The Serpent & the Wings of Night

Fantasy Romance That Bites (in a Good Way)This book was such a fun surprise! The Serpent and the Wings of Night blends intense action, slow-burn romance, and a high-stakes tournament that kept me turning the pages. Oraya is a strong, complex lead, and the dynamic with Raihn had just the right amount of tension and mystery. The world-building is rich and dark without being overwhelming, and while the pacing dragged a bit in a few spots, the emotional payoff was worth it. If you enjoy morally gray characters, found family vibes, and a bit of bite with your fantasy romance, this one's definitely worth the read.

I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE THE SEA OF EMOTIONS I'M STILL FEELING IT!!! GO READ IT NOW

3.5 stars rounded to 4; I've finally read one of the classic romantasy books!Definitely trope-y but this was a good read. We follow Oraya as she enters a vampire competition for the chance to win a favor from their goddess. The twist is that Oraya is a human, raised and trained by the reigning vampire leader. She wants to make it through the trials in order to become a vampire, without the risk of dying, but she meets this attractive vampire guy whose guts she hates. But oops turns out she enters in an alliance with him to survive, so how will the battle between her head and heart go???With all joking aside I thought the story here was well-written, although the romance was a little underdeveloped for me and I think I lost track of how many rounds of trials the candidates went through. However, I really liked the spacing of backstory we got throughout the book that told us more about Oraya and while I had an idea of what the ending was, I wasn't expecting how it happened. This was an easy read, and I am curious to see where the story goes in the next book.