The premise of this book was so unique. It was full of mystery and intrigue with action packed moments, definitely kept those pages turning. The romance had a nice build up. I loved learning more about the world and the many layers it has.

Sylina's power was described so well. I loved the complexity of her character, I definitely resonated with her and the way she behaved was incredible. Sylina is definitely a badass and I was here for it. And Atrius, I didn't like him at first but I warmed to him towards the end that quickly made me see through the layers of cold-heartedness to be an actual cinnamon roll.

Overall, a great addition to the series that I recommend!

This novella is such a fun, fast-paced dive back into the Nyaxia world, It’s moody, mysterious, and just the right mix of romantic and badass girl energy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5 Stars 🌶️🌶️ 1.5 Spice

This novella slots in as #2.5 in the series, and I really appreciated that it jumped straight into the plot—fast-paced, minimal world-building needed, and easy to follow if you’re familiar with the earlier books.
The standout element was our FMC, Sylvia (aka Vivi), who can’t see in the traditional sense but still does. Her unique perception adds a soulful, almost poetic quality to the story, emphasising emotion and intent over visual detail. It’s a fascinating lens that brings something fresh to the genre.
That said, I found myself increasingly distracted by how much wasn’t explained. The curse Atrius suffers from is central to his character; but aside from causing him pain and giving him horns (?!), it’s barely unpacked. Similarly, the Python arc feels underdeveloped and thin in execution. There’s a lot of potential there, but it lacks the depth I’ve come to expect from this author.
Sylvia’s fear of water is another example; it’s mentioned a lot and then explained in a single, passing line. For something so emotionally charged, it deserved more space and weight. These are moments that could’ve added texture and emotional resonance to the story but instead felt rushed or skimmed over.
The limited cast also contributes to this feeling. Aside from Sylvia/Vivi, Atrius, and his first general, there’s little in the way of side characters or meaningful interactions. Even her brother shows up without much presence.

It’s a solid interlude with moments of promise, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it needed more; more detail, more development, and more of the emotional nuance I usually love from this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly I did not really enjoy this book. I was so incredibly exciting to read it but it just felt like it had no meat to the story.

The romance felt sudden and I feel like we could’ve gotten a bit more of the build up. I don’t even mean a slow burn, I just needed more to the story.

I would die for Sylina. She is so badass but Olson loved the slightly vulnerability she showed at times!!

The action in this was INCREDIBLE. The plot line was sensational and I ate this up! The slow burn was sooooo good 🔥

I loved that sylina and atrius relationship was properly developed over time and not just insta love becasue it took me a while to like atrius 😭🤣 they’re both stoic in nature and emotions so it took them some time to come to terms with their feelings too.

I did think this was slower paced than I’m used to but it was also really intense and full on.

I love this author and this world and I will read anything set in it!
If you enjoyed the crowns of nyaxia duology then you will enjoy this I’m sure!
I can’t wait to see what comes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ - 4,5 stars

"Because you make me ravenous."

"Hm,” he said. “To think I let such a dangerous creature sleep beside me every night."

Review:
Oh wow. This book gave me serious Dune Prophecy vibes (the sisters), and I was so here for it.
A badass female assassin with seer powers is sent to kill the Vampire Conqueror... but instead, she falls in love with him. Yes, it's forbidden romance, my absolute favorite trope.

But beyond the romance, there’s also epic battles, political scheming, and plot twists.
Also, the whole vibe and setting... amazing!

This book is a standalone and can be read as one if you’re not planning to read the Crowns of Nyaxia series. If you do, I would read The Nightborn Duet first.

So if you love forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, and a dark fantasy setting, this might be the book you’re looking for.

- Romantasy
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden romance
- Cursed MMC
- Assassin FMC
- War
- Battles
- Spice
- Vampires, gods, humans

Carissa Broadbent can have all of my kidneys. I’ve been a huge fan of hers for years and STVC did not disappoint. If you like enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, slow burns, and action packed romantasy this is for you. Sylina our leading lady is a member of the Arachesson and in doing so has sacrificed her sight and effectively her freedom to be part of this cult. She finds her self having to gain the trust of Atrius the sexy vampire conquerer in order to assassinate him.

Both characters balance each other out so well. The romance is a definite shallow burn but also so so strong. They’re emotionally stunted characters that won’t say much about their feelings but when they do my god. Such a good mix of soft and hard personality traits. Carissa is a mastermind at complex characters and I genuinely loved them. Atrius is such a broody unlikeable person at the start but by the end he’s my boyfriend.

The plot is heavy on the action, like all of Carissa’s books. I loved the world building continuation from the other Nyaxia books. A little slower that her other books but not dull my any means. Fantastic read.

As a huge fan of the Nyaxia universe I have been so excited to get my hands on this book. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror is top tier Carissa Broadbent.

This book offers more of a 'deep dive' into the intricate fantasy world that Broadbent has created. It's fast paced, has an exciting plot, there's LOTS of action, and is full of complex characters with interesting backstories.

The romance is a deliciously strong slow burn, the two MCs compliment each other massively. Sylina is a determined survivor, a fighter who is sent to infiltrate and kill a vampire warlord. Atrius is said vampire warlord, he comes across as a ruthless and dangerous ruler but in reality he is anything but.

Their chemistry was so fun to read - I'm convinced they are utterly perfect for each other.

This book is full of luscious worldbuilding, jaw dropping plot twists, and overall it's well thought out, full of addictive quotes, and one of my new found favourites.

Carissa never disappoints!
She truly knows how to create broken yet badass female leads. Sylina has lost a lot in her past due to the war and has taken refuge in the sisters of the Arachessen, who she considers her family.
I loved her character, her struggles to leave her past self behind, her compassion and her personality.
Atrius was a great character too, multi-layered and mysterious.
I loved their dynamics, the vulnerability he shows only around her and their chemistry.
The plot was very interesting too, I liked the concept of religious beliefs playing a huge part in this.
This book further proved that Carissa is a queen in storytelling, as she always manages to create unique stories and plot lines even if set in the same world.

Tropes:
🩸Enemies to lovers
🩸vampire x human
🩸Goddesses
🩸Secrets
🩸Religious cult
🩸Curses

Huge huge thanks to @panmacmillan @carissabroadbentbooks and @NetGalley for this book!

🔪 Slaying the Vampire Conqueror - Carissa Broadbent 🔪

I'm going to say it here now - Broadbent writes standalones and novellas that truly stand out!

I'm not saying the Serpent and the Wings of Night isn't good - it's great. But Six Scorched Roses has my heart, and now a little of it has to be separated off for this standalone addition.

Read if you like:
❤️Vampires
🩷Actual Enemies to Lovers
🧡Slight spice but the plot doesn’t revolve around it
💛Standalone fantasy
💚Gods and worship
💙Discussions around the threads of fate
🩵Glimpses of an epic fantasy setting
💜Emotional narratives
🤎Gritty, haunting plot points
🖤Secrets
🩶Battles and conquering scenes
🤍A fast paced read

Thank you so much @carissabroadbentbooks
@netgalley and @panmacmillan for the opportunity to read this book ♡

#fantasyreader #fantasybooks #Vampires #serpentandthewingsofnight #addtotbr #romantasy #romancerreader

4.7⭐️

Thank you again to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this enemies-to-lovers story - the pacing, the tension between the FMC and the MMC, and the world building were all fantastic.

This book is set in the same world as Serpent and the Wings of Night, but in the human country called Glaea rather than Obitraes. I really enjoyed learning about this different part of the world and another goddess - the Weaver - while also still having vampires involved (of course). The dynamics between the characters was also very engaging, and I loved the growing vulnerability shown between Sylina and Atrius as the story progressed.

The plot twists were a little predictable, but also very well executed so I can’t complain about them!

Looking forward to Carissa’s next book!

After falling completely in love with The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I had high hopes for Slaying the Vampire Conqueror and I have to say, Carissa Broadbent absolutely delivered, this book was everything I wanted and more! She has a such gift for creating rich, immersive worlds and characters you can't help but root for and fall a little bit in love with.

There is tension, romance and action and every part is perfectly balanced. I found myself completely hooked from the first page, I absolutely adored this book and love that it's set in the Same universe as The Serpent and Wings of Night and I'm so glad it's getting republished, Carissa Broadbent is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If you loved The Serpent and the Wings of Night, you are going to be obsessed with Slaying the Vampire Conqueror!

3.5⭐️. I liked this book but I wanted to like it more. The Daughter of No Worlds trilogy is one of my favourite fantasy series and while I have enjoyed the world of Nyaxia, I find it much less impactful and it feels like a more generic, forgettable romantasy. I also think this particular book was too short to really develop the plot or the characters fully.

That being said, the length of the story does make for a fairly fast paced story. It’s easy to read and the premise is interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing how Sylina and Atrius feature in the wider series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read.
I’ve read Carissa Broadbent’s first duology and was intrigued to explore more of the same world.
Except the plot wasn’t very interesting, there were barely any characters and the finale was practically the same as the other books. Plus there was no point in them being vampires. At all.
It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t amazing either. Pretty forgettable.

This book was everything and more I am such a huge fan of this series and have been since reading this self published so when I received the arc I jumped.

Sylina And Atrius gave everything from forbidden and they should not work, it also sets up the next Duology in the crowns of nyaxia perfectly.

This is a must read for anyone who love spice, romance and everything about romantasy.

4.75

At first I thought I was going to struggle with the world building but I was sooo wrong. I was STRAIGHT in. I honestly loved the slow burn element and thought it was a perfect balance of small moments frequently.

If you love fantasy, you have got to read this book!

I think it can be read as a standalone too. It’s been a while since I read the series and didn’t feel I needed to reread!

There’s no doubt that Carissa Broadbent is an excellent author.

But I wasn’t sure what I was missing with this book. It felt both rushed and slow at the same time—I can’t quite describe it. I also didn’t really feel the connection between Atrius and Sylina. I’m usually a big fan of a slow-burn and enemies-to-lovers trope, but this one just felt 'meh'. After reading other reviews, I also realized I missed certain aspects of the story (Sylina’s seer abilities, for example).

Perhaps my expectations were too high because I loved her other books so much? Who knows.
That said, I tend to enjoy Carissa’s books much more on a re-read, so maybe I’ll give this one another shot when the next book comes out. I know this is a standalone, but it might be a good way to immerse myself in Nyaxia’s world again.

ChatGPT:
Carissa Broadbent does it again with Slaying the Vampire Conqueror, a standalone set in the Crowns of Nyaxia world. This one follows Sylina, a blind assassin sworn to her goddess, sent to kill Atrius, a cursed vampire warlord tearing through her homeland. But once she gets close to him, things get complicated—Atrius isn’t just a ruthless killer, and the more she learns, the more she starts to question everything, including her mission and her own beliefs.

Broadbent has a real knack for writing intense, slow-burn romances with depth, and this one is no exception. Sylina is tough but conflicted, and Atrius, despite being a feared conqueror, has a surprising amount of heart. Their chemistry builds in a way that feels natural, and the story does a great job balancing action, tension, and some heavier themes about faith and fate. The pacing drags in places, and it’s not quite as mind-blowing as The Serpent and the Wings of Night, but it’s still a strong, emotional read.

If you love morally complex characters, forbidden romance, and some classic enemies-to-lovers goodness, this one is worth picking up. It’s dark, angsty, and full of all the things Broadbent does best.

A perfect standalone fantasy for those obsessed with the Crowns and Nyaxia series!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this ARC to review.

As a dedicated acolyte, follower of the goddess of fate and trained assassin, Sylina is given her most critical mission yet, infiltrating the brutal vampire conqueror Atrius' quest to take over the lands of the Pythora King. Her orders are clear: earn Atrius' trust and kill him. Yet when Sylina goes behind enemy lines and finds foes, she realises that this mission could cost her everything...

Nostalgia from loving this fantasy world that Carissa Broadbent has created for us had me gripped from the start and quite content to follow Sylina and Atrius' story. The gripping and imaginative plot was a great substitution whilst you waited for the slow burn romance to unravel, making it a more fantasy romance than romantasy. It was no shocking twist of The Serpent and The Wings of The Night, as let's be honest will any book rival that explosive first book, but I did enjoy delving back into this series with a standalone series where I could learn more about the world and another House of Night.