The Songbird & the Heart of Stone: Book 1 of the Shadowborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 3)
#1 New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Songbird & the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods. Features beautiful case art and a detailed map.
In the descent to the underworld, a bride of the sun must choose between the light of her redemption… or a dark love that defies the gods themselves
Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire – her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.
But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.
Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the very death god she’ll help resurrect.
Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness – and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.
As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.
Crowns of Nyaxia Reading Order:
The Serpent & the Wings of Night
The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone
Crowns of Nyaxia Standalones
Six Scorched Roses (short novel)
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
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Community Reviews
Unputdownable, The Songbird and the Heart of Stone delves into fan-favorite character Mische, her past, her relationship with the God of Light, and what haunts her.
The third novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series follows Mische, one of my favorite characters who must be protected at all costs.
Immersive
I absolutely loved The Songbird and the Heart of Stone, just as I loved the first two books in this series. I appreciate how the author focuses each book on a specific pair of characters. This approach allows readers to connect more deeply with the characters without feeling like their stories are being drawn out unnecessarily.
Mische, a side character in the first two books, embarked on her own journey after those events, and we were unsure of her path. This book reveals where that path has taken her.
It’s important to note that Mische was a human and, more significantly, a priestess of the sun God. According to the lore of this book—which I appreciate—the sun God despises Nyaxia and, by extension, vampires. Yet, he still permits Mische to wield fire, which always burns her. This dynamic offers a deeper exploration of her relationship with the God of Light, the God of the Sun. Much like the previous books, this one is divided into five parts, each beginning with a reflection that serves as a memory from Mische’s life leading up to her transformation into a vampire.
I find it fascinating that the gods of the white pantheon are not purely benevolent. They are ruthless, deriving enjoyment from suffering and seeking worship, which makes me understand why Nyaxia chose to leave the white pantheon.
With each book, we delve deeper into the mythology of this realm, and it plays a significant role in this novel, reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno. Mische and the shadow court’s heir journey into the underworld, each layer representing something different and adhering to its rules. The roots of the Tree of the Underworld serve as a passageway to venture deeper into the underworld in search of pieces of the God of Death’s soul to bring him back to life.
The story is filled with intrigue and mystery, drawing you into Mische’s character. The reflections on her past highlight much of what makes her so relatable, including the trauma she has faced—a trauma she didn’t even fully recognize. As a reader, you genuinely want to hold and protect her at all costs. If you’ve read the first two books and felt the same way I did, you’ve wanted to protect her since the beginning.
Mische is an incredibly lovable character. She is fierce, fiery, snarky, sassy, clever, brilliant, yet deeply flawed. She hasn’t healed from her trauma, much of which stems from her reluctance to confront it. This aspect is relatable to anyone who has experienced trauma; facing what has hurt you can be incredibly challenging, but it’s essential for overcoming it and beginning the healing process. The author captures this struggle powerfully, resonating throughout the novel and encouraging readers to empathize with Mische.
Final Thoughts
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is another great addition to a brilliant series. I absolutely love it and recommend it to everyone.
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Mische may be my favorite FMC that I’ve read. Her journey through learning to accept herself brought me to tears.
The ending was not at all what I was expecting. I am curious to see how the next book will navigate the ending events.
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