The Ashes & the Star-cursed King: A Crowns of Nyaxia Novel

NikkiNovember 2026

★★★☆☆

Ix’s tits, was this the same series written by the same author? I found the first book to be engaging and fun, the characters were complex, multilayered and had problems that were relatable to readers. Sadly, I didn't really find this book to be all that engaging and the characters were not at all complex but their problems were still mostly relatable. The pacing was all over the place and it took so long for anything to happen. I really think this book could have been half the length and we wouldn't have lost any of the plot. The use of repetitive phrases and scenes drove me up the bloody wall. "There she is" was so cute the first few times I read it but it got old fast.. "Ix's tits" was SO overused that I wanted to slap Raihn. How many times could one of the main characters bleed out, almost die, pass out, or need saving before it got old and boring. These characters also always needed next to no time to heal, which didn't really make sense because Oraya is half human? Don't even get me started on the "twist" and how it took next to time for her to figure out what to do, which leads me to my next point.. There were a handful of plot points that didn't really make sense to me and felt more like plot holes more than anything. I tried to ignore them but a few were just so glaring that it kind of ruined the immersion for me. I don't want to point them out and ruin it for others though. For all the things I just complained, there were also good things about the book. I loved how Oraya's grief was written and how her world flipped upside down while she uncovered the truth and trying to come to terms with everything. I loved her relationship with Vincent and the flashbacks of his life. I really thought it was such a high point in the books! I really loved Vincent and how he was written, and his story. He was by far the best character in this series, in my opinion. The romantic moments were fun and angsty but Raihn was always understanding of Oraya and her traumas. He was such a compassionate lover both physically and mentally. Overall, this book was not for me. I found myself bored and being able to predict a fair amount of the story didn't help that. I much preferred the first book

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RyanNovember 2026

★★★★★

I felt like this book flowed well as a continuation of the first. Oraya had a lot of emotions, trauma and things to work through while trying to survive . I definitely felt like she came into her own and gave off some major bad b energy at the end. Raihn- while I was irritated with him at times ( for the obvious subterfuge) but his constant belief in his lady and his patience with her as far as her not being able to deal with emotions made me love him even more. Overall an excellent continuation and conclusion to the duet.

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