Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:
Synopsis for The Serpent & the Wings of Night (from Goodreads):
For humans and vampires, 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.
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia
# of Books: 6 (Full Reading Order Here)
There are 2 novellas – see series reading order on Goodreads
Book Order: Chronological Duets
Complete?: No
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Dates: August 2022 – ongoing
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook
**This review only features on the first 2 books in the series. It will be updated as more books in the series are read.**
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
When browsing audiobooks at my library, I noticed that they had added a bulk of this series so I decided to check it out. I liked the idea of these books being duets (not everything needs to be a trilogy) and it has been a while since I read anything with vampires so I put my name on the holds list.
The Concept / Read Order:
When it comes to the series format or reading order as per Goodreads:
The Crowns of Nyaxia series will be 6 books total, broken up into three duologies: The Nightborn Duet, which follows the House of Night, The Shadowborn Duet, which follows the House of Shadow, and the Bloodborn Duet, which follows the House of Blood.
I read #1.5 Six Scorched Roses after the first 2 books and that was totally fine. It’s a solid side-story that can be read at any time.
The Plot:
The duet format of these stories is great. It keeps the action and tension high throughout so I never felt like the story dragged. There’s plenty of action, romance and plot to keep your attention. I also appreciated the little insights or links to the other duets or novellas. I really enjoy a world that you can get immersed in.
The Characters:
Oraya was a great heroine to follow in The Serpent and the Wings of Night (#1). She’s strong and gutsy but not some uber special warrior either. I appreciated her vulnerability at times and how she worked to overcome it.
I liked a lot of the other characters too. Like I said above, we get little inklings of their stories and it made me excited to see what happens in their books.
The Romance:
The romance was great with slow burn vibes and good banter. I liked that it wasn’t the main focus either or distracted from the plot.
My Audiobook Experience:
I enjoyed the audiobooks. So much so that it was my stubbornness that I wanted to continue the rest of the series as the audio versions so I couldn’t read them as close together as I wanted.
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
I’m looking forward to diving back into this world. I think it will be easy to binge the next duet and still feel like I never left the world.
Series Rating: 4/5
The Serpent & the Wings of Night 4/5 | [Six Scorched Roses 3/5] | The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King 4/5 | [Slaying the Vampire Conqueror TBP] | The Songbird & the Heart of Stone TBP | The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk TBP | The Lion and the Deathless Dark TBP
If you want a strong duet-based series that’s packed with action, politics, great romance and solid characters, check this one out!
Read if You Like: romantasy, vampires, slow burn romance
Avoid if You: want a chronological series following the same leads for more than 2 books
- Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry (Shield of Sparrows Series #1)
- These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows Series #1)
