In the wake of a sacrifice that has plunged the world into an era of eternal night, the boundary between the mortal and the divine has become dangerously thin. Mische and Asar find themselves bound by a history of betrayal and the heavy weight of choices made in the name of love and duty. While one seeks a way to repair the damage done to the realm, the other is consumed by a thirst for vengeance against the gods who have manipulated their fates. Their path forward is not one of simple recovery, but a descent into the mythic foundations of their world.
When a goddess offers a tenuous opportunity for redemption, the two must set aside their grievances to embark on a quest through both the living and the spectral realms. Their mission involves securing the lost power of the god of death, a task that forces them to confront the corrupting nature of immortality and the fragility of their own souls. As the underworld begins to fracture and ancient deities prepare for a conflict that could reshape existence, the central struggle becomes whether they can survive the journey without losing the very humanity they are fighting to protect.
Expanding beyond the vampire house politics established in previous volumes, this narrative delves into the haunting landscape of the underworld and the rigid, often cruel, laws of the gods. The setting is defined by an atmosphere of "eternal night," where the environmental stakes mirror the protagonists' internal darkness. The magic system shifts toward the mythic, focusing on the pursuit of three ancient artifacts—the mask, eye, and heart of the death god, Alarus. These items represent more than mere power; they are the keys to a cosmic hierarchy that treats mortals and vampires alike as pawns in a much larger game of celestial succession.
The character arcs focus heavily on the excavation of self-worth. Both Mische and Asar have been conditioned to believe that their value is measured solely by their willingness to suffer or die for a cause. As they navigate their strained relationship, the narrative explores the friction between their shared history and their current, conflicting goals. Mische’s development centers on reclaiming her agency after a lifetime of service, while Asar must decide if his obsession with vengeance is worth the price of his remaining compassion. Their dynamic is characterized by a "forced proximity" that is as much about spiritual confrontation as it is about physical survival.
The book utilizes the classic "fetch quest" trope—the gathering of powerful artifacts—but subverts it by focusing on the heavy emotional cost of each acquisition. Rather than a heroic journey of empowerment, the search for Alarus’s artifacts is presented as a descent into the corrupting nature of divine influence. The "enemies-to-lovers" and "estranged allies" tropes are handled with a focus on grief and the difficulty of rebuilding trust after a fundamental betrayal. By framing the quest through the lens of psychological trauma rather than just physical danger, the story examines the terrifying reality of choosing to live when the gods themselves seem to demand a final sacrifice.
In the wake of a sacrifice that has plunged the world into an era of eternal night, the boundary between the mortal and the divine has become dangerously thin. Mische and Asar find themselves bound by a history of betrayal and the heavy weight of choices made in the name of love and duty. While one seeks a way to repair the damage done to the realm, the other is consumed by a thirst for vengeance against the gods who have manipulated their fates. Their path forward is not one of simple recovery, but a descent into the mythic foundations of their world.
When a goddess offers a tenuous opportunity for redemption, the two must set aside their grievances to embark on a quest through both the living and the spectral realms. Their mission involves securing the lost power of the god of death, a task that forces them to confront the corrupting nature of immortality and the fragility of their own souls. As the underworld begins to fracture and ancient deities prepare for a conflict that could reshape existence, the central struggle becomes whether they can survive the journey without losing the very humanity they are fighting to protect.
Expanding beyond the vampire house politics established in previous volumes, this narrative delves into the haunting landscape of the underworld and the rigid, often cruel, laws of the gods. The setting is defined by an atmosphere of "eternal night," where the environmental stakes mirror the protagonists' internal darkness. The magic system shifts toward the mythic, focusing on the pursuit of three ancient artifacts—the mask, eye, and heart of the death god, Alarus. These items represent more than mere power; they are the keys to a cosmic hierarchy that treats mortals and vampires alike as pawns in a much larger game of celestial succession.
The character arcs focus heavily on the excavation of self-worth. Both Mische and Asar have been conditioned to believe that their value is measured solely by their willingness to suffer or die for a cause. As they navigate their strained relationship, the narrative explores the friction between their shared history and their current, conflicting goals. Mische’s development centers on reclaiming her agency after a lifetime of service, while Asar must decide if his obsession with vengeance is worth the price of his remaining compassion. Their dynamic is characterized by a "forced proximity" that is as much about spiritual confrontation as it is about physical survival.
The book utilizes the classic "fetch quest" trope—the gathering of powerful artifacts—but subverts it by focusing on the heavy emotional cost of each acquisition. Rather than a heroic journey of empowerment, the search for Alarus’s artifacts is presented as a descent into the corrupting nature of divine influence. The "enemies-to-lovers" and "estranged allies" tropes are handled with a focus on grief and the difficulty of rebuilding trust after a fundamental betrayal. By framing the quest through the lens of psychological trauma rather than just physical danger, the story examines the terrifying reality of choosing to live when the gods themselves seem to demand a final sacrifice.
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Find The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk Carissa Broadbent in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk 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.
The Shadowborn Duet
The Shadowborn Duet