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.

📚review 📚

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror - Carissa Broadbent

Can you believe this is the sixth Carissa Broadbent book I’ve read this year? I think I might have found a new favourite writer and two new favourite series - the tension, the lore, the stakes, the characters… I love everything about the end of the Crowns of Nyaxia. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror takes place at the same time as the first duology in the series and follows an exiled and cursed vampire from the House of Blood conquering the human nation of Glea and the assassin sent to stop him.

This book has everything I love in a romantasy:

🧛🏻‍♂️strong female mc - think Celeana Sardothian on speed
🧛🏻‍♂️enemies to lovers - think completely opposed, different agendas but become reluctant friends to lovers
🧛🏻‍♂️excellent world building

This extension to the Crown of Nyaxia world is a great way to build on the lore but can also be read as a standalone - you don’t need to know anything the world or the rest of the series but you also don’t find yourself having to take in the same information twice. Carissa Broadbent is amazing at making sure you’re up to speed without overwhelming you with information or boring you with stuff you already know.


Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is out now. Thank you @netgalley for the early copy.
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4.25 ⭐️

Thank you netgalley and Tor for a review copy!

This books is a perfect vampire fantasy standalone! I found the writing excellent and really enjoyed the plot. The ending was incredible and so were the characters. I really liked the character development and the insight into Slyina’s seeing powers. If you love enemies to lovers, slow burn, forbidden romance or the crowns of nyaxia series check this book out!!

After reading the Crowns of Nyaxia series and making it my whole personality, I knew this book would not disappoint. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror can be read as a standalone or an extension of Carissa Broadbent's overall universe.

The plot follows Sylina, a blind assassin working for the divine who is given the task of murdering Atrius, a terrifying vampire warlord. As she entangles herself into enemy territory, her feelings and loyalties become mixed, leaving her unsure of whether to follow her head or heart.

I absolutely ate up the tension between Sylina and Atrius throughout the entire novel. Carissa Broadbent does a masterful job of exploring both Slyina and Atrius' views of the war they have found themselves in. There are some truly heart-wrenching moments in this novel that we experience first hand through Sylina's POV. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a high stakes fantasy with a side order of romantic entanglement.

Sylina is part of the Arachessen, a cult worshiping the Goddess of Fate, Acaeja. For her goddess, she gave her freedom, life&eyes. When Atrius, a brutal vampire conqueror, arrives on their shores, Sylina is tasked with the mission to infiltrate his army and, ultimately, kill him.

I’ve read almost of all Carissa Broadbent books and was excited to see what this stand-alone story was about; I was very surprised by how much I loved it.

The pacing of this book is perfect and you get to know Sylina and Atrius really well. The development of their relationship; from tentative allies, to friendship and then to lovers, was so well made and made me feel so much.

I loved learning about Sylina’s past, why she decided to join the Archessen, how she starts to struggle and question her decision and with the mission that she’s supposed to accomplish.

Some parts of the book made me very emotional and this quote in particular touched my heart deeply: ‘You don’t understand! You already have a family. And you aren't just giving up your eyes. You’re giving up the sea.’

This book is a wonderful new story to get you back in the crowns of Nyaxia universe and I really will recommend it to everyone 🖤

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author for letting me read an e-copy of this amazing book ♥️

A Dark, Thrilling, and Addictively Vicious Ride. I was completely pulled into the brutal, blood-soaked conflict between humanity and its terrifying vampires

This book is top tier carissa Broadbent and is a must read

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror absolutely slaps. It’s got everything I want in a dark fantasy: badass heroine with a revenge mission? Check. Creepy-hot vampire overlord? Double check. Blood, battles, and betrayal? ALL the checks.

This is the kind of book that grabs you by the collar in chapter one and doesn’t let go. The protagonist is fierce, morally complex, and impossible not to root for — driven by vengeance but constantly grappling with what it means to hold onto their humanity. The vampire conqueror is equally compelling: charismatic, cunning, and horrifying in all the right ways. Their interactions are charged with intensity and layered tension.

If you like morally gray characters, epic fight scenes, and a story that doesn’t hold back — read this book. Just maybe don’t get too attached to anyone. The pacing never falters, and the plot twists hit hard without feeling forced.

This book kept me up late turning pages, and left me wanting more the moment it ended. I’ll be first in line for the sequel.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves dark fantasy, fierce heroines, and a touch of gothic danger.

Carissa Broadbent writes romance like she’s building a cathedral. Every brick is emotion. Every moment feels sacred. I am in awe. This is one of my favourite books she’s ever written and I don’t say that lightly. I love this book. I really, really love this book.

This is the first book I've read by Carissa Broadbent and I loved it! I can't wait to read her other books now.

Could not put this down!

Having just finished book two in the night born duet it was the perfect time to immerse myself in this book. And goodness me what a ride.

Mortal enemies to so much more. I was absolutely hooked on the way Sylina and Attius connected in this slow burn vampire read. Brilliant banter, I loved the way these two MCs just knew what the other was thinking and how they fought together.

The author has a truely amazing ability to create the best kick butt FMCs and she does it again here. I absolutely loved the world she created in the Nexus series, Vampires, Goddesses, magic and danger and the ending of this sets it up perfectly for the next in the series.

This book had me page turning well into the night in order to finish, and right till the end I NEEDED to know what would happen next. Everything about this book had me hooked and swooning for these two to connect.

Although this is set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world, in my opinion, you don't need to read the other books beforehand to enjoy this one. Some of the world-building is briefly summarised to help you feel anchored in the story. That said, I did feel I had a better understanding of the situation between the Gods having read the other books, so just bear that in mind. I think it depends on whether you're reading for the plot or the romance!

I enjoyed the romance in this - it’s a slow burn, which is my preference. Carissa Broadbent is so good at developing tension.

The pacing was strong, and the spice level was just right for me. There are a couple of scenes, but they don’t feel rushed or out of place - just a natural development of the emotional connection between the characters.

Would recommend!

Thank you to Carissa Broadbent, Pan McMillian and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I have read a few of Carissa’s previous books and adored them, so I knew this would be no exception. I found the worldbuilding of Glaea, powerful and so detailed and I loved Sylina as an MC and her character development throughout. The book was dark, suspenseful and highly engaging. Loved the romance throughout and it wasn’t too much. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the Nyaxia series and more of Carissa’s novels.