The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia) Paperback – April 12, 2023

I loved this book so much. I can't put it into words. Simply PERFECTION. I see I have a pattern of having the second book of a series becoming my favorite book :))) and I can see why. "The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King" is my favorite book of this year so far.This review contains some spoilers. For the ones that haven't read the first book but heard and read other reviews, my review might have spoilers.This book broke my heart and restored and broke it again and patched it back up. The pace is perfect. It has a lot of action, A LOT (which is perfect for me). The world-building is intertwined with the plot twists and every time you find something new. The history of the characters is beautifully written, and every time you find something new about them, you get to understand them more (Vincent's actions for example).The romance is perfect. I love Raihn and Oraya, and I think with the betrayal in the first book, they got a second chance in this one: to really know each other, to understand each other, and most importantly, to accept each other with their vulnerabilities, griefs, and past. To give themselves a second chance at happiness and to be willing to risk anything and everything for one another.I love Carissa's writing a lot, and the way she put the "Interludes" there is perfect. The way she created this world and the interactions between characters are perfect. I loved the side characters. Vale, Lilith, and Mische are my favorites from their inner circle. I would've loved to see more of them, but we got a full book for Vale and Lilith (Six Scorched Roses), and I have a feeling we will see more of Mische in future books/duologies.The backstory of Vincent is just wow, and I'm so happy that, even if power was still a priority to him, he still gave himself a chance to feel something different, something that changes his heart. The moment he found Oraya, we get his perspective of how things went out, and what he felt in those moments is perfectly written. Maybe he didn't know how to show Oraya his love, but he damned well loved her, and I think he "trapped" her in her weaknesses because he was scared that one day he will lose her. And for his "immortal" life, the death of someone who allowed himself to love, will literally kill him and make him an even more dangerous thing to everyone. No matter what everyone will say about Vincent, good or bad, he made Oraya strong and gave her the tools to protect herself and believe in herself. He did love her and he showed her that in his own way.Septimus is the same slime bastard, even worst. I didn't like Simon one bit, but the atrocities that Septimus did to him... literally turned him into a monster, a killing machine. I don't know about the next books, but I think Septimus will remain the worst of all the worst.I can't wait to see what Nyaxia will be preparing for them, but I think it will be ugly. I hope the other Gods will take their heads from their asses and do something other than nothing (something for the greater good, not something worse). The fighting scenes are incredibly written, and if for humans and vampires is this well written, I would love to see how the gods would fight.Now. I agree will all the readers of this book. CHAPTERS 44-45 killed me!!! Fans of ACOMAF, you better read this series and you will find yourselves another two chapters that will stick in your heads for eternity. The emotions and the passion in those chapters are perfect!!!! For me, chapter 63 is also a killer. No boundaries, no regrets, only pure love, and everything was written on their faces, on their bodies, on their movements, in their eyes. I actually think I love this chapter more than 44-45 because they let down their guards, even if they aren't saying the words. The emotions are much bigger than the words.Also, the history of Oraya's mother is heartbreaking. I really wished that she somehow survived, but if this was the case, Oraya would've been too distract by the situation they were in.EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED FROM CHAPTER 74 AND ON KILLED ME!!!! I screamed and cried and cursed Nyaxia and then cried again and then screamed for happiness. This whole book is a masterpiece and a rollercoaster. From the first page till the last. Everything is perfect.Thank you Carissa for creating this amazing world. I can't wait to see what's coming next.

Very nice! Love the little twists and turns.Very good writing with getting me attached to each of the characters.

“Ashes and the Starcursed King” by Clarissa Broadbent is an absolute gem that had me deeply invested from start to finish. I cried with Oraya, feeling every ounce of her pain and struggle. Broadbent’s writing is so vivid and immersive that I felt like I was right there alongside the characters, experiencing their journey firsthand.Oraya and Raihn are beautifully crafted characters, and their development throughout the story is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. I also loved delving into Vincent’s past before he became king, which added even more depth to the narrative. The inclusion of Oraya’s psycho cousin and her eerie coven of children added a thrilling and creepy element that kept me on edge.Finishing this book was bittersweet, as I didn’t want the story to end. This is not a book you want to pass up. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an emotional, captivating, and unforgettable read.

I loved this duo and will definitely read the next duos in this series! I felt it had great world and character building; there wasn’t a character that I really hated reading. The plot was great and flowed nicely. I feel like there was a lot of focus on the relationships and I would have loved it more if it expanded more on events.

I kind of like the first one. Love the trials and the bond between Oraya and Vincent. This one felt a bit bland. Like an unseasoned piece of meat. I really wanted it to be good and was looking forward to the dynamic of Oraya and Raihn’s relationship but it fell weird. It as boring and exciting in some parts. I feel like it could have been 150 pages shorter. The battles at the end felt anticlimactic and it didn’t leave anything at the end to make you want to read the next. Yes, there are some loose end with Miche and the Bloodborn Prince. Even the ending with Nyaxia feels uninterested. I wanted more Vincent and Miche and kind of hated that we got so little of it.

This book completely captivated me. I can’t express how much I loved it—definitely my favorite of the year so far! The pacing was spot on, filled with nonstop action and intricate world-building that kept me engaged. Each twist revealed something new about the characters, especially Vincent, whose backstory added incredible depth.The romance between Raihn and Oraya was beautifully crafted. Their journey of understanding and accepting each other after the betrayal in the first book felt authentic and moving. I appreciated the emotional “Interludes” that Carissa incorporated, and the supporting characters, like Vale and Lilith, added richness to the story.Chapters 44-45 left me breathless! The intensity of their connection in those moments was unforgettable. I also found Oraya’s mother’s story heartbreaking, adding another layer to the plot.From the first page to the last, this book was a masterpiece. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

The second book may be better than the first. The author manages to keep the plot flowing and keep the pacing perfect. The writing style of this author is so easy to read and really allows me to feel to characters. It’s hard for romance and action to be split well and only a few series can do it with success and this is one of them. I really liked that she was able to keep the tension between the characters without making it feel strained just to be strained. The storyline is unique and kept me guessing on what was going to happen next.

This was a nice conclusion to Oraya and Raihn’s story. There were so many unanswered questions at the end ofSerpent and this had a satisfying conclusion. I did feel it could have been shorter as it dragged a bit for me but otherwise was a good read. I like that even though this series continues, this had good stopping point if you don’t continue.Content Notes: Multiple open door scenes, strong language and violence

I’ll never be the same after reading this book! I’m completely changed and can’t really breathe!! Rhain and Oraya are my husband and wife.

Llegó en perfectas condiciones.El libro es una maravillosa historia, la disfruté muchísimo.

***Possible spoilers***I got a bit of whiplash on the enemies to lovers to enemies then lovers again! I was kinda peeved at the end of the 1st book that I was waffling even reading the 2nd but I'm so glad I did. It wrapped up the story line nicely while still leaving room for more without a dreaded cliff hanger.

Excellent

Love the books and this special edition is pretty