A review by ladywestfall
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Our eyes met at the same moment, united in our mutual terror— united in all the ways we were the same, even if we weren’t ready to admit it. For one moment, it was all laid bare. My friend. My enemy. My lover. My captor. King and slave. Human and vampire.

I actually wanna cry at how good this book is. It made me feel so alive. A fantasy book that literally has everything I ever wanted; badass characters, writing was immaculate,  good execution, THE unpredictable plot twist???? THE TENSION??? and just an absolute masterpiece that took me in an out of body experience. I'm very new to vampire books. I've only known the Twilight kind of vampires so this was really new to me because it defied every single vampire facts that I know. The vamps here are very, very different and I actually dig it! 

Oraya is such a force of nature. I fking love her. I love a badass fmc, I love when women can fight and can kill. There's just so much power about her individuality. She has learned to survive within her enemies' walls and that's really something admirable. I love that Raihn doesn't overpower Oraya. He actually balances her and knows how to punch in the same. He's a great support, I would say. He's broke down her walls and made her realize that there's so much more that she can achieve, not because she has power, but because she is who she is. I think it's beautiful how he made her see that she's worth more, even as a human.

Also, I love that the author knows how to put in the right moments. Drag some, and then create the right tension and boom: Perfection. I'm just obsessed about all of it. It made the reading experience so good.

Now.... I feel like the last few chapters have destroyed me. I personally felt betrayed by all of this! I really thought I knew where we were going in all of this. I didn't expect all of that. It kinda just turned 360 all of a sudden and I was absolutely gutted. I love Raihn so much, it hurts me to the core that those last few chapters have conflicted me so much about him. I hate that he killed Vincent. It's kinda hard to get pass that right now tbh. I get that Vincent isn't the best person out there but he's still Oraya's father!!! He's your woman's father, her only family even! I hate that I feel like I didn't know Raihn at all in that moment. I'm grieving about all of it; for him and Oraya. They have built such great relationship over Kejari and it took alot of trust within it, and it's tragic how one moment can break it entirely. I get that it could've been the heat of the moment??? Maybe love can actually make someone foolish. But honestly though, couldn't we have made better decisions??? I still feel like there's something Raihn isn't actually telling or mostly I'm hoping there's more to it. I'm glad they talked about it, but even if his intentions were somewhat good, and he was just trying to protect her as he always reiterates, it still feels off. I really don't know what to feel about it, all those bloodborn business. It guts me because it took Oraya a long, hard time to trust Raihn, and I hated that it might be irreparable from the looks of it. I'm trying so hard to defend Raihn in my mind. Even I'm having a hard time trusting him after the Kejari, so I wouldn't blame Oraya at all. I really hope he has better plans, I really do. I really got an enemies to lovers and back to enemies on this. I still have hopes for them. Raihn would really have to step up and needs to have a fking character redemption in book 2 or I would sue!! I would hate for all that potential of a man go to waste. They need to work together against those Bloodborns, not be each other's enemies!!!! 

Overall, as much as this book broke and traumatized me, it was so fking good. It's not a good book if it doesn't turn your life upside down, does it?