A review by and_so_it_goes
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Read if looking for: a dark haired romantasy mmc in spirit (he has red hair), death trials, classic romantasy banter, complex familial relationships, singular detailed spice scene, aloof repressed tsundere fmc/teasing masculine mmc (
with a side of betrayal and enemies to lovers)


Avoid if looking for: good worldbuilding, neat endings, the heroine taking charge of her own future/life, tight plots/characters, unique spins on established tropes

I would recommend this book for fans of: ACOTAR, From Blood & Ash, Powerless, Fourth Wing

I was going to give this book a solidly mediocre sort of rating. I was willing to look past the not even vampire worldbuilding where somehow they have wings and Raihn is the only muscular vampire in existence. I appreciated that the fighter main character had a backstory explaining why she had trust issues and her complex relationship with her father. The trials were barely there, but when they were they didn’t overstay their welcome. 

But then the ending happened. Of course
Raihn turns out to be a secret bad guy and there is a sad attempt to set up an enemies to lovers thing. As if for the entire book they weren’t the most boring example of enemies to lovers. It felt like they were reluctant co-workers, and one sided on Oraya’s part to not trust him.
I understand that
Oraya had no people in her life and she was starting to doubt Vincent’s war crimes, so she saved Raihn. But she is supposed to just accept him forcing her to marry him  after boasting he’ll rape her to everybody? And he just goes “it was a bluff to protect you”, as if BOTH of them didn’t have sexual trauma. Oraya’s character is literally built on previously trusting people and being betrayed, how is she still like “no he won’t hurt me”? The twist with the heirs was not established well, and Vincent being her real father really ruined the interesting dynamic for me. “You are better than the livestock” doesn’t hit as well when we know he is aware she is half-vampire.


The book’s ending really wanted me to believe they would make a good enemies to lovers arc but they do not. Oraya
literally needs to have their minds meld to truly trust him. She is such a tsundere who never teases back beyond threatening to stab him. The thought of that for another entire book….
I was so angry that I wasted my time through a mediocre, semi-enjoyable kind of book that doesn’t overstays its welcome, only to promptly realized I was being deceived into yet another bs romantasy set up. People who say this is good needs to return to earth and read the Hunger Games, ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, and every single book marketed as enemies to lovers and look me in the eyes and tell me there is a unique aspect to this book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings