She is a literal ray of sunshine. But here we saw her sad, broken and fragile side and I was so heartbroken to know about her past. She made everyone around her feel happy but she hides her own emotions. There's so much to her story we don't know and even though I'm so excited and intrigued about her book, I'm equally scared for her. I just want her to be happy and in love. There he is." He is perfect and I'd gladly bow for my powerful king. He is flawed and imperfect yet he tried his best for his kingdom even though they treated him as an usurper king and betrayed him. He proved all of them wrong. His growth in this book was commendable. He was so conflicted about his role as a Nightborn king and felt the burden of it because nobody was ready to accept him as a king but he appreciated his strengths and even his weakness and fought for his kingdom. And I loved how he was so patient with Oraya and made her feel safe and loved with his thoughtful and sweet gestures. Raihn is now king but his nobles don’t want an ex slave, a turned human for king. He will not only have to fight the Hiaj for the throne with the help of the Bloodborn vampires but dissent reigns inside his own people. And there also is the matter of shaking off the Bloodborn’s hold on his house… First I was wondering how the author would keep me interested as much as in the first book without the deadly competition at the heart of the story. I am a big fan of competitions in books so I dreaded the sequel. the way this book has a clutch on my heart it's not even funny 😭 devastated. Carissa Broadbent never lets me down. 🥺

Oraya will have to reach for the stars, to take everything and go head first into battle to seize power. Raihn stole all the spotlight and shined so bright that other characters dimmed in comparison; I couldn't bother to care any less. Others weren't interesting, it's not his fault, of course. I wanted to capture him like rainwater. I wanted to savor him like blood. I wanted him to open me and touch everything within me that I’d hidden away from the world. The ending was satisfying. Am excited to read Mische's journey whenever it comes out in 2024. It's a long wait but I am glad the next installment in the series releases in a few days. But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.With enemies closing in on all sides, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

i don't think this book had to be quite as long as it was, but it didn't really drag or feel in excess so i'm not saying that critically, more as a lukewarm observation. During the day: If you have a flexible schedule, you may find it helpful to take breaks during the day to read a book.

And Vincent the father, who kept this little makeshift trinket I'd made him, right there with all his most precious possessions. Who had told me he loved me with his final breaths. in the last book, raihn kept saving her at the last minute and it grated my nerves bc this girl was the only human among so many vampires and she fought them all by herself, but then we met raihn and he kept saving her when it was def not needed😒 but in this book, she was doing all the saving and killing, as she should 👸🏻 In the wake of the bloody tournament known as the Kejari, Oraya is now a prisoner in her own kingdom and grieving the only family she ever had. She’s left with only one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn, the vampire who betrayed her. Sypnosis: Oraya, the mortal daughter of the nightborn king, lost everything to the Kejari. She is stripped of her title, crown and forced to play the prisoner queen of the man who killed her father. Left with questions no one could provide answers to, Oraya can't tell apart friends from foes, not when the last person she considered a friend broke her heart and left it bleeding, not when the future of her people depends on her. Her kingdom is in the clutches of a far greater threat than she realizes and the only one who can buy her a change against her enemies is her capor, her husband, which leads her to form an unexpected alliance while coming to terms with her own powers and fighting a battle with her heart that still beats for the man who crushed it under his ambition. In the meantime, I hope you absolutely love this book, friends. I put my heart and soul into it, and I hope it shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the ride with me!

Raihn- One fit to be called king. He has two different roles- to be a leader to his subjects which requires him to make tough decisions and present an equally tough exterior; also to be a husband to not only a queen but his lover while desperately trying to make things up with her. I really liked how balanced his two sides were. He was so smitten by Oraya, and he actually shows that in his actions. Raihn also has to convince Oraya that he is on her side. That together they can create something worthy of their dreams, protecting humans and not only vampires. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him. I loved the way Raihn and Oraya faced their own fears and healed from their past traumas. Both of our main characters had to face a lot of challenges and were so brave while fighting for what they believe in. Their transformations and strength were inspiring. 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 has dug 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 seeking her revenge against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness an ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

Because I’m so tired, Oraya.” His mouth brushed over the tip of my nose. Almost a kiss. Not quite. “I’m so tired of pretending. Tired of pretending I don’t think about you every night. That I’ve ever wanted anything—”

I am really happy that we got more information about Vincent’s past. I was so curious about his character after finishing the first book, and as I said in my review of the first book, I loved his complexity when it came to his thirst for power and his love for Oraya. I desperately needed to know more about him, and I am glad for all the glimpses of his past we got. DEEMA, MY LOVE AND BESTIE! You made this experience truly unforgettable! I don't know what I would do without us sharing our every thought to this series. Thank you! <3 Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands. Vincent had ruined me. He had saved me. He had loved me. He had stifled me. He had manipulated me. He had made me everything that I was. Everything that I could be. Even the greatest parts of my power, the parts he never wanted me to find, were his. And now here I was, poring over every wound he gave me. And no matter how much they hurt, I never wanted them to heal, because they were his. And I missed him too much to hate him the way I wanted to.” Waited what felt like forever for this to come out, and now I'm reeling that it is done until Spring/Summer of 2024! 😭 Need to gather how to even make words happen after this! RTC!The action sequences were breathtaking. I was in complete awe with the way it was written and they were such powerful scenes. I could not put the book down towards the end. It was so intense, I got goosebumps.