Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Carissa Broadbent comes a standalone fantasy romance set in the stunningly epic world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, now in trade paper!

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.

Crowns of Nyaxia Reading Order:
The Serpent & the Wings of Night
The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

Crowns of Nyaxia Standalones
Six Scorched Roses (short novel)
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

I've been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance.

I work as a cybersecurity marketing professional during the harsh light of day, and am also a visual artist. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.

To keep up with my work, join my mailing list at www.carissabroadbentbooks.com!

Praise for the Crowns of Nyaxia series:

"Majorly addicting" - Marie Claire on The Serpent & the Wings of Night

“Fans of dark romantasy won’t want to miss this.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review on The Serpent & the Wings of Night

“[A] haunting, action-packed political fantasy with a doomed romance at its center, full of heartbreak and intrigue.”– Library Journal, starred review on The Serpent & the Wings of Night

“Vampire romance lovers will drink this series down to the last drop.”– POPSUGAR, "The 18 Best Fantasy Romance Books" on The Serpent & the Wings of Night

"Broadbent builds realistic and gripping tension as Raihn and Oraya navigate the roles of rivals, lovers, and potentially co-rulers... There’s plenty here to sink one’s teeth into." ―Publishers Weekly on The Ashes & the Star-Crossed King

“This novel is fast-paced from the first page, with equal parts war action and romance. Romantasy fans will want this next book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series.” – Booklist on The Ashes & the Star-Crossed King

“Expect gorgeous, immersive descriptions of magical worlds, a grumpy-sunshine romance with more than a hint of spice, and thoughtful explorations of deep emotional wounds.” –The Skimm on The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

“A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.” –i09 November Roundup, on The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

“Carissa Broadbent marries a thoughtful look at religious and family trauma with epic adventure and romance.” – BookPage (starred review) on The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

"Another winner from Broadbent." ― Publishers Weekly, on Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent is a dark romantic fantasy novella set in the same wider world as *The Serpent and the Wings of Night*, and it follows a self-contained but emotionally rich story about desperation, mortality, and the possibility of connection in a place defined by danger. The novella centers on Lilith, a young woman who is dying from a mysterious illness and has little time left to live. Her body is weakening, and medicine has failed her, leaving her with only one real hope: to bargain with one of the vampire world’s most feared and enigmatic figures in exchange for a cure. That choice sets the story in motion and gives it its emotional urgency, because Lilith is not simply chasing survival in a general sense—she is racing against time.

Lilith is a strong and practical protagonist, but her strength comes from necessity rather than fearlessness. She knows she has been cornered by fate, and that knowledge shapes everything she does. She is willing to step into danger because the alternative is death, and that makes her determination feel both brave and heartbreaking. Her illness has isolated her, and the desperate state of her life makes her bargain with the vampire feel like a final gamble rather than a hopeful plan. The novella captures this tension well: Lilith is frightened, but not helpless; vulnerable, but not passive. She has enough courage to walk into a terrifying situation and demand a chance at life.

The vampire she bargains with is a powerful and highly dangerous figure, steeped in secrecy, control, and the weight of a long and mysterious past. He is not a simple monster, nor is he presented as instantly safe or trustworthy. Instead, he is a character defined by his distance, his restraint, and the sense that he has spent a long time becoming someone difficult to read. Their relationship begins with mistrust and mutual wariness, which makes the emotional progression of the story more compelling. Lilith needs something from him that he does not have to give, and he has reasons of his own to keep his distance. This imbalance creates immediate tension, but it also leaves room for curiosity, respect, and eventually tenderness.

Much of the novella’s power comes from the way it balances gothic atmosphere with emotional intimacy. The setting is full of shadows, blood, ritual, and the eerie beauty common to vampire fantasy, but it never feels empty or decorative. The dark surroundings mirror Lilith’s precarious condition and the moral uncertainty of the bargain she is making. Every interaction feels charged with the possibility of betrayal, yet also with the possibility of understanding. Carissa Broadbent uses this atmosphere to make the romance feel earned rather than effortless. The characters are not thrown together by fate in a whimsical way; they are brought together by need, and then slowly begin to see each other as more than the roles they first assumed.

The title *Six Scorched Roses* suggests both beauty and destruction, and that duality runs through the novella. Roses are often symbols of love, fragility, and desire, while scorch marks imply damage, pain, and the aftermath of fire. That combination reflects Lilith’s journey well. She is entering a world that could destroy her, yet the story shows how even in dangerous circumstances, something delicate and meaningful can emerge. The novella does not pretend that love erases suffering or that bargains are free of consequences. Instead, it treats affection and hope as things that survive in spite of damage. That makes the emotional tone especially effective, because the romance feels like something that grows out of ruin rather than avoiding it.

The relationship between the two leads develops through sharp dialogue, emotional restraint, and the gradual peeling back of defenses. Lilith is forced to confront not just the vampire’s secrets, but also her own assumptions about him and about herself. Meanwhile, he is drawn into a connection that complicates the careful distance he has maintained for so long. The story allows their dynamic to move from suspicion to fascination to something softer and more vulnerable. This progression gives the novella its heart, because what begins as a transaction slowly becomes a relationship shaped by trust, desire, and recognition. Each character sees in the other a kind of loneliness that is rarely admitted aloud.

Even though the novella is shorter than a full novel, it still manages to create a sense of history and broader worldbuilding. Readers are reminded that this is a universe with ancient bloodlines, power struggles, and magical systems that carry consequences beyond the immediate romance. The vampire’s world is not simple, and Lilith’s presence in it is disruptive in ways that matter. The story hints at the larger political and supernatural context without losing focus on the central emotional arc. That balance helps the novella feel complete while still connected to a larger series landscape.

Another important theme is agency. Lilith begins the story in a position of weakness, but she is not reduced to helplessness. She makes choices, asks difficult questions, and refuses to let fear define her entirely. Her decision to seek out the vampire is itself an act of will, and throughout the story she continues to assert herself even when the situation becomes more complicated. In that way, the novella becomes not only a romance but also a story about a woman refusing to surrender her life before it is truly over. The vampire, too, is changed by her presence, suggesting that connection can alter even those who have spent a long time guarded against it.

The emotional tone of the book is quiet but intense. It is not a sprawling epic, but a tightly focused character-driven story where every scene matters. The romance carries genuine tenderness, but there is always an edge beneath it, reminding the reader that these characters are meeting in a world where mortality and danger are never far away. That contrast gives the story its lingering appeal: it is about beauty found in dark places, and about how even short-lived moments of closeness can matter deeply when time is limited.

By the end of Six Scorched Roses, the novella offers a satisfying emotional arc that feels both romantic and bittersweet. Lilith’s journey is not just about curing an illness; it is about stepping into an unknown world and discovering that she is more capable, more worthy, and more deeply seen than she had believed. The vampire’s presence becomes more than a means to an end, and their connection leaves the impression of something fragile but meaningful, shaped by pain yet not destroyed by it. The story captures the essence of dark fantasy romance especially well: danger, longing, beauty, and the idea that even in the darkest circumstances, human connection can still feel like a kind of salvation.