The Serpent and the Wings of Night was such a fun read! Admittedly, it took me awhile to fully get into the story, but when I did I could not put it down. I really liked the way the relationship with her father comes to play and going back and forth on what is right and wrong. The ending was showstopping truly and I can't wait to read more in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for a copy of The Serpent and The Wings Of Night in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

Loved this book!!! A story that quickly grips your from the start and pulls you completely into it’s world in the best way.

Vampires meets hunger games in this fantasy romance.
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- strong FMC
- magic
- witty banter
- cliffhanger ending

“There she is” 🥹🥵 Raihn is IT. His level of undying love, protection, and devotion made my heart swell. Big fan of this book bf🫶🏼

So excited to read the sequel and that this series is plotted for 5 books! This was my first time reading Carissa Broadbent and I am a FAN! Her writing is SO well done and captivating to read. Also I really appreciate the glossary at the end of the book!!

listen up and listen closely. if you've been searching for a fast paced fantasy with an addicting romance sub-plot, immersive world and magic systems, with the vibes of throne of glass/ the hunger games LOOK NO FURTHER

I just know you guys will love this series so much, BUT if you need more convincing here are some highlights:
-our fmc, Oraya, is the perfect blend of Celaena Sardothien, Jude Duarte, and Bryce Quinlan
-our mmc, Raihn (swoon), is the peRFECT blend of Rowan Whitethorn, Cassian, with a hint of Rhysand???
(winged fantasy men, what can I say)
-Oraya is so wonderfully complex, and her growth in just book one is so amazing
-the stakes are HIGH and the pacing is wonderful!
-slow burn. enemies to lovers. @
-while we're on that topic, let me clarify. this book has quite literally one of the best slow burn enemies to lovers situations i've read... like, they're actually enemies... yup.
-if you enjoy reading books that just casually drop plot bombs on you with absolutely no warning BEST ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR RN

all that being said, PLEASE read this book. if only so we can scream about it together.
my soul? no longer mine. my two brain cells? they belong to this series. my tbr? all of carissa broadbent's books immediately.

Hi, I'm obsessed.

Honestly an understatement.

This story was everything and more then what I wanted.

I thought this was just going to be another fun fanro to read. But please no one ever underestimate Carissa Broadbents writing like that.

Things I adored
- we spent the first 15% of this book with our protagonist, no love interest around. Learning about her. She is her own person and has a drive outside of romance in this.
- the world building is beautifully woven into this story by each of the trials. There is a reasoning for all of the trials and you learn it as you go.
- the love interest 😍 I found him so funny and witty.
- the way other relationships were highlighted throughout this story not just the romantic ones.
- our characters are real characters, everything that happens feels true to them and not just a performance for the readers. They have motives that don't just leave them because they got a little hot and heavy.

At the end of the day I was truly blown away by this story and can't wait to read everything Carissa has ever written.

I loved the focus on fantasy within this and not just the romance. It was truly the perfect blend of the two for me.

I guess this has gotten very hot on BookTok, so I decided to read it. I think that comparisons to Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series are very apt, and I can also understand the comparisons to ACOTAR, though the vibe here is different. But what it really reminds me of is Fourth Wing, another BookTok sensation. There are tons of similarities - there's a female underdog participating in a deadly competition, a romance between competitors, a lot of questions about who is good and who is bad (most of them seem to actually be just kind of morally gray in the end), a few surprises along the way - but instead of dragons, this is a vampire fantasy. Oraya is a human who was saved by a vampire king, who has raised her and protected her from her childhood. She's in her 20s now, and her hobby is slaying vampires who try to illegally prey on humans. She entires the Kejari, a tournament in which the only way to win is to kill everyone else and not die yourself, so that she can be granted an immortal bond with her father figure. She ends up teaming up with some vampires from a rival "house" and she finds herself romantically entangled with one of them. This worked for me, and I immediately grabbed the sequel on KU and enjoyed that too. A weird note - maybe this was just my copy, but a bunch of the final chapters were out of order in the ARC. Like there was a huge jump in the timeline that I thought was just A Choice, but actually it seemed to be a formatting error?

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

“Never trust. Never yield. Always guard your heart.”

This book was a roller coaster of emotions and I'm going to be sending my next therapy bill to Carissa Broadbent's desk because of the turmoil that I was put through at the end of this book. I've been in a reading slump for most of this month, I've essentially only been able to focus enough on novellas that I can devour in an hour or two which is great but it was bumming me out because I felt like I was looking for something and apparently that something was The Serpent and the Wings of Night.

I went into it relatively unaware of what to expect, don't ask me how I've managed to avoid spoilers because I don't have the answer to that. All I knew was that it was a competition that was giving the vibes of The Hunger Games but make it vampires and that it was adult and not YA. So I was like yeah okay sold, sounds right up my alley. This book was a phenomenal ride full of twists and turns I wasn't expecting or anticipating. It'll have you feeling things for characters you know you shouldn't feel things for and it really drives home how complicated relationships can be, especially familial ones.

The world-building was iconic, as vast as it all felt with multiple layers it flowed and unfolded in a way that wasn't difficult to digest while also hitting hard as an adult fantasy novel. I could see all of the scenes vividly while I was reading and felt like I was physically there watching the story unfold as I read.

Oraya, our FMC, is one of my new favorite characters. Her sharp edges and her internal struggle with her feelings and all of her character development throughout really struck home with me. I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about her and am excited to see what is next for her. HOWEVER. My feelings towards Raihn are more complicated but I'm also excited to see what happens next.

- vampires but make it hunger games vibes
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- angsty
- banter
- epic world-building
- magic
- lots of action
- tending to wounds
- complicated relationships

Synopsis: Oraya is the adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king. Her royal status is the only thing that has kept her alive, in a world full of predators. She finally has a shot to obtain a status powerful enough to live free from fear-- entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. Although she enters the game knowing she cannot trust anyone, she is forced to align herself with a mysterious rival, Raihn, who represents everything she is fighting against. Yet, she cannot help but be drawn to him. In a tournament where there is one sole survivor, their alliance will face the ultimate test.

Thoughts: I flew through this book! It has all of the aspects I've come to love in a fantasy read-- a fight to the death, enemies to lovers, twists, betrayal, and human-like characters. The world building is accessible, and the writing is stellar. I cannot wait to see where the story goes!

Read if you like
-Immortal Longings
-ACOTAR
-Dark romantasy
-Enemies to lovers
-Suspense

This book is like hunger games + ACOTAR with Vampires which was delightful. The world building is easy to follow along for those that only dabble in fantasy. The banter was *chefs kiss*. I read this SO QUICK. So dang bingeable.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED this book! My review on Goodreads literally just said "This. Is. So. Good." because I had no words!
It was fast-paced with high stakes, the romance felt believable and it was the type of book I seriously couldn't put down! I love Oraya and Raihn and I seriously can't wait to see what happens next!
Carissa is fast becoming an instant buy author for me and I am so excited to continue on with this series!

The Hunger Games, except with vampires and written for adults. Oraya is a human adopted and raised by a vampire king, and the story begins just before she enters a deadly Hunger Games inspired fight to the death competition in which only the victor will remain alive. Predictably this leads to a forbidden love/enemies-to-lovers trope. Don't let the Hunger Games comparison fool you though, this is a much darker, violent story than one written for young adults. The twists and big reveals at the end were well done in that there were enough clues that they made sense to the story but not so many clues that they were predictable. Overall this was a quick and enjoyable first book romantacy of a planned 5-book series.

I was generously given this ARC from Tor Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Will likely end up being the best book I read in 2023. Read it on my honeymoon and bought the second on my kindle while on the beach. An impeccable read.

I had a feeling that I would enjoy this book, but I didn't realize how much! With intricate world building and phenomenally written characters, this was absolutely fantastic.

This has everything you'd want in a fantasy. All the boxes are checked...

Oraya is ripped from her devastated home, taken in by a powerful vampire and is raised as his daughter. She is trained in combat and all skills she would need as an heir, though she could never be one, not sharing his bloodline, or simply because of the fact that she is human.

When the legendary Kejari approaches, a deadly five trial tournament, Oraya and her father Vincent have decided she will compete. she is determined to survive the bloodthirsty vampires and the daunting trials, earning her the ability to link her meager powers to her father, where his would be linked to her as well, making her so much stronger.

Raihn, a dangerously beautiful vampire from a rivaling house is the most unlikely alliance to have in this tournament, but alas, the two join forces... but working with another so closely and under such high stakes, a bond begins to form. Only one can win, though, meaning one of them will have to ultimately kill the other.

With all of this happening, we get more and more of the history that surrounds these different vampiric houses, the blood, the gore and the devastation. And while I LOVED Oraya and Raihn and the turbulent air that surrounds them, its the whole of the entire story that truly pulled me in.

Oraya is such a strong person, never losing her humanity after the years and years being the daughter of a vampire. Her extracurricular actives prove that time and time again.

This book annihilated me! The push and pull of not knowing who Oraya could trust, watching her come into her own, thinking for herself and making difficult decisions... just so powerful! In books like this, you know there will be huge revelations, there will be betrayal (but from whom), and there will be intensity. This book had all of that and more.

At first glance, this book offers an addictive, fun, and flashy experience, fitting into the typical mold of a 'competition' fantasy romance. However, it defied my expectations and, like a sudden plot twist, transformed into something both devastating and brilliant. This unexpected depth elevated it to a new favorite in my reading collection.

I just reviewed The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. #TheSerpenttheWingsofNight #NetGalley

This series is such a high step above most of what is being published for young adult fantasy, and I am doing my best to recommend it to everyone. It is so well-written, the characters are so real and well-drawn that it feels like it should be winning every award imaginable. I adore this series. It has become one of my favorites and I am very grateful for this ARC. This fantasy world is unlike the more tame ones you will find on the bookshelf - and the plot is very original. It oozes romance, intrigue, danger, action, meaningful relationships, and a main character that kicks major ass. I highly, highly recommend this entire series. Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, but I actually liked this series and main character better!

I am SHOCKED by how much I enjoyed this. I nearly DNF at about 15% because I wasn’t sure it was my kind of book. I have never before been so glad I stuck with a book.

The slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance was *chef’s kiss* and we even got a bit of the “don’t you touch her” trope which had my toes curling. By the time we get some spice, I was practically begging for it in my mind. I also really appreciated the grumpy vs. sunshine dynamic.

Oraya initially appears to be your typical “I can’t afford to be weak and therefore will never love anyone” sort of protagonist. But she’s human, and while she may hate that part of herself in a world dominated by vampires, her humanity is what makes her strong and allows for some nice character development. Plus she’s sarcastic af which I always love.

Raihn is going down on my list of book boyfriends. I mean seriously. How does anyone date anymore when their standards are fictional men like him?

Mische reminded me so much of Alice from Twilight, and Alice was one of my favorite characters, so naturally Mische became a favorite as well. Little ball of sunshine. Love her.

Also, HOLY PLOT TWISTS. The last couple chapters were so satisfying. I can’t wait to devour the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Even if you did mess up the order of several chapters and I read something I shouldn’t have too early. But I forgive you

I had a tough time with the writing, but it's easy enough to follow, and I can see why it's popular on TikTok.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

A great debut. I think this qualifies as romantasy but I think the fantasy elements are very well fleshed out. Oraya is a human living in a vampire world, the adoptive daughter of the king of the vampires. It is a brutal world, and she has had to harden herself to live among those who would love only to drink her blood. Oraya knows better than to trust any vampire, but things change when she is forced to to ally with one in a competition for a blessing by their goddess. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, romance and fantasy.

Where to begin on this wonderful book? It's got violence and vampires need I say more? I devoured this in a day and I am left wanting to dive right into the sequel! Oraya and Raihn are exceptional and carry the story all the way to my heart!

OMG I lovvveddd this book! It reminded me of Sarah J Maas’ writing. I also love the trope of a girl seeming weaker in a competition full of people who are essentially stronger than her. Raihn and Orayas relationship was really swoon worthy. However, THE END HURTTTT I was not expecting the plot twist and betrayal at the end of the book. I’m excited for book 2 and I wonder how the story will play out. Definitely would recommend this to people shopping in the store I work for.

Thank you for the ARC! I think this book was a very solid first book. There needed to be some edits and more of a development in terms of plot and characters but overall it was a very enjoyable book. The ending was super entertaining and made me want to read the next one. I think it’s a great book for fans of fantasy romance!