Thank you to Bramble for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley.

This is the third novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and the start of a new duology within this world. Although you *could* read this without having first read the Nightborn duet, I wouldn't recommend it. The story follows Mische's journey after Ashes. She's been captured and then saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow. Mische and Asar then set off on a quest from Nyaxia to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. The underworld is inspired by Dante's Inferno which necessitated long description and explanations with each new circle of hell, and I struggled with all this continuous worldbuilding. I enjoyed the journey and the characters, and I appreciated Mische's character development.

Dear Carissa, we're fighting 😭

Ok but in all seriousness let me surprise absolutely no one in saying that this first book of the shadowborn duet (an addition to the Crowns of Nyaxia series) UNALIVED ME IN ALL THE BEST WAYS.

I am somehow more in love with this series, and with Mische and Asar, than I thought possible after Oraya and Rain. I have fallen head over heels for these two and how powerful their story already is.

This is the perfect fall read; vampires, necromancing, vengeful gods, an epic dark journey to the underworld??? Not to mention slow burn, tortured romance for the ages?? I can't recommend this hard enough.

If you loved the serpent and the wings of night, be ready for your obsession with this series to grow tenfold. If you haven't read the other books in the Crowns of Nyaxia yet, this is your SIIGGGNNNN, go right meow!! This series is an absolute must read for my spicy fantasy romance babes.

THAT CLIFFHANGER, the shock, the emotions, I will be forwarding Carissa all my therapy bills and counting down to the moment I can read more

My recommendation: pick this up immediately on November 19th and let it heal and destroy you.

I really wanted to love The Songbird and the Heart of Stone, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. The premise sounded magical, and there were definitely some beautiful moments, but overall, the pacing was slow and the characters didn’t resonate as much as I’d hoped. I know that I must be in the minority because this series was just amazing but this book in particular I struggled to get through.

This Serpant and the Wings of Night spinoff was perfect. Mische travels away from her friends, for their safety after killing the prince and heir to the House of Shadow. It does not take long for the House to track her down and drag her into their court as a prisoner, hoping to execute her as a celebration. The world is not done with Mische, however. The bastard Prince Asar needs her light past in order to revive a god.

The third installment of the Crowns of Nyxia series and a wonderful insight into Mische's story thus far. I was so excited to hear Mische's perspective, since she had such a different upbringing than our other main characters. Mische and Asar are strong in ways that are a further testament to the trauma they have overcome and it was so much fun watching them learn this about each other. I think I personally enjoyed their perspective even more than Raihn and Oraya in the first two books. The ending of this was so enthralling and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Very very interested to see how the rest of the plot will play out!

Beautifully written!! The emotion poured into this book was stunning and I honestly couldn’t get enough. The ending had me speechless! I’m so thankful for this early copy!

Miscue’s story is so fitting of what many people go through. It was so beautifully done and the ending tore me apart.

Speechless!! I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book! I loved getting back into the Crowns of Nyaxia world. The way Carissa writes her characters is full of emotional depth. They are flawed but so vulnerable. I feel like reading Mische and Asar's story healed a part of me. They are so complex as they each navigate their past. The journey takes place the underworld, and there are a lot of religious themes and darker elements, so check triggers. The plot was just so unique, and that ending had me in full body chills!!! 😩 I absolutely loved this book and that epilogue! I am so excited about what comes next!

"I just played the notes that sounded like you." 🥹🥹🥹

"A girl who can only love broken things, and a boy so broken he can only love what he cannot have."

“I’m patient,” he murmured. “A man can’t rush worship.”



•Forced proximity
•Grumpy x sunshine
•Slow burn
•Forbidden romance
•Meddling gods
•High stakes mission


Thank you Netgalley, Bramble and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC. All opinions are my own

Read This Book If…you love a long journey through Hell!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

Genre: romantasy
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia # 3
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: fantasy world
POV: single, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: captor/captive, slow burn, blood play

My Thoughts:

I really liked Mische during the first books in the series and was so excited to get her story!

This feels completely different from the Nightborn Duet and the romance that it follows. I would still recommend reading the first books for the world-building, because this book throws you right into the story.

This was an excruciating slow burn, in the best way possible. We’ve got everyone’s favorite - a necromancing shadow daddy! This is definitely for all of the Dante’s Inferno fans!

I’m so excited to see what happens next in this duet!

Memorable Quote: “It hardens a heart to lose what you love most.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is a return to the world of Nyaxia following fan favourite, Mische. From the start, this book felt very different from Broadbent's previous works with a slower build and less banter between the FMC and love interest. There was a lot of new worldbuilding to tackle in the House of Shadow and god lore that created a pacing issue for me.

As the characters descend into an underworld inspired by Dante's circles of hell, there was this otherworldliness that was hard to visualize and imagine. The danger of the setting was used as a plot device to transition to Mische's flashbacks/dreams, but it became repetitive that she would get pulled into the darkness or knocked out constantly.

Mische tackles strong emotions regarding her devotion to Atroxus and comes to terms that she can be more than just a god's bride. The exploration and unveiling of her grief over lost loved ones was a highlight for me.

Asar, on the other hand, came across as lacking a personality from the start, which likely wouldn't have been the been the case if the book was dual POV. Once he began opening up after the 65% mark, I started to really root for him and Mische. I would've liked to know more about his future plans as the story progressed in order to balance Mische's backstory.

The final 25% of the novel is what I typically expect from a Carissa Broadbent book and made it a worthwhile read, even though the journey was long—like Mische and Asar's.

This series is so much fun. This author is such a great writer. She has created this world that feels so electrifying and real, I just eat it up. It’s so emotional and raw and just great. Of all the books in the series so far, this one felt the most emotional and real. It is simply beautiful how this world has come together, and the characters have taken off. I love how this book picked up where the last one ended. This book does start slower, but it seems intentional in a way that draws the reader in carefully and gets them rooting for the main character. The world building is great, and as I mentioned it feels real. I felt like I was right there next to the characters experiencing this book with them. It was a true delight.

If you’re looking for a book that will put your emotions through the ringer, but in the best possible way, then you need to check this one out.

Probably my favorite Carissa Broadbent book to date. Loved the vibes so much. Actually gave me similar vibes to The Mummy but with Vampires with the dark cursed cavern type setting and the saving the damsel from a death sentence for a dangerous task and falling for them. Immaculate!

2.5 stars. This one HURTS me. Carissa Broadbent is one of my favorite authors. The War of Lost Hearts series set a standard for fantasy that few have met. No matter what, I will always be her biggest fan. But this book struggled big time. Firstly, I didn't know who the MMC was. I never got a read on him before we are thrown into this Dante's Inferno-esque journey. So it was hard for me to root for them as a couple without having any attachment to him. And don't even get me started on the two other people who accompany on this journey. I kept forgetting they even existed. Secondly, I never could imagine in my mind what they were traveling through. Sometimes they were on a path going between layers of the underworld. Other times they were back in some kind of bedroom or house. I didn't understand the layout at all. And as someone who sees books as movies in my mind, it made it very difficult to be immersed in the story. Thirdly, Mische is knocked out about 17 times in this book. Every third chapter ended with some variation of "And then there was just darkness." I didn't care anymore after the 3rd time. All in all, this book was not enjoyable for me. I do think the ending is set up for a much better 4th book in this series.

Another Crowns of Nyaxia home run. This time, taking Mische's heartbreaking story, her childhood devotion and promised love of her god, Atroxus, who comes back to her only to use her. The characters are just as enjoyable as the first two books, and the world expands within this story.
While this is book 3 and deals with a different couple than the first two books, it's worth reading in order as there is information that helps to know.
Pairing our happy go lucky, jump feet first Mische with the seemingly dark and reserved Asar was done in such a way that their relationship doesn't feel ridiculous or forced.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I have so many thoughts and emotions!! Holy cliffhanger.

🌶️🌶️/5

synopsis
- Dante's inferno coded
- Compared to books one and two in this series, we are diving way further into the lore of the gods and Nyaxia herself.
- This story follows Mische who you meet in books one and two, and Asar, who is basically the Jon Snow of the House of Shadow
- They are sent on a mission to resurrect the god of death and must travel through the underworld in order to do so.

What I loved so much:
- it was incredibly emotional. you get deep dives into both characters trauma as they travel through the underworld and it made for a really natural path for the characters to take towards each other
- you can tell this is a really vulnerable book
- her storytelling is beautiful. this is a semi-complex world and the underworld itself has many layers and elements, but it never felt like info dumping.

What I didn't love:
- it was redundant at times, especially when Mische was talking about Asar and how she memorized his face. I feel like that was said 10 times

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is the highly anticipated sequel to The Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent and one of my most anticipated releases for 2024! This time we follow a new heroine, Mische, from the previous books in the series. I was instantly excited for this book from the glimpses we got of Mische previously. We meet Mische after being forced to turn into a vampire and sentenced to death for killing the vampire who turned her.

We follow Mische on a journey through the depths of the underworld alongside her new found broody companion, Asar. I thought the premise of this book was really unique for a fantasy book and found Mische's character development to be a total stand out! I felt like this book did fall a little flat for me in the pacing and world building. It took until about the halfway point to really feel any investment towards the story. I also found the world building hard to fully conceptualize. Despite the slow start to the romance, once it finally picked it up, their chemistry was strong. I did think this book did a great job setting up for the rest of Mische's story and I look forward to continuing the series. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't a favorite for me. Thank you so much for the ARC!

I read this entire series back to back when I was approved for this ARC and I can’t even begin to explain how much I ADORE this book and this series as a whole.

It is definitely my favourite of the series so far, and that’s saying something!

The world building keeps developing in such an amazing way, and there was never a boring moment.
This entire series is so unique I’ll never get enough.

BUT THAT ENDING 😩 I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOWWWW

A big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC 🤍

I loved this addition to the Crowns of Nyaxia series! Carissa picks us up and puts us right back into the world like we were never gone. I'm always nervous when the POV changes in a series, but I was delighted to view the story through Mish's eyes.

OMFG CARISSA!!!!! This was so beyond fantastic words do not even come close to describing it. I first off what to thank my favorite, Carissa Broadbent for this e-ARC. As someone who has been a fan since Daughter of No Worlds first released, nothing makes me happier than a new Carissa Broadbent book. It has been so long since I’ve gotten a new book, I feel like I was stranded in the desert, and I have just had my first sip of water in years.

The story starts off a couple months post the chaos at the end of Ashes and Mische is captured by the House of Shadow for the murder of the prince and Heir. Mische is faced with execution or help the Wraith Warden, Asar, with his mission from Nyaxia. This starts Mische on a journey that she can never come back from. Asar is tasked by Nyaxia to bring her husband, Alarus, the God of Death, back to life. Asar is a necromancer, and he has a unique connection to Alarus's underworld and is the only moral able to navigate it. The only kicker is that Atroxus hid all the parts to Alarus's soul with his own power and Asar needs an Atroxus's priestess to retrieve the parts of soul for the resurrection. Mische will change and transform into someone different than the person who we started with at the beginning of this book. Her journey through the underworld and her relationship with herself, Asar, and Atroxus makes for a nail-biting story.

I was so excited for Mische’s story to get some love. I always felt that she was underrated as a character and her human life before turning had the makings of a fantastic character arc to where we see her now. Initially as the book was starting and she was in a cell in the House of Shadow I was thinking to myself okay where this is going. But holy hell would I never be prepared for what I went through. Asar's task leads Mische, Elias, and Chandra into the underworld to collect the parts of Alarus. Mische is faced with many challenges throughout; she is on this trek, firstly, with Chandra who is an elderly priestess for Atroxus. It is hard for Mische to reconcile who she is now and who she used to be when she is around Chandra. Chandra makes Mische feel that she is not good enough for her god and she must do everything in her power to make him lover her again. Mische constantly needs to use her fire and light but the farther she gets down into the underworld the harder it is for her to find it inside her, this has forced her to use her shadow powers. Mische has a continuous inner struggle the entire novel where she is trying to accept who she is now versus who she used to be. Knowing that if she gives up the human Mische version that Atroxus will no longer love her. The theme of the novel very much follows the struggle with change and transformation. In Mische's eyes, her Turning ruined everything in her life and she is damned now. Mische was always taught that she must give give give and never take, that taking was selfish and sinful. Every time she takes, she always beats herself up and worries over what Atroxus will think. I feel like on this journey with Asar, Mische realizes she is more than her god and that there is nothing wrong with her, this is a very slow process. Learning about her childhood and the major events that she experienced on her fall from grace was heartbreaking. She gave up everything for Atroxus and his love was conditional and fleeting and super f*cked up. Even when Atroxus does the worst things she never realized that Atroxus's "love" was not what love was supposed to be like. I loved seeing Mische blossom into the person she was always meant to be, and the ending took me by surprise. This book was a CONSTANT rollercoaster of emotions, and I truly never knew what was going to happen next. I feel like I am going to have to reread the last 100 pages again as it went by so quickly and so much was going on I do not feel like I properly absorbed it all. I am on the edge of my seat for the next installment, and I cannot wait to see where she takes the rest of this series.

Honestly, this book was so full of such an amazing storyline it is hard for me to put it into words that are gracious enough to describe how I feel. Carissa's books have always made an impact on me and are ones that you never stop thinking about. They are profoundly emotional while the fantasy world building is beyond your wildest dreams. Many writers cannot replicate the reader connection to every set of characters she creates and how well developed they are as well. Even in her Novella, it was short, but man did you feel connected to Lilith's story. I feel that my reviews of my well-loved books are never as concise as I want them to be, but I feel the love for them makes the review more chaotic. Carissa Broadbent to me will be one of the greatest writers I have ever had the pleasure to read and is ALWAYS an automatic buy for me. This is truly one of her greatest works and when I think she cannot outdo herself she always does.

5 tear out my heart, yearning stars! An emotional slow-burn build of a story around themes of faith, love, devotion, and brokenness.

“This is the tale of how a chosen one falls.”

The story begins shortly after the events of Ashes, where Mische is captured by the House of Shadow to answer for murdering their prince. Due to her inconceivable ability to harness the magic of the sun, she is saved from death for a different purpose—to descend into the underworld with the feared Wraith Warden to awaken the god of death. As they venture deeper into the darkness of death—with Luce, the goodest ghostgirl in the entire world—Mische is haunted by her past and desperate to redeem herself to her sun god, Atroxus, whose powers extract a price from her every time she uses them.

Mische Iliae, sunshine incarnate with a heart of gold, bearing the scars of her past (and present), and a deep unrequited love for Atroxus. Her “flaws” (read: strengths) don’t lie in brutal strength or cunning, but in kindness and warmth. We grow to understand her through glimpses into her tragic past. Be prepared for an emotional journey of what it means to grapple with devotion and faith.

“It is an injustice, Mische, that this is what you got when you asked for love,” he murmured. “This isn’t what love should feel like.”

And Asar Voldari, Wraith Warden with an impeccable attention to detail (iykyk), an introverted cat of a man and necromancer dedicated to righting wrongs. As a sidenote—the scent of poppies dusted with frost is my new favorite description of a love interest’s scent.

“A girl who can only love broken things, and a boy so broken he can only love what he cannot have.”

TSatHoS had Carissa’s signature snark in the little moments that made the relationships all the more real. AND THAT ENDING!!!! No one is ready!! I have questions that need answering about Asar!!! While I impatiently wait for CoN4, I’m going to reread the first two books for the crumbs of Mische, now knowing everything we do about her history…

Thank you to Carissa Broadbent and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.