Another great book from Broadbent!

I love this world, I love the characters, but man do I hate Broadbent’s cliffhangers.

I really enjoyed seeing a less gritty side of the vampires. I enjoyed the character driven vulnerability of this story, and I liked the nuances and commentary about religion.

The ending went crazy. It’s going to be a long wait for book 4.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

here to start! this was a masterpiece! i am so incredibly grateful to receive an ARC of this from Netgalley. Carissa Broadbent is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy writers. Her writing is so beautifully done. What a journey this book was. I loved learning more about Mische. Asar is chef's kiss. When it ended I was shocked, and I feel like that is hard to do to me. I was/am obsessed with this whole world! I need the next one now!

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is a breathtaking journey into a world of gods, vampires, and the tantalizing pull between light and darkness. From the first chapter, I was completely immersed in Mische’s struggle—her desperate desire for redemption after being forcibly turned into a vampire is deeply moving, and her anguish over the loss of her devotion to the sun god is palpable.
Mische’s character arc is beautifully complex. She’s not just a heroine grappling with her own humanity, but someone who is torn between duty and the burgeoning pull of a forbidden love. Her inner turmoil is heightened when she meets Asar, the scarred, enigmatic bastard prince of the House of Shadow. Asar is everything a dark prince should be—haunted, dangerous, and captivating. The chemistry between Mische and Asar is electric, sizzling with a tension that both thrills and torments.
The author's world-building is nothing short of mesmerizing. The descent into the underworld is steeped in rich mythology, with layers of intrigue and danger at every turn. Each trial Mische and Asar face on their journey feels epic, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. I was especially drawn to the way the author weaves in the gods’ influence—how they manipulate, demand, and punish those who defy them, making Mische’s ultimate choice between the light of her redemption or the pull of a dark love feel impossibly weighted.
The romance is slow-burn but oh-so-satisfying, laced with a forbidden allure that kept me glued to the pages. The emotional depth of Mische’s conflicting loyalties is perfectly matched by the growing bond between her and Asar, making every scene between them crackle with intensity.
The author has crafted an epic fantasy romance that’s both heart-wrenching and thrilling, full of twists that kept me guessing until the very end. The themes of redemption, sacrifice, and love’s ability to defy even the gods themselves resonate long after the final page. If you’re a fan of intricate world-building, morally gray characters, and a romance that defies the heavens, The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is an absolute must-read. This book has everything I love in fantasy—danger, passion, and a heroine who faces impossible choices with fierce determination.
Simply phenomenal!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, wow, wow!

“𝑰’𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝑫𝒂𝒘𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒓.”

Whoever told me Asar was going to have a heart of stone was a complete liar. There was nothing hardened about the sweet, soft man we got to learn about in this book that worshipped the ground Mische walked on.

I was so so excited to read about Mische after finishing the first duology where we briefly met this girl who embodied sunshine itself. She originally was a surface level secondary character that assisted Oraya in learning her magic, and we don’t get to learn too much of her past. However, in this introduction to her duology we learn there is so so much depth to her and her backstory, it’s hard to wonder how she is so good.

Mische, a Dawndrinker, chosen by Atroxus the sun god himself is captured by the House of Shadow for murdering their Crown Prince in the Ashes of the Star Cursed King (Spoiler Alert: Malach obviously deserved it for Turning her all those years ago and being a total jerk). Held for trial the bastard Prince, Asar interrupts the execution claiming he needs her to resurrect the god of Death, Alarus, under Nyaxia’s orders. Together they venture through the Underworld facing trial after trial where Mische breaks through Asar’s tough exterior to find a heart of gold instead.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC and as always Carissa Broadbent for sucking me into yet another fantastic romantasy.

“𝑰’𝒎 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅. “𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑.”

One thing I'm very fond of about the Crowns of Nyxia series is that it is broken into multiple duologies instead of a single long series like many other romantasy books. I have only the barest memory of what happened in the first duology (other than warring vampire factions and a pantheon of gods and goddesses). I vaguely remembered Mische, our female main character, from the first duology, but was pleased to be able to get into her character history here. She's a former follower/chosen priestess of the sun god who was forcibly turned into a vampire while she was out serving as a missionary, and she continues to try to practice her sun magic, despite the fact that it is physically harming her in increasingly severe ways. At the start of the story, she is imprisoned by the House of Shadow for killing their prince - the same vampire who turned her - and has basically resigned herself to death. Her unexpected reprieve comes at the hands of Asar, the illegitimate son of the King of the House of Shadow, who needs her to go with him on a mission to the underworld to resurrect the god of death (all at Nyxia's request). This was fast-paced and I thought the whole hero's (ore really heroes') journey element here was really interesting and pretty well done. Of course there's a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to the next one. Content warnings for references to what seems to very much be grooming of a teenaged girl, some pretty brutal violence (on page and described), and some pretty messed up deities.

songbird and the heart of stone by carissa broadbent is THE MOMENT. this book is for the fantasy romance girlies who are ready for a lil’ descent into the underworld this fall 🙂‍↕️🔥

if you’re unfamiliar with this series (first off where have you been), this is the third book in the crowns of nyaxia series. you may recognize the serpent and the wings of night & ashes and the star cursed king as book 1&2. these books make up the nightborn duet, and songbird and the heart of stone is the first of the shadowborn duet! to sum it up, this is a 6 book series split into 3 duologies.

i simply cannot recommend this series enough. its a STAPLE of fantasy romance, full of feral vampires, deadly trials, vicious gods, and heart wrenching romance.

songbird and the heart of stone has me in an absolute CHOKEHOLD & mische is the perfect fmc. the vibes of this book were hades persephone x beauty and the beast x dark fantasy gothic aesthetic with vampires 🥵 it has STRONG dante’s inferno vibes and the mmc is sooooo tortured (did i mentioned he’s a necromancer 👀) i was on the edge of my seat at every turn. this book went DEEEEEP on trauma and emotional character depth- mische sweet baby i just wanted to hug her 🥺

if you’re a fan of fantasy lore, Songbird delivers in the best way. the gods are so freaking cool but…. i hate them… in a good way.

all in all, im obsessed with this book. the romance was sloooow burn but oh my i loved it & i already want to reread the series. thank you @brambleromance and @carissabroadbentbooks for the arc copy! 🫶🏼✨

What. A. Book.

Please read the trigger/content warnings of this book because it handles some deep and traumatic topics such as religious trauma/abuse, sexual trauma, abuse and more.

Carissa Broadbent did such a beautiful job of continuing to build the world (or the underworld I should say) while also telling a brand new story between two characters that are so similar yet so different. I really never cared for Mische in the first two books because I feel like so much of her story was diluted or "left out" that I couldn't even try to understand her. But wow, this book dove deep into her magic, her childhood, how she came to the land of vampires, and her relationship with those around her. I think Carissa did a fantastic job of dealing with the religious trauma/abuse that Mische went through and she beautifully wrote this story of redemption and getting over our guilt/shame and learning to love ourselves, our WHOLE selves. Asar, the man that you are. I have found my new favorite book boyfriend. I love the parallels of Mische and Asar and their scars and their stories. This whole book was weaved so beautiful, the story taking turns and leaps and had me as the edge of my seat the whole time.

Filled with adventure, love, lust, longing, forgiveness, heartbreak, guilt, and overcoming it all!

I loved how Carissa took us to the underworld for this book and introduced all the gods - I am a sucker for greek mythology and this aligned perfectly with that!

The dialogue was so intentional and so perfect throughout the book. There was never any conversations I felt like "nah, we didn't need that". Everything had a purpose and everything lead into the next thing and it was so beautifully laid out, like poetry. And so fitting for a character like Mische.

The romance was hot and steamy, but romantic and so so so intentional. There was never smut for the sake of smut. Every longing stare, every touch or caress was so beautifully placed in the story, it had my heart melting.

And how this book ended? GOLLY I need the next book asap, I am foaming at the mouth for what Asar is going to do to get back to Mische!

Bravo Carissa! I fell in love with Oraya and Raihn, but now can never let a day go by without thinking of Mische and Asar.

Thank you again Netgalley for the opportunity to receive this ARC and review it.

This book was just as fantastic as every other book in this series. Carissa Broadbent continues to amaze me with how she expands this world and gives her readers new characters to obsess over, keeping it unique and intriguing every time. It’s so refreshing in the fantasy romance genre. I adored this book (even if it made me sob, multiple times). Miche’s story of trauma and sacrifice and inevitably, love for herself and another, was so rewarding to read, and so, so raw. I loved the slowburn of her relationship with Asar, and his character was so well thought out. The plot had me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put it down. This is the best book I’ve read in months, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Carissa Broadbent your ability to make me feel anger, sadness, and happiness all at the same time needs to be studied!

I've been so excited for this book since the releases of Ashes and the Star Cursed King last year. The promise of Mische as a main character had me sooo intrigued. And going to the underworld?! Oh yes I am in.

I want to get some of my criticisms out of the way before I dive into what I loved. Even though we were told we're going to the Underworld... we didn't actually go there. We went to this sort of in-between place, which is fine! However, this place, called the Descent, really confused me. I had a tough time conceptualizing what was going on. I need a map! I need some pictures! Because for the life of me, I could not figure out what the hell was going on during certain scenes. It felt a overally complicated, and because of that, it took me out of the story a bit and I kind of dragged myself through the 20-40% mark.

However! Once I got past a certain point the story really picked up for me. The romance picked up, I felt way more invested in the characters, I started to understand a little better what was happening. Mische's story is so, so heartbreaking and I needed her to be FREED from the shackles of this horrible god that she worships and seeks approval from. I just want to hug her so bad! And Asar! Ugh, what a man. He loves dogs and he loves Mische! That is all I need to know he's a good one. Their romance was sooo sweet and tender that it kind of made my tummy ache (complimentary). I love them SO so much and I need the next book NOW!

Thank you Bramble and Netgally for this ARC!

Wow wow wow, first off thank you to Netgalley & Tor publishing group for allowing me the opportunity to read the eARC. If you are feeling apprehensive about picking this up because it follows Mische instead of Oraya and Raihn, please take this as your sign to give it a chance. Reading about Mische’s story was heartbreaking and eye opening and I am so glad we have this book of her journey. Action packed adventure and danger that will have you on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. And that ending???? My mind is still reeling..

Mische and Asar now have a very special place in my heart. They were both sent on a journey by their god and found solace in each other along the way.

And to wrap up, I love Luce and I need her in every book from now on.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone has an excellent blend of character development and plot. Readers who wished to see more dimension to Mische’s character throughout Rhain and Oraya’s story will not be disappointed and can continue to expect the immaculate pacing of the first Crowns of Nyaxia duet. Broadbent’s unique setup for the Crowns of Nyaxia stories ensure every book is packed full or intriguing plot lines that don’t meander.

After killing the vampire prince who turned her, Mische must flee the House of Night to keep her found family safe. While traveling through the House of Shadow, Mische is apprehended and forced to face her punishment for killing Shadow’s prince. As she grapples with the loss of her Sun God Atroxys’s love, Mische must descend into the underworld with Shadow’s new heir, Asar.

Welcome to Morthryn, a sensory snack stuck between life and death. Morthryn seems like it was produced by Tim Burton (in a good way). To succeed on their quest; Mische and Asar will need to travel through the five sanctums of the underworld, shedding life piece by piece. But will Mische have to shed her humanity to prevail? Mische has to face many horrors on her journey through the underworld, not the least of which is herself.

The end of this book left me SHOOK. Prepare yourself for a heartrending twist ending that will leave you dying for Crown’s of Nyaxia book 4.

Mische was once the choosen girl by the Sun God Atroxus. Now she is disgraced when she was turned by a vampire prince of the Shadowborn Kingdom. After Mische kills the prince , she is waiting for her fate in the prison. Asar, the bastard son of the Shadowborn King is also the Warden of Morthryn, is now needing Mische's magic in order to complete the mission that Nyaxia the God of the Vampires. Asar has been tasked to bring her husband back from the dead by doing forbidden magic. Together Asar and Mische have to navigate the five realms of the underworld to find all the relics that have been scattered. They both face their past, fears, and their worst secrets during their travels. While Mische wants to still please Atroxuis, she wants to make a deal to make sure that nothing will happen to Asar and that her sister is able to pass through to the other side and finally be at peace. While this is book 3 in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, I was able to follow along with story line without reading the other 2 books in the series. Now I want to go back and read the others. I did read Six Scorched Roses which led me to want to read The Songbird & the Heart of Stone book. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Bramble books for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Before we dive into this, thank you to Carissa Broadbent, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Songbird and The Heart of Stone.

Now…..

OH

MY

GOD

This is one of my top reads for the entire year….honestly I think one of my new favorites. Everything about this novel is amazing.

Mische’s inner struggles are so intense, raw and real. I felt everything she felt. I was truly immersed in her story.
Asar….well he is now my new standard for men. Sorry not sorry! I CAN NOT WAIT for this book to come out so I can talk about some of these scenes. I am fully in love with another fictional man.

The plot keeps you entranced from start to finish. At no point was I bored, or wishing it would get the to good stuff. It perfectly ebbed and flowed. The writing alone is absolutely beautiful. I have so many lines highlighted that are now imprinted in my brain.

Carissa Broadbent you have really out done yourself with this one. Thank you so much for an incredible story. However, now I am dying for the next book! 👀

I was extremely excited to read this book since I loved all the other books in the series. However, I was sadly disappointed in it. I had to softly DNF it at the halfway mark because there was so much world building and not enough character development, which left me to feel bored and not invested.

(Rating it a 3 stars because I feel bad that I couldn’t finish it and because I hold the other books in the series closely to heart)

An exciting return to the Crowns of Nyaxia world that still felt new because readers are exploring a new land in the story. I appreciated how the story was structured with the different sections of the underworld because it kept the pace moving and provided an end goal. I was intrigued to see what the characters would encounter on each level. I could see some readers being bothered by the explanation of the underworld magic system as things were not explained beyond that's how things are in the underworld. I'm looking forward to where Mische's story goes next.

Well, this is disappointing. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone has been one of my most anticipated reads since finishing The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King and unfortunately I found this very difficult to enjoy.

I think my biggest issue with this book is that because Mische was previously introduced in the Nightborn duet, there is an assumption that not much has to be done to grip readers into caring about her story. This can be detrimental because the storytelling suffers and if you’re like me, all you can think is “why should I care about what’s happening right now?”. I was just straight up BORED while reading this. If the story had started with the actual events of Mische being captured (not really a spoiler, this is discussed in chapter 2), then I would be much more emotionally invested in her being saved by Asar.

Speaking of Asar, where is his personality? There is nothing about him that stands out and even though I didn’t get to read about the turning point in his and Mische’s relationship, they have no chemistry.

After reading reviews, it appears that I am not the only one who took issue with the writing style. By chapter 5 I noticed an excessive use of “oh, gods”, or some variation of that. This is not uncommon in romantasy, but it really needs to be toned down. Several chapters also end with descending into darkness or oblivion which starts to loose its shock factor after the 3rd occurrence.

I did enjoy that this book explores more of the lore with the Gods in this world, but I cannot speak to how well it was done considering I only read the first 1/4 of the book before giving up.

I feel like this was trying too hard to be a hades and Persephone retelling. It was such a different book from the other 3. The plot itself was so confusing, I never truly understood what was going on or why they were in the location they were in for the entire book. The romance wasn’t my favorite and didn’t make a ton of sense either. There was also a ton of trauma dumping, and it was a heavy ready because of that. I definitely liked the others in the series more.

But of course, it ends with a cliffhanger that makes me want to read the next book. The ending was redeeming for me, and how it got such a high rating.

Slow burn romance, 1/5 spice.

Carissa Broadbent has an amazing ability to draw you into the world’s she creates, and she continues to do that in this book. I think it’s safe to say a lot of us fell in love with Miche in the first two Crowns of Nyaxia books, so reading her story was a heart breaking delight. The ending and epilogue will be keeping me up at night for the foreseeable future

5 stars!!!!!
I love Carissa Broadbent’s ability to evoke so much emotion and feeling by a single look or touch. One of the best world builders. I’m so excited for this series and characters to be continued. Patiently awaiting the next one. Beautiful cover with so much meaning ! My mouth was wide open half way through the book when everything started to click together.

I am sooooo conflicted about this book. I love Mische so much, and her character never lets me down, even throughout the parts of the book that were a struggle for me she was such a delight. The first 50% or so is very hard to get into. Lots and lots of exposition and fairly little action other than some repeated (repetitive) encounters with the dead. I got more into it for the second half. Ultimately If I judge by the second half of the book, I liked it and found it very interesting. Asar as a love interest is very understated and subtle which is probably the point. Overall I would say if you're a fan of Carissa's and love this world definitely you will like it but hang in there and maybe skim a bit for the first half.