The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Blood, death, and romance!
Like thousands of others, I read this book due to the overwhelming hype on TikTok and Instagram. This scratched the ACOTAR itch that so many Sarah J. Maas readers experience post-Maas. Expect enemies-to-lovers, a badass female main character, and (most important) romance. The banter was acceptable and the fantasy elements easy to follow. Broadbent's world was a treat to experience.
While Serpent does lean in the ACOTAR direction, it points more towards From Blood and Ash. The vampire romance says it all. A love interest who can’t be trusted always makes me crave more information. But if you want to dive into the world of Maas to compare something to Serpent, I'd pin it with Crescent City instead.
Raihn's character arc is closer to Hunt's, the fallen angel hero of Crescent City, than he is like Rhysand. The main reason readers tend to get an ACOTAR vibe is because both are romance fantasies. They focus on the romance plot in a fantasy world. While Crescent City is a fantasy romance, where the plot to save the world outweighs the romance by a smidge. I don’t want to spoil anything, but why do the men always make the wrong decisions? The drama they create is relentless.
If you love competitions to the death and dark fantasy cityscapes, this plot will go beyond your expectations. Oraya is a strong lead who kept me guessing what she was about to do next in every chapter. Broadbent took her characters on unpredictable turns and I am ever grateful!
The sequel, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, is next in my TBR pile and already loaded on my Kindle. I'm craving more Oraya and Raihn! This next one explores more of Raihn’s POV, since he deserves some explanation. I love to see how he pines for Oraya no matter what. The Crowns of Nyaxia is a highly-anticipated series so I hope Broadbent continues to keep us wanting more.