Threads of Fate and Thirst
Just finished this absolute fever dream of a book, Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent, and I’m still emotionally disheveled. It’s part of Carissa Broadbent’s Crowns of Nyaxia series — technically a standalone, but let’s be real, that door is cracked wide open for more. You just know we’re not done with these two chaotic lovebirds.
Our heroine, Sylina, is an assassin from the continent of Glaea (yes, a different one — we’ve got world-hopping now, people). She’s part of this all-female cult devoted to the goddess Acaeja, who handles fate, mystery, and all things creepy and final. The catch? Her followers blind themselves so they can literally feel the threads of fate. It’s giving "spooky spiderweb clairvoyant chic," and honestly, I love it.
Sylina joined the cult a little late — age ten, fashionably tardy to the fate-thread party — so she still remembers the horror of when the Plethoran King took over her hometown, Vasi. Trauma? Check. Motivation? Double check. Her divine to-do list? Slay the Vampire Conqueror. Easy, right?
Enter the vampire in question — a brooding, cursed warlord from the House of Blood (because of course he is). He’s got a dark secret courtesy of their goddess Nyaxia, and Sylina wriggles her way into his orbit by posing as his seer. One thing leads to another (as it always does in these books), and suddenly they’re sharing battlefields, curses, and some deeply spiritual touching.
They fight together, overthrow warlords, and even take a trip down trauma lane when Sylina discovers her brother—presumed dead—is actually alive and hooked on some nasty local drug. Our girl’s got layers, okay? She’s fixing brothers, killing enemies, saving boyfriends, and juggling two goddesses like it’s just another Tuesday.
Of course, her whole secret “I was supposed to kill you” thing comes to light at the absolute worst possible time (the Plethoran King’s palace, naturally). There’s betrayal, blood, divine meddling, and Sylina pulling the ultimate double-cross — sacrificing her man to her goddess and saving him at the same time. Queen behavior.
In the end, they’re not married (yet 👀), but they’re ruling side-by-side, very much in love, and ready to face the next big war together. He’s called back to the House of Blood, and she’s tagging along — thread-walking, future-seeing, and trying to keep her cursed man alive.
This book had everything: blind assassins, cursed vampires, divine drama, hot battle bonding, and enough emotional chaos to make me stare at my ceiling for twenty minutes after finishing. Carissa Broadbent, ma’am, please — drop the next one before I start trying to see fate threads myself.
Ratings:
😍 = swallow /😐 = sip
🌶️🌶️ = dicks have entered the chat
