly invaded by vampire soldiers, led by centuries-old Atrius. Sylina's friend Raeth is killed in the first attack, so she's more than happy to accept a mission to become Atrius's pet seer and find an opportunity to assassinate him. She murders his present Seer - as she blithely tells us, Acaeja teaches her acolytes that what is Right by fate's law means more than moral right or wrong - and inserts herself into his camp. Concerned that he'll be killing innocent citizens during his invasion, she does her best to misdirect him.
⤅ Problem #2: Sylina's character has no consistency. First we see her killing an objectively innocent woman, and then five seconds later she's expressing an interest in the safety of innocent villagers? To be clear, I have zero objections to an antiheroine who kills people for her own advancement. In fact, I welcome it. It's the illogic I object to; either you accept that what's Right by Acaeja's standards isn't equivalent to moral rightness, so you're fine with anyone being killed because 'that's fate', or you prize everyone's innocence equally. Sylina's self-aggrandising interest in keeping randomers safe from the vampires was SO unconvincing for the rest of the book, because I just kept remembering that murdered seer. It's not like she even underwent an attitude transformation and realised she'd been wrong before, or decides that the seer's death is needed for the greater good; in fact, she literally never thinks about the seer again. It was less hypocrisy and more like the author hadn't invested any time in developing a believable character arc for Sylina.
⤅ Problem #3: Speaking of believable character arcs, IMO Sylina transitions too easily from hating Atrius to being on his side. To be fair, I almost always think this when it comes to 'heroine wants revenge against the hero' plots. After the first few chapters she never even thinks about her dead friend ever again - another huge oversight on the author's part.
⤅ Problem #4: Atrius is NOT morally grey. He is unquestionably a good guy. We NEVER see him killing anyone who isn't actively an evil guy. He doesn't believe in killing civilians. FFS, he won't even let his vampires drink human blood!!! Sylina was more morally grey than him, and that's just because of her murdering his seer at the start of the book with zero awareness that it conflicts with her 'save all the innocents' persona.
⤅ Problem #5: There is no chemistry between them. Sorry, but I never felt their attraction to each other. The connection between Raihn and Oraya (from the author's other series) actually was sizzling and believable; here, I can't pinpoint anything they really love about each other. Even though this is technically a slow-burn, because they don't kiss until after the halfway mark, the speed with which they then come to care for each other feels ridiculously fast-paced.
Ultimately, this concludes with a hasty HFN, because it's a standalone within a series and the characters will be returning later. Understandably the author won't want to give an epilogue set too far forward, but this does leave one feeling unsatisfied.
April 5, 2024
1.0) The Serpent and the Wings of Night ★★★★
1.5) Six Scorched Roses ★★★★
2) The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King ★★★★
i have been loving this series so very much, and after finishing the ashes & the star-cursed king i immediately wanted more, therefore i picked this up also assuming it would be a banger like the rest of this series. oh friends, i am experiencing heartbreak as i type this mini review.
i believe that this in-between story, set in this world at a different time period, was to help us learn more about the goddesses, in particular nyaxia and arachessen. yet, that’s all it really did for me because i just could not get into this story, these characters, their romance, their dynamics with other characters, or anything really. this was ultimately just such a let down for me, but i will still be picking up the songbird & the heart of stone come fall!
content warnings mentioned in author’s note at beginning of this book: violence, war, drug addiction. Violence against children, explicit sexual situations
additional trigger + content warnings i wrote down while reading: loss of a loved one, loss of a friend, cult depiction, colonization, drowning, grief, murder, death, a lot of blood depictions, captivity, body control powers, drugging, talk of the subject of rape, power imbalance dynamics / child abuse, slavery mention, extreme drug withdrawal, talk of animal death, graphic detailed mentions of eating animals
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ Daughter of No Worlds ★★★
1.5) Six Scorched Roses ★★★★
2) The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King ★★★★
i have been loving this series so very much, and after finishing the ashes & the star-cursed king i immediately wanted more, therefore i picked this up also assuming it would be a banger like the rest of this series. oh friends, i am experiencing heartbreak as i type this mini review.
i believe that this in-between story, set in this world at a different time period, was to help us learn more about the goddesses, in particular nyaxia and arachessen. yet, that’s all it really did for me because i just could not get into this story, these characters, their romance, their dynamics with other characters, or anything really. this was ultimately just such a let down for me, but i will still be picking up the songbird & the heart of stone come fall!
content warnings mentioned in author’s note at beginning of this book: violence, war, drug addiction. Violence against children, explicit sexual situations
additional trigger + content warnings i wrote down while reading: loss of a loved one, loss of a friend, cult depiction, colonization, drowning, grief, murder, death, a lot of blood depictions, captivity, body control powers, drugging, talk of the subject of rape, power imbalance dynamics / child abuse, slavery mention, extreme drug withdrawal, talk of animal death, graphic detailed mentions of eating animals
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ Daughter of No Worlds ★★★
April 19, 2023
¡Muchísimas gracias a la autora por el ARC! No puedo creer que cada vez que leo un libro de ella solo se pongan MEJORES.
Genuinamente no se ni que decir de este libro porque lo ame tanto que sigo medio embobada. Siempre digo lo mismo en las reseñas de esta autora pero A-M-O como Carissa escribe las relaciones entre personajes (ya sean románticas/familiares/amistosas/etc), las siento super reales y crudas, y con este libro no me decepciono. ¿El romance? 10/10, lo justo y necesario para que la historia siga su curso y sea super interesante.
Me gusto mucho como vimos otra faceta del universo que nos dio en los primeros dos libros, si bien nos mostró un poco en el #1.5 acá lo expande mucho más. Es increible como puedo odiar y “amar” (todavía no se si estoy ahí, pero me parece interesante su personaje) a Nyaxia… la mina es una hija de puta… pero estaba enamorada… ANYWAYS.
La historia trata de que nuestra protagonista principal, Sylina, tiene que infiltrarse en el ejército de Atrius, un vampiro que se cruzó de continente hacia dónde vive ella y empezó a conquistar toda su tierra. Guiada por las Arachessen (un grupo de mujeres que dieron sus vidas, y literalmente SUS OJOS, a la diosa Acaeja) ella se infiltra como una vidente para poder asesinar a Atrius… y buen ya saben como termina esto: KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE (pero hacelo slowburn).
Todo el concepto de este grupo de mujeres que son devotas a esta diosa me pareció alucinante, es super desgarrador y triste ver como las manipularon desde chicas y al mismo tiempo el poder que ese sacrificio les otorgó, se manejan con lo que serian (y esto muy parafraseado) hilos del universo, todas las conexiones que unen una cosa con la otra, ellas pueden manipularlas. Esto dicho muy a lo criollo, hay muchas más explicaciones en el libro quedense tranqui ahre.
Es super interesante la historia del Panteon Blanco y como se derrumbó todo con Nyaxia, espero mas historia sobre eso en los próximos libros.
Ustedes entienden que una parte del plot es que ella puede aliviar el dolor inmenso que él tiene en su alma… ella lo ayuda todas las noches y se quedan dormidos juntos NECESITO MAYÚSCULAS MAS GRANDES.
Es re gracioso porque muchas veces me olvido lo sangriento y doloroso que son sus libros, hubo una parte que me destrozó completamente (@ Carissa si estas leyendo esto en el traductor por favor dame su libro, vos sabes de quien hablo NECESITO MINIMO UNA NOVELA SOBRE EL SIENDO FELIZ).
En fin, otro LIBRAZO de parte de esta mina. Ahora a esperar hasta el año que viene para Crowns of Nyaxia #3.
Genuinamente no se ni que decir de este libro porque lo ame tanto que sigo medio embobada. Siempre digo lo mismo en las reseñas de esta autora pero A-M-O como Carissa escribe las relaciones entre personajes (ya sean románticas/familiares/amistosas/etc), las siento super reales y crudas, y con este libro no me decepciono. ¿El romance? 10/10, lo justo y necesario para que la historia siga su curso y sea super interesante.
Me gusto mucho como vimos otra faceta del universo que nos dio en los primeros dos libros, si bien nos mostró un poco en el #1.5 acá lo expande mucho más. Es increible como puedo odiar y “amar” (todavía no se si estoy ahí, pero me parece interesante su personaje) a Nyaxia… la mina es una hija de puta… pero estaba enamorada… ANYWAYS.
La historia trata de que nuestra protagonista principal, Sylina, tiene que infiltrarse en el ejército de Atrius, un vampiro que se cruzó de continente hacia dónde vive ella y empezó a conquistar toda su tierra. Guiada por las Arachessen (un grupo de mujeres que dieron sus vidas, y literalmente SUS OJOS, a la diosa Acaeja) ella se infiltra como una vidente para poder asesinar a Atrius… y buen ya saben como termina esto: KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE (pero hacelo slowburn).
Todo el concepto de este grupo de mujeres que son devotas a esta diosa me pareció alucinante, es super desgarrador y triste ver como las manipularon desde chicas y al mismo tiempo el poder que ese sacrificio les otorgó, se manejan con lo que serian (y esto muy parafraseado) hilos del universo, todas las conexiones que unen una cosa con la otra, ellas pueden manipularlas. Esto dicho muy a lo criollo, hay muchas más explicaciones en el libro quedense tranqui ahre.
Es super interesante la historia del Panteon Blanco y como se derrumbó todo con Nyaxia, espero mas historia sobre eso en los próximos libros.
Ustedes entienden que una parte del plot es que ella puede aliviar el dolor inmenso que él tiene en su alma… ella lo ayuda todas las noches y se quedan dormidos juntos NECESITO MAYÚSCULAS MAS GRANDES.
Es re gracioso porque muchas veces me olvido lo sangriento y doloroso que son sus libros, hubo una parte que me destrozó completamente (@ Carissa si estas leyendo esto en el traductor por favor dame su libro, vos sabes de quien hablo NECESITO MINIMO UNA NOVELA SOBRE EL SIENDO FELIZ).
En fin, otro LIBRAZO de parte de esta mina. Ahora a esperar hasta el año que viene para Crowns of Nyaxia #3.
April 27, 2023
6/5 stars, this is excellent fantasy romance!
Set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia, Sylina is an acolyte of the Goddess Acaeja and tasked with the assassination of Atrius, the new and powerful Vampire Conqueror with a haunted past.
I absolutely LOVED this book. It is rich in plot and characterization, with some twists and lots of morally grey decisions to be made.
I think this is fantasy romamce at its best because of how our couple is thrown together, forced to work together, while both keeping secrets, and gradually developing mutual respect, friendship, and then ultimately love.
This hero is a favorite of mine. Cold and stoic, but with an honorable heart and a tragic past. He sees the best in Sylina and is the type of man who shows his love in subtle ways that are all the more powerful because of how rare they are.
Their romance was perfect to me, I loved seeing a different part of this world, and I loved all the characters.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend.
I received an ARC for review
Set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia, Sylina is an acolyte of the Goddess Acaeja and tasked with the assassination of Atrius, the new and powerful Vampire Conqueror with a haunted past.
I absolutely LOVED this book. It is rich in plot and characterization, with some twists and lots of morally grey decisions to be made.
I think this is fantasy romamce at its best because of how our couple is thrown together, forced to work together, while both keeping secrets, and gradually developing mutual respect, friendship, and then ultimately love.
This hero is a favorite of mine. Cold and stoic, but with an honorable heart and a tragic past. He sees the best in Sylina and is the type of man who shows his love in subtle ways that are all the more powerful because of how rare they are.
Their romance was perfect to me, I loved seeing a different part of this world, and I loved all the characters.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend.
I received an ARC for review
Want to read
August 7, 2023hi future caitlin, it’s past caitlin. come back to this when you’re in another fantasy era. it’s in the nyaxia world which is so slay and it’s a standalone!! (not sure yet if that’s actually a good thing or a bad thing, but who cares, read it bitch.)
December 7, 2023
I ATE THIS BOOK UP OMG.
Enemies to lovers goodness, a perfect standalone & somehow made me cry lol. And while it only has one spice scene, I loved the length of it (that’s what she said lmfao) and I loved the tension buildup.
Carissa is a vampire queen. I ADORE the Crowns of Nyaxia world and cannot wait to experience more. My favorite part of this series in general, is that each FMC we meet is a badass in her own unique way. Also every guy she writes is so hot omg.
Enemies to lovers goodness, a perfect standalone & somehow made me cry lol. And while it only has one spice scene, I loved the length of it (that’s what she said lmfao) and I loved the tension buildup.
Carissa is a vampire queen. I ADORE the Crowns of Nyaxia world and cannot wait to experience more. My favorite part of this series in general, is that each FMC we meet is a badass in her own unique way. Also every guy she writes is so hot omg.
March 20, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"One day, the pain won't matter anymore, and the power it grants you will matter immensely."
This book was everything. The stronghold grip that it had on me held me captive in it's spellbinding embrace and I was totally intoxicated by it's prose. The characters complexed and the world enriched. It took me on a journey that other books failed to and I will forever be grateful for this book to do that
"One day, the pain won't matter anymore, and the power it grants you will matter immensely."
This book was everything. The stronghold grip that it had on me held me captive in it's spellbinding embrace and I was totally intoxicated by it's prose. The characters complexed and the world enriched. It took me on a journey that other books failed to and I will forever be grateful for this book to do that
February 13, 2024
⭐️5 audio performance (single narration)
🌶️yes
This is a Holy Grail fantasy book. No ifs ands or buts.
And to find the grail in a STAND-ALONE?? Wow. It’s so rare.
I have a term holy grail fantasy where a book must have
1. Detailed world building/ magic system
2. a well rounded plot
3. Foreshadowing
4. And spice
The fact that this book as all of this - DONE immaculately in a stand-alone - Carissa STANDING OVATION.
- seer assassin FMC x vampire
- Undercover to ☠️ the MMC
- Healing
- One bed
- Meddlesome gods
- Battles
- A BADASS FMC
The romance was so well written, it didn’t feel rushed but rather fully believable and utterly beautiful.
And the magic??? THREADS OF FATE??! I need MORE SEERS in fantasy and not just as a cheap side character but as main characters because there’s so MUCH PLAY.
This takes place in crown of nyaxia world but I think the author does an excellent job explaining what you need if you just want the fun of a fantasy stand-alone.
Also the audio book was ✨phenomenal✨
This was the perfect slump buster.
Podium sent me an Arc of the audiobook but all thoughts and feeling are my own! (I had the book before the reach out- I was feeling slumpy and audiobooks always help get me out)
🌶️yes
This is a Holy Grail fantasy book. No ifs ands or buts.
And to find the grail in a STAND-ALONE?? Wow. It’s so rare.
I have a term holy grail fantasy where a book must have
1. Detailed world building/ magic system
2. a well rounded plot
3. Foreshadowing
4. And spice
The fact that this book as all of this - DONE immaculately in a stand-alone - Carissa STANDING OVATION.
- seer assassin FMC x vampire
- Undercover to ☠️ the MMC
- Healing
- One bed
- Meddlesome gods
- Battles
- A BADASS FMC
The romance was so well written, it didn’t feel rushed but rather fully believable and utterly beautiful.
And the magic??? THREADS OF FATE??! I need MORE SEERS in fantasy and not just as a cheap side character but as main characters because there’s so MUCH PLAY.
This takes place in crown of nyaxia world but I think the author does an excellent job explaining what you need if you just want the fun of a fantasy stand-alone.
Also the audio book was ✨phenomenal✨
This was the perfect slump buster.
Podium sent me an Arc of the audiobook but all thoughts and feeling are my own! (I had the book before the reach out- I was feeling slumpy and audiobooks always help get me out)
March 22, 2024
this series is just incredible and I can't wait for the third book!!
Shelved as '02-tbr-queue'
April 21, 2023COUNTDOWN: 1 WEEK FROM TODAY! 🎉
:¨·.·¨:
`·. 𝓐𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓵 ❷❼ 🗓️
A stand-alone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world!!! Salivating!
:¨·.·¨:
`·. 𝓐𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓵 ❷❼ 🗓️
A stand-alone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world!!! Salivating!
December 23, 2023
I know this book was a stand alone. But I just didn’t buy the romance between the characters. To be honest, I just didn’t really care for the characters in general. It felt more a political fantasy at time versus a romantasy. I felt like book ended on odd note in terms of plot and lore development.
I was excepting a twilight meets cruel prince in this book and I didn’t quite get that. The characters are enemies to lovers but where was the cut throat drama? I felt like the small attempts of it throughout the novel was short and not well developed. (It could have been so much longer, yes I know this is a stand alone.) but I felt like the characters just too easy agreeable and meh.
Another problem I had was that I felt like romance was overshadowed by the world building and the action. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good world building and action, But when it’s so much in what I thought was going to be a romance-fantasy. I sorta loose interest.
The characters talked in 21 century and sometimes that bother me. There was one like that was just so amateurish and something I would have read in middle school:
𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘦𝘢?”
𝘈 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯, “𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.”
I’m sorry it just felt a super edgy explanation. There could been a lot of more beautiful ways to expand on the conflict and the torment of what Atricus is experiencing.
Atrius is deemed as morally grey- but is he really? I don’t think so. I found him a little boring. Maybe in the beginning i was interested but toward the end his character felt so vanilla.
For someone that has always been obsessed with vampires, there is some things this books did delivered on. I liked the scene of Sylina catching Atricus eating. There wasn’t a lot of things that screamed vampire at you- in this book. To be honest you could said Atrius was a drow or something and almost everything would be the same. But I felt like the scene of him feasting really tied the vampire thing together.
Also Sylina’s brother was so soap opera. It was just so random - oh by the way, I have a brother.
I felt like Erekkus’ ending fell flat and nothing developed with him.
Overall, I was expecting a super vampire fantasy romance- but it just felt boring and replaced by a fantasy drama. Which is fine. But not what I wanted. The cover especially threw me off. It sorta feels like being at a restaurant and ordering something and getting a mild dish instead.
Overall, it was fine. Just fine. Would I recommend it? Not really. Especially if you are looking for romance.
I was excepting a twilight meets cruel prince in this book and I didn’t quite get that. The characters are enemies to lovers but where was the cut throat drama? I felt like the small attempts of it throughout the novel was short and not well developed. (It could have been so much longer, yes I know this is a stand alone.) but I felt like the characters just too easy agreeable and meh.
Another problem I had was that I felt like romance was overshadowed by the world building and the action. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good world building and action, But when it’s so much in what I thought was going to be a romance-fantasy. I sorta loose interest.
The characters talked in 21 century and sometimes that bother me. There was one like that was just so amateurish and something I would have read in middle school:
𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘦𝘢?”
𝘈 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯, “𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.”
I’m sorry it just felt a super edgy explanation. There could been a lot of more beautiful ways to expand on the conflict and the torment of what Atricus is experiencing.
Atrius is deemed as morally grey- but is he really? I don’t think so. I found him a little boring. Maybe in the beginning i was interested but toward the end his character felt so vanilla.
For someone that has always been obsessed with vampires, there is some things this books did delivered on. I liked the scene of Sylina catching Atricus eating. There wasn’t a lot of things that screamed vampire at you- in this book. To be honest you could said Atrius was a drow or something and almost everything would be the same. But I felt like the scene of him feasting really tied the vampire thing together.
Also Sylina’s brother was so soap opera. It was just so random - oh by the way, I have a brother.
I felt like Erekkus’ ending fell flat and nothing developed with him.
Overall, I was expecting a super vampire fantasy romance- but it just felt boring and replaced by a fantasy drama. Which is fine. But not what I wanted. The cover especially threw me off. It sorta feels like being at a restaurant and ordering something and getting a mild dish instead.
Overall, it was fine. Just fine. Would I recommend it? Not really. Especially if you are looking for romance.
May 28, 2023
It’s official. If Carissa Broadbent writes it, I WILL READ IT.
I read this book in 6 hours… I can barely see straight but it was worth it‼️
By itself, this book was a fantastic standalone adult fantasy romance. AND THEN add to it the fact that it explores more of the Crowns of Nyaxia universe and that makes it just one hell of a book!!! I loved learning more about the Bloodborn vampires and the different magical people that live in this fantasy world.
I can’t remember the last time i’ve ever read a fantasy STANDALONE book (which seems like a daunting task), but this book had it all. The plot, great characters who each had their own backstory, romance, action… like what?! I’m shocked that Carissa even pulled this off, bc I was sure that with a standalone I would be left wanting more or felt like the story was missing smt. NOPE, IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD.
Carissa will always deliver on the best main characters omfg I love them so much 😍🥹 Anyway, if you take one thing from this review let it be this: if you’re looking for a great adult romantasy author, read Carissa Broadbent’s books.
Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
I read this book in 6 hours… I can barely see straight but it was worth it‼️
By itself, this book was a fantastic standalone adult fantasy romance. AND THEN add to it the fact that it explores more of the Crowns of Nyaxia universe and that makes it just one hell of a book!!! I loved learning more about the Bloodborn vampires and the different magical people that live in this fantasy world.
I can’t remember the last time i’ve ever read a fantasy STANDALONE book (which seems like a daunting task), but this book had it all. The plot, great characters who each had their own backstory, romance, action… like what?! I’m shocked that Carissa even pulled this off, bc I was sure that with a standalone I would be left wanting more or felt like the story was missing smt. NOPE, IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD.
Carissa will always deliver on the best main characters omfg I love them so much 😍🥹 Anyway, if you take one thing from this review let it be this: if you’re looking for a great adult romantasy author, read Carissa Broadbent’s books.
Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
March 3, 2024
Це було надзвичайно 😍
Дуже хочу, щоб наші ви��авництва звернули увагу на цю історію, бо це дуже цікаве фентезі з унікальним світом, а скільки ще всього попереду..😋🥰
Дуже хочу, щоб наші ви��авництва звернули увагу на цю історію, бо це дуже цікаве фентезі з унікальним світом, а скільки ще всього попереду..😋🥰
October 4, 2023
5/5
Уфф, як же ж це було напружено, захоплююче і цікаво. Я не могла відірватися, поки не дочитала. Сюжет тримав в напрузі від першої і до останньої сторінки, герої взагалі не дратували, їхні стосунки розвивалися не повільно і не шви��ко, а прям так як треба. Силіна - сильна, розумна і винахідлива. Атріус - жорсткий, мужній і справедливий. А разом вони утворюють неймовірний тандем і команду, ніби дві споріднені душі.
Мені сподобалося абсолютно все, навіть те, як закрутили і вирішили драму в кінці, зазвичай мене лякає і виводить з себе такий розвиток подій, але в цій книзі все було в міру.
До того ж, я дуже люблю троп, коли двоє засинають і прокидаються в одному ліжку, але між ними нічого немає, чомусь це так мило і чуттєво для мене😍😍 і тут цього вистачає.
Загалом, я лишилася задоволеною і точно продовжу далі знайомство зі світом Ніаксії.
P. S я не зрозуміла як Атріус і Силіна будуть жити разом далі, він же ж безсмертний вампір, а вона смертна. Шкода, що нам цього не розказали, чи можливо я щось пропустила і Силіна теж безсмертна?
Уфф, як же ж це було напружено, захоплююче і цікаво. Я не могла відірватися, поки не дочитала. Сюжет тримав в напрузі від першої і до останньої сторінки, герої взагалі не дратували, їхні стосунки розвивалися не повільно і не шви��ко, а прям так як треба. Силіна - сильна, розумна і винахідлива. Атріус - жорсткий, мужній і справедливий. А разом вони утворюють неймовірний тандем і команду, ніби дві споріднені душі.
Мені сподобалося абсолютно все, навіть те, як закрутили і вирішили драму в кінці, зазвичай мене лякає і виводить з себе такий розвиток подій, але в цій книзі все було в міру.
До того ж, я дуже люблю троп, коли двоє засинають і прокидаються в одному ліжку, але між ними нічого немає, чомусь це так мило і чуттєво для мене😍😍 і тут цього вистачає.
Загалом, я лишилася задоволеною і точно продовжу далі знайомство зі світом Ніаксії.
P. S я не зрозуміла як Атріус і Силіна будуть жити разом далі, він же ж безсмертний вампір, а вона смертна. Шкода, що нам цього не розказали, чи можливо я щось пропустила і Силіна теж безсмертна?
November 17, 2023
4.30!
OKAYYY so I'm in this massive fucking slump and I thought since I can't make myself read let's just write the reviews that are on pending.
Starting off with this and oh my my how much this book impressed me like really the perfect start to a new obssesion. I'm literally just waiting for my copy of the seprent and the wings of night to start it. The characters were really well written for a standalone WHCIH I do not see often and the writing was so easy to read and impactful. I loved how the story weaved it's way through the characters and was executed in the most perfect way not to mention how well handled the spice was with the romance. My favourite part about this book would definitely be its plot twists because I did not see them coming.
~~~
When i say this was the best way to enter the nyaxia world. I mean it! A solid book frr
~~~
My gateway to Clarissa Broadbent! I've been meaning to read her books and I think this is it ❤️🩹
OKAYYY so I'm in this massive fucking slump and I thought since I can't make myself read let's just write the reviews that are on pending.
Starting off with this and oh my my how much this book impressed me like really the perfect start to a new obssesion. I'm literally just waiting for my copy of the seprent and the wings of night to start it. The characters were really well written for a standalone WHCIH I do not see often and the writing was so easy to read and impactful. I loved how the story weaved it's way through the characters and was executed in the most perfect way not to mention how well handled the spice was with the romance. My favourite part about this book would definitely be its plot twists because I did not see them coming.
~~~
When i say this was the best way to enter the nyaxia world. I mean it! A solid book frr
~~~
My gateway to Clarissa Broadbent! I've been meaning to read her books and I think this is it ❤️🩹
December 16, 2023
I am absolutely LOVING Carrissa's books.
October 4, 2023
4,5
Мало, хочу продовження. Проте розумію, що мабуть в цьому і весь кайф, що його немає і історія дозована 😁
Це така гарна книга, але не в прямому значенні цього слова. Вона темна, колюча, небезпечна.
Читачу цікаво, що буде за наступним поворотом.
Мені дуже подобається, що герої тут справжні, вампір не перетворюється на мілашного песика, коли закохується, а головна героїня залишається стійкою і сильною, а не починає поводитися як відбита😄
Це дуже важливо, тому що ти із задоволенням і захопленням читаєш історію, переживаєш і нервуєшся.
З нетерпінням чекатиму ще історій з цього світу!
Мало, хочу продовження. Проте розумію, що мабуть в цьому і весь кайф, що його немає і історія дозована 😁
Це така гарна книга, але не в прямому значенні цього слова. Вона темна, колюча, небезпечна.
Читачу цікаво, що буде за наступним поворотом.
Мені дуже подобається, що герої тут справжні, вампір не перетворюється на мілашного песика, коли закохується, а головна героїня залишається стійкою і сильною, а не починає поводитися як відбита😄
Це дуже важливо, тому що ти із задоволенням і захопленням читаєш історію, переживаєш і нервуєшся.
З нетерпінням чекатиму ще історій з цього світу!
February 19, 2024
I am so in love with her writing!
May 3, 2023
3⭐️ Ok guys, overall I enjoyed this but Carissa is my favorite author and she usually knocks it out of the park for me so that’s why this review might sound negative.
The first 40% was really enjoyable and entertaining. I was sucked in. I really liked the premise, plot and characters. I loved Sylina’s spunk and playful nature (she reminded me of Tissanah in that way). But after 40% the plot plateaued and lost my interest. 60-80% with the slyviks seemed like unnecessary added plot.
Additionally, the relationship between Atrius and Sylina was a bit underdeveloped and I wasn’t completely sold on it. Their first kiss didn’t feel earned to me. Atrius would say things like “I’ve dreamed of this” while they were doing it for the first time but his yearning / pining for her had simply not come across enough to me in the earlier parts of the book.
There were some threads that were started and not picked up again- like Sylina’s banter-y friendship with Erekkus started at the beginning and then was dropped.
Overall I was disappointed because Carissa’s writing typically shines through her character relationships especially when you think of how EPIC Max/Tissanah and Oraya / Raihn are. But that just didn’t happen with the couple in this book. Their relationship arc fell flat.
But don’t worry, I am a loyal Carissa Broadbent girly FOR LIFE. DoNW is still my favorite romantic fantasy series ever. Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is a contender for my favorite book of the year. I will literally read anything this woman puts out.
Thank you so much to CarIssa and her PA Ariella for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The first 40% was really enjoyable and entertaining. I was sucked in. I really liked the premise, plot and characters. I loved Sylina’s spunk and playful nature (she reminded me of Tissanah in that way). But after 40% the plot plateaued and lost my interest. 60-80% with the slyviks seemed like unnecessary added plot.
Additionally, the relationship between Atrius and Sylina was a bit underdeveloped and I wasn’t completely sold on it. Their first kiss didn’t feel earned to me. Atrius would say things like “I’ve dreamed of this” while they were doing it for the first time but his yearning / pining for her had simply not come across enough to me in the earlier parts of the book.
There were some threads that were started and not picked up again- like Sylina’s banter-y friendship with Erekkus started at the beginning and then was dropped.
Overall I was disappointed because Carissa’s writing typically shines through her character relationships especially when you think of how EPIC Max/Tissanah and Oraya / Raihn are. But that just didn’t happen with the couple in this book. Their relationship arc fell flat.
But don’t worry, I am a loyal Carissa Broadbent girly FOR LIFE. DoNW is still my favorite romantic fantasy series ever. Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is a contender for my favorite book of the year. I will literally read anything this woman puts out.
Thank you so much to CarIssa and her PA Ariella for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2023
3.5⭐
that was such a sweet ending <3 and this definitely wont be the last of atrius and sylina in this world!! I can picture some future appearances in the later books
Sylina's powers and character in general were so interesting!! She had sacrificed her sight to her goddess in the name of serving her - in replace of that sight she can sense instead everything around her and it was really interesting to see her going from telling herself repeatedly that she had no regrets etc to slowly realizing there was more to the things she sacrificed ~ along with other things. Sylina really was just such a fun, logical and strong MC I adore her.
ngl for Atrius my opinion on him was pretty meh like he wasnt bad but I didnt really care abt him?? but he did have many sweet moments! Erekkus was hilarious tho and the bonding btwn him and sylina was everything sad it was only really present in the first half tho
overall this was a pretty solid read and although I did keep checking the page count to see when I was done, it was still fun at times (especially the end!!)
“Death is what happens when you stand still. Don’t stand still. Not for anything.”
that was such a sweet ending <3 and this definitely wont be the last of atrius and sylina in this world!! I can picture some future appearances in the later books
Sylina's powers and character in general were so interesting!! She had sacrificed her sight to her goddess in the name of serving her - in replace of that sight she can sense instead everything around her and it was really interesting to see her going from telling herself repeatedly that she had no regrets etc to slowly realizing there was more to the things she sacrificed ~ along with other things. Sylina really was just such a fun, logical and strong MC I adore her.
ngl for Atrius my opinion on him was pretty meh like he wasnt bad but I didnt really care abt him?? but he did have many sweet moments! Erekkus was hilarious tho and the bonding btwn him and sylina was everything sad it was only really present in the first half tho
overall this was a pretty solid read and although I did keep checking the page count to see when I was done, it was still fun at times (especially the end!!)
April 17, 2023
Carissa Broadbent is a witch.
There is no other explanation for how all of her work, novella and spin-off alike, grips me and deeply touches me in the ways that it does.
She had me by the throat from the very beginning. This book was action packed and heart achingly touching, following two complex and truly morally gray characters.
She expertly navigates these complicated relationships between enemies and seamlessly transitions them into the opposite in such a believable way. I love, love, love a slow burn, and she does it so effectively and in a way that doesn’t drag. My heart was aching for Atrius and Sylina for the entire story, and I know they will stick with me now that I’m finished.
Slaying the Vampire Conquerer includes the following:
🧛Bloodthirsty, vengeful FMC
🧛Enemies to lovers
🧛Bonding through bloodshed
🧛Betrayals
🧛Healing past trauma
🧛TENSION
🧛Snide banter
🧛Deadly missions
🧛Vengeful gods
Huge thanks to the author for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
There is no other explanation for how all of her work, novella and spin-off alike, grips me and deeply touches me in the ways that it does.
She had me by the throat from the very beginning. This book was action packed and heart achingly touching, following two complex and truly morally gray characters.
She expertly navigates these complicated relationships between enemies and seamlessly transitions them into the opposite in such a believable way. I love, love, love a slow burn, and she does it so effectively and in a way that doesn’t drag. My heart was aching for Atrius and Sylina for the entire story, and I know they will stick with me now that I’m finished.
Slaying the Vampire Conquerer includes the following:
🧛Bloodthirsty, vengeful FMC
🧛Enemies to lovers
🧛Bonding through bloodshed
🧛Betrayals
🧛Healing past trauma
🧛TENSION
🧛Snide banter
🧛Deadly missions
🧛Vengeful gods
Huge thanks to the author for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
April 5, 2024
Alexa add Carissa broadbent to my auto-but authors
April 23, 2023
If you love mortal enemies to lovers romance with a captor/captive-to-forced allies dynamic, then READ THIS BOOK! Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a story shrouded in mystery with a sneaky, calculating, stab-you-in-the-back-at-any-moment heroine, Sylina, who is charged by her goddess to infiltrate the conquering Bloodborn army led by the ruthless Atrius.
Sylina is honestly capable of bringing down the world with her manipulative abilities, a powerful devious heroine—one who meets her match in the bloodthirsty (horned) Atrius. She treats all their interactions like a cat playing with a mouse, except she and Atrius are both apex predators seeing the other as prey. It is a delicious dynamic.
I’m tied up in knots over how much I love Sylina and Atrius (for those that get it, I know I know, I’ll see myself out…). But before I do—I’ve read (and loved) every single one of Carissa’s books, and when reading this one, it clicked that one of the (many) things she does phenomenally well is detailing character motivations (even down to the minute side characters). Characters are compelling because they’re written well, yes, but also because they’re complicated, flawed, have competing motivations. And as a reader, you’re constantly wondering, well how the hell is this going to be resolved?!
I would highly recommend reading at least the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series (The Serpent and the Wings of Night) as it provides some background into the world and the Bloodborn vampires. But this can also be enjoyed as a fantastic standalone fantasy.
I had the pleasure of beta-reading this book and am leaving my honest review. A full review with favorite quotes will come after it’s published on April 27!
“You’re lucky,” he said, “that I have a soft spot for caged birds.”
Sylina is honestly capable of bringing down the world with her manipulative abilities, a powerful devious heroine—one who meets her match in the bloodthirsty (horned) Atrius. She treats all their interactions like a cat playing with a mouse, except she and Atrius are both apex predators seeing the other as prey. It is a delicious dynamic.
Atrius’s stare was an exception. It felt like having your chin tipped up with the point of a dagger.
I’m tied up in knots over how much I love Sylina and Atrius (for those that get it, I know I know, I’ll see myself out…). But before I do—I’ve read (and loved) every single one of Carissa’s books, and when reading this one, it clicked that one of the (many) things she does phenomenally well is detailing character motivations (even down to the minute side characters). Characters are compelling because they’re written well, yes, but also because they’re complicated, flawed, have competing motivations. And as a reader, you’re constantly wondering, well how the hell is this going to be resolved?!
I would highly recommend reading at least the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series (The Serpent and the Wings of Night) as it provides some background into the world and the Bloodborn vampires. But this can also be enjoyed as a fantastic standalone fantasy.
I had the pleasure of beta-reading this book and am leaving my honest review. A full review with favorite quotes will come after it’s published on April 27!
May 6, 2023
★★★★½ | 𝟒.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
I have, once again, fallen in love with another of Carissa Broadbent’s book. This only cements her as my new favorite author, I cannot begin to express how much I adore the stories and characters she creates.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror does not have an explosive plot, it’s actually something simple, but very intriguing. A few action scenes, some twists here and there, with a steady pacing that makes you keep reaching for the next chapter, eager to know what’ll happen next and how everything will unfold by the end. The romance ends up taking up a big part of the story, but I was okay with it, because it was so beautiful and endearing. But what makes this a great book, what made me love it, is the characters. Carissa is not only a master at crafting complex and interesting characters, but also excels at detailing their motivations, fears and flaws, making it so easy to understand them and what guides their actions.
Sylina is a seer and a warrior, trained from a young age to become a ruthless assassin for her Goddess. She also is physically blind. When she joined the Arachessen, a cult of females devoted to the Goddess Acaeja, she traded her sight for the ability to see the world through threads. She is able to see much more than before, seeing and feeling the world and life around her in a different way. I found it incredibly fascinating to learn how the threads work and Carissa explained it all beautifully. It was very interesting to watch Sylina struggle between her blind devotion towards her goddess and her own sense of justice and morality, which lead her to make some difficult decisions. Sylina is strong minded, she thinks before she acts, which is so refreshing to read when it comes to female characters, and is pretty much a badass. But, despite the life she lives, Sylina has remained kind and deals with very strong emotions that set her apart from her Arachessen sisters. She is a very lost girl, hiding deep inside her a longing and shame for her past.
Atrius is a vampire who came to Glaea, the human lands of this world, to conquer every territory. He was not what I expected, at all. Yes, he is ruthless, a brutally efficient killer, but he’s surprisingly kind and respectful. He’s very intelligent, a strong commander willing to do anything for his people. Atrius is very much a grumpy male who hides a kind heart behind the walls he has built to guard himself from the harsh world he lives in. It was refreshing to read about him, to witness his vulnerability, his tenderness. He was always so respectful towards Sylina, never belittled her or made her feel less than he was.
The romance between Sylina and Atrius is one of the healthiest enemies-to-lovers I’ve read. And it’s very believable. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, how it went from unease and distrust, not only because of the circumstances , but also because they’re from diferente species, to a partnership. They ally out of need but, along the way, they discover how much they have in common and realize that much of what they resented about each other was based on prejudices. They’re both lost souls who found comfort in each other. The slow burn was delicious, their chemistry undeniable and it was impossible not to love them. I just adored how they saw the truth the other so desperately tried to hide, and, because of that, there was no room for childish conflicts. Their souls were always bare, open wide, they always knew, without words, what the other was saying.
Although this is a standalone novel and you can read it on its own, I advise you to read at least the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, as it'll give you background concerning the House of Blood, from which Atrius comes from. The world from the series is so incredibly vast, I loved getting to see the human lands and learning more about another goddess. I always find it very interesting when fantasy books have gods, because it’s fascinating to explore the topic of faith and devotion and how often it clashes with human morality.
It’s not often that I read really good standalone fantasy that delivers this level of great character development in just one book. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, lovable characters, beautiful writing and great worldbuilding, then this is the book for you. I cannot wait to see what other stories Carissa decides to write in this world and I’m eager to see Atrius and Sylina again in the next installments of the Crowns of Nyaxia series.
I knew that a wounded soul craved another to mirror theirs. That was all this was. But my soul was hurting, too. And perhaps I, too, craved someone who understood that.
I have, once again, fallen in love with another of Carissa Broadbent’s book. This only cements her as my new favorite author, I cannot begin to express how much I adore the stories and characters she creates.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror does not have an explosive plot, it’s actually something simple, but very intriguing. A few action scenes, some twists here and there, with a steady pacing that makes you keep reaching for the next chapter, eager to know what’ll happen next and how everything will unfold by the end. The romance ends up taking up a big part of the story, but I was okay with it, because it was so beautiful and endearing. But what makes this a great book, what made me love it, is the characters. Carissa is not only a master at crafting complex and interesting characters, but also excels at detailing their motivations, fears and flaws, making it so easy to understand them and what guides their actions.
Sylina is a seer and a warrior, trained from a young age to become a ruthless assassin for her Goddess. She also is physically blind. When she joined the Arachessen, a cult of females devoted to the Goddess Acaeja, she traded her sight for the ability to see the world through threads. She is able to see much more than before, seeing and feeling the world and life around her in a different way. I found it incredibly fascinating to learn how the threads work and Carissa explained it all beautifully. It was very interesting to watch Sylina struggle between her blind devotion towards her goddess and her own sense of justice and morality, which lead her to make some difficult decisions. Sylina is strong minded, she thinks before she acts, which is so refreshing to read when it comes to female characters, and is pretty much a badass. But, despite the life she lives, Sylina has remained kind and deals with very strong emotions that set her apart from her Arachessen sisters. She is a very lost girl, hiding deep inside her a longing and shame for her past.
Atrius is a vampire who came to Glaea, the human lands of this world, to conquer every territory. He was not what I expected, at all. Yes, he is ruthless, a brutally efficient killer, but he’s surprisingly kind and respectful. He’s very intelligent, a strong commander willing to do anything for his people. Atrius is very much a grumpy male who hides a kind heart behind the walls he has built to guard himself from the harsh world he lives in. It was refreshing to read about him, to witness his vulnerability, his tenderness. He was always so respectful towards Sylina, never belittled her or made her feel less than he was.
The romance between Sylina and Atrius is one of the healthiest enemies-to-lovers I’ve read. And it’s very believable. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, how it went from unease and distrust, not only because of the circumstances , but also because they’re from diferente species, to a partnership. They ally out of need but, along the way, they discover how much they have in common and realize that much of what they resented about each other was based on prejudices. They’re both lost souls who found comfort in each other. The slow burn was delicious, their chemistry undeniable and it was impossible not to love them. I just adored how they saw the truth the other so desperately tried to hide, and, because of that, there was no room for childish conflicts. Their souls were always bare, open wide, they always knew, without words, what the other was saying.
Although this is a standalone novel and you can read it on its own, I advise you to read at least the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, as it'll give you background concerning the House of Blood, from which Atrius comes from. The world from the series is so incredibly vast, I loved getting to see the human lands and learning more about another goddess. I always find it very interesting when fantasy books have gods, because it’s fascinating to explore the topic of faith and devotion and how often it clashes with human morality.
It’s not often that I read really good standalone fantasy that delivers this level of great character development in just one book. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, lovable characters, beautiful writing and great worldbuilding, then this is the book for you. I cannot wait to see what other stories Carissa decides to write in this world and I’m eager to see Atrius and Sylina again in the next installments of the Crowns of Nyaxia series.
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