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A review by thebiglittlelibrary
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
5.0
4.75 ⭐️ The Hunger Games meets ACOTAR but with vampires. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this!!!!
The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination - nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark fantasy romance
✨ humans x vampires
✨ magical competition where the winner gets one wish from the goddess of Night
✨ she's the human daughter of the vampire king and a total badass
✨ he's a powerful vampire and her biggest competition in the trials
✨ enemies to allies to friends to lovers
✨ star-crossed lovers
✨ reverse grumpy x sunshine
✨ fantastic banter
✨ slow burn
✨ 2.5/5 spice (three-ish open door sex scene)
✨ action-packed
✨ high stakes
✨ interesting world building
✨ found family
✨ plot twists and reveals
✨ shocking ending with a somewhat resolved cliffhanger
✨ single POV
✨ TW: violence, torture (off page), flashbacks of rape (consent withdrawn), self-harm, emotional abuse, slavery, and references to sexual abuse
My Thoughts:
Wow! This. Book. Is. AMAZING! And that's high praise coming from me. I read a decent amount of fantasy, but most of the time, I'm unimpressed either by the story, the characters, or the writing. But this captivated me from the first page and kept me enthralled till the end. Carissa Broadbent is a talented writer and I will be reading her entire backlog.
This book has been on my radar since it was published, but I decided to wait because, honestly, I just didn't believe all the hype. I'm annoyed I waited so long to read it, but at the same time, I'm glad because book 2 is out now so I don't have to spend months dealing with the emotional damage from that ending!
So what did I love?
This vampire world. I've mostly read about vampires in a contemporary setting or historical time period, so to read about them in a true fantasy world was interesting. The tone of this story is very dark and gritty, which emulates the ways of the brutal vampiric society. Vampires only respond to strength, so there's constant bloodshed. If you're not a born vampire (turned vampire or human) you are considered less than, meaning this world is extremely dangerous and most live under the constant threat of abuse and death.
Oraya is a refreshingly fantastic FMC and quite the paradox. She is a girl between worlds. A human raised by the Nightborn vampire king, who taught her how to protect herself in a world designed to kill her. She longs to be one of them, to be their equal, but she can't quite stomach what they truly are. Yet she is not quite human either, since they are no more than helpless livestock in this world and she is anything but helpless. Oraya has complex thoughts and feelings regarding her place in this world, and it was fascinating watching her struggle through this.
Oraya is a total badass. Since she is a human in a vampire world, her father taught her from a young age how to protect herself - mentally, emotionally, and physically. She's been training with him for years, growing stronger, learning how to fight, and preparing for the Kejari tournament, all with the hope that she will win and be granted a single wish from the goddess, Nyaxia - the goddess of vampires. Also, without her father knowing, she sneaks off at night to the 'protected' human districts to hunt down rogue vampires looking for easy prey. I loved this little act of defiance against vampires and that she chooses to protect the helpless. Made me respect the hell out of her even more.
She's also incredibly smart, resourceful, determined, and persistent. Even though she was raised in a cold, heartless place, she still has her humanity and a hidden compassion for others. She also radiates big grump energy because doesn't trust anyone except her father and is always serious and on edge, so watching her build relationships was entertaining. I think she's one of my favorite MCs of all time.
Daddy Vincent aka King of the Nightborn vampires. I have so many complicated feelings about this man because just like his adopted daughter, this man is a walking paradox. On one hand, he is the Nightborn king - ruthless, powerful, cunning, and cruel. But on the other hand, he took in a small human child and raised her as his own. And as Oraya's father, he would soften and let love and concern for her shine through. Plus, he calls Oraya his little serpent and always says it with such a tone of endearment.
The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination - nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark fantasy romance
✨ humans x vampires
✨ magical competition where the winner gets one wish from the goddess of Night
✨ she's the human daughter of the vampire king and a total badass
✨ he's a powerful vampire and her biggest competition in the trials
✨ enemies to allies to friends to lovers
✨ star-crossed lovers
✨ reverse grumpy x sunshine
✨ fantastic banter
✨ slow burn
✨ 2.5/5 spice (three-ish open door sex scene)
✨ action-packed
✨ high stakes
✨ interesting world building
✨ found family
✨ plot twists and reveals
✨ shocking ending with a somewhat resolved cliffhanger
✨ single POV
✨ TW: violence, torture (off page), flashbacks of rape (consent withdrawn), self-harm, emotional abuse, slavery, and references to sexual abuse
My Thoughts:
Wow! This. Book. Is. AMAZING! And that's high praise coming from me. I read a decent amount of fantasy, but most of the time, I'm unimpressed either by the story, the characters, or the writing. But this captivated me from the first page and kept me enthralled till the end. Carissa Broadbent is a talented writer and I will be reading her entire backlog.
This book has been on my radar since it was published, but I decided to wait because, honestly, I just didn't believe all the hype. I'm annoyed I waited so long to read it, but at the same time, I'm glad because book 2 is out now so I don't have to spend months dealing with the emotional damage from that ending!
So what did I love?
This vampire world. I've mostly read about vampires in a contemporary setting or historical time period, so to read about them in a true fantasy world was interesting. The tone of this story is very dark and gritty, which emulates the ways of the brutal vampiric society. Vampires only respond to strength, so there's constant bloodshed. If you're not a born vampire (turned vampire or human) you are considered less than, meaning this world is extremely dangerous and most live under the constant threat of abuse and death.
Oraya is a refreshingly fantastic FMC and quite the paradox. She is a girl between worlds. A human raised by the Nightborn vampire king, who taught her how to protect herself in a world designed to kill her. She longs to be one of them, to be their equal, but she can't quite stomach what they truly are. Yet she is not quite human either, since they are no more than helpless livestock in this world and she is anything but helpless. Oraya has complex thoughts and feelings regarding her place in this world, and it was fascinating watching her struggle through this.
Oraya is a total badass. Since she is a human in a vampire world, her father taught her from a young age how to protect herself - mentally, emotionally, and physically. She's been training with him for years, growing stronger, learning how to fight, and preparing for the Kejari tournament, all with the hope that she will win and be granted a single wish from the goddess, Nyaxia - the goddess of vampires. Also, without her father knowing, she sneaks off at night to the 'protected' human districts to hunt down rogue vampires looking for easy prey. I loved this little act of defiance against vampires and that she chooses to protect the helpless. Made me respect the hell out of her even more.
She's also incredibly smart, resourceful, determined, and persistent. Even though she was raised in a cold, heartless place, she still has her humanity and a hidden compassion for others. She also radiates big grump energy because doesn't trust anyone except her father and is always serious and on edge, so watching her build relationships was entertaining. I think she's one of my favorite MCs of all time.
Daddy Vincent aka King of the Nightborn vampires. I have so many complicated feelings about this man because just like his adopted daughter, this man is a walking paradox. On one hand, he is the Nightborn king - ruthless, powerful, cunning, and cruel. But on the other hand, he took in a small human child and raised her as his own. And as Oraya's father, he would soften and let love and concern for her shine through. Plus, he calls Oraya his little serpent and always says it with such a tone of endearment.