The Serpent and the Wings of Night
By Carissa Broadbent (2022) Crowns of Nyaxia Series #1
Fantasy Romance
★★★★☆ 4 Star Review
The Serpent and the Wings of Night novel is set in Obitraes, the vampire lands. Vampires came from and are ruled by Nyaxia, the Goddess of Death. Vampires make up three houses: The House of Night, The House of Shadow, and The House of Blood. The House of Night consists of the Hiaj and Rishan species vampires who are in constant war for rule over their house. There is magic in this book, gifted to vampires and humans by the thirteen Gods, otherwise known as the Deities of the White Pantheon, although it is rare for vampires to be able to use magic from any other god than Nyaxia.
Oraya is the mortal daughter of King Vincent, a Hiaj vampire who rules the House of Night. Oraya has survived the vampire lands for her whole life, but has never known what it is like to not be prey. She is to compete in the Kejari, a once in a century tournament held as tribute to Nyaxia. The winner receives a gift from the Death Goddess herself, making this the prime opportunity for Oraya to take some power for herself.
“But maybe this place made all of use that way. Taught us to hide love in sharp angles.”
Hunger games meets twilight slow burn romance. Storyline was easy to follow and fast paced enough that I never felt like there was a slow part. The writing was vivid, I felt like I could imagine exactly what the moon palace looked like and understood what was going on in the fight scenes more often than I normally do. As far as the fantasy aspects go, I found the magic to be brief and sort of skimmed over, so I don’t feel like I was able to fully understand the types of magic available or how it works. But, the vampires, worldbuilding, and fairly complex political/governing system made up for it. Never imagined vampires with wings, so that was a unique aspect for me. Wish we knew more about the Miaj vs Rishan conflict earlier in the book and that it played a bigger role in the trial competitions.
Love a complex father-daughter relationship. The romance was okay. I think there could have been more moments of chemistry between Oraya and Raihn, but, given that it was a slow burn romance, there is a future book that will show the further development of their relationship, and because Oraya takes a while to build trust, it makes sense. They had a very balanced relationship throughout the trials, seeing each other as partners, despite Oraya being mortal. Refreshing from the common savior and victim narrative. I liked Oraya as far as MFC’s go, I am excited and hopeful to see more character development in the next book because I think she could become a beloved character of mine.
2.5/5 Spice Scale Rating
