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Throughout her blockbuster “Crowns of Nyaxia” series, author Carissa Broadbent’s has consistently written perfect enemies-to-lovers story arcs, each packed to the brim with hate and secrets balanced beautifully with a world full of action and devastatingly high stakes. And her newest release, The Lion and the Deathless Dark, has got to be some of her best work yet.
Broadbent consistently delivers complex, often morally gray characters that make you consider existential questions outside of their fantasy world, delving into themes of grief, guilt, and pressure. And in The Lion and the Deathless Dark, the seventh book in her series, she shares a fresh story of two misunderstood characters fighting for their lives amid her world of warring vampires and gods.
The book introduces us to Kyrene, the chosen acolyte of Shiket, goddess of justice; she wields the “Sword of Retribution,” a weapon imbued with some of Shiket’s power. Kyrene may be a little rough around the edges at first, but her faults end up becoming some of her biggest strengths.
Kyrene’s careless attitude is a refreshing change from some of Broadbent’s other female protagonists. While at times she seemed like nothing more than a human punching bag, Kyrene’s often questionable decisions made for a badass, quite unpredictable character.
Broadbent had warned readers that this would be her darkest and bloodiest installment yet, and while the gore was certainly next level, it was also a beautifully written slow-burn romance that greatly expands the complex nature of one of her most hated characters so far, the Bloodborn vampire prince Septimus.
However, here Broadbent has somehow found a way to redeem Septimus—and even leave us swooning over his mysterious behavior and signature cigarillo scent. The yearning between Septimus and Kyrene? Positively delicious. Their violent tendencies make them a perfect match, even though Kyrene is reckless whereas Septimus is all meticulous planning.
Thanks to Kyrene and Septimus’ journey (and romance), Broadbent truly makes the reader question what defines a hero. Perhaps they don’t have to be a warrior with a heart of gold; maybe a girl with a penchant for beheading people is just the hero we have been waiting for? Or a vampire willing to do whatever it takes to save those he loves?
The Lion and the Deathless Dark again affirmed readers’ obsession with Broadbent’s work. Every aspect of this book, from the rivals-to-lovers romance and the gory fight scenes to the sassy gods and goddesses, is rich in plot and drama. Once again, Broadbent has produced a vampiric masterpiece.
