Carissa Broadbent Books in Order: War of Lost Hearts & Nyaxia (2026)
The complete Carissa Broadbent reading order — the War of Lost Hearts trilogy and the Crowns of Nyaxia series — with the best place to start for her dark, romantic fantasy.
Carissa Broadbent has become one of the most talked-about names in dark romantasy, but she didn’t arrive with The Serpent and the Wings of Night. Before her vampire-tournament breakout, she’d already written a complete, emotionally devastating epic fantasy trilogy. With two separate series set in different worlds, new readers often ask where to start and what order to read. This guide lays out her work.
The short version: start with The Serpent and the Wings of Night for her breakout, or Daughter of No Worlds for her completed earlier trilogy. The two series stand alone.
Carissa Broadbent’s Series at a Glance
| Series | Books | World |
|---|---|---|
| War of Lost Hearts | Daughter of No Worlds, Children of Fallen Gods, Mother of Death and Dawn | Epic fantasy romance |
| Crowns of Nyaxia | The Serpent and the Wings of Night, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, Six Scorched Roses, The Songbird and the Heart of Stone | Dark vampire romantasy |
Best starting points: The Serpent and the Wings of Night (breakout) or Daughter of No Worlds (completed trilogy).
The War of Lost Hearts Trilogy
Broadbent’s first major series is an epic fantasy romance that longtime fans often cite as her most emotionally powerful work. Set in a war-torn world, it follows Tisaanah, a former slave with rare magical ability who fights for freedom — for herself and for those she left behind — and Maxantarius, a reclusive, scarred former war hero she draws back into a conflict he wanted to leave behind.
#1 — Daughter of No Worlds (2020)
Daughter of No Worlds introduces Tisaanah and Max, establishing the world, the magic, and the slow-burn relationship at the trilogy’s heart. It’s a story about trauma, agency, and the cost of fighting for a better world, and it sets the emotional stakes that the series pays off across three books.
#2–3 — Children of Fallen Gods (2020) and Mother of Death and Dawn (2021)
Children of Fallen Gods raises the stakes and deepens the conflict, and Mother of Death and Dawn brings the trilogy to its emotionally intense conclusion. Together the three books form a complete, self-contained arc — a strong choice for readers who want a finished series with a definitive ending.
The Crowns of Nyaxia Series
The series that made Broadbent a phenomenon is Crowns of Nyaxia, a dark vampire romantasy structured as a set of linked duets in a richly built world ruled by the goddess Nyaxia.
The Nightborn Duet
The Serpent and the Wings of Night (2022) follows Oraya, the human adopted daughter of a vampire king, into the Kejari — a deadly tournament held in the goddess’s honor — where she must ally with a rival she has every reason to distrust. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (2023) completes Oraya’s story. This duet is the most popular entry point to Broadbent’s work and the best place for new readers to begin.
The Bridge and the Shadowborn Duet
Six Scorched Roses (2023) is a short novel that bridges the duets, and The Songbird and the Heart of Stone (2024) opens the Shadowborn Duet with a new protagonist in the same world. For the full breakdown of the Nyaxia reading order, including where the novella fits, see our dedicated Crowns of Nyaxia in order guide.
What Makes Carissa Broadbent’s Books Stand Out
Broadbent’s career is a useful illustration of how the romantasy boom reshaped fantasy publishing. She built her audience independently, writing emotionally ambitious dark fantasy before the genre exploded, and her breakout with The Serpent and the Wings of Night rode the same wave that carried Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas to the top of the charts. What sets her apart is the seriousness of her emotional stakes: her romances are hard-won, her worlds carry real grief and cost, and her heroines tend to begin compromised and constrained before earning their power across a full arc.
That tonal consistency is why readers move so readily between her two series despite their separate worlds. Whether it’s Tisaanah fighting for freedom in the War of Lost Hearts or Oraya surviving the Kejari in Crowns of Nyaxia, the throughline is the same: morally complex characters, slow-burn romance with genuine friction, and a willingness to let the story hurt before it heals. For readers who want their fantasy romance to take its darkness seriously, Broadbent has become one of the essential names.
How to Read Carissa Broadbent’s Books
Because the two series are set in entirely separate worlds, there’s no overarching order — just read each series in its own sequence and choose your entry point:
- Want her breakout dark vampire romantasy? Start with The Serpent and the Wings of Night and the Crowns of Nyaxia series.
- Want a completed epic fantasy romance trilogy? Start with Daughter of No Worlds and the War of Lost Hearts.
Both showcase what Broadbent does best: morally complex romance, genuine emotional stakes, and dark, immersive world-building. Readers who fall for one series almost always go on to read the other.
If You Love Carissa Broadbent, Read These Next
Broadbent’s blend of dark atmosphere, deadly stakes, and slow-burn romance pairs well with the genre’s other heavy hitters. For more gold-soaked dark romantasy, try Gild by Raven Kennedy. For the dragon-rider juggernaut, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. And for our full roundup, see books like The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
More Romantasy Reading Guides
- Crowns of Nyaxia in Order: Carissa Broadbent’s Series Guide
- Books Like The Serpent and the Wings of Night: 8 Dark Romantasy Reads
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Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I read Carissa Broadbent's books?
Broadbent has two main series. The War of Lost Hearts trilogy is Daughter of No Worlds, Children of Fallen Gods, then Mother of Death and Dawn. The Crowns of Nyaxia series is The Serpent and the Wings of Night, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, Six Scorched Roses, then The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. The two series are set in different worlds and can be read in either order.
Where should I start with Carissa Broadbent?
Most readers start with The Serpent and the Wings of Night, the first book of the Crowns of Nyaxia series and her breakout hit — a dark vampire romantasy with a deadly tournament. Her earlier War of Lost Hearts trilogy, beginning with Daughter of No Worlds, is the other entry point and a strong choice for readers who want a completed series.
Are the War of Lost Hearts and Crowns of Nyaxia connected?
No. The War of Lost Hearts trilogy and the Crowns of Nyaxia series are set in separate worlds with no shared characters or continuity. You can read them in either order. Both showcase Broadbent's signature blend of dark fantasy, morally complex romance, and emotionally intense storytelling.
Is the Crowns of Nyaxia series finished?
The Nightborn Duet (The Serpent and the Wings of Night, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King) is complete, as is the bridging novella Six Scorched Roses. The Shadowborn Duet began with The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. See our dedicated Crowns of Nyaxia reading order guide for the full breakdown.
