In late 2023, I finally read The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. This is the first book in the “Crowns of Nyaxia” series and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I’ve rated it 5 stars, something I never expected. Now it was time for me to pick up the sequel, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Did I enjoy it as much as it’s predecessor? Be aware for spoilers of the first book in this review!

About the book

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia #2
Published by Independently published on April 14, 2023
Pages: 614
ISBN: 9781957779072
Genres: Fantasy, New adult, Romantasy

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.
But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

My review

Characters

I was surprised by how strong and fierce the characters were in The Serpent and the Wings of Night. I also expected them to be this way in this book. Unfortunately, they aren’t. Oraya, I don’t know what happened to her. From a strong and powerful leading lady, she went to this boring main character who keeps talking about taking revenge, but not actually doing something. She keeps moaning and whining about the kingdom belonging to her and that she wants to reclaim it. But when it comes to action, barely anything happens. Same goes for Rainh, he went to an interesting male character to yet another boring main character. The only interesting characters in this novel were several supportive characters. They gave this story the depth it desperately needs. Furthermore, I really enjoyed Vincent here, or rather his ghost and history. I can’t go into any more detail, but this part was what made the book worth finishing. All the other character growth is completely destroyed.

Writing

Despite the characters being super boring, the writing was still okay. The book was easy to read and many chapters were quite short. Also, we get a dual POV here and for this storyline that works very well. I just wasn’t a fan of the interludes, because I really don’t know who they were about. I have a feeling, but am still not certain.

Plot

Unfortunately, the plot was nothing compared to the first book. Whereas that was an intriguing series starter, this book falls hopelessly flat. Nothing much happens and therefore the book is way and way too long. This 600+ pages chonker felt dragging most of the time and I just wanted to be done with it. I understand why this story has been seperated into two books, but it didn’t work out in the end. I barely can remember a thing from the plot, that says enough right?

Final thoughts

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent was not the sequel I was hoping for. In comparison to the first book it was actually pretty boring. The character growth has been destroyed completely, all characters were so incredibly annoying and boring. The fragments from Vincent’s life we get provided with are the only interesting parts in terms of characters and plot. The writing however was easy to follow and therefore I was able to finish the book quickly. I’m still curious for Slaying the Vampire Conqueror as it’s another series starter set in the same world, where we follow a different bunch of characters.