I'm not sure what Carissa Broadbent puts in her books (Pythoraseed perhaps? Too soon?), but every time I pick one up I wonder if it's my new favorite.

This is enemies-to-lovers done right. Our heroine falls in love with a man that challenges her entire world view. In the process, she realizes that she is more similar to someone she thought of as "other" than she ever thought possible. THAT is when this trope truly shines.

You're never left wanting. Just like this novel's predecessors, the romance and fantasy elements were so perfectly balanced that both satisfyingly delivered on their promises. The compelling story about Sylina's religious deconstruction was never outshone by her budding desire for the man she was sent to assassinate. Instead, the narratives mirrored and complemented eachother. And of course, the dark world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series is rife with interesting political drama and a magic system that is as unusual as it is enchanting. These genres were woven together (no pun intended) into a multifaceted artpiece. I savoured every moment.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

As a standalone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, this is the perfect book to binge. It follows our FMC Sylina, an assassin, as she is sent to kill their vampire conqueror. However, in a twisted series of events she falls for him. This is such an amazing series full of darkness and thrilling gripping action as well as sizzling romance. SO GOOD!

I have always enjoyed Carissa Broadbent's books. I'm not sure what it was about this book that did not interest me. I tried to find an appeal in the world building and characters. But there was just no engagement for me. I, sadly, did not finish this book.

This is a standalone romantasy novel within the Crowns of Nyaxia world. You don't need to read the Nightborn duology in order to understand and appreciate Slaying, though I do recommend reading them anyway because they are great books! This story follows Sylina, a seer, who has infiltrated an army of vampire invaders in order to get close enough to their leader, Atrius, to assassinate him. This high-stakes backdrop sets the stage for great tension as the two develop feelings for one another. As with all of Broadbent's novels, the character development, world building, plot, and pacing are all excellently done.

Every time I read a Carissa Broadbent novel…It is incredible. ESPECIALLY the novellas. Generally, im not a huge fan of novellas. But Carissa knows what she’s doing!!

This slow burn was *chef’s kiss*. It was incredible. It was RAVENOUS! I fell in love with Sylina and Atrius so hard and so fast. Nothing felt rushed, and so much more lore was dropped for the Crowns of Nyaxia world.

This novella just makes me even more excited than I already was for The Fallen & The Kiss of Dusk.

Truly an amazing read!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I loved the War of Lost Hearts series so much, and then I did enjoy the Serpent and the Wings of Night but I just CAN'T get into anything else in this world. The writing is beautiful, but the characters and plot just don't hold my interest.

4/5 ⭐️ 2/5 🌶️

I’m so in love with all of the side stores in the Crown of Nyaxia books!! Meeting all of these characters and getting to see them interact in this world and meet eachother is amazing!! A perfect mix of thrilling, sexy, and romantic!!

This book was soo good. I love a good novella and this addictive. I love how CB writes these novellas to give us backstory to the other books. Totally worth reading if you love this series!

Audience: Adult
Plot: 4.75 out of 5
Characters: 4.75 out of 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5
Keywords: Vampires, Magic, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Heartfelt, Suspenseful, Steamy

Tea Pairing: Cuddletime Herbal Tea by Plum Deluxe (chamomile and mint) for Atrius and Sylina

Favorite Quotes:
“...There is no good or evil in this world, just as there is no good or evil in us…” – (chapter 3)

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Tor Publishing Group. Thank you! All opinions are my own.

This novel is set in the realm of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, which follows Sylina, an Arachessen, skilled assassins in service to the goddess Acaeja, the Weaver of Fates. Blinded in service and in sacrifice to their goddess, Sylina can still “see” by observing the threads of fate, and their connections to all living things. When her home is invaded by a vampire conqueror, she is tasked to assassinate him. She’s had similar missions before, but none quite like this, and never against someone as skilled as Atrius. When she becomes his official “seerer,” Sylina must choose – the goddess she serves or the greater good for all. But her decision comes at a very steep price.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a fast-paced novel that spans 4 months, where Sylina comes to terms with a hidden truth that shatters her very existence. Truth is at the heart of this novel— along with the unmasking of the difficult lies that others have woven around us, and the lies we tell ourselves when it comes to the people we love.

Everything that I have read in the Crowns of Nyaxia series is pure perfection, and this is no exception. I have definitely read the series out of order, but this novel can be read outside the series as a standalone.

The pacing, character development, world building, plot was so captivating, I completed the novel in a few days. I am still reeling from finishing the book, and I can’t wait until the Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk is released later this year.

I would recommend this book to anyone who might enjoy a Romantasy novel with vampires, hard truths, and the love we share when we are true to ourselves.

This is a standalone set in Broadbent's popular Crowns of Nyaxia world, and I was initially pretty intrigued. Enemies-to-lovers with an assassin heroine? A morally grey hero? Yes please. This was SO GOOD! I thoroughly enjoyed this short story and just fell in love more with Broadbent's universe.

For fans of Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night series and The Children of Lost Hearts trilogy, this is the perfect standalone dark, romantic fantasy. Sylina was such an interesting character and her powers were ones I have yet to see in a fantasy. Her relationship with her faith was an interesting aspect of this book and grappling with right and wrong in a world where the line isn't always clear.
The angst in this was REAL. The connection between the two main characters flew off the pages and immediately hit me.

Her mission was to kill him but first she must infiltrate his group as a seer.... yet the vampire conqueror who was supposed to be her enemy has might have conquered something she never expected... her own heart. A blind seer, a Vampire conquerer, and one forbidden romance as they both must find a way to navigate the war going on around them as blood is spilled. Sylina was taken in by the cult that worships the Goddess of Fate when she was a child... willingly blinding herself to gain the powers of the sisters within the cult, being able to see but without her eyes. Sylina was forced to become a child soldier and had escaped until she was rescued by the cult... and despite how hard they tried to train her to be their perfect Sister, something within Sylina strives for justice, for revenge... and when the terrifying vampires along with their leader, Atrius comes into her homeland, Sylina is tasked with infiltrating his group and killing him. Sylina thinks she knows right from wrong and will do anything for her people... yet the more time she spends with Atrius and the more she begins to realize that what he is doing, who he is killing, isn't at all what she expected, she finds herself questioning her vows to her goddess and everything she's known. This was a fantastic standalone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world. I absolutely adored the enemies to lovers romance between Atrius and Sylina. Sylina was such an interesting protagonist and I loved how strong she was. She adpated so well to every situation and stood by her decisions, and that last minute sacrifice and path she chose? AMAZING. I truly adored the romance between these two characters and how it was developed. I hope to see potential cameos of these characters in the universe!

Release Date: Marh 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Review of Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is everything you want in a dark fantasy romance—intense, addictive, and full of sharp-edged tension. Carissa Broadbent delivers a fierce heroine, a brooding immortal enemy, and a slow-burn dynamic that crackles on every page.

The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, blending political intrigue, forbidden magic, and high-stakes rebellion. Every twist hits hard, and the emotional undercurrent keeps you hooked. If you love morally gray love interests, enemies-to-lovers angst, and fantasy with bite, this one’s an absolute must-read.

I've really enjoyed the rest of Broadbent's "Crowns of Nyaxia" series, so I was excited to get this one -- until I started reading it and realized that the characters upon whom the book focuses aren't yet a part of the series proper. I had been looking forward to familiar characters, to whom I'm already attached and in whom I'm invested. Sylina and Atrius aren't nearly as engaging as the rest of the denizens of Obitraes that have been introduced and fleshed out in the series proper, and I found myself having a desperately hard time getting into it. By 70 pages in, when I still just didn't care, I finally caved and called it a DNF. There was just something missing in this one, the spark that so quickly pulled me in in the other books (including "Six Scorched Roses," which also didn't focus on main characters, but had the same vibe as "Serpent," "Ashes," and "Songbird"), and there are too many other things to read to spend time on something that's a slog. Hopefully the next installment is back to the feel of the others.

Carissa Broadbent has another sword and vampire romance. Atrius, a leader of vampire troops, has invaded the island of Glaea. Sylina is a member of a cult of assassins devoted to the goddess of Fate. At age ten she was blinded so she could see the threads that allow her to see reality, but also teleport. She is assigned to infiltrate the vampire camp as a way of Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (hard from Bramble) before he reaches the king's castle in the far north of the island. This tale is intense and leans heavily on romance, forcing Sylina to choose between Atrius, the brother she thought lost and has now found, and the mother of her cult. Hard-to-put-down.

Carissa Broadbent has such an incredible ability to completely immerse the reader. She did not disappoint with this book. It is a standalone and a must read! Would be a wonderful book club pick.

ahh this was so good! i've loved this series so far and this did not disappoint! i loved Sylina and Atrius, they complement each other so well. this felt action packed and i couldn't put it down!

“Death is what happens when you stand still. Don’t stand still. Not for anything.”

This book grabs you. It is dark, intense, and simmering with slow burn tension.
Sylina was sent to kill Atrius. That was the plan. But plans get messy when feelings get involved.

If you love:
🔥 Enemies to lovers
⚔️ High Stakes betrayals
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🩸 Vampires
🌏 Set in the Crowns of Nyaxia World

This book was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

While I wasn't hanging off the edge of my seat, I did find it hard to stop reading once I got into it. I liked the female main character and her romance with the male main character was well paced. The plot was great and while I wasn't shocked at any of the twists, except for maybe a few, it was well written enough that I was still engaged throughout.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror has a unique concept, but it left me wanting more. I loved the idea of a blind protagonist using threads to sense the world, but I wish this had been explored more deeply. It made sense that she could perceive emotions and proximity, but her ability to detect visual details—like what someone looked like or the color they were wearing—felt inconsistent. Leaning further into her blindness or providing more insight into how the threads functioned would have made this aspect of the story even stronger.

There were also a few plot points that felt underdeveloped. For instance, what happened to the king? Is he dead or alive after the Sightmother’s death? And what exactly was the deal between them? I also would have loved more information about Atrius’s curse—what exactly was it? And why did he have horns? These missing details could have added more richness to the worldbuilding.

The book occasionally felt like it could have been a novella or, if kept full-length, would have benefited from fleshing out these elements. I also struggled to get fully invested in the characters or their relationship, which made it harder to connect with the story.

The formatting issues (random line breaks, lack of chapter breaks, etc.) were a bit distracting. Although I know this can happen with ARCs, it did take away from the reading experience.

Despite some lingering questions, I enjoyed Broadbent’s immersive writing and how the epilogue beautifully tied into the Crowns of Nyaxia series. While not my favorite of her works, it’s still a creative and engaging read for fans of her world.