Six Scorched Roses is a standalone novella set within the Crowns of Nyaxia universe, a world first introduced in Carissa Broadbent’s New York Times-bestselling novel The Serpent & the Wings of Night. The 2022 fantasy novel follows a human woman named Oraya who is the adopted daughter of the vampire king, Vincent. Her father belongs to the Hiaj faction of vampires, and their rivals are known as the Rishan. Oraya enters a deadly competition for a chance to win a wish from Nyaxia, the goddess who created vampires, in the hope of finding her human family. As she completes the deadly trials, she gradually falls in love with another contestant, a vampire named Raihn. At the end of the novel, Oraya kills Raihn but then sacrifices her wish to bring him back. The revived Raihn reveals that he is the heir apparent of the Rishan faction. Oraya’s wish made him the competition’s victor, and he uses his wish to claim the power he needs to kill Vincent and claim the throne. Oraya is the Hiaj faction’s rightful heir, and Raihn forces her to marry him to keep her safe from the rest of the Rishan. However, she secretly plots to reclaim the throne from her husband.

While the main series focuses on grand political conflicts, Six Scorched Roses offers a more intimate, character-driven narrative. It can be read independently, but it serves as a crucial introduction to key figures and political dynamics that become central in the second book of the series, The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King. The novella introduces readers to Vale, a former Rishan general, and Lilith, a human scientist. Their romantic relationship and individual histories provide essential background for their later roles with Vale becoming the head of Raihn’s military and Lilith becoming the general’s vampiric wife. Additionally, the story provides exposition about the deep-seated political conflict within the House of Night between the ruling Hiaj clan and the usurped Rishan clan. Vale explains that the Hiaj have been in power for 200 years, and his self-imposed exile is a direct result of overseeing “the loss of a war” (40). This context sets the stage for major plot developments in the main series, transforming the novella from a simple romance into a vital piece of the overarching narrative.