My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Title: The Lion & the Deathless Dark (Crowns of Nyaxia, #5)
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Pages: 560
Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)
Publication Date: 8/4/26
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Gods, Series
Some blood tastes like vengeance. Some blood tastes like grief. Some blood tastes like nothing at all.
Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike – and she is still desperate for vengeance.
Her only chance at survival – and revenge – is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final to slay the gods themselves.
Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.
But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge.
Content Warning: violence, death, gore, grief
What can I say about another book in the Crowns of Nyaxia that has made me care about the characters, grips me with the story telling and then made me gasp at the end and now I NEED the next book. I can’t even believe the next book will be the last in the series. I have loved this series from book one and it has never disappointed me, which is absolutely amazing. So the thought of it coming to an end in the next book actually makes me sad.
I loved the storytelling which is a given with all the books in this series. The characters, Kyrene, the FMC is filled with rage, wields a godly sword just hacking away at enemies and Gods. She is the Vindica Ultis. There is violence, lots of blood and even sometimes gore. She has no fear, but has so much trauma and a secret that shocked me. Septimus, the Bloodborn cursed MMC, where’s white, smokes vanilla scented cigarillos to keep his curse at bay, has self-control (mostly), wears glasses and reads to Kyrene. What can I say but that I loved both of them, down to their raw, flawed state. Both are anti-heroes, Kyrene has the title and the sword, but she doesn’t have the desire to be the good hero everyone sees her to be. She doesn’t do emotional attachment, which made me hurt for her when she allows herself to feel grief. And Septimus, who wants the curse to end with him, to spare the rest of his family. Both want to kill the Gods for different reasons and they team up to try and carry out this goal.
The romance is slow burn and so good! The banter between Kyrene and was Septimus was great, she’s wild and he’s always in control so seeing her try to always make it lose it is so much fun. And that scene where he drinks her blood? Perfection.
So much of this story was devastating, and the ending is emotional with the twist leaving me needing the next book right away. I was rooting for Kyrene so, so hard. I wanted her and Septimus to achieve their goal and create the world they dreamed.
One thing I found fascinating and different was the machines! I was not expecting this story to have machinists and even a god who was made of parts. But I love how each book opens up the world in this series.
Quotes From the Book:
“What’s life without a few regrets?” – The Lion and the Deathless Dark by. Carissa Broadbent
“Monsters recognize monsters.” – The Lion and the Deathless Dark by. Carissa Broadbent
Final Thoughts:
I love this series and this book was everything I expected it to be. It opened the world of this series even more, it is violent, devastating and emotional. And the only regret I have is I wish I didn’t read it until the next book came out because now I have to wait so long, hopefully not too long! I’m also pretty sure I’m going to be so sad when this series ends because I have loved all the characters and the romance. I’m ready to see what happens to these Gods and if Kyrene and Septimus can take them down.
Read if you like:
- Crowns of Nyaxia series
- slow burn romance
- vampires and Gods
- female rage
Book Links:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by. Carissa Broadbent | Book Review– 4.5 stars/2 🌶️
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by. Carissa Broadbent| ARC Review – 4.5 stars
Six Scorched Roses by. Carissa Broadbent | Book Review – 4.5 stars
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by. Carissa Broadbent | Book Review – 4.5 stars
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by. Carissa Broadbent | Book Review – 5 stars
**I’m pretty sure I read Slaying the Vampire Conqueror but never wrote a review so I will be re-reading and doing a review soon**
**I also read Daughter of No Worlds, up to book 2 but never wrote reviews because I just started my blog I believe so I will be doing a re-read of those and reviewing them also!**
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 