This was a huge disappointment. I’ve really enjoyed the other books in this world but I feel like this fell massively short. Almost like Broadbent is just churning out books without any care.

I liked the concept, but it was very predictable. I wouldn’t have minded, but the characters were too bland to give it any umph.

The writing was repetitive, and over explained everything with us being told rather than being shown.

I can see how others might like it, but it’s most definitely one I’ll forget.

I’m four books in and Carissa Broadbent has wowed me yet again.
I loved the leads of this book, Atrius and Sylina are my favourite couple yet. The way they complement each other is just gorgeous and their chemistry is off the charts. You want it you get it; forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, morally grey characters and the whole sent to kill him but fell in love fiasco and I ate it all up. Sylina is a freaking badass assassin and my favourite lead in the whole series. And I also love how we are slowly getting to know more and more about the Gods and Goddesses as well. The pacing felt a bit slower than the other books but I wasn't bored even for a second.
This universe and its stories just keep getting better and better, the more I read them. And the astonishingly good thing is that it’s not all based on just a couple of characters and we get to know new characters and stories without any repetition of personalities. All characters are distinct and unique.
I need to read The Fallen and The Kiss of Dusk now cause I am way too invested to know everything about this universe.

I was so excited to dive back into the World of Nyaxia and again, Carissa Broadbent did not disappoint. I really loved how we got to see a different part of the world and how the worldbuilding in this book expands the world and possibilities for the entire series. The plot also convinced me that the author just can not write a bad book. I was engaged the entire time, and the pacing was perfect. Not too slow, but also not too fast so it would get confusing. But my highlight were the characters. Sylina and Atrius were both complex, imperfect and so well written. Their chemistry was everything to me and I really really really hope, that we will see them again in the main Crowns of Nyaxia series (and after reading book 3, I can definitely see that happening). So to sum it up, if you loved the The Serpent and the Wings of Night duet, there is no doubt in my body that you will love Slaying the Vampire Conqueror as well. 5 stars.

Carissa Broadbent literally never misses, ever.

A heart-racing, thigh-clenching standalone fantasy set in the Crowns of Nyaxia. I absolutely love this world, and I’ve been wanting to pick this one up so I’m eternally grateful to Carissa, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for the re-release of this book.

Character development is truly the standout of this book for me, as with the rest of the Nyaxia series. We have Atrius aka The King of Yearning, our conqueror is painted as ruthless and cold but the man is a CUPCAKE. I am so in love with him it hurts.

Stylina, our FMC has had….a life. But her character development is so heartwarming and emotional I just CANNOT with this book 😭😭

Slaying The Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent is a stand-alone vampire romantasy set in the world of Nyaxia and the story of Sylina and Atrius.
 
Sylina had a difficult childhood until she entered the service for the Goddess of Fate and was formed into the perfect weapon. Sylina is such a fierce, strong, and inspiring heroine and I absolutely loved her and she’s the perfect heroine. I also liked the representation because she’s blind and nothing is stopping her.
 
Atrius is a vampire warrior and leader of the army. He’s a brute and a bit terrifying at first. But the more I saw of him, the more I liked him. He’s seen and experienced this world in a way that is remarkable.
 
Sylina is tasked to kill Atrius and she infiltrates the army and becomes the seer. And that alone was so thrilling and I’m amazed what Sylina can do. The more time they spend together, the more they feel drawn to each other and the longing in this story was unreal. And the forbidden aspect added a whole lot of angst, and I was completely enraptured by this story. They must risk everything for their world and more importantly their love and I just loved it so much. Also, it’s so difficult to come across a stand-alone romantasy and this book is just perfection.
 
Slaying The Vampire Conqueror captivated me from the first to the last page and I’m just obsessed with Sylina and Atrius. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Carissa Broadbent writes such solid fantasies. I don't read much fantasy anymore (slowly getting back to it), especially from authors I am not familiar with, but I'm so happy I took a chance on Carissa's books. They're incredible.

The plot was pretty straightforward but made interesting by the protagonist, who had their beliefs repeatedly challenged by the other's actions, especially Sylina. It had a lot of action moments with conquest of new cities, battles against magical creatures, and coming face-to-face with their true enemy.

Sylina is such a strong FMC. Carissa has the ability to write such complex and compelling FMCs. They're full of vengeance, fire, and darkness, yet they fight for those that cannot fight for themselves. They're selfless in their quest to protect the ones they love. Sylina had a terrible past that her new family tried to beat out of her, yet they never could. She feels so much when she should feel nothing. She defies what is expected of her. I really liked her character.

Atrius carries guilt and hope from an entire army. His quest is one of nobility, redemption, and desperation for a new dawn. He is full of layers shaped by a past of regret and guilt. His respect and willingness to sacrifice for his army is what makes him such a great potential ruler. He was so full of pain that it devoured him at times.

The development of their relationship was slow. They didn't trust each other for a long time, especially Sylina, as her quest was to kill Atrius after all. Their protectiveness over each other was so tender. It made the ending even more impactful. The epilogue set up book 3 in the series very well, it bridged the duologies in a way. I can't wait for book 4!!

Carissa Broadbent never disappoints! This was actually amazing! I loveeeee the lore, the world building and the vampires in this so much. The romance is incredible and books in this world never disappoint. This was truly no exception, I loved the chemistry, the drama, the plot! The characters were deep and interesting and I just loved it so much

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent is a dark and enthralling fantasy romance that expertly blends political intrigue, forbidden desire, and emotional depth. The story follows Sylina, an acolyte of the Arachessen and a deadly assassin, who is tasked with a dangerous mission: infiltrate the army of Atrius, the vampire conqueror terrorising her homeland, and kill him. But as Sylina embeds herself in Atrius’s inner circle, things grow complicated when she starts to see the man beneath the monster — and realises that her mission may not be as black and white as it seemed.

Sylina is a fierce and morally conflicted heroine, torn between her duty to her goddess and the undeniable pull she feels toward Atrius. Her internal struggle is palpable, and Broadbent does a fantastic job of showing how her past traumas and the weight of her faith shape her decisions. Atrius, meanwhile, is the perfect dark hero — brooding, dangerous, but hiding a wounded soul beneath his cold exterior. The chemistry between Sylina and Atrius is electric — full of tension, forbidden longing, and quiet vulnerability — making their slow-burn romance both painful and deeply satisfying.

The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, with a deep sense of history and mythology. The political tensions between the humans and vampires are layered and complex, adding stakes beyond just the romance. The writing is atmospheric and lush, pulling you into a world that feels both brutal and beautiful.

While the pacing slows a little in the middle, the emotional stakes keep you invested, and the unraveling of Atrius’s backstory adds depth to his character and their connection. The ending delivers a powerful emotional punch, leaving you eager to see where Sylina and Atrius’s story will go next.

Overall, Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a seductive, emotionally charged fantasy romance that delivers high-stakes action, forbidden love, and complex character growth. Perfect for fans of dark romance and morally grey heroes.

Somehow I went into this one completely forgetting that it was connected to the Crowns of Nyaxia series and I have no idea how I missed that, even more so because I really didn’t like the series (but I might go back and re-read it now because THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?)
I might just be a Carissa Broadbent convert now.

I didn’t have any expectations going into this, just roughly knew what the story was about and that there would be a lot of tension/angst/romance between the two enemies to lovers. It’s just a mix of things that are bound to work together and be a seriously good time!

This was so captivating from the world building which was truly insane, complex, and had so much depth that it’s clear just how much love the author has poured into this series, to how intricate and real each of the characters were. For me they really seemed to jump out of the page and had such a range to them that I felt like I was getting really attached to each of them (even the side characters) as the story was progressing.

Some of the quests and events that took place seriously floored me, and I was left heartbroken for the majority of them, even more so when a certain really devastating thing happened about half way through (that i don’t wanna spoil) that left one of the side characters reeling because his whole world had just been ripped out from under him. It’s not often that an author can make side characters just as appealing and interesting and integral to the story, but it was smashed out of the park here.

The FREAKING ENDING had me in awe. It’s probably the main reason that I’m going to have to go back and read the rest of the series, because truly what the heck was that?!?! So so sooooo good!!
Wasn’t expecting all the double crossing, the backstabbing and the grovelling but my god was it good! Seeing both of the Goddesses almost fight it out over their followers was seriously so interesting, and I hope that it’s a recurring theme for the rest of the series because OMG.

Truly an amazing (stand alone?) book. I would urge anyone and everyone to at least pick it up and give it a go if you already enjoy the romantasy genre because this has got to be one of the best that I’ve read in a really long time!

3.5 Stars for this one. I LOVE Carissa Broadbent. I first read this when it was on KU as part of the Monster romance series and it did not disappoint. The angst and the push and pull between Sylina and Atrius was to die for. Highly recommend!

I will read anything this woman writes. She just hits different every single time. Everything she touches is dipped in gold.

This definitely wasn't as developed as her other books, considering it was a standalone, but considering it was a standalone, what she managed to do with it was fucking impressive. The slow developing understanding and respect between Sylina and Atrius was so well paced and so well done. I couldn't have imagined myself at the beginning rooting for the man literally invading and conquering a nation but here I am.

I loved the Arachessan's and their powers. I'd take an entire book on their adventures alone.

I'm so sad this is a standalone, though. I know we'll see Sylina and Artius in future books, since we were literally told that at the end, but I'd take three more of just them and their adventures together.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0 STARS

God Carissa is amazing at writing fantasy stories. I adore this series so much and will read anything she writes about this world. This novella, which is a part of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, can be read as a standalone.

If you normally avoid novellas, but enjoy this series, I would still recommend picking this one up. Its just different enough that it feels separate, provides more back story to the main storyline and is a super fast read!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for a copy of Slaying the Vampire Conqueror.

- enemies to lovers
- vampires
- who's the real bad guys here
- delicious tension

I'm sorry what, how have I only just picked this book up, I will eat up whatever Carrissa Broadbent writes at this point!

This was delicious! I loved the tension between the two main characters, the way they size each other up and are trying to suss eachother out, I'm just living for.

The story line was past paced and had me rooting for the main characters, despite the set backs.

FMC: 26
MMC: 200+

Here’s the thing, Carissa just doesn’t miss. This whole series is pure magic in its ability to draw me in and craft a tale so spellbinding that I forget to function in order to read just one more page.

Slaying the vampire conqueror is a divine addition to the Nyaxia series and truly cements Carissa as an auto-buy author for me. If you love enemies to lovers, assassins, vampires, interesting magic systems and excellent world-building, you’ll enjoy both this book and the entire series.

Everything Carissa writes is pure gold!

I’ve read all of her books, and this one is just as captivating as the rest. She has this incredible way of pulling you in so completely that you don’t even realize you’ve reached the last page—until you’re desperate for more. If you haven’t read her work yet, this is a great place to start, but honestly, do yourself a favour and read everything she’s written. You won’t be disappointed!

I was so happy to receive a widget for this as I'm a huge fan of Carissa's work. This was no exception. It's emotional and gripping, cute in places and spicy in others. It was an absolute joy to read. I loved seeing the characters fighting their urges whilst also watching their love grow despite the situation they were in. A fantastic read!

I love Carissa Broadbent's books and this one did not disappoint. It had the right amount of violence and world building. I absolutely adore the relationship of Atrius and Sylina.

Loved it. I read it so fast. I really enjoyed the other books in this world too so I knew I would like this. I really liked the characters Sylina and Atrius. I will definitely read more books in this world. I thought the world building was good. It was really well paced neither too fast or slow. I didn't even mind the fighting bits which was a surprise as I usually skim over those as they can get repetitive.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

i preface this by saying that this is my first book by the author and i have absolutely no knowledge on the whole Nyaxia world other than vampire hunger games or something like that. knowing that my first introduction to this world is a standalone in the middle of it, it is almost a pity that i didn't read the rest of them first.

this book is fast paced and goes by like zoom, no time is wasted on unnecessary backstory or exposition (thank you to the glossary). i very much enjoyed the world building with the gods and cults and the different houses of vampires. it was digestable, though i wish there was a more to grip me about this story. the Sightmother and the Sisters are very interesting, it would have been nice to see more of how they work instead of portraying them as so mysterious and all the lies and secrets before their inevitable end.

the romance is quite nice, but once again didn't grip the brain like i thought it would. it is a pretty typical sizzling enemies to lovers fantasy story, though i felt like it could have done so much better should Atrius actually hate her like, knife to the throat hate her, from the very beginning. it felt like they fell very quickly, and i wanted to see more of the nights Sylina helped stave off Atrius' curse that seems to be where the feelings stem from.

that epilogue with Septimus to so intriguing and i am very sure it is a segue to the next book. might pick it up!!

Love this universe that Carissa Broadbent has created so much. This story takes us a little deeper into the House of Blood. The chemistry between Sylina and Atreus was so so good. Slow burn but it made the connection even better. I do love how each journey into this world is leading us closer and closer to this inevitable clash between the gods and their subjects. The epilogue!! Cannot wait to get more of the House of Blood. 4 ⭐️