Mini-ish Review--Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent

 

Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.

Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.

But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Six Scorched Roses is a standalone fantasy romance novella set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, perfect for those who love dark, romantic tales with bite and fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout.

I picked up Carissa Broadbent's Six Scorched Roses immediately after finishing The Serpent & The Wings of Night! I guess I was thinking that this one would serve as a filler that leads us into The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King, but as far as I can tell...it didn't. Unless it becomes more clear when I pick up the sequel! I always find it a bit discombobulating when you pick up the "in-between novella" of a series and it involves characters you have not met. It makes me wonder if we'll meet them in the next book or if they get mentioned or something to help build that bridge. But needless to say, it was a bit disorienting.

But regardless of that initial disorientation, it was still an incredible read! I feel like it stems from The Beauty and The Beast as it has that sort of fairy tale bargaining vibe going on if a bit of different circumstances. I mean there are plenty of TB&TB retellings involving vampires as the beast, so it's not a far stretch at all. I only recently started following Carissa, so I haven't caught all her back posts and what not to see if she actually confirms this or not.

In this story we meet Lilith, a young woman who has been slowly dying from the moment she was born. I don't feel like it was clear what her ailment was, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing her work. She's a scientist of sorts who is working to save her people (human) from a disease that was God-given. Her father angered one of the gods and it led to a plague taking over the village, but Lilith has been working relentlessly for years trying to find a cure and she thinks she's almost got it, but it's going to require a special ingredient, one that will be dangerous to obtain.

With her sister's life on the line, Lilith is more than willing to take the chance and enters the vampire. Vale's domain to ask for his help. She needs vials of his blood to work with to get her concoction right to develop a cure. She agrees to offer him six roses over six months for vials of his blood. Vale is not normally one to entertain with humans, but there's something about Lilith that intrigues him, so he agrees to her plan.

Naturally, over the course of the months and visits, Lilith and Vale form a relationship of sorts. It starts out as professionally, then turns friendly, then turns very, very heated! It was a gradual process for the short amount of pages of the novella itself. It's amazing how Broadbent can make you feel like it was eons before their first "moment" when it was a short amount of pages.

I'll be interested to see how this novella fits into the current novels at hand. I make it a point to not read the blurbs ahead of time until I am "caught up," as I find there could always be spoilers at hand if you're not "ready." So I did just skim the second book's blurb but didn't really see a mention of these characters, so I'm left wondering how this one fits into the timeline. Guess I'll have to read the next book to find out! Lol.

This was a fun novella! I'd definitely recommend reading it if you're curious about Broadbent's books but want a small taste before taking the plunge. Since I've read the first Crowns of Nyaxia book I can say with confidence this one won't spoil you for anything, as I am still perplexed about how it fits in other than being in the same world! The story is short and quick but powerful all the same! The characters were enjoyable and compelling and it's always amazing when an author can drag you so deep into their world within a handful of pages! Broadbent is truly a master at her craft and I can't wait to continue this journey!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars