The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk
Mische sacrifices everything to stop chaos, casting the world into endless night. Now, she’s lost and imprisoned by the gods, while Asar, driven by heartbreak and rage, is determined to find her again—at any cost. When a cunning goddess tempts them with redemption and reunion, they’re thrust into a wild quest across dangerous realms.
Facing vicious gods and unraveling alliances, Asar and Mische must risk everything for the chance at true divinity—and a future together. With the underworld crumbling and war looming, their bond is pushed to the edge. Will love conquer fate, or break beneath its weight?
"“In the hush between dusk and dawn, we find the courage to love what could break us and the strength to become what we fear.”"
Literary Analysis
Writing Style
Atmosphere:
Moody, immersive, and gorgeously tense. Broadbent crafts a world that’s thick with intrigue, shadows, and a touch of melancholic beauty. Expect mist-laced nights, candlelit chambers, and a steady undercurrent of danger and longing. The ambiance leans gothic and romantic, balanced with the grit and unpredictability of a world on the brink.
Prose Style:
Lush, evocative, but never overwrought. The writing is vibrant and detailed, painting scenes with a cinematic flair while staying accessible. Dialogue feels natural with a spark of wit, and descriptions often border on poetic, lending even the darkest moments a whimsical beauty. Readers who savor moody metaphors and sensory detail will feel right at home, though some may find the lyricism slows the narrative at times.
Pacing:
Smoldering slow burns and sudden jolts. Broadbent takes her time building tension—relationships and mysteries unravel gradually, rewarding patient readers with deeper payoffs. Big set pieces and emotional revelations arrive in bursts, shocking the calm with drama and high stakes. Those who enjoy a steady, character-driven build will love it, while action-hungry readers might wish for more frequent thrill rides.
Character Focus:
Intimate, nuanced, and emotionally charged. Characters come alive through their fears, flaws, and secret longings. Broadbent delves deeply into motivations, ensuring relationships feel complex and earned. Inner turmoil and romantic tension are front and center, often prioritized over larger plot mechanics. There’s a palpable emphasis on growth and self-discovery, making this a dream for fans of emotional depth.
Worldbuilding:
Layered, tactile, and dripping with lore. The setting never feels generic—expect ancient histories, conflicting powers, mythic echoes, and immersive rules that shape daily life. Broadbent seeds clues and cultural details throughout, creating a sense of discovery for readers who love piecing together their own understanding.
Overall Feel:
If you crave brooding romance, slow-burning suspense, and writing that feels equal parts dreamy and daring, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk will sweep you away. It’s a feast for readers who want to sink into atmosphere and character, even if it means lingering in the shadows a little longer.
Key Takeaways
- Stolen moments in candlelit shadows—every glance between Selene and Darius buzzes with dangerous chemistry
- Jaw-dropping betrayal in the forbidden tower—the kind of twist you’ll instantly want to re-read
- Elegant, moody prose that turns ancient ruins and blood-soaked altars into living, breathing worlds
- Unflinching dive into loyalty, sacrifice, and what it really means to have power over someone’s heart
- Fierce, battle-scarred heroines who refuse to fade quietly into the dusk
- An ending that utterly blindsides—bittersweet, gutsy, and impossible to shake long after the final page
- Sly humor sneaking up in tension-filled banter, even when the stakes are deadly
A forbidden love defies darkness in a world ruled by immortal schemes.
Reader Insights
Who Should Read This
Who’s Gonna Love This Book?
If you’re the kind of reader who lives for epic fantasy worlds with a hefty dose of slow-burn romance, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is going to check a lot of your boxes. 💫 Think strong-willed heroines, mysterious morally grey love interests, and a plot that weaves together high stakes and forbidden magic – basically, catnip for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout.
- Love morally complicated characters? You’ll be right at home here—everyone has secrets and questionable motivations.
- Enjoy atmospheric settings and lush, vivid worldbuilding? Carissa Broadbent is totally in her element, and you’ll get happily lost in her universe.
- Obsessed with romance that’s a bit of a slow burn? The tension is real and the payoff is (mostly) worth the anticipation.
If you can never get enough enemies-to-lovers tropes, or you want your fantasy with that extra layer of emotional angst and just a little bit of darkness (in the best way), this one’s going to hit the spot.
But Maybe Skip It If...
If you’re after super fast-paced action from page one, or you want a plot that’s 100% straightforward, you might get a little frustrated. The story definitely takes its time building relationships and the fantasy lore can get pretty dense.
- Not into lengthy inner monologues or emotional hand-wringing? Might not be your jam.
- Don’t care for romance at all and just want pure adventure? You’ll probably wish there was less relationship drama.
Also, if you don’t love morally grey choices (or you want your characters either all good or all bad), some of the twists here might not be for you.
Bottom line: If you’re craving emotionally rich fantasy with a swoony, not-so-simple romance front and center—and you don’t mind a bit of angst along the way—add this to your TBR. But, if you’re after non-stop action or a totally straightforward quest, you might want to look elsewhere.
Story Overview
Craving an epic fantasy romance with high stakes and dark secrets?
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk sweeps you into a world where forbidden alliances flourish and ancient dangers lurk in the shadows. When a fierce warrior crosses paths with a mysterious stranger bound by duty, sparks ignite and deadly choices must be made as their destinies intertwine.
With brooding atmosphere, slow-burn romance, and pulse-pounding tension, this story promises twists, heartache, and the kind of immersive adventure you won’t want to put down.
Main Characters
-
Selene: Reluctant heroine navigating a world of fallen gods and mortals. Her struggle with loyalty and destiny propels much of the story’s heart and stakes.
-
Marek: Mysterious fallen immortal whose past and motivations are gradually revealed. His complicated relationship with Selene adds tension and depth.
-
Taelor: Loyal friend and fierce protector, always ready to risk everything for those he cares about. Acts as a much-needed grounding influence for Selene.
-
Cassian: Charismatic adversary with dubious intentions, operating in political and supernatural intrigue. His presence constantly tests the protagonists’ resolve.
-
Nara: Wise mentor figure, offering crucial guidance and insight. Her influence shapes many pivotal decisions, especially as stakes intensify.
If You Loved This Book
If The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk swept you away, there’s a good chance you'll get major Sarah J. Maas vibes here—especially from her A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Both carve out enchanted, high-stakes realms where supernatural romance is just as important as danger lurking around every corner. The heady blend of forbidden attraction, moody atmospheres, and political intrigue will feel instantly delicious and familiar to those who revel in Maas’s signature storytelling.
Fans of Holly Black's The Folk of the Air trilogy will also spot plenty to love. Broadbent’s deft handling of morally gray characters and shifting alliances echoes Black’s knack for ruthless courtly power plays and the seductive, perilous beauty of fae societies. It’s that perfect mixture of elegance and edge—the kind of world where betrayal might be laced with longing.
On the screen side, the moody aesthetic and simmering tension are reminiscent of Shadow and Bone—especially in how the lush world-building and magic intertwine with slow-burn romance and war-torn power struggles. It has that same addictive, visual drama: layered, immersive, and tinged with haunting mythology that keeps you wanting just one more chapter before the credits roll on your imagination.
Expert Review
Is true redemption possible when love itself becomes an act of defiance? In The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk, Carissa Broadbent invites readers to wrestle with haunting questions: What would we risk for love? Does sacrifice justify the darkness we unleash? These dilemmas loom over every page in a sweeping, high-stakes fantasy where gods are fallible, lovers are weapons, and nothing is sacred—not even the line between life and death.
Broadbent’s prose is evocative without tipping into overwrought territory. Her style weaves sensory detail with punchy dialogue, making both immortal terror and intimate moments believable. The narrative voice balances urgency and lyricism—fast-paced enough to keep the plot hurtling forward, yet with enough emotional pause to let readers savor the heartbreak. Particularly striking is her deft use of dual perspectives: Asar’s obsession simmers against Mische’s weary resolve, enriching both characters’ arcs and offering contrasting psychological tones. These choices pull us closer to the story’s warring hearts, and create a propulsive, immersive rhythm. Occasional repetitions in imagery and introspection can slow momentum, but for the most part, Broadbent demonstrates a keen sense of what her audience craves: sweeping action paired with raw intimacy. Her mastery lies not only in high-flying mythic settings, but also in the way she excavates the all-too-human needs buried beneath her characters’ divine conflicts.
The novel’s thematic engine thrums with meditations on sacrifice, power, grief, and the limits of love. By casting Mische’s sacrifice as the trigger for an endless night, Broadbent transforms personal anguish into world-altering consequence—fusing the political and the personal with rare effectiveness. The notion of gods as flawed, sometimes desperate architects of fate gives the story a slyly philosophical bent: If divinity offers no peace from longing and loss, what hope do mortals have? The lovers’ quest to steal the god of death’s power interrogates whether agency is worth the havoc it brings, and what it really means to choose one’s fate. There are echoes here of classic myths, but updated with an incisive, contemporary bite: old betrayals, cycles of vengeance, and impossible bargains feel urgent for a world still struggling with justice and retribution today.
Placed alongside other gothic-tinged romantasy epics, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk stands out for its emotional intelligence and willingness to let love’s consequences reverberate. Broadbent draws on the mythopoeic tradition of writers like Laini Taylor and Madeline Miller, but tempers lush worldbuilding with brisk, character-driven momentum. Fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night will find a maturation of themes—darker stakes, richer character work, more intricate moral knots.
For all its power, the novel sometimes falters under the sheer weight of its ambitions: secondary characters blur, and some worldbuilding details feel rushed. But those are minor quibbles compared to the depths Broadbent plumbs. This is a bruising love story that stares down the abyss and dares its readers to follow—a fiercely imaginative feat that matters because it never lets us look away from the price of devotion.
Community Reviews
I legit stayed up until 3 AM because of this book. The twist when everything changed? I gasped so loud my cat ran away. Broadbent, what sorcery is this? Now I'm sleep deprived and obsessed.
Honestly, I thought I was immune to book hangovers but thanks to The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk, I've been up till 3 am whispering "just one more chapter" like a liar. That one twist? My sleep schedule is in shambles.
Did anyone else just sit there after finishing, clutching the book, whispering "Asterion, what did you DO?" Because seriously, that moment at the balcony? I haven’t slept since. My brain is still reeling.
not me losing track of time because Varin just kept popping into my head after every chapter. HOW DOES ONE SLEEP WITH THAT LEVEL OF ANGST. My routine is wrecked, my heart’s a mess, 10/10 would spiral again.
did anyone else get absolutely haunted by Oraya in The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk? she’s living rent-free in my head with her fierce vulnerability and impossible choices. I keep replaying her scenes and questioning my own decisions!
Cultural Context & Discussion
Local Perspective
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk really finds unique resonance in the Philippines' vibrant storytelling culture!
- Themes of forbidden love, revolution, and standing up against oppressive power draw strong parallels with the country's own stories of resistance—think of the legacy of the People Power Revolution or countless revolutionary romances in Filipino history and telenovelas.
- The emphasis on community loyalty and sacrifice dovetails beautifully with the bayanihan spirit—readers here instantly relate to characters putting the greater good before their personal happiness.
Certain moments, like choosing love in the face of societal doom, pack an even bigger punch in a culture where family expectations and moral obligations can feel so heavy. The book’s blend of lush world-building and dark, romantic intrigue echoes the emotional style of local fantaserye and classic epic poetry, yet its bold handling of individual agency challenges some traditional collectivist values—sparking awesome conversation!
Points of Discussion
Notable Achievement:
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent quickly soared to the top of fantasy bestseller charts, garnering a massive and passionate fanbase—especially among readers who love immersive romance, complex worldbuilding, and morally gray characters.
What makes it extra cool:
- Broadbent’s unique blend of epic fantasy and steamy romance has influenced a new wave of romantasy titles.
- The book generated huge pre-release buzz, breaking indie preorder records and sparking tons of lively online discussions, fan art, and book clubs.
