An incredible instalment in what is quickly becoming my favourite dark and gritty vampiric fantasy series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Given how much I liked the previous two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia I was beyond excited about The Songbird and the Heart of Stone.
I mean, we all fell in love with Mische's character and wanted to see more of her story.
Unfortunately, as much as I tried desperately to like this new story, I just couldn't feel it.
There were too many things that were repetitive :
- a lot of the chapters ended with “and then the darkness took me” kind of sentence as a cliffhanger for the next chapter
—she bumped at his back I think at least three times, and it felt strange
—I don't know how many times Asar used the ominous phrase that they are closer to the underworld now (at least after every obstacle they faced)
The different trials felt more or less the same and as they are treading in one place with the same enemies over and over again.
Another thing that I struggled with is that Mische's character felt….somehow different from our favorite in the other books. In the first two she felt like lithe and lite on her feet and, although not a warrior, very capable at fighting swift and lethal. Here she feels clumsy at her every step, and the wise girl who was always Raihn's voice of reason was gone.
And my biggest heartbreak was the lack of chemistry between Mische and Asar. At 30-40% of the story, they somehow instantly developed feelings towards one another and the reason and profound meaning behind them was missing or lost.
It pains me to write such a negative review for a favorite series of mine, but I can say that the shocking return of an absolute favorite character of mine at the end of the book is the sole reason I will read the next book when it comes out.

One line review - A gripping, slow-burn adventure that dives deep into Mische's backstory.

Carissa is a genius, turning the land of Obitraes into 3 duologies is such a unique idea and this book builds on perfectly from the Nightborn duology following Mische and I absolutely loved it!

Been let into the backstory of Mische and were she comes from answers so many of the questions I had about her from the previous books, it is also a heart wrenching backstory, with unexpected layers that caught me pleasantly off guard, especially in regards to religious trauma, grief, and guilt, making it emotionally powerful.

As Mische embarks on a journey through the underworld. I had forgotten how much I love stories set in the underworld especially when they involve guardian/wardens of the underworld that are always the dark and brooding MMC, this book goes one further and gives us his loyal "skull wolf," Luce—who is, without a doubt, the best girl and deserves all the head scratches.

The slow-burn romance was just pure perfection for me and refreshingly different from the previous two. The spice gave when it needed to with an incredible altar scene but was not heavy and was important to the plot.

Overall I enjoyed the fast-pace of the story, the new characters (whether I loved or hated them), the continued references back to previous characters and events solidifying this books place in the world as within it and not alongside it, and the continued steady growth of the world, especially the glimpses into the gods and their complex natures was amazing, I can not wait to see how this develops in future books.

The ending left me utterly shook, staring at a wall in disbelief, as the twists and turns throughout it where just as twisty and turny as SATWON, so I am not sure why it surprised me but I did not predict any of what happened and need to know what happens next, now!

I’m eagerly awaiting the next instalment and hoping the wait won’t be too long!

For context, I rated SATWON 4.5⭐️ and AATSCK 4⭐️

As someone who really loved The Serpent & The Wings Of Night and The Ashes & The Starcursed King, I’ve wanted to know more about Mische and loved that we got to on another adventure within the world (and underworld) of Obitraes. It just adds another level of depth to the world building and the introductions of the sanctums within the underworld was an interesting and eerie twist.

The chapters mostly comprise of Mische’s journey through the underworld on a perilous quest interspersed with flashbacks from Mische’s life, before and after she was turned. Mische battles with a lot of emotions along the way and it was great to see her coming to terms with her difficult past, how she is torn between her faith and what she feels is right and to see her finding her strength.

But, I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it as much as the first two books. This Mische felt different to the Mische in books 1 and 2. The plot unravelled at a much slower pace so it felt longer somehow. Certain characters kept cropping up out of nowhere/with no explanation, plus several chapters just randomly faded to black.

Not gonna lie, I’ve never been a huge fan of this series, but this installment has been unbelievably disappointing. The book focuses on Mische, my favorite character from the first duology, so I obviously had high hopes. Unfortunately, it completely missed the mark. It was repetitive, overly descriptive, boring, and lacked any spark in the romance. Some people may feel excited to return to a world they love, but when reviewing it honestly, this book pales in comparison to the previous two.
What I did like in this novel was how it delves deeper into the lore, particularly the gods, and finally gives readers a clearer understanding of what’s really happening in this universe. However, I’m always wary of books centered around a journey and a series of quests, as it’s difficult to write them in an engaging way. Unfortunately, this story falls short in that regard. Every quest the two main characters embark on (sometimes along with random sidekicks) feels the same—the group heads to the underworld to accomplish something, someone makes a stupid mistake, and the same fight scenes play out over and over again. I genuinely wanted to DNF this halfway through because I couldn’t stand reading the same sequence for the third, fourth, or fifth time. Additionally, almost every chapter ends with Mische descending into oblivion, darkness, or nothingness. How could the author not notice this level of repetition?
Another disappointment was the portrayal of the relationship between Mische and Asar. One might criticize Carissa’s previous books for their plots, but she knew how to write compelling romantic arcs with real chemistry between characters. In this book, we get none of that. Mische and Asar barely speak to each other, and then suddenly they jump from nothing to romance. Who can be enchanted by that? Definitely not me. There’s a cliffhanger at the end, and while I’d like to say it convinced me to wait for the next book, I’m honestly not sure.
All in all, this novel had so much potential, but it was wasted. I believe Mische and Asar’s story could still be salvaged, but they need to be removed from the underworld, and the repetitive structure must go. I truly hope this happens because these characters deserve better.

"Hello, Warden."
"Hello, Dawndrinker."

The Song bird and the Heart of Stone is an impressive introduction to the Shadowborn Duology in the Crown of Nyaxia Series, a skillful blend of intricate world-building with deep emotional storytelling.

The book sucked me in faster than I could say, 'Just one more chapter.' the author knows how to build a world that feels alive, all without the need for a map or glossary to navigate it. The main character? Absolutely relatable—just trying to survive while also dealing with the emotional rollercoaster. And let’s talk about the slow-burn romance. It's the kind of tension that makes you want to scream, 'Just kiss already!' But no, she keeps us dangling like a carrot in front of a hungry horse—like, come on, how much tension can two people handle? Spoiler: A LOT. There’s action, heartbreak, and twists than I was prepared for.

SUMMARY
Mische’s inner conflict is powerfully portrayed, as she is torn between her lingering devotion to the sun god. Meanwhile, Asar, the scarred bastard prince of the House of Shadow, carries the weight of his dark past, with his stoic facade masking deep-seated pain. The contrast between her lingering ties to the light and his embodiment of the shadows creates a powerful push-and-pull that keeps readers engrossed.

The Underworld, which they navigate, is portrayed with a chilling intensity reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno. Their descent through the five sanctums—Body, Breath, Psyche, Secrets, & Soul—serves as a harrowing journey not only through a perilous realm but also through their own inner demons. The creatures and beings they encounter offer more than just physical threats; they challenge Mische and Asar’s mental fortitude that force them to confront the ghosts from their past. Themes of trust, mortality, and the interplay between life and death are explored deeply throughout the book, setting the stage for the duology's continuation.

Thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for granting an early access to this book. Please note that this review is based solely on my personal thoughts & opinions.

This is not a stand-alone, reading the first duology is recommended to fully appreciate the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was read in about two sittings. I knew it would be a book I loved (having read the previous two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series). So I purposefully held off on reading it until I had a day where I could simply read with little to no distractions. And how worth it that decision was. I loved every second of reading this book.

I admit that prior to reading the blurb, I was a little worried to read a book set in the same universe as the first duet in the series, but not read about the same characters. This can be good or bad. In this case… it was good. Mainly because we follow Mische, who is a secondary character in Book 1, a character who I doubt anyone had difficulty caring for. It is nice to follow her story.

Mische is a complicated and complex individual who seems to vacillate between states of being. She has darkness and light battling inside her, a strong sense of self-preservation as well as a nuanced attitude towards taking risks. In a word, she is confusing. And it’s amazing to watch her work, and see her think. Asar is the type of man I wanted Raihn to be, funnily enough. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Raihn… but Asar hit the nail on the head in his own way. I can’t wait to watch him develop in the next book…

Now this book contains a steep increase in the presence of the gods. This is pretty cool as it’s not really something I’m familiar with in books. Normally authors are scared to play with them: they are distant names, mentions of people we never meet because how could our mortal minds process something like a god? Broadbent doesn’t shy away. We get to meet them multiple times. Love it.

As always, a delightful read. It was a hard book to rate. I went with 4 stars because, while the book contains many things happening, the plot itself was fairly limited. Personal choice, it’s not my favourite. But this book is well worth being picked up by the masses!

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.