This book was good! It was one that I could dive into and immerse myself in. I found this to be a quick fantasy read and the ending has me intrigued for more. I do wish there was a recap section or something so I could remember the rest of the series.

4.5⭐️ 🌶️🌶️

Carissa Broadbent yet again delivers a fantastic story within the Crowns of Nyaxia world. And we would expect nothing less from a master storyteller such as Carissa!

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone delves into the new setting of the Descent into the Underworld, The beginning became a little repetitive and I craved more action, but the ending DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The cliffhanger…eek! It’s going to be a loooong wait for the next book!

Broadbent has once again delivered with an enchanting blend of unique plot, memorable characters, and a romance to root for. Mische, whom I adored in the previous books, shines even brighter here. Her journey from a sunny character to one with deep complexity and daring choices made this book an absolute joy to read. And Asar—a stone-hearted prince with surprising warmth—complements her beautifully. Their relationship is both heartwarming and thrilling.

With fresh storytelling, rich lore, and that irresistible cliffhanger, I’m eagerly awaiting book four. Broadbent fans, get ready to be hooked all over again.

The third book in the series and all of them are great, it feels like this series is going to be my favourite fantasy series. As soon as I finished the book the only thought that came to my head was that ‘I want more’. Carissa Broadbent has wonderfully created a world that sucks you right in and I’m in love with it.
This follows Mische, who I loved in the previous books and the depth and layers this one provides to her character make her more endearing. The most beautiful and unique part of this story is its setting, the dark and eerie yet mysterious and beautiful underworld. The characters embark on a journey to travel through it with a heavy mission on their shoulders.
Asar, the male lead, completes Mische in the best ways. She becomes the light in his dark, shadowy life. And I love their relationship which blossomed slowly yet beautifully.
The ending made me speechless, I wanted the next book in the series immediately and I wanted to scream!!!!!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I fell down the Nyaxia hole begging of this year and I can't stop falling. I absolutely love this world and the book series. I read all the published books so I was SUPER excited for this one and IT. DID. NOT. DISAPOINT! OMG. Without any spoilers here are things I loved and didn't like as much about The Song and the Heart of Stone:

1. The background: Carissa creates very complex characters. They have past, and are morally grey. They make mistakes and wrong decision which come later around and hurt. The consequences are often brutal and the characters suffer but try to overcome and win. I love this. I absolutely love to see the character development, the journey, the learning curve. It is an absolute perfection to see Mische growth and change.

2.) Slow burn romance: I love a good slow burn and Carrisa is a master in writing it, however I felt like this book was the weakest. The tention between Mische and Asar was for a long time stagnant and then it all happened at once. I missed the incredible sparks we had in The Serpent and the Wings of Night. The romance in this book was still great and enjoyable, but weaker than what I am used to from her previous books.

3.) Worldbuilding: Nyaxia series is my favorite vampire world. I love how the vampires were created, I love all the lore about Gods and their involvement in the events. I also love that in each book we learn more about them. Atroxus was the main God in this book and it was so interesting and amazing to meet the main God of the White Pantheon. I hope we get more of this because the worldbuilding for this series is exquisite.

4.) The ending: I am not ok. GUYS! I know that this book is not even published yet - 19th November! Mark your calendars - and I am already loosing my mind about how will the story continue. This is the Empire of Storms kind of ending (IFKYK) and it left me with such book hangover I was not able to sleep.

I recommend this book to readers who love: dark romance, dark fantasy, complex worldbuilding, politics in books, powerful female protagonists, spicy romance.

Be aware that this story is dark. So here are trigger warnings: blood, child abuse, violence, strong language, pet death, gore, explicit sex scenes, strong language, murder, trauma, scars, death, sex with a minor, burning, mutilation, forced marriage, child marriage

Carissa Broadbent is unbelievably outstanding, her books constantly leave me speechless, and this is no exception. Diving back into the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia was everything I hoped for and more. Seeing our FMC, Mische get her own origin story, pick herself up after being knocked down, and work through the many challenges thrown at her was nothing short of outstanding. This ending left me in pieces and I will be wandering around lost until the next one is out. An absolute masterpiece, as expected, from an absolute masterpiece of an author.

An interesting return to the world of Nyaxia! Mische was the character I was most intrigued by in the first two books so it was great to get more insight into her past (which was rough) and also her thoughts and motivations. The pacing was good and the cliffhanger ending left me excited for the next book!

Did I avoid all of my responsibilities last weekend to binge this to my heart's content? Yes. Yes I did. I regret nothing.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone left me speechless and I needed to take a day or so to write up a review because all I wanted to do was dive back in.

Mishe, our FMC finally finds her voice within TSATHOS. We touch on her religion, her power and throughout the book her character develops into someone who isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes is right.

Asar, our MMC comes across as very reserved and standoffish but once the story unfolds it is easy to fall for his soft demeanour, his tenderness and all the scars he carries. I couldn't have dreamed for a better match for Mishe, and although the romance is slow burn, it is worth it.

Carissa expands on her already excellent world-building from the first two Nyaxia books and she does a great job taking us on this journey of high stakes, plot twists, and darkness finding the light.

A must read.

I absolutely devoured this - it was amazing! I had been waiting for Mische's story for so long and it did not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of The Songbird & the Heart of Stone in exchange for a honest review.

The plot? The characters? Their relationship? Luce? Immediately yes.

I'm so happy I read this book already while also very disappointed I already read it (such is the magic of a good book, I guess). I've always been a fan of Carissa Broadbent, but despite doing my best to manage my expectations when it comes to my favourite authors, there's always a secret wishing that nearly makes me beg the universe not to let authors disappoint me. I am very happy to say that Carissa Broadbent has never done anything wrong in her life.

After reading so many fantasy books with similar plots and identical characters, it's refreshing being able to open this author's books and know I'll find something different (I mean, a story about a God's bride and a necromancer prince? Signed me tf up).

I already loved Mische in the previous two books of this series, and I was extremely excited to finally get into this book and her story. Needless to say, this book lived up to all my expectations.

Mische went from being the sunshine-y character we knew to someone with a complex personality, an intriguing past and an exhilarating thirst for doing very silly things (like falling in love with someone other than the god you're betrothed to, I'd say). She was a delight to read about: hopeful, funny, kind and brave.
Asar, for his part, was her perfect counterpart. A sometimes very serious man, with the promise of a heart of stone and the delightful delivery of the very opposite. I loved seeing his personality and his arc develop from a cold, scarred vampire to the fiercely loyal, caring man he eventually became. I absolutely loved him for Mische and seeing their relationship flourish was beautiful.

This was a beautiful book, and I'm genuinely so excited to see where Carissa is taking their story next. From the cliffhanger, to Asar's promise, to every piece of lore we learn in this book, I'm definitely going to be counting down the days until we get book 4.

Needless to say, I'll keep recommending Broadbent's books to anyone who listens.

4.25 / 5 ☀️🧚🏼‍♀️⚔️

I cannot believe I was lucky enough to receive an early e-copy of this book, so huge thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan.

It's been on my kindle for awhile now but I wanted to read it closer to release. It was so good, different from the first duet but in a good way. I loved Mische, I loved Asar, I loved them (although I wanted just a little more from them) and I loved the Dante's Inferno inspired plot in this book because who doesn't love going through the levels of the underworld.

I didn't expect to see a lot of Raihn and Oraya but I wasn't expecting to see none, we did get a few mentions from Mischa and maybe the conclusion to this duet will see them band together or maybe they'll stay separate. Nonetheless, Carissa did it again with intriguing plot-lines, to exciting cliffhangers, to dazzling romance, that I'm sure will grow in book 2.

Carissaaa what are you doing to us? This book was just amazing. I loved the writing from the begining, I was hooked and I needed to finish this book. The story is so different from the first duet, as we follow Mische and learn so much about her. We also learn so much more about the world, the lore, the gods, and especially some more insights into Nyaxias past.

I enjoyed the first book of the series and did not so much like the second, but I liked Mische and was interested enough (and I like Carissas writing) that I just had to give this a try and am so happy that I did! I would recommend to anyone interested in the series even if you didnt particularly enjoy the first duet. The amount of thought that went into this book ... just incredible.
BUT be aware HUGE cliffhanger, so if thats not you maybe wait for the second House of Shadow book, when is that coming??

What I liked:
- Mische is just amazing, we get great insights into her backstory and they it was woven into the main storyline was just fantastic. I felt for her, I suffered with her, I was sad and devastated at the injustices she faced and yet she continued to have a spark in her heart
- Asar is an equally broken character and I only hope we get more from his POV and from his backstory in the future.
- More lore about the gods, Im so hooked now on the gods that I want a whole series on them!

What I didnt like:
- magic is magic and sometimes not all of it makes sense? I hope we get some explanations in the next book but even if not it seems like a small price to pay

Thank you so so much netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the eARC.

Carissa’s stories are some of my all time favourite, and she truly delivered with this book. The longing, the tragedy, the morally grey characters and their broken souls… SO GOOD!

Carissa’s writing style has clearly improved with the years, but in some ways I think she has gone back to her melancholic roots with this book. I really enjoyed the first two books in the Nyaxia series, but they felt very different from her previous novels. We saw a glimpse of her more romantic side in Six Scorched Roses, and I think she has been completely true to herself and her style in Songbird!

The imagery is so vivid, reading it felt like floating in space right next to the characters, following them in their journey to the underworld. I loved that we got to explore a bit more of the politics and backstory of the different houses as well as learning more about their gods.

The pace was a bit strange at times, I think it wasn’t made clear how much time had passed between scenes. This wasn’t helped by the fact that due to the nature of the events in the story, quite a few scenes end in fade to black only for the characters to wake up disoriented. It didn’t bother me enough to annoy me, but it is worth noting!

All in all this is by farrrrr my favourite Nyaxia book and I CANNOT WAIT to know where the story goes because oh em gee… that ending…!!!

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC of The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. I really love the Crown of Nyaxia series that I ate up this book and I liked it more than I thought I would.

Girlies and guys, first thing about the book that will definitely make you grab a copy; we have a "Do. Not. Touch. Her." scene. I repeat we have a "Do. Not. Touch. Her."scene.

Okay. That's it. That's the review. Read this. Kidding!

Here goes my very unorganized thoughts about TSatHoS (made up some acronyms). The story started slow at first, like a recap on the last book but hell the descriptions were so vivid like I can literally imagine how Carissa Broadbent described a place. TBH, I don't like Mische's character in the first two books but here I see her character grow and I understand her more as I read. I never thought I'd be invested in her backstory which really surprised me. I also like Asar, if he was damnation I'll be glad to offer myself up. 😉 And who doesn't like a grumpy but caring character on the inside? And Luce our loyal baby girl, she deserves all the love for saving both of their asses.

But question, does Carissa Broadbent into woman saving their man? This is the reason why I don't like the second book actually, I'm fed up with Oraya saving and sacrificing for Raihn's sake and I kinda see the similarities here. Or maybe I'm just not used to this kind of trope. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is why I hate having ARCs (though I'm thankful for it) now I have to wait longer for the next book! The ending was so good! I love this book more than the second one but not more than the first book.

Mische, my Mische "let them burn" Iliae. 😭

I’m lowkey pissed I got an ARC because that means waiting even longer for book 2 and I want it NOW!!!!!!
This was SUCH a good book. I don’t think the plot alone truly warrants a 5⭐️ from me but the romance on top of it was simply chef’s kiss. It was just the most tender and sweet but also angsty romance plot line ever, perfectly slow burn but also not too much and it’s a lot of trauma bonding in a way but in a way I can’t fully put into words. It’s the kind of story where the romance just makes sense, the character are made to be with one another, not because of fate, but because of their lived experiences and hardships. I lived for those sweet tender moments in between the chaos that was the rest of the story.
It’s a pretty self contained book in the sense that you only follow a very small cast of characters, some of them from the serpent and the wings of night and you need to have read all 3 previous books before that one. The setting is also quite contained in a way since they spend 90% of the book traveling through the underworld, so this is a very “quest” book, in a way.
What I found so interesting here was the way Mische’s relationship with Alaxus was portrayed, which is very much like a toxic relationship, except she is one of his followers and worshipers. They say “never meet your idols” and this is very much the case here. This story is also a story of a woman in a toxic relationship — with a god, and I loved that aspect of the book, even if it was quite sad.
I really enjoyed the first duology, but there’s just something about Mische and Asar, I can’t explain it but I just absolutely loved them, both as individuals and together.

I loved the first two books in this series and was worried I would automatically not like this one. However I really enjoyed Mische and Asar and I can’t wait to continue the duology in the future.

I am so glad to be back reading this world, I’ve really missed some of the characters.

I wasn’t sure if I liked this side of Mische at first, she’s so devoted and from what I can tell, her god does not deserve it. Through this story we get to see the layers of her faith and how her story began to how she becomes involved in Asar’s mission.

Asar is dark and broody, but doesn’t come across quite as merciless as the court and family he belongs to. He drags Mische on a perilous mission that will test them both in different ways.

There’s some light romance in this, but I’m glad this book is more plot driven. I look forward to seeing where the next book goes.

This review really hurts. I’m a HUGE fan of Carissa Broadbent, I will stand by the fact that daughter of the world is the most incredible romantic epic fantasy series of all time, but this book was a big struggle for me. I really enjoyed serpent and ashes and was super excited to get Miches book but I could not tell you a single thing that happened in this book. I had such a hard time following what was going on. I couldn’t really picture the setting throughout the whole book And I just didn’t feel the emotional connection between the characters. I do think the saving grace is that I really enjoyed the ending and I feel like it’s prepping us for a really good fourth book in the Nyaxia series.

I am so happy I am back in this world. I wasn't the greatest Mische fan, but after this book, I love her like no other. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about her past and how it affects her choices, as well as her relationship with Asar. The wait for the next book is unbelievable, but I know I'll keep counting down the days.

After binge reading the first two and the novella, I knew I was going to get something good but I wasn’t expecting this amazing.

I loved Mische in the first duology, when I found out this would be about her I almost lost it! She’s as fabulous in it as in the first ones, if not more.

After leaving the House of Night and saying goodbye to Raihn and Oraya, Mische finds herself in the heart of the House of Shadow, the kingdom of the price who forcibly turned her, and who she murdered. His family want revenge. All but the bastard prince, Asar, who says he needs her.

He needs to descend to the underworld to resuscitate the God of Death, at Nyaxia’s demand. Mische agrees, only because the other option is death. However, Mische also has a mission she needs to accomplish, given to her by her own god, Atroxus, god of Light. But to fulfill it, she needs to betray Asar. Can she complete her mission and gain her god’s favor, or will a certain Shadow prince get in the way of that?

I squealed and kicked my feet almost the whole journey down to hell. This grumpy/extra sunshine vibe is just what I needed in the first book in this new duology. I probably loved this one even more!
Everyone needs to get this as soon as it comes out!!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review!