A review by itsjustkatereading
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.5

I was both nervous and excited going into this. Excited because I adored The Serpent and the Wings of Night and couldn’t wait to dive back into this story. Nervous because I’d seen some very mixed reviews. Having now finished it, I’m thrilled to say I adored every single second of my time with this book. 

Carissa Broadbent superbly balances romance and action in this book. It’s slower paced than TSATWON in parts, which allowed for moments of deeper emotional connection and character growth and depth, which I adored. Oraya and Raihn were gorgeous characters to follow, both together and in their own right and I truly cannot get enough of their relationship dynamic.  

I didn’t expect to love this book and series as hard as I did but this is the first time in a long time a fantasy series has had this much of a fangirl style hold over me. 

Dramatic, romantic, action packed, emotional and a hell of a ride, this was such an epic conclusion of Oraya and Raihn’s story and I can’t wait to continue with the next instalment in this series.