My downfall and my most valuable supporter. My weakness and my strength. My worst enemy and the greatest love I had ever known.” I was so torn up on what I should rate this book but eventually I settled on four stars because I personally felt like this one was just so dragged out and unnecessarily long, I couldn't help but feel extremely bored throughout some of the bits. And i was also mostly skimming somewhere in the middle because of all the political and warfare talks but maybe thats just my lazy ass 🥲🤚🏼 I would take a dagger over Raihn’s hands—would rather feel a blade than his fingertips brushing my skin, far too gently. But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Is she drier than a pool in the middle of a desert? Yes. But also super hot and badass while being just that? Absolutely yes. We see girls turning into women, princesses turning into queens but Oraya turned from a girl scared and catious of the world into a freaking goddess who makes the world scared and catious of her. She became everything she wanted to be and I'd be lying to myself if I said that wasn't satisfying. She's violent, mean and hateful, intensified tenfold in this book; she hated humans, she hated vampires, she hated herself, she hated everything because she needed all that hatred directed at something for not being able to hate the ones she should. She was so bad with words and expressing herself; I understood her so much that I felt bad for 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 digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside. The underdevelopment of the villains. We all clearly hate the villains, but I wanted to loathe them. I think there was one too many, and I wanted to get to know them a little deeper as well. Afraid of you and what you could do to me. Afraid of the world that could kill you so easily. Afraid of myself, gifted with another fragile heart that I know I cannot keep. Starting with the characters- I LOVE THEM ❤️❤️ I feel like we've gone on such a journey with them even in only 2 books and I've grown to love them smm 😩 I really enjoyed seeing more of them and especially seeing their character development after what happened at the end of TSTWON.I loved the way Raihn and Oraya faced their own fears and healed from their past traumas. Both of our main characters had to face a lot of challenges and were so brave while fighting for what they believe in. Their transformations and strength were inspiring. plot-wise, this was left a lil open-ended in many areas so i'm wondering how everything is going to tie together now. and the ending gave me shivers. i'm super excited to know so many things now!! Now let's talk about THE WING PLAY. It was enticing and alluring and Carissa wrote it in such a seductive tone. All I can say that it was just so titillating and sensual.

I wanted to capture him like rainwater. I wanted to savor him like blood. I wanted him to open me and touch everything within me that I'd hidden away from the world. Mische still more than has my entire heart. 💘 and with everything that went on in this book, all i'm going to say is - poor Mische. and 👀 i have so many questions with her omg. I am writing this review a day after finishing it, and I don’t know if I am prepared to still close our chapter of Oraya’s and Raihn’s story. However, I am pleased to say that this story ended in a way that doesn’t leave me disappointed with their outcome, but only more eager for the world of Nyaxia’s Crown and what else is in store. She is a literal ray of sunshine. But here we saw her sad, broken and fragile side and I was so heartbroken to know about her past. She made everyone around her feel happy but she hides her own emotions. There's so much to her story we don't know and even though I'm so excited and intrigued about her book, I'm equally scared for her. I just want her to be happy and in love. Maybe the king always knew his greatest love would be his ruination. Maybe he knew it the moment he met her."

They argued and bantered like they did in the last book and their romance was angsty and emotional but they also fought side by side against the bloodborns. Yours," I ground out. "It's yours." My blood. My body. My soul. I had given her all of that a long time ago. I even had given her my life. And I'd do it all again. Maybe the king always knew that his greatest love would be his ruination. Maybe he knew it the moment he met her.

The action sequences were breathtaking. I was in complete awe with the way it was written and they were such powerful scenes. I could not put the book down towards the end. It was so intense, I got goosebumps. The great and the not-so-great aside, I really do think this series is worth a read. The characters are easy to like and relate to, and the romance is fun. I am looking forward to the next duet, especially after reading the author's note and the hint about book 3. Oraya is so, so, so angry in this one. Mad at herself for letting someone in and them breaking her trust. Mad at herself for loving people even though they’ve hurt her. And even worse, mad at herself that even though she’s furious, she can’t stop herself from loving these people. It’s agonising to watch and read about. Because although you scream at her to fight, you know you would feel the same. She felt so real, I felt her anger. Her hate. It was insane.

Customer reviews

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation. I am queen just as much as he is king. When we've reclaimed our kingdom, I intend to rule beside him as such. The pacing because of the chapter drags from time to time. I truthfully fell more in love with the second half of this one. He raised an eyebrow. “What if I told you all the nurses are afraid of you? The Nightfire queen who just tried to take down the Rishan army.” this isn't a particularly interesting or all-encompassing review, i didn’t feel like writing one of those so it’s just a few of the thoughts bouncing around through my brain.

THAT WAS SOO GOOD 🤩🤩 I was super excited for this after LOVING the first book- and when I tell you Carissa Broadbent DELIVERED- She may be becoming a favourite author bc I freaking ATE this book up 😩😩🤌🤌 Man oh man, did Carissa outshine herself once again. This book was so raw. Raw in the best way. There was so much tenderness, and love, but also so much hate and anger because of it.Mische. She is the sweetest, sunniest, most amazing secondary character. I love her so much and I really, really hope that we will get to see more of her in a future book. I fell in love with her sunny disposition and relentless optimism in the first book, and seeing how she was always there to support Rhain and Oraya in this book, to listen to them, help them, and defend them while also dealing with her traumatic past that resurfaced, made me love her even more. I need more of Mische! I honestly don’t know what happened to Mische, she was completely stripped of any and all personality traits. She just popped then and there to smile and nothing else. We can take her scenes out of this book and nothing would change. Everything that I needed from Book One, I got in this instalment. I almost don’t mind that the author took a plot-driven route with the first book, even though I still feel like the balance between plot and the characters could’ve been better handled.