I liked The Songbird and the Heart of Stone but it did not blow me away like Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (which remains my favourite Carissa Broadbent novel) did. I will admit it got me out of a reading slump and I probably did have high expectations given how much I enjoyed the other Crowns of Nyaxia novels.

Despite the fact that I did like the novel, I still felt it was 100 pages too long with a mediocre plotline (journey to the underworld to kill the god of death) and to be completely honest slightly boring and drawn out in places.

I can deal with mediocre plot if the characters are interesting and the romance is good. The book is written from Mische's 1st person POV and I think this is why the romance didn't click for me until 70 - 80% through the novel. I would have appreciated some chapters from Asar's POV especially since Mische appeared in the first duology so we already knew her but Asar is still somewhat mysterious by the end of the novel. I felt he was a bit cold but despite the mystery, he definitely won me over by the end. Secondly, Mische's deep self hatred kind of put a dampener on things. Throughout the novel, I kept thinking in the background that this girl clearly needed a therapist and not a boyfriend. Of course, she did have a breakthrough by the end of the novel but I yearned to see her completely broken so she could start to piece herself together again but I have a feeling I'll get that in the second half of the duology.

3.5/ 5 stars

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄
by Carissa Broadbent (ARC, thank you Netgalley)

I gotta be honest, sometimes Broadbents titles confuses the heck out of me but not only did I get this one, I really liked it! I’ve been so intrigued by Misches character from the start, so I 100% did a bit of screaming action when I got this arc!

It’s quite the classic romantasy adventure in one sense, we’ve got our enemies who has feels for each other, travelling with companions. Except they’re both vampires, he can raise the dead, they’re travelling a weird deadish realm and are sorta hunted by ghost zombies, there’s gods and betrayal and just so much angst 👌 one thing I really love in this world that Broadbent is building for us, is the gods. I love how you can’t trust them, how imperfect they and selfish they are and how they’re just using humans and/or vampires to further their own agenda. They remind me a bit of the gods from Amanda Bouchets work, highly recommend if you want romantasy, enemies to lovers with god action, and I’m very excited to see where Carissa Broadbent takes us next. It’s also been a very long time (okay, since Gold was released so not that long) since an ending made me gasp and swear out loud, so well played, author Broadbent. I will say it dragged slightly at points, but that could also be me because for some reason I’m really struggling with the tempo in books atm, but it’s still a very enjoyable read!

🩸 vampires romantasy
🩸 enemies to lovers
🩸 gods that interfere
🩸 quest to raise one of said gods
🩸 flashbacks to Mishes human life (which I loved and I’m usually a flashback hater)

Ok I will be blunt and say initially I just wasn't wowed this time but as the story unfolded yep I definitely did not want to stop reading ! Mishe lost not just her humanity when forcibly turned into a Vampire she lost the love of the Sun God she had devoted her life to . Now she’s condemned for killing the Vampire Prince who forcibly turned her but wait his half brother has use of her ! Asar feels her connection to the Sun God can aid him on a dangerous mission in the Underworld as he has been tasked with returning a dead God to life. Trouble is there are those who really don’t want them to succeed and Mishe might have to sacrifice what she has only just found !
I admit it took me a few chapters to understand Asar as he does seem to have that titular heart of stone . The trials they face though meant he opened up and whilst not as instantly charming as Raihn he definitely won me over . That ending though is heartbreaking and I’m so pleased that there is more to come from the lands of Nyaxia.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Carissa Broadbent is an author who holds a special place in my heart. I discovered her work before she became the sensation she is now, and watching her go viral on BookTok has been an absolute joy. Her stories are so addictive, and seeing everyone obsess over them is no surprise—she truly deserves it.

When I got approved for this ARC, I couldn’t believe it! Carissa is such a big author now that I wasn’t expecting it, so a huge thank you to Pan Macmillan for giving my small account this incredible opportunity (and for completely messing up my TBR because I had to drop everything and read it ASAP!).

Reading about Mische is bittersweet. After all, I’m still craving more of the previous story, and we already know where things are heading. But getting back into Nyaxia was such a thrill, and this book did not disappoint.

A quick summary without spoiling too much: Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her humanity, her home, and worst of all, the love of the sun god she had devoted her life to. Now, condemned to death for killing the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels out of reach.

Her fate changes when she’s rescued by Asar, the scarred bastard prince of the House of Shadow, and given an even worse mission than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death. In a secret meeting with her sun god, Mische is commanded to betray Asar by killing the very god they’re supposed to bring back.

As they travel through dangerous lands, facing trials, dark beasts, and their own tortured pasts, Mische feels the pull of darkness—and of Asar. But the choice between redemption and damnation is fast approaching, and the gods are restless.

This book is everything I hoped it would be, full of tension, adventure, and heart. I couldn’t put it down!

"The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" completely drew me in with its blend of epic fantasy and romance. The story of Mische and Asar masterfully balances an intense enemies-to-lovers dynamic with a quest-driven adventure that kept me hooked from start to finish.

What I loved most was how the plot unfolded—filled with treachery, betrayal, and forbidden love. The journey into the underworld added a thrilling layer of danger, and every twist raised the stakes. The relationships between mortals and gods, as well as between vampires and humans, added tension and complexity, fueling both the conflict and the romance.

If you enjoy stories that mix epic quests with passionate, tension-filled romance, this book is perfect. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and their emotional journey was just as compelling as the action-packed plot. This is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy who enjoy intricate relationships, dangerous adventures, and a touch of vampire intrigue.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is a breathtaking masterpiece that has left me utterly spellbound. Carissa Broadbent has woven an intricate tapestry of love, betrayal, and redemption in this heart-wrenching continuation of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. I laughed, cried, and fell deeply in love with every twist and turn of Mische and Asar's epic journey.

Mische’s character development is phenomenal—a woman stripped of everything she holds dear, torn between her devotion to Atroxus and growing affectio for Asar, their bond unfolds with such aching beauty that it feels utterly inevitable yet forbidden. Asar, the scarred and broken prince, has quickly become my favorite character. His strength and vulnerability pull at your heartstrings, and every interaction between him and Mische is steeped in a raw, tender intensity.

The journey through the underworld is nothing short of epic, filled with trials that test not only their physical endurance but the very essence of who they are. Broadbent’s writing is lush and evocative, making the world come alive with vivid imagery and heart-pounding action. But it’s the emotional depth that truly stands out—these characters feel real, their struggles visceral, and their choices agonising.

The story balances the weight of its stakes with moments of levity, passion, and romance, leaving you emotionally wrecked but satisfied. Asar, in particular, is a fantastic addition to the series, and I am desperate to see more of him in the future. His introduction brought a refreshing dynamic to the story, and he has easily become my favorite character in this richly imagined world.

Without a doubt, The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is the highlight of the series so far. It’s a beautifully written, utterly romantic, and emotionally charged tale that will stay with me long after the final page. Waiting for the next part will be agonising, but this book was absolutely worth every tear, laugh, and moment of joy. A truly magnificent read!

4.75 rounded up⭐️

This book is fast paced, tense and just incredible! I loved exploring Mische’s character more and meeting Asar. This book has a lot of world building and I really enjoyed learning more about the gods and how they work.

I think Luce is my new favourite character from this series, just so adorable!

The 0.25 is just because sometimes I was overwhelmed with the different places the characters where.

I need book 2 now and I can’t wait for this to be released so I can talk to people about it!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for this ARC

2 Stars

I was SO looking forward to this book after loving books 1, 1.5 and 2 of the series. Unfortunately this was a huge fail for me and noone is more shocked or sad about that than me.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is Mische's story after book two. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to ruin any of the previous books. However this story is about Mische travelling/on a dangerous adventure with a vampire prince.

For me, this book was incredibly repetitive. It was the same fight scenes and same chapter endings over and over and over again. I became bored pretty quickly and only continued because I hoped it would get better. Unfortunately for me, it didn't.
EVERY single chapter ended with Mische being swallowed by darkness or fading to black or the darkness taking her. I've genuinely never heard a saying/the same thing happening and said so much in one book before and it became highly irritable.
I felt some of the backstory was incredibly weak, especially where the Gods were concerned. It was just all so cliche and boring for me, the opposite of the first few books.

I was so excited to get more of Mische but the parts of her I loved in previous books weren't to be seen and I found her to be very underwhelming and repetitive in this book. The same goes for the other lead, the Vampire Prince named Asar. He had a little more about him but there was little personality on either side, if I'm honest. I also didn't understand how the romance came about as it was badly done.

There were a few decent scenes but overall for me, the writing wasn't great, the story and characters were boring and I just wanted it to be over. I sadly will not be continuing this series.

I was so happy when I saw there was another book in this series, and even more so learning is was Mische's story.
This book was just everything I wanted. And I hope it's not the last story we get from this world!

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is a book of a series I adore so much and I never imagined I'd be able to get an ARC of it. I discovered Carissa's writing through The Serpent and the Wings of Night and I fell in love with the world she created so much that she quickly became one of my favorite authors ever.

I was eagerly looking forward to Mische's story. She captivated me so much in the House of Night duology, just like she did with Oraya. Raihn's fraternal love for her goes beyond the pages and when we least expect it, we are feeling the same way for this woman with a heart of gold; so kind and quick to help those in need but struggling so much to realize that she herself is worth gold.

This book takes us on another epic journey into the world of Obitraes, this time we learn more about the House of Shadows and its royal family. Mische not only has to deal with the consequences of having killed the heir of the House of Shadows in the last book (who was also her maker), but will also find herself in the middle of a practically impossible mission to the Underworld alongside Asar, the i-know-everything / i'm-never-wrong / i-dont-like-fun / stop-asking-me-questions new grumpy heir and Luce, his faithful ghostly dog, the very best girl. Asar's mission is to resurrect a God, but Mische also has her own plans and we spend a great part of the book preparing for the inevitable big moment when their interests will collide.

I fell in love with Asar, as much as I fell for Raihn in the previous books. Carissa has the gift of making male characters endearing and perfect even though they are actually imperfect. His personality is so interesting and captivating, he's grumpy but at the same time so softhearted and caring towards those he truly likes. Asar's moments with Luce are absolutely so, so cute! And even though he had such a different upbringing from Mische, they're still so similar in terms of their principles and desires. I found it really beautiful how they simply understood and supported each other. One thing I loved so much was that at various moments, Asar told Mische things I wished she actually acknowledged about herself. So, thank you for that, my kind of guy!

Furthermore, we have several other secondary characters who enriched the story even more. They appear throughout Asar and Mische's journey through the Descent. I won't talk much about them for spoiler reasons, but I really liked how valuable they were in enriching the story and were part of the main characters' growth. However, I must admit that Luce is my favorite!

I think the epic journey to the Descent was much more than a mission to be achieved for both Mische and Asar, it was a path of rediscovery and acceptance of who they really are. I was very emotional at various moments in this book. We had many tense, sad and angsty parts, but they only made us appreciate the cute, loving and light moments even more.

Additionally, I have to say that ever since I found out that the characters in this book would be going to the Underworld, I was very curious to see if we'd find "something" specific that I was missing a lot, and I kept asking myself this question throughout my reading. I have to say that Carissa did not disappoint me, well done! I won't spoil anything though, but I'm happy.

Finally, I can't wait to read the next book! There were a lot of events in this book that set up many arcs of what may be coming, something that has been setting up since the first 2 books in the series. The ending of The Songbird and the Heart of Stone gave us a brutal cliffhanger that will make us feel anxious and sick until we can read the next volume.
Carissa, have mercy on us, please! I hope the release date of the next book doesn't take too long!

Thank you NetGalley, Pan Macmillan | Tor Bramble for providing and approving my ARC!

✨ RATING
- C (characters): 10/10
- A (atmosphere): 10/10
- W (writing): 10/10
- P (plot): 10/10
- I (intrigue): 10/10
- L (logic): 10/10
- E (enjoyment): 10/10
↬ TOTAL: 10.0 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💦 SPICE: 🌶️🌶️

🔖 TROPES:
- Vampire romance
- Forced proximity
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Slow burn
- Animal companion
- Hurt/Confort
- Broken hero and heroine
- Trauma bonding
- Found Family
- Underworld setting
- Gods at war

YES YES YES!!

"And he was smiling in a way that made the entire world stop, a smile that reminded me of the way the sun looked when it crested the horizon the first time I saw it at the Citadel, and I thought, I am home. I am home."

Wow, I just adore this series, I cannot wait for the next book with this pair, I loved the journey they went on together in this book!

I love Carissa's writing so much, the way it almost entrances and makes you so lost in the story. Her imagination is incredible, and I am a big fan of how she writes romance.

Having said that, this is my least favourite book of hers, as a few things simply didn't work for me, and it was not at all what I was expecting. I say least favourite, but I'm rating it 4 stars, because it was still very good.

It's mostly a matter of preference, but I was let down by the repetitive way most chapters ended with Mische passing out, or things going dark. I get that they are in the Underworld, but I personally found it unnecessary and lazy.

The overall story was much darker than what I am used to. The constant death and lost souls made me feel uncomfortable and it was so unsettling. If this were any other author, I likely wouldn't have finished this book, because of the plot and the setting, but Carissa just somehow has the power to make me keep reading, even through the uneasy parts.

The entire story hit too close to home for me, in relation to religion. I found it distressing, Mische's devotion to Atroxus and his treatment of her were vile, and I get that it's fantasy, but I really struggled to disconnect it from my own Catholic experiences.

But there were many things I truly loved, like the sarcasm and reluctant banter between Mische and Asar, the way their relationship evolved, the clever twists, the absolutely BRUTAL ending. Everything was so deeply emotional, the grief and loss, the love, overcoming manipulation and abuse.

The Songbird and Heart of Stone, another duet from the crowns of Nyaxia series.
This follows one of my favourite characters from the previous set of books Mische who has been taken by the House of Shadow but saved from death by the Bastard Prince Asar. Although would it have been better to die than the journey he has planned for her to part take in?
Carissa Broadbent has an amazing way with words and is an amazing writer, she develops her characters wonderfully throughout this book.
If you are a fellow Acotar fan you will enjoy this book.
You have Gods, Necromancy, tension, trials, love, betrayal, beasts, ghosts.

Carissa did it again. Weaving a tale of intricacy, peril, and the tumultuous feelings of love into one extraordinary novel. If you weren’t a fan before, you will be after TSATHOS!

An epic fantasy romance full of complex moralities, morally ambiguous characters, a dash of dark magic, this is an exhilarating and emotionally charged journey that will sweep you away into a world of treacherous alliances, forbidden love, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

I was so ready to hear Mische's story and this did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the introduction of Asar and their developing relationship. There were so many heart wrenching moments and beautiful quotes in this book that I am already excited to see the fan art and posts that come after publication day!

Thank you so much @bookbreakuk for letting me part of the read along of this series and thank you to everyone in the group chat for making it such a fun experience.

This book follows Miche, it was nice to get the back story for her and get to know her better but this book just didn't have the feels the first two books did. I didn't find myself rooting for or hating anyone.

I found this book was repetitive. It was the same fight scenes and same chapter endings over and over and over again. I became bored pretty quickly and only continued because I had hope it would get better. Unfortunately for me, it didn't.

A great deal of chapters ended with Mische being swallowed by darkness or fading to black or the darkness taking her.

It was an ok book, the last 30% or so it improved and I enjoyed that part the most.

Mische, after killing a Prince of the House of Shadow, now has to face her reckoning after being captured, and she's sent to Morthryn with the Wraith Warden on a mission from Nyaxia.

Along their journey in the Underworld we get to learn a lot about Mische and her past life. I love how vulnerable she is but she's also tough as nails.

Asar is broken and he doesn't love often but when he does....ooooowwweee, it was a sight to behold! I LOVE him!

So the ending nearly killed me off but I saved this quote to make me feel better!

'A fresh dawn makes you believe that the future can be better than the present.'

'And so, I wait.'

As a massive fan of the previous two Crowns of Nyaxia novels, I was beyond excited to receive an e-ARC of The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure about not having Raihn and Oraya as the main characters, but reading Mische’s story did not disappoint! With references to the world that we know and love, Carissa Broadbent has continued to build a beautiful, deadly world for us to get lost in.
The story is packed with action from the outset and the character development of Mische was well written. The flashbacks that occur throughout help to build the complex, deeply emotional backstory of the FMC and really help to give an insight into the person that she has become.
What a rollercoaster! This also has the perfect blend of epic fantasy, slow burn romance and a kick-ass FMC who isn’t scared to stand up for what she believes in - consequences be damned. This book ticked every box for me:
- vampires and gods
- slow burn
- epic fantasy
- action
- kickass FMC
- enemies to lovers
The only thing I didn’t like? The fact that the book ended and I have to wait for the next book - especially after that cliffhanger ending!

5 stars!
1 chilli spice (for one scene that was open door, but didn’t contain any explicit content)

Thank you to NetGalley, Carissa Broadbent and Pan Macmillian for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

The beginning of this book was phenomenal, I loved the change of scenery and court. The new characters were very intriguing. I loved Mische in the previous books and her backstory is emotional and heartbreaking. However, after a while the scenes became very repetitive. They head into a new sanctum and get hunted by wraiths and souleaters. The action scenes felt like the same over and over again. I was also waiting for the romance parts to develop and though I love a good slow burn, in this case it felt like chemistry was missing especially in the beginning. They both obviously still had deep feelings for other characters and somehow it rubbed me the wrong way, how long it took for them to get closer. And suddenly it’s such a deep love? The romantic pacing was definitely off in this book.

The most annoying part was that way too many chapters ended with the characters getting unconscious/being sucked into darkness. The amount of chapters ending like this was absolutely ridiculous. I became so frustrated after the 5th time and it still happened over and over again. Carissa really has a beautiful writing with emotional depth and impact, but ending nearly every chapter like that felt so lazy and uncreative. I probably would have given this book 5 stars, if the romance was developed better and the chapter endings weren’t the same boring repetitive thing.

But I also had a highlight and that was Luce. No more words needed, she was perfection. I loved those scenes so much!

The ending was also shocking as always. I am definitely excited for the next book and hopefully it won’t be so repetitive again. The romance so far lacks depth, as it's hard to believe the characters would go to such extremes for each other after knowing each other for such a short time.

Okay this has two of my favourite things: books set in the underworld, and magic that causes harm to its user.

Mische (who we met in the previous duology), was chosen by the god Atroxus at 8 years old and given the gift of the sun - she was able to wield fire magic. At 19, she was turned into a vampire without her consent - her fire gift has now abandoned her, and any attempt to call to it leaves burns on her body. For what right does a vampire have to the gift of the sun?

After murdering the prince who turned her, she is seconds from death when Asar (his brother) grants her a reprieve, if she travels into the underworld with him to resurrect the god of death. Her sun god suddenly returns, wanting her to complete this mission for his favour, but to a different end.


I enjoyed this so much, it’s been a while since I’ve actually been reaching for a book to continue it and I really enjoyed being back in this world. You could definitely read this without having read the original duology if the previous books don’t hold interest to you!

The world-building/setting was one of my favourite parts of this, Carissa really got the descriptions of the descent to the underworld down.

Mische’s battle with her self-flagellation is really well developed, and I enjoyed that her relationship with Asar is more about her building her confidence and self-worth first, before they become anything else. And when they finally do it’s gooood, I’m so glad she dropped the excessive size difference obsession in this one. The seriousness of Ophelia’s story and Asar’s past, along with Mische’s trauma with her sister really gave this book the emotional balance it needed.

I think fans of Serpent & Ashes will be happy with book 3, and I will absolutely be continuing with book 4!!! I’m interested to see how the story develops, as I’m not sure she really knew what to do with all the gods at the end.

—-
I need to mention a pet peeve I have with Carissa’s writing as this is the only reason the book isn’t 4 stars for me. I noticed this in the original duology but it seems to be worse here, where many of the chapters end with darkness/nothingness/someone being dragged or yanked away.
Chapter 3: But he just lowered his hand over my eyes, and with it came a wave of cool, black nothingness.
Chapter 8: And then we plunged into oblivion.
Chapter 10: Until there was nothing.
Chapter 12: It’s all right. Let go. But I didn’t have a choice. I was already gone.
Chapter 16: Silence consumed me as the darkness did.
Alt Chapter: and when that vampire corpse fell, her blessed life went crashing down with it.
Chapter 23: And then the Sanctum of Psyche swallowed me up.
Chapter 24: But a violent force yanked me away, and our strange, tangled memory unraveled.
Chapter 25: Someone grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled us up, just as XXXXX lunged.
Chapter 26: and this time, it didn’t feel like power when the darkness took me.
Chapter 30: And my back slammed against the wall as smoke enveloped us.
Chapter 31: And then we hurled ourselves into nothingness.
Chapter 32: But the darkness took me before I could get the words out.
Chapter 33: As we both faded away, the words echoed like a vow.
Chapter 35: The last thing I saw was XXXX’s face, tear-streaked, as she dragged me down.
Chapter 43: Before a great, terrible force wrapped around me, plunging my heart into cold water as XXXXX yanked me away.
Chapter 45: The darkness swallowed me whole.
chapter 47: And the world plunged into eternal darkness.
+ 3 others I can’t include for spoilers

Some variety, please, Carissa !!