Review: The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1)

The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1)
By Carissa Broadbent

Published By: Tor
Publication Date: December 7, 2023
Date Read: September 23, 2024
Genre: Adult – Fantasy / Romantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 452

From Goodreads:
Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night has been on my radar for so long. I was in two minds about this series for so long due to it being compared to the likes of FBAA. While I love that series, I really hate super spicy books, and in my personal opinion the spice in FBAA has overpowered the plot for me. That really put me off starting this series… but I needn’t have worried. This book was honestly fantastic! I loved absolutely every moment.

This book follows Oraya, a human living in a world of vampires. Saved from the vampire king all she has ever wanted was to be a vampire like the rest of her family and friends. Entering into a hunger games-like competition in order to win her right to become a vampire, Oraya is in mortal danger on every trial. I loved this concept. I’m such a huge Hunger Games fan and honestly anything with deadly competitions is an immediate yes from me. I definitely see this book as a Hunger Games with Vampires… and honestly what more could you want from a book?

For the first half of this book, I was really enjoying it. I loved the premise and the world. The characters and the mysteries were very intriguing and I was fully ready to give this book a solid 4 stars. Then the twists and turns started to happen and I was blown away. The last 30% of the book, I could not put down. I loved every single second of it. I am so glad I finally picked this one up, and I cannot wait to continue and see how Oraya and Raihn’s story ends. I’m really in love with the fact that while this is a bigger series, there are duologies for the romances. I love that as I don’t like it when the love stories become super drawn out so I cannot wait to continue this amazing series.