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shinyfox's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Rape
savvyrosereads's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
A standalone romantasy novella that should be read between THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT and THE ASHES AND THE STAR-CURSED KING, which focuses on Lilith, who turns to local vampire Vale in a desperate effort to save her town from a deadly curse.
THIS WAS SO GOOD. I love a little mid-series novella, but it’s rare to find one that is truly special, and this is one of those rare ones. I absolutely LOVED both Lilith and Vale and their relationship was so sweet and lovely. I loved Lilith more than Oraya from TSATWON (by a lot) and honestly could have read 300 more pages of these two. The story also felt more like a classic gothic vampire tale with some updating, and I was SO HERE for the vibes. Truly, there are not enough good things I can say about this one.
I can’t wait to get more of Lilith and Vale and the rest of this world in the next book!
CW: Violence/blood/death/injury; terminal illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Violence
sbordo's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Blood
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
spicyviolets's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The pacing in this was slower, but it allowed for the romance to develop at a more natural and relaxed pace. I really loved Lilith. Her struggle to connect with others, and feeling different from them while simultaneously caring so much and wanting to save everyone was something that deeply resonated with me. I ended up liking Vale a lot too. His character development was really satisfying. I can’t wait to see more of these two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Violence
louisepea's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“It's just... something being difficult is not a good reason not to do it.”
Six Scorched Roses was a brilliant Beauty and the Beast-inspired novella from the Crowns of Nyaxia series about a neurodivergent human woman making a deal with a grumpy hot vampire so she can find a cure for a disease cursing her village.
Every month, Lilith promises Vale a special rose in exchange for his blood- a human taking a vampire's blood? Oh, the irony!!- and what starts as a reluctant partnership soon turns into a friendly alliance, with Vale eagerly helping Lilith research her work, and adorably, sending her letters in her absence like the sweet old soul he is.
As the letters accumulate, it appears that something is building between the two friends, and Lilith is too distracted by her work and her feelings for Vale to realise the letters have led a group of scared religious extremists to his door. Will she be able to get to him in time? And when her actions displease a vengeful God, will there be anything she can offer to save those she loves from his wrath? Or has death caught up with Lilith a fourth and final time?
*
Ix's tits, I think this might just be one of the best novellas I've ever read.
After loving The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I wasted no time in sinking my fangs into this book, and loved it so much, I greedily drank it down in a couple of sittings. I only wish it had been longer. 195 pages wasn't enough time with Lilith and Vale.
It was fun to read a vampire story where the human was the one taking the vampire's blood, and the vampire the one being perturbed by the human silently sneaking into his home unannounced and uninvited at inconvenient times. (Nothing like a bit of voyeurism to make or break the mood...)
Lilith was such an interesting character as a fearless neurodivergent thirty year old whose difficulty with social cues got her into awkward situations at times, but who never tried to be anything but herself. It was admirable how her love for her terminally ill sister drove her to fearlessly approach a vampire to help her find a cure, and to not take 'no' for an answer, and how she worked tirelessly to help everyone, before giving everything she had to save them.
I loved how Lilith quickly had Vale, the, supposedly, big scary vampire, wrapped around her little finger, enthralled by her patented blend of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. He reminded me so much of a winged Lorcan Salvaterre- a big, moody, immortal killing machine softened by a clever human woman who isn't afraid of him. And just like Lorcan, I adored him!
I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers relationship which developed between them, cemented by Vale initiating a letter exchange, and Lilith coming to save him. If I didn't already love him before he enthusiastically started penning her academic love letters with doodles and poems delivered by magic or raven, the letter-writing definitely did it. I mean, could that be any cuter?!
I was also swooning when he saved her from a group of opportunist robbers, and nursed her back to health- even while chastising her for almost-stripping to save her skin, not quite grasping her limited options as an unarmed mortal woman cornered by men until she made it clear.
I was equally moved by the scenes where Lilith raced to save Vale from the mob, killed to defend him, and then took care of him, as well as when Vale came for her when she went to face the vengeful God alone. The two of them were just adorable together, and the way this odd-couple cared for each other stole my whole heart. They were the last two people you'd expect to end up together, but somehow, they just worked.
For some reason, I wasn't at all surprised by how it ended- I guess it was kinda predictable- but it had me on the edge of my seat anyway, hoping Lilith made it through. And thank goodness she did... well, kind of.
I'm excited to read more books of the two of them in the future, and can't wait to see where the series takes them now that Lilith has all the time in the world. I loved this first adventure of them, and I need to know more! 4 shiny stars out of 5.
Trigger warnings for: Sex, voyeurism, violence, blood, terminal illness, death, attempted assault.
Six Scorched Roses was a brilliant Beauty and the Beast-inspired novella from the Crowns of Nyaxia series about a neurodivergent human woman making a deal with a grumpy hot vampire so she can find a cure for a disease cursing her village.
Every month, Lilith promises Vale a special rose in exchange for his blood- a human taking a vampire's blood? Oh, the irony!!- and what starts as a reluctant partnership soon turns into a friendly alliance, with Vale eagerly helping Lilith research her work, and adorably, sending her letters in her absence like the sweet old soul he is.
As the letters accumulate, it appears that something is building between the two friends, and Lilith is too distracted by her work and her feelings for Vale to realise the letters have led a group of scared religious extremists to his door. Will she be able to get to him in time? And when her actions displease a vengeful God, will there be anything she can offer to save those she loves from his wrath? Or has death caught up with Lilith a fourth and final time?
*
Ix's tits, I think this might just be one of the best novellas I've ever read.
After loving The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I wasted no time in sinking my fangs into this book, and loved it so much, I greedily drank it down in a couple of sittings. I only wish it had been longer. 195 pages wasn't enough time with Lilith and Vale.
It was fun to read a vampire story where the human was the one taking the vampire's blood, and the vampire the one being perturbed by the human silently sneaking into his home unannounced and uninvited at inconvenient times. (Nothing like a bit of voyeurism to make or break the mood...)
Lilith was such an interesting character as a fearless neurodivergent thirty year old whose difficulty with social cues got her into awkward situations at times, but who never tried to be anything but herself. It was admirable how her love for her terminally ill sister drove her to fearlessly approach a vampire to help her find a cure, and to not take 'no' for an answer, and how she worked tirelessly to help everyone, before giving everything she had to save them.
I loved how Lilith quickly had Vale, the, supposedly, big scary vampire, wrapped around her little finger, enthralled by her patented blend of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. He reminded me so much of a winged Lorcan Salvaterre- a big, moody, immortal killing machine softened by a clever human woman who isn't afraid of him. And just like Lorcan, I adored him!
I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers relationship which developed between them, cemented by Vale initiating a letter exchange, and Lilith coming to save him. If I didn't already love him before he enthusiastically started penning her academic love letters with doodles and poems delivered by magic or raven, the letter-writing definitely did it. I mean, could that be any cuter?!
I was also swooning when he saved her from a group of opportunist robbers, and nursed her back to health- even while chastising her for almost-stripping to save her skin, not quite grasping her limited options as an unarmed mortal woman cornered by men until she made it clear.
I was equally moved by the scenes where Lilith raced to save Vale from the mob, killed to defend him, and then took care of him, as well as when Vale came for her when she went to face the vengeful God alone. The two of them were just adorable together, and the way this odd-couple cared for each other stole my whole heart. They were the last two people you'd expect to end up together, but somehow, they just worked.
For some reason, I wasn't at all surprised by how it ended- I guess it was kinda predictable- but it had me on the edge of my seat anyway, hoping Lilith made it through. And thank goodness she did... well, kind of.
I'm excited to read more books of the two of them in the future, and can't wait to see where the series takes them now that Lilith has all the time in the world. I loved this first adventure of them, and I need to know more! 4 shiny stars out of 5.
Trigger warnings for: Sex, voyeurism, violence, blood, terminal illness, death, attempted assault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness
Minor: Sexism, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Death, and Grief
adelagx's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
palmkd's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While this story doesn't have direct ties to the Serpent and the Wings of the Night, I'd recommend reading it in the suggested order, #1.5 (aka after Serpent and before The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King). That said, you can of course read it by itself as you don't need to know anything from the first book to enjoy it.
The 2 main characters from this novella will play a big role in the Crowns of Nyaxia books starting book 2 and onward (per the author's note in the back of this novella).
This story gives us a wonderful introduction to Lilith and Vale. Lilith is a scientist dead-set on curing the illness that is devastating her community, and most heartbreakingly, her only remaining family, her sister. Lilith's been obsessed with death as she never thought she'd live that long and yet her sister may die before her. She's ready to make a drastic attempt to save her sister so they can finally live, but is she being too reckless?
The 2 main characters from this novella will play a big role in the Crowns of Nyaxia books starting book 2 and onward (per the author's note in the back of this novella).
This story gives us a wonderful introduction to Lilith and Vale. Lilith is a scientist dead-set on curing the illness that is devastating her community, and most heartbreakingly, her only remaining family, her sister. Lilith's been obsessed with death as she never thought she'd live that long and yet her sister may die before her. She's ready to make a drastic attempt to save her sister so they can finally live, but is she being too reckless?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Murder, Blood, and Death
julietsdemise's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment and Death of parent
maregred's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
zanazy's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This story is part of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and while it is a stand-alone story, the ending notes these characters will be part of book two of the series. This story is set outside of the vampire world in a human town and is told from the perspective of Lilith, a human woman who is trying to save her sister and town from a deathly plague. Lilith speaks of being touched by death since her birth, cursed to die as she was born with a sickness that cannot be cured. She has lived longer than expected and is lives each day as if it were her last. She is curious and observant, and has a hunger for knowledge. With her sister’s health continuing to deteriorate each day, she decides to seek out the one vampire who lives on the edges of her town to see if perhaps his blood might allow her to make a cure that could save not only her sister, but also the people of her town. Vale is a vampire who left Obritaes (the setting of the main storyline) after his vampire faction lost power. He is a Rishan vampire of the House of Night, and a former general of the Rishan army. He is the last remaining general from the Great War that saw the Rishan fall, meaning he was part of the Rishan army who Vincent overthrew to take power. I found this interesting since Vincent had made it seem like he killed everyone that was important, so he either must not have found him threatening or somehow missed accounting for Vale after he took over.
Vale is curious about Lilith and strikes a deal with her where he provides her with blood samples in exchange for a “special” rose that she brings him. She promises to come once a month for six months, and so the story is split into six parts, for each of her visits. As the two interact, Lilith realizes they have a lot in common, so a friendship and mutual admiration begins to develop. This turns into more, and Vale finds in Lilith something unexpected. The two of them are strong leads and as the story is largely focused on their interactions, they drive the plot well.
The ending has a few surprises and is driven by the choices that Vale and Lilith make throughout the story. They do not stray from their characters and the ending sets them both up to meet the main story line after the events of The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Vale is curious about Lilith and strikes a deal with her where he provides her with blood samples in exchange for a “special” rose that she brings him. She promises to come once a month for six months, and so the story is split into six parts, for each of her visits. As the two interact, Lilith realizes they have a lot in common, so a friendship and mutual admiration begins to develop. This turns into more, and Vale finds in Lilith something unexpected. The two of them are strong leads and as the story is largely focused on their interactions, they drive the plot well.
The ending has a few surprises and is driven by the choices that Vale and Lilith make throughout the story. They do not stray from their characters and the ending sets them both up to meet the main story line after the events of The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Death