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A review by aksmith92
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Welp, I finished all of Carissa Broadbent's books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series (until she releases more, of course), so I had to try out her The War of Lost Hearts series, which she wrote first. Carissa Broadbent's novels are unique and a pleasure to read. I can't stay away! She has an incredible writing technique that I can't articulate, and her world-building and character development are unparalleled to many other fantasy series I have read. The fantasy world of reading, especially the romance fantasy world, can be complex and challenging, but Broadbent's works have such a flow and are continually elegant and striking.
This first book in the series starts with Tisaanah, an enslaved person who did whatever she could to escape it. After challenging events, she reaches her goal and flees to Ara, which houses the Twin Orders (Order of Midnight – the Valtain, and Order of Daybreak – the Solarie). The Orders comprise Wielders, those who can use various magic and who Tisaanah expected to greet her with open arms after consistently meeting one of its members while she was in Threll, her former "home." This novel is primarily about Tisaanah doing whatever she could to bargain with The Orders to save the enslaved people in Threll. To do this, she has to be taught how to use her magic and is paired with acharmer grump named Max, who has quite the view about The Orders and most certainly doesn't want to apprentice someone. As you can imagine, that grumpiness did not last forever.
Both Tisaanah and Max were *chef's kiss*. I LOVED their banter and how their relationship grew so organically. In my opinion, one scene in this novel - The Necklace - was top-tier relationship-building writing without being too over the top. I also enjoyed how resilient and strong they were - and what seems to be a trend in Broadbent's novels - these two made an incredible team in a world that would love to tear them down. Poor, poor Max. Oh my. What a fleshed-out and developed character. Don't get me wrong, I loved Tisaanah and her character development, but man, oh man, Max was something else. Broadbent did an incredible job getting your heart ache for Max while also rooting for him. It was hard to like the other characters because you had no clue who to trust, but I ended up liking some of them so much (Sammerin, duh, and Moth!!) and even some of the people (*cough* Nura *cough*) who were exponentially complicated.
The plot(s) in this was fantastic. It was clear from the beginning that Tisaanah would do everything she could to help her people. But many more sub-plots and twists most certainly kept me intrigued. I struggled to put this novel down because I wanted to learn so much more. The magic system was a bit confusing (particularly Reshaye), and I had to re-read a couple of parts to better understand what happened. However, it was interesting and not like many other magic systems I've read about before. Furthermore, I did chalk it up to being the first book in the trilogy - the other novels will likely explain more detail. Lastly, I loved the language barrier between Tisaanah and those in Ara. It provided levity and a realistic portrayal of something familiar even in our world.
This first book in the series starts with Tisaanah, an enslaved person who did whatever she could to escape it. After challenging events, she reaches her goal and flees to Ara, which houses the Twin Orders (Order of Midnight – the Valtain, and Order of Daybreak – the Solarie). The Orders comprise Wielders, those who can use various magic and who Tisaanah expected to greet her with open arms after consistently meeting one of its members while she was in Threll, her former "home." This novel is primarily about Tisaanah doing whatever she could to bargain with The Orders to save the enslaved people in Threll. To do this, she has to be taught how to use her magic and is paired with a
Both Tisaanah and Max were *chef's kiss*. I LOVED their banter and how their relationship grew so organically. In my opinion, one scene in this novel - The Necklace - was top-tier relationship-building writing without being too over the top. I also enjoyed how resilient and strong they were - and what seems to be a trend in Broadbent's novels - these two made an incredible team in a world that would love to tear them down. Poor, poor Max. Oh my. What a fleshed-out and developed character. Don't get me wrong, I loved Tisaanah and her character development, but man, oh man, Max was something else. Broadbent did an incredible job getting your heart ache for Max while also rooting for him. It was hard to like the other characters because you had no clue who to trust, but I ended up liking some of them so much (Sammerin, duh, and Moth!!) and even some of the people (*cough* Nura *cough*) who were exponentially complicated.
The plot(s) in this was fantastic. It was clear from the beginning that Tisaanah would do everything she could to help her people. But many more sub-plots and twists most certainly kept me intrigued. I struggled to put this novel down because I wanted to learn so much more. The magic system was a bit confusing (particularly Reshaye), and I had to re-read a couple of parts to better understand what happened. However, it was interesting and not like many other magic systems I've read about before. Furthermore, I did chalk it up to being the first book in the trilogy - the other novels will likely explain more detail. Lastly, I loved the language barrier between Tisaanah and those in Ara. It provided levity and a realistic portrayal of something familiar even in our world.
"No more dividing myself up as an offering to more powerful monsters."
I was immersed in her writing and the novel's impeccable balance between fantasy, political intrigue, romance, friendship, and family. I simply cannot say better things about this novel and can't wait to continue the journey in the series.