Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

a satisfying to conclusion to raihn and oraya's story. this book took a while to kick of for me, and it had its ups and downs that bored me a little, but once things kicked off, it was worth it. I didn't like how it took too long to piece oraya's past together bc that was one of the most interesting parts of the story for me, and I really wanted answers right away, but again, it was worth it. I liked her backstory, despite the few criticisms I have in mind (which i don't even have the energy to list down dont @ me)

oraya's bond with vincent was a complicated mess, but I appreciate the nature of that complexity and what it meant for oraya's development as an individual character. the same opinion goes for her relationship with raihn.

raihn on the other hand, i became quickly attached to, just as much as i was attached to oraya. his struggles over balancing his personal desires and feelings with his duty as king reminded of rhysand (though no one will ever compare to that man if you ask me) and I certainly felt his struggle, especially when it comes to his relationship with oraya.

other favorite characters include mische (cant wait for her story!!) and vale and lilith. they were a cute little duo.

all in all, this was an entertaining read, yes, even if I say that about most of my books, I do actually mean it. I hope to revisit this series someday eventually, and I hope oraya and raihn make a comeback :)

Content Warnings

abookwormspov's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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headinthepages's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Gah! Ok I love this series. I need more and can’t wait for another FOUR books 😍

The pacing, scene setting and plot itself are brilliant and engaging in this. It didn’t feel like a longer book and I was riveted the whole way through.

I love the character development that continues from book 1 into book 2, I love these characters so much and hope I get to see them in the other books of the series!

If you love vampires, action & enemies to lovers then get reading!

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bzliz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a great sequel though it was doing A Lot and probably could’ve been two books. The headway made by our main characters and their respective squads felt earned rather than extremely convenient. There’s also great spicy scenes (be warned of blood play because it’s vampires) and they don’t feel gratuitous.

Some dialogue felt clunky and heavy handed with reveals that shocked no one (re: Mische in the wedding party scene). The refusal/inability of Oraya and Raihn to discuss feelings went on for too long in my opinion and it was no longer serving a purpose by the time confessions were made. The buildup to the final battle was well done but

the additional human army was pretty damn convenient and also apparently not a problem for vampires who have always had trouble holding themselves back from human blood.

Overall I’m glad I read this and I’m interested in reading more from this author in the future. Mind the content warnings!

Content warnings:
Blood, body horror, death, gore, injury, murder, violence, fire injury (on page):

Vampire battles that get pretty gruesome. If you cannot handle lots of serious injuries with characters on the brink of death, this isn’t the book for you. Blood is also shared in sexual encounters.

Grief (on page):

Oraya must grapple with her father’s death at Raihn’s hands and is also overtaken by his memory at points in time. She has complicated feelings about him because he was her father but he also shielded her from the truth about many topics for his own continued benefit.

Sexual content (on page):

Oraya and Raihn share a few intimate scenes ranging from sweet and loving to down and dirty. They are explicit but not vulgar.

Emotional abuse, domestic violence, physical abuse: (off & on page):

Raihn and probably everyone under former King Neculai’s rule suffered greatly. Much of the violence was implied through mentions of bruises and trauma. Raihn still suffers residual emotional trauma through exposure to Neculai’s cousin and the nobles looking down on him for the dehumanizing events they participated in at his expense.

Alcohol (on page):

Alcohol is specifically used as a tactic to get information out of Oraya’s cousin Evelaena about her father and his violent rise to power.

Child death (off page):

Evelaena relays the story of Vincent’s ascent to power by killing his family including the children which she survived by chance.

Death of parent (off page):

Vincent was killed in the previous book and Oraya spends most of the book dealing with the aftermath of that event.

Infidelity (off page):

Vampires don’t seem to adhere to bonds of fidelity but Raihn specifically had an affair with Queen Nessanyn as they were both victims of King Neculai’s violent tendencies. I mention this because of the emotional bond forged there and because it was significant in shaping Raihn’s life.

Rape, sexual assault (off page):

It is strongly implied Raihn was regularly sexually abused by Neculai and his court/nobles. Oraya’s first sexual encounter is mentioned again which began consensually and turned into rape (her explicit words say this). The experience is not rehashed in this book but is referenced a few times.

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spicycronereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ix’s tits! I loved this book. Oraya’s emotional journey dealing with the events of book 1 and the ongoing revelations in this book was complex and sad and beautiful. The reckoning with the contradictions of someone she thought she knew was hauntingly familiar. The action was well paced and the spicy scenes were…well, spicy. But also lovely in their evolution. Really enjoyed this book on many levels - plot, language, tone, character development. I will definitely be adding more from Carissa Broadbent to my TBR list.

Content Warnings

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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