I was really excited for this one because I loved Mische's character in the previous books and wanted to delve more into her character. I was really happy with how much more fleshed out she's become and how much more we got to learn about her. She truly reads as the heroine of her own novel and I love her in this leading role. I thought the romance in this felt different from Oraya and Raihn's story in a refreshing and intriguing way. I also loved how much more the world of these novels continues to expand. I will say, the world building is a little confusing sometimes and maybe could be explained a little better. But I thought this was a story worthy of a spinoff and I'm looking forward to Broadbent's next book.

I think for fans of the series this will be much better, but for me personally I didn't enjoy my time reading it. I liked the first books in the series, but again never changed my life and this one just felt the same. I do love Miche as a character and thought the plot was intriguing, I just could never get into it fully.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a little confusing at times just because I wasn't 100% sure of what was going on. I felt like the story dragged on a little as well. I really loved that we started to see more of the world. Not only in the actual world but also we got to see more Gods and learn what was motivating them. My favorite story line was definitely Mische's connection with her God. It was a good set up for the next book though. I'm excited to see where it goes. The romance was well written and I bought their story. I feel like the first two books were stronger but overall it was a great continuation and I'm super excited to see where it goes!

✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️ The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent (@carissabroadbentbooks) provided by @netgalley 🫶🏾 THANK YOU SO MUCH for the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review!
Let's dive in, besties!
This IS book 3 of The Crowns of Nyaxia, which is set up as a series of duologies. I do my best to keep things spoiler free!
I have been waiting very impatiently for this installation to the Crowns of Nyaxia world ever since Mische was introduced to us in The Serpent and the Wings of Night duology, and it did not disappoint.
This book follows Mische as she navigates life after the events of TAatSCK and ends up on a journey that she never expected.
This book was so beautifully written, and the world we venture to feels so vivid — it felt like I was transported. There was a grumpy x sunshine relationship with the MCs and a different set of "trials" compared to TSatWoN that was so intriguing!
This book tackles SO many themes, and I went into this fully prepared to have my heart shattered into a million pieces. Carrissa has a way of making g you feel all the feelings alongside the characters, and it's one of my favorite things about her writing.
The romance was slow-burn, felt natural, and was giving everything that needed to be given when it comes to tension! I loved that even though the MMC was dark, grumpy, and broody (as we love them), it also showed massive tenderness that we don't tend to see a lot with characters like his. Especially in Romantasy.
I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ | 2/5 🌶
Releases on Nov 19th, 2024!
Will be available on KU

I have loved the whole Crowns of Nyaxia books and was very excited to get this book as an ARC. It did not disappoint. This whole series is great and I can already tell that this duet is going to be so good!

Carissa Broadbent is my favorite author, so it is no surprise that The Songbird & the Heart of Stone was my most anticipated read of the year. Did it live up to my high expectations? YES.

Let me preface this review with: Mische is my favorite side from The Nightborn Duet—the best friend of Raihn. We saw glimpses of the intricacy of this character in the duet—she was a child bride to the god of the sun who was forcibly Turned into a vampire, yet remains a loyal follower—so I was eager to learn more of her background and continue her story.

This epic fantasy romance begins with Mische being sentenced to death for murdering the vampire who Turned her, Malach. Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow and exiled necromancer, saves her by forcing her into a mission to the underworld to resurrect the god of death (Nyaxia's husband). This story primarily follows her journey through the underworld and the trials and challenges her and Asar face.

Carissa's writing style is beautiful and poetic, and her world building and character development are unmatched. One thing Carissa does especially well is writing beautifully flawed characters. Mische is complex, empathic, compassionate, and introspective. She is also grappling with her (groomed) loyal devotion to the sun god who ultimately failed her when she needed him most. Carissa showcases the damning effects of religious trauma in a respectful way that leaves your heart bleeding for Mische.

Asar's character perfectly compliments Mische's—"perhaps that's why you would be so perfect for each other. A girl who can only love broken things, and a boy so broken he can only love what he cannot have." They are kindred spirits in so many ways, and I loved the delicious forbidden romance and slow burn between these two.

If I had to set expectations for other readers, it would be to expect the level of spice from Carissa's War of Lost Hearts trilogy versus her Nightborn Duet (at least in this first book, I'm not sure what to expect from the sequel book). That being said, the romance within this book is delectable tension coupled with forbidden moments (Mische is committed bride to the sun god).

I can go on and on for all the reasons I loved this book, but I doubt anyone would want to read it... so I will wrap things up by saying the theme of forgiveness is fantastic within this book. I feel like this book itched a spot in my brain that truly had me thinking of what someone gains from forgiveness—and sometimes if you can't get forgiveness from someone you've wronged, how can you come to terms with the regret so it doesn't eat you alive.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book in this duet, and I will be (semi) patiently waiting in the meantime. A sincere thank you Bramble, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an eARC.

After an achingly long wait, it's time to get back into the Crowns of Nyaxia. I am so thrilled that Carissa Broadbent has received the attention and accolades that she deserves. The way she weaves her Fantasies are well thought out and compelling. It was so great to be swept away again and immerse myself in her words.

While I do think there is a bit of a drag a certain areas, there is still so much to love. I feel that if the world weren't a dumpster fire right now, I would have been able to focus a bit more intently. SO I'm trying to be a bit more subjective about the flow of things. Since some of that disjointedness was due to my life.

I loved Mische & Asar. Their situation and the task they are taking on is grisly and heavy. There are ghost (literally) and horrors of the past in their face. That is not the easiest atmosphere to fall in love in. There are also many other obstacles besides just their circumstances, yet I felt them sliding towards one another is such a real way. Maybe the only "real" thing in this supernatural journey they are on.

As always, I find Broadbent's talent to make both Romance and Fantasy of equal importance admirable. It's so hard to do and not have some faction of readers come hounding at your door. I was well satisfied on both counts with this entry to the series.

I will be anxiously awaiting my return to this tale. I think there will be quite a few readers who want to throw this at the wall when they get to the cliffhanger. The sad part about traditional publishing is often the delay in releases. But again, I am so happy for what it means for Carissa Broadbent.

I like Mische and Asar more than I liked Rhain and Oraya. The underworld setting was atmospheric and gothic and I ate that shit up. It was fantastic. I'm a sucker for a person realizing how much their faith in the wrong person has let them down, which is essentially Mische's whole arc throughout the story. Loved it. I feel like this duology is better tailored to my tastes than the first.

I absolutely love these books and this author I can’t wait to see what is next. I am blessed to be able to read this as an arc. It is easily a new favorite.

This series is one of my favorite fantasy series, so I went into this one with high expectations. While I still loved the writing and the story, it fell a little flat for me. :(

Woohoo, the House of Shadow has entered the chat! I really love how Broadbent is handling the Crowns of Nyaxia series, how each duology gives you something fresh and exciting but builds upon a world and some characters you're already familiar with. I couldn't wait to go on a journey with Mische, and her surreal romp into the Descent with Asar did not disappoint.

I was super excited to read the third installment in this series. I was hooked right away, I couldn't wait to find out more from the series. I highly recommend this whole series!

Oh my goooooshhhhhh this is a fantastic series, and a fantastic book. I know the Crowns of Nyaxia series blew up on socials, but I hadn’t yet made it over to them until I received these galleys. I am SO glad I did. The series as a whole is great, and each book is excellent on its own.

I loved the world building Broadbent performed throughout the entire book, beginning to end. The creativity and the lyrical way she described the different areas of the descent was spellbinding. I can’t wait to look through fan art to see how others saw what she was describing.

I absolutely adored the main characters. Mische was already beloved by me from her appearance in the other books, but I loved her even more in this. Asar is the epitome of the brooding prince, and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes him and Mische together.

I already want to re-read, and can’t wait until the audiobook comes out as well.

Thank you to Carissa Broadbent and Tor Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cover is beautiful, loved seeing Mische come into herself and how her voice and character grew in this book. Was pleased with the journey this book took me on and didn't see all the twists and turns coming. It kept me engaged and actively wanting to read every chance I got.

While previously a fan of the Nyaxia world, this book is a fantastic addition to the world of Nyaxia. While a departure from the characters of the previous books, the way that the author brings the readers into this new sphere is seamless and blends into the world as a whole. Can't wait for the world to continue to expand.

2.5 stars rounded up. This review breaks my heart to write, but I want to be honest: I LOVE The Serpent and the Wings of Night. That’s my book. I have three copies of it and refuse to part with any of them. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King did not resonate with me as much, but it was still solid. Maybe it was because it was missing my favorite character; maybe there are other reasons—I don’t know!

Now we are at Book 3 in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and I’m disappointed. I really enjoyed learning more about Mische’s religious trauma. Her constant struggle of loving the Sun god while being a creature of the night was engaging and helped shape her as a character. That aspect stood out to me over everything else and was the only area of interest for the first 50% of the book.

For the first half of the book, almost every interaction, battle, and setting felt repetitive. Repetition was rampant, and I had a hard time picturing the settings as they were described. In TSATWON, the world-building was beautiful and unique, with noticeable attention to detail, so I was surprised when I found myself drawing a blank while attempting to imagine our characters' journey.

The romance does not begin until the 50% mark as well. The marketing heavily emphasizes the romance, but it is all but nonexistent in the first half of the book. I’m not sure how I’m expected to care about the two main characters together if their growth isn’t there. Once we discover that they do find each other attractive, the story picks up. Sadly, for me, it was far too late. I never felt we learned enough about Asar, and his character struggled to grow in the repetitive environment of the story. Most chapters had a similar nature to their endings, either fading to black or concluding with a fall. At one point, I specifically had to go back because I thought I had fallen asleep while reading and was rereading the same passage, but it turned out to be a new encounter with extremely similar wording and the same characters.

Supporting characters were means to an end, excluding Luce, and didn’t add anything to the story. I neared the end of the book wondering if this was the conclusion of my journey in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. However, when I read the last line of the book, that pulled me right back in. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment because of this one bit of information. I’m hopeful that the next book will address the struggles this one seemed to have.

I will post the review on goodreads on November 26th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this earc

Don’t get mad at me, but this book just didn’t hit the spot.
Everything about it was exactly what I love: Big scary guy who kills people but really is misunderstood and has a heart of gold (and a ghost dog). Female main lead with tragic past. A quest through underworld.
But somehow it just fell flat. The pace was incredibly slow and all the good moments got lost in pages and pages of nothing. I feel like we need more time between the main characters to really believe in their love. I also think the ending was very much rushed and you would need to read it twice to actually put together what happened.

I really hope, I’ll love the next one more

This is my favorite series ever. I loved this one so much just like I did the other two! So much comes at you that you can’t look away!

Everything Carissa has given us in this world has been truly incredible and I was worried jumping into it this book wouldn't meet the standards of the other two books set in the Nyaxia realm. While there were moments that I was confused, not really connecting with the characters, overall I absolutely loved this book and ate it up in one sitting.

Mische becoming my favourite in this book shocked me because I wasn't her biggest fan in the other books. And throw in a new player in this realm things are bound to get interesting. While I wish I cared more about Asar, I really loved their story so far and cannot wait for book 4!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

I am just speechless. Everyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with this series and this book further cemented that. I loved seeing a different side of this world and getting to know my favorite girl, Mische, more. I also fear that I now love the MMC, Asar, more than Raihn🫣 I mean, how can you not love a broody grump with a skele-puppy🐶

Loved it from start to finish and now I’m DESPERATE for the next book in the series, because if Carissa knows how to do anything it’s make your heartache😭

Songbird felt so much darker than the previous books but it fit in perfectly as you make your way into the decent of the underworld and peel back the layers of these characters.

The most delicious slow burn and getting to know the gods of this world more was one of my favorite parts.

Clearly, I loved it and can’t wait to have my physical copy in my hands. November 19th can’t come soon enough💜

Thank you so much Tor Bramble for the ARC!