I read this book when it was self published in 2023 and I adored it then. Getting an early release copy to read it again as a traditionally published version is unbelievably exciting. Getting to reread and get immersed back into the story nearly two years later just further cemented my five star rating. Anything Carissa Broadbent writes I will read. A forbidden love story with complex characters is something I will eat up everytime, especially when the lines between good and evil are blurred. Sylina and Atrius have a love story for the ages its dark, sexy and addictive.

"I live in dark stories. And I've been living in yours for nearly four months. If you're going to invite me in, invite me." I pushed against his chest, hard. "I already see you, Atrius. I'm not afraid."

I loved this book so much! Carissa Broadbent can do no wrong, she always manages to write intricate stories with complex characters, gripping action and unexpected twists. I loved the other books in The Crowns of Nyaxia series so i was incredibly excited to dive back into this world.
I adored both the main characters: Atrius with his fearsome reputation that doesn’t really match the nature of his heart and Sylina with her tragic backstory, her misled faith, her strength and at the same time her fragility really stood out to me, but then again i love all women written by this author as they’re all fierce and vulnerable in their own, unique way.

I really can’t wait to see both Atrius and Sylina in the next books from The Crowns of Nyaxia series, i’m so excited to see how their story will evolve!

Thanks so much to the PanMacmillan Team for a free e-arc, all opinions are my own!

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is a Fantasy Romance book and a standalone novel set in the world of Crowns of Nyaxia. I loved all Carissa’s books and this one is no exception, it’s incredible and a perfect read if you have a book hangover after finishing The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King!

Sylina is a priestess and an assassin, serving her beloved goddess since she was a child. When her country is attacked and being conquered by a vampire warrior, she is tasked with a mission to gain his trust and kill him, but the more time she spends with Atrius and the more she learns about life outside the priestess’ Keep, the more she realizes not everything is as she was taught and carrying out her mission might destroy her heart and her country.

I absolutely love everything about this book, the characters were so well written, both strong and imperfect, and the romance was just perfect enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers that had me screaming while reading some of the scenes between these two. Sylina and Atrius were just so amazing, I loved how their relationship progressed and how they both influenced each other to grow as characters, it was beautiful to watch their development. I also loved the plot, which was paced perfectly with no boring moments, and the magic system of the priestess’ was so unique and fascinating, I loved the idea of giving up their sight for the goddess and how they could see in a different way, it was so interesting and well described.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is an amazing story with great characters and beautiful enemies to lovers romance that I would happily read another 300 pages of, I so didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. I definitely recommend it to all fantasy romance lovers and if you have read other books in Crowns of Nyaxia world you definitely need to read this one, there are some interesting Easter eggs!

It's so rare when I can say that a spin-off story is better than the main series - and please note! I do not say this lightly! The Crowns of Nyaxia series is one of my favourite. It is burned into my very soul...yet this story tops that. Absolute perfection.
I can't wait to see how these characters tie into the main Nyaxia storyline!

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for the ARC via NetGalley and for the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on the book.

4.5 stars

[𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦]

I have, once again, fallen in love with another of Carissa Broadbent’s book. This only cements her as my new favorite author, I cannot begin to express how much I adore the stories and characters she creates.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror does not have an explosive plot, it’s actually something simple, but very intriguing. A few action scenes, some twists here and there, with a steady pacing that makes you keep reaching for the next chapter, eager to know what’ll happen next and how everything will unfold by the end. The romance ends up taking up a big part of the story, but I was okay with it, because it was so beautiful and endearing. But what makes this a great book, what made me love it, is the characters. Carissa is not only a master at crafting complex and interesting characters, but also excels at detailing their motivations, fears and flaws, making it so easy to understand them and what guides their actions.

Sylina is a seer and a warrior, trained from a young age to become a ruthless assassin for her Goddess. She also is physically blind. When she joined the Arachessen, a cult of females devoted to the Goddess Acaeja, she traded her sight for the ability to see the world through threads. She is able to see much more than before, seeing and feeling the world and life around her in a different way. I found it incredibly fascinating to learn how the threads work and Carissa explained it all beautifully. It was very interesting to watch Sylina struggle between her blind devotion towards her goddess and her own sense of justice and morality, which lead her to make some difficult decisions. Sylina is strong minded, she thinks before she acts, which is so refreshing to read when it comes to female characters, and is pretty much a badass. But, despite the life she lives, Sylina has remained kind and deals with very strong emotions that set her apart from her Arachessen sisters. She is a very lost girl, hiding deep inside her a longing and shame for her past.

Atrius is a vampire who came to Glaea, the human lands of this world, to conquer every territory. He was not what I expected, at all. Yes, he is ruthless, a brutally efficient killer, but he’s surprisingly kind and respectful. He’s very intelligent, a strong commander willing to do anything for his people. Atrius is very much a grumpy male who hides a kind heart behind the walls he has built to guard himself from the harsh world he lives in. It was refreshing to read about him, to witness his vulnerability, his tenderness. He was always so respectful towards Sylina, never belittled her or made her feel less than he was.

The romance between Sylina and Atrius is one of the healthiest enemies-to-lovers I’ve read. And it’s very believable. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, how it went from unease and distrust, not only because of the circumstances , but also because they’re from diferente species, to a partnership. They ally out of need but, along the way, they discover how much they have in common and realize that much of what they resented about each other was based on prejudices. They’re both lost souls who found comfort in each other. The slow burn was delicious, their chemistry undeniable and it was impossible not to love them. I just adored how they saw the truth the other so desperately tried to hide, and, because of that, there was no room for childish conflicts. Their souls were always bare, open wide, they always knew, without words, what the other was saying.

Although this is a standalone novel and you can read it on its own, I advise you to read at least the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, as it'll give you background concerning the House of Blood, from which Atrius comes from. The world from the series is so incredibly vast, I loved getting to see the human lands and learning more about another goddess. I always find it very interesting when fantasy books have gods, because it’s fascinating to explore the topic of faith and devotion and how often it clashes with human morality.

It’s not often that I read really good standalone fantasy that delivers this level of great character development in just one book. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, lovable characters, beautiful writing and great worldbuilding, then this is the book for you. I cannot wait to see what other stories Carissa decides to write in this world and I’m eager to see Atrius and Sylina again in the next installments of the Crowns of Nyaxia series.

4,5 ⭐

This book is perfect for everyone who misses the main series, it has all the elements and allows you to get to see this world from a different perspective! Loved it.

The two main protagonists are enemies and have to work together for different reasons and their slow burn relationship was just perfect. I fell in love with every single character of the book, as they all were complex and so well developed. Carissa Broadbent is a certainty when it comes to fantasy books.

The Nyaxia world is so beautiful and complex. I can't wait to read more books set in this world!

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

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is everything I wanted and more! The world is rich, the action is intense, and the romance is absolutely perfect.

Loved both mmc and fmc..The fmc is fierce and easy to love.Their chemistry is insane! I couldn’t put the book down—every twist had me on edge.

I'm just in love with Carissas storytelling and her writing is beautiful.all of her books were 5 stars and this one is no different!

I loved this one! Broadbent’s writing is enthralling and fast paced and pulls me in everytime!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted copy of Slaying the Vampire Conquerer. I devoured this one - full RTC 🩶