Reviews with content warning for Body horror - The Serpent and the Wings of Night

Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

45 reviews

fluffy_comet's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

It just fell flat at the end.

The forced marriage plot

was deeply frustrating, and the fact that all these two has to do was COMMUNICATE THE BAREST AMOUNT to avoid

another deadly war

was kind of infuriating at the end. The writer's grammar leaves much to be desired and I swear to God if she does the triplicate thing over (and over and over) in the next book I *will* DNF it. Loopholes and editing problems abound: you're telling me a 20 year old living in vampire territory isn't worried about her period? Also certain sentences/descriptions are repeated in the book in difficult situations, ie: he pissed himself, bleeding is bad, etc.

Enjoyable read though, but it was very much a "kinda want to see what happens" vibe that drew me to ordering the next book, not a "I need to know what happens NOW".

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crybabybea's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-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

2.0

I gotta stop reading romantasy. I feel like the subgenre just doesn’t work for me because it always feels like the author has to try and shove so many different elements in, to the detriment of the quality of the work. The world-building, plot, characters, and romance are all underdeveloped because of how much has to be fit into the book. Everything takes a backseat to the romance more often than not, because the author wants to get to the sex scene within the first book. They always end up longer than they need to be because of it as well. Granted, this is on the shorter end of romantasy at 450ish pages, but the next one is over 600 pages. It’s just not enough payoff for a book that long. I feel like it actually takes an incredible amount of skill to write a good romantasy where all elements stand on their own (and seemingly takes a great editor as well cause whew every romantasy I have read needs serious editing). I actually love fantasies with romantic elements as I’m a big YA fan, but I have yet to find a romantasy that doesn’t feel lackluster and overhyped.

This book falls into all of the issues I usually have with the genre. The fantasy doesn’t hold up if you look at it for too long. I understand it’s one of those books that people want to “turn their brain off” and read, which I have no issue with, but this book almost feels like you have to turn your brain off to read. You have to read it not really understanding the point of the plot or really anything about the world at all. The world-building is muddy at best, and oftentimes the narrative just doesn’t make sense. I still don’t understand the point of the Kejari tournament, why it’s happening now, how the world works politically, or the difference between the vampire clans. The magic also isn’t explained well and it’s not clear who can do what magic (is it a racial thing? is it only certain vampires? idk) or what the consequences of the magic are. It just doesn’t feel well thought out and it’s only dragged down more by the author’s bland writing and habit of telling vs. showing.

The writing itself is just… meh. There’s nothing special about it. I don’t think all writing has to be poetic or use flowery language (and in fact some authors force it to the point that it’s cringey ~~cough When the Moon Hatched cough)~~ but the writing here just has no substance. Like, it’s fine but there is nothing about it that is memorable or that encourages me to pick up more by this author. It’s also written in first person POV, but the narration doesn’t match up with the voice of the main character, and it actually makes it hard to connect with Oraya as a character. We don’t get a lot of time in the narration before we are plunged into the Kejari (about 30 pages or less of setup), so we go into the story not really having an idea of who the characters are or what the purpose of the plot even is. It felt very YA, which is fine but… I thought this was not YA for a reason. The only thing that differentiates the writing from a YA book is the overuse of cursing to seem edgy as well as a sex scene. Which, even the sex scene is just bland and boring. There were multiple times I was wishing this book had more editing. At one point the author repeats the same "surprise" and the characters act like they weren't aware even though the same thing was said like 200 pages prior.

I did like the action scenes and felt they had nice pacing and were detailed enough to be understood but not too detailed that they dragged on.

The characters aren’t well developed over the course of the story. We have a very, very narrow cast of characters, which should mean we get intimately acquainted with them, but we just don’t. They fall into their respective tropes and don’t venture outside of them. The author tries to do a “found family” type thing with the main 3 characters but it just doesn’t work because we don’t get to know them well. There are beats of the story that are clearly intended to be emotional but I just don’t care about the characters enough to worry about them. The beginning setup for Oraya’s relationships was good, but

then the author kills off one of two characters that she cares about before the tournament even starts with little fanfare. Her death happens off-page and Oraya never really feels much about it.

I actually found Vincent to be the most interesting character by far, and hoped to see more of an exploration of he and Oraya’s relationship.

I did like the ending. Even though it was similar to other plot beats I’ve read in similar books, I did find myself at least a bit connected to the romance at the end.

This is compared to The Hunger Games (and I understand why) but I would probably compare it more to The Cruel Prince and the later books of ACOTAR. The plot points were almost exactly like The Cruel Prince but with less developed enemies to lovers. I don't think the political strife or intrigue is enough to accurately compare it to The Hunger Games.

Like other romantasies, it’s good for an easy, light entertainment read. If you’re a high fantasy fan and want deep world-building, complicated magic, and political intrigue, I think this is just meh.

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sorakiras's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

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griffieclark's review

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adventurous dark emotional medium-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

4.0

“And then i realized. I realized that fear, when embraced, hardens and sharpens. That it becomes rage. That it becomes power. I would not die here”

The first book of the “Crowns of Nyaxia” series and it was a CRAWL. Stocked full of world building and learning of their gods and cities. Oraya, a human, is taken as a child to live with the Vampire king, Vincent.

The main story line of the book is Oraya competing in a competition to honor Nyaxia, the night goddess and ruler of vampires. Only, she is the only human amongst Shadowborn, Nightborn, and Bloodborn vampires…with wings. Sprinkled amongst this is bits of Oraya’s backstory.

And then we meet Raihn and the winged man kink is satiated. Snarky, dark humored, and…a Turned vampire. This means he was once human but was changed. This means he has held on to his human heart.

If you are a fan of the slowest of burns and enemies to lovers (spoiler…to enemies again) you will be hooked.

I heard so many good reviews to I kept pushing and also…i love me a book with a competition.

Content Warnings

booknerdcoco's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious sad tense medium-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

It's been a while since I've read a vampire novel. And this did not disappoint. I listened to it on audiobook, and though I prefer to read, I felt like the narrators added to the story.

The plot twist at the end was unexpected, and my heart broke for the FMC.

But the build-up I thought was good.

My only frustration was that I struggled to keep track of some of the less prominent characters that turned out to be significant in the end. This somewhat interrupted the flow of the story for me.

Spice 2.5/5
Plot 4.75
Book boyfriend: This is difficult because of the plot twist, but the for the most part 90% maybe a 3.5/5

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chasie_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kinskinn's review

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adventurous tense medium-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

5.0

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h0ll0whailey's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

I have come to realize that the girl who devoured Twilight and The Vampire Diaries like an addictive drug when I was younger is still here and kicking. These vampires are so much better, though. This world has magic, goddesses, tournaments, etc. There are kingdoms and

I loved the world-building and the lore of the vampires in this book. I enjoyed the lore of a goddess creating vampirism and there being tournaments to the death in honor of her journey in escaping the White Pantheon. The whole setup of this world of Rishan and Hiaj has a lot to do with colonization as well. The Hiaj king, Vincent, literally stole resources from the Rishan after taking their power and also basically kept humans around as walking blood bags and livestock. I always thought it was shady that the human district was called "safe" despite the vampires crawling around thinking they were entitled to their blood and lives.

The writing in this book had me foaming at the mouthhhhhh. some of my favorite lines include:

"Now, I felt nothing when I killed but the satisfaction of a job well done. A mark etched upon the world. That was worth something, to a mortal living amongst immortal beings. A way for me to tell this place, You think my life is worth nothing, but I can still leave a stain on you that can't be washed out."

"Vampires behaved as if every emotion, every impulse, took a bit longer to reach the surface of their skin. But humans? Humans laid it bare. They were loud and expressive and unapologetic. This struck me, strange and confusing. My humanness has been the reason why I'd spent a lifetime dimming myself. For these people, it was the reason why they burned brighter."

"The sudden urge to flatten my palm against his skin, run my hands across all those different textures, nearly overwhelmed me. I'd envied vampires my entire life. But now, for the first time, I felt a sharp pang of sympathy for them. Because suddenly, I understood what it was like to be hungry. It was fucking excruciating."

"We kissed like we fought together, responding to each touch, each movement. We understood each other by now."

My jaw dropped so many times while reading this book because of how good the writing was. I really think the writing really complimented Oraya's character. Brutal and efficient, but with waves of desire and longing.

I love both of the main characters in this book too. There is a line in the book that talks about Oraya being a human with a vampire heart and Raihn a vampire with a human heart. I think this is the reason they work so well with one another. They saw their own desires in each other. Oraya wanted to have power and be a vampire herself. She always saw being human as a weakness and as something to be ashamed of. But Raihn, standing in front of the windowsill at dawn just to see the sunrise even though it hurt him and fitting in so naturally with the humans at the tavern, saw that Oraya was perfect and strong just the way she was. What I really like about Raihn is that despite being a vampire, he didn't let his humanity be stripped away. One great example is how he saved that little girl when Oraya lost consciousness. He could have easily given her up but he made sure she was safe. He isn't cruel or cold like other vampires because he lived his life as a human before being turned while a lot of vampires are born. With Oraya, I love her strength of character. The book

The romance in this book is so so good. I felt the tension was palpable. They started as being rivals and members of enemy clans. Oraya was so wary of him because he was powerful and Rishan. When he asked her to ally with him, she could barely stand in the same room with him. But they started to trust each other after working together to kill vampires in the human slums. Because of this, Oraya grew fond of him. Then we could both see each other bonded after the ally trial. I think this trial was my favorite scene in the book (besides the smut obviouslyyyyy). Reading about them working together so well and showing each other their fears. The fear when both of them are hurt. My heart can't take it I love them. The smutty chapters were actually so heartwarming. Because both of them were the victims of sexual assault, Raihn repeatedly reminded Oraya that she was safe and in control. It actually made me cry. The scene was so full of love passion and tension. ALSO THE SCENE WITH THE BLOOD DRINKING I WAS IN SHAMBLES.

Another character I liked was Miche. I expected her to die and be a character that just served as motivation for Oraya and Raihn. But I honestly got attached to her. She reminds me of Alice from Twilight. Bubbly, bright, positive, and fiery. She is also a really great friend to both Raihn and Oraya and I want to see more of her in the next book. I was expecting her to die but im glad that she was able to get out.

The ending sort of confused me and disappointed me a little I won't lie. I know that Raihn has to rule cruelly, but I hope that he changes things and isn't the ruler that Vincent was. Vincent ruled on the exploitation of Rishan, especially humans. I want Raihn to rule in a better way than Vincent and the other Rishan kings, excluding colonization. I think that he will because he himself is very human and loves humanity. I think that for right now he can't do everything that he wants because his people are ready to betray him. I also know that Oraya is badass and I hope to see her having a lot of action in the next book. I don't think she will but I don't want to see her turned into just a queen to her husband with no autonomy or say of her own. I know they are both on rocky ground together right now, but I hope moving forward in the series, they both create a better kingdom together. I know those bloodborn fuckers are going to cause trouble. But I also can't help but feel bad for them. They were also used by Nyaxia as well as the humans. I'm excited to see where this book series is going. I love the characters a lot and I hope to see more tension and pining in the next book <3333 When Raihn died I was flabbergasted and she gave up her wish for him TT_TT She loves him she doesn't need to say it.

The only other thing I had a critic about in the book is one word that was used. When Raihn is injured and about to do the ally trial, he calls himself crippled. This is a derogatory term and I don't like it. Besides that, I really loved this book and I am excited for the next.

In conclusion, this book ate me out from the back and I felt super satisfied mostly. The ending was a 180 and I felt edged but it's fine. Im excited for the rest of the booooooooks.

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niamhrowanch's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

THIS RUINED ME

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ladydeathnesta's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I absolutely love this book! It’s near perfection and it’s beautifully devastating 🖤

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