This is the kind of ending that feels earned, emotional and powerful in a way that few series finales manage. Right from the early pages I was completely invested in what these characters were fighting for, and I was rooting for them even when things got heartbreaking.

What I loved most was how deeply complex and human these characters feel. They’re layered, conflicted and compelling, which made every success and failure feel like it mattered. Max and Tisaanah have layered, real chemistry and a connection that feels tested by everything thrown at them, while Aefe and Caduan’s storyline had my heart in a knot so many times I lost count. It isn’t a story of simple good versus evil; it’s a story about people shaped by their choices, their losses and their hopes, and that is exactly the kind of emotional core that makes a fantasy romance unforgettable.

Carissa Broadbent’s worldbuilding continues to impress, with tension and stakes that stay high without ever feeling overcomplicated. Nothing felt like it was there just for show; every twist had weight, and every revelation added depth to what was already a well‑crafted narrative. The way the ending tied everything together was satisfying in both plot and emotion, leaving me with a real sense of closure and a little ache in my chest for these characters I’ve spent so long with.

Things I Loved

✨ Deep, emotionally rich character arcs. Each character grows and changes in ways that feel earned and meaningful.

❤️ Real, layered relationships. The love, loyalty and conflicts between characters hit hard in all the best ways.

⚔️ High fantasy stakes and world tension. The broader war and conflict never felt like background noise; they shaped everything.

🥲 Emotional impact that sticks with you. There were moments that genuinely moved me, and I’ll be thinking about them for a while.

📚 A satisfying conclusion. Loose ends don’t just tie up; they resonate.

Mother of Death and Dawn gave me emotional heft, satisfying closure and a brilliant reminder of why I fell for this series in the first place. It’s a story of love and loss, of choice and consequence, and it made me care fiercely about every twist and turn. If you want a fantasy romance with heart, depth and a conclusion that really lands, this one’s for you!

5 brilliant, glorious stars.

What an amazing series… These three books were just.. wow. So beautifully written, I’ve never quite read anything like it. Poetic, eye-opening, heart-wrenchingly beautiful and magical. I’m in such awe of the way everything was woven together and how amazing and complex these characters are. I had to just sit and stare at the wall after finishing this masterpiece – and then I went back and read all my 109 (!!!) highlights.

THANK YOU to Carissa Broadbent for this gem. It has left a beautiful mark on my soul.

✨That is the bravest act in this world. To feel.✨

An easy 5/5 star read - I am absolutely in love with this series and Carissa outdid herself again with this next part!

What an incredible series, and what a thrilling conclusion to Max and Tisaanah's story. I adored this trilogy and the 3rd and final book was no exception! 5 star, hands down.

I LITERALLY LOVED this book. I’ve been obsessed with this series since the beginning, and Mother of Death and Dawn absolutely delivered the heart-wrenching, breathtaking finale I was hoping for. Carissa Broadbent is a mastermind of fantasy romance. She knows exactly how to make you fall for a world, a character, and a relationship all at once.

Tisaanah and Maxantarius… I can’t even. Their journey through war, heartbreak, and impossible choices is just devastating in the best way. Seeing how far they’ve come since book one was so satisfying, and their love feels earned, layered, and powerful. Max will forever be one of my ultimate book boyfriends - broody, soft-hearted, fiercely loyal, and Tisaanah’s strength, resilience, and compassion make her a heroine you genuinely root for.

Aefe’s arc was a total surprise for me. Deep, emotional, and complex. She really shines in this finale, and her struggles and choices hit hard. Every character in this book feels human, conflicted, and morally nuanced. Even the “villains” have depth, which makes every betrayal, victory, and sacrifice feel weighty and real.

The world-building continues to impress. Carissa’s political intrigue, magical systems, and layered conflict make the stakes feel immense without ever being confusing. The battles, strategies, and the tension between human and Fey realms kept me on edge throughout. The pacing can be heavy at times (the book is long, and some climactic moments felt a bit rushed), but the emotional payoff is more than worth it.

The ending is beautiful, satisfying, and honest. It’s not perfect or painless, but it’s the kind of conclusion that feels real and meaningful. The love, the sacrifices, the growth. It all lands.

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : Mother of Death and Dawn
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Carissa Broadbent
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ: E-Book

Tropes:
⚬ Fey & Humans
⚬ Betrayals
⚬ War
⚬ Touch them & die
⚬ Magic
⚬ Bad A s s FMC

The final book is the war of lost hearts series is here!!

OMG i cant believe its the end! Carissa is such a good story teller i just lover her books so much. The perfect ending for Tisaanah, Max and Aefe's Journey.

Tisaanah is such a strong character. She has been through so much and now she is the leader of the slaves rebellion, PLUS trying to find a way to save Max from being a prisoner? She's amazing. She really does just want to make the world a better place for everyone and that fact she is so selfless makes her even more amazing.

Max as per is the grumpy boyfriend but we all love that don't we! You can see him grow throughout the books, its sad he suffers a lot but it just makes him stronger and i wish i could wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him safe!

Aefes and Caduns arcs in this series were so good, they were strong and you actually lived through them. I really enjoy a villain arc!

I'm sad I'm leaving this world, but so happy more people are now reading it!

Epic fantasy meets heartbreak, healing, and redemption.

If you love books that tear you apart and put you back together again, this third and final installment in the War of Lost Hearts series by Carissa Broadbent is not one to miss.

I wholeheartedly recommend this series to fans of epic quests, political sacrifice, complex characters, unique magic systems, emotional devastation, and dramatic fantasy featuring some of the best romantic threads you’ll ever read.

I first read this when it was indie published, and I loved revisiting this phenomenal finale in its gorgeous new edition, complete with a bonus epilogue and stunning new cover art.

Thank you to the team at Tor Bramble and Pan Macmillan for my advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Thank you Pan Mac Millan and Tor Bramble for sending me the ARC for this epic finale!

After 'The Children of Fallen Gods' emotionally destroyed me, I didn’t think Carissa Broadbent could possibly hurt me more.
I was wrong. The Mother of Death and Dawn didn’t just break me - it finished me off.

This is a dark, heavy, deeply sad finale. The kind where hope feels fragile, where victory never comes without cost, and where love is tested in ways that feel almost cruel. The question threaded through the book “Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?” isn’t romanticised here. It’s interrogated. Pushed. Torn apart.

Max has my whole heart. Truly. Watching him in Ilyzath hurt my soul! He was fractured, imprisoned, struggling with the loss of himself and it was devastating. His storyline is painful and intimate in a way that fantasy rarely allows its male characters to be. His trauma isn’t brushed aside, and his healing isn’t simple. It’s messy, slow, and hard-won. Every glimpse of the man he was — and could be again — hit me straight in the chest and watching Tisaanah fight for him had me so anxious!

Tisaanah continues to be one of my favourite fantasy heroines. Her strength is exceptional, it’s rooted in survival, in conviction, in love for her people and of course for Max! The tension between duty and love feels brutally real here, and the choices she faces are genuinely impossible. There are no easy answers in this war.

And Aefe’s arc adds such a haunting layer to the story. Identity, memory, power — who we are versus who we become — all collide in her chapters. The Fey politics and moral greyness elevate the scale of the conflict without losing the emotional core.

This finale is darker than I expected. It leans fully into sacrifice, vengeance, and the cost of power. The magic remains intricate and compelling, but what truly carries this book is the emotional weight.

This trilogy has been a journey through oppression, freedom, love, and redemption, and this conclusion honours all of it - I am sad it is over but glad my MCs managed to get some kind of HEA - after all they suffered through!

Maxatarius Farlione will live in my head (and heart) for a very long time and Tisaanah is an FMC we do not get to have often.

An unforgettable ending to an exceptional series.

Some favourite quotes:
➵“I love that every time I look at her, I find something new, like light refracting through a thousand different shades of glass.”

➵“I give you my soul. It’s not a perfect one. It’s a little messy. You inherit some scars. But… all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you.”

➵“You want the truth? The memories are hard, yes. But none of that scared me as much as the prospect of exactly how close I came to never seeing you again. That’s what fucking terrifies me.”

Did I drop EVERYTHING and EVERYONE to finish this trilogy? Was I lost to the world for approximately four days? Was I caught in the emotional rollercoaster and left with my heart bruised and battered and the tissue box on my nightstand empty? Did I take an extended lunch break at work to squeeze in a couple of more chapters? Was I biting my nails all the way to the end, not able to predict how the story is going to end? Have I been left with the biggest book hungover of all times? Well, this might come as a shocker, but the answer to all the above is YES (although I cannot comment on the work thing).

Carissa is a master storyteller and at the very top of my favourite authors. There are so many reasons why:

- Worldbuilding. Her worlds are PHENOMENAL, fully inspired and what stands out is how seamless she blends the description and information as she tells her story, she does this better than anyone else. No info dumping, all show not tell, absolutely brilliant.
- Characterisation. She creates the most complex, interesting, multi-layered, lovable and relatable characters and then puts them through the ringer! She makes us love them, and then throws them in the most brutal and impossible situations and offers a front row seat for us to suffer alongside them. Character arcs that resonate deeply, feels truly personal and stir all the emotions. Female characters that are strong, resilient and will fight for what is right/love, survival, the stakes are always the highest. Male characters that empowers the women they love and support them. Romance that feels genuine and everlasting. Spice that is impeccable.
- Villains. Nobody writes villains like Carissa. It's never black and white, everyone has reasons and motivations for what they do/want and it's one of the things I most enjoy in her stories. This book was NO EXCEPTION.
- Plot and writing. There are no fillers, no fluffing. The writing is beautiful and elegant, every words serves a purpose and has intention. The plot is plotting, the twists are twisting and , honestly, the most immersive reading experience! I was hooked from page one and the only way to salvage my soul was by finishing the book. Phew, what a ride!

In a nutshell. Carissa Broadbent is one of the most successful romantasy authors at the moment and it all comes with merit. She has created a space in her own right and her following is so loyal FOR A VERY GOOD REASON. I have enjoyed every single book she has written and always get goosebumps when the nest release date is announced. This trilogy is one of my all time top 5 favourite ones and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre, old and new. thank you to Carissa Broadbent, Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

Mother of Death and Dawn is the third and final installment in the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, and I’m honestly a bit sad that the journey has come to an end. I could easily read many more stories set in this world. This book is far from small, yet I was completely absorbed and finished it in just three days.
In this finale, Tisaanah and Maxantarius are torn apart, with Max imprisoned and stripped of all his memories. Meanwhile, Aefe is reunited with Caduan and the Fey, now in physical form and ready for revenge on the human race. The war will rip both species apart, and peace is nowhere in sight.
The entire story is a rollercoaster: intense, emotional, and breathtaking. The ending is bittersweet; both couples do find their peace, but not in the way you might expect.
I'm thrilled that this trilogy is now traditionally published and can reach even more enthusiastic readers. This trilogy will be a staple on the bookshelf of every romantasy reader.

I don’t even know how to start this because Mother of Death and Dawn emotionally rearranged me and then had the audacity to end.

First of all, if you’ve been on this journey from book one, you already know that Carissa Broadbent does not believe in protecting our feelings. The stakes? Sky high. The angst? Relentless. The emotional damage? Ongoing.

Tisaanah. My girl. Watching her step fully into her power in this book felt earned in a way that so many fantasy finales don’t quite manage. She’s not fearless, she’s not untouched by everything she’s endured — she’s scarred and furious and determined anyway. And that’s what makes her so compelling. Every choice she makes carries weight.

And Maxantarius. I have loved him from the beginning and this book did not change that. The devotion? The restraint? The quiet intensity? I simply cannot cope. Their relationship continues to be one of my favourite fantasy romances because it never overshadows the plot — it strengthens it. The tension between love and duty, power and sacrifice, was handled so well.

The political maneuvering and shifting alliances had me stressed in the best way. No one feels completely safe. Every victory feels hard-won. And the scale of this book feels bigger — the magic, the consequences, the cost of revolution. You feel how much it matters.

What I really loved is that this finale doesn’t take the easy road. The resolutions aren’t neat little bows. They’re layered and complicated and sometimes painful. But they feel right for these characters.

If you love fantasy that blends brutal stakes, morally complex choices, and a romance that burns steadily rather than explosively, this series delivers. I finished this book feeling satisfied but slightly hollow — which honestly feels like the correct emotional state after a Carissa Broadbent finale.

Now excuse me while I sit here thinking about them for the next six months.

These books are EVERYTHING!!
Maxantarius is the ultimate book boyfriend, I dont care what anyone says he is just dreamyyyyyyyy. And Tisanaah, what a badass!
Love this world, love this plot, love this couple, just love love love