Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1.5) by Carissa Broadbent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Serpent and the Wings of Night on my blog, now!

I loved how this novella was its own story and can be read as a standalone - its dark tones and romantic incorporation allows the reader to remain in the world, but explore a new relationship and see other characters develop outside of the first installment of this series. The concept of Lilith dying since the day she was born was so intriguing to me - as she has accepted her fate, the constant death surrounding her has her searching for a cure. Making a deal with a vampire is risky, but for someone who is willing to do whatever it takes, it seems like an easy choice.

When Lilith offers roses in exchange for vials of Val's blood, she does not realize that this is only the beginning of their relationship before it develops into something they both never expected. As a lover of vampire romance, it was fun to watch their "business transactions" turn into something romantic, even more so watching Lilith slowly turn from being weary of Val to falling in love. While Val and Lilith's interactions were not super long, the author certainly was able to depict their relationship deeply and how their very different lives have been affected by one another.

This novella felt much more fleshed out compared to other fantasy series novellas - it felt as though I read a complete story, and I do hope they come into play more in the main series. I would love to see more of what is in store for their relationship. Since their story is not directly related to the first book in this series, you can choose to read this or skip, but I would recommend reading it for the essence of the series. There was such a heavy yearning aspect to Val and Lilith's romance that it truly holds the reader captive until the very end.

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The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1) by Carissa Broadbent Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Finally, and adult vampire fantasy book that actually has a solid balance of romance and fantasy - I could cry. I have had this book on my TBR for what feels like forever and it was high time that I finally picked it up and saw what all of the hype was about. Oraya was adopted by the Nightborn vampire king after being found alone and was raised among vampires as a human. In order to prove herself worthy of more than she appears, she decides to compete in the Kejari to solidify her presence and power. Along the way, she makes an unlikely ally in a vampire she wants nothing to do with, yet cannot stay away from. As she encounters attacks she never saw coming, Oraya must decide if her victory is worth the price.

Broadbrent does an excellent job is creating the most interesting dynamic between Oraya and her adopted father - I could literally feel their bond off of the page, and it was refreshing to see how he had his own way of caring for her while still being a king with a brutal past. She very much understands what he has done in order to secure his throne, and she knows that without that brutality, vampires would not be the creatures they are.

The intensity of the Kejari is tangible - I was on the edge of my seat. The pacing is essentially electric and the reader feels as though they are competing alongside the others and fighting for their lives. Oraya's determination as a human in a world of vampires is amplified by her position as the king's adopted daughter - while she is basically out-ranking everyone else, she has the illegitimacy haunting her, allowing others to speak freely towards her and doing everything in their power to take her out of the running.

Raihn... where do I even begin with this man... he is everything that Oraya cannot stand, and yet they gravitate towards one another like they belong in each other's solar systems. The banter was fantastic to witness - they both do not take anyone's B.S. and challenge each other to the fullest capacity. Raihn's vampiric nature is everything opposite to Oraya's humanistic characteristics, making their balance something so intense and complex - she cannot stand what vampires are doing to humans, and he cannot understand why she is set on competing with centuries-old vampires for the chance for a single wish.

You can feel Raihn and Oraya's struggles to come to turn with their feelings towards one another while also battling their own struggles - with attacks coming from all sides, they are forced to not only compete in Kejari, but compete for their lives and their own desires as those around them attempt to shatter the world they live in. I truly appreciated how much their actions impacted their emotions, and seeing how they decided to put their own needs above others in a number of situations.

The pacing of this book was insane at the end - I felt as though I was being swung around in the air at twenty miles per hour - they hits just kept coming. To echo what some other reviews note, a number of the plot twists were certainly able to be spotted from a mile away, but there were a few at the end that caught me off guard so much so that my jaw dropped and I had to take a minute to process what just occurred. The alliances and friendships in this book were so interesting - all were complex with layers, even when ulterior motives were at play. I cannot wait to see what is in store for these characters, and considering this series is going to be compiled of three duologies, I will have plenty to dive into.