Daughter of No Worlds is the first in a new series from Carissa Broadbent, well known for her sweeping romantasy epics. While this novel maintains the style she’s known for, it presents a new world and strong and interesting new characters.
Tisaanah was sold into slavery as a child and has not just survived, but earned enough to buy her freedom. However, when she tries to fulfill that goal, she barely escapes with her life. Half dead, she fights to reach the Orders, the most powerful organisations of magic wielders in her world.
Here, Tisaanah discovers that in order to gain the help she needs to rescue the friend she left behind, she needs first to complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius.
Max doesn’t initially seem likely to help her much. He’s reclusive and bad-tempered, he despises the Orders, he wields a different kind of magic than Tisaanah, and quite a lot of authority figures seem to have problems with him. But Tisaanah isn’t going to let go of her dream to rescue other slaves, and she badgers him incessantly to teach her.
And as Max relents and teaches her, both of them discover unexpected things in themselves, including a growing attraction between them.
Quite a few of Broadbent’s novels contain these themes: a fight for a people’s freedom, reluctant pairings, and romantic relationships. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror, set in the world of Nyaxia, is an example of another of her novels that includes all these themes.
The early signs are that this is her most mature series yet. I found the slowly growing relationship between Max and Tisaanah one of the most believable I’ve seen her write. Both characters are strong and empathetic, and it’s easy to believe in the relationship, both the mutual attraction and the hesitations and good reasons to resist.
At the same time, there is a compelling bigger picture here: the conflicts between nations, some of which are still deliberately shadowy at the end of this novel. There are clearly plots and plans and issues yet to be revealed to us.
And then there are the ordinary people caught up in this scheming: the people ripped from their beds and made slaves, the people accused or executed unjustly, the people manipulated into doing things they really don’t want to.
All of this is against the background of a vivid and well-developed world which will interest most readers.
This is a well-written and engaging novel. As the first in a series, not everything is resolved – but a great deal does happen, both in terms of plot and character.
If you enjoy romantasy, this is definitely a series for you. Or, if you are new to the genre, this is a good starting point.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.
My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.
I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.
More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .
This is by far one of my FAVOURITE books!!!
I could not put it down and I am so excited to read the next books in this series.
The world building had me captured from the start. Love the magic system, so unique and interesting to read. The pain Tiasaanah goes through, I felt like I was there with her.
The grumpy/ sunshine romance is absolutely brilliant.
I have read other books by Carissa Broadbent and she has not failed me yet. This is an absolute must read!
Daughter Of No Worlds is about Tisaanah who escapes slavery, but needs extra training to join a magical group called The Orders so she can free other slaves who were in her position. She is such a fighter, being more resilient than most. She ends up training with Max, a former warrior, who is very much a loner and needs to be talked in to working together. Their relationship is a slow burn which takes a while until I really wanted the best for them. Then there are characters such as Esmaris who are so easy to hate and I found myself comparing them to people I may encounter, even though this was a very different setting. Also Sammerin who I would always want in my corner.
The magic is really interesting and the worlds are believable. Add to that all the emotions including healing from trauma and working out who you really are, then all the action and romance and it’s a recipe for a great read. There still seems to be much unfolding after this first book in the series and it will be interesting to find out more.
This is not my usual type of read but has opened my world to include other worlds and get close to people I may never have met. Will be looking for the other books in the series to continue the journey.
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent is a fantasy romance and the first book in the War of Lost Hearts trilogy (Pan MacMillan). It presents a well imagined world with interesting characters – Tisaanah and Maxantarius (Max) are very relatable.
Tisaanah is ‘fragmented’, and her unusual appearance and magical powers, set her apart from the start. Snatched from her family, taken to Thrall, and made a slave as a young child, Tisaanah narrowly escapes being beaten to death …
She flees to Ara, a land she has only read about in books and whose language is foreign to her. For Tisaanah, Ara represents hope. It is where she is determined to become a member of the ruling Orders – the wielders of great magical power. She believes, idealistically, that they will train her so she can use her magic to set all the slaves free.
The Orders assign her to apprentice with Max, a war hero and a magic wielder with a troubled past, who has seemingly turned his back on the Orders. Both Max and Tisaanah’s past experiences have left them unwilling to trust or let anyone get close. Indeed reclusive Max at first completely resists the responsibility of training Tisaanah. However, their slow burn relationship ( both in training and romantically) develops and they end up becoming a formidable team.
It soon becomes clear however, that the Orders have a dark, ulterior motive for pairing Tisaanah with Max – a motive Max is painfully suspicious of… And in the second part of the book we learn that the Orders expectations for how Tisaanah will repay them is quite terrifying, and will demand both Max and Tisaanah unite their mental and physical strength to survive it.
A captivating and well written story, I can’t wait to find out more in book two, Children of Fallen Gods.