I really enjoyed this next instalment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. I think it is the best in the series yet.

There were a couple of points to the book that I didn't enjoy. Parts of the plot felt a little repetitive which made it a little slow to get started. I also didn't enjoy the relationship with Atroxus. I don't want to give spoilers but there were parts that felt unnecessary.

However, the characters more than made up for this which is why the book is still 5 stars. Mische and Asar are brilliant and complex characters and I am so attached to them both. I also love Luce, the dog.

The setting of the underworld is also very complex and fascinating. It made the book very atmospheric. I even got attached to Morthryn as a setting.

The book was a little slow to start but once I got 50% in, I read the rest in one sitting. I couldn't put it down!

I would highly recommend this book romantasy fans. It ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to find out what happens next. This book will be released on 19th November so make sure you check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley, Carissa Broadbent, and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the previous Crowns of Nyaxia books so I was not surprised that to find that I loved The Songbird and the Heart of Stone, too!

It was great to see Mische’s character development across the book, especially finding out more about her past as a priestess of Atroxus and her relationship with her sister, and Asar, the stoic bastard prince of the deadly House of Shadow and the heart of stone referred to in the title, was the perfect foil for her. The slow burn was perfectly done, I now want my own spirit wolf like Luce and the team’s descent into the underworld to resurrect (or kill?) the god of death, along with all of the challenges they faced on their journey, kept me hooked throughout. After that ending I really hope there isn’t a long wait before the next book!

It really was a rollercoaster
I was very excited to read this, it got me hooked from the very beginning, the enemies were✨ enemieing✨, the characters were very intriguing and it was a joy reading a true fantasy with vampires

Here’s what really true me off at some point
The plot was pretty repetitive, every part had similar things and it was getting boring reading about the same things over and over again

The whole relationship with the god was bugging me a lot im not gonna lie, from the very beginning i was not a fan of it, when i read the age i was prepared to dnf this book. When i read that it was not only serving him with prayers and that kind of this but also with the body… i was ready to pull some hair. I understand why it was necessary, and it was part of mische’s character development, but it was the kind of things that is uncomfortable so please read the trigger warnings before going into this book
Now listen, it was interesting reading about Mische’s thoughts and about her as a person. I was pretty scared that it will go down in a direction that im not gonna like in the end butttttt….. she really surprised me and this was the part that made me again interested in the story
I loved Asar, i loved the ending with the cliffy, it was a very good ending im not gonna lie, im definitely going to pick the next one up

Overall it with its ups and downs for me it was a solid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What fantasy is on your fall tbr??

Thank you netgalley and panmacmillan for the arc 🤭💖💖

I think it's safe to say this book has left me feeling broken, destroyed and a shell of my former self, and I'll be going into hibernation until the next book releases, thankyouverymuch. The downside of getting the ARC is that I have no one to talk to about my heartbreak and that I now have to wait even LONGER for book 4!

I was pretty scared going into this, because I really loved Raihn and Oraya and I was scared that Mische and her love interest wouldn't live up to my high expectations, but I'm glad to say that is not the case at all! In fact, I think I might like Asar even more! *gasp*
Mische's character felt a little shallow in the first two books, but now that we got to see her backstory, her past, her trauma, and I absolutely could not love her more.
The slow burn was exquisite and while there wasn't as much spice as I usually love, it didn't bother me. I'm glad it didn't overshadow the story and it was kinda expected because of what we learned from Mische's past.

I loved the epic journey through the Underworld I got to go on, and while I found it hard to imagine or envision some parts, I could not put this book down. This gave me all the feels, heart palpitations and tears in my eyes.
Well done, Carissa Broadbent!

One question though: WHERE DID LUCE GO??

The 3rd instalment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and safe to say I was very excited! I loved the first book, liked the second and was so happy that we would be getting 3 duologies! So this time we delve into the story of Mische. I liked her character in the first 2 books but we didn't know much about her other than snippets so I was excited to hear her origin story. Mische is an amazing FMC first up, she's so tough and I love that. She teams up with the main love interest, Asar who has just as many secrets as she does, in a quest to the underworld. It's a sloooowww burn romance and I think Carissa writes those so well. I love delving further and further into this world and can't wait for the 4th book!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review! I was thrilled to discover the story of Mische after really enjoying 'The Serpent & The Wings Of Night' and 'The Ashes & The Starcursed King'. I even did a re-read of the first books before going into 'The Songbird & the Heart of Stone' so call this dedication!

📖 Grumpy x Sunshine
📖 Quest
📖 Slow burn
📖 Cute dog companion
📖 Vampires and lore
Careful: Read the trigger warnings
Spiciness level: 2.5/5 🌶️

In general I'll give a 3.5/5 to the book.
It was interesting to discover the underworld and the House of Shadow. I was also intrigued by the overall plot with the gods games but that was basically it.
I really loved Mische's character in the previous books and was really looking forward to learn more about her but I somehow was a bit... dissapointed? Don't misunderstand me, Mische is still funny, caring and painfully human but this also means that she has her flaws. In this book, she just feels off to me. I couldn't find the powerful and strong character that could fight and defend herself. Mische felt very insecure and at time too naive and juvenile.
Asar was a bit of a surprise to me. I do love a grumpy boy, and he did deliver, but I felt that he was not compelling enough. I'm curious to see how his character will develop int he next book honestly! I'm hoping to see more sides of him.
The romance was a bit confusing to me due to the fact on how the story was written. It's still unclear to me how much time passed between each trial, and therefore how their relationship evolved. Both characters barely spoke to each other for the first 30% of the book and then developed strong feelings (of course there was intrigue and attraction before, but still). I couldn't feel the chemistry like I felt between Oraya and Rhain. Even the spicy moments were a bit disappointing (I don't even remember them being that important tbh). The plot and storytelling felt slow and I even skimmed some parts because it was just... not it.
The second characters were useless to me, I don't even know why they were added. Basically, everyone except Luce.

Where I was truly disappointed is by the way the story is written: the structure kept on repeating. They go through one trial, something incredible happen, there is a big fight or something like this and then... It fades to black. The amounts of scenes that were fading to black were ridiculous, honestly. It's was dropped the book to 3 stars.

The cliffhanger was good and I'm curious to read the second part of this duology, but I won't have my hopes too high.

I really liked returning to this world and getting to know Mische and Asar.
The setting is interesting and it's written fast paced.

Can't wait for the second book in this duology!!

When you get this book prepare to cancel all other plans. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. An absolute joy of a read. Drama and great characters, world building and so so much more. Buy it now and escape to a different world.

An incredible instalment in what is quickly becoming my favourite dark and gritty vampiric fantasy series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Given how much I liked the previous two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia I was beyond excited about The Songbird and the Heart of Stone.
I mean, we all fell in love with Mische's character and wanted to see more of her story.
Unfortunately, as much as I tried desperately to like this new story, I just couldn't feel it.
There were too many things that were repetitive :
- a lot of the chapters ended with “and then the darkness took me” kind of sentence as a cliffhanger for the next chapter
—she bumped at his back I think at least three times, and it felt strange
—I don't know how many times Asar used the ominous phrase that they are closer to the underworld now (at least after every obstacle they faced)
The different trials felt more or less the same and as they are treading in one place with the same enemies over and over again.
Another thing that I struggled with is that Mische's character felt….somehow different from our favorite in the other books. In the first two she felt like lithe and lite on her feet and, although not a warrior, very capable at fighting swift and lethal. Here she feels clumsy at her every step, and the wise girl who was always Raihn's voice of reason was gone.
And my biggest heartbreak was the lack of chemistry between Mische and Asar. At 30-40% of the story, they somehow instantly developed feelings towards one another and the reason and profound meaning behind them was missing or lost.
It pains me to write such a negative review for a favorite series of mine, but I can say that the shocking return of an absolute favorite character of mine at the end of the book is the sole reason I will read the next book when it comes out.

One line review - A gripping, slow-burn adventure that dives deep into Mische's backstory.

Carissa is a genius, turning the land of Obitraes into 3 duologies is such a unique idea and this book builds on perfectly from the Nightborn duology following Mische and I absolutely loved it!

Been let into the backstory of Mische and were she comes from answers so many of the questions I had about her from the previous books, it is also a heart wrenching backstory, with unexpected layers that caught me pleasantly off guard, especially in regards to religious trauma, grief, and guilt, making it emotionally powerful.

As Mische embarks on a journey through the underworld. I had forgotten how much I love stories set in the underworld especially when they involve guardian/wardens of the underworld that are always the dark and brooding MMC, this book goes one further and gives us his loyal "skull wolf," Luce—who is, without a doubt, the best girl and deserves all the head scratches.

The slow-burn romance was just pure perfection for me and refreshingly different from the previous two. The spice gave when it needed to with an incredible altar scene but was not heavy and was important to the plot.

Overall I enjoyed the fast-pace of the story, the new characters (whether I loved or hated them), the continued references back to previous characters and events solidifying this books place in the world as within it and not alongside it, and the continued steady growth of the world, especially the glimpses into the gods and their complex natures was amazing, I can not wait to see how this develops in future books.

The ending left me utterly shook, staring at a wall in disbelief, as the twists and turns throughout it where just as twisty and turny as SATWON, so I am not sure why it surprised me but I did not predict any of what happened and need to know what happens next, now!

I’m eagerly awaiting the next instalment and hoping the wait won’t be too long!

For context, I rated SATWON 4.5⭐️ and AATSCK 4⭐️

As someone who really loved The Serpent & The Wings Of Night and The Ashes & The Starcursed King, I’ve wanted to know more about Mische and loved that we got to on another adventure within the world (and underworld) of Obitraes. It just adds another level of depth to the world building and the introductions of the sanctums within the underworld was an interesting and eerie twist.

The chapters mostly comprise of Mische’s journey through the underworld on a perilous quest interspersed with flashbacks from Mische’s life, before and after she was turned. Mische battles with a lot of emotions along the way and it was great to see her coming to terms with her difficult past, how she is torn between her faith and what she feels is right and to see her finding her strength.

But, I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it as much as the first two books. This Mische felt different to the Mische in books 1 and 2. The plot unravelled at a much slower pace so it felt longer somehow. Certain characters kept cropping up out of nowhere/with no explanation, plus several chapters just randomly faded to black.

Not gonna lie, I’ve never been a huge fan of this series, but this installment has been unbelievably disappointing. The book focuses on Mische, my favorite character from the first duology, so I obviously had high hopes. Unfortunately, it completely missed the mark. It was repetitive, overly descriptive, boring, and lacked any spark in the romance. Some people may feel excited to return to a world they love, but when reviewing it honestly, this book pales in comparison to the previous two.
What I did like in this novel was how it delves deeper into the lore, particularly the gods, and finally gives readers a clearer understanding of what’s really happening in this universe. However, I’m always wary of books centered around a journey and a series of quests, as it’s difficult to write them in an engaging way. Unfortunately, this story falls short in that regard. Every quest the two main characters embark on (sometimes along with random sidekicks) feels the same—the group heads to the underworld to accomplish something, someone makes a stupid mistake, and the same fight scenes play out over and over again. I genuinely wanted to DNF this halfway through because I couldn’t stand reading the same sequence for the third, fourth, or fifth time. Additionally, almost every chapter ends with Mische descending into oblivion, darkness, or nothingness. How could the author not notice this level of repetition?
Another disappointment was the portrayal of the relationship between Mische and Asar. One might criticize Carissa’s previous books for their plots, but she knew how to write compelling romantic arcs with real chemistry between characters. In this book, we get none of that. Mische and Asar barely speak to each other, and then suddenly they jump from nothing to romance. Who can be enchanted by that? Definitely not me. There’s a cliffhanger at the end, and while I’d like to say it convinced me to wait for the next book, I’m honestly not sure.
All in all, this novel had so much potential, but it was wasted. I believe Mische and Asar’s story could still be salvaged, but they need to be removed from the underworld, and the repetitive structure must go. I truly hope this happens because these characters deserve better.

"Hello, Warden."
"Hello, Dawndrinker."

The Song bird and the Heart of Stone is an impressive introduction to the Shadowborn Duology in the Crown of Nyaxia Series, a skillful blend of intricate world-building with deep emotional storytelling.

The book sucked me in faster than I could say, 'Just one more chapter.' the author knows how to build a world that feels alive, all without the need for a map or glossary to navigate it. The main character? Absolutely relatable—just trying to survive while also dealing with the emotional rollercoaster. And let’s talk about the slow-burn romance. It's the kind of tension that makes you want to scream, 'Just kiss already!' But no, she keeps us dangling like a carrot in front of a hungry horse—like, come on, how much tension can two people handle? Spoiler: A LOT. There’s action, heartbreak, and twists than I was prepared for.

SUMMARY
Mische’s inner conflict is powerfully portrayed, as she is torn between her lingering devotion to the sun god. Meanwhile, Asar, the scarred bastard prince of the House of Shadow, carries the weight of his dark past, with his stoic facade masking deep-seated pain. The contrast between her lingering ties to the light and his embodiment of the shadows creates a powerful push-and-pull that keeps readers engrossed.

The Underworld, which they navigate, is portrayed with a chilling intensity reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno. Their descent through the five sanctums—Body, Breath, Psyche, Secrets, & Soul—serves as a harrowing journey not only through a perilous realm but also through their own inner demons. The creatures and beings they encounter offer more than just physical threats; they challenge Mische and Asar’s mental fortitude that force them to confront the ghosts from their past. Themes of trust, mortality, and the interplay between life and death are explored deeply throughout the book, setting the stage for the duology's continuation.

Thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for granting an early access to this book. Please note that this review is based solely on my personal thoughts & opinions.

This is not a stand-alone, reading the first duology is recommended to fully appreciate the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was read in about two sittings. I knew it would be a book I loved (having read the previous two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series). So I purposefully held off on reading it until I had a day where I could simply read with little to no distractions. And how worth it that decision was. I loved every second of reading this book.

I admit that prior to reading the blurb, I was a little worried to read a book set in the same universe as the first duet in the series, but not read about the same characters. This can be good or bad. In this case… it was good. Mainly because we follow Mische, who is a secondary character in Book 1, a character who I doubt anyone had difficulty caring for. It is nice to follow her story.

Mische is a complicated and complex individual who seems to vacillate between states of being. She has darkness and light battling inside her, a strong sense of self-preservation as well as a nuanced attitude towards taking risks. In a word, she is confusing. And it’s amazing to watch her work, and see her think. Asar is the type of man I wanted Raihn to be, funnily enough. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Raihn… but Asar hit the nail on the head in his own way. I can’t wait to watch him develop in the next book…

Now this book contains a steep increase in the presence of the gods. This is pretty cool as it’s not really something I’m familiar with in books. Normally authors are scared to play with them: they are distant names, mentions of people we never meet because how could our mortal minds process something like a god? Broadbent doesn’t shy away. We get to meet them multiple times. Love it.

As always, a delightful read. It was a hard book to rate. I went with 4 stars because, while the book contains many things happening, the plot itself was fairly limited. Personal choice, it’s not my favourite. But this book is well worth being picked up by the masses!

I liked The Songbird and the Heart of Stone but it did not blow me away like Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (which remains my favourite Carissa Broadbent novel) did. I will admit it got me out of a reading slump and I probably did have high expectations given how much I enjoyed the other Crowns of Nyaxia novels.

Despite the fact that I did like the novel, I still felt it was 100 pages too long with a mediocre plotline (journey to the underworld to kill the god of death) and to be completely honest slightly boring and drawn out in places.

I can deal with mediocre plot if the characters are interesting and the romance is good. The book is written from Mische's 1st person POV and I think this is why the romance didn't click for me until 70 - 80% through the novel. I would have appreciated some chapters from Asar's POV especially since Mische appeared in the first duology so we already knew her but Asar is still somewhat mysterious by the end of the novel. I felt he was a bit cold but despite the mystery, he definitely won me over by the end. Secondly, Mische's deep self hatred kind of put a dampener on things. Throughout the novel, I kept thinking in the background that this girl clearly needed a therapist and not a boyfriend. Of course, she did have a breakthrough by the end of the novel but I yearned to see her completely broken so she could start to piece herself together again but I have a feeling I'll get that in the second half of the duology.

3.5/ 5 stars

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄
by Carissa Broadbent (ARC, thank you Netgalley)

I gotta be honest, sometimes Broadbents titles confuses the heck out of me but not only did I get this one, I really liked it! I’ve been so intrigued by Misches character from the start, so I 100% did a bit of screaming action when I got this arc!

It’s quite the classic romantasy adventure in one sense, we’ve got our enemies who has feels for each other, travelling with companions. Except they’re both vampires, he can raise the dead, they’re travelling a weird deadish realm and are sorta hunted by ghost zombies, there’s gods and betrayal and just so much angst 👌 one thing I really love in this world that Broadbent is building for us, is the gods. I love how you can’t trust them, how imperfect they and selfish they are and how they’re just using humans and/or vampires to further their own agenda. They remind me a bit of the gods from Amanda Bouchets work, highly recommend if you want romantasy, enemies to lovers with god action, and I’m very excited to see where Carissa Broadbent takes us next. It’s also been a very long time (okay, since Gold was released so not that long) since an ending made me gasp and swear out loud, so well played, author Broadbent. I will say it dragged slightly at points, but that could also be me because for some reason I’m really struggling with the tempo in books atm, but it’s still a very enjoyable read!

🩸 vampires romantasy
🩸 enemies to lovers
🩸 gods that interfere
🩸 quest to raise one of said gods
🩸 flashbacks to Mishes human life (which I loved and I’m usually a flashback hater)

Ok I will be blunt and say initially I just wasn't wowed this time but as the story unfolded yep I definitely did not want to stop reading ! Mishe lost not just her humanity when forcibly turned into a Vampire she lost the love of the Sun God she had devoted her life to . Now she’s condemned for killing the Vampire Prince who forcibly turned her but wait his half brother has use of her ! Asar feels her connection to the Sun God can aid him on a dangerous mission in the Underworld as he has been tasked with returning a dead God to life. Trouble is there are those who really don’t want them to succeed and Mishe might have to sacrifice what she has only just found !
I admit it took me a few chapters to understand Asar as he does seem to have that titular heart of stone . The trials they face though meant he opened up and whilst not as instantly charming as Raihn he definitely won me over . That ending though is heartbreaking and I’m so pleased that there is more to come from the lands of Nyaxia.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Carissa Broadbent is an author who holds a special place in my heart. I discovered her work before she became the sensation she is now, and watching her go viral on BookTok has been an absolute joy. Her stories are so addictive, and seeing everyone obsess over them is no surprise—she truly deserves it.

When I got approved for this ARC, I couldn’t believe it! Carissa is such a big author now that I wasn’t expecting it, so a huge thank you to Pan Macmillan for giving my small account this incredible opportunity (and for completely messing up my TBR because I had to drop everything and read it ASAP!).

Reading about Mische is bittersweet. After all, I’m still craving more of the previous story, and we already know where things are heading. But getting back into Nyaxia was such a thrill, and this book did not disappoint.

A quick summary without spoiling too much: Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her humanity, her home, and worst of all, the love of the sun god she had devoted her life to. Now, condemned to death for killing the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels out of reach.

Her fate changes when she’s rescued by Asar, the scarred bastard prince of the House of Shadow, and given an even worse mission than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death. In a secret meeting with her sun god, Mische is commanded to betray Asar by killing the very god they’re supposed to bring back.

As they travel through dangerous lands, facing trials, dark beasts, and their own tortured pasts, Mische feels the pull of darkness—and of Asar. But the choice between redemption and damnation is fast approaching, and the gods are restless.

This book is everything I hoped it would be, full of tension, adventure, and heart. I couldn’t put it down!

"The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" completely drew me in with its blend of epic fantasy and romance. The story of Mische and Asar masterfully balances an intense enemies-to-lovers dynamic with a quest-driven adventure that kept me hooked from start to finish.

What I loved most was how the plot unfolded—filled with treachery, betrayal, and forbidden love. The journey into the underworld added a thrilling layer of danger, and every twist raised the stakes. The relationships between mortals and gods, as well as between vampires and humans, added tension and complexity, fueling both the conflict and the romance.

If you enjoy stories that mix epic quests with passionate, tension-filled romance, this book is perfect. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and their emotional journey was just as compelling as the action-packed plot. This is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy who enjoy intricate relationships, dangerous adventures, and a touch of vampire intrigue.