The Serpent and the Wings of Night: Discover the stunning Sunday Times bestse...

I wasn’t prepared for how thoroughly The Serpent and the Wings of Night would consume me. A brutal tournament, cutthroat vampire politics, and a carefully paced slow-burn romance come together in a dark romantasy that sustains its tension throughout. It’s an immersive, tightly plotted read that held my attention from start to finish. The story follows Oraya, a human raised as the adopted daughter of a ruthless vampire king in a world where humans exist solely as prey. Her only chance at freedom lies in entering a deadly tournament held by the goddess of death, where vampires battle for divine power and survival is anything but guaranteed. The arena structure gives the novel real momentum, with escalating trials and a constant sense that no one is safe. Oraya’s characterisation is refreshingly uncompromising. She is capable without being invincible, vulnerable without being fragile and shaped by deep loneliness, yet stubbornly hopeful. I loved that her humanity is both her greatest liability and her sharpest weapon, and that the narrative never shields her from the consequences of her choices. Raihn’s presence adds tension and emotional complexity, and their chemistry unfolds naturally rather than feeling forced. The world unfolds with impressive restraint, revealing its depth through conflict rather than exposition. Fight scenes are brutal and visceral, dialogue is sharp, and the pacing remains steady without sacrificing emotional weight. Broadbent’s prose is clean and cinematic, giving the story momentum while leaving room for quieter, more reflective moments. This book gave me everything I look for in romantasy: high stakes, complex characters, and a romance that feels genuine. I finished the book satisfied, slightly bruised, and more than ready to return to this world.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that fantasy wasn't always my go-to genre. But after being spellbound by 'Fourth Wing,' I decided to take another leap into the mystical world, and The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent was my next destination. I must say, it didn't quite have me as obsessed as 'Fourth Wing,' which i'm still dreaming about, but it was still a wild ride. If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it's got a bit of that 'Hunger Games' edge – a fierce fight for survival between a mortal and a bunch of hungry vampires, with plenty of twists and turns. Oraya the FMC didn't exactly win me over right from the start. I get it, she's in a life-or-death situation, but boy, she's got a knack for being rude and nasty to just about everyone. A smile every once in a while wouldn't hurt, right? Now, as we ventured into the story's climax, things got a little dicey. There was so much happening, and I'll admit, it got a tad confusing, and I struggled to keep up with all the threads of the tale. However, even with the initial hiccups and the whirlwind ending, I can't deny that book held a special charm. It's a fantastic fantasy adventure, with a hot romance and an unapologetically feisty protagonist, who, for all her rudeness, is undeniably captivating. And despite my moments of confusion, I found myself enjoying the journey. So, if you're a fantasy enthusiast or just dipping your toes into this magical realm, give this book a whirl. It's a rollercoaster ride of survival and mystery that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, even if Oraya's sunny disposition isn't exactly the highlight. Overall, I'd recommend this tale of bravery and survival in a world brimming with enigmatic magic and danger.

Soo good! Gripping, heart-pounding, beautiful enemies to lovers and action-packed read! This book is a riveting blend of revenge, betrayal and political intrigue with themes of violence, abuse, slavery and torture. A must-read for fans of fast-paced, high-stakes fantasy centered on survival and power struggles. The book has a strong foundation of a brutal "Battle Royale" premise, where the competitors must fight for their lives. In this arena, not only are your competitors out to eliminate you but the arena itself is designed to ruin you, mind, body and soul. The story also delves deeper into themes of deception, vengeance and personal trauma. We follow Oraya, the adopted daughter of the vampire king. She grew up in a vicious world where every day is a battle for survival. The vampires around her look at humans as lesser individuals either for consumption or slavery. The novel excels in its portrayal of complex power dynamics, Oraya's relationship with her father is tinged with manipulation and cold-affection. She convinces herself that his coldness and harsh actions are forms of protection, rationalising that as a king, he must maintain an air of detachment, as showing too much affection would be perceived as weakness by others. In this vicious world, showing one's weakness means death. This emotional justification creates a complex dynamic between them, blurring the line between genuine care and strategic control. Oraya is thrust into the Kejari, a brutal competition designed for vampires to prove their worth, with the promise of a single wish granted to the victor by the goddess Nyaxia herself. Oraya must learn who to trust in an environment steeped in lies and hidden motives. Will falling for her enemy be the right choice? If she wins, what will be her ultimate wish? The battle sequences are fast-paced and violent but never gratuitous. Each brutality comes with a revelation, exposing vulnerabilities and defining alliances in the most unexpected ways. The story's unpredictability keeps the readers on edge, adding to the suspense when deception and betrayal are skillfully deployed. While violence and abuse are integral to the narrative, they are handled with care and never glorified. They are used as a backdrop to the characters' motivations and internal battles. A great start to a new series. Full of danger at every turn, with a sprinkling of romance, political dynamic and character traumas. A wonderful foundation for what promises to be a thrilling saga. I cannot wait for book 2!

4.75 stars 3 spice You know that tik tok sound that goes "why would you write this book" in like a crying kinda of voice. Well this is how I felt at the line 400pgs mark. Before I read this I had only heard of books that could make you giggle, cry, swoon and make your jaw drop. Because yes this made my eyes water. And to top everything off the writing was amazing- like so good. It wasn't your regular style of writing just something about it didn't make you want to put it down. Now there was only a couple of things about it I thought could of been different because it gave you that 5 star feeling but it just for me wasn't quite a 5 star. What I liked and the small amount I didn't The characters in this were incredible (yet was it just me who couldn't properly pronouse any of them) Oraya was the definition of a girlboss, Raihn might have to join my boom boyfriend list and Mische needs to become my best friend and I need a book about her (just saying :)). Then Vincent then though he was a bit of a cow for the most part we all know he did it out of love for Oraya and his kingdom. The side characters were also so good and I never had the moment of 'who is this and what did I miss'. The plot was also amazing like a hunger games with a vampire love story so good. And as a regular romance reader there was enough of it to keep me interested even if the slow burn was irritating but that's only because I'm inpatient. The book in my opinion is a 3 on the spice scale it has 2 scenes with 'spice' in them. The reason that is quoted is because one of them is more disturbing than sexy I would say but the other is defo sexy and relatively long as well so if you want to skip it chaper 45. The ending ( spoilers) For me it was the ending that was that could of been a lot simpler and made me a lot more happy. In my opinion instead of making him win the thing just bring him back to life a lot more simple. That could of also set up the same plot for the next boom but instead of her having him they could of formed a new nightborn kingdom and had there subjects against them work a political uprising. That would of been just as interesting as what did happen but just less upsetting. Now one thing I did want to touch on before I finish is that at the start this book has trigger warnings at the start which is an 11/10 from thw author it's such a good thing to do but as a reviewer I'm here to tell you that they aren't that extreme in my opinion. There is just regular high fantasy violence and its a little gory I guess but nothing like extremely upsetting. The SA is only a brief flashback and there is brief mention of SH. Overall this book is a must read if not for the story the writing so I will defo be reading more of her books.

I really enjoyed this book, it was tough to put down, buying the next one straight away. Oraya is very likable and I liked that she is smart, talented and not beholdent on others to protect her. The world is well built without becoming confusing. I may have breezed a little quickly over the gorier parts. I'd recommend if you like fantasy with a side of romance.

This is such a good story. So well written with such wonderful characters. Heros to love and hate. Lovers to love and hate and a Hunger Games style backdrop that amuses, enthralls, delights and strikes horror into the heart.

I loved the read the whole way through, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. I enjoyed the twist. but the FMC reaction wasn’t my fav.

I loved this. It was gripping and had me wanting to read more that I couldn’t put it down! I’m ready for book 2

This book...wow. I experienced so many things reading this. Joy and laughter, sadness, grief and tears, anger, frustration, shock and betrayal, desire, hatred. You name it and this book probably made me feel it in all the best ways. This story is a dark, grim and emotional tale that follows a human girl who was adopted by a vampire king as a child and has had to learn to live in a world where she is prey surrounded by predators. She enters a competition ruled by a Goddess so that she doesn't need to keep living a powerless life filled with fear and ends up meeting a turned vampire who helps her to realize she is so much more than prey. Throughout the story we explore the impacts of nature vs nurture, what it means to be strong and brave. We see how the toxic, harmful and abusive things that are said and taught to us by parental figures stick with us even when we know they don't make any sense. We as readers can see the flaws in the way Oraya has been taught to live and her refusal to question these things shows us the blind devotion she has to her "father". We see how hard it is to seperate the parent you love from the parent who hurts us and experience the duality that comes with familial abuse - on one side of things you're angry, on the other you still feel so much love for them. This is all written in so beautifully. The love that forms between Raihn and Oraya is also such a beautiful thing. The way they just SEE eachother, the safety she feels with him, the devotion he shows to her up until the end. Even when her mind screams for her to stop trusting him, to run from him, to hate him...her heart can't help feeling love and trust and safety when she's around him. The heartbreak at the end of this book was absolutely devastating and I hope that in the next book there's some redemption because I know they could make eachother so incredibly happy and be such a powerful force together. The side characters were equally interesting. We were given a bubbly happy sunshine best friend, an underdog with so much trauma that he should have given up on life who still pushed to come out on top until the end, a strong female warrior who loved her people and died for a cause she believed in, another devoted female warrior who never gave up her feminity to fit the role of a soldier but still made it to the top ranks of the army and was devoted to her country above all else, a human who came across as a bit of an eccentric auntie who taught our MC to allow herself joy and light and color into her life and not to lose her humanity. The world building was done so well. By the end of the story we get a clear and detailed understanding of the politics in the world as they truly are, something we evolve to understanding with the main character as she throws away her childhood beliefs of how things work and experiences the world for herself. Each scene was crafted so well and fully immersed me in the dark, gothic, magical world that the author built. The plot was constantly evolving, rarely predictable and the end of this book...sheesh. I will be thinking about these plot twists and what they mean until I can finally read the next book. The end of this book left me a MESS. Overall this is one of my all time favorite reads. Perhaps it's my absolute favorite, above all else honestly. I absolutely wholeheartedly recommend checking it out.

Ça faisait vraiment longtemps que je n'avais pas trouvé un livre aussi bien écrit, aussi prenant, avec une super intrigue et de vrais questionnements sur les décisions à prendre. On s'attache réellement aux personnages, on veut pleurer pour eux quand ils meurent, on veut les aider quand ils souffrent, on veut les connaître davantage et tout savoir sur eux, ... Ce livre est très prenant, l'histoire vous prend aux tripes, vous fait douter de tout et de tout le monde, de toutes les vérités qu'on pensait immuable. C'est vraiment très sympa. Je ne voyais pas venir la plupart des retournements de situation, c'est hyper agréable car ça nous laisse suspendu à chaque phrase. Le suspens était bien présent, l'adrénaline aussi grâce à des scènes superbement décrites qui nous plongent dans l'histoire comme si on y était! La romance est là, mais vraiment en fond de l'histoire. Elle est frémissante à travers tout le livre, juste suffisamment pour faire battre le cœur plus vite, sans jamais nous sortir de l'histoire. Et c'est ce qui la rend encore plus forte au final ! Superbe livre !!!

This is one of my favorite books of this year. I loved it. It's full of action, danger, plot twists, magic, and weapons. If you're a fan of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, this book is for you, and if this is the first book you read from Charissa, she will immediately become one of your favorite writers. I loved how she wrote this book and I can't wait for book2. What am I saying?! I NEED ALL THE NEXT 5 BOOKS! ✅ Age: 16/17+ Be worn ❗️❗️ a lot of blood, a lot of death, sexual abuse, torture, and descriptive wounds/cuts/deaths ❗️❗️ ✅ Plot twists ✅ Full of action ✅ Extraordinary written characters ✅ Magic ✅ Vampires and Gods ✅ Tournament to the death => doomed romance and tough decisions ✅ Sexual tension ✅ Smut ✅ Magnificent ending Every page of this book is filled with action. You won't get bored, you won't get tired of it. THESE VAMPIRES HAVE WINGS! The night is a dangerous place, but also one of the most magical places in the course of 24h. I loved Raihn from the start, from his first appearance when his name wasn't even mentioned. I loved him. I love how his relationship with Oraya starts and how it evolves. The writing is magnificent and it's very natural. Nothing is forced upon the reader and you discover everything with the characters. You, sometimes, have your doubts and intuitions, and it helps you question some decisions of the characters, but also understand their motives. I even liked Vincent, and at some point, I wanted to see him dead. Well... Yep... I hope we'll see more of Mische in the next book because I loved her and I think she will be the one who will temper the tension between Oraya and Raihn. I have no doubt, that there will be a lot of tension and uncertainty. The Kejari... well this tournament is a bloody and deadly one. I liked how the trails were written because you can also learn the history AND the story of the main GODDESS. And I think those trials were not just trials for the ultimate goal, for winning a tournament, but also trials for the souls, especially for Raihn and Oraya: trials of trust, creating a strong bond, and life. You can see the similarities between Nyaxia's history and the present events of Raihn and Oraya. I loved every single page. Charissa has created a magnificent and complex world and mythology. I can't wait to read more about all three houses and see their stories, and also, to learn more about their past because I think a lot of things will blow in our faces in book 2 of House of Night! Besides, at the end of this one, I came to the conclusion that nothing is what it seems in the case of these Houses, and I'm really intrigued to learn about all of them. Thank you Charissa for this wonderful world you've created. I have a feeling this is only the beginning and everything will escalate and blow our minds.

This book was phenomenal. Easily one of the best reads I’ve found on Kindle Unlimited. From the very first page, it gripped me—an electrifying mix of action, intrigue, and raw emotion. The first half was an absolute rush, the action sequences so intense I could barely keep up. The magic system? Mysterious and almost intangible, more about feeling than clearly defined mechanics. And yet, it worked. I devoured this book so quickly I haven’t even had the chance to overanalyze it—but honestly, that just proves how immersive it was. The FMC, Oraya, is quite interesting. A human surviving in a world of ruthless vampires, she’s strong in a way that feels real—not just physically, but emotionally. She’s hardened, but not entirely cold. Her dynamic with Vincent is fascinating, her vampire father; the one time she needed comfort but learned to accept something useful instead of something kind? Heartbreaking. Raihn, the MMC, is refreshingly different—real, grounded, not a brooding, possessive "shadow daddy" (thank god), what an absolute gentleman. Their romance isn’t the main focus, but what’s there is genuine and earned. And the ending? I have so many questions, I need book two now. Overall, The Serpent & the Wings of Night is a must-read for fantasy lovers who enjoy brutal competition, rich worldbuilding, and a romance that feels earned. Now, excuse me while I go devour the next one! ------- Spoilers Ahead!!! I never fully trusted Vincent, and while he didn’t outright betray Oraya, his motives remain murky. Is he protecting her because she’s his biological daughter? I still doubt it. There’s so much left unanswered. The way Oraya processes her assault—never outright naming it, only calling it "after"—was devastatingly well done. And then the subtle hints about Raihn possibly experiencing the same? What a brutal way to have something in common. The writing and worldbuilding were so immersive, with little details like the unique expletives ("Mother," "Sun-damned," "Ix’s tits") making the world feel alive. Ilana’s death was an interesting choice, but it didn’t hit as hard since we barely saw her. More flashbacks might have helped. And then there’s the turning process. Is Oraya already turning because of the wedding ceremony? The blood exchange? And Raihn came inside her—so does that mean baby?? Nothing was explained, and I need answers. And Alarus being "considered" dead?? That wording is suspicious—he’s the god of death, after all.

Loved the story, the characters, the villain!! Is the first book from this autor that I reaf and definitely become a fan!