Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

Darci's Review 

Carissa Broadbent has beautifully developed the storyline and world-building in her second instalment in the Nyaxia duology, Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Broadbent captivates her readers with the unfurling of a major plot twist: we learn that Raihn is predecessor to the throne through Oraya’s rival bloodline. While grappling with the death of her father and the imminent threat to her legacy, Oraya needs to determine whether she can trust Raihn, and whether this trust is the leverage needed to protect the throne from usurpers. 

Ashes and the Star-Cursed King entwines tension and grief in intricate ways, and it sustains those themes throughout the overarching plotline. Oraya and Raihn endure so much, with the focus of their travels being their intense feelings for each other and the unravelling history of Oraya’s past. As the action escalates with each turn of a page, the mystery surrounding the history of vampires in Nyaxia is resolved, and Oraya finally understands the part she must play in the politics of this brutal and unforgiving world. 

Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is a stunning finale in the Crowns of Nyaxia Duology, and a perfect read for fans of Serpent & Dove, From Blood and Ash, and One Dark Window. A solid 4 stars.

Publisher’s Review 

The Hunger Games meets vampires in the stunning second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent, sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Serpent and the Wings of Night.

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power. In the wake of the bloody tournament known as the Kejari, Oraya is now a prisoner in her own kingdom and grieving the only family she ever had. She’s left with only one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn, the vampire who betrayed her. The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood has dug their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside. When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom – and seeking her revenge against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness an ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets. With enemies closing in on all sides, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall. 

Filled with heart-wrenching romance, dark magic and bloodthirsty intrigue, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, the bestselling TikTok sensation by Carissa Broadbent. This new edition of the bestselling The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King features a detailed map and a never-before-seen bonus chapter.