This was my most anticipated book release of 2024, and it absolutely delivered! What a beautiful book, and such a strong continuation of the story in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. Mische was one of my favourite side characters from the previous duology, and Carissa Broadbent has truly done her justice here. I felt so connected to Mische's journey throughout the book, and I am even more excited to see how it continues on after this!

Carissa has such a wonderful way of crafting a fantasy world through her words; I felt thoroughly immersed and connected to every aspect of the story. I felt stuck between wanting to read as quickly as possible, and wanting to hold off so I could savour the story as long as possible - that's when you know you have a great book!

In my opinion, Carissa Broadbent has well and truly earned her place as one of the top fantasy/romance authors. I could not recommend this book, this series and, honestly, every book Carissa has written, more!

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for this ARC that I received via NetGalley. I was greatly honoured for the opportunity to read this ahead of time and share my views.

‘But she only knows how to love things she can fix, and there is no fixing you, is there? (…) Or perhaps that’s why you would be so perfect for each other. A girl who can only love broken things, and a boy so broken he can only love what he cannot have. A Perfect match.’

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone follows Mische and since reading the first book she has been my fave character so you bet I was super excited for her own book! And in this book, you will fall even more for her and the new Male Lead - Asar Bloodborn. Asar is exactly what I love in book boyfriends - quiet, kept to himself, sense of justice, appreciative of little things/details, does not go out of his way to do bad things and does not use his trauma/past as an excuse to be bad - he is good and I LOVE GOOD GUYS!

I loved the purgatory theme, how they go through levels and how it allows us as readers to completely submerge into the complexity of the characters, their past, present and future; their fears and hopes. I also think Mische is definitely the character to go onto this journey. There are a few plot twists and I loved every turn and twist in the plot.

Carissa’s writing always hits the spot, she’s so talented in her story-telling and I simply love to devour her words! I found this book to approach traumas in a very sensible and considerate way. This is definitely my favourite book from The Crown of Nyxia and I cannot wait to read the next instalment!

adpr Many thanks to the publisher for this e-arc! All opinions are my own 🥰

Emotional damage.

That's it. That's the review.
I am joking.

So in this book, we follow Mische who we meet in the two previous books. As you probably know, the first two books were set in the House of Night and in this duology it is in the House of Shadows.

Warning : If you haven't read the two former books, i highly recommend you to stop reading this. I will mention information that was learned in said books.

So, as we know, Mische was a priestess of Atroxus (the god of the sun) and she was turned by the heir of the shadow kingdom against her will. And she killed him. You go girl.
Mische is this incredible full of optimism vampire and she is so perky and I loved her the second that I met her.

But, as mentioned above, she murdered an heir and so she is on the run. Unfortunately, she gets captured and is to be executed.

Thankfully, the bastard of the king, Asar, saves her to help him accomplish a mission for Nyaxia. And at this point, the story unfolds.

Now. I- I love Asar so so very much. He is this closed, broody character, but as time goes by, I started to relate to him in a way that i didn't see coming. And it broke my heart. I just want to give him a big hug, but luckily, Mische does it for me.

In this book, we are discovering a new environment and the description was beautiful and so descriptive. It amazes me how well this was done. Especially since we encountered new entities, and usually for me, it's hard to grasp all the new information in a world i already know but the way the author did it was smooth and she did not info dumped her readers. I respect that so much.

The romance is wonderful and as always, i feel like she is one of the few authors who, when they write a fantasy book with romance in it, doesn't put the plot aside for it. It is effortless

What I really appreciated in this book is how cohesive it is with how the story ended in
The Ashes & the Star Cursed King. It was really fluid and logic how this book started, and the plot was so obvious. I enjoyed the little connections/ mentions that the author did with Slaying the vampire conqueror. I really recommend you to read it, even if there is a very small mention of the events in that book, it's so much better when you know everything that unravels. Mainly because the ending of STVC is spoiled in this book.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is a book who deals heavily with death and acceptations. The whole book is a path, a journey for Mische to do, and reading about everything that she went through broke my heart. The conclusion of this journey was sublime and I am looking forward for the next book.

And the end ? THE END KILLED ME.

This was chaotic and tense and horrific and beautiful and painful in all of the best ways.

I loved Mische in the firs two books, so much so that I didn't doubt her own book would become one of my favourites and I wasn't wrong. Her story is so beautiful and heart breaking and inspiring.

This book is so wildly different from books 1 & 2 and at first, I was a little unsure how that would end up working out, but it was hands down the best in the Crowns of Nyaxia series so far.

The only downside of books like this - especially when it's an arc- is that I have even longer to wait now until the next book. Because that ending? THE EPILOGUE?

Carissa Broadbent only gets better and I cannot wait for book 4.

It's now August and I've read Songbird three months early, you know what that means? I now have three months extra waiting for the second book in this duet and I am in a world of pain.

Songbird had a stripped down cast of characters. I didn't realise I was ready for a break from court politics, but I ended up pleased to find this installment was outside of those courts and in an underworld of its own. This was a journey of journeys and a quest of quests where blood, sweat and souls were at stake.

How was Mische, you ask? Mische was raw, flayed open at the seams and vulnerable. It was so damn good to get to know her so much deeper. Her origins, past and her darkest secrets. She was still the compassionate vamp we'd come to know. The two other main characters of Asar and Luce, well, you are not ready for how rich and great reading these two were.

The romance was exquisite, slow-burning and forbidden. I am not over what I have read in terms of connection, chemistry and completion. This couple dominated the pages in their reluctant respect of one another through forced proximity.

I am ready to know what the world above was doing during this installment. What the dramatic plot points and ending will lead us to. Carissa Broadbent has followed up the first duet with a mind-blowing start to the second and I am in fandom with this world.

Thank you to Bramble and PanMacmillan for the review copy.

*2.5 stars
I am gutted 😞

I wanted to love this so badly, but this was such a disappointment!

I can't go into what this is about too much, given that it's the third book in a series, but it follows Mische who we meet in the first book and her journey through a place with a grumpy vampire. And feelings may or may not grow between them! Super vague, but I don't want to spoil.

Unfortunately, this book was super boring. Every leg of the journey felt exactly the same, including an extremely similar battle about 5 times. I also felt like we didn't get to know the love interest very well. I don't really know much about him and I've just spent 400 pages with him, soooo yeah. Mische was developed from the previous books and we got a lot of her backstory, which was great, but unfortunately I just found it boring overall! I frequently found my mind wandering and had to reread sections quite often.

It did have a cliffhanger though, so I will read the next one, but I would say the original duet is much better!

Broadbent’s writing swept me into a dark, mesmerizing world where every twist and turn felt like a punch to the gut. Her portrayal of Mische’s inner turmoil and forbidden attraction to Asar made my heart race and ache. The romance is as forbidden as it is electric, and the tension between them had me on the edge of my seat. As the story unfolds with trials, ghosts, and divine machinations, I found myself torn between hope and despair, eagerly turning pages to see how Mische’s choices would unravel. This book not only solidified my love for the series but also left me emotionally raw and yearning for more. I’m already counting days of the next book.

Not only do I think this is Carissa Broadbent's best work yet, it's also my favourite fantasy read of the year so far!

Carissa is fantastic at blending fantasy and romance, not allowing either of them to overshadow the other. I loved that there has been a very distinctive setting for each of the duologies in this series so far. First the Kejari and now Morthryn, the prion/ underworld. The setting is so richly described that it is easy to envisage.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about moving on from Raihn and Oraya, but boy am I in LOVE with Mische and Asar. We learned so much about Mische's past, and most of it was horrible. The trauma and abuse that she faced as a human was quite chilling at certain points, and I recommend any readers look at trigger warnings before reading. Mische's character growth in this book was admirable and she has very quickly become a favourite of mine.

I hope in the next installment we will get to learn more about Asar's past, it is touched upon in this book but there is so much more to explore, I cannot wait for the conclusion of their story.

A girl who can only love broken things, and a boy so broken he can only love what he cannot have.

Mische left Oraya and Raihn only to be captured by the House of Shadow whose prince she killed. She is only saved from execution by Asar - the Wraith Warden and scarred heir. He requires her for a mission from Nyaxia, the goddess of vampires, to go the underworld.

Mische (pronounced Meesh-uh - definitely not been pronouncing it right lol) was chosen by the sun god before being Turned. Now she feels abandoned by her god, the magic burning her when she calls on the sun, burning her vampire self.

I loved her journey of accepting her self and present situation.
Similar to Oraya’s arc, Mische must grapple with her past and the love she thought she had, the devotion she felt, and the love she felt she didn’t deserve.

Mische is was a priestess. A scholar. A bringer of the light. Yet, she has experienced so much blood and death and trauma but still greets the world with smiles, chatter, and unrelenting kindness.

I knew she was a favourite from the first time she appeared in The Serpent and the Wings of Night!

As if it wasn't the most compassionate thing someone could do for another being. As if even attempting to help those who were so helpless to all others wasn't such an act of bravery.

Broadbent knows how to write delicious slow burn. Normally, I don’t typically enjoy romantasies as the romance being at the forefront frustrates me in circumstances that make no sense. Yet, Broadbent keeps the tension high, doesn’t rush the development, and doesn’t add any unnecessary scenes or drama that recent books trying to hit a troupe list do.

Let him unravel. Let me see what he looked like in the ruins of all that self-control. Let him drown my grief and my sadness beneath the exquisite sin of his touch.

If you need any more convincing, there is a dead wolf companion called Luce who is probably Mische and Asar’s biggest (most annoying) matchmaker.
Also, there is a sentient magical death prison.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

I'm absolutely devasted that it's over. I adored this book, even more than Oraya and Raihn's duology; which I honestly didn't think was possible.

Watching Mische desperately clawing her way to her supposed redemption was utterly heartbreaking. She's such a beautiful soul and her self-hatred was so incredibly tragic to behold. I adored the way Asar worshipped her throughout.

This book was very atmospheric and had a constant feeling of impending doom, which felt almost claustrophobic at times. I felt like I was at their side throughout their journey deep into the underworld. With each new layer, I became more and more invested in their tangled path.

These are two complex tortured souls, and I so desperately want them to achieve their happy ending. This really was a triumphant return to the Crowns of Nyaxia world.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent has been on my MUST TBR list ever since I was fortunate enough to be part of Readalongs for the first two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and fell in love with the Nightborn Duet that told Oraya and Raihn’s story. This 3rd book in the series and first book in the Shadowborn Duet focuses on the story of Mische and Aras.
Whilst Aras is a completely new character to me, Mische did feature in the original Nightborn Duet books, but whilst I was taken by the backstory and her role in that story, I was a little doubtful as to whether or not Mische was a strong enough character to focus as protagonist in the next duet…well, I’ll tell you now, I was totally WRONG!
Mische was a devotee and follower of the Sun God Atroxus, her life was dedicated to him from the tender age of 8, becoming pretty much a bride of his…
“Because this is what I was taught that love was – something you hurt for, something you bled for. You give your god your life, your blood, your virgin body…”
Until Mische’s life was destroyed after she is attacked and made vampire by Malach, whom she does kill in previous books. Mische finds herself captured and sentenced to death for killing Malach, who was a vampire prince but is given an alternative to aid the prince’s bastard half-brother Asar in his travels to the Underworld to bring back to life the God of Death!
Of course nothing is that simple, particularly when it’s written by Carissa Broadbent. Why would a quest through the dangerous, dark and destructive Underworld be enough, having to face demons and wraiths and more, when there are so many other perils that can be faced, including the command to perform a duplicitous and fatal mission by the Sun God himself, Atroxus?
Broadbent once again delivers a masterclass in weaving plots within plots, stunning and immersive worldbuilding and characters you could truly die for! Never mind just how tortured and guilt-ridden said characters are, each with their own sub-plot and mission, and of course all of the best tropes…albeit slightly subverted from bed to bath! (IYKYK)
The plot itself is carried across multiple sections and paced to perfection, whilst not constant action, the story carries you through the most intense violent scenes that had me gripping the book as I read them, to scenes of such devastation, or perfectly balanced heartfelt moments and tenderness, that truly had me in tears at some points. Yes, there are most definitely feelings, not just of the romantic kind, both Asar and Mische’s back stories are truly enlightening and bring greater depth and understanding to the story that I totally fell for them both.
And finally, I have to mention Luce – the resurrected ghost dog! Any author who can bring a dog to life and paint a relationship of such mutual love and adoration between said dog and their master, is an author I will read again and again!
There is no middle book syndrome here whatsoever, Carissa Broadbent has once again proven how rightly and perfectly she has earned her title as Queen of Romantasy with The Songbird and The Heart of Stone. And my only regret is how long I will now have to wait for the next chapter in Mische and Asar’s story!

Thank you so much Pan MacMillan, Bramble, Book Break UK and Netgalley for the arch of The Songbird and The Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent in exchange for my honest and unbiased review!

By far my favourite vampire book of 2024


AND nobody told me that this book was so hades and Persephone coded?

The most perfect slow burn romance, which a smidge of spice!

I truly think that this is my favourite book by the author yet and I can’t wait for the second book of this duet! My only regret is not being able to read it again for the first time!!

*******************

After murdering the vampire who turned her, Mische is waiting to be sentenced when the prince states he needs her to resurrect Alarus for Nyaxia. In order to do this they have to venture through the underworld causing Mische to relive all of her past and her secrets.

- This is the tale of how a chosen one falls. She does it screaming, clawing for her old life with broken fingernails. She does it slowly, over the course of decades -

I absolutely devoured the first two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and I’ve had The Songbird and the Heart of Stone pre-ordered since it became available . So when I saw this eARC arrive in my inbox I just about wept. I knew I was going to love this and I was not wrong.

I don’t know how to write this review without all of there spoilers because THIS and oh my gosh THAT and THEN THIS! But seriously, Mische and Asar and their journey.. gosh damn. Just gosh damn. Enemies to lovers. Sloooooow burn. Gods. Trauma. Wraiths, the underworld, the most adorable ghost dog.. I can’t.

- This isn’t what love should feel like. “Show me what it should feel like,” I whispered. The blade fell. My sentence was written. We crashed together into beautiful damnation -

Dare I say, I think I liked it even more than Oraya and Raihn’s story. I said it. I did. Mische is just sublime, she’s funny and broken and the epitome of smile and crack a joke to plaster over the cracks (hard relate!) I loved her so hard.

Of course, now I need to wait a thousand years to find out what happens after that ending so there’s that 😣

Seriously, add this to your TBR. It’s phenomenal.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Bramble, Pan MacMillan and Carissa Broadbent for gifting me this eARC. My review is voluntary and written honestly.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a Mische storyline- I loved her in the first 2 books of the series but I had concerns over whether she was a strong enough character to have a book of her own. Why on earth was I worried?!

While a lot of this book is slow paced the development of the characters is fantastic. I enjoyed the journey through the Underworld, with flashbacks to Mische being chosen by the sun god. It was an interesting way to tell us the character back story.

I'll be honest, I'm furious at how the book ended. This is not the ending I was hoping for but I guess I'll just have to wait for the next instalment!

This book everyone!! When I tell you I was so happy to receive an arc because I couldn’t wait to get back into the dark sinister world of Carissa Broadbent! This book was amazing from head to toe. I loved the characters and Mische‘s story (Asar is holding my heart) and loved the writing style. The world building part and some things of the plot were a little repetitive but I didn’t mind.

When I received this eARC, I screamed! Carissa Broadbent is one of my all time favourite authors, and The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

This book follows Mische, a devotee of the Sun God who lost everything when she was turned into a vampire. After killing the vampire prince who turned her, she is sentenced to death, but is saved by his half-brother, Asar. He needs Mische to travel to the Underworld with him to resurrect the God of Death. However, Mische is given her own mission from the Sun God; betray Asar by killing the God of Death once he is resurrected.

The writing in this book was just like all of Carissa’s other books - absolutely stunning. The prose was lyrical, and the descriptions of the Underworld painted such a vivid picture in my mind. The setting was dark and sinister, but also so beautiful and fascinating.

The plot was perfectly paced and had me gripped immediately. As you would expect with such a dangerous quest, there was tons of action, which was broken up perfectly with tender, heartfelt moments between the characters. This story really had me biting my nails one minute, then swooning the next.

I already adored Mische from the first two books in the series, but I loved getting to know her better in this one. Every few chapters we got a flashback from her life before she was turned into a vampire, which was so interesting, and such a great way to relay the information without it feeling like an info dump. My heart hurt seeing her grapple with who she was before and who she is now, but her transformation and character development was incredible to read.

Asar was as much of a complicated character as Mische, and I loved him so much! My heart also ached for his past, and I loved seeing him soften towards Mische as the book went on. Their slow-burn romance was incredible, and the spice was spicing!

The last few chapters were an absolute whirlwind, and the last page had my jaw hanging open. It’s not often that I’m that shocked by books, but I was lost for words! The wait for the next book will be torturous, but I am so incredibly excited to see what happens next.

A big thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was so excited to get to read an ARC for this! Reading Mische’s story didn’t disappoint and I loved learning about her background. The ending is sooo good and I can’t wait til this is out so I can talk to people about it!

Woah. This was an absolute wild ride.

Having read all of Carissa’s previous books, I was so excited to be able to read an ARC of this!!

I really enjoyed the first duology and was so excited to be back in the world! Mische was such a stand out character for me and I was so excited to find out more about her and her life.

The plot and world-building are truly second to none although I did find parts of it a little repetitive.

Asar, Asar, Asar. What a MMC. Layered and complex, he had me clutching my chest and kicking my feet!!

The ending truly left my jaw hanging wide open…Carissa, you truly are a queen of cliffhangers.

I cannot WAIT for the next!!

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Tor Bramble. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Songbird and the Heart of Stone.]

Rating: 4/5

Oh it’s good to be back! Since finishing The Ashes and the Star Cursed King, I’ve longed to return to the deadly, vampiric lands of Obitraes, and despite the time that has passed it truly feels like I never left at all. The Songbird and the Heart of Stone begins the next duet within the Nyaxia series, and now that Oraya and Raihn’s story has come to an end, it’s Mische’s time to shine - literally!

After murdering a vampire prince in the previous duet, Mische narrowly avoids execution when she is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow. She is then forced into an impossible mission to the underworld where they will face trials, beasts, and countless vengeful ghosts, and where they must attempt to resurrect the god of death.

By this point you’ll probably know what you’re getting with these books and I’m happy to report that Songbird includes all of the fun tropes that we know to expect from Carissa. There’s a perilous quest that ensures danger is never far, complex characters you will fall in love with, and a heart-wrenching romance that will have you screaming when you reach the last page. This is truly romantasy at its finest.

Having spent the first two books in the House of Night, we now get to learn more about another of the three vampiric houses; the House of Shadow. One of the first things I loved about learning of this new place was how different it felt. You get a real feel of elements such as architecture and fashion having a different aesthetic which helps set this house apart from what we’re already seen, and it’s interesting to see how the style of each house compliments the gifts that they have.

This book also introduces us to a whole cast of new characters. There’s new friends and foes, but more importantly, there’s a new love interest to fall head over heels for. Asar hasn’t quite reached Raihn status, but he’s not far off. In contrast to Mische’s bright and bubbly personality, Asar is much more thoughtful and brooding, and as you might expect, he comes with a fair bit of baggage. I really loved seeing him fall for Mische as the story went on, and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for him in the next book.

And of course I have to mention how great of a character Mische is. In Songbird we learn so much more about her backstory which is a lot more darker and sinister than you would expect from this sunshine character who, as a child, devoted her entire being to the sun god. She makes me think of the saying, ‘the brightest light casts the darkest shadow’, which summarises her journey quite well. What Mische goes through could be a trigger for some so I’d urge readers to check out content warnings before diving in.

There are so many highlights and positives to rave about but there were also some elements that I didn’t love. For example, some plot points were quite repetitive (a few chapters end in very similar ways), and the writing in some places was a little clunky which took me out of the story. Songbird also doesn’t have as much romance and tension as previous books which readers might struggle with.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and I’m so happy that it didn’t disappoint. Although there were some areas I found jarring, that still didn’t massively affect my overall enjoyment and after that jaw dropping ending, I’ll be counting down the days until the next instalment.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone is the first book in an epic fantasy romance duology that follows Mische, a former devotee of the sun god who loses everything after being turned into a vampire. Condemned to death for killing the vampire prince who turned her, Mische is unexpectedly saved by Asar, the scarred bastard prince of the House of Shadow. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death. Along the way, Mische is secretly tasked by her sun god to betray Asar by killing the god they seek to revive. As they face numerous trials and grow dangerously close, Mische must ultimately choose between the light she once worshipped and the darkness that now calls to her.

This book was exciting from the very first chapter and I devoured the book in about half a day because it was just addictive. There's a beautiful and emotional slow burn romance combined with a high tension quest as Mische and Asar complete the Descent into the underworld. The path to the underworld grows more dangerous with every relic of the dead God they collect, so there's a lot of action and tension in the story. The last chapter and the epilogue were crazy, and it set up next book SO well. I'm desperate to know what happens now but it's so far away!

It was a fantastic first book in the Shadowborn Duet and it did stand up against the incredible first duet focused on Oraya and Raihn. I think all the essential information you need to know about Mische from that duet is well signposted in this book in case you're coming in fresh to the series here, but personally I'm glad I'd read the previous books just to understand the world and Mische better.

Mische was a favourite character of mine from the first duology in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, so it was fantastic to see her get her own duet. She's such an amazing character and you get to know her so well in this book. It feels weird saying that I instantly connected with a Shadow vampire with sun God magic but there's just something about Mische's relentless hope, courage and kindness despite everything that she goes through that I was just so drawn to. You'd have to have a heart of stone to not want this girl to get her HEA!

Be prepared for emotional damage in the final section and to go feral waiting for the next book!

Note: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.