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Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
45 reviews
zanazy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found myself pleasantly surprised by the story. Oraya is the main female character and the story is told from her perspective. Raihn is the main male character who is mysterious from the very beginning and this drew me in. Vampires, humans, gods, and a competition to be the last one standing are all present, and there is a mystery to both Oraya and Raihn that kept me reading in suspense. I was dreading the conclusion based on the knowledge that only one could win, so I saved the last 10 chapters an extra day. In the end, I may have screamed, fell into silent shock, and currently still feel like I need to be a little stabby stabby with some characters.
Oraya is the adopted-human daughter of the reigning Vampire King, Vincent. In this world, there are three factions of vampires, and the Hiaj are currently on top since Vincent is a Hiaj. The other two factions are the Rishan who previously ruled and who Vincent overthrew in what is described as a bloody coup. The Bloodborn are the third faction who are cursed and set to live for shortened lifespans. As a human surrounded by vampires, Oraya has always been protected by her father, Vincent. He trains her to fight and kill, and it’s his idea for her to enter the Kejari, a bloody tournament that comes along once in a lifetime for Oraya. Vincent basically trains her to win so in the end, as her wish from the goddess, she can bind herself to him. Giving her power, but also giving him power too. Raihn is another contestant in the tournament, and they form an alliance, knowing they will eventually need to turn on each other as only one can win. While they are in the tournament, civil unrest is prevalent and King Vincent rains havoc for all the Rishan. As the tournament progresses, Oraya and Raihn become close, and although Oraya has always been told to guard her heart, it becomes harder to do after each trial. This culminates in the final trial, when the two fight each other and only one of them wins.
This was a unique vampire story that was not afraid to show that humans are the main food source for vampires. This led me to wonder how a human like Oraya has survived as long as she has which I hope to find out more in book 2. Oraya was cunning and smart when it came to her survival. When it came to knowledge, she was as naive as a prey would be in a world surrounded by predators. On a personal note, her name did not seem fitting and is my least favorite amongst all the other characters. Raihn is a complex and mysterious character who was both a white knight and dark knight throughout the story. Villain, enemy, friend, andlover. When Raihn and Oraya finally ally in the tournament, the story picks up pace and seemingly flies by. Until that point, the pace of the story is slow. Oraya often describes the world and building architecture in great detail which paints a vivid picture of her world and surroundings as you read. My favorite side character is Mische, Raihn’s friend and ally coming into the tournament, and she represents everything good in vampires. Vincent is a compelling character who loves his adopted daughter in his own twisted way. He is a mix of Daddy Warbucks from Annie and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) from the Daredevil comics.
The ending…I screamed when Oraya killed Raihn. At first, I thought Vincent used his powers to push her hand to kill him. I should have known it was Raihn pushing her to kill him. Even after she said he was dead, I was expecting him to wake up. Her wish… I was not expecting that. I assumed she’d ask for his life, or the goddess would see how much she loved him and gift him to her, but when Oraya wishes that Raihn had won instead… WOW. I do feel like an explanation is needed, as that would mean that she should be dead right? That he killed her? Then when Raihn immediately upon realizing what she’d done (which he realized super quick and asked no questions), tells the goddess he wants the Rishan restored, I went into another shock. I was not surprised to find out that he was an heir since Oraya focused on his scar a lot, but for him to do what he did once his mark showed up? HE KILLS VINCENT. It’s not even just that, but he kills Vincent in front of Oraya as she watches and tries to save her father. Cruel as he was, she thought of him as her father and Raihn knew that. It was too much. When Oraya gets the heir mark for the Hiaj and Raihn saves her life by telling everyone he will marry her, all my love for his character dies. He had previously told Oraya binding herself to Vincent was a dumb idea, and yet here he was doing it to her. She even calls him out for this later. APPLAUSE for Oraya here. I know he had to stop his people from killing her so he said what he said, but I cannot forgive him for saying he would marry Oraya and rape her like he assumes Vincent did to the previous Rishan queen, who we also know was Raihn’s first vampire love that he regrets not saving. And to top it off, he said he would plop up Vincent’s body so he would watch the wedding and I assume the subsequent bedding/rape. That whole dialogue went too far. Raihn eventually tells Oraya he said it to save her, but it’s a poor excuse for someone who loves her. Given Oraya’s past, which he knew about, and how she just watched him kill her father, I cannot imagine how you forgive or un break your heart from all of that. I love that Jesmine is Oraya’s army’s top commandant and survived, and that she called Oraya her queen. From the quick interaction they have, I got the sense that she will be able to help Oraya understand all that she is, and how powerful she always has been. I truly hope Oraya can stand on her own and reclaim her power, her title, and save her kingdom. I currently could care less if Raihn remains in the picture. He needs a major redemption in my eyes.
Oraya is the adopted-human daughter of the reigning Vampire King, Vincent. In this world, there are three factions of vampires, and the Hiaj are currently on top since Vincent is a Hiaj. The other two factions are the Rishan who previously ruled and who Vincent overthrew in what is described as a bloody coup. The Bloodborn are the third faction who are cursed and set to live for shortened lifespans. As a human surrounded by vampires, Oraya has always been protected by her father, Vincent. He trains her to fight and kill, and it’s his idea for her to enter the Kejari, a bloody tournament that comes along once in a lifetime for Oraya. Vincent basically trains her to win so in the end, as her wish from the goddess, she can bind herself to him. Giving her power, but also giving him power too. Raihn is another contestant in the tournament, and they form an alliance, knowing they will eventually need to turn on each other as only one can win. While they are in the tournament, civil unrest is prevalent and King Vincent rains havoc for all the Rishan. As the tournament progresses, Oraya and Raihn become close, and although Oraya has always been told to guard her heart, it becomes harder to do after each trial. This culminates in the final trial, when the two fight each other and only one of them wins.
This was a unique vampire story that was not afraid to show that humans are the main food source for vampires. This led me to wonder how a human like Oraya has survived as long as she has which I hope to find out more in book 2. Oraya was cunning and smart when it came to her survival. When it came to knowledge, she was as naive as a prey would be in a world surrounded by predators. On a personal note, her name did not seem fitting and is my least favorite amongst all the other characters. Raihn is a complex and mysterious character who was both a white knight and dark knight throughout the story. Villain, enemy, friend, and
The ending…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Genocide, Death, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Gore
Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
doahdancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Death, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Slavery, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and War
itsmaryssae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexism, Torture, Death, and Sexual violence
ramakn22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Sexual content, Violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Torture, and Murder
melere's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-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
2.0
I liked it at first despite the gratuitous violence but it slowly became more cringe as time went on. Hated the romance, it was like a p*rno in some parts. I assumed because I liked Daughter of No Worlds it would be similar, it wasn't. I hated the relationship between Vincent and Oraya as well, it screamed abuse and brainwashing to me. This book made me realize that I don't think I like Romance. Like I love romances in fiction, but not Romance as a genre if that makes sense.
I could go on but many aspects of this book were just so bad from a technical perspective that I found it difficult to overlook. The characters had no depth so it was hard to get into. I actually liked Fourth Wing MORE and I thought it was pretty dreadful!
I could go on but many aspects of this book were just so bad from a technical perspective that I found it difficult to overlook. The characters had no depth so it was hard to get into. I actually liked Fourth Wing MORE and I thought it was pretty dreadful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, War, Grief, Toxic relationship, Rape, Murder, Gaslighting, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Gore, and Sexual violence
abookwormspov's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Grief, Gore, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Torture, and Rape
headinthepages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
I loved this fantasy with romance. The pace was brilliant, the scene setting was great, and I loved the plot & characters.
The only reason it’s not a 5 star is that I would have loved a bit more background on the different houses & magic systems but it is in no way lacking and doesn’t confuse the story!
I love Oraya and her story, I love the enemies to lovers trope and chosen one trope too! The challenges faced by her were cruel and relentless and I loved reading about a feisty human woman fighting against the odds!
The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to start book 2!
The only reason it’s not a 5 star is that I would have loved a bit more background on the different houses & magic systems but it is in no way lacking and doesn’t confuse the story!
I love Oraya and her story, I love the enemies to lovers trope and chosen one trope too! The challenges faced by her were cruel and relentless and I loved reading about a feisty human woman fighting against the odds!
The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to start book 2!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Vomit, War, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, and Rape
rais's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Murder, Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm and Toxic relationship
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
I picked this up because it was someone's Patreon book club pick for the month of June.
"The Serpent and the Wings of Night" follows Oraya, a young human woman who was rescued as a child by the vampire man she thinks of as a father. Her father is the Nightborn vampire king, and the most powerful person in their world, and he goes to great lengths to shelter, protect, and train Oraya how to survive in with vampires. She decides, with his encouragement, to enter the Kejari, a competition to the death. One vampire (or human) will survive, and they will win one wish of their choosing. During the competition, Oraya meets a beautiful vampire named Raihn. Raihn is a threat to her father's crown, but Oraya is drawn to him like no one else she has ever met.
I am notoriously not a fantasy girlie, but I keep trying to be more of a fantasy girlie, and this book really did it for me! Although this book is what I would consider higher fantasy, and there are a lot of unique to the story terminology, I still felt like the story was very approachable. The writing is not dense, and there is a lot of dialogue to move the story along.
I really loved and believed Oraya and Raihn together. They have quite the slow burn, but Raihn is such a great guy and he becomes Oraya's biggest cheerleader. I loved how much she resisted him at first, because that makes this "love" story far more believable and satisfying when they finally have sweet moments together.
Carissa Broadbent is great at writing morally gray, complex characters that I both hate and love. There were so many characters that were flawed, and I wanted to hate them, but they would get a redemption arc in some way. People are typically not so black and white, and I love to see that translate into stories. I want to see multifaceted characters that I have complex feelings about.
This book did take me about 200 pages to really get into. The beginning of the story had a lot of development, that it needed, but I was not invested in the story. However, once I was into the story, I could not put it down and I flew through it in a few days.
I am so thoroughly impressed with this book, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel!
"The Serpent and the Wings of Night" follows Oraya, a young human woman who was rescued as a child by the vampire man she thinks of as a father. Her father is the Nightborn vampire king, and the most powerful person in their world, and he goes to great lengths to shelter, protect, and train Oraya how to survive in with vampires. She decides, with his encouragement, to enter the Kejari, a competition to the death. One vampire (or human) will survive, and they will win one wish of their choosing. During the competition, Oraya meets a beautiful vampire named Raihn. Raihn is a threat to her father's crown, but Oraya is drawn to him like no one else she has ever met.
I am notoriously not a fantasy girlie, but I keep trying to be more of a fantasy girlie, and this book really did it for me! Although this book is what I would consider higher fantasy, and there are a lot of unique to the story terminology, I still felt like the story was very approachable. The writing is not dense, and there is a lot of dialogue to move the story along.
I really loved and believed Oraya and Raihn together. They have quite the slow burn, but Raihn is such a great guy and he becomes Oraya's biggest cheerleader. I loved how much she resisted him at first, because that makes this "love" story far more believable and satisfying when they finally have sweet moments together.
Carissa Broadbent is great at writing morally gray, complex characters that I both hate and love. There were so many characters that were flawed, and I wanted to hate them, but they would get a redemption arc in some way. People are typically not so black and white, and I love to see that translate into stories. I want to see multifaceted characters that I have complex feelings about.
This book did take me about 200 pages to really get into. The beginning of the story had a lot of development, that it needed, but I was not invested in the story. However, once I was into the story, I could not put it down and I flew through it in a few days.
I am so thoroughly impressed with this book, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Toxic friendship, War, Toxic relationship, Child death, Gore, Violence, Torture, and Stalking
Moderate: Slavery, Sexual content, and Rape
rachiem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Classism, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Torture, and War
Minor: Toxic relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, and Genocide