Sylina has given everything to her goddess and sisters, not only her life's purpose but also her eyes. She's a highly trained assassin, trying to do the best for her people and complete the Sightmother's requests.
She is tasked with finding the brutal and cruel vampire conqueror and killing him.
Once successfully recruited as his seer, Sylina realises that perhaps all is not what he seemed, and this dangerous vampire isn't all bad. In fact he cares. A lot.

This was an enjoyable standalone (although I have read it in the reading order of the Crown of Nyaxia series as advised. Carissa Broadbent has such a beautiful writing style which keeps me engrossed throughout. She is very clever at pacing and building tension and I found myself reading through this very quickly, gripped when moments of tension arose.

Unfortunately for me the romance didn't quite hit. I liked both characters but I didn't see or believe the chemistry, it felt like it went from 0-love pretty quickly and I didn't really connect with how or when their feelings towards each other shifted.

Overall a fun read and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sylina and Atrius pop up in the rest of the series.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror honestly has a lot of great things going for it. I mean, a slow-burn hate-to-love forbidden romance between a vampire conqueror and a human Seer tasked with assassinating him, all set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world? Killer set-up, if you ask me, yet ultimately it never really reached beyond being just a fun if aggressively fine binge read for me.

As always, Broadbent does a phenomenal job of balancing the fantasy and the romance elements of her storytelling, and I really enjoyed the expansion of the world that I'd come to love in the main Crowns of Nyaxia series. Especially the whole thread/Seer magic captured my imagination, even if I couldn't fully wrap my head around all its intricacies.

However, I never really latched onto these characters for some reason, which definitely lowered the stakes and hindered my personal enjoyment a bit. Also, I found the blind representation for Sylina quite weak, especially because she 'has her own way of sensing the world' which basically made it feel like she could see anyway.

Moreover, this story is quite fast-paced and focuses heavily on the military campaign that our broody, dark vampire conqueror is embarking on, which is just not my favourite type of plot. Battle action, capture a new piece of land, plan next moves, and rinse and repeat. I got kinda bored at some point, and I really can't say that any of the twists and turns surprised me.

Still, the fun character dynamics between Sylina and Atrius kept me entertained enough, and I really enjoyed how they started to work through their own respective trauma together. Did I really feel their chemistry? No, I can't say I did, but they convinced me that they were obsessed with each other anyway so I can't complain. Plus, I will always be trash for a hot broody vampire with a tragic past and a soft heart... sorry not sorry.

Despite all my quibbles, I absolutely flew through this one and had quite a good time. And even though it is very strong as a standalone, I am eager to see this couple's promised role in the later instalments of the larger Crowns of Nyaxia series.

This was actually my second time reading it—I first picked it up two years ago, so now felt like the perfect moment to revisit it before the next book in the Crown of Nyaxia series drops.
Plus, this edition has an extra chapter featuring Septimus, which makes it even more intriguing.

Carissa definitely did not disappoint with this standalone novel!
I love everything in it and I would high suggest for you to read the trigger warnings before reading this one cause there’s a lot of dark topics and gory scenes throughout the story.

Highly recommended for fantasy lovers to read this book, if you love;
• Vampires
• Enemies-to-lovers
• Forced proximity
• Hidden identity
• Forbidden love
• Morally gray characters
• Action-packed

Different from the previous Crown of Nyaxia duology which feature House of Night, in this story it's time to get into the House of Blood and know more about the curse which was put by Nyaxia herself to the vampires of House of Blood.

I love the main characters (Sylina and Atrius) chemistry!
The enemies-to-lovers is well written, the tension between them is so thick as they verbally spar, then it slowly changes as they began to get to know each other.
I love seeing how they work so well together in battle - when one strike, the other will parry.

It has a satisfying ending and even though it was nicely wrapped up, the ending also state that this is just the beginning.
The characters in here might appear in the next books as the series progress, so I highly suggest reading the other books (previous duology and short novella) to get fully immersed in this universe.

Overall, it’s a great and compelling standalone. I devoured it so fast cause it was very enjoyable and so hard to put down.
I can't wait to read more books from this author in the future!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Contains lots of violence, blood, gore, dark situations, etc., drug use and drug addiction, death of children, past physical violence/mutilation of children (off-screen), blood play and religious brainwashing and manipulation.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent delivers another deeply compelling story set in the Crowns of Nyaxia universe—but fully enjoyable as a standalone. This is a haunting, emotional fantasy romance with rich world building and unforgettable characters with lush prose, a unique magic system, and a slow-burn romance that crackles with emotional tension, this book is a standout in the romantic fantasy genre.

At the heart of the story are Sylina and Atrius—two powerful, broken souls bound by duty, deception, and something neither expected: trust. Sylina, a blind priestess of the Arachessen, has given her eyes, freedom, and life to serve the goddess of Fate. Atrius, a fearsome vampire warlord, is her target… until the lines between mission and emotion begin to blur. Their relationship unfolds with slow, deliberate intensity—from wary alliance to passionate love—and is written with such emotional depth and nuance that every glance and unspoken moment feels electric.

Broadbent excels at crafting characters who are strong yet vulnerable. Both Sylina and Atrius shine as individuals—formidable in battle, rich in inner conflict—and their bond feels organic and hard-won. The action scenes are gripping, but it’s the quiet, aching conversations and tender moments that leave the deepest mark. The worldbuilding is another highlight, especially the lore surrounding the Arachessen priestesses and the concept of sacrificing one's sight for divine power. Broadbent takes her time building the world, and while the pacing starts off slow, it gains momentum as emotional stakes rise and loyalties are tested.

Ultimately, this is a story about sacrifice, identity, and the cost of faith—but also about choosing love and reclaiming agency. Fans of romantic fantasy will fall in love with this book, and longtime readers of the Nyaxia world will appreciate how seamlessly it fits into the broader universe without requiring prior knowledge.

A stunning, emotionally charged fantasy that lingers long after the final page.

I love, love this series. This was a stunning addition to the Nyyaxia world and one of my favorites!!! I just live anything this author writes.

While there were some parts I really did enjoy, I mostly just couldn’t get into this story. I do think it might have been affected by my mood, as it does feel like a good book. It just didn’t click for me right now. If you love the Nyaxia books, I think you will enjoy this.

The narrator of this book did a phenomenal job bringing this book to life. I feel like it was a good fit, and it really made it easier to follow the story.

2,5 stars

Absolutely loved being back in the world of Nyaxia.
I’ve read the first one and chose to read this in between, although I think it’s a standalone. Loved it though!!

This is a standalone book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series that follows Sylina, an acolyte of one of the godesses whose mission is to take down the vampire conqueror, Atrius.
It was so great to be back in this world and Carissa’s writing makes it so easy to dive headfirst into a fantasy world. Being set on a different continent and with Sylina having new magic than what we’ve seen before, there was potential for info dumping, but Carissa always handles it with grace. I was absolutely hooked from the first chapter.
Sylina was a great main character and I didn’t find her annoying. She was a badass and her way of experiencing the world through ‘threads’ was so interesting.
I might have even enjoyed it more than Serpent and the Wings of Night, which might have been helped by the fact that this was a shorter book.
I highly recommend this book if you liked the first duology in the Crowns of Nyaxia series or if you are looking for an easy entry point into this world

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror was an enjoyable fantasy with a surprisingly sweet lover affair between cultist and vampire..

“Why did I want to press his threads to my soul, deep enough I’d take their memory with me when I went?”

Atrius and Sylina are genuinely wonderful characters; I loved watching them navigate the challenges in their world and create such depth to their relationship. The strength of the bond they shared was so clear, but I will say Sylina was my absolute favourite character.

I think this is an excellent edition to the Nyaxia series, but don’t feel like you need to read the other books prior to this one. This could be read on its own, but I would recommend exploring the rest of the world so far and I can’t wait to see more of them throughout the Nyaxia series!

I enjoyed this one but it's not my favorite in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. The plot was fun, the characters were cool, although I wished we'd developed the romance a little more, but it extended the world quite a bit, and I did enjoy that a lot.
What I think was a missed opportunity is regarding the writing: our main character, Sylina, doesn't "see" as you and I do. And yet, there were a lot of basic descriptions of "seeing" things like a character with good eyesight would which I thought was a missed opportunity to do something very different but VERY cool.

Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. The romance felt rushed and the world building shallow. I will try other Carissa Broadbent as I have liked others in the past, even if this one didn't hit the mark.

I really liked being back in the world of Nyaxia and the premise of this story was great.

Selina and Atrius are interesting main characters but Selina's backstory is the most intriguing. The group she's a part of have some unique abilities and her secret mission was entertaining.

As per usual everything ramped up in the end. Lies, secrets and deceit cane crawling out of the woodwork.

3.5 (rtc)

A brilliant stand alone to the series, and a lovely glimpse into the bloodborn vampire world.
I love Carrisa’s books as they all have so much detail and emotion but written in a way that is easy to understand and follow

Carissa Broadbent done it again, for adepts of romantasy and her previous books, it's just as good! The writing, the rhythm, the characters. So entertaining! Now, is it a surprise? Not really. I was never disappointed by one of her books so far, and I don't think it will change anytime soon.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror
Carissa Broadbent

We are back with Crowns of Nyaxia #2.5.

Just like the others, this was romantasy gold. It hits in all the right ways and has all the elements to have you addicted. Full of heart and forbidden romance.

This book is full sized in length and is a stand alone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world.

Well worth the adventure.

This was the only book by Carissa Broadbent that I hadn’t read and I’m so glad I finally decided to pick it up!
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror follows Sylina, a member of the Cult of the Goddess of Fate and a trained assassin. When her kingdom is attacked and being conquered by a powerful vampire commander, she is tasked with a mission to earn his trust and kill him.
Even though this can be read as a standalone, I love how Carissa is building the world little by little with each book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series! I thought the concept of threads and threadwalking was so interesting and I loved reading about Sylina, her struggles with herself and her feelings, her seer abilities and how she sees and experiences the world despite being blind. She was so fierce and full of rage yet kind and compassionate as an FMC and I really enjoyed that!
I honestly wasn’t very obsessed with Atrius but I liked how his relationship with Sylina developed; how they found companionship in each other, how they understood each other's loneliness and how they slowly realised they were, in many ways, mirrors of each other.
I really hope to see these characters again and I can’t wait for the next book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series!
～Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was such a unique and enjoyable read. I loved the slowburn romance and the tension between Sylina and Atrius. They were both really well written and I loved how strong and vulnerable they each were in different ways, and how their relationship grew over time. The scenes between them were some of my favorite parts, there was so much emotion, tension, and trust. It felt so natural and organic how they fell in love, and that’s really what makes this book so good. I loved that neither of them took a backseat in the action scenes as well and were both powerful in their own right and worked so well. The world building was great, and the magic system, especially with the priestesses and how they give up their sight, was really unique. The pace was a bit slower at first, but it picked up midway.

Even though it’s part of the Crowns of Nyaxia world, this book can definitely be read it as a standalone and is worth a read.

I’m a huge Carissa Broadbent and I think the author is gradually becoming a power-house name in fantasy. Her writing is compelling, and deserves a spot besides big names like Maas.
I love how complex the world is in which all her stories are tied. Before reading this, I didn’t realise this was part of the same world as Serpent Of Wings and Night, and I loved all of the little nods throughout.
I actually preferred the protagonist in this. She was fierce, likeable and reminded me a lot of Aelin in the throne of glass series.
I thought the premise was really unique, and reminded me a lot of the religion in Dune. It felt sophisticated and also a really unique take on vampires once again.
I can’t wait to read more from this world.

" You make me ravenous"

"I've killed Demigods, your death means nothing to me"

I've loved being back in the Nyaxia world!

Sylina again is the Broadbent style of woman - can absolutely handle herself

I absolutely adored this new magic for the Arachessen and I genuinely thought it was so interesting - kind of gave me Daredevil being able to see whilst being blind vibes

I'll say it once and I'll say it again, every time he calls her Vivi my heart literally melted!

another triumph for Carissa, and I can't wait for the next Nyaxia book to be released!!

Carissa Broadbent is one of the rulers of this genre and I will always put her new releases high up on my TBR because we have to wait so long in between each release. (I know that such amazing books take time - I’m just impatient.)
I love the worlds that she builds and the Crowns of Nyaxia series, with the mentions of other characters, it just makes me feel like I’m home meeting old friends when I see their names mentioned in the story. This book had it all for me and I’m now left to wait for the next installment.
Thank you to Carissa Broadbent, Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.