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

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Raihn. My downfall and my most valuable supporter. My weakness and my strength. My worst enemy and the greatest love I had ever known. All of that in one name. One person. One soul I knew as well as my own, just as confusing, just as flawed.

No words can express how much this duology have my heart. My feelings are all over the place, I'm not ready to let them go! Clarissa Broadbent is a genius. Her writing style is immaculate. I never had to struggle to understand anything that she wants to convey. She does it so effortlessly with her words and with only two books, she was able to effectively brought this whole world alive and finished it with a great conclusion for Oraya and Raihn (though I still wanted more). Sometimes it takes key moments that makes a book a five-star read and this is what this author does so well in this duology. Those key moments had me gasping, screaming, rooting for these characters. She gives exactly what needs to give and she knows damn well where to place them, when to give them at the right moment and every single time, it's so satisfying. She does so well in writing about complex characters and why they had these thoughts... and i think thats one of the things most authors fail to do. I love how I totally get where these characters are coming from because she's so effective in wringing out these feelings from her readers, you can't help but be in the same shoes as each of her characters. Their reactions are so valid. And there's nothing better than understanding a character to their core. The complexity of Raihn and Oraya's relationship was very interesting because however much you root for them, you do understand the implications that betrayal did between them and so it took awhile even for me as a reader to sort my feelings out about it. And the good thing about it is that while I'm doing so, these characters are doing the same and while they were healing from it all and figuring out all these complicated feelings, I also did. I love their dynamics so much. They're going to be at the top of my favorite book couples ever. Their relationship was never perfect, but it was theirs. They love each other so fiercely, it's only ever them together or nothing at all and I actually love that about them. I was so scared that one of them was gonna die! I kept pausing on my read!

Raihn has been such a great support for Oraya right from the start and I always loved that he made her feel safe and powerful, something that she'd been missing all her life. Same with Oraya, she's made Raihn felt home after a long, long time. They're twin flames. They just complete each other. It's comforting to me how both of them found solace in each other after everything they've been through and damn, they've been through so much in this book. They deserve happiness. I can't say enough how much I even love them both as individual characters. They're just so fking amazing. I never wanted perfect, good characters... they can be flawed and still be real.

Also, probably one of the best parts I love in the book was also how Vincent and Oraya's relationship was written. Same with how the author tackled Oraya and Raihn's relationship. It was all this complicated feelings, but it all goes down to love. Love is never straightforward. It can be alot of things too, you can be mad at someone but still love them. That's something that is so, so real in this book and I actually loved that. The way the characters sorted out the root of their feelings and slowly realized what it really is, was actually very enlightening even for me as a reader so nothing from any of the relationships here felt rushed or forced.

I did feel like the ending was abit rushed? That's why I also thought a third book wouldn't be bad at all. I would've loved to see them defeat the Bloodborns and Septimus!!!! Also honestly, I didn't think that much of the war going on when Raihn was dying. I was Oraya at that time. I was just relieved that Raihn was alive in the end. Let me tell you... I spent the last 30% of this book terrified that he was gonna die because he kept making subtle hints! So can't blame me. Also them being Coriantae actually makes sense!!! Not gonna lie, I was abit curious about the power that Oraya could've had unleashed with the God Blood but again, I was mostly relieved that both of them are alive at the end. It was all I cared about!

Special mention to my favorite scene though! It's gotta be when Oraya saved Raihn!! She really went there and unleashed death to all of them. It was so badass, I was actually screaming! I don't blame Raihn being head over heels over her because I was too! Can't count how many times Oraya actually saved Raihn in this duology and my man's just out there falling inlove with her twice over every single time! He just loves it.

This is one of those books where you'd wish you can read it all over again and feel everything all over again because Goddess damned, this duology is amazing!!! I wish there are enough words I can say to justify it.