The first quarter was a bit slow for me, but I really enjoyed this! Raihn’s groveling is to die for and the plot felt very full circle. I adore Raihn and Oraya’s relationship so much and how oraya came into her power (and her feminine rage, ugh love!). Vincent is never mentioned in reviews, but I also love his morally grey character arc. Also, the writing in this one was even better than the first book! I’ve left favorite quote below.
“let me make you the queen that you are. let me guard your body, your soul, your heart. let me spend the rest of my fucking pathetic life at your mercy. if i need to die, then let me do it by your hand. please.”

"The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King" by Carissa Broadbent is a spellbinding epic fantasy that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go until the very end. With its richly imagined world, complex characters, and gripping plot twists, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre.

At the heart of the story is Oraya, a heroine who is both fierce and vulnerable, navigating a world torn apart by war, betrayal, and political intrigue. Broadbent brings Oraya to life with depth and nuance, capturing her inner turmoil and her unwavering determination with equal skill. As Oraya grapples with loss, betrayal, and the weight of her destiny, readers can't help but be drawn into her journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Opposite Oraya is Raihn, a king struggling to hold onto power in the face of internal strife and external threats. Broadbent crafts Raihn with complexity and depth, exploring the tensions between duty and desire, loyalty and ambition. As Raihn navigates the treacherous waters of court politics and battles his own inner demons, readers are treated to a compelling portrait of a man torn between love and duty.

The dynamic between Oraya and Raihn crackles with tension and passion, driving the narrative forward with intensity and emotion. Broadbent masterfully weaves together their storylines, layering in twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. As Oraya and Raihn grapple with their feelings for each other and the challenges they face, readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, filled with heartbreak, longing, and ultimately, hope.

But "The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King" is more than just a love story; it's a tale of power, sacrifice, and the choices we make in the face of adversity. Broadbent explores themes of identity, betrayal, and redemption with depth and nuance, crafting a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

In conclusion, "The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King" is a masterpiece of epic fantasy that will leave you breathless and begging for more. With its compelling characters, intricate world-building, and gripping plot, it's a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. So dive in, buckle up, and prepare to be swept away on an unforgettable journey of love, power, and redemption. You won't regret it.

an EASY 5 stars for me. these books are and forever will be one of my most highly recommended series!

the enemies to lovers (to enemies) that we experienced from book 1 continue into ashes, and BOY is it juicy. oraya and raihn are now in a forced proximity marriage of convenience, which gives us all of the slow burn tension that we love. their growth, both individually and as a couple, are one of my favorite things about this book. 🗣️ LEST I FORGET, THIS BOOK IS MULTIPLE POV

in addition, the politics and expanding world are SO WELL DONE. i can’t wait to see how this world continues to expand the lore with ancient gods/goddesses, new places, and more morally grey characters 😈

a STUNNING finale to the nightborn duet, Ashes and the Star Cursed King is an epic conclusion complete with intense battles, devastatingly swoon worthy romance, and heart wrenching twists and turns on every page.

Feb 2024 revisit- I forgot just how much I hated this and how big of a disaster it was, so I’m lowering my rating from 2⭐️ to 1⭐️because of how mad I still am almost a year later lol.



After 2 months of sitting on this...I've decided that I overall do not enjoy this series. I know a lot of people loved book 1, but I struggled really hard to get into it. It took me literally 2 weeks to read the first 4 chapters of book 1. I ended up like it fine after that, but man did I struggle. However, I loved the novella in between.

Book 2...where to start? The pacing was just odd. I don't even know what happened in the first half of this book it was so slow and not that memorable.

One of the highlights of book 1 was Oraya's fighting spirit. Fiery, badass Oraya? Who is she, because book 2 doesn't know her. I was expecting revenge for the events at the end of book 1, but this was nothing but half-assed attempts to thwart some plans.

I thought the magic system was incredibly underdeveloped in book 1, and unfortunately that didn't really improve. I don't understand everything about the blood or honestly the point of most of this. There was no advancement/development in the world building. And frankly the "ending" was a joke.

Somehow I think I appreciated toxic ass Vincent the most. Despite all his faults and mistakes, he truly did love Oraya.

I always see people say this is the next ACOTAR, but for me personally I don’t think it is. When I finished the ACOTAR series I loved it so much that I instantly started the whole series over. With this series, I'm already thinking of listing my books on Pango because I know I'll never pick them up again.

2 stars? 2.5? 3 stars? idk. I'll write my review and probably change the star rating a few times as I go back and forth.

This author has such a fantastic way of writing that it literally makes you say out loud, "well I can't stop there!," at the end of every chapter. I found myself staying up WAY too late with this one.

What a thrilling conclusion, to this amazing duology! I absolutely fell in love with the serpent, and the wings of night, and the sequel did not disappoint.

Every question and mystery that was given to us, was solved by the end of the book, so it not only was, well written, but it had a satisfying ending.

Oraya and Raihn had amazing character development throughout the story as a whole, and I love how they grew into their new roles together. Everything from the world building to the mythology to the secrets of the land was so well done, I could spend forever in this world. I am really looking forward to more stories set in this universe!

"Ix's tits" that was good.

I breezed through The Serpents and the Wings of Nights, cascaded into the novella Six Scorched Roses and immediately fell into the Ashes of the Star-Cursed King. I LOVE when you can do that.

Carissa Broadbent has created such a rich world of vampires, all with different houses with differing opinions on humans and their worth which makes BEING a human a little tricky for our main character Oraya. Without spoiling anything Oraya and Raihn have some things to work on after the Kejari and are thrown every twist and turn possible. This is the end to their duology but Carissa has stated this will be a six book series and there are many more characters with stories to tell including, ahem, an incredibly peppy vampire with her own demons to face ...

Fans of ACOTAR - get here asap.

The Ashes and the Star Cursed King
Carissa Broadbent
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow!! This series really surprised me with how good it was!! The writing, world building and characterization throughout far surpasses most other “romantacies” I have read.

Certainly better than FBAA. Better than Hurricane Wars, and dare I say. . . .it’s more cohesive and engaging than Fourth Wing?!?

Even if you may disagree, fans of any of these books will enjoy this series, as may some of their critics. Great plotting, complex characterization, intricate world building, tense action, spicy romance, and also flying vampires! What more could a reader want?

I feel as if to share too much would spoil a lot, but there are some significant twists that work really well. After completing the first book I immediately went to read the second to find out what happened next! This conclusion takes a different tone but does not disappoint! There is a lot of action and more banter between the 2 main characters and the steaminess has to smolder for a while, but overall it wraps up to a very satisfying ending.

I give it extra points for a well crafted narrative that can be told in a duet. I’m excited to see more from this world and this author, but thankful for a satisfying ending that “only” took 2 books (or about 1000 pages).

Thanks to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for access to this eARC. I’m so glad Tor is picking this up. This series deserves far more hype than it’s received. 💕

I am so sad that this first duology in the Crowns of Nyaxia series is over, but at the same time so satisfied! The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King was everything I needed it to be. Despite my heart breaking after the events of the first book, I loved all the pining and groveling that was going on, made all the more special by the addition of Raihn's POV! Both Oraya and Raihn grew so much in this one. Their healing was individual (with Raihn having to deal with his past, and Oraya with her relationship with Vincent, which remains as beautiful and heartbreaking as ever) and as a unit. If I had doubts before (and I didn't), they've definitely solidified themselves as new favorites!

Another thing I really enjoyed about this one was the expansion of the world building. Now that the Kejari is over, the attention shifted fully to the war and we got to understand more of the world and got insight on some secondary characters (Septimus, who remains my guilty pleasure Cigarillo Daddy, Mische and we also got some more Vale and Lilith from Six Scorched Roses!) while still keeping a little mystery for the later books. There were so many surprising turns! The author did an excellent job planting the seeds for what will come next, wrapping up Raihn and Oraya's romance in a satisfactory way while still giving the reader things to look forward to from the other characters. I am so excited for the next book in the series, following a character many of us are already in love with!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

5⭐️

This was a wonderful sequel to ‘The Serpent and The Wings of Night’. It builds upon everything set up in book 1 and executes everything really well.
The first 200-ish pages weren’t my favourite, as Oraya and Raihn aren’t really talking/ together. But then the plot picks up and I am fully immersed. I loved learning more about Raihn and his backstory, and watching Oraya learn who she truly is was great. The new characters introduced were very interesting, though if you didn’t read the novella ‘ Six Scorched Roses’, I could see people not liking them as much.
Carissa Broadbent is a phenomenal writer, and this book only solidified my belief. Please read this book, and honestly all her other books too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor (Bramble) for allowing me to read and review this book

3.8 ⭐️
While, I loved this book for the most part, the pacing was a little slower to me. There was definitely no shortage of action and conflict, I just couldn’t get into each chapter like I did with Serpent. I still LOVE Raihn and Oraya so much and I will definitely be recommending this series!

Book two in the "Crowns of Nyaxia" series presents Raihn and Oraya with newfound challenges and betrayals. Raihn struggles with the weight of his newfound kingship with fragile alliances and deceptive promises, while Queen Oraya confronts the harsh realities of Raihn's deceit and her father's obscured past.

While the pacing may seem slower compared to "The Serpent and the Wings of Night," the narrative remains engaging with its blend of suspense and action. As Raihn and Oraya navigate a web of lies and truths, the reader is drawn into a world filled with intrigue and betrayal. The battle scenes and gratifying conclusion ensure that this sequel stands as a worthy addition to the romantasy genre.

Thank you to Carissa Broadbent, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Silly me for thinking this was the next installment....

I enjoy this series, but the second book was a bit slower for my liking. I was so MAD at the end of the first book AND during the second book at Oraya for forgiving Raihn so easily. I mean, I know it wasn't that easily but still...

I hope there we find out what happens to the king and queen of the Nightborn Kingdom, and what happens with a few of our other friends from the Nyaxia-verse.

While I didn't like this one as much as the first book, I was so happy to be back in this world.

I loved that Raihn and Oraya had to find themselves again and learn to trust one another. There was so much tension and angst! I do think it was a little slower paced than the first book though.

I also liked learning more about this world and I can't wait to get more from it!

Title: The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia - The Nightborn Duet (#2)
Genre: Romance | Fantasy | Paranormal
Narration: First-person | Dual POVs
Keywords: vampires | magic | slow burn | enemies to lovers | political intrigue | marriage of convenience
TWs (per author): graphic violence | violence against children | discussion of sexual assault and rape | slavery | explicit sexual content

It’s difficult to write a spoiler-free review for this book. It picks up right where the first one left off and there were many big and interesting things happening at the time. I’ll just say that Oraya is dealing with the fallout of the Kejari and the revelations that she has been kept in the dark about Raihn’s, her father’s, and her own pasts. She needs to learn more about herself and her past, as well as to try to save her kingdom.

While slower-paced than the first book, this is a great romance with plenty of action, mystery, and political intrigue that kept me engaged with the story. The author delves deeper into the characters' pasts and motivations. There is a good balance of plot and spice. The author also offers rich world-building that is easy to follow.

Combined with the first book, I loved this and would definitely recommend it to other readers, especially those looking for romantasy with rich plots, good character development, and/or some spice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will die on the hill that this is one of my favourite Carissa series and book two was no exception to that statement. I loved getting back into the world and enjoying the characters in this duology. While I loved book one so much, I found that I enjoyed book two but was looking for more that just wasn't all there for me while reading this.

I still loved this book and the series so very much and I'll be sad to see this duet end, but I definitely found I loved book one much more than book two. It's hard letting go of these characters but Carissa truly did them such beautiful justice in this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“There she is.”

An uneasy alliance is formed between Oraya and Raihn after the trials. The Turned slave and the human are not accepted as rulers of the Nightborn bringing the scent of war to The House of Night.
Intense.
There are so many layers to this story and the author handles them with skill and heart.
I love the relationship between Raihn and Oraya is swoon-worthy. He is sooo sweet, the romantic in their messed up relationship while Oraya is the cynic. It makes for interesting dynamics, lol
This is a must-read series!

i truly do not have the vocabulary to tell you how much i loved this book and this duology. i don't know where to begin. this is a semi joint review of the first one as well since i read them back to back and can't remember where one ended and the other started. (actually, the first one ended with so much PAIN.) the second book rebuilds the damage caused from the first book. the end of kejari, and raihn's unforgivable act. we watch oraya and raihn repair the world they destroyed, the order they disrupted, along with repairing their relationship and their marriage, all with the promise of war in their immediate future. i thought it was so, SO good to have the villain also be her love interest. it had me on the edge of my seat, body twisting in anticipation the entire journey. because we understood why he did what he did, while mourning for the pain that oraya felt, being on the receiving end of his betrayal. the angst between them was so fucking palpable that i wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. the slow burn was so perfect and well done. i thought the same in the first book as well. the romance, between these two enemies, was executed phenomenally.

"𝙎𝙤 𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩, "𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙝𝙣," 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙖 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧, 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖. 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙞𝙩? 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙝𝙣. 𝙈𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙈𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝. 𝙈𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙙."

raihn. he is, without a doubt, one of my top book boyfriends. he is the definition of a morally grey character, tortured though beautiful and worthy. i would bow to him any day of the week! he deserved the world and more. he just... IT JUST HURTS SO BAD SOMETIMES and i just want to squeeze him and hug him. he lost so much in his life and i just wanted to see him happy. my heart hurts reflecting back on it. while i really hate to compare books since i believe authors should flourish on their own without being compared to other influential works, but raihn is SO rhysand coded. "there you are" and constantly showing up in the times of need.

oraya. she was such a riveting character. she dealt with so many different emotions and circumstances in both books that all you could do was admire her strength and resiliency. i truly loved the duality of her emotions towards vincent and their complicated father-daughter relationship as i could sadly relate all too well. hating him but loving him still after all the hurt he caused because well, he was still her father. the complexity of her emotions towards him was explored perfectly, all throughout until the end. it never faltered. it contributed heavily to her character growth. his voice was a constant reminder of a person she trusted, who ended up betraying her, too. yet she couldn't hate him even if she tried. and that voice followed her until the end-until she created her own voice as queen. she was strong, and like rain, she constantly showed up for the people she loved and cared about. both books were absolutely perfect. they hurt so bad, but so fucking good. since i've finished both of them, i literally cannot stop thinking about them. these books are etched into my soul.

I loved The Serpent and the wings of night, and I don't know what took me so long to finish the ashes, and the star cursed King because this book was even better!

The plot, the characters, and the romance it all came together so beautifully in this book. Also, I'm a sucker for a good vampire story!

I highly recommend this!

Overall ☆☆☆☆☆/5
Spice ☆☆☆/5
Audio ☆☆☆☆☆/5 narrators are Amanda Leigh Cobb & Aiden Snow

”There she is.”

ugh. this was beautiful. i loved Raihn and Oraya in this one because she kinda hated him but still loved him so we had to watch them battle with that.

i did enjoy the first book a lot more though, maybe it’s the way things played out, it felt slow at times and didn’t have as much excitement as the first. i was expecting a lot more action and stakes.

“I like a little fight. Besides, she’s ruined me for all others. My own fucking fault, though. I knew it from the beginning.”