The aftermath of the Kejari has left the kingdom of the House of Night in a state of volatile transition. Oraya, once the protected human daughter of the King, now finds herself a prisoner of the man who orchestrated her father’s downfall. The sudden shift in power has not only stripped Oraya of her status but has forced her to confront the reality that the foundations of her life were built on the secrets and manipulations of a man she loved, yet barely knew.
The political landscape is equally fractured. Raihn, the newly ascended king, must navigate a court that views his status as a "Turned" vampire with deep-seated prejudice and suspicion. His claim to the throne is tenuous, threatened by internal dissent from the nobility and external pressures from the House of Blood. To survive the looming civil war, Oraya and Raihn are forced into a pragmatic, high-stakes alliance that tests the limits of their mutual resentment and the lingering fragments of their connection.
The setting moves beyond the localized trial of the Kejari to the broader, grittier atmosphere of Sivrinaj, the capital of the House of Night. The world-building focuses on the structural divide between the "Born" vampires—those born into their power and lineage—and the "Turned," who were formerly human. This biological caste system creates a backdrop of systemic tension, as Raihn’s ascension represents a fundamental threat to the established social order. The atmosphere is one of claustrophobic political intrigue, where the physical architecture of the city mirrors the ancient, crumbling secrets Oraya begins to uncover regarding her own heritage and the goddess Nyaxia.
The character development in the first half of the narrative centers on the deconstruction of the protagonist's past. Oraya’s arc is not merely about survival, but about the painful process of unlearning. She must reconcile the image of the father who protected her with the tyrant who oppressed a kingdom. Her dynamic with Raihn is defined by a "forced proximity" that is purely transactional at the start. The narrative explores whether a relationship built on a foundation of fundamental betrayal can ever evolve into functional trust, focusing heavily on the internal moral dilemmas of choosing between personal vengeance and the stability of a nation.
The novel utilizes several prominent genre tropes but grounds them in realistic emotional consequences. While it features the "Enemies to Lovers" dynamic, the focus remains on the "Enemies" aspect for a significant portion of the setup, prioritizing messy, complicated layers of anger and grief over quick reconciliation. The "Reluctant Monarch" trope is applied to Raihn, emphasizing the logistical and violent realities of ruling a population that considers him a sub-human usurper. Additionally, the story subverts the "Chosen One" narrative by framing Oraya’s unique abilities not as a gift of destiny, but as a dangerous inheritance tied to her father's darkest compromises.
The aftermath of the Kejari has left the kingdom of the House of Night in a state of volatile transition. Oraya, once the protected human daughter of the King, now finds herself a prisoner of the man who orchestrated her father’s downfall. The sudden shift in power has not only stripped Oraya of her status but has forced her to confront the reality that the foundations of her life were built on the secrets and manipulations of a man she loved, yet barely knew.
The political landscape is equally fractured. Raihn, the newly ascended king, must navigate a court that views his status as a "Turned" vampire with deep-seated prejudice and suspicion. His claim to the throne is tenuous, threatened by internal dissent from the nobility and external pressures from the House of Blood. To survive the looming civil war, Oraya and Raihn are forced into a pragmatic, high-stakes alliance that tests the limits of their mutual resentment and the lingering fragments of their connection.
The setting moves beyond the localized trial of the Kejari to the broader, grittier atmosphere of Sivrinaj, the capital of the House of Night. The world-building focuses on the structural divide between the "Born" vampires—those born into their power and lineage—and the "Turned," who were formerly human. This biological caste system creates a backdrop of systemic tension, as Raihn’s ascension represents a fundamental threat to the established social order. The atmosphere is one of claustrophobic political intrigue, where the physical architecture of the city mirrors the ancient, crumbling secrets Oraya begins to uncover regarding her own heritage and the goddess Nyaxia.
The character development in the first half of the narrative centers on the deconstruction of the protagonist's past. Oraya’s arc is not merely about survival, but about the painful process of unlearning. She must reconcile the image of the father who protected her with the tyrant who oppressed a kingdom. Her dynamic with Raihn is defined by a "forced proximity" that is purely transactional at the start. The narrative explores whether a relationship built on a foundation of fundamental betrayal can ever evolve into functional trust, focusing heavily on the internal moral dilemmas of choosing between personal vengeance and the stability of a nation.
The novel utilizes several prominent genre tropes but grounds them in realistic emotional consequences. While it features the "Enemies to Lovers" dynamic, the focus remains on the "Enemies" aspect for a significant portion of the setup, prioritizing messy, complicated layers of anger and grief over quick reconciliation. The "Reluctant Monarch" trope is applied to Raihn, emphasizing the logistical and violent realities of ruling a population that considers him a sub-human usurper. Additionally, the story subverts the "Chosen One" narrative by framing Oraya’s unique abilities not as a gift of destiny, but as a dangerous inheritance tied to her father's darkest compromises.
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Find The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King Carissa Broadbent in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King Carissa Broadbent in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
15 books in catalog
Bloodshed, political maneuvering, and the brutal cost of survival define the landscapes of modern romantic fantasy, where high-stakes conflicts extend far beyond matters of the heart. Fantasy author Carissa Broadbent has built a wide readership in this competitive genre by subjecting her protagonists to the grim realities of power, legacy, and systemic violence. She is widely recognized for The Serpent and the Wings of Night, an epic vampire tournament novel that launched her best-selling Crowns of Nyaxia universe.
Her expansive catalog blends high-tension epic fantasy plots with intense romantic arcs, establishing her as a prominent voice in contemporary speculative fiction across both independent and traditional publishing spaces.
Based in Rhode Island, where she lives with her husband, her son, a perpetually skeptical cat, and a badly behaved rabbit, Carissa Broadbent began writing dark, mercilessly grim stories around the age of nine. This early preoccupation with dark fiction eventually matured into a disciplined approach to epic fantasy world-building. Before transitioning into writing as a full-time profession, she worked in the healthcare industry. That professional background provided her with a nuanced understanding of human vulnerability, physical trauma, and psychological resilience—elements that deeply inform her character development and thematic depth.
Broadbent initially published her work independently, entering the literary landscape with self-published releases such as her 2017 novel A Palace Fractured. She steadily cultivated a dedicated fanbase in the indie fantasy community as her self-publishing earnings grew from covering routine utility bills to generating consistent four-figure paychecks. Her breakthrough reached a broader digital audience through platforms like BookTok, where readers praised her intricate world-building, high-stakes political intrigue, and morally complex characters. This grassroots momentum culminated in major commercial success and substantial reader demand.
Her rapid commercial ascent caught the attention of legacy publishers, leading to major deals with traditional houses including Tor Publishing Group and Pan Macmillan. In July 2023, Bramble, a romance-focused imprint of Tor, acquired her body of work to publish original installments in the Crowns of Nyaxia series alongside new traditional editions of her backlist titles. Now a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Broadbent's transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing is frequently highlighted in industry publications such as Publishers Weekly as a prime example of independent success driving major publishing partnerships.
Broadbent’s writing style is distinguished by its refusal to sanitize the harsh realities of war, oppression, and physical trauma. Influenced by the lyrical prose and nuanced exploration of femininity found in the works of Madeline Miller, her narratives focus on the psychological toll of conflict and the structural pressures placed upon women in patriarchal or authoritarian societies. Rather than relying on simple tropes, her work emphasizes complex emotional realism, where characters must grapple with moral compromises, trauma, and the heavy burden of survival in hostile environments.
Thematically, her stories delve into the psychological motivations behind both human and non-human behavior, examining why individuals seek authority and how legacy dictates personal agency. A recurring concept throughout her work is that love can be a dangerous vulnerability in worlds designed for cruelty and state-sanctioned violence. While her novels incorporate a substantial romantic thread, critics and readers frequently observe that her epic fantasy plots—complete with intricate magic systems and grim geopolitical maneuvering—are robust enough to carry the narrative independently of the romantic relationships.
Her character design consistently features resilient, complex female leads forced to navigate oppressive power structures. These protagonists are rarely unblemished heroes; instead, they are pragmatic survivors who use strategy, combat skills, and political cunning to protect their communities and claim their personal autonomy. By pairing intricate magical mechanics with intense character dynamics, Broadbent creates stories where emotional stakes and mortal danger remain inextricably linked.
15 books in catalog
Bloodshed, political maneuvering, and the brutal cost of survival define the landscapes of modern romantic fantasy, where high-stakes conflicts extend far beyond matters of the heart. Fantasy author Carissa Broadbent has built a wide readership in this competitive genre by subjecting her protagonists to the grim realities of power, legacy, and systemic violence. She is widely recognized for The Serpent and the Wings of Night, an epic vampire tournament novel that launched her best-selling Crowns of Nyaxia universe.
Her expansive catalog blends high-tension epic fantasy plots with intense romantic arcs, establishing her as a prominent voice in contemporary speculative fiction across both independent and traditional publishing spaces.
Based in Rhode Island, where she lives with her husband, her son, a perpetually skeptical cat, and a badly behaved rabbit, Carissa Broadbent began writing dark, mercilessly grim stories around the age of nine. This early preoccupation with dark fiction eventually matured into a disciplined approach to epic fantasy world-building. Before transitioning into writing as a full-time profession, she worked in the healthcare industry. That professional background provided her with a nuanced understanding of human vulnerability, physical trauma, and psychological resilience—elements that deeply inform her character development and thematic depth.
Broadbent initially published her work independently, entering the literary landscape with self-published releases such as her 2017 novel A Palace Fractured. She steadily cultivated a dedicated fanbase in the indie fantasy community as her self-publishing earnings grew from covering routine utility bills to generating consistent four-figure paychecks. Her breakthrough reached a broader digital audience through platforms like BookTok, where readers praised her intricate world-building, high-stakes political intrigue, and morally complex characters. This grassroots momentum culminated in major commercial success and substantial reader demand.
Her rapid commercial ascent caught the attention of legacy publishers, leading to major deals with traditional houses including Tor Publishing Group and Pan Macmillan. In July 2023, Bramble, a romance-focused imprint of Tor, acquired her body of work to publish original installments in the Crowns of Nyaxia series alongside new traditional editions of her backlist titles. Now a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Broadbent's transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing is frequently highlighted in industry publications such as Publishers Weekly as a prime example of independent success driving major publishing partnerships.
Broadbent’s writing style is distinguished by its refusal to sanitize the harsh realities of war, oppression, and physical trauma. Influenced by the lyrical prose and nuanced exploration of femininity found in the works of Madeline Miller, her narratives focus on the psychological toll of conflict and the structural pressures placed upon women in patriarchal or authoritarian societies. Rather than relying on simple tropes, her work emphasizes complex emotional realism, where characters must grapple with moral compromises, trauma, and the heavy burden of survival in hostile environments.
Thematically, her stories delve into the psychological motivations behind both human and non-human behavior, examining why individuals seek authority and how legacy dictates personal agency. A recurring concept throughout her work is that love can be a dangerous vulnerability in worlds designed for cruelty and state-sanctioned violence. While her novels incorporate a substantial romantic thread, critics and readers frequently observe that her epic fantasy plots—complete with intricate magic systems and grim geopolitical maneuvering—are robust enough to carry the narrative independently of the romantic relationships.
Her character design consistently features resilient, complex female leads forced to navigate oppressive power structures. These protagonists are rarely unblemished heroes; instead, they are pragmatic survivors who use strategy, combat skills, and political cunning to protect their communities and claim their personal autonomy. By pairing intricate magical mechanics with intense character dynamics, Broadbent creates stories where emotional stakes and mortal danger remain inextricably linked.
Crowns of Nyaxia
Crowns of Nyaxia
