The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia #2) by Carissa Broadbent – addictive and steamy romantasy

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is a high-stakes, emotionally-charged, addictive and steamy romantasy with unforgettable characters, political intrigue, blood soaked battles, and the kind of world-building that pulls you deeper with every chapter.

Previous Book in the Series –

The Serpent and The Wings of Night (Book 1)

Synopsis

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

Review

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King picks up exactly where The Serpent and the Wings of Night left off—Raihn is now King of the House of Night, Oraya is his wife and prisoner (yep, both), locked away “for her own safety,” and the political landscape is a mess. The transition to power is anything but smooth. Raihn is a turned king, and his nobles obey only out of fear. He wants loyalty, but from the very people who once abused him. Meanwhile, the Bloodborn army—his only real military support—isn’t just helping; they’re encroaching.

Septimus, prince of the Bloodborn (and walking red flag), wants to use Oraya to find magical artifacts only she can access—left behind by Vincent—that may lead to the legendary Blood of the Gods and ultimate power. Oh, and Raihn’s own allies? Possibly plotting his downfall. In his own kingdom, it seems like Oraya is the only one he can trust… and she’s barely speaking to him. Rebuilding that trust after everything that went down between them? That’s a ticking time bomb.

Getting Raihn’s POV was the smartest move Carissa Broadbent could have made. In The Serpent and The Wings of Night, we only saw him through Oraya’s (often furious) eyes, and some of his choices were questionable. But in The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, we understand the “why” behind those actions. And it doesn’t always make him likable—but it does make him human.

At the beginning, Raihn feels like a weak king. Sure, he’s strong, sure, he’s got allies—but they’re not his. He’s clinging to brute force, mimicking the cruel strategies of his old master, and in the process, becoming the kind of ruler he once swore to never be. His attempt to “protect” Oraya by locking her up is, like I said, “questionable”. You can’t build an empire with someone when you’ve put them in a cage—especially not someone like Oraya.

He’s constantly thinking about his dead lover while the living one is breaking her heart right in front of him. While I rooted for their romance in the first book, here it felt off—until the plot kicked into high gear. Once betrayal hits from all sides and Septimus’s trap is sprung, Raihn snaps back into focus. And while the love wasn’t instantly fixed, I loved that both the author and Oraya made him earn it. By the end, he’s a king worth rallying behind.

Oraya’s growth is chef’s kiss. She starts off grieving, trapped, and emotionally wrecked—not just from Raihn’s betrayal, but from the bombshell truth about Vincent and her own identity. But while she starts in a castle as prisoner, she doesn’t stay there emotionally.

While still brimming with lots of questions about her being heir and new uncontrollable power, I loved how things changed for. The vampires who once saw her as prey now fear her. Watching that shift was epic. Seeing her wield Vincent’s sword mind-blowing. She was force to reckon with.

Her complicated feelings for Raihn are still there, but she doesn’t let them define her. She doesn’t trust him, doesn’t want what they had, but doesn’t want him dead either—which leads to her saving his life multiple times. She’s fierce, strategic, and—honestly—feels even stronger than Raihn in this book.

Mische, Ketura, and Vale were fantastic. Loyal to Raihn but eventually choosing to stand by Oraya too. I was anticipating Jesmine’s role as now Oraya’s general more after that first part but she came in picture only in last two parts. But once she appears and agrees to support Oraya and Raihn, the united front of both Hiaj and Rishaan forces sure makes an incredible scene.

Septimus is a brilliant, manipulative villain. Charming in that “you-know-he’s-going-to-ruin-everything” way. His obsession with the Blood of the Gods and his twisted web of deceit gave the book a real sense of dread and urgency. Hated him, loved reading him.

Mische’s backstory was finally revealed and added more depth to her character. Her struggle with Atroxus’s power hints at a future arc, even though the book doesn’t dwell on her much here.

The expansion of the world was one of the best parts in The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. We learn more about Nessanyn—who was just a footnote before—and she turns out to have been pivotal in shaping Raihn. We also get eerie glimpses into Vincent’s past, his hometown, and the one cousin Oraya has left alive. It creates gloomy, tense, and soaked in secrets atmosphere.

Then there’s Oraya’s discovery of her human roots. Her mother’s story, her living family, and how Vincent came into her mother’s life—it all adds bittersweet layers to her grief. The final memories unlocked through the Blood of the Gods were heartbreaking and healing. Vincent was cruel and afraid to love, but he did love Oraya and that truth was messy but powerful.

The romance is a slow-burn push-and-pull with enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers again trope. Emotions are raw. Pain, betrayal, desire—it’s all tangled. But when they finally come together again, it’s not just believable, it’s earned. They fight beside each other as warriors, partners, and yes—lovers. And when the final battle nears, with survival uncertain, they choose each other. It’s intense, it’s hot, it’s deserved.

The final battle is brutal. Just when I thought Raihn was done for, Oraya flipped the entire game. What Oraya did was brilliant. I loved her choice, the way she found a way to not just fulfill her dream she had at the beginning of the series but also could save Raihn. While the ending was satisfying, there are enough loose threads to hint at more to come.

Overall, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is a addictive, high-stakes, emotionally-charged, steamy romantasy with unforgettable characters, political intrigue, blood soaked battles, and the kind of world-building that pulls you deeper with every chapter.

What to Expect from The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King:

Dual POV
Struggle for power, loyalty, and the throne
Political scheming, betrayal, and blood-drenched drama
Enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers again
Steamy slow-burn romance with emotional weight
Fierce battle scenes and last-minute saves
Magical relic hunts and discovering roots
Second chances

Favorite Lines

“A wounded pride is better than a wounded body. Better to be ashamed and alive than overconfident and dead.”

“Love is fucking terrifying.,” he murmured. “I think that’s true no matter who you are.”

“I wasn’t going to let you fall. But more importantly, I knew you weren’t going to let you fall.”

“He didn’t want me to jump because he didn’t want me to find out I could catch myself.”

“Humans mourn time, because it’s the only currency that really matters in a life so short.”

“I would spend lifetime at the tip of your blade, and it would have been worth it.”

“Oraya didn’t need to be saved. She just needed a soul beside her on the dark walk to her own potential.”

“Let me make you the queen that you are. Let me guard your body, your soul, your heart. Let me spend the rest of my fucking pathetic life at your mercy. If I need to die, then let me do it by your hand. Please.”

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co,uk

Have you read this? If so what did you think?
Who’s your favorite morally grey character that totally won you over?

Just in case you missed,,,

• June 2025 Wrap Up – From Tragedy to Turning Pages
• Until Next Summer by Ali Brady – full of heart contemporary about friendship
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – emotionally layered timeless classic

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