This book has been all over BookTok since I first discovered the app over a year and a half ago. Many reviewers say this book has the best presentation of vampires. Now, I have read many books, both fantasy and bodice rippers with the vampire theme prominent in their main characters, but here we have a human female as our main lead. A young woman named Oraya filled with rage toward the vampires because they had killed her family long ago. She would have probably even died that night if it had not been for a vampire king named Vincent who ends up taking her in as his adopted daughter.

The King did not know then that his greatest love would be his ruination - nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless child
Vampires are normally known for their arrogance and maybe Vincent did believe himself untouchable or that the child he raised, trained, and saw as his own was too weak of a human to do anything against him. But we never know anything he is thinking, what he is doing, or much about him except what we get from our main female lead.

Oraya is human in her world. A world where humans are treated as nothing more than blood banks and cattle for the vampires. When she was twelve, she was almost killed until she was found by Vincent. He saved her and took her to his home. I loved the chemistry they had. You could see he loved her in his way. He taught her to survive his world and even saw her as his own. So, when she enters the Kejari tournaments she is pitted against other vampires in a set of brutal games in which she will have to survive to win.

It is here we meet Raihn, who offers Oraya an alliance and a nicer place to stay that would offer her far more protection than the greenhouse she was at. I enjoyed that their romance was slow and the chemistry between them burned deeper than the tournament itself. I was happy to see that was not something instant but that the romance was slow and steady offering up steamy moments between them whenever they were together.

I love fantasy romance novels with vampires at its core. The Serpent and the Wings offers an intriguing and refreshing take on the classic vampire love story. The novel is full of thrilling action, steamy romance, and intricate world-building that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the fantasy elements with the romance, creating a captivating story that will keep readers wanting more. ( )

This was an enjoyable read and I actually really loved the MC. The writing style was the most beautiful aspect of this book. Sure, the competition trope and betrayal trope has been done time and time again. Do I care? No. I loved every bit of it. ( )

THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent brings you more vampires, and I am once again thankful that vampires are popular again. These are proper vampires - beautiful killing machines who look at humans the way we look at cows and not a sparkle in sight. There are three sects of vampires, each with a different power. Magic exists in this world, and goddesses grant favors. I am in love!

Nestled among them is the very human Oraya. How she comes to live among vampires, not as food, but as a princess, is only a fraction of the story. THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT occurs many years after Oraya's adoption, but Ms. Broadbent allows us to experience Oraya's life growing up in a vampire court through interludes, short chapters that begin each section. Not only do we get insight into Oraya's past, but we can also see where Oraya's youth and innocence helped form her current opinions and loyalties.

All this comes into play as Oraya participates in the Kejari, a once-every-two-hundred-years contest among vampires. What follows is your typical storyline wherein Oraya partners with another vampire who just so happens to not meet her expectations. The Kejari itself is exciting and suspenseful, even if it is a bit predictable. The sparks occur in the last few chapters as Oraya and her partner reach the final battle. The truth will out, and the consequences are spectacular.

While I didn't find THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT as compelling as Fourth Wing, I still had a lot of fun reading it. Scary vampires, political intrigue, lots of secrets and deliberate misdirection, and one lone human, fierce and every bit as lethal as the vampires that surround her - there is a lot to love here. The ending upset me if only because I didn't share her feelings about what happened, an attitude I suspect Ms. Broadbent deliberately sought to make her readers feel. With the final book in the duology set for a June 2024 release, we don't have to wait long to find out the rest of Oraya's story. I can't wait! ( )

I was hooked right up to the last ten pages or so. Intriguing plot, equally intriguing characters and plenty of action. I hope the next installment takes off and keeps flying. ( )

I really think this book missed some world building and better explanations. We are told that this trial needs to happen but we don't know why or what is it. I get that the mystery is part of the charm but I was waiting for the whole book for any explanation about the trial in universe. There was also a lot of tell, don't show, in the book. We are told that Vincent is super scary but we basically only see him as a strict father. And so on. I also wish I could've known more about Oraya, I felt her character a bit one note and I finished the book thinking that I don't know anything really about her. I know things that happen to her, but nothing about her heart.

My favourite parts where when Oraya and Vincent were interacting, I think a lot of humanity and vulnerability came from both of them. The descriptions were quite vivid and the action was interesting, even if confusing at time.

I will read the next one, let's see how it goes! ( )