Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

Sylina gave her eyes to her goddess and learned to see the world through threads—souls, emotions, fate. As a Sister of the Arachessen, she obeys the Sightmother and the Weaver, until a vampire invasion shatters the coast and takes the life of a Sister she loves. The leader of that invasion, Atrius of the House of Blood, is the man she almost kills on a moonlit beach. Instead, she’s ordered to infiltrate his army as his seer and wait for the perfect moment to end him.

What follows is a taut, intimate war fought in tunnels and throne rooms, in visions and careful lies. Sylina’s Threadwalks point one way; her conscience drags another. Atrius is ruthless—but strange with mercy—and cursed by his goddess. They fight across cities, spare civilians, bury their dead, and bleed together until duty and desire blur. Then, at the Pythora King’s seat, the truth snaps everything in two: the king is a dead puppet and the Arachessen have kept a war alive for their own design. The gods descend. A sacrifice is made. And the only way out is through trust. This is a story of enemies who become allies, of a kingdom rebuilt from grief, and of two people who choose each other when the threads could cut them both.

• Fans of enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with morally grey leads
• Listeners who love intimate character work set against big, cinematic battles
• Readers who enjoy twists that reframe a world’s politics and gods

Carissa Broadbent writes sweeping fantasy with fierce heroines, morally complex heroes, and romance that burns through war and wonder. Her Crowns of Nyaxia universe blends godly intrigue, immortal politics, and human grit. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and a small menagerie, and has been crafting dark, vivid tales since she could hold a pen.