HOLY ALL THINGS VAMPIRES...WHAT A FANTASTIC NOVELLA!

Lilith believes she is cursed by death, yet death avoided her and went for others in her town due to her father. Knowing that there is a curse out there placed by a God, she runs headfirst and knocks on Vale's door- the vampire that is abhorred by the gods. She promises his blood in exchange for a rose for the next six months. She believes his blood can save everyone. But when stakes rise and people figure out she's collaborating with THE vampire, all hell will rise. Will feelings be enough to save herself and everyone that she loves, including Vale?

Six Scorched Roses is a stand-alone novella that you could easily read before book one or in between. After a few chapters, I was SUCKED in to Lilith's story and found my heart racing as I continued on her journey with each passing rose given. I found some "easter egg clue" nods to book one and towards the end, was screaming with how relevant it was and immediately wanting to figure out when these "fated" characters pop up in Ashes. Carissa does such a FANTASTIC job of making the world building seamless and easy to follow without making it seem too overwhelming. The love story and overall GUTS of the main female (Lilith) made Six Scorched Roses a novella that I will pick up again and scream all over once more at that ending!!!!

"He also sprinkled little pieces of his life into those letters, sometimes sketching in the margins or at the bottom of the page. 😭 Vale and Lillith are such an adorable, nerdy duo! It was such a treat to peek into their backstory, and I’m eager to see more of them in the main series.

I’m impressed with how well-developed the characters were for a novella. I felt a real connection to them even in just a few pages. Carissa Broadbent has a gift for creating characters that never annoy me—every decision they make feels so logical, and I’m never left frustrated. The plot was understandably fast-paced and fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!"

I enjoyed Lilith’s story. It wasn’t insta lovey, the characters took their time. I found Lilith relatable, while Vale wasn’t as developed as a character.

I was so happy to get this look into Lilith and Vale's relationship. So beautifully written and gives such a good backstory. I love Lilith so so much! Even more invested in this world now.

Carissa Broadbent became a one click author for me, and it was so rapidly! I love this world that she has created, and it's hard to get away from it! Lilith is an amazing character, a determined and resourceful woman who makes a desperate bargain with the enigmatic vampire Vale in hopes of finding a cure. As their unlikely partnership unfolds, both Lilith and Vale confront the boundaries of their trust and the depths of their sacrifices. The novella blends romance, tension, and a richly imagined world to deliver a compelling tale of survival and connection. I love it so much when side characters that I love get their own stories!

This darkly enchanting novel introduces us to Lilith, a protagonist whose plight resonates from the very first page. Lilith has lived with the specter of death looming over her since birth, but when a mysterious, god-cursed illness ravages her village, her sense of urgency escalates dramatically. Broadbent expertly paints a vivid picture of a town in despair, and through Lilith’s eyes, we experience not just her desperation, but her fierce determination to save those she loves. The stakes are incredibly high, and with each passing day, the tension amplifies. The crux of Lilith’s quest lies in her audacious bargain with Vale, a vampire shrouded in mystery and danger. The concept of trading "six roses for six vials of blood" sets the stage for a gripping exchange that transcends a mere transaction. Broadbent’s portrayal of Vale is captivating; as the story unfolds, layers of his character are peeled back, revealing a depth that complicates Lilith's feelings for him. The chemistry between Lilith and Vale is both tantalizing and fraught with peril, creating an intricate dance of emotions that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
One of the novel’s strongest themes revolves around the choices we make in the face of fate. Lilith’s journey is not just about saving her village; it’s also a profound exploration of love’s risks and the cost of salvation. As she grapples with her blossoming feelings for Vale, the question of what it means to truly risk it all lingers in the air, enriching the emotional landscape of the story. Overall, Six Scorched Roses is a hauntingly beautiful tale that skillfully blends romance and fantasy, wrapped in a cloak of intrigue and danger. Carissa Broadbent has crafted a mesmerizing story that invites readers to ponder the depths of love and the lengths one might go to for those they cherish. With its evocative prose, rich character development, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this book is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and romantic adventure alike.

I devoured the first two books in this series, and this one was no different. While I was ready for the dark and emotional stories I expected from the the others in this series, this book is softer and lighter by comparison. I absolutely loved every second of it. It's a shorter book, but still includes all the twists and layers and emotional depth that I loved in the Nightborn duology (with far less angst which is a personal plus). There is still some world-building since this is in a different society than the others, but it is done so well I don't doubt this could easily be a stand alone. The story, characters, and setting all stand for themselves was fluidly blending in with what is already established. I always find Broadbent's gods/religion structure so unique and fascinating, I've never seen another author handle them quite like she does and she does it so well. This book might be my new favorite and I hope she does more like these.

This one is a detour from the Nightborn duology where we meet Vale and Lilith. Vale is an army general hiding out for the past 200 years when his subgroup of vampires fell out of command. Lilith is a dying human trying to find a cure for some plague that is affecting her village. She’s somewhat of a scientist and wonders if vampire blood could be distilled and used as medicine. She makes a bargain with Vale for the blood and over the course of a few months, they develop a friendship and more. This one is a fairly quick read and I loved seeing both Vale and Lilith defend each other as needed. It also helps us understand these characters a lot better when we see them again in The Ashes and the Star-Crossed King.

✨Book Review✨

Six Scorched Roses - Carissa Broadbent

📖 Lillith has been dying since the day she was born. She has met death many times, and while she has come to terms with death for herself she is not as willing to let others meet that fate. She has been working tirelessly to try and find a cure for the curse that has plagued her town and family for many years. She can’t help but wonder if vampire blood could be the solution. She offers a deal, six roses, over six months, for six vials of blood from Vale. Will Vale end up being her salvation or her damnation? Only time will tell, and time is a valuable resource that Lillith doesn’t have much of.

📚 I love a good side story to dive deeper into characters that we barely meet on the main quest of a novel. Six Scorched Roses is the origin story of Vale and Lillith, who we meet in The Ashes and the Star Cursed King. I loved getting to know their histories and how their lives intersected. I found this novella quick but captivating - I could not put it down!

🌟 If you read The Serpent and the Wings of Night then this novella should be on your TBR. It is fantasy with vampires and a bit of romance all rolled into a fantastic story.

Shoutout to @NetGalley and Carissa Broadbent for allowing me to preview this title. I actually had it sitting in my physical TBR pile, so I knew it was time to pick it up and I was not disappointed.

Have you ever read through a family movie night because you didn’t want your characters to do something without you?!

#BookReview #NetGalley #LillithVale #CarissaBroadbent #SixScorchedRoses #BookRecommendation #Bookish #BookLover #Bookstagram

More like 3.75

I am not usually a fan of novellas. However, having just finished a dense epic fantasy, this was just the bite sized palette cleanser that I needed.

This had moments where it felt like Beauty and the Beast. The romance didn't feel insta-lovey, I like how it developed organically, even if it was a little fast.

I really like the worlds that Carissa Broadbent has created. Her characters always feel complex and real. I think I would have rated it higher if it had been fleshed out into a longer novel, but I still enjoyed it. I am so glad vampires are making a comeback. I am very excited to read more from her!

Wow! There's so much packed into this little novella, and yet Broadbent does an excellent job keeping the story tight so that there's time to make the relationship of Vale and Lilith make sense to the reader. This is a standalone novella set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world, though I would recommend reading it between The Serpent & the Wings of Night and The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King for maximum enjoyment. Lilith is a human searching for a cure that will save her sister and town from illness. Vale is a grouchy vampire who reluctantly agrees to give vials of his blood to Lilith for research purposes. He falls first! Their romance develops over each of her visits to retrieve vials from him, There's banter, tension, and passion. Do not skip this novella in your Crowns of Nyaxia reading journey!

I absolutely love Carissa Broadbent books - from daughter of no worlds trilogy to the crowns of nyaxia series so I was super excited to read this novella - no idea how I missed it before! It totally delivered! I loved the romance probably one of the best like novella romances I’ve ever read - how she encompasses so much in a short time was beyond me. The plot was unique as well and I love seeing the connections now to the crowns of nyaxia book 2. I will be adding this to our library 100%! And hoping to read the next Nyaxia book - songbird and the heart of stone soon! Everyone should read what Carissa writes it’s top tier fantasy romance.

I would read Carissa Broadbent's shopping lists. She writes so well.

Six Scorched Roses is a novella in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and is honestly my favorite story of hers. While this is best read between the 1st and 2nd books, it can be a great introduction into the world as a standalone.

For being the length of a novella, there was so much story and development between our main characters of Vale and Lilith - it feels like a full length novel.

Rated 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley or the ebook ARC.

Stole my heart! Their transformation from adversaries to allies to passionate lovers is handled with such care and depth that I was completely mesmerised. This novella beautifully balances dark fantasy with heartfelt romance, and I adored every moment of this captivating love story.

This is probably one of the best short novels/novellas I have ever read. I’m *obsessed* with the characters, and they have realistic and truthful development over the course of the short book. It has the depth and emotion of a longer novel - so I think Carissa is magic. I 100% recommend reading this before ashes- as its main characters show up there and it’s lovely understanding their background and motivations more! Some say it’s not a must read, BUT THOSE SOMEONES ARE WRONG!

I loved the first book in this series and was so excited to get to review this novella! This was such a great story and felt like a full novel even though it's not full-length, it's definitely full of action. I can't wait to read the next book now!

i might be stretching a bit, but this felt like a lilith origin story mixed with beauty and the beast reimagining... and i loved it. and because of consuming way too many lilith stories, i am so excited to see how these characters are incorporated into the rest of this series. and i really loved lilith in this story, and how she was older, and neurodivergent, and a scientist, and how big her heart was.

this story is all about her trying to find a cure for a sickness that has taken her town, and soon her sister, because her father spited a god. But on the outskirts of town lives a vampire all by himself, and maybe his blood could help lilith find a cure before it is too late. and they make a deal that will cost her six perfect roses in return for vials of his blood each transaction.

i really loved this, i loved both characters, the empathy, the healing, the discoveries of medicine and gods and each other. This is truly so very close to a five star for me. and the way the author was really able to give a fully fleshed out tale, with so much heart and empathy, that is completely different in every way to the introduction of this world in the first book, in under 200 pages, it is just so impressive. i highly recommend this one.

trigger + content warnings: loss of a parent, death in child birth mention, plague, death, blood, drawing blood, needles, animal testing mentions, robbing involving physical assault, threat of sexual assault, grief, sibling illness, gore, violence, battle / fighting, mention of war, panic attacks

For a story that is only 187 pages it really is a complete and fulfilling tale. The pacing, story, characters, and background were fully fleshed out. Despite the length of the book, I became fully invested in Vale and Lilith which is a testament to the quality of writing. I can't wait to see how Vale and Lilith appear in Carissa's next book. This story is everything I wanted it to be without even knowing what to expect.

This is a great novella to add to the story. I think it helps reader learn more about the characters and the world around them in a more compact way. I liked seeing the characters in this story and I think it was a good way to tell this story without dragging it out into a bigger novel for the series.

I ate this novella up! Loved every second of this. Love Vale. Loved the writing. Definitely recommend especially if you enjoyed Serpeant and the Wings of Night