Review

Summary

The Serpent and the Wings of Night follows Oraya, a human woman raised by a powerful vampire king in a world where humans are considered prey. Determined to secure her own safety and prove her worth, Oraya enters a brutal competition held by a vampire goddess, where the winner earns a single wish. As she fights to survive the deadly trials, she forms a complicated alliance with Raihn, a mysterious and dangerous vampire whose motives are not always clear. The story blends survival, power struggles, and romance in a high stakes fantasy setting.

What I Loved

I understood Oraya’s motivation and actually appreciated it. Her desire to compete came from a very real place. As a human raised among vampires, wanting the power to protect herself made sense, especially given her relationship with her vampire father. That underlying need for independence and survival grounded her character and gave the competition real purpose.

The relationship between Oraya and Raihn was also surprisingly sweet at times. Their connection felt genuine, and the emotional moments between them worked well, even if the overall story didn’t fully land for me. There was some mild spice, which fit the tone of the book and didn’t overpower the plot.

What I Didn't Love

The biggest issue for me was Raihn. I really disliked that he lied to Oraya about so much. While I understand that secrecy is common in fantasy romances, the extent of the deception made it hard for me to fully invest in their relationship. It felt like too much was built on half truths and withheld information, which took away from the trust between the characters.

The storyline itself was fine, but it didn’t stand out to me in a memorable way. While the competition and world building had potential, they weren’t enough to outweigh my frustration with the character dynamics.

Final Thoughts

The Serpent and the Wings of Night wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t one that fully worked for me either. While I appreciated Oraya’s motivations and enjoyed the softer moments in the romance, the repeated dishonesty and lack of emotional payoff kept me from really connecting to the story. Readers who enjoy competition based fantasy with mild spice and morally gray characters may still find this enjoyable, but for me, it ultimately fell short of its potential.