Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
This didn’t feel like a novella at all, great story and well executed. Probably the best novella I’ve ever read.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
I can't give it five stars, only because I needed so much more from this book, I wish it had never ended. Vale and Lilith are such a beautiful dichotomy.
What a lovely novella! I really enjoyed Lilith--she felt like such a different kind of FMC. Love that she is in the sciences. The relationship between her and Vale felt very authentic and realistic, despite the limited pages we have with them.
The setting and atmospheric descriptions were incredible, as always.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Vale and Lilith are wonderful! I love them so much! 😭
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Carissa has such a way of putting a romance together that entraps me everytime.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1.5)
A romantic pact, a dying town, and a scientist willing to risk everything
Six Scorched Roses is a haunting, emotionally satisfying novella set in the rich, brutal world of the Crowns of Nyaxia. Though short in length, it delivers a poignant story steeped in sacrifice, slow-burn romance, and gothic atmosphere. Serving as a companion to the main series, it is best read before book two, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, to appreciate its narrative and emotional contributions to the larger arc.
At its heart is Lilith, a brilliant and stubborn scientist determined to save her sister—and her plague-ravaged town—by any means necessary. Her alliance with Vale, a reclusive vampire who agrees to trade his blood for six roses, begins as a calculated risk and gradually becomes something more intimate. Their romance unfolds with tenderness and mutual respect, built on shared isolation, curiosity, and the ache of mortality. The story touches on themes of fear, community stagnation, and faith’s destructive grip, all through the lens of a town haunted by divine punishment.
Lilith’s dynamic with her ailing sister, though brief in page count, adds emotional grounding to her choices. Her transformation—physical and emotional—mirrors the novella’s deeper themes of control, death, and the pursuit of knowledge. While the final act feels rushed, leaving some intriguing threads barely explored (including hints about Obitraes and Vale’s history), the novella remains beautifully written and purposeful.
For readers who love:
Slow-burn human/vampire romances, Beauty-and-the-Beast retellings, tragic science girls, monster boyfriends, library scenes, soft pining, deals with gods, sister bonds, and morally gray choices.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Final Verdict:
A lush, romantic tale with teeth. Short, sharp, and steeped in emotion—this novella is the perfect palate cleanser before book two, and a worthy gem in the Nyaxian crown.
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes