The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King: Book 2 of the Nightborn Duet (Crowns of Nyaxia, 2) by Carissa Broadbent

The gutting second installment of Crowns of Nyaxia—where the tournament ends, but the real war begins. The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King is packed with heartbreak, political danger, and brutal power plays, following Oraya as she claws her way back from betrayal and grief in a kingdom that’s no longer hers… and a love that may have been a lie.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya believed has been shattered. She’s a prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a betrayal that leaves her questioning even the truth of her own blood. She’s left with one certainty: she can’t trust anyone—least of all Raihn.

Raihn is facing his own war from within. His nobles don’t want a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave, and the House of Blood is tightening its grip, threatening to rip the kingdom apart. When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking it is her only chance to reclaim her kingdom—and to pursue vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But it will require Oraya to harness a devastating ancient power tied to her father’s deepest secrets.

With enemies closing in from every side, nothing is what it seems. As Oraya unravels her past and faces her future, she’s forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power… and the devastating love that could destroy her.

Edition note: New hardcover edition with brand-new case art, a detailed map, and a never-before-seen bonus chapter.