Six Scorched Roses is a short novella that is part of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. The story follows Lilith and Vale, who later appear as characters in book two, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King.
Book Review: Six Scorched Roses
- Author: Carissa Broadbent
- Series: Crowns of Nyaxia #1.5
- 187 pages, Kindle Edition
- First published March 21, 2023
Storyline
The story takes us to a different kingdom and presents another view of magic and the gods of the White Pantheon. We are transported to Dera, where humans rule, and meet the irrepressible Lilith and the exiled nobleman of Obitreys, Vale. As the protagonist tries to save her hometown and sister from the curse that is slowly killing them, the secretive vampire is captivated by her curiosity and courage. With each visit, Lilith and Vale grow closer, and an attraction that would incur the wrath of the gods is born between them. A forbidden and doomed love, worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime, especially when you are doomed to die from birth.
Summary
Six Scorched Roses can be read as a standalone, though it is listed as a sequel to the first book. The story introduces Lilith and Vale, who are involved in the second part, but you won’t miss anything significant if you read it after The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King.
The book is an enjoyable fantasy that has some action and plenty of romance. The story is short and not suspenseful enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. The action moves at a steady pace, without the brutality of The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and the focus is the sweet romance between the characters. A lot happens in those 200 pages, which pass by quickly. I couldn’t fully grasp the significance of the “roses” to Vale. It felt like an attempt to introduce a Beauty and the Beast element but without a clear purpose or deeper connection to the story.
The simplicity of the plot is why I didn’t fully fall in love with the characters and their fates. I keep reminding myself not to have high expectations because this is a novella, but the feeling that something is missing still lingers.
My honest rating
My rating is 3 stars. Six Scorched Roses is a book you read in a day and forget just as quickly. I was expecting more world-building and insight into the gods and kingdoms of the past, but instead, I got a relatively isolated adventure. According to the author, Lilith and Vale will play a much more significant role in the plot starting from book two. However, I didn’t get that impression from The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, but with book three about to come out, there’s still much more to be revealed.
“The Serpent and the Wings of Night” Book #1
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King Book #2
Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.
Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.
Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.
But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.
Six Scorched Roses is a standalone fantasy romance novella set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, perfect for those who love dark, romantic tales with bite and fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout.
