Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: eBook
Book Type: Duet/Series (Book #1 – The Nightborn Duet | Crowns of Nyaxia Series)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction
Review:
I didn’t know what I was walking into with this one… but wow. I picked up The Serpent & The Wings of Night because – let’s be honest here – vampires. And romance. (Yes, I’m obviously a Twilight rattie.) I was also still desperately trying to scratch the itch I’ve had for romantasies since finishing book three of The Empyrean Series… but I digress.
From page one, I was hooked. Oraya is that kind of main character you root for without hesitation. Sharp, determined, vulnerable in the right ways – but absolutely unshakable. It was so easy to cheer her on, even when the odds were stacked against her (which, let’s be honest, was always).
Yes, I knew there was going to be romance going into this (duh). I expected tension, maybe some swoon-worthy moments. But what I didn’t expect was the way it would build, then plateau, and kind of sizzle out? (Not totally, but kind of… that’s the only spoiler I’ll give.) Still, the connection between the characters – especially Oraya and her… counterpart – felt real. Raw. Messy in all the ways it needed to be to feel believable in a world like this one.
And speaking of the world… gorgeous. The writing is lush without being overwhelming, the pacing keeps you flipping pages – or tapping the screen if you’re a Kindle reader like me – and the emotional tension stays rigid the whole time. There’s violence, politics, ancient power struggles, and somehow amid all of that… heart. *cries, just thinking about the ending*
Even though she’s human, Oraya rises in a world that wasn’t made for her – and becomes something more. Something powerful. Something unforgettable. This book had teeth, and I loved every bite… pun intended.
Favorite The Serpent & Wings of Night Quotes:
“After all, vampires know better than anyone how important it is to protect their hearts.”
“And love, understand, is sharper than any stake.”
“Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence.”
“And then I realized. I realized that fear, when embraced, hardens and sharpens. That it becomes rage. That it becomes power.”
“He was on his knees, staring up at me. And that—the way he looked at me—was the first thing that felt real. Real, and raw, and… and confusing.”
“Because he looked at me in sheer awe—like I was the most incredible thing he had ever seen. Like I was a fucking goddess.”
“He smelled like the sky—he tasted like falling.”
“‘We’ll probably die tomorrow,’ I said. ‘Show me something worth living for.’”
“’I would beg,’ he murmured. ‘For you, I would. You have fucking destroyed me, Oraya. Do you know that?’”
“She was not a person. She was an event.”
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