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 !!

Okay, I'm just calling it now. These books only get better and better, and this is currently the BEST one (which says a lot as I ADORE the other two books in the series)!

I don't know what Carissa is infusing into these pages, but this book (and series) is like an addiction. I cannot get enough of this universe and these characters.

Carissa is incredibly talented at crafting such a rich, enchanting and magical world, one which you want to jump into and live forever in this world of vampires and rival vampire houses (or maybe just at Esme's house). It's the sort of world building that leaves you both breathless and speechless; the depth and brevity of this universe that she's created is nothing short of genius. The way she somehow fuses fantasy with spice and cosiness is mind blowing. But it works so well.; it's just so damn good!

While I adored Oraya with all of my heart and being, Mische is a character that has always been at the forefront of my mind while reading this series. She's just such a fascinating character, who has a story and history of her own. And I'm so glad that we get to hear her voice in full. But boy is she a far more complex character than I initially thought! She really does take us on a rollercoaster of emotions with her story. She has SUCH an interesting and heart-wrenching history, one that really did surprise me.

Asar is just perfect, and perfect for Mische. Their story and connection is so powerful and just, lovely. The way they just connect with each other and build a relationship, despite on paper being very different, is brilliant; it's also enemies-to-lovers at it's absolute finest!!

Something that's quite small but I really appreciated was the fact that Carissa herself understands that the story is so intense, that the reader does kind of need a breather and an opportunity to almost step back from the ferocity of the story. The scenes at Esme's house really were wonderful and magical, almost like a palate cleanser.

THAT ENDING!!! Wowzers, completely blown away! She has me fully locked into this series!

I truly cannot recommend this book, and the series generally, enough! If you're loving the vampire resurgence, then this is absolutely for you!!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent. Thank you Netgalley, Carissa Broadbent and Tor Bramble.

As you all know, I liked Mische very much in the first two books. When I found out she was getting a book, I was just happy. Mische is different from Oraya please don't forget that, but those who loved the first two books will also love this one.
Mische is an honest character, her courage and her pure heart make it hard not to like her. At first I had to struggle a little with Asar because I couldn't felt so much. But the process from him is incredible and you can't fight against him. As already mentioned in the blurb, Mische and Asar live through an adventure in the underworld and well I love the underworld. And as it went deeper and deeper into the underworld I was trapped, caught by the characters and the setting.

Carissa I just love your writing style so much and your slow burn is just captivating.

The end of this book was really really bad. I would love to write about it, but I can't and don't want to spoil it. so it is what it is - ABSOLUTE LOVE 🧡

I had been dying to get a story from Mische's POV, and OMG did Carissa Broadbent deliver.
Mische is light and she is darkness, smiles and tears, dawn and dusk, and her devotion and loyalty are endless.
But she is also a child given to a god when she was 9 years old, and an adult in search for herself and a home - and the love of a god.

After the events of The Ashes and the Star- Cursed King, Mische is off to her own journey. Getting tasked with two impossible missions that lead her on paths to the underworld and - we're yet to see - to salvation or damnation.
At her side is Asar of the House of Shadow, and he is just as torn and scarred as she is. And Luce...we love Luce.

I was so taken by this story of this impossible, messy, wonderful woman and her path of transformation. Of course the ending was cruel but also very hopeful. I can't wait for book 2!

Easy 5/5 stars for emotional damage alone (and all the rest)

Thank you @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the eARC!

#CrownsOfNyaxia #SongbirdAndTheHeartOfStone #Netgalley #Bookstagram

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Oh.my.god.
I am speechless. I am in utter shock. This book was absolutely everything. I loved the first 2 books ( and SSR) but omg I adored this. I devoured it. I loved Mische since the first time I met her and wanted to know more about her .and this book delivered. My Fave and her best book yet!! Honestly I have nothing but praise for it.I was hooked from the first page and such roller-coaster of emotions.omg .I am seriously at loss for words. How on earth am I going to survive till the 4th book. That cliffhanger!! Mind blowing!! This is not a need it's a must read it book!!!! Infinite stars!!

Thank you for an opportunity to read this early ! Eternally grateful!!

This was EVERYTHING. I enjoyed it from the get go, and couldn’t put it down. The way the relationships between all the characters developed in this book was beautiful. The world building was so good, and everything just worked. So many twists. I need the next one now!!!

“He looked at me exactly as […] had when
l'd driven my sword through his chest. Like I had truly shocked him by existing beyond the bounds of what he thought I was.
Sometimes they only see you for the first time when you force them.”


I had been waiting for this book for so long and it definitely DELIVERED!!
I was a bit worried about Oraya and Raihn not being in it, but i must admit that i rarely missed their presence (still love them though, of course!) and Mische turned out to be an amazing lead. I absolutely loved her backstory, how it was slowly shown to us with a third person narrator and how we only got our suspicions confirmed towards the end of the book. Her complicated relationship with faith, religion and love, together with her self-rediscovery was definitely inspiring and great to follow throughout the novel. I also LOVED Asar!! Broadbent always manages to write softie mmcs and i’m so here for it! He’s dedicated, selfless, able with his magic, protective af (especially of Mische and Luce, his phantom dog🥺).
His backstory was also full of heartbreak, regret and difficult choices so it made total sense how he and Mische got each other in every way! And the way he showed her what it means to be truly loved>>>
The involvement of the gods was another important point of the book that i adored! I really hope we’ll get to see more of them in the next book…which i need NOW🥲 after that ending! I was expecting it and I can’t wait to see how it will play out!!

Thank you SO much Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy, I’m actually so grateful for it. All opinions are my own!

Dare I say this might be my favourite book so far from the Crowns of Nyaxia series?!!

The first instalment of the House of Shadow duet follows Mische and Asar on their journey through the underworld to complete a task from the Goddess Nyaxia, to revive her lover, the God of Death.

Broadbent’s writing became a lot more darker and intriguing, and even more entertaining with this new duet. While i’ve always found her writing to be a little purple prosey sometimes, this book was certainly better.

I loved Mische’s character from the previous duet and her backstory and development didn’t disappoint. The emotional rollercoaster that was her story was a journey in itself! Her character arc was well written; seeing her evolve from being too selfless to putting herself first for once made me so proud. Similarly, Asar, who was a little misunderstood, with an equally heartbreaking backstory, was simply the best. The way he cared so deeply for those he loved, quietly and fiercely, had me rooting for him from the start. Both characters felt like two sides of the same coin, the perfect balance to the other!

The plot twists at the end literally had my jaw dropping. It’s safe to say that I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

Thank you to Panmacillan and BookBreakUK for sending me an arc copy!

I literally screamed when I saw that I got approved for the ARC, so of course I had to read it immediately. My expectations were high since I loved the other books from this series but as expected, book 3 did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved the new couple. We already know Mische from the first two books and I was curious about her story. In this book, we learned so much about her tragic and emotional past and the author added so much depth to her character which I loved. Mische is now one of my favourite characters. I love her courage and her positive attitude. Asar could not be more different from her. He is very calm and grumpy and it did take a while till I saw through him. This only made the story more compelling and created the perfect grumpy x sunshine trope.

Additionally, the author expanded the world-building in a way that I really admired. We learned so much about the House of Shadow but also the underworld and the world of the Gods. The expansion of the world-building makes me extremely excited for what the next books will have in store for us. Finally, the ending left me in shock. I read the book a month ago and I still think about it almost daily. It was so good and at the same time absolutely heartbreaking. I need book 4 as soon as possible!

Overall, I think if you enjoyed the first two books in the Crown of Nyaxia series, you will definitely love the new book as well. I am sure that you will fall in love with the new couple and the worldbuilding as much as I did. The only reason why I am not giving the book 5 stars is because the plot in the first half of the book did not engage me that much. Because of that, I give The Songbird and the Heart of Stone 4,5 stars.

The second I was introduced to Mische in The Serpent & The Wings of Night I fell in love with her and wanted nothing more than to have her story told, and here we are, this it, and this is everything I wanted it to be (and now I’m so desperate for the next book I might actually be sick, thank you cliff hanger ending that destroyed me). I knew it would be an emotional read just based on the limited information we got on Mische in previous books, but actually getting to understand her this way, and to know what she went through, was so much more emotional than I could have imagined. Throughout her trials and ordeals she still managed to remain kind, brave, hopeful and loyal and she only seemed to shine brighter as the pages went on. Don’t even get me started on Asar though, talk about quietly winning people over. I want a whole book just on Asar because he is life and Mische deserves him more than anything in the world, just as much as Asar deserves her. Those two beautiful broken (but healing) souls are so perfect for each time, they’re yin and yang, darkness and light, and their growth separately and together is the absolute highlight of this book for me.

Oh Gods please let the next book come soon because every time I think about that ending I want to shatter someone’s ribs. I can’t form any further thoughts on this because it’ll all be spoilers but trust me when I say that this is Carissa’s best book ever.

🕊️The Songbird and the Heart of Stone Review🕊️

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was INSANE! I was part of the readalong and not being able to binge the whole thing immediately was torturous.

I was so so happy to be back in this world and I LOVE Mische so much so this was the perfect book honestly. However this book is a criminal offence that I don’t think anyone is ready for and maybe we need to put Carissa behind bars for this one 🤔

Grab your tissues y’all I swear I was trying not to cry on the train to work 💀

Carissa always blends the worldbuilding and the plot SEAMLESSLY. The gods are all SO interesting and I need to know everything about all of them. I need some of the quotes in this book TATTOOED on my brain but I don’t want to share any of them quite yet because I don’t want to spoil anything at all! If you are interested though, there are a few over on Carissa’s account - I guarantee they’ll make you even more desperate to have this book in your hands! 😫

I can’t post this without mentioning ASAR. oh my days. I need him biblically, you’re all going to be obsessed with him and I can’t wait to see everyone fall in love with him ❤️‍🔥

I already know book 2 is going to be CRAZY. I’m not at all ready for it but also I need it right now???

Carissa was one of the first authors I picked up when I rekindled my love for reading and this series has such a special place in my heart so getting a proof of this book a little over a year later is truly insane. Thank you SO much @bookbreakuk 🥹💖

I love Clarissa Broadbents writings so much! She great at world building and you could envision the scenes it was written that well.

I wasn’t expecting Misches past to be traumatic but it shapes her well to the person we know her today.

What a cliff hanger! Bring on the next book!

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨️ exiled necromancer vampire prince x bride of the sun god
✨️ forced proximity
✨️ slow burn
✨️ journey to the Underworld
✨️ spicy scenes
✨️ the book ends with a cliffhanger

First, I want to thank the author, the publisher Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC. This book was my most anticipated read of the year and having an opportunity like this is a dream come true.

I loved Mische in the first two books and was eager to learn more about her. However, I wasn't prepared for how traumatic her past would be. This shared history of pain is something she has in common with Asar. Both have dedicated their lives to helping others, yet no one truly helped them until they found each other. Raihn had been there for Mische before, but she wasn't ready to open up about her past.
This journey into the Descent also took them on an inner journey, forcing them to confront their demons and traumas. I can't get over how incredibly well this book was written. Carissa Broadbent has a way with words like no one else and it never stops amazing me.
Despite being a slow burn, I thought the pacing was excellent. The character development of both Mische and Asar was a slow, deliberate process and I savoured every moment of it. Their love story was beautiful and the ending just broke my heart. I can't wait to for the next book to come and I also hope that we get to see Asar's POV in it.

I'll share my review on my socials close to the release day and update the links here.

Omg this was so good and filled with action from the first page which I love about Carissa's books!!
Returning to the world of Obitreas was an ecstatic feeling and I still can't get over the fact of what I just read!!
I loved Mische since the first time in book 1 and I love her even more now. The story was so interesting, I did not expect for a quest to begin in the first chapter and continue through the whole book but oh was it amazing!! I love how Mische's and Asar's relationship develops on this journey in a way that I would expect from Mische.
That ending though!!! I did not expect that at all and I am so happy with the direction the story is going. I need more asap, I love these books!! Best vampire fantasy I've ever read in my life!!