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A review by thelilbookwitch
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
5.0
I. Loved. This. Book. [spoiler free review]
Set in a nuanced, well-honed world of vampires and humans with a vindictive pantheon of gods, Oraya has been raised as the adoptive daughter of the Vampire King, Vincent. She submits herself to their goddess's once in a century deadly trial to become a victor and receive a divine gift of her choosing - the ability to truly leave her humanity behind once and for all. But everyone in the Kejari has their own goals, and she knows better than most not to trust anyone, especially the vampire who seems to stick out to her in all the wrong ways from the others - Raihn.
***
It's hard to strike a balance between survival and falling in love, and this book manages to handle both incredibly well with believable stakes, consequences, and amazing chemistry between standoffish Oraya and unnervingly friendly Raihn. Their dynamic's evolution from enemies to lovers is carefully laid out and organic, and it's almost impossible not to root for them as they come to learn about themselves and each other through their interactions.
I'm so excited to get my hands on the next book in the duology, and I'll happily hand this off to anyone looking for their next romantasy read (especially those who were fans of Scarlett St. Clair's Adrian x Isolde series). I will also add that the trigger warning list in the beginning was helpful and those moments didn't feel like they were just sprinkled in to offer an edginess to the book -- they all served to forward the plot or character development!
Set in a nuanced, well-honed world of vampires and humans with a vindictive pantheon of gods, Oraya has been raised as the adoptive daughter of the Vampire King, Vincent. She submits herself to their goddess's once in a century deadly trial to become a victor and receive a divine gift of her choosing - the ability to truly leave her humanity behind once and for all. But everyone in the Kejari has their own goals, and she knows better than most not to trust anyone, especially the vampire who seems to stick out to her in all the wrong ways from the others - Raihn.
***
It's hard to strike a balance between survival and falling in love, and this book manages to handle both incredibly well with believable stakes, consequences, and amazing chemistry between standoffish Oraya and unnervingly friendly Raihn. Their dynamic's evolution from enemies to lovers is carefully laid out and organic, and it's almost impossible not to root for them as they come to learn about themselves and each other through their interactions.
I'm so excited to get my hands on the next book in the duology, and I'll happily hand this off to anyone looking for their next romantasy read (especially those who were fans of Scarlett St. Clair's Adrian x Isolde series). I will also add that the trigger warning list in the beginning was helpful and those moments didn't feel like they were just sprinkled in to offer an edginess to the book -- they all served to forward the plot or character development!