Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: Broadbent breathes new life into her Crowns of Nyasia series with the first installment of the Shadowborn duet! 

 

“The Songbird & the Heart of Stone” follows Mische as she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself. Her sun god commands her to help Asar, the bastard prince of House of Shadow, in his mission, only to betray him…by killing the very death god she’ll help resurrect. Together, Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their past. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of darkness and her forbidden attraction to Asar. 

 

I absolutely loved Mische’s character in the Nightborn duet, so getting to read from her perspective was everything. I experienced a full range of emotions as Broadbent shed light on her past—one that is riddled with trauma and grief—and her relationship with Atroxus (the sun god to whom she had devoted her life). 

 

Asar’s past is just as brutal, scarring his soul and his body. I loved him as an mmc and necromancer. He’s broody, yet soft in the way he cares for Mische, his dog Luce, and the wraiths who have strayed from their paths in the underworld. 

 

I loved watching Mische and Asar’s bond form the further they ventured into the depths of the Descent. Their romance was slow burn and I held my breath as the two leaned on each other to survive the wrath of the gods and the underworld. 

 

One of my favorite aspects of the novel was Broadbent’s world-building. I really enjoyed getting to explore Shadowborn territory and learn more about the abilities attributed to such vampires. Additionally, Broadbent further elaborates on the lore surrounding the gods of the White Pantheon to reveal the role they play in Asar’s mission. Her depiction of the underworld is haunting, dark, and dangerously alluring. 

 

I eagerly await what’s next!