Tag: carissa broadbent

Book Review: The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia #3) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 500 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble Romance
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods. Features beautiful case art and a detailed map.

In the descent to the underworld, a bride of the sun must choose between the light of her redemption… or a dark love that defies the gods themselves

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire – her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the very death god she’ll help resurrect.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness – and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

GOOD, BUT REPETITIVE.

I loved being back in this world and seeing Mische again. I adored her character from the first duo and was looking forward to seeing her journey through this book. And I totally did enjoy it, buuut I also had some issues with this one too.

My main issue was that the plot seemed repetitive. I thought each layer started to blend together and the same creature was attacking over and over again. There were good and softer (and spicier) moments woven throughout the journey that I looooved. I just wish we had more of those. Or a different kind of action.

BUT THE ENDING? I am a forever fan of wild cliffhangers and this one DELIVERED. It very much hyped me for the next book and I can’t wait to see what chaos ensues now.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate – high
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: discussion of grooming and child abuse

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Book Review: Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 27th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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. It i s an installment of the heart-pounding fantasy romance series, Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers . If you like forbidden romance, dark curses, bad*ss heroines, and morally-gray heroes, you’ll devour this sexy, addictive series.

I LOVE THIS WORLD.

After four books in this world I just love it. I love being back in it and seeing another couple and other parts of the land.

I really enjoyed this romance! I liked that the main vampire, Atrius had a different vibe than the previous love interests we’ve seen so far. He’s almost soft. He’s a warrior with a back story, and we love a backstory folks. I liked the slow burn build he had with Sylina. I wouldn’t flat out call it enemies to lovers, but there’s some tension from not knowing if you can trust another person and that worked well here.

Plot wise, there were a few slower moments. Especially initially it took me a second to feel invested. Once things got going I did enjoy the progression. The spice fits well into the story and the ending has some good reveals and I can easily see how this will work into future books in the Crowns of Nyaxia world.

Definitely recommend reading this because the author mentioned we’ll see Atrius and Sylina again (!!).

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, loss of life, battle themes, creature attacks, weapons violence

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Book Review: Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts #3) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 722 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: February 10th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?

In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max’s mind is a shadow of what it once was… leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara’s new, ruthless queen.

Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.

Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are thrust into the center of a cataclysm between the human and Fey worlds. The unique magic they share is key to either winning the war, or ending it.

But that power demands sacrifice. Tisaanah may be forced to choose between love and duty. Max cannot forge his future without confronting his past. And Aefe must decide between reclaiming who she was, or embracing who she has become.

The choices they make will either reshape this world forever…or end it..

In the harrowing finale of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, a tale of romance, magic, vengeance, and redemption comes to a close — perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Miranda Honfleur, and Danielle Jenson.

ON THE SLOWER SIDE.

This finale had everything I wanted, and 200 pages I didn’t need.

I loooove these characters. The strong friendship and found family through war is powerful and I couldn’t get enough of the continual support offered over and over as things only became more dire.

The romance between Max and Tisaanah melts me too. I thought the steam in this felt a bit random (like, gotta throw it in here because this is the only chance!). There relationship though was sweet. And intense and I love the partnership they formed over the course of this series.

This was filled with beautiful writing and many lovely sentiments about life, love and more. I really liked the ending and thought it worked out well for all parties. Everyone got the deserved ending and I looove a epilogue at the end. There’s plenty of action and politicking mixed in with the world building and magic system.

I look forward to Broadbent’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes, physical and magical altercations, weapons violence, descriptive torture scenes, massive loss of life, grief depictions

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ARC Book Review: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia #2) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 600 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 14th, 20223
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Carissa Broadbent for an eARC.

INCREDIBLE.

I went in to this with some VERY high levels of hype and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. I can NOT handle when the MMC is absolutely gone for the FMC. And Raihn WAS GONE. There’s even dual POV SO WE GET BOTH SIDES.

I CAN’T STOP THE CAPS I’M SORRY (but not really).

There was this beautiful slow build to the plot and romance that kept me wholly engaged. And about the 45% mark I was GLUED to my screen. I devoured the rest of the book needing to know all the answers and finding that amazing ending. I loooove how Raihn and Oraya both worked on their relationship. There was plenty to apologize for and concessions to be made and these two found love in a hopeless place AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

And the Vincent story line?? That about made me cry. It was EMOTIONAL. I am in absolute awe of how Carissa Broadbent took this character’s story line and gave it such an impactful and raw telling. That was not easy to do and she absolutely nailed it.

The high levels of action will have you fearing for everyone’s lives and desperately flying through pages to see who comes out on the other side. I loved all of the reveals, betrayals, big moments, little moments, and 100+ things I highlighted and bookmarked.

YOU MUST READ THIS SERIES.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple open; high explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: discussion of rape and sexual assault (off screen), blood play, violence against children, complicated father/daughter relationship

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