The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk: Characters, spice levels & review

Written By Esta Pinto

Here’s my The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk book guide and review, and if you were wondering, yes… tears were shed, catharsis was had. 

First and foremost, I’ve included a character list but please know that this list will spoil the book if you haven’t read this or Songbird & the Heart of Stone yet.

I’ve also included and mapped the The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk spice levels with spicy chapters, plus content and trigger warnings for the stuff you need to be mindful of.

Hope you love this book as much as I did.

Happy reading friends!

Please be sure to note that the ⚠️ character list will contain spoilers⚠️ .

 

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk synopsis.

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

Get The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk here.

 

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk characters.

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is told through two different perspectives: 

  • Mische Iliae

  • Asar Voldari

Below is a quick introduction to our two leads, followed by a list of the characters both major and minor that shape the world, plot and romance of The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk. and don’t worry, the goodest girl in the whole world, Luce, gets a prominent role in book four of the Crowns of Nyaxia series.

⚠️ Please note, reading this entire character list is a giant, gargantuan spoiler, not just for this current book, but for previous books, if you haven’t read the whole series till this point. So please please tread carefully. You have been warned!⚠️

Main characters.

Character art shared by author @carissabroadbentbooks & artist @liaramirezillustration via Instagram.

Mische Iliae.

Sunshine personified, Mische is one of two narrators in The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk. she balances out Asar’s stoic demeanour and injects a bit of light and humor even in the most serious situations. We get to see a LOT of character growth for her.

Asar Voldari.

We get to be in Asar Voldari’s head in this book, and get to learn a lot of his thoughts and backstory as well as his mannerisms and quirks. We also get to learn that he thinks Mische smells like cinnamon. Just thought I’d throw that in there.

Luce.

The best undead dog in the multiverse. No notes. She deserves a spot here.

All characters.

Here’s a list of most of the characters in The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk including on-page characters, minor characters and the occasional off-page mentions.

Main, supporting and minor characters.

  • Mische

  • Asar

  • Luce

  • Egrette

  • Elias

  • Kayeh

  • Gideon

  • Saescha

  • Raihn

  • Oraya

  • Esme

  • Sylina

  • Atrius

  • Vale

  • Lilith

  • Septimus

  • The Keeper

  • Celie

  • Kyrene

  • Vincent

Mentioned characters.

  • Eomin

  • Malach

  • Alana (Oraya’s mother)

Gods & goddesses of the White Pantheon in the Crowns of Nyaxia series.

Here’s a quick look at the gods and goddesses we meet or are mentioned in The Fallen & the Kiss along with their divine affinities and powers. We get to see a lot more of them in this one than we ever have in previous books, that’s for sure.

God / Goddess Association / Ability / Affinity
Acaeja Goddess of fate and spellcasting
Shiket Goddess of justice
Nyaxia Goddess of death and mother of vampires
Srana Clockwork goddess of machinery
Ix Goddess of sex and fertility
Vitarus God of the harvest
Ijakai Goddess of animals
Zarux God of sea and sky
Kajmar God of illusion and performance
Alarus God of death
Atroxus God of the sun and king of the White Pantheon

Review: The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent.

View my review and follow me on GoodReads here.

My rating: ★★★★★

  • Spice level: 🌶 🌶🌶

  • 3/5, open-door spice, ranging from mild to explicit

Here comes the vaguest review in the world so I don’t spoil this book and previous books in the series for anyone.. I will, however, vaguely talk about my feelings. Sorry.

I think there’s a tendency for some folk to write off romantasy as a genre unworthy of serious critique. Stories about love in a fantasy setting, especially with a mostly female readership, are often underestimated as trivial, when they can actually be a brilliant lens for exploring empowerment, oppression and morality. Case in point, this series. That’s part of what makes these Crowns of Nyaxia books so satisfying for me, it reminds me that we can have love, danger and profound ethical complexity all at once, even within a single chapter, without compromising any of it.

If you’ve read Carissa Broadbent before, you already know she’s a master of character complexity. She writes 3d characters, neither good, nor bad. Some have done bad things and you don’t agree with those things. And then, a few chapters later, you’re wondering when you started rooting for them because you understand their motives and their childhood trauma, because Broadbent has sneakily rewired your empathy. Fallen is no exception.

This one might be Carissa’s most ambitious, sprawling instalment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series so far. It’s a love letter to Obitraes and to all the characters within it that we’ve met so far. Familiar faces abound, and my advice is to make sure you've also read Six Scorched Roses and Slaying the Vampire Conqueror too, besides the main books, so you can fully appreciate every friendship, relationship, cameo and moment of emotional payoff. Without naming names, I’ll just say there was catharsis and there were tears. Happy or sad? You’ll just have to read it to find out.

That brings me to the romance. To be honest, in a lot of stories, the minute the couple finally gets together, my interest evaporates. I acknowledge that might be a "me" problem. But anyway, the “will-they-won’t-they” is now more of a “oh… they will, they did and now here comes the miscommunication trope or third act breakup to keep the tension alive.”

Thankfully, that’s not the case here. The stakes stayed sharp without cheap tricks. The romance was tender, the emotional component had me invested. Mische and Asar are possibly my favourite couple* (*subject to change).

Finally, Luce is the goodest girl in the world, possibly the universe. I adore her so much.

 View my review and follow me on GoodReads here. I chat about books a lot.

 

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk FAQs.

SPOILER ALERT:

⚠️ Some answers may spoil the book if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution. ⚠️

Is The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk part of a series?

Yes, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is book four in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, by author Carissa Broadbent. 

What are the content and trigger warnings?

  • Violence

  • War

  • Confinement

  • Blood

  • Sexual content

  • Blood drinking and vampirism

  • Animal death

  • Child death (off page, but mentioned)

  • Death

  • Injury and injury details

  • Cursing

  • Body horror

  • Death of loved one (off page)

  • Toxic family relationships and dynamics

  • Classism

What is the age rating for The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk?

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is classified as adult, so ages 18+, due to adult themes and sexual content. Please also see the trigger and content warnings listed above.

What is the The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk spice level?

Is The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk spicy? The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk’s spice levels are steamy but the real drawcard is the romantic love between Mische and Asar. There are plenty of open door scenes ranging from explicit to non explicit.

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶

3/5, medium spice, with tension. Spicy chapters are open door and range in description from mild to explicit.

What are The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk spicy chapters?

Here’s your The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk spicy chapters map and chilli rating.

  • Chapter 19: 🌶

  • Chapter 31: 🌶

  • Chapter 48: 🌶🌶🌶

  • Chapter 52: 🌶

  • Chapter 55: 🌶

  • Chapter 84: 🌶 (mild, non explicit)

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Esta Pinto
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