The Songbird and the Heart of Stone, by Carissa Broadbent - Jasmin
“The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” is the third book in the Nyaxia Series, and the first in Broadbent's new duology: The Shadowborn Duet. While you could read this as a standalone book, I would suggest reading the whole series first to get a feel of the world and to understand references to side characters in the story.
The whole series is Hunger Games-meets- vampires, but this book branches off into a darker tone, looking at life after death and lost souls.
The main plot of the book follows Mische and the unwanted prince Asar as they delve through the Sanctums of hell to revive the God of Death himself. The world building is expertly layered and the descriptions of hell and how it changes the further you travel is poetic, and paints a vivid picture in the readers’ mind.
This is, in my opinion, Broadbent's best piece of work. As we follow Mische - the loveable side character of the first two books - we delve into her conflict of religion verses nature. It is an intriguing and thought-provoking read shrouded in the fantasy elements of vampires and hell.
Warning: This book is for adult readers and does delve into themes of death, grief, and self-harm.
This book is perfect for those wanting to continue the Nyaxia series, and any fans of S.M Gaither and VE Schwab.
Jasmin
