Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent!

On a random trip to Walmart, I discovered The Serpent & The Wings of Night in the book aisle. It quickly jumped up to one of my top five favorite books of all time. I'd been in a reading slump and it was the first book I felt I couldn't put down in a long time. The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King did not disappoint. While I enjoyed the first book more, it was solely for the competition aspect. I loved all the trials and challenges that Oraya and Raihn went through in the Kejari as they slowly began to trust each other and fall for one another. The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King was the perfect sequel to such a brilliant book. In some books, the hate to love doesn't flow right. But it was the perfect transition of Oraya hating that she loved the man that killed her father, and then realizing that he had done more for her than Vincent ever would have. It felt natural and believable. I'm excited to be reading the third book next. One of my favorite characters from the very beginning was Mische, and the fact that she gets her own book is a testament to how adored she is. You know it's a good book when you're attached to the characters and you think about them long after the last page has been turned.

The banter in this book was topnotch. I was unsure how they were going to carry over the enemies to loves trope into the second book, but it was so well done that I read over half the book in one sitting.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

In The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King, forgiveness is a huge theme. After the events in book one, how can Raihn and Oraya ever trust each other? The betrayals, the lies, can there be a chance they could ever speak again? Within The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King we explore rebellion. We explore the idea of making alliances with people we hate just to wrest back power. All these awful compromises we are forced to make. But after so many of these, have we become the very powerful, cruel, force we tried to depose?

Wowowowoow!!! This book made me feel so many emotions and I am forever changed upside down right side up lol you name it! This book took me on an adventure and it took me on a ride! I would highly recommend this book to anybody! Trust me, I was not ready for the twists, and I was not ready for what the author had planned! It was just as good if not, even better than the first book!

Impactful. Romantasy. Just...breathtaking. I cannot get enough of this series and this author. The Ashes and the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent was a 5 star reread for me! YES!

Love love love this book! Raihn broke my HEART at the end of the last book and it was so frustrating in the beginning, but it was SUCH an excellent transition back to being themselves :) Oraya is a QUEEEEEN

I liked but didn't love this one. It was a solid romantasy and I enjoyed reading it but it was similar to a lot fo other books I have ready so nothing really stuck with me after I was finished.

I love romantasy titles and I was glad to see Carissa Broadbent's new series. It's refreshing to go back to the world of vampires when so much today is either just fae or dragons. Book two unfortunately didn't resonate with me as much as the first one. It felt needlessly long too. I felt like it took too long for me to really feel invested in the book and while I appreciate politics and world building, this goes a little too hard. It's still a good series and I'll be reading the last one. I hope it doesn't take as long to pick up as this did.

Dual POV
Angst
Action packed

There she is........

I fell in love with the MMC Raihn and the FMC Oraya. Raihn was a powerful, confident vampire king that knows when to step aside and let his queen shine! This story was beautifully written with intriguing characters and descriptive world building. I am so happy Raihn and Oraya had their HEA, there were several times throughout the book I was afraid they wouldn't. The author had me on the edge of my seat with the action and storytelling.

I really enjoyed this series and look forward to reading more from Carissa Broadbent.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC read for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Broadbent for the opportunity to review "The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King." I had a really hard time rating this book. This is the second book in the series of the Crowns of Nyaxia and I found it to be different than the first. While the first one was more fantasy and action packed, this novel came off as a more romance novel. For someone, that isn't much of a romance genre fan it was a let down. I also found a lot of discussion about emotions and feelings that I think went on for too long. That being said if you like romance/fantasy you would probably enjoy this book, which is why I rated it 4 stars.

I give this book a very solid 4/5 stars. This book was SO. GOOD. I started and finished it within 48 hours. It was impossible to put down.

The world-building in this book was phenomenal. I felt as though I was within the story, experiencing everything right alongside Oraya.

Oraya, just like in the first book, struggles with her feelings surrounding Vincent, and her humanity. This being said, I really enjoyed how much character growth she had in this book, and the maturity you could see her develop through everything she discovered, and went/goes through.

Raihn is *chef’s kiss*. He is one of my favourite fantasy MMCs, and the way each Part in the book starts with an Interlude gives readers a glimpse into his past from his perspective, which let’s us to see into his emotions and true desires.

This book was most definitely a slow burn, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. There were many feelings and lots of conflict within Oraya, and I think that if the romance / spice had been sped up, we, as readers, would have lost so much insight into her struggles to accept not only Vincent, but her life as a whole and the changing world around her.

When a patron recommended "The Serpent & The Wings of Night" to me a few months ago, I was skeptical; it's not my usual genre. My forays into vampire-related entertainment have generally consisted of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Vampire Academy.' I did also read 'Twilight.' But the thing that all of those have in common is that other than the fact that there are vampires, they're pretty realistic insofar as the world. When it comes to super-fantastical vampires and such overall, it's not usually what I'm going to go for, if given the choice. But Broadbent quickly roped me into the world she's built, and the intricate lore it holds. Oraya and Raihn were compelling, the relationships were so human despite the characters being, well, not human, and I just couldn't put it down, because I wanted to know what was next for them. The dynamic between Oraya and Vincent, too, was beautifully complicated and expertly drawn, and getting to reunite with Oraya and Raihn following the utter chaos of the end of "Serpent" was a no-brainer when "Ashes" came up as an option for advance reading. Like its predecessor, I had a hard time putting it down (I think I may actually have almost growled at someone at work when, how dare, they needed me to do something), and I was just so thoroughly along for the ride. It is as solid a sequel as I've read in quite awhile, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for book three, which is set to follow my favorite character of all, the effervescent and utterly delightful Mische. I also can't wait to get this into my rotation of Readers' Advisory options at work.

This book picks up right where the first left off. Our two main characters have gone from enemies to lovers and back to enemies. The set up makes it believable that they are struggling to see eye to eye. Meanwhile, it is refreshing to see the main female character struggle with the loss she recently faced and figure out how to proceed forward. It did feel like a little bit of a slower build up than the first book, but still quite enjoyable!

Audience: Adult
Plot: 4.75 out of 5
Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Spice: 3.5 out of 5
Keywords: Enemies to Lovers, Vampires, Heartfelt, Political Intrigue, Epic battles, Magic

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley (Thank you to Tom Boherty Associates and Tor Publishing Group).

“But one day, the things that are the most painful are going to be sources of strength.” (Chapter 29)

This is part two of the Crowns of Nyaxia duology, and this novel is a fast-paced, enemies to lovers romance that takes place shortly after the events of the first book, and is a seamless continuation of Raihn’s and Oraya’s stories.

Differing from the first book, this novel is told through dual POVs – Oraya and Raihn. Having dual perspectives this time really allowed me to immerse myself more into the story, especially Raihn’s. Oraya and Raihn must work together, again, despite everything that has happened, with their ultimate goals aligned in ruling the kingdom jointly. This novel focuses primarily on Vincent’s secrets and his connection to the “god’s blood,” Raihn’s backstory, and Oraya coming to terms with her past. But ultimately, the story is about how Oraya and Raihn will restore both their kingdoms.

The novel is divided into sections, each named after a moon phase. This novel division was very interesting to me – and some of the phases mirrored some of the events happening throughout the novel. At the beginning of each section, there is an Interlude, where the author presents flashbacks in the third person, which I really enjoyed. These flashbacks allow the readers a glimpse into the trauma and complexity of the characters.

If I could make one reader’s recommendation – it would be to read this book immediately following Serpent and the Wings of Night. In my opinion, it makes the characters, story, and surrounding emotions all the more intense. Ashes was such an emotional rollercoaster, that there were times when I didn’t know what to feel, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much – for the complexity. The worldbuilding within Obitraes was so immersive and expansive, that I am glad that there will be more stories set within the world.

I would recommend this book, and also the complete duology, to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy with magic, enemies to lovers, and spice. It would be perfect for readers of action/adventure fantasy series such as Fourth Wing and Throne of Glass. This is a duology that I will be thinking about for quite some time.

After reading The Serpent & the Wings of Night, I was absolutely hooked on Carissa Broadbent's writing. What a vivid, dark, intricate, enthralling world she has created with this series. The first book left off on a massive reveal and cliffhanger, and I was so ready to dive into the second book. The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King did not disappoint. It's hard to follow up such a firecracker of a first book, but it managed to keep me just as entertained and engaged.
Romantasy can be a tricky genre. As someone who adores fantasy but finds romance sometimes disappointing, there needs to be a good balance for me. I find this subgenre often falls into grooves and writing styles most common in romance books that I just personally don't love. That being said, I think Broadbent executed this book perfectly. The quality of writing was great, the plot points were gripping and didn't feel contrived, the characters (including side characters) were well fleshed out and rounded. I didn't feel like any aspect was an afterthought. The concept for the world and the aesthetics of the setting are so unique and not copy-and-pasted from other heavy-hitters in the Romantasy genre, but there are still many of the staple elements that we all know and love. I will never tire of a FMC in fighting leathers.
I found the way grief was portrayed to be very real and raw. It wasn't a quick over-and-done-with mini arc, it was something Oraya really grappled with throughout the whole books, which is really how grief affects us in our lives.
One thing that brings it down from a 5 star to a 4 is really personal preference-- swearing. I have no issue with cursing, especially in my own life, in fact I curse probably too often for my own good. However something about reading it in books, specifically fantasy, just doesn't work for me. I really can't explain it other than I just don't like it. It takes me out of the story and I feel like it can be so overused, especially in a character's inner monologue. But again, personal preference.
I truly love this series and I can't wait for the next duology in this world!

Loved the first book! and now I can safely say I love this book just as much! This felt complete and not rushed through printing and editing which is nice! I would def recommend book 1 in this series and Carissa Broadbent as an author!

Carissa Broadbent continues the tale of Oraya, adopted human daughter to Victor, the Vampire king. In The Serpent & the Wings of Night (hard) we learned that she was really half-vampire after Victor was killed. Now in The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King (hard from Bramble) she has to learn to be queen to Raihn’s king and deal with a massive revolt. At the heart of everything is the blood of a goddess. Very intense and hard-to-put-down. These were originally self-published, but I imagine the new editions have had some editing. I’ve really enjoyed them.

I think I honestly just love anything Carissa Broadbent writes. Ashes is such a great wrap up to this part of the series. When I say I devoured this... I could not put it down. There's so much happening and it's so fantastic. I am happy that I managed to read Six Scorched Roses in between Serpent and Ashes because it made me even more invested in a couple of characters, but regardless, this was wonderful. I can't wait for the next Nyaxia book!