Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts) Paperback – 6 Jan. 2020

I’m aware that the author now has a publishing contract - just bought her first hardback published by Bramble (The Songbird and the Heart of Stone) - but when I bought this book (and its sequels) they were self published.Bearing that in mind, the quality of this book is both impressive and remarkable - and I have a new favourite author!I did feel in the first couple of chapters that the author was maybe finding her feet a little, but that’s not really a criticism just an observation. As the story developed, I noted the wonderful world building, the elegant character development, and the beautiful writing. And the plot twists? I did not see them coming and, to be honest, I almost always do - so that’s high praise from me.This author has incredible skill and this book is an incredible read. It’s been a long time since I waxed so lyrical about a story but this one is just genius. A realistic universe, a genuinely viable magical system, an original premise, and some brilliant storytelling. The romance is beautifully evoked and the characters are complex - with compassion for even the unlikeliest of them gently drawn out of the reader.I absolutely loved this and have stopped to write this review before picking up book two. From now on, if Carissa Broadbent writes it, I’m going to be reading it.Faultlessly executed; brava!

This series is more suitable for YA than her Crowns of Nyaxia series in that there is only occasional swearing and light intimate scene but excellent world building..Loved that the FMC is beautiful because she is different, not perfect and she speaks as she finds. She has survived horrific trauma as a slave including rape and gaslighting by much older man yet maintains a moral purpose and capacity for love.The MC is also a well developed character. This is a romance but this does not take centre stage, it evolves naturally and without the often annoying U-turns and over-thinking more usual in this genre.The world building is very good with plenty of magic, adventure and intrigue.Don't be put off by the dreadful cover art!

⭐ 5/5 Overall | 🌶 2/5 Spice | 😂 2/5 Humour | 💔 2/5 Emotional Impact | 🐉 5/5 FantasyAs someone who’s new to fantasy, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book—especially one over 500 pages long! The blurb didn’t immediately grab me, but I picked it up anyway, and I’m so glad I did. I was hooked surprisingly quickly. The world-building is incredible—not too heavy or over-explained, but vivid enough that I could clearly imagine Threll, Ara, and everywhere in between. 5/5 for fantasy, no question.The emotional moments hit just enough to pull me in and make me root for the characters. We all crave a happy ending, and this one had moments that tugged at my heart. The slow burn romance had me holding my breath with all that tension—2/5 spice with just enough heat to satisfy, and when they finally kissed? I was literally celebrating. The dynamic between the main characters also brought a few laughs (2/5 humour), which added a nice touch without pulling away from the story.Overall, this might be one of my favourite books. I didn’t think I was a fantasy reader, but this changed that. I was intimidated by the length, but couldn’t put it down once I started. The strength of the FMC was so inspiring, and the chemistry between her and the MMC had me on edge in the best way. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series—after I recover from this one, of course!

— 3.5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️💫“Men want power because it makes them feel good. Women want power because it lets us do things.”📖 | 520 pages👤 | author Carissa Broadbent🏢 | published independently📅 | release date 7 January 2020What you can expect:— New-Adult High Fantasy Romance— First-Person POV— Dual-POV— Book One In A Trilogy— Dislike-to-Love— Slow Burn Romance— Political Intrigue— Found Family— Feminine Rage— Very Dark Themes Explored (please check your trigger warnings on this one)Trigger and content warnings include: mentions of rape, sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse, kidnapping, slavery, torture, possession, loss of loved ones, murder, battle themes, physical and magical altercations, whipping, near death experiences.Daughter of No Worlds is the first instalment in The War of Lost Hearts trilogy by author Carissa Broadbent. Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life. Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders. The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both. But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart. Even if it means wielding death itself.”My name is Tisaanah. I am a free woman and yet still a slave. I am fragments of many things but a whole only myself. I am a daughter of no worlds, and all worlds. And I am not done yet.”Tisaanah as a main character is one of the biggest selling points for me within A Daughter of No Worlds. Despite suffering time and time again, Tisaanah continues to fight for a way to stand back up where most would contend to submit. Her resilience and strength during times of horror and difficulty were truly awe-inspiring, and her strong-willed nature serve her will within this story. I really enjoyed the softer aspects to Tisannah's character which were gently unveiled during her time of healing and training. The quiet moments with Max allowed her to settle for once in her life and understand what true contentment could feel like. I admire her resistance to slowing down as Tisaanah's cause and sense-of-duty are at the heart of who she is as a character, but it was still a joy to be able to witness these quiet moments of intimate vulnerability. Tisaanah doesn't shy away or attempt to gloss over the horrors she has endured. She wants people to know exactly what she has survived. She demands for people living in ignorance to know of the pain, suffering and torture that people like her have endured, and will continue to endure, unless those in strength step forward and take a stand. The same could be said about life outside of a story. The unforgiving and blunt brutality of Tisaanah's, and others, circumstances were difficult to swallow and yet enlightening. I believe author Carissa Broadbent has written Daughter of No Worlds with a distincive voice to share, and I look forward to the uncomfortable yet important narrative that I expect to follow within the rest of the series.”Never look back. And never question stepping forward and saying, 'I deserve to live.’”Max Farlione is a character shrouded in mystery with much left unsaid at the beginning of his tale. When we are first introduced to Max his apparent hatred and distrust towards the Order leaves him as an unwilling participant to Tisaanah's training. All Max wants is to be left in solitude with his cottage and his garden, however we begin to see that shift when to begins to truly see Tisaanah for who she is. For what she is fighting for. Max thrusts himself into Tisaanah's training once he learns of her intentions and proves to be a sound and informative teacher. It is within these moments that you feel the slow development begin between Max and Tisaanah. Little by little they begin to let down their walls and reveal the harsh truths that they have long buried within themselves. Max's backstory and trauma truly broke my heart, and it broke further when I saw him dragged back into a war that he didn't want. At the same time I admired his dedication and loyalty towards Tisaanah, and it was rewarding to read as their relationship progressed. I truly think all Max and Tisaanah truly wanted was to be and feel seen, and that is exactly what they offered one another. The relationship began hesitant and tentative until it reached it's peak in the third-act. I wish we had gotten more development before those three important words were uttered, but at the same time I understand time must feel different and less important during acts of war and conflict.As for what I didn't particularly like about Daughter of No Worlds, well... the lack of trigger warnings at the beginning to start with. I am fortunate enough to not feel sensitive towards any set triggers and find myself able to read just about anything with the appropriate amount of warning beforehand. The dark themes explored within this book took me by complete surprise, and at times I found myself wavering on if I wanted to continue. I cannot begin to imagine being a reader with sensitive triggers going into this without adept preparation. Please read your triggers before beginning this series. Whilst I am certainly glad to have carried on, better preparation would have been beneficial to prepare myself on what to expect.The world-building within this book showed strength whilst lacking merit. I often found too much being left unsaid and could have been better explained with more history. I genuinely enjoyed the battle scenes that Carissa Broadbent thrust us into as they were thrilling and filled with action, but at times I was going back and forth as I tried to better understand what was going on. I found myself frustrated as Reshaye often wailed about betrayal and hurt whilst never offering insight or context into what was being said, so I really hope for and expect more answers on Reshaye's past in the sequel. Also, we begin Daughter of No World's at such a fast and brutal pace before the plot seems to slow to a snail-crawl. Whilst I enjoyed Tisaanah's journey with Max on improving her language and magical abilities, I feel that by the time we get to the third-act conflict there is little time left and the ending was abrupt. So much was happening that I felt a little disorientated and confused, but overall it doesn't put me off from continuing the story in the hope of seeing Tisaanah seek the justice and revenge she craves, and receiving the answers to the many questions left unanswered.