Wera's Series Review: Crowns of Nyaxia by Carissa Broadbent
- Wera Niyom
- Jul 15
- 9 min read
Hello, fellow eggs!
In celebration of the release of THE LION AND THE DEATHLESS DARK on August 4, I wanted to do a separate review post dedicated to the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent. I had the privilege of reviewing the ARC for the first book in the Bloodborn Duet and I am absolutely excited to dig into Septimus and Kyrene's story!
For those who are unfamiliar with how these reviews work, ARCs are called advanced reader copies and may contain some mistakes which will be corrected upon release. To contribute to a successful launch, I do not include spoilers in my ARC reviews. However, for books that have been out for at least six months, I will mark spoiler reviews accordingly.
When the final book in the Bloodborn Duet is released (and if there are any other standalone novellas planned for the future), I will update this post.
THE NIGHTBORN DUET
THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT (Book 1) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇
THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT is an adult paranormal romantasy and the first book in the Nightborn Duet. All her life, Oraya has been trained by her adoptive father, the Nightborn vampire king, to win the Kejari, a tournament held by the goddess of death. If she wins, she finally gains the chance to become something more than prey. However, winning may not prove to be so easy when she’s forced to ally with her greatest competition. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, off-page torture, flashback of rape (consent withdrawn), self-harm, emotional abuse, slavery, and references to sexual abuse. Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
This had all the makings of being one of my favorite books of all time, and I don’t know why I waited this long to pick it up! Oraya is a troubled character who struggles with maintaining her humanity while being raised by a vampire king. Watching her let go of her doubts and fears and become the courageous queen we all know her to be is a journey I live for. The rage, pain, and determination make her a compelling character that I can’t stop reading about.
Some may disagree with me, but I enjoyed how different the competition in this book is from other fantasy books comping to Hunger Games. There is a lot of unpredictability in the Kejari, and I like not knowing whether something is another trial or if it’s just sabotage happening between the characters. Oraya may best the vampires, but she’s been trained by one of the best in Obitraes and she certainly has her near-death moments.
The romance simmers, but when it comes to fruition, it’s fast, passionate, and desperate. You can feel the sorrow from them, and it makes me wish I could win the damn Kejari just so I can wish for them to be happy. The Crowns of Nyaxia has officially got a chokehold on me and I can’t wait to delve into the rest of the series. Looks like I’ll be adding more vampire books to my reading list this year!
THE ASHES & THE STAR-CURSED KING (Book 2) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇
THE ASHES & THE STAR-CURSED KING is the last book in the Nightborn Duet, and it picks up immediately where Book 1 left off. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, violence against children, discussion of sexual assault and rape, and slavery. Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
I continue to absolutely love Oraya and Raihn’s dynamic because neither brushes off their mistakes committed in Book 1 and has their own way of coping with the choices they made. There were enough breadcrumbs in the first entry in this duet that everything comes together in a satisfying way, and what makes it amazing is how hard the characters worked for it. I live for that kind of suspense, and I’m excited to see how it evolves in Mische’s story in the next duet!
STANDALONE ENTRIES
SIX SCORCHED ROSES (Book 1.5) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇 .25
SIX SCORCHED ROSES is a standalone paranormal romantasy novella taking place sometime between the events of Books 1 and 2 of the Nightborn Duet, focusing on new characters Lilith and Vale. Lilith suffers from a god-cursed illness, but Vale’s blood holds the key to her survival. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, and terminal illness. Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
I worried about how the romance might develop over a smaller word count and if the progression would feel disjointed, but I was very impressed by how well Broadbent nailed the slow-burn with so few pages and it works well, given what both characters endure. I also really loved Lilith’s scientist background and enjoyed seeing how her experiments developed. Science, magic, and forbidden romance is a combination I didn’t know I needed!
While THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT had fast-paced, spicy scenes, this one was more intimate, and it suited this couple well. It made sense to have this story since they become key players in the finale to the Nightborn Duet, so I liked having the chance to get to know their background and connect with them first. I wish I had read this before delving into the finale though! Either way, it was an enjoyable read that I wish were longer!
SLAYING THE VAMPIRE CONQUEROR (Book 2.5) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇
SLAYING THE VAMPIRE CONQUEROR is an adult standalone paranormal romantasy novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. It follows the tumultuous relationship between Sylina, an orphaned street-rat turned assassin with seer abilities, and Atrius, a vampire conqueror. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, war, drug addiction, and violence against children. Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
While I enjoyed the relationship unfolding between Sylina and Atrius, I desperately wanted to see Atrius’ perspective in this novella because I think it would help me understand the choices he made (or didn’t make) and connect with him as a character more. I enjoyed how Broadbent tackled a character with impaired eyes and thought it was handled uniquely. However, some scenes with heavy magic combat got chaotic and were hard to fully picture. I still enjoyed the story, though not as much as Oraya and Raihn’s story, or even Vale and Lilith's.
I understand this takes place many years before the Nightborn Duet, though I was uncertain where it exactly fits into the timeline. I wish there were more clarity to the characters’ ending because I still have some unanswered questions. Overall, it’s a nice standalone for those not wishing to delve into a series.
THE SHADOWBORN DUET
THE SONGBIRD & THE HEART OF STONE (Book 3) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇 .5
THE SONGBIRD & THE HEART OF STONE is an adult paranormal romantasy and the first book in the Shadowborn Duet. After being forcibly Turned into a vampire, Mische lost everything—her humanity, her home, her family, even the love of her god. Faced with the threat of execution after killing the prince who turned her, Asar, the bastard son of the House of Shadow, saves her by pulling her into a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death. She must choose between her sun god and a forbidden attraction. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, discussion of grooming and child abuse, and infant death (off-page). Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
When I heard this was Mische’s story, I was super excited, but also uncertain because while I became familiar with Mische through the Nightborn Duet, I knew little about Asar. However, once I got through my initial reservations, I really fell in love with the story. Mische has a very fragile psyche, and that’s evident in the narration—how any positive progress makes her revert to a significant, traumatic memory of her past. She carries all her traumas as sins, though she had no choice in any of them. I raged with her, cried with her, and was even happy with her. Many might expect her to be bubbly in this book because of what we saw when she was with Raihn and Oraya—and we may still see that in Book 2—but this entry in the Crowns of Nyaxia series is really about her coming to terms with everything that’s happened. I think she’s allowed to grieve, and that’s what Broadbent provided by writing this book.
In terms of the romance, there was so much tension and questioning on Mische’s part that I didn’t crave Asar’s perspective as most single-POV romantasy books do. I felt satisfied with Mische’s narration and thought if we switched POVs, it would only take attention away from Mische and not give her character the respect she deserves. While it is a mentally heavy story, the romance is still there and absolutely addicting.
My only critique is that the magic system is vague, and I could not properly visualize what Shadowborn magic looked like. With Oraya’s magic, we got depths of explanation of Nightfire, but in the first entry of this new duology, I found it lacking and wanted a little more expression to see what Broadbent’s intentions were. It felt very contained to what the characters were feeling when casting, but didn’t delve into what that might look like to the audience, how it really affects the opponents it’s used upon. Nevertheless, I liked the different levels they passed through to reach the Underworld and thought it was reasonably paced. I look forward to reading the finale to this duology, and I pray Mische has the happy ending she deserves.
THE FALLEN & THE KISS OF DUSK (Book 4) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇 .5 #SpoiledEgg
THE FALLEN & THE KISS OF DUSK is the last book in the Shadowborn Duet, and it picks up immediately where Book 1 left off. CONTENT WARNING: This novel contains graphic violence, on-page sexual content, discussion of grooming and sexual assault, discussion of religious trauma, off-page torture, and animal death. Please be aware my review will not address specific, related scenes.
I really enjoyed how there wasn’t unnecessary recap since there isn’t much of a gap between both books and I’ve been barreling through this series with little of a break. I didn’t expect Mische to end up dead at the conclusion of Book 1, so it was intriguing to see how Broadbent handled her continued development as a character even while struggling to hold on to her existence. The creativity behind it is just phenomenal, and I didn’t think it’d be possible for a living person to be intimate with a wraith that could destroy them, but Broadbent made it work.
I absolutely adore that we got Asar's POV in this book, and I think it makes sense to get that since his decisions affect how their conflict with Nyaxia and the White Pantheon ends for the House of Shadow and the underworld. He respects Mische and treats her like a queen (as he should), and even when he loses his memory after becoming the God of Death, he still yearns for her. It's devastatingly romantic and made me root for them as a couple even more.
My favorite moment takes place when Mische winds up back at the House of Night and her reunion with Raihn and Oraya. It's wonderful to see how much her relationship with Oraya has grown, but also our favorite Nightborn couple's overprotectiveness for their dear friend. I also enjoyed how Mische reconciled with Saescha before her soul moved on. It offered closure that her character desperately needed, and I think it'll help her be better prepared for the coming war.
The only reasons I cannot give it a top rating are: 1) I found it a bit slow when Mische traveled through the underworld to reach Asar. Most of it was walking mixed with flashbacks, so the pacing dragged. I understand the purpose of the journey, but a lot of it felt too detached from the characters. 2) Most couples from previous books in the series felt meaningful and contributed to the overall plot somehow, except for Atrius and Sylina. Their initial purpose made sense, but they disappeared and there was no word of them for the rest of the book. In stories with epic fantasy stakes, I expect every region of the world to be affected. Given that the next duology is focused on the House of Blood, I anticipate Atrius and Sylina to have a larger role, so this book would have been a great setup but didn’t meet the mark.
All in all, this was a great setup for the Bloodborn Duet, and I really love that we got a dual POV in this one, since I desperately needed Asar’s perspective in Book 1.
THE BLOODBORN DUET
THE LION AND THE DEATHLESS DARK (Book 5) | 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇 (forthcoming, August 4)
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group / Bramble for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
THE LION AND THE DEATHLESS DARK is an adult paranormal romantasy and the first book in the Bloodborn Duet, following Kyrene, a bounty hunter who wields a sword blessed by the goddess of justice, and vampire prince Septimus.
I am absolutely SHOOK by how dark, seductive, and electrifying this book turned out to be! I have been a long-time fan of favorite chain-smoker Septimus since I picked up this series, so seeing him finally meet his match in Kyrene was a wonderful development. The romance creeps up on the reader, but is gladly welcomed as conflict pushes these two to the limit and determines whether they will let it impact their survival.
The opening chapters felt slower compared to other series, but this is definitely a duet that needs time to marinate. We’ve gotten so much from the other houses that there are a lot of mysteries surrounding the House of Blood. I loved how Broadbent took her time to create relatable and authentic characters that leave a lasting impression even after finishing the book. The world is so depressingly bleak, but the few moments of peace (and steam) offer an addicting palate cleanser. Broadbent provides fast-paced action scenes that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat and a slow-burn romance with delicious spice that’ll definitely require a fan to calm furious blushing. Septimus might just become the death of me.
Are any of these books on your list to read in 2026? Have you read them before? Share your thoughts about this series in the comments and feel free to drop recommendations!
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