Raihn is now the king of the House of Night, at the cost of allying himself with the Bloodborn. Oraya is forced to wed Raihn, who betrayed her, and also discovers that her father kept many secrets, including the secret of Oraya's real identity. Oraya escapes to the human district to once again hunt vampires who would kill humans, only to find that all is safe thanks to Raihn. Yet it is only a matter of time before the Bloodborn turn on Raihn or the Rishan nobels who remember Raihn as enslaved, revolt against him. Since Oraya is now Raihn's queen, the two must work together to defeat their enemies, but that means cooperation between Rishan and Hiaj vampires for the first time. Oraya will have to decide who to trust and find what her father hid from her, before her dream of making the world a better place turns to ash. VERDICT Broadbent (The Serpent and the Wings of Night) ratchets up the action, treachery, and romance in the second installment of the "Crowns of Nyaxia" series. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros's romantasy or those who enjoyed K.A. Tucker's "Fate & Flame" series.—Eve Stano

Broadbent completes her Nightborn Duet duology (after The Serpent and the Wings of Night) with a satisfying if somewhat overlong resolution to the political turmoil within the House of Night and the relationship between its two fated heirs. Half-vampire Oraya of the Hiaj is still reeling in the wake of her father's death at the hands of her lover, Turned vampire Raihn of the Rishan, who has tenuously assumed the throne of the House of Night. Publicly, Oraya is Raihn's captive queen, but privately he seeks her sincere allyship. As Raihn struggles to establish his authority both within the House of Night and with the vampires of the other houses, Oraya attempts to learn more about her father's legacy and her own power. She discovers that, through her blood connection to her father, she's able to use several of his magical artifacts and may be able to access his grandest treasure, the captured blood of a dead god. Broadbent builds realistic and gripping tension as Raihn and Oraya navigate the roles of rivals, lovers, and potentially co-rulers. While the first installment was delivered primarily through Oraya's point of view, here Broadbent alternates between Raihn and Oraya, giving readers a deeper sense of Raihn and supporting a pivot toward stronger romance. There's plenty here to sink one's teeth into. (June)