I was a huge fan of the first two books in this series - the only thing I didn't like about this latest book is the title (sorry) . Otherwise this book features all the elements I've come to associate with this author: smart conflicts, subtle and inevitable plot twists, great characters and lots of action and tension. I think the ending of this book might be the strongest yet in the series - I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes and will be eagerly pressing this author into the hands of readers all winter long

Everything I wanted it to be and more! I am so happy I jumped into this series and I’m excited to read the standalone novels in the same world

4.5 stars ✨

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it exceeded my expectations. *The Songbird and the Heart of Stone* reinforces how spectacular the Crowns of Nyaxia series is.

The world that Carissa crafted is nothing short of breathtaking. This book takes us on a journey through the Underworld and I loved being able to explore it because even though it's a dark and sinister place, there's beauty in it. The characters embark on a very dangerous mission to resurrect a God, which means that the stakes are high from the start and there are so many unnerving scenes, the environment is tense and the pacing is fast, which I really enjoyed. There was never a dull moment, the plot is very intriguing and well constructed. Some of the plot twists at the end took me by surprise, the adrenaline rush I got while reading the last chapters left me breathless. *I wanted to scream!* The cliffhanger is brutal, but it's brilliant.I can't even be mad at Carissa, I'm in awe of her mind and her ability to create such fantastic stories.

While there's a big focus on politics in The Nightborn Duet, **The Songbird and the Heart of Stone touches on religion and faith**. This is such an interesting subject for me and I loved how the author explored it.

**The characters are deeply layered and fascinating**, the journey they take makes them vulnerable and exposes their deepest hurts and fears. It was very emotional to learn their story, my heart ached for them. Mische and Asar are both **broken souls** who believe nothing can ever make them whole again, they're filled with regret and guilt for things they've done in their past. They're both self-sacrificing idiots and I love them very much.

*[Luce is the star of this book, she’s the cutest and everyone will fall in love with her once they read this book]*

I love how **even the villains have such human traits** and aren't evil for the sake of being evil. And the gods are realistically portrayed. This is something I really appreciated in the previous books, Carissa excels at writing multifaceted characters.

ˏˋ꒰**Mische**꒱ˎˊ

I loved Mische in the precious books, but my love for her now runs so much deeper. It broke my heart to discover her full story, to know what she endured at the hands of a God who cared nothing for her and saw her only as a possession.

**Mische's light could rival the sun, and I hate that her God gradually dimmed it.** But she never lost her optimism, her hope for a better world, her belief that every soul can be saved and deserves a chance at redemption. She sacrificed body and soul for her God, and her blind faith led her to ruin, but I think her journey made her understand that her faith didn't have to be tied to a God, that she could pray and worship a greater power without self-sacrifice. *That she doesn't have to lose herself in the process.*

Mische begins her journey so broken and miserable, feeling lost and alone and struggling to come to terms with her vampire nature. But along the way, **she learns that light and darkness can coexist**, and when she finally accepts herself, she transforms into something magnificent.

ˏˋ꒰**Asar**꒱ˎˊ

I really need his POV in the second book because I want to be inside his head. I loved getting to know him; it happened slowly, he's very reserved at first, but once you peel back all the layers, you find such a **tender, loving, kind soul**. Despite the sharp edges, the darkness that surrounds him, and the anger and regret that linger within him, **Asar has a soft side that devastated me**. When I saw him fully, I shattered completely. *He's such a beautiful being, I'm so in love with him*. He's a healer and a protector, and he loves deeply. I just want him to know that he deserves to be loved, that he’s worthy of it.

ˋ°•*⁀➷ **Mische and Asar**

I live and breathe this trope: a broken boy who's convinced that no one can love him, and a girl who loves him easily. **It gets me every time!** The longing, the angst, the fear of exposing yourself to someone and risking getting hurt, but knowing you're powerless to fight what you're feeling. IT'S SO GOOD!

In many ways, **Mische and Asar healed each other**. Both carry scars, not just in their bodies but in their souls. They both carry fears and regrets, and they tried to fight their feelings, but it was an impossible task. Their romance blossomed slowly, but it was so beautiful to see them open up to each other. They were meant to find each other, **Mische is the light to Asar's darkness.**

Carissa's writing is stunning and **I love how much emotion she conveys through her words**. This was such a great reading experience, I lost my ability to think when I finished the book, I don't think I'll ever get over the ending. I can't wait to read the next book, I'll be eagerly awaiting it.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-arc!

I would like to thanks NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-arc! I never thought I would get approved for this one and to say I was excited about the prospect isn't even close enough to the truth. I loved The Serpent & The Wings of Night so naturally I couldn’t wait to get back into the Crowns of Nyaxia universe! Especially since in this one, we follow Mische’s adventures.

One thing about Carissa’s books is that entertaining doesn't begin to cover it. It’s so fast paced that it feels like being out of breath after running a marathon sometimes. In this one, be prepared to take a little trip to the underworld. And who doesn't like that? I know I do. In fact, I loved the way Mische sees the beauty of the underworld beyond the grim and terrible.
In The Songbird & the Heart of Stone we follow our protagonist Asar & Mische, forced to team up (in a way since one is kind of dragged into the mission at first) to resurrect a God and while they try to achieve this, they will obviously come across all sorts of demons, most of them within. This book tackles the questions of faith and the consequences of even one pawn in the big chess of religion.
While some of the plot was predictable, it still keeps you hanging and that’s the power of Carissa’s mind I would say. I cannot believe she’s done it again in the end.. and well, what an ending really.. Classical torture by Broadbent. I long for the next book and hope to found peace somehow, at some point. Will I?
I loved discovering Mische under a new light (pun intended - if you know, you know) and speaking of it, know that this book isn’t a standalone. You need to read the first two books or else, it will get pretty confusing for you and you won’t be able to understand her journey fully. Mische is quite different from Oraya but just as complex and endearing! I already loved her then and now I love her even more. Now Asar was also interesting (and I’m not only saying that because he’s a necromancer I promise - we know that’s a weakness of mine..) But then, there is the matter of Luce.. The best companion you can wish for and like Mische said « Dogs. We didn’t deserve them. » No, we don’t.

I honestly had a great time reading this book and it’s, just like its predecessors, a great romantasy! (And a great way to start the month really).

A enjoyable continuation in the Crowns of Nyaxia series!
I loved the quest and adventure aspect of this book.
The writing was also done really well I was always on the edge of my seat reading the big scenes.
I loved how Mische and her beliefs were handled and how that was portrayed. I was absolutely obsessed with how Asar and Mische bonded and the way they understood each other.
The cliffhanger has left me wanting so much more!

.Vampires and gods
.Enemies to lovers
.On a quest
.Chosen one
.Forced proximity
.Hurt/comfort
.Cut dog (wolf?)

Wow, just wow! This book was exactly what I needed. It's the perfect blend of epic fantasy and an amazing slow-burn romance subplot that kept me hooked from start to finish.

This book left me exhausted in the best way possible. From the very first page, the action takes off and never lets up. I felt like I was right there fighting alongside Mishe all the way through hell. I took an entire week to read it, which I rarely do. I usually read a book this long in three days tops, but I wanted to make it last.

I really don't know where to start describing this book, but I think the best word would be: cinematic. It's so vividly descriptive and detailed that it felt like a movie playing in my head. Every scene is so well-crafted, it's almost begging to be adapted for the big screen.

While it’s not exactly a Persephone and Hades retelling, it shares some elements with the myth. And the pacing is consistent all throughout the book, keeping the story flowing seamlessly. And what an amazing story it is!

Mishe is a character I already adored from the first two books, so I was ecstatic when I found out this book was from her POV.

Asar, oh Asar, such an incredible character. When I say I love morally grey characters in fantasy, he is exactly what I mean. He is complex and simply irresistible.

Their romance is steamy, yet tender. If you like angst, then you'll love their interactions.

The ending left me absolutely stunned. Talk about shocking? Now, of course, I'm in agony waiting for the next book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so you'll have to trust me on this. Go read it!

Comparing this book to the previous ones in the series is tough. I'm tempted to say I liked it more, but that might be the post-read euphoria talking. Oraya and Rhain’s story holds a special place in my heart, making it hard to pick a favourite. Each book in this series is incredible in its own right, and if you haven't started reading them yet, you need to do so immediately.

The Songbird and the heart of stone by Carissa Broadbent
Release date 19th November 2024
Rating 5 stars CAWPILE 9.29

When you get a new book from an author you who has fast become a autobuy author you sit and you know that it will be focusing on a new couple, you feel that maybe it won’t be as good as the previous. Would you love the couple like you did the other? Would Mische and her intended live up to Raihn and Oraya.

This is all the things that ran through my mind when I was about to go into this book, but I can officially say that I should not have been worried. This book was everything I needed and more. To the point that I am sitting here now with my heart in pieces because of course it ended with a cliffhanger and one that my heart was not ready to have happen. It really wasn’t.

Mische from the moment she appeared on the page I knew that I would full in love with her in the other book but her story although not yet fully told was an emotional rollercoaster and I felt myself feeling every moment with her, my heart broke, I felt that I was falling in love and I was experiencing every moment of the setting with her and Asar.

Asar is just what we want in a MMC complicated and the story to break your heart. I felt his pain and his ideas and I need him to be allowed love. I won’t go into too much with him because it is best when you experience the whole man that he is.

Shoutout to Luce who is the bestest companion and I will lay my life down for her.

The house of shadows is everything I needed it to be and now I cannot wait to see this story play out because I need it in my hands now because I need to know what is going to happen like I need air. This book caused me to cry, to scream and then stare at the kindle for a good 30 mins before I even thought about typing up my feelings. I cannot wait to theorise this book with people and what is going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan macmillan for allowing me to read this book early and now I will wait till 19th November when I can again scream about this book and make sure that I shout about it.


Review will go up on Instagram 4th August

I was so excited for this book, I devoured it in 2 days. I love the previous books in the series, including the spin-offs. So now I’ve read this, I’d say Slaying The Vampire Conqueror is definitely one you can’t skip.
Onto this book then - the story follows Mische and what she does next after the events of Ashes. She embarks on a quest to the Underworld with a secret and dangerous task. The Underworld is a very trippy place and I’d advise reading this when you have time to take in all the world building, as the imagery is very vivid and this place doesn’t follow the normal rules of physics/nature (as you would expect).
The journey spans over quite a long period of time, so what I did want more of was character dialogue and insights into their growing bond.
But - THE ENDING!!!! Carissa just pulls out the most insane plot twists and all I can say is, I was blindsided. It was a huge shock.

Mische Iliae was a little girl when she was chosen one by the god of sun and light, Atroxus. After years of devotion, she was sent to Obitraes to spread the light, but turned into a vampire by the shadowborn heir Malach. The story of the book starts when Egertt, Malach's sister, for boo-licking her father, tries to trap Mische to offer her as a spy and the killer of the heir but doesn't succeed because Asar, the wraith ward, says he needs her for a dangerous mission. Resurrecting Alaru, the god of death, and Nyaxia's husband, because she still has a little light Atroxus has given her, even though every time she uses that, the hideous scar will form on her arm. Why? Because among the six people who killed him, Atroxus was there, and he was the one who scattered Alarus and sealed him by his power.

So the book is about a poor girl who is naive enough to fall in love with a guy as a god and devote herself to him to be turned down when she technically lost everything, including her humanity, and the called guy has the audacity to call her after 50 years of not talking to send her to another impossible mission because he's too chicken to face the guy he killed and afraid the mentioned dead guy would comeback at him tenfold.
The story is third-person, and the author did a good job to paint a complete mess of how naivety works. It's actually mostly about a community with some immortal beings like vampires, gods, and humans; the gods community acts superior and is kind of jerkish, because even in the first time Atroxus will say, "The people who come to sacrifice and devote themselves are mostly high in standard, too beautiful, too capable, too..." and also these gods have the tendency to discard their chosen ones whenever they like, because, why not?. The dark followers were most likely the other side, which followed Nyaxia. After the so-called gods killed Alarus, who apparently was Nyaxia's husband, she became mad and started a new kingdom to prepare herself both for resurrecting her husband and getting revenge on those gods😑.

Honestly, my thoughts was the poor girl fall in love with a two faced jerk who act like " À mara , you know I loved you but you turn your back on me by becoming a wretched vampire , we can't no longer be with each other but because you love me sooo much go and kill that guy who I killed before cause if he come back to life he will slap , smack me" seriously , and also if people read historical ,there is that version where priestess even would marry themselves to God cause they are a devoted believers,  so it helps that Atroxus can show himself as human form and enjoy the act of devoting body and soul wich mische has done when she was 16, yes she technically married to Atroxus 😑and she loves him So to some point you want to slap Michael and tell her to wake up, but everything gets more tolerable when Asar comes to view. There is this feeling that some guys aren't only beauty, and Asar, unlike Atroxus, is this definition. Atroxus is beautiful and gentle and warm, and all those compliments for a pretty guy, but Asar is oozing power and knowledge. He wasn't technically beautiful because he also has ugly scars all over himself, which fade his handsomeness, but the fact that he is different could be felt all over the book.

I rate the book 3.75. The book can be predictable but also keeps you on edge. The author has done a good job of illustrating the atmosphere, but sometimes you get confused because if you haven't read the other book, you might not know why some thing happens, like why Mische killed Malach. The ending also makes you expectant for the next book of series, and I also think the near-end outcome was a bit exiting because you know you can't kill the main guy and expect nothing, so I like the general. I also liked some aspects of showing emotions that weren't subtle at all but could be felt all over; it's a solid writing skill to portray different meanings without confusion. Except spice, let's say the adventure lever is 4, so I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

This is the story of Mische , a devotee to the sun god Atroxus, who after becoming a vampire lost her power to wield fire. She has been captured after having killed the heir of The House of Shadow and is now obligated to help Asar, the heir’s brother as he prevented her from being executed. He wants her to help him resurrect a god.

The book was written via Mische’s pov and I couldn’t be happier about that. She is such an interesting, funny, caring, loving, and dedicating main character. She doesn’t hesitate to show vulnerability as well as strength, which is quite impressive when we read about her treacherous past.

It was also a very good idea to include flashbacks throughout the book, as it builds a stronger connections to the main character.

I absolutely loved seeing her relationship with Asar develop slowly over time. He also has a difficult past, but it is nice to see him face it with the trials that awaited him and Mische through his quest.

Talking about the quest, I appreciated having the aim/purpose of the story being announced rather quickly in the book. It helps to know where we are going and what we should expect. It doesn’t prevent from having some plot twists obviously..

The writing was amazing, it got me hooked the second I started the book. The chapters were sometimes short, medium, and sometimes long but I felt like it was a good balance.


For those who have read the two previous books a while ago, it doesn’t prevent from understanding what’s going on. There are some explanations here and there that help freshen up your memory.


The scenery in this book is spectacular, I can’t wait to see fan arts of Morthryn!
I would 100% recommend reading it and book 4 cannot come soon enough.

Carissa's writing never disappoints and this time was no different, for me, she is an author who always knows how to perfectly balance how much fantasy and romance she puts in her books. I already loved Mische but knowing more about her story only increased that feeling. I also couldn't think of a better love interest for her than Asar, the romance (and the plot, obviously!!!) kept me interested from beginning to end.

This book! The story! The ending! The epilogue! Carissa I need the 4th book immediately!

<b>The Songbird and the Heart of Stone</b> consolidated Carissa as my current favourite Romantasy writer. She writes the perfect blend of fantasy and romance, full of complex and layered characters, wrapped in a beautifully and imaginative setting.

Mische, alongside with Vincent, was my favorite character in this series and I had high expectations for her story. Still, I couldn’t imagine how complex her background story was going to be, and how emotionally engaged I would feel with her journey. I loved Mische before, and I love her even more now. This is a character full of hope, courage and kindness, and she's exactly the type of FMC I like to read about.

And Asar… what a perfect match for Mische he is! He’s the farthest thing from a Heart of Stone and I can’t wait to see more of him. It’s difficult to resist sharing some quotes by him (I have so many highlighted) but I refuse to spoil others the discovery of this character for others. Still, I’m obsessed with his heart and quiet, yet fierce, love.

This is a story full of vulnerability, pain and love, and I loved every minute of it. Carissa Broadbent writes romantasies like no one else 💜

<i>Thank you, thank you, thank you Pan Macmillan | Tor Bramble and Netaglley for the eARC!</i>

Carissa does a wonderful job listing trigger warnings: graphic violence, discussion of grooming and child abuse, and infant death (off page).

I’m rating it 4/5 for the sake of rating it but it truly is a 3,75/5.

Yet another anticipated release that I read in july and that did not disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is very pleasant and the plot’s pace is quite good. I did not get bored. The plot is darker than the previous books and it extends the universe and that was very interesting to read about. For someone who doesn’t love romance and is quite picky (to say the least), this one did not bother me very much. The main male character is a more serious character, which I appreciated, and it was a pleasure to meet Mische again.
I did very much loved the last couple of lines (before the epilogue) and I’m already looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.