So grateful to have received this arc! I love Carissa Broadbent! I am liking The Fallen and Kiss of Dusk more than Songbird and the Heart of Stone! If I can, I will update this review later on with more details!

This was an absolutely stunning conclusion to the Shadowborn Duet. The yearning, the incredible journey, the world that was expanded, the crossovers, the love, the heartbreak, literally all of it was perfectly executed. Carissa crafts the most devastatingly beautiful worlds and I’m always feeling so lucky to read them afterwards.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I have been obsessed with the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and I was eagerly anticipating this book. I inhaled this story in one sitting after a doozy of an ending the first book of this duology.

This book is deliciously dark with some really amazing gothic horror vibes, and a fantastic dynamic between Mische and Asar. After the the events of the first book in this duology, I was eager to read more of their story and really get into the depth of the circumstances they found themselves in after the end. Let me tell you, the yearning and pining of Asar in this book is truly delicious. The love story here is haunting and epic, with such a grand scale as to defy the gods and even fate for the chance to be with the person you love. The pacing in this story was well-executed and thrilling, which was a bit of a departure from the first book in this duology, which could feel a bit sluggish at times. All in all, another excellent addition to this series from Carissa Broadbent.

The Crowns of Nyaxia series remains a must-read for anyone who loves transcendent love stories with vampires, and this book definitely fits the bill.

I ate this book up! It was easily my favorite in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and I am frankly obsessed with Mische and Asar. I do love that this series is split into duologies but I need more of this couple!

The book itself was so well paced and the dynamic between the MMC and FMC is my favorite of all of the books I've read this year. The entire vibe of the House of Shadows is perfect for the spooky season and really gives that gothic horror vibe. I love that Mische and Asar feel like a Hades and Persephone story and that the Gods in this world played an even bigger role in this book than the previous books in the series. I need more of the White Pantheon because the lore in this book has me hooked!

Wraith Mische was my FAVORITE. The pining that comes along with the MMC not being able to touch the FMC was just *Chefs Kiss*. I seriously cannot say enough good things about this book and this book series. This book was hands down my favorite in the entire series and I CANNOT wait for who comes next even though I am going to miss these 2 terribly!

If you're looking for a vampire romantasy with a fantastic story and the perfect balance between plot and romance then this is the series for you!

This was truly a beautiful, poetic, and romantic story; however, it made me feel nothing. I felt similarly to the first book that followed Mische and Asar, so I think I just personally couldn't connect with the characters. The story felt a little long, and some scenes kind of dragged on. The end also felt rushed.

With all that said, I did think the story was a good one. I think readers who enjoyed her Daughter of No Worlds series will connect to this duology (Mische and Asar) more than the first set (Oyria and Raihn). The writing style felt a little more high fantasy with an emphasis on the romance, versus romantasy.

I was so excited to receive this eARC from Tor Books, especially as the first two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series are some of my favorite books of all time. Though the beginning of this duology started a little rocky for me, I was greatly looking forward to The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk after the amazing cliffhanger ending.

On the positive side, I was happy to be back in the world and to see how Asar and Mische resolved the issues from The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. Not only was I WILDLY looking forward to how Vincent's reappearance, but I was so happy to finally see characters I've missed so much in Raihn, Oraya, Atrius, Sylina, Vale, and Lilith.

Unfortunately, the rest of this book was a great disappointment. There were so many aspects to this story that everything ended up feeling hugely disjointed. We traveled to so many places in this book that were similar - like the Descent, the Underworld, and the deadlands - that I greatly struggled to distinguish which was which. Most importantly, my favorite parts of Broadbent novels are the flashbacks and character development, and this book significantly lacked in both.

Overall, this was my least favorite book in the series. I will still recommend the overall series to friends, and I have high hopes for the beginning of the next duology. Huge thanks to Carissa Broadbent, Tor Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was the perfect ending to Mische & Asar’s story— a love that transcended the living and the dead, the mortal and the divine.

It was beautiful and haunting and epic in its scale. At its core, the book attempts to answer the question: what would you sacrifice for love? Both Mische and Asar fight for each other— fate and gods be damned.

This book felt like the Avengers Assemble moment in Avengers Endgame, where all the characters, plot lines and Easter Eggs from all of the crowns of Nyaxia books converged. It felt like puzzle pieces falling into place. Getting to see Raihn & Oraya again was 🔥(Related: I definitely recommend reading Slaying the Vampire Conqueror before this book. And so does the author.)

The spice was as emotional and excellent as you’ve come to expect from Carissa Broadbent. I continue to love this series with my whole heart.

Read if you like:
- Star Crossed Lovers
- Vampires
- Excellent World Building
- Gods & Goddesses

Thanks to Tor/Bramble for the eARC!

This was an emotional, action-packed continuation of the Shadowborn Duet! I’ve loved following Mische and Asar’s journey, and this book gave their story a powerful and heartbreaking conclusion. While the first part of the book felt a bit slow, the second half was intense and full of twists, romance, and high stakes.
I enjoyed seeing familiar characters from earlier books, especially Raihn, Oraya, and Vincent, it really helped tie the whole series together. Asar’s POV added so much depth, and I completely fell for his character. Mische remains one of my favorite heroines, strong, loyal, and still humble and human.
The themes of sacrifice, love, and redemption were beautifully written, and the world of Nyaxia continues to impress with its rich lore and emotional storytelling. It’s not my favorite in the series, but still an epic read. I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, Bramble, and Carissa Broadbent for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I want to preface this review by stating that I ADORED the first duology, aka The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and I have been chasing the obsession that I had with Oraya and Raihn ever since.

Unfortunately, Mische and Asar cannot compare in my opinion. I was really hoping the second book in this duology would change my mind after watching their relationship continue to grow, but it did not :(

Most of this book had a very repetitive pattern of quest after quest. They would go to a new location, get close to what they needed to acquire, get ambushed at the last second, almost die, and then somehow come back from that. Over and over and over. Because of this repetition, the book felt very drawn out and way too long for the amount of new content the reader was getting. The predictability made me bored and disappointed. Even their love story started to annoy me a bit towards the end.

I will say though, THAT ENDING. The next book in this series could not come soon enough. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE BLOODBORN DUET!!!!!

I love Carissa Broadbent’s writing and her ability to create complex characters that you root for. This world that she has created has a special place in my heart! For this reason, I settled on 3 stars.

So far, my favorite book within the Crowns of Nyaxia series is still The Serpent and the Wings of Night (five stars, no notes).

read if you love:
Epic romantasy
Dual-POV
Quests
Vampires and gods
Found family

I’ve read all the books in this series (including the novellas), and I was really looking forward to this one. I still love the world and the characters, but this book just didn’t hit the same for me.
The pacing felt off. The first part was slow, and honestly, not much happened. Then suddenly, the last 300 pages were packed with action, twists, and big moments. It was a lot all at once, and I kind of wish it had been spread out better.
I also felt like the writing style was a bit different in this one. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but it didn’t flow the same way as the earlier books, and it took me longer to get into it.
That said, there were still things I really enjoyed. I loved seeing characters from the earlier books again, it made the story feel more connected. And the romance between the main characters? Definitely one of the best parts.
This might be my least favorite in the series so far, but I’m still excited for what’s next. I’m hoping the next book brings back the balance and pacing I loved in the others.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I'm not sure if it's because it's been so long since I read the first three books in this series. Or my interest in this world and characters are starting to wain. I absolutely loved "The Serpent and the Wings of Night"! There was everything a fantasy/romance reader wanted to find in a book. Sadly, I did not find that same vibe in "The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk". Again, it is probably because my interest in this series is starting to wain.

The conclusion the ending of Asar and Mische's duology was perfectly imperfect and exactly how I imagined it would be for them. I did not see it taking this exact route... but they did get to their destination despite their hiccups. We did see lots of familiar faces, so you must be fully caught up with the whole series including novellas. We pick up right where we left off in the last book, Asar is imprisoned by the White Pantheon and Mische is in the Underworld with Vincent. Asar is to be executed for his "crimes" and Mische must get to the meeting point to where Asar will be to save the Underworld from crumbling and merging with the overworld and destroying the Kingdom of the Night as we know it. Which Vincent still has a vested interest in even from the underworld. In order to save the Underworld, either Asar or Mische must ascend to divinity and become the God of the Dead. In doing so they must find the three cores to Alarus's power: his mask, his eye, and his heart. Joining the three of these things could end his mortality and change him or her forever but it could also offer them opportunity to be together. This journey will be hard for them, Mische and Asar are faced are faced with the inevitable and when there is nothing left but faith do you keep holding out?

Mische lost her faith in the Gods and found faith in herself and in true love and family. They were mirrors of each other; they beat and broke themselves to make the ones they loved and admire love them more. In so many ways they understood each other without having to speak. Their love was beautiful and so was their friendship. I was glad to see her make up with Raihn and Oraya, as it PAINED me to see her avoid them because she did not want to involve them in this situation when in reality they were already involved. I think Mische has come to realize she is stronger with her friends than she is alone and that is okay, that she does not have to bear the weight of the burden alone they can help her bear the weight.

This book was super intense, I would say not only emotionally but also action intense. There was a lot of fighting scenes and definitely some gory portions. I think the series is only going to get more intense from here with the last two books. The gods were way more involved in this book, and I have a feeling they will be more involved in the last two book with the war impending. I do want to like Nyaxia because she is Mother, but she is really getting on my last nerve. I feel like most of the gods need a good humbling experience. I have an inkling that the next book may be from Septimus's perspective, and I am excited about that. I am DYING for a House of Blood perspective.


Thank you, Carissa, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Carissa was the very first author I started reading ARCs for, she was my first indie author read, and I had tears in my eyes when she was picked up by Bramble because there was no one more deserving. Even to this day she still sends me ARCs for every book and never forgets who I am and who writing has never lost who she was in her indie days. I always recommend everyone to read her books because she is a god-tier writer.

Spoiler Free Review:

First and foremost, I am blown away. Carissa’s writing was excellent from the start but with each book evolved beautifully. I never thought I’d have more Kindle highlights than I did with the Nightborn Duet but I should have known better than to say never. The dialogue and yearning were EVERYTHING.

Without spoilers, Asar. Wow. His POV completely changed the Shadowborn Duet for me. I enjoyed the first book and trusted what Carissa was building up to which absolutely paid off. The second half of this duet is everything I could have dreamed of from this author and more.

Mische is a top tier “book girlfriend” of mine so reading more of her in the first book of this duet was wonderful, but mixing in Asar’s perspective in this one made me completely fall in love. I often find the term “morally gray” used too lightly to describe MMC’s but dang, does Carissa know how to make them dark, down bad, and ready to burn it all down for his woman. Add in the side of “hot nerd” and good lawd, I’m all in.

In all seriousness, this was a devastatingly beautiful read and left me desperate for the rest of the series/next duet.

If you haven’t already, you should definitely consider reading Six Scorched Roses and Slaying the Vampire Conquerer prior to this. While it may not be “necessary”, it will make the story even more impactful.

Thank you so much to Tor and to Carissa’s fabulous PA, Naomi, for the ARC.

This book is truly epic. While the length of the book can be daunting, and it took about 70% of the way through for me to become fully invested, the payoff was well worth the wait. The author takes you on a wild ride, and I was genuinely surprised by all the twists and turns. The glossary is also incredibly helpful for readers who haven't recently revisited the earlier books in the series. Ultimately, I grew to deeply care about the characters Asar, Mische, and especially Luce, who was a wonderful addition. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After book 3 I didn't have very high hopes...and I was right. There's SO much going on in Mische's arc, and it's SO chaotic. A lot of it didn't make sense to me either. The goal from the beginning of the book was forgotten about. So many situations where they attempted something the book claimed was impossible but OH NOT THIS TIME NVM. While there was technically character development, it was stilted and terribly done. We were TOLD about how Mische/Asar were as people, but not shown once LOL. There was a lot of world ending stuff happening, and everything was described as the "most terrifying thing" the characters have ever seen. Until the NEXT world ending situation that had yet another "most terrifying thing" idk it got to be just, a LOT. ALSO. I signed up for a saga about VAMPIRES, and now we up in some sort of emo Olympus with all these whiney ass gods. I will not be continuing this series.

Also I know grammatical errors should be fixed before final publication, and I surely hope so because THERE WERE SO MANY.

Carissa Broadbent can do no wrong. She is the queen of romantasy and The Fallen & The Kiss of Dusk is just another example of that. It has everything you would want from a book in this genre. Tension, Suspense, Romance, Yearning. Desire, Violence, Magic, and Mayhem. I can’t wait for her to write more. If you like the romantasy genre - READ THIS IMMEDIATELY.

"The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk" is a captivating continuation of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, blending dark fantasy, emotional depth, and sizzling romance. Carissa Broadbent crafts a world teeming with gods, magic, and complex characters, drawing readers into a tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption. While some may find certain tropes familiar, the rich world-building and compelling character dynamics make this installment a must-read for fans of the series and newcomers alike. A thrilling and heartfelt addition to a beloved fantasy saga.

This book has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year and Carissa Broadbent did not disappoint. The character development in this book was unmatched and it felt like a perfectly imperfect end to Mische and Asar's story. Mische had to grow and embrace parts of herself that I don't think she was fully prepared to but in doing so she became wholly herself without losing her spark. Mische and Asar go through so much throughout this book and I think in the end it made them both stronger and solidified the bond that they have. Asar wants to be a better man for Mische and he does his best throughout this book to be the vampire that he believes deserves love from Mische. We get to know more about Asar's upbringing and learn just how much he truly went through in his younger years. The characters that made an appearance in this book were absolutely perfect and more than anything I just want to wrap everyone in a blanket and keep them safe. 

This book had everything you could want in a book. There was yearning, tension and fighting until the very end for what you love and believe in. Carissa Broadbent truly makes you feel just how high stakes everything happening in this book is. She does not let up on the gas pedal from the moment you start reading it. This book really starts to put everything together from her previous Crowns of Nyaxia books and you realize just how much thought and plotting has been done in order to push us to Septimus's story and ultimately give us an epic conclusion to an amazing series.

Getting a few more snippets of Septimus throughout this book has definitely made me more excited to read his story. Septimus just like our many other characters seems like such an interesting and complex character. There is definitely a lot more to him than meets the eye. I don't expect the last two books to be smooth, I am without a doubt emotionally preparing for this war that has been brewing amongst the Gods. The Gods are fickle with their love and are all just waiting to assert their dominance over one another and they don't care who they have to sacrifice in order to come out on top.

PS Carissa I need to know what was in the letter!

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is the fourth full-length novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and it is crucial for readers to read at least The Songbird & the Heart of Stone before. Ideally, readers will have started with The Serpent & the Wings of Night, read Six Scorched Roses, and followed that novella by reading The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King, Songbird, and Slaying the Vampire Conqueror before starting with Fallen. There are a lot of characters, and there is a lot of history, and the stories build on each other, with prior events informing motivations and plot developments throughout, so if you try starting out with Fallen (or even Songbird, or skip Slaying) you won’t experience the full impact of Fallen.

Fallen does have an index in the back, with terms and definitions, but it still helps to be familiar with this world and the people (and vampires and gods) who inhabit it.

Fallen continues Mische and Asar’s love story, and it is exactly what fans of Carissa Broadbent have come to expect from her. It’s a tale filled with darkness and light, despair and hope, pain and pleasure. Mische and Asar both have things to work through, and are both faced with nearly impossible choices throughout, as they try to find their happy ending.

I personally loved having Vincent back as a secondary character in Fallen. And I loved all the surprises thrown at us throughout Fallen. I knew we’d see Raihn and Oraya at some point, and I never guessed it would happen the way it did. I loved seeing some of the touching moments when various people reunited. For me, that’s the real joy of the Crowns of Nyaxia series - it feels like catching up with old friends. Of course, when you aren’t in their POV, you get different perspectives, so it’s fun to see how other people see some of the characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the series.

I read an arc, and the only complaint I have is that I have to wait for the book to be published for the inevitable chatter about Fallen and some of the mind-blowing events that occur. I don’t want to give any spoilers - for me, it was another mesmerizing journey into the Underworld and Obitraes and while it resolved some things, it left some tantalizing questions about what lies in store in Nyaxia 5. I can’t wait.

“Maybe greatness should come not from the sacrifices you make, but the ones you refuse to.”
“You are the sacrifice I will not make.”

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk was the epically sweeping romantic fantasy I wanted it to be! I adore Mische and Asar so much, and I couldn’t get enough of the way their love story was so beautifully woven into the fate of the world. A love that would defy death and vengeful gods and grief to come out the other side stronger yet somehow softer. And what would it all be without Luce?! A story of fate and divinity and mortals and vampires and darkness and worship, this book is all encompassing from start to finish.
—

this and that:
♡ ascending to divinity
♡ bonded souls
♡ death magic and heists
♡ divine scavenger hunt
♡ dual pov
♡ epic quests
♡ found family
♡ he calls her “my wife”
♡ open door spice
♡ sunshine woman x tortured man
♡ the most loyal ghost dog
♡ traveling between realms
♡ vampires x mortals x gods

triggers:
☞ death x murder (including animals)
☞ graphic violence
☞ grief
☞ grooming x SA (implied)
☞ religious trauma
☞ torture
☞ war