BOOK REVIEW: Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1) by Carissa Broadbent

Today’s book review is for Daughter of No Worlds, (The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1) by Carissa Broadbent, an adult fantasy novel about a former slave fighting for justice.

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Book Synopsis

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.

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. From Goodreads.

“Men want power because it makes them feel good. Women want power because it lets us do things.”

The Basics

• Category: Adult Fantasy
• Tags: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, High Fantasy, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers
• Author: Carissa Broadbent
• Publisher: Carissa Broadbent, January 2020
• Where to Find: Amazon, Target, Goodreads
• Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

**Spoilers Ahead**

Let me set the stage… I’m sitting here staring at my Kindle Unlimited bookshelf on my desktop trying to determine what book to read next. I keep skipping over Daughter of No Worlds because let’s be honest, the cover is cheesy. And I keep thinking “Carissa Broadbent, she sounds familiar.” I hop onto Goodreads and BAM she wrote the Crowns of Nyaxia Series. Now I’m mentally kicking myself for not realizing this sooner because the first two books of the Crowns of Nyaxia Series were 5 star reads for me. I’m hoping The War of Lost Hearts Series lives up to those books!

There is a lot going on in this book, and the beginning is a little slow. The world building is difficult to understand at times, so I recommend taking notes on the different places, characters, etc.

“Never look back. And never question stepping forward and saying, ‘I deserve to live.'”

So Let’s Get Into it…

The book is broken up into two parts. Part One is a lot of world building and not a lot of action. Part Two is what really got me hooked onto the series.

Part One establishes the hierarchical system of this world, both magic and non-magic. There are widely accepted caste systems in every nation, ranging from magical ability to physical appearance. Tisaanah is our main character, who is Valtain. However, she does not have the usual alabaster skin associated with the Valtain – she is “fragmented,” with golden skin interspersed with the white and two different colored eyes. Captured and enslaved when her city was pillaged, she was beaten, raped, and forced to perform using her magic. Tisaanah tried to buy her freedom from her master, but he beat her to the point of near death. Tisaanah then used her magic to kill her owner, escaping slavery with the promise to return to Threll and rescue her friend and the other slaves.

“And I showed each of them pieces that were as Fragmented as I was, little carefully chosen parts of a whole.”

Tisaanah never had any formal training to control her magic. Everything she learned was self-taught. She mainly used her magic for illusions during her performances, not knowing how powerful it was until she killed her master. Tisaanah flees to Ara in hopes of joining the Orders, an organization of powerful magic wielders. The Orders consist of the Order of Midnight (Valtain wielders) and the Order of Daybreak (Solarie wielders). For Tisaanah to join the Order of Midnight, she must pass their examinations.

Children train to be in the Orders when they are young teens, so Tisaanah is “geriatric” at age twenty-one. Instead of having years to train, she is given five months before she must pass the examinations. This is where we meet Maxantarius Farlione (Max), a Solarie and trained member of the Order of Daybreak. He does not want to take on Tisaanah as an apprentice because he has grown to hate the Orders.

“I was too young to know the truth then. That victory meant another’s defeat, and sometimes our own defeat. That winning meant sacrifices, and sometimes ones that even our own people were not willing to make. That in war, someone always paid.”

After Max reluctantly agrees to train Tisaanah, she is able to master her powers and do well during the examinations. She is summoned to meet with the head of the Orders and told that she has passed, and is then offered a deal. In exchange for five years of servitude as their “weapon”, the Orders will immediately free Max and go to free the slaves in Threll. Tisaanah agrees, but only if it is a blood pact, meaning both sides must uphold their end of the bargain. Part One ends with Max distraught over what Tisaanah agreed to, and we find out why he despises the Orders.

“To be reminded of everything I had already lost while looking into the eyes of everything I had left to lose.”

Part Two has chapters from both Max and Tisaanah’s point of view.

Tisaanah is dealing with the consequences of being the weapon of the Orders. She was given a magic so powerful that it requires a living host. The magic is not fully understood; it is a sentient being that calls itself Reshaye and has a mind of its own. Max used to be Reshaye’s host, which is why he hates the Orders so much. Being the host of Reshaye changed him, forcing him to kill against his will. Despite all of this, he helps Tisaanah learn to control it.

“If Reshaye was drawing from a deeper power, then so could I. For once, I wasn’t holding back. My second eyelid slid open, and my body unraveled into fire.”

Tisaanah, along with Max and other members of the Orders, return to Threll to free all of the slaves. Things do not go according to plan, as the slavers were prepared for the attack. In the end, the slaves are freed, but it is clear that someone in the Orders tipped them off beforehand. We are left with Tisaanah’s final thoughts before the novel ends:

“My name is Tisaanah. I am a free woman and yet still a slave. I am fragments of many things but a whole of only myself. I am a daughter of no worlds, and all worlds. And I am not done yet.”

So… Bookmark or Bin it?

Conclusion: Bookmark it

Wow! This book really surprised me by how much I liked it. The world building was a little overwhelming, but it was worth it. I can’t wait to read the next book. Bonus points to this series because it is complete. Yay to not having to wait for the rest to come out!

Fun Extra Tidbit

Did you have any difficulties pronouncing characters from Daughter of No World’s? Check out Carissa’s Instagram and head over to her story highlights section labelled “pronunciation.” Character pronunciations for The War of Lost Hearts Series are in the first few story highlights.

Thanks so much for reading my book review for Daughter of No Worlds, (The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1) by Carissa Broadbent! Now it’s your turn! Have you read this novel or any others by Carissa and if so, what are your thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments below!

Happy reading 😊