The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 1) by Carissa Broadbent - Hardcover

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Carissa Broadbent

The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 1)Hardcover

Name: The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 1)
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (87801 reviews)
Author: Carissa Broadbent
ISBN: 9781250343185

Carissa Broadbent

(Author)

4.5

87,801 ratings

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.

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ISBN-10

1250343186

ISBN-13

978-1250343185

Print length

496 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Bramble

Publication date

May 13, 2024

Dimensions

5.4 x 1.3 x 8.2 inches

Item weight

1 pounds

Product details

ASIN :

B09WRJJKXC

File size :

4878 KB

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Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Crowns of Nyaxia series:

“Fans of dark romantasy won’t want to miss this.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[A] haunting, action-packed political fantasy with a doomed romance at its center, full of heartbreak and intrigue.”– Library Journal, starred review

“Danger, intrigue and a hell of a lot of blood are splashed across the pages of Carissa Broadbent’s gripping fantasy romance” – Bookpage

"A heart-pounding, ultra-slow-burn romance." – Bustle

"Slow burn that pays off" – Vulture, "12 Romantasy Authors to Know"

"Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night has all the fun of A Court of Thorns and Roses, but it will also appeal to Twilight fans." – Insider

"This suspenseful, unputdownable novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games ― with a fantastical vampire twist!" – Woman's World

"If you are a fan of dangerous fantasy worlds, bloodthirsty vampires, swoon worthy romance and a completely terrifying deadly competition, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is going to be a book you will love." – Book Briefs

"Unputdownable!" – FIRST for Women

Sample

CHAPTER ONE

It started as practice. Just a little game, a little exercise. Something I needed to prove to myself. I wasn’t sure when it had evolved into sport—my shameful, secret rebellion.

Some might find it stupid for me, a human, to hunt at night, when I was at a considerable disadvantage compared to my prey. But the night was when they acted, and so it was when I did, too.

I pressed to the wall, the dagger clenched tight in my hands. The night was warm, the kind when the sun’s heat clung to the steamy humidity of the air long after sunset. The smell hung in a thick, rotten cloud—rancid food from the trash in the alleys, yes, but also decaying meat and sour blood. The vampires didn’t care to clean up after themselves here, in the human districts of the House of Night.

Humans were supposed to be safe here, within the walls of the kingdom—citizens, if inferior ones, weaker than the Nightborn in every way. But that second truth too often rendered the first irrelevant.

The man was a Hiaj, his wings tucked in close to his back. Apparently he wasn’t much of a magic user, because he didn’t spirit them away for easier hunting. Or maybe he just enjoyed the effect that they had on his prey. Some of them were showy like that. They liked to be feared.

From the rooftop, I watched the man stalk his target—a little boy, perhaps ten, though small from obvious malnourishment. The boy was in the fenced-in dirt yard of a clay house, bouncing a ball against the dust over and over again, oblivious to death creeping up on him.

It was so, so stupid for this boy to be out at night alone. But then again, I knew better than anyone how growing up in constant danger could wear upon a person. Maybe this family had kept their children inside after dark every single day of the last ten years. It only took one lapse, one distracted mother who forgot to call him back, one grumpy child who wasn’t ready to come inside for dinner. Just one night in a lifetime.

It happened so often.

But it wouldn’t happen tonight.

When the vampire moved, so did I.

I dropped from the rooftop down to the cobblestones. I was quiet, but vampire hearing was impeccable. The man turned, greeting me with icy eyes and a curled lip that revealed a glint of sharp ivory.

Did he recognize me? Sometimes they did. I didn’t give this one the chance.

It was practically routine, by now. A system I’d honed to perfection on hundreds of nights just like this one.

Wings first. Two slashes, one through each—enough to keep him from flying. With Hiaj vampires, that was easy. The membranous skin was delicate as paper. Sometimes I would catch Rishan vampires instead, and that was a bit more challenging—their feathered wings were harder to puncture—but I had refined the technique. This step was important, and that was why it came first. I needed to keep them here on the ground with me. I made the mistake of skipping it once, and almost didn’t survive to learn the lesson.

I couldn’t be stronger than them, so I had to be more precise. No time for mistakes.

The vampire let out a sound between a gasp of pain and a snarl of rage. My heartbeat had become a rapid thrum, blood close to the surface of my skin. I wondered if he smelled it. I spent my entire life trying to hide the flush of my blood, but right now, I was glad for it. It made them stupid. This fool wasn’t even armed, yet he still threw himself at me without a care in the world.

I loved it—really, truly loved it—when they underestimated me.

A blade to the side, beneath the ribs. Another to the throat. Not enough to kill. Enough to make him falter.

I pushed him against the wall, one blade skewering him to keep him still. I’d coated the edges with Dhaivinth—a fast-acting paralytic, potent though short-lived. It would only work for a few minutes, but that was all I needed.

He only managed a couple scratches across my cheek with razor-tipped fingers before his movements began to weaken. And just when I saw his eyes blink fast, like he was trying to wake himself up, I struck.

You have to push hard to make it through the breastbone.

I did—hard enough to crack the bone, to open the passage to his heart. Vampires were stronger than me in every way—their bodies more muscular, movements swifter, teeth sharper. But their hearts were just as soft.

The moment my blade punctured their chest, I always heard my father’s voice.

Don’t look away, little serpent, Vincent whispered in my ear.

I didn’t. Not then, and not now. Because I knew what I’d see there in the darkness. I knew I’d see the beautiful face of a boy I once loved very much, and exactly how it looked when my knife slid into his chest.

Vampires were the children of the goddess of death. So it was a bit funny to me that they feared it just as much as humans did. I watched them every time, and I saw the terror settle over their faces as they realized it was coming for them.

At least in this, we were the same. At least we’re all fucking cowards in the end.

Vampire blood was darker than human blood. Almost black, as if darkened layer over layer by human and animal blood consumed over the course of centuries. Once I let the vampire fall, I was covered in it.

I stepped back from the body. It was only then that I saw the family staring at me—I was quiet, but not quiet enough to avoid notice when I was practically on their doorstep. The boy was now clutched tight in his mother’s arms. A man was with them, too, and another child, a younger girl. They were thin, their clothes plain and threadbare, stained from long days of work. All four of them stood in the doorway, eyes locked on me.

I froze, like a stag caught by a tracker in the forest.

Strange, that it was these starving humans, not the vampire, that turned me from the hunter to the hunted.

Maybe it was because when I was with vampires, I knew what I was. But when I looked at these humans, the lines grew blurry and ill-defined—like I was observing a twisted reflection of myself.

Or maybe I was the reflection.

They were like me. And yet, I could find nothing in common between us. I imagined that if I opened my mouth to speak to them, we wouldn’t even understand the noises each other made. They looked like animals to me.

The ugly truth was that perhaps a part of me was disgusted by them, the same way I was disgusted by all my own human flaws. And yet another part of me—maybe the part that remembered I had once lived in a house just like this one—longed to venture closer.

I wouldn’t, of course.

No, I wasn’t a vampire. That much was abundantly clear, every second of every day. But I wasn’t one of them, either.

A shock of cold struck my cheek. I touched it and my fingers came back wet. Rain.

The drops disrupted our breathless silence. The woman stepped forward, as if to say something, but I had already slipped back into the shadows.

Carissa Broadbent

I've been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance.

I work as a cybersecurity marketing professional during the harsh light of day, and am also a visual artist. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.

To keep up with my work, join my mailing list at www.carissabroadbentbooks.com!

Reviews

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

87,801 global ratings

Lette Mora

Top 5 books of the year!

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5 Banter: 🗣️🗣️🗣️

I absolutely loved the plot and the romance in this book! The writing and world-building were so captivating that I could vividly picture every detail of the kingdoms. The action scenes in the tournament were very immersive I enjoyed every moment! I seriously could not put this book down! Carissa's way with words is truly amazing, and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more of her work!

Oraya is a total badass! She is clever, strong, caring, and determined. She's now one of my favorite fmc’s. I loved her mostly controlled demeanor during challenges. Her proving everyone wrong when they underestimated her was so satisfying to read! She brought a unique and refreshing vibe to the story. Her dark humor resonated with me on a deep level, and I couldn't get enough of it! I appreciated how she balanced being unapologetically herself while also reciprocating love and compassion in a genuine way. The dynamic between her and the MMC was beautifully portrayed.

Raihn was the most charming, loving, and caring MMC 😍 I absolutely loved him! He was also so mysterious, and of course incredibly skilled. His love and care for Mische and loyalty to Oraya was adorable. All these qualities made it so hard to not love him, even at the end!!!!😱

Vincent oh Vincent… I love him and I will not accept any VINCENT SLANDER!!! He is the father figure that has a lot of qualities Oraya needed. He trained her to survive in the world of vampires as a human. He loves her idc what anyone else may think, he loves her He wanted the best for Oraya to the very end! I love him I love him I love him.

7 people found this helpful

T. Sparks

Thrilling, romantic and charged with emotion

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024

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I hadn’t even heard of this book when I was offered a review copy, but a few glowing reviews caught my attention and I agreed to read it. And I’m so glad I did! This was a wonderful surprise, a dark, dangerous, vampire tale with intricate world building, great characters and a little bit of spice. Even better, this is the first book in a series, and I’m so excited to see what comes next. Yes, there are some familiar tropes at work here, but I found the combination of all the different elements to work surprisingly well. If you love The Hunger Games or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I guarantee you’ll find a lot to love in The Serpent & the Wings of Night.

Oraya was only seven when her village was destroyed and her entire family killed. Plucked out of the wreckage by a vampire king named Vincent, Oraya has been living in the House of Night, one of three vampire factions in the land of Obitraes, for the last sixteen years. Vincent has raised her as his daughter, teaching her how to survive in a land ruled by vampires, and it turns out, preparing her to complete in a once-every-hundred-years competition called the Kejari.

The Kejari is made up of five brutal trials, each one winnowing the contestants down until only two remain. Only one victor can be crowned at the end, though, and Oraya is determined to be the last one standing. The reward for victory is sweet: any wish you want, granted by the goddess Nyaxia. Oraya’s wish? To become a vampire herself and fight side by side with her father in the war against the Rishan, a rival vampire clan within the House of Night.

But once the trials start, Oraya realizes it's going to be hard, if not impossible, to win. Luckily, she meets a vampire named Raihn who asks her to ally with him and his friend Mische. Oraya and Raihn work surprisingly well together and they become a formidable team against the other contestants. But, as Oraya must keep reminding herself, only one of them will survive the Kejari, and the more she gets to know Raihn, the less she wants to kill him.

This is a lush, complex world, and the author does a very good job of introducing it in this first book, even though I’m certain she’s only scratched the surface. At first it was a little hard to keep everything straight. There are three main vampire “houses,” but within those there are smaller factions. Each house has its own types of power and magic derived from different gods, and the houses don’t usually intermingle with each other, although the Kejari is the exception, because vampires from each house are allowed to join the competition. And it isn’t just vampires in this world. Humans live among them, although they are mostly treated as servants or even food. Because Oraya is under the protection of a vampire king, she’s safer than most, but she still has to watch her back at all times.

In addition to the competition plot, which is the main focus of the story, there’s a war brewing in the background that will most likely take on a bigger role in the next book. There’s a lot of Shakespearean drama and tragedy going on too. Vampires will kill their parents to take over as leader, and then they’ll kill their children so they can’t do the same to them. This isn’t a happy world by any means, but luckily there are bright spots in the plot.

Which brings me to the characters. The focus of the story is the slow build relationship between Oraya and Raihn, an enemies-to-lovers romance that I thought was very well done. Oraya, who spends her free time stalking vampires and killing them, is horrified to find she's starting to like and respect one, especially when she discovers he’s one of the Rishan, her father’s enemy. Oraya has a prickly personality, which I quite loved, although she eventually starts to warm up to Raihn. But their banter was so much fun, charged with all sorts of emotions, and I loved how the author gave them time and space to get to know each other before (yup) hopping in bed together.

There are a lot of great side characters as well. Mische is the sweetest vampire in the story, and her friendship with Raihn was wonderful. I was rooting for the three of them to be OK, but wow, some of the scenes in this book were so stressful! Vincent was an interesting character as well. I didn’t really like him in the beginning, but you can tell Oraya loves him, even if he’s the one who took her away from her home. I liked him less and less as the story went on, and by the end of the book I hated him, lol. Still, it was interesting to see Vincent and Oraya interact, even if I didn’t always understand her complicated feelings for him.

As for the Kejari, it was thrilling and scary, and the trial scenes had me holding my breath, I was so worried about Oraya, Raihn and Mische. I loved that the actual trials felt different from other “fight to the death” stories I’ve read, although don’t worry, there’s plenty of bloodshed!

As the end of the last trial approached, I started to get very nervous. After all, there’s only one winner, right? The author managed to completely surprise me with her ending, making me even more excited to read the second book, The Ashes & the Star Cursed-King. And I can’t say enough about Carissa Broadbent’s writing. Her prose breathes life into her characters, and her storytelling skills make this a must read for fans of vampire/fantasy romance.

35 people found this helpful

JDBW

Fantastic read

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2024

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This was one of the most unique and interesting fantasy books I have read in awhile. I am baffled by this odd vampire craze that seems to be prevalent in so much modern fantasy writing so I expected to roll my eyes through this book. I didn’t. It drew me in right from the beginning. Great plot twists and entertaining writing. Some stereotypes but the characters had enough nuance that you go with them. Terrific world building. This author has a gift. Looking forward to more of her work in the future.

Amy Bryant

In a world where nothing is more deadly than love…

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024

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I’m so happy I finally read this book! It truly lives up to the hype on all fronts.

Oraya was such a complex character, but I rooted for her from the beginning. She is a human among vampires so she is always looked at as prey and always in danger. Her father has trained her as much as he can and never coddles her, so she becomes a killer, someone who won’t let her emotions show and refuses to give her heart away. She enters into the Kerjari for a taste of real power, but during her time in the trials everything she thought she knew is questioned, and she is drawn to someone who should be her enemy.

Like I said, this world is so brutal and unforgiving, and the writing didn’t shy away from any of the violence. There are real stakes here, and we see our characters get severely injured multiple times. The world-building was pretty straightforward with no info dumps, and I liked all the different factions and political in fighting. The trials were really exciting and so fast paced. I liked how they all had to do with Nyaxia their goddess, and all the stories surrounding her. There were so many moving parts to the plot and everything came together beautifully in the end. There were so many twists and turns and just when I thought I had something figured out, we went in a completely different direction.

As for Oraya and Raihn, they are so tragic and angsty and I loved them both dearly. Oraya is so strong but has had so many terrible things happen to her, it leaves her hardened and unable to ever trust anyone or feel safe. She had a really complex relationship with her father and I liked how that was explored. Raihn was really secretive but also very charming and witty. He brought out the best in Oraya even though they were very much enemies in the beginning, and he fell in love with the real her. He never underestimated her and knew she was a force to be reckoned with. I loved the contrasts between them too. Oraya is ashamed of being human and wants to become something different, but Raihn hangs onto his humanity despite being a vampire for a few hundred years. He cherishes it and feels more comfortable around humans than she does. Their relationship was very compelling and I couldn’t help but root for it.

This just had everything you could want from a fantasy romance and I’m so interested to see what will happen in the sequel!

Amy Jo Martinez

Evocative and lyrical! Absolutely Love It!

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024

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"The Serpent & the Wings of Night" is a mesmerizing start to the Nightborn Duet. Carissa Broadbent crafts a darkly beautiful tale that will captivate fantasy and romance fans. The book's intricate world-building, well-developed characters, and emotionally charged plot make it a standout in the genre. Readers will be eagerly anticipating the next installment in this enthralling series.

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