Hmmmmm. Okay… I was iffy on Serpents. I DNF’d Ashes. This one ughhh I couldn’t get into. Didn’t feel the chemistry. Didn’t care for the plot. I loved the timing and pacing but that was about it.

I love the world that Carissa has built in this series. This novel was perfect. I fell in love with the characters so quickly and the story kept me enthralled the entire time.

This book was such a great read, I loved the cult assassin sent out to kill her enemy, but of course it’s an enemies to lovers so the tension is there which makes the relationship between the fmc and the mmc so good. Absolutely loved it would definitely recommend!

This author never misses. The writing is spectacular, the worldbuilding is solid, and the characters are believable. I will highly recommend this book, and its series, to anyone who needs a good vampire/fantasy read.

Read This Book If…you’re craving a standalone romantasy novel!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent

Genre: romantasy
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia # 2.5
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: fantasy world
POV:single, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, forbidden, virgin

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this standalone novel within the larger world of Nyaxia! The cult Sylina was in was so interesting and I love the twist on her blindness/disability combined with magic.

While this isn’t a true enemies to lovers book, she is sent to kill Atrius, a powerful vampire, which leads to some great sabotage and betrayals. There was more of a focus on the plot, while the relationship developed really naturally and beautifully.

I can’t wait to see how Sylina and Atrius fit into future books!

Memorable Quote: “I knew that a wounded soul craved another to mirror theirs. That was all this was.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

I enjoyed jumping back into the Crowns of Nyaxia world. Sylina is a great FMC. Shes strong, brave and knows how to fight. If you enjoyed FBAA series, put this book on your TBR pile!

~Forbidden love
~Enemies to lovers
~Badass FMC
~Vampires
~Gods
~Political intrigue

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a copy of the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i would like to note that the drc was poorly formatted, but i listened to the audio as i read so it did not greatly affect my reading experience.

i continue to enjoy the world and magic system that carissa broadbent has created in the crowns of nyaxia series! i found our fmc particularly interesting, considering she did not have the typical sight, but was able to “see” using threads of magic.

Bramble’s aggressive timeline to re-printing seemingly all of Carissa Broadbent’s back catalog is really biting into my plan to try and space these reads out! So, here we are, back with the latest, one that’s been out as an indie release for a while now and that I had been saving for a rainy day!

While I’ve definitely had favorites, I’ve always highly rated and greatly enjoyed Broadbent’s books, so I was excited to check this one out. I was particularly excited by the nature of this book, its being a stand-alone rather than part of a duology/trilogy, as many of her other titles are. And this one worked great in this format! The romance is a true slow burn, but one that resolves by the end of the book. The characters are strong enough to be introduced quickly and still pack a punch. And the world-building benefits from the various other books that are set in this same world, but still approachable to new readers, with few references to previous storylines.

Broadbent is one of those authors whose books seem to straddle the line between romantasy and romantic fantasy. They’re definitely romances, with a decent number of spice scenes and HEAs. But she also puts tons of effort into her world-building and magic system, and I think this gives the books good cross-over appeal to fantasy readers in general who enjoy a central love story. All of this to say, this was one of her best love stories yet!

I think the slow-burn nature of their relationship played out in the best way possible, with both characters coming in with their own goals and many pre-existing opinions about one another. But through the events of the story, their relationship begins forming first and foremost around mutual respect for one another’s abilities. Indeed, before the book spends much time at all with thoughts of romantic interest, we see several scenes instead of Sylina and Atrius admiring one another’s battle prowess. All of this ground work makes their eventual romance all the sweeter, as it feels as if it progresses at a natural and believable pace.

I also really loved Sylina as a character! The magic behind her blindness and the way that she interacts with the world was so interesting, from the details of her maneuvers while fighting to simple things like the ways that she and those like her connect with one another. As readers, its easy to have early suspicions about Sylina’s religion and the order that she works for. But the book does a great job exploring her slow path to questioning the way she has been brought up to understand the world, her views on authority and individual judgement, as well as autonomy. Throughout most all of her books, Broadbent has taken a keen look at religious extremism, often drawing neat but profound parallels to our current world, and this one is yet another example of this.

The book also doesn’t shy away from the violence and horror of the conflict brewing on the page. There’s a scene in the last third of the book that took me by surprise with just how grim it became. But, as this is a romance as well, things do get wrapped up with a nice HEA for our main characters. If you’re a fan of Broadbent’s work, then this is a must read! And if you’re looking for an easy entry point to her books, this is also a good place to start as it doesn’t commit you to more than one book!

Rating 9: Enticing and exciting! When you’re not busy swooning, you’ll be on the edge of your seat!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on March 21.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for this advanced reader copy! I can't get enough of Broadbent's beautiful world and the stories she creates. I'm not sure if the last chapter was included in the original version, but now I'm SUPER excited and impatient for The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk.

Carissa Broadbent is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her inventive world building and her ability to craft so many different stories out of this world, yet each different one still feels fresh and new. Excited to see more from her.

I have enjoyed every book of this author that I have read, and this one was no exception! This was such a fun read with a unique look into the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia. The world building was so good, a little dense a couple times but overall really well done! The characters were fantastic and I cannot wait to see them pop up again in the series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror was a fantastic addition to the Crowns of Nyaxia universe! Carissa Broadbent has crafted a compelling narrative that delves deeper into the world's lore and political landscape, enriching the overall series arc. I was particularly impressed with how this installment expanded upon the existing mythology and offered new perspectives on previously established events. It truly adds layers of complexity and intrigue to the world Broadbent has created.

Beyond the world-building, the heart of this book lies in the captivating connection between the two main characters. Their dynamic was electric, filled with both tension and tenderness. Broadbent expertly navigates their evolving relationship, crafting moments of genuine emotional resonance that left me completely invested in their journey. The push and pull, the vulnerabilities revealed, and the slow burn romance were all masterfully handled, making their interactions a true highlight of the book.

While there were a couple of minor pacing issues in the middle, the overall story was engaging and kept me hooked from beginning to end. The world-building, the compelling characters, and the sizzling chemistry between the leads more than made up for any minor shortcomings.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the eARC.

I originally read the crowns of Nyaxia duology before reading this book. As a stand alone there is no correct reading order so I really enjoyed diving deeper into the world I had already come to love.

Carissa Broadbent never fails to empress me with her world building and character development. I have been her fan for a very long time so I was very excited for the opportunity to read another one of her books!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing for the E-Arc</i>
Carissa Braodbent knows how to write a strong female character and a boy who refuses to underestimate her! Sylina in my opinion has a great arc. Going from being loyal to the Arachessen to grappling with what the outside world shows her. Carissa has always been good about explaining the inner turmoil a person has when trying to battle with the views that they have and what is actually going on in the world. Atrius is just like her other main male characters who won't underestimate the FMC. I love that because we get to see bad ass women be bad ass women! Over all this was a good story and book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Carissa Broadbent, and Tor/Forge for the E-ARC!

I've been wanting to read this book since finishing the first few books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, so when I saw ARCs available for the re-publishing of the book, I was very quick to apply! This was such a great addition to the series, expanding it's world a bit more and adding some new characters (that I hope will have a cameo in future books).

One of the things I've been loving in Broadbent's series is the uniqueness of each FMC. I've loved them all for different reasons, and Sylina is no different! Trained from the age of ten, she's an impeccable fighter, adapt at reading the intentions and movements of her opponents. She's also great at masking her emotions and thoughts, making it so she can manipulate or trick people when need be. She's fierce and well-spoken, standing up for what is unjust, even at the risk of herself. I loved following her throughout this book as she broadened her view of the world and the vampires.

Sylina, as a part of the Arachessen has had her sight taken from her. She's unable to see things through her eyes, but instead sees the world through threads. At first I was worried that this would be confusing to read, making things hard to visualize, but I was very wrong! The way Sylina sees things was very clearly written out, and also strengthened the story. It was a very nice surprise!

The romance was a perfect slow-burn, the characters starting off on opposing sides. It was never rushed, they never felt forced together. Reading as they started to grow closer, understanding each other was very nice. My favourite couple in the series so far has to be the one from Six Scorched Roses, but this is definitely my second!

If you've read the Crowns of Nyaxia books I would recommend picking this up! Even if you haven't read the series, I believe this can still be enjoyed as it's own story. I can't wait to read more of Broadbent's books!

If you're a fan of dark fantasy with a touch of forbidden romance and moral dilemmas that will leave you questioning everything, Slaying the Vampire Queen by Carissa Broadbent is an absolute must-read! (A novella by the way)

Sylina, a trained killer and devoted servant to a goddess, has spent her life serving a cult with a singular mission: kill the tyrannical vampire king. But when she’s sent to infiltrate the forces of Atrius, a powerful and ruthless vampire conqueror, things take a sharp turn. What was supposed to be an easy assassination quickly becomes a tangled web of connections, secrets, and forbidden emotions.

Broadbent expertly weaves a story of betrayal, duty, and the tension between following orders versus following the heart. Her books always provide this charm that makes complete sense why her books are always the first to be picked up by readers at the library.

Trust me, this is a world you’ll want to get lost in. Can’t wait to add to the library’s collections!

Mortal enemies to monster lovers? Say less. Carissa Broadbent is here to steal our sleep, our sanity, and possibly our souls with this one.

This book is dark, seductive, and dripping with the kind of tension that makes you forget to breathe. We’ve got a fierce warrior heroine, a brooding vampire conqueror, and a slow-burn romance so deliciously angsty you’ll be screaming at your Kindle. The worldbuilding? Immaculate. The stakes? Deadly. The yearning? Off. The. Charts.

If you loved The Serpent & the Wings of Night, this novella will wreck you in the best way. Prepare for blood, betrayal, and a romance so intense it’ll ruin you for all other monster books.

✨Book Review✨

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror - Carissa Braodbent

📖 Sylina turned to the Salt Keep of the Arachessen as a young girl who had no where left to go. They raised her up to be a disciplined killer, able to feel the threads of the world around her. She exchanged her soul, her freedom, and her eyes for the Goddess of Fate. Now a vampire conqueror has invaded their shores and is carving a path straight through Glaea. Sylina has been tasked with infiltrating his army, gaining his trust, and then ending him. As she inches closer to fulfilling her mission her own heart betrays her and it could cost her everything.

📚 This is a Crowns of Nyaxia Standalone, but I would recommend reading it after you’ve fully submerged yourself into the Crowns series. Carissa has created a world that I love falling into. Her characters are unique and she is continuing to build out the magical abilities of the different types of Vampires and those around them. The magic systems that she creates link together well and are clearly well thought out. This book was the perfect combination of betrayal, duty, and the strain between following orders while also wanting to follow your heart. I cannot help but wonder if we will see some of these characters in future books!

🌟 If you like a bit of romance in your fantasy, morally grey characters, and high stakes battles then you’ll want to order this book immediately.

I am sad to have missed the original release of this book! It is rereleasing March 25th and I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy from @NetGalley and @CarissaBroadbentBooks Do yourself a favor and dive into this series!

#BookReview #NetGalley #SlayingTheVampireConqueror #CarissaBroadbent
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