The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 1)

The romance was great but…. Vincent & Oraya, are you kidding me? Their relationship was precious. I was not expecting anything about this book. Incredible world building, enthralling storyline… just perfection.

The romance was great but…. Vincent & Oraya, are you kidding me? Their relationship was precious. I was not expecting anything about this book. Incredible world building, enthralling storyline… just perfection.

I went into this expecting another cheesy romantasy. Yes... it's about vampires... yes... there's romance... but it ended up being much better than I expected.

The first few chapters honestly had me worried. The story drops you straight into the middle of everything, and my first thought was, "Oh great... another Hunger Games." With the whole a bunch of vampires fighting to the death to win the glory of the tournament. Thankfully, it quickly proved to be much more than that.

I felt that the worldbuilding actually has substance. The magic, the different vampire houses, the gods, the political conflicts, and how everything fits together are all explained well enough that I never felt lost, or that I needed to suspend too much disbelief. I don't need every fantasy novel to have a hard ridged magic system, but I do want to understand the rules of the world I'm reading about, and this book delivers on that. I will at times accept "sometimes it do be like that...." but I prefer a reasonable explanation.

Oraya was also a pleasant surprise. She's a genuinely capable protagonist without constantly reminding the reader that she's "strong." Her skills are earned, her vulnerabilities make sense, and she feels well thought out rather than a collection of fantasy heroine clichés.

The romance worked for me because it was built over time. It never felt like the characters were attracted to each other simply because the plot demanded it. Their relationship develops naturally... mutual respect, and growing trust, yata yata yata which made it much more believable than a lot of romantasy I've read.

I've said in plenty of other reviews that I don't really care for gratuitous smut, and this book confirmed that you can include explicit scenes without letting them take over the story. There were a couple of moments that went on longer than I personally needed, but overall it still felt like a fantasy novel first and a romance second... not the other way around.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. It has an interesting world, a compelling protagonist, believable character relationships, and enough political intrigue to keep me invested. I'll definitely be continuing the series.

it’s a 5 star babes. it’s a 5 star.

The writing is what got me. HOOKED. Love the way this was broken up and being able to follow along the journey of the main characters in the kejari.
The love story also had me giggling and kicking my feet watching it unfold.

GIRL WHAT AN ENDING. The last 50 pages are insane. Like how did she think of that & why & WHAT DO YOU MEAN. i want to immediately keep reading.

The Serpent & the Wings of Night sat on my shelf for far too long. Carissa Broadbent rewarded my procrastination with a deadly vampire tournament, fascinating mythology, political betrayal, and a romance that made my heart race. This story combined the danger of The Hunger Games with a blood-soaked fantasy world where affection is as dangerous as any weapon. Oraya is the adopted human daughter of Vincent who is the powerful Nightborn vampire king. He rescued her after the destruction of her village and raised her among creatures who view humans as prey. Years of brutal training have transformed her into a skilled warrior, but strength alone cannot guarantee her safety. Oraya enters the Kejari, a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death. She hopes to win a wish that could finally give her the power to protect herself. Oraya’s fierce personality made her easy to like. She understands that nearly everyone around her could kill her. She survives through discipline, intelligence, and an impressive refusal to appear afraid. Oraya wants independence, but she also loves her father very much. Oraya's father has taught her that love and fear belong together. This contradiction gives her journey a complicated twist while she trains for the Kejari. Raihn enters the competition as both a threat and Oraya’s strongest chance of survival. Their reluctant alliance develops through training, dangerous trials, shared secrets, and the slow realization that neither person fits their assumptions. Raihn is charming, protective, sexy, and dangerous. Sparks fly between the two. The spice was certainly spicing. Vincent’s devotion to his daughter feels sincere. Though, his version of protection depends upon control, violence, and selective truths. New pieces of history continually reshape what Oraya believes about him, herself, and the kingdom she calls home. Those revelations are used to examine whether love can remain after it becomes tangled with possession and cruelty. The moral questions kept me just as interested as the tournament. Humans and vampires commit terrible acts. No political faction remains untouched by bloodshed. Clear lines between right and wrong exist. Each character must decide how much cruelty they will excuse in the name of loyalty, survival, or power. Oraya’s willingness to shape her morality made me respect her more with every chapter. The final third of the story delivers betrayals, shocking revelations, and decisions that completely alter Oraya’s future. I gasped more than once. The cliffhanger left me eager to see how Oraya handles her new position, fractured relationships, and a kingdom transformed by the violence inflicted upon it for centuries. I read this as an immersion read with the paperback and audiobook. The audiobook deserves its own praise. A single narrator brings an enormous cast to life through distinct voices and impressive emotional range. Her vocal performance made each character recognizable without turning the narration into a distracting performance. Her impressive vocal gymnastics were working overtime. Pick this up if you enjoy dangerous competitions, morally complicated vampires, political intrigue, and slow burn romance. This story delivers strong character development, immersive storytelling, and intriguing mythology. The Crowns of Nyaxia series feel expansive from this opening installment. I will be continuing the series without hesitation.