The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia) Paperback – August 16, 2022

Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a thrilling, dark, and romantic masterpiece that feels like The Hunger Games and vampires combined into an exhilarating story. This book kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and turns, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment.The novel's world-building is impeccable, seamlessly blending humans and vampires into a universe filled with intrigue and deceit. The plot revolves around intense trials and tournaments that add a layer of excitement and danger.The enemies-to-allies-to-lovers trope is executed brilliantly, with dual POVs that offer deep insights into the characters' motivations and emotions.The female main character (FMC) is wonderfully stabby, providing a refreshing take on a strong protagonist. Her journey from fierce competitor to a more nuanced character is compelling. The male main character (MMC) is both fierce and gentle, a perfect balance that enhances the romance's slow burn.The writing and pacing are spot on, maintaining a perfect rhythm that keeps the reader engaged throughout. Broadbent masterfully weaves themes of plotting and intrigue, making every chapter a new adventure. The ending took me by surprise, adding an extra layer of anticipation for the next book.In summary, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a captivating blend of action, romance, and suspense, with well-crafted characters and a richly developed world. A must-read for fans of dark fantasy and thrilling romances.

This was my first Carissa Broadbent book, and I’d rate it 3.5 stars. Diving into the romantasy genre, I picked up 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 and was immediately drawn into its unique blend of Underworld-meets-Hunger Games, vampire-style. The premise was promising, and the world-building did not disappoint. The author crafts a rich, immersive setting that truly pulls you into Oraya and Raihn’s world.However, the story’s slow, slow-burn pacing and underwhelming romance left me wanting more. While the stakes of the Kejari competition kept the plot moving, the emotional connection between the characters felt underdeveloped. I struggled to connect with Oraya and hoped for more growth from her by the end of the book.Despite my mixed feelings, I’m curious enough about Oraya and Raihn’s journey to continue with the series. The potential is there, and I’m hoping the second installment will deliver stronger character development and deepen the romance.Overall, this book is a good start for fans of dark fantasy, intricate world-building, and slow-burning relationships. If you’re patient with pacing and enjoy complex worlds, you’ll likely find a lot to appreciate here. On to book two to see how this story evolves!

Edit - since I write this review I have gone on to read ALL of Carissa’s works. I highly recommend you do the same.I can hardly express how much I adored this! It was truly stunning.I adored every single moment and every page. From the very first chapter to the final one, it maintained a thrilling pace that was both intense and engaging. The rhythm was perfectly balanced—fast when it needed to be and slow when it called for reflection. The world-building was captivating, and the author crafted the narrative so skillfully that I found myself completely absorbed. Despite its length, the book never dragged on with superfluous details. Bigger books are always better in my opinion.The conclusion was filled with tension and drama, making it impossible for me to set the book down. The plot twists left me utterly astonished, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment! “There she is.”

I loved every minute and every page of this book! From the first chapter to the last, it kept me captivated, delivering a consistent blend of intensity and action. The pacing strikes the perfect balance—fast where it needs to be and slow when it allows for deeper moments. The world-building is absolutely fascinating and kept me eager to explore every detail.The romance is incredibly moving, with perfect chemistry between Oraya and Raihn. They truly bring the story to life. Oraya’s character is refreshingly original; her passion and humanity make her stand out, and she has a few tricks up her sleeve that add to her grumpy charm. Raihn, too, has his own unique qualities that won me over.The ending? Wow! It was filled with tension and drama that left me breathless. I couldn’t put the book down, and the plot twists had me gasping out loud. I seriously cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I am enchanted by this surprising plot, amazed by the details and in love with this couple.Carissa crushed me with every word while I read the battles, the trails, my heart beat with Oraya's!!

Amé la historia, amé a los personajes, fue el mejor libro de fantasía que leí este año.

This book...wow. I experienced so many things reading this. Joy and laughter, sadness, grief and tears, anger, frustration, shock and betrayal, desire, hatred. You name it and this book probably made me feel it in all the best ways.This story is a dark, grim and emotional tale that follows a human girl who was adopted by a vampire king as a child and has had to learn to live in a world where she is prey surrounded by predators. She enters a competition ruled by a Goddess so that she doesn't need to keep living a powerless life filled with fear and ends up meeting a turned vampire who helps her to realize she is so much more than prey.Throughout the story we explore the impacts of nature vs nurture, what it means to be strong and brave. We see how the toxic, harmful and abusive things that are said and taught to us by parental figures stick with us even when we know they don't make any sense. We as readers can see the flaws in the way Oraya has been taught to live and her refusal to question these things shows us the blind devotion she has to her "father". We see how hard it is to seperate the parent you love from the parent who hurts us and experience the duality that comes with familial abuse - on one side of things you're angry, on the other you still feel so much love for them. This is all written in so beautifully.The love that forms between Raihn and Oraya is also such a beautiful thing. The way they just SEE eachother, the safety she feels with him, the devotion he shows to her up until the end. Even when her mind screams for her to stop trusting him, to run from him, to hate him...her heart can't help feeling love and trust and safety when she's around him. The heartbreak at the end of this book was absolutely devastating and I hope that in the next book there's some redemption because I know they could make eachother so incredibly happy and be such a powerful force together.The side characters were equally interesting. We were given a bubbly happy sunshine best friend, an underdog with so much trauma that he should have given up on life who still pushed to come out on top until the end, a strong female warrior who loved her people and died for a cause she believed in, another devoted female warrior who never gave up her feminity to fit the role of a soldier but still made it to the top ranks of the army and was devoted to her country above all else, a human who came across as a bit of an eccentric auntie who taught our MC to allow herself joy and light and color into her life and not to lose her humanity.The world building was done so well. By the end of the story we get a clear and detailed understanding of the politics in the world as they truly are, something we evolve to understanding with the main character as she throws away her childhood beliefs of how things work and experiences the world for herself. Each scene was crafted so well and fully immersed me in the dark, gothic, magical world that the author built.The plot was constantly evolving, rarely predictable and the end of this book...sheesh. I will be thinking about these plot twists and what they mean until I can finally read the next book. The end of this book left me a MESS.Overall this is one of my all time favorite reads. Perhaps it's my absolute favorite, above all else honestly. I absolutely wholeheartedly recommend checking it out.

My heart ached. In a good way. The writing is great. Not filled with boring pages. It is really well written.

Loved itit was enthralling until the end. Couldnt stop reading. LOVE the characters and the plot is amazing. Great story.