Daughter of No Worlds: The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1

Vanessa Gayle | Fangirl Faction

This book was so remarkable! I was wholly impressed with this story.

"4.5/5 Stars This book was so remarkable! It drew me right in and wouldn't let me go. I was really impressed with the composition of the story. The premise of the story is very compelling and it really makes a statement to the reader. Broadbent's writing style really spoke to me and had a very smooth arrangement that kept me engrossed in the story. I enjoyed the world-building for the most part but felt that the magic of the world wasn't covered very well. I went back a few times to see if I had missed something crucial to the story but it just seemed to be something that wasn't developed well enough. The story was still enjoyable even with only a vague understanding of the world's magic but I still felt confused on more than one occasion due to the lack of details. The characters were excellent. Both Tisaanah and Maxantarius were fleshed out really well and the reader couldn't help but love them. We dive right into Tisaanah's past right away and it really sets the tone for the story. I loved getting glimpses of Max's past as the story progressed. I admit, some of the side characters really blended together at first in the beginning. Once I got a grasp on things it was easier to distinguish them apart though. There was a surprising character that I am very eager to learn more about in the next book! The romance in this book was a slow-burn one that was so worth it. The way that Tisaanah and Max come together and come to care about each other is so full of feels. I loved the gradual change from Max's outright refusal to train her, to his reluctant help, to their friendship, to more. They shared bits and pieces of themselves with each other and developed a strong bond. I really loved how Max admired Tisaanah for wanting to help the slaves from her homeland. It's hard not to fall for someone that cares so deeply and is so selfless. I also loved how Tisaanah brought Max out of his funk and out of his loneliness. He had been secluding himself for so long and she sort of brought him out of his shell. Overall, I was wholly impressed with this story. There is definitely an awe-inspiring message under the surface. If not for the sparsely developed magic in the story this would certainly have been a five-star read for me. I am eager to read the second book and see what happens to these memorable characters. ["

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June 26, 2023 Verified Purchase

mouthymerc

An amazing book with one of the most sexist lines I've read in a while

"I have read some of Carissa's other books and really enjoy her writing style and world building. This is one of the most fleshed out worlds I've read in a while, the plot was engaging, and the MCs were very likable, imo. However, one of the characters (a woman) made one of the most sexist comments I've ever seen in literature. For that, I removed a star. "You know," Via went on, returning to the closet, "women always come in here looking at the pretty silver bows or the little dainty daggers and those kinds of [boring] things. But I thought...well. She seemed interesting." I'm hesitant to throw out the NLOG accusations, because people overuse it now and apply it to any woman who dares to have masculine hobbies, or god forbid, think they are short. However, this is a really blatant example of demeaning an entire group of people to uplift a single person as superior. All women are boring and uninteresting, apparently! I love you Carissa, but you need to examine the internalized misogyny that led to this line. Unless you intended to make this character sexist, in which case you did a bang up job! ["

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February 13, 2026 Verified Purchase

Muriel Sampson

*Spoiler-Free*

"I rate books primarily based on vibes and how they make me feel, so keep that in mind. I also strive to keep my reviews spoiler-free! Plot: 4/5 Spice: 1/5 Tropes: Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Grumpy/Sunshine (kind of), Teacher/Apprentice, Tragic Backstory Audiobook: Two narrators (introduced after Part 2) A quick side note: I did a tandem read, switching between the book and the audiobook. The audiobook introduces a second narrator in Chapter 39, who voices the MMC and his POV. Now, on to the review: The plot is mainly fantasy, with a minor subplot of romance and political intrigue. This first book follows the FMC, Tisaanah Vytezic, who has a tragic backstory. Her people were slaughtered, and she was taken as a slave in Threll at a very young age. The author does a fantastic job addressing these harsh subjects while handling them with grace and sensitivity. In this world, there's an island called Ara, home to a group of magic wielders known as the Orders. The Orders are divided into two factions: the Valtains and the Solaries. The magic system is unique, but it's written in a way that's easy to follow and understand. Tisaanah is considered an outcast, or "fragmented," because she doesn’t fit into any specific magic group. With mismatched eyes, patchy skin, and multicolored hair, she feels like she doesn’t belong. It’s fascinating to watch her growth throughout the book as she struggles with her identity and learns to navigate her internal conflicts. Tisaanah eventually gains her freedom and flees Threll, heading to Ara to join the Orders and help her friends back in Threll. There, she faces numerous challenges, including a language barrier and the struggle to harness her magic. We also meet the MMC, Maxantarius Farlione (Max for short), a grumpy member of the Orders who becomes her new teacher. As the story unfolds, we learn about Max's tragic past and the reasons behind his demeanor. Together, they navigate the challenges presented by the Orders while working toward their personal goals. The story introduces some complex characters, such as Reshaye, and I'm excited to see how this character will evolve throughout the series. In conclusion, I LOVED THIS BOOK. The story is a powerful one, filled with themes of revenge, heartbreak, devastation, justice, and hope for a better world. Since this is just the first book, I can’t wait to see the trials Tisaanah will face as she strives to save her friends and loved ones. Carissa writes with such emotion, immersing me in the story every time. ["

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November 17, 2024 Verified Purchase

Corey Beth

3½ Stars... Not sure why my feelings are so mixed

"Daughter of No Worlds is an epic fantasy book. I had a lot of fun with it, but there were a few things about it that just didn't quite come together for me. For the first quarter or so of the book, I was sure this was going to be a five star read, but then it sort of dropped off for me & I'm not really sure why. I was still invested in the journey, but it just seemed to lose direction or something. The middle dragged a bit, & it could've probably been a little shorter, IMO. About halfway through, an unexpected development really threw me off. It seemed like the scope of the novel suddenly changed from what I expected & I guess it just didn't resonate with me. I got back into it towards the last 20-30% or so. WHAT I LIKED: >> Tisaanah is a great female main character. I love her determination & her strength. I also love her self confidence. She doesn't think she can do something, she KNOWS it. She reminds me a bit of Aelin from Throne of Glass. >> Max is a compelling MMC, the stuff of great book boyfriends. He is so broken when he & Tisaanah meet, & I absolutely adored watching the two of them slowly heal each other without even realizing it. Both characters are well developed & likeable. >> The great grumpy/sunshine dynamic. The author did an excellent job writing Tisaanah & Max's relationship. It unfolded so organically, from their introductions as wary & slightly unwilling allies, which slowly warmed into friendship, to a true, deep bond as they recognized each other as kindred spirits. It took almost the whole book for them to realize they were in love, & I was totally here for how realistic it felt. No instalove here! >> The writing itself was on point, no grammatical errors that I noticed (although there are several times that Tisaanah, who is learning the language, makes mistakes in word order or mispronounces or misuses a word. These are mistakes that exist purposely to highlight her learning curve). >> It DOES NOT end in a cliffhanger. This is a big one for me. DoNW is a whole book, in which all of the primary plot threads are wrapped up, leaving clear room for sequels but not leaving the reader hanging. There is an epilogue that sets up the next book, including a twist at the very end but not anything that will rock your world. It's just enough to entice you to read the next book. WHAT DIDN'T REALLY WORK FOR ME: >> I thought the pacing was kinda messed up. At the beginning the stakes felt really high, then they were less urgent. This bouncing back & forth from extremely high stakes to chapters of downtime there me off. It seemed like there was either something life-changing & huge happening, or nothing at all. It was just kinda all over the place. >> Then about halfway through there was a completely unexpected development that I just wasn't really impressed with. I don't know why it didn't work for me, because like the rest of the book it was well written, but I just couldn't get into it & the story lost some of its overall lustre due to that. I still hadn't really warmed to it by the end of the book. It just brought such a change of tone. >> There are numerous secondary characters, some of whom have SO much potential, but I found myself wishing they had more depth. Many of the characters that were around off & on the entire book left absolutely no impression on me at all. There were a few people who popped up once then never again, dropping out of the story & leaving me wondering, "What was the point of that?" Maybe they'll become relevant later in the series, but for now they just felt superfluous. >> At 500+ pages, this is a decently long book, & usually I like that. I don't usually even read books with less than 300 pages, because I like the detail & depth of a book that size or bigger. However, in the case of Daughter of No Worlds, I think that if the page count had been pared down some, with a tighter overall narrative, this would've remained a 5 star read for me. Bottom line: I can totally see that some people out there will love this book. It has a lot going for it, & I did enjoy it. I want to see what happens next, but I'm not chomping at the bit to get there. I'll ready the rest of the trilogy, just not right away. I think lovers of sweeping epic fantasy & romantic fantasy will probably devour this novel. Despite my somewhat apathetic feelings towards parts of it, I really do think DoNW was a good book & I hope people give it a chance. ["

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April 25, 2023 Verified Purchase