The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

3.75 stars

Weirdly enough, my favourite part of the book was actually the warfare/political storyline. The romance was okay and had some good moments, but a lot of their dynamics grated on my nerves at times. Especially the constant repetition of phrases from the first book (I didn't count but I think Raihn might have said “there she is” at least 20 times or more). I did like how the story wrapped up though. I was afraid the ending would let me down but thankfully that wasn't the case.

It seems the next book in the series is gonna focus on Mishe and the House of Shadow so I'll be looking forward to that one.

Two stars for Vincent. He was the only reason why I kept on reading.

3 stars. A Mix of Good and Bad.

I gave “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” 4.5 stars.

I understand that the implications of the ending in Book 1 are complex, and it wouldn’t be realistic for the FMC to simply move on after that event.

However, the repercussions of that made me grow to dislike both main characters for a good part of the book. The love-hate dynamic and their muddled morals felt unclear and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t root for them the way I did in Book 1.

Overall, it was a bit boring to me—I’m not sure exactly why. Beyond the interactions between the main characters, there were the politics, the preludes, and the repetitive phrases like “there she is” (which, in Spanish, was translated as “esa es mi chica,” and honestly sounded really icky). The whole “quest for the Holy Grail” plot felt flimsy, especially with how convenient everything became around the 70% mark.

The ending was satisfying, thankfully. However, it didn’t leave me wanting to continue with the rest of the series.

Loved this conclusion to the Nightborn part of the series. Love the couple for sure - but what really sparkled for me in this second book is the processing of grief and the very complex parental relationship at the core of the book. It took my breath away and led to beautiful places of discomfort, acceptance, and understanding. So many different kinds of love showcased here - and for that

Not quite as successful as the first installment imo, but I'm on to the third so...

Good ending to this arc in the series.

The first book was great, but this one almost put me in a reading slump.

Just stop at the first book, the answers you might want after the ending of that one are not worth it.

Also the author managed to mention this man's chest hair atleast 6 times?

I wanted to enjoy this one, especially because the first book was really good. Unfortunately it was lacking so much that was already built or set up in TSATWON:

1. First of all: I understand Oraya was in a difficult situation emotionally, like she saved her lover and lost her father, became an heir and a prisoner all the same day... so yes, it was too much to process (both father and lover lied to her...), but for how she was raised and how she'd fight against vampires to save humans I expected her to give a fight nonetheless... and instead she chose to play the prisoner role.
2. I agree Raihn also had a performance to maintain to keep Oraya alive, and I appreciated how he gave some tells so we can know it was part of the performance... but it really bothered me how easy he trusted everyone having lived with other vampires for 200 years... what was that experience worth for if he was being that naive? "Alliance" as an excuse is BS, so no plot there. And the worst: How many times did he need to say or think "There she is"?
3. Mische... I LOVED her in the first book, her bright personality is everything, but here she is completely off. I can't imagine facing your abuser. That must be traumatic. But there is something that just doesn't make sense to me in how she was written, I don't know if that's just me...
4. Lilith and Vale, I was eager to read more of them after Six Scorched Roses, but Lilith was just the excuse for setting the "big plot" (the wedding), and Vale was.... I couldn't even picture him as the "third best general, now turned the first best", it wasn't enough of him to see that...
5. Simon and Septimus weren't as challenging as we were led to believe, I was a bit disappointed, there was a really good idea but the execution was a bit lazy 😞

Overall I felt the book was way too long for the story, it had too many dialogues and they weren't even adding to anything... also I saw too much repetition, like "The she is", "Fear is a recollection of physical whatevers " and describing over and over the details of the Wings or the Heir marks.... also apparently Oraya's cheeks were the first thing the enemies were thinking on slashing because she got them every time she battled with someone... it was a bit discouraging for me to keep reading because it was tiring.

The part I enjoyed though is Vincent's past,trying to have is POV and understanding why he didn't kill Oraya when he found her... I swore he had made Oraya the god blood item evwryone was looking for, so it would have been SO meaningful and THAT would have been a very interesting plot to follow.

So yes, I liked the first book, LOVED the Six Scorched Roses (definitely getting that one in paperback) but this one felt lazy, unedited in many ways and too long.

Okay, everyone seems to love this book but I just...don't? I already felt meh with the first instalment but at least the games made the plot interesting and entertaining to read (what does that say about me?). Now, this second was a lot happening and nothing happening at the same time. Solutions seemed very out of nowhere ex-machina style. Interesting aspects (like a society of vampires frozen as children with a deeply disturbed „mother“) were over in the blink of an eye. And there was no character development, just learning to wield powers (that again were pretty ex-machina convenient)

I went into this one on quite a high from binging the first two books in this series, but this installment definitely had a hard time finding momentum in the plot, and I actually didn't like that we added Raihn's POV, as I honestly felt like it really didn't give us anything we couldn't have understood through Oraya's eyes, and in fact kind of just diluted the connection with Oraya's POV and made the book feel much more incongruous. As these are pretty large elements of the book, it definitely brought he enjoyment level down consistently for me throughout the entire thing unfortunately.

I did continue to enjoy learning more about this world and the politics, and I thought the effort put towards Oraya's very complicated grief was very successful – but those things weren't enough to blow my mind all on their own, and I definitely found my mind wanting to wander through at least half of the pages. The final ~20% was definitely the strongest chunk of the book though, so we ended on a pretty solid note for this story. So: it was just okay, but I am still very excited for the next book!

is it ever that serious???? no.

Carissa! WHY are you playing with my heart strings again?

This crazy, emotional, second book in this series is a four from me! Well worth the read. The pace was slower than the first book just because you really dive into some back stories from different characters and those are all important to the ending of the book. It was a little slow-moving because of that UNTIL the last maybe 150-200 pages. This is an almost 600 page book, which was really long for me, but again ... the information was needed for the story.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Mische in the 3rd novel. Her story will, too, be nothing short of amazing.

just eh.

Hear me out, I like the premise, most of the plot, and the world. I mean, vampires, right? But the thing is, this was so slow, what was even happening? One minute we're plotting some revenge (but evidently didn't happen??) and another minute Oraya and Raihn are allies?? I am lost. Another thing is did we really have to read about a coop, an attack, or a war, whatever they even called 3 TIMES AND THEN FAIL AGAIN AND AGAIN without an actual takeaway from it? The last one did of course but 1 and a half of that could have been edited out. Seriously, it felt like 2 teenagers playing tag, and then kids from another block would come along and play with them and then that's it. I just feel like some parts of this book were not executed well and are even together, I was hoping for some prophecy or wotnot to be revealed to justify their bond, but no– there wasn't. Lastly, maybe this was a reverse damsel in distress thing that Oraya has to save Raihn AGAIN because is this really love or is it some holding on to the last familiar thing in your life or whatever? Ugh. Now that I think about it, I wish they all just died and then someone else could take the throne and doom everything all over again. That would have been better. I'm exhausted. 

2,5
DNF 68%

Really enjoyed this, good follow up to the first. Satisfying conclusion to their story.

“The Ashes and the Star Cursed King” masterfully blends elements of romance and fantasy into a captivating tale that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page. This profound ‘romantasy' not only delivers incredible spice scenes that ignite the senses but also delves deep into intricate world-building and political conflicts.

The author's skillful crafting of the world immerses readers in a richly detailed setting, where kingdoms clash and ancient powers stir. Against this backdrop, the romance between the protagonists unfolds with a fiery intensity that ignites the pages. Each spice-laden scene is expertly woven into the narrative, adding layers of passion and depth to the story.

However, what truly sets this novel apart is its exploration of profound themes such as failed parenting, healing trauma, and forgiveness. Through the characters' journeys, we witness the devastating effects of parental neglect and abuse, as well as the transformative power of love and forgiveness. The emotional depth of these themes adds a poignant resonance to the story, elevating it beyond mere entertainment.

Moreover, the instant favorite status of “The Ashes and the Star Cursed King” is well-deserved, as it effortlessly captures the hearts of readers from the very first page. The chemistry between the main characters crackles with tension and longing, drawing readers into their tumultuous world and leaving them breathless for more.

In conclusion, “The Ashes and the Star Cursed King” is a spellbinding tale that seamlessly blends romance, fantasy, and profound thematic exploration. With its incredible spice scenes, immersive world-building, and nuanced portrayal of complex emotions, it is sure to become a beloved favorite among readers of all genres.

3.5

•First half dragged on
•Second half felt somewhat rushed
•Repetitive wording was a tad annoying and distracting
•Some characters and world-building could use more fleshing out
•Still not sure if I really care about Oraya
•Raihn is okay - not the best book boyfriend ever - but okay

3.5 would be more accurate, I love the book I loved the ending however I don't like it nearly as much as the first book. This one just felt like I was waning for something to happen a good majority of the time and then everything happened and like the last 100 pages

So verbose and long to be slightly anticlimactic

I really liked the first one!

Bueno... creo que no es necesario comentar nada, ya que viendo lo que he tardado en leerlo (la última parte estaba leyendo en diagonal, no voy a mentir) se puede deducir lo que me ha parecido.

Tengo entendido que va a haber cuatro libros más. La verdad que creo que mi viaje por esta saga acaba aquí.

4.5

I loved this book! the character arcs, the foreshadowing and storytelling, all excellently done! now to just eagerly await the next book...

Destiny and I started this series and we became so obsessed with it that we had to read all of the books that are out so far. We read the first book and the novella in August and then this book we finished this month and I can't wait for the next book to be published. Last warning that this review is going to have spoilers for the first 2 books so if you haven't read them yet please skip this review. 

So this book is the conclusion of Oraya and Raihn's story which I am kind of sad about because I love them so much but I am excited to follow other characters in the series that I have come to love as well. In this book we get both Oraya's POV and Raihn's POV which I really loved. We didn't get his POV in the first book and I didn't realize how much I wanted it until I started reading it. Each section had an interlude which talked about Raihn's past which I again loved because several of my questions were answered while reading those. 

This book picks up where the first book left off and lets just say I am not happy with hw Raihn went about doing things. He was essentially doing the same thing to Oraya that Vincent did to her. I understand why he was doing what he did but I think he could have went about it in a totally different way. As for Oraya her back and forth about her feelings for Raihn and how she didn't want to admit it even though it was glaringly obvious really was kind of annoying but she did the same thing with Vincent in the first book. 

This book is action packed, steamy and intense and I just loved every single thing about it and highly recommend. I hope we will get more of these characters in the next books but I am also looking forward to following other characters.

amazing series, pls read it!!