Children of Fallen Gods — The War of Lost Hearts, Book Two

Into the Heart of War

Children of Fallen Gods is the second book in Carissa Broadbent’s War of Lost Hearts trilogy, and it does what a strong middle volume should: it escalates everything. Where Daughter of No Worlds established Tisaanah’s quest, her world, and her relationship with Maxantarius, the sequel plunges them both into all-out war and the moral horrors that come with it. The stakes rise from a personal mission to free the enslaved into a conflict that threatens kingdoms and forces impossible choices, and the result is a darker, more expansive, and more emotionally demanding book than its predecessor.

For readers who connected with the first book’s fierce heroine and weighty themes, Children of Fallen Gods delivers a richer, heavier continuation that confirms the trilogy’s ambition.

The Moral Horrors of War

The central concern of the sequel is the cost of the war Tisaanah and Max are caught in. Broadbent refuses to romanticise the conflict, confronting the atrocities, the impossible decisions, and the way violence corrupts even those fighting for just causes. Tisaanah, who sought power to free others, must reckon with what wielding that power actually demands, and the moral weight of her choices gives the book genuine seriousness. This unflinching treatment of war’s brutality is what distinguishes the War of Lost Hearts from lighter romantasy, and it gives the story real emotional and ethical heft.

A New Perspective

One of the most significant additions in Children of Fallen Gods is a new point of view: Aefe, a Fey warrior whose own brewing conflict adds a fresh dimension to the narrative. This expanded perspective deepens the trilogy’s mythology, opening up the history and the supernatural forces that underlie the world’s conflicts, and it enriches the story by showing the war and its roots from more than one angle. Broadbent uses the multiple POV structure to widen the scope considerably, and Aefe’s thread adds intrigue and mythological depth that pay off across the trilogy.

The Romance Under Pressure

The slow-burning relationship between Tisaanah and Max, developed so patiently in the first book, is tested hard here. The pressures of war, the moral compromises it demands, and the secrets and traumas each character carries strain the bond, and Broadbent uses that strain to generate genuine emotional stakes. The romance is no longer a matter of overcoming initial wariness but of holding together under the weight of atrocity and impossible choices, and that deepening gives it real maturity. For readers invested in the central pairing, the sequel raises both the tension and the tenderness.

Deepening the Mythology

Children of Fallen Gods significantly expands the worldbuilding and mythology that the first book established. The gods whose legacies shape the world, the deeper history of the conflict, and the supernatural forces at play all move closer to the centre, giving the trilogy a richer mythological foundation. Broadbent’s gift for building a world that feels larger than any single story is on full display, and the expanded scope sets up the conclusion the final book will deliver.

A Heavy, Rewarding Read

This is a long, dark, demanding book, and readers should know what they are getting. The escalation into war brings heavier themes and a more sorrowful tone, and as a middle volume it escalates and complicates rather than resolves, ending in a way that makes the finale essential. But for readers willing to engage with its seriousness, Children of Fallen Gods is deeply rewarding, deepening the characters, the world, and the stakes in ways that make the trilogy’s conclusion feel earned and necessary.

The Verdict

Children of Fallen Gods is a darker, more expansive middle volume that raises the War of Lost Hearts to a new level of ambition. It plunges its heroes into the moral horrors of war, adds a compelling new perspective, deepens the mythology, and tests the central romance under real pressure, all in Broadbent’s atmospheric, emotionally serious style. It is not a light read, but for fans of the first book and of Broadbent’s work generally, it is a powerful, rewarding continuation that sets up a finale worth waiting for.

The Ambition of the Middle Volume

Middle books in a trilogy are notoriously difficult, and Children of Fallen Gods succeeds by raising its ambition rather than simply marking time. Broadbent uses the second volume to widen the canvas dramatically — adding a perspective, deepening the mythology, and plunging her characters into a war whose moral complexity gives the story real weight. This is the book where the War of Lost Hearts reveals its full scope, moving from a personal quest into an epic with genuine stakes and genuine cost. For readers who appreciate fantasy that takes its themes seriously, the escalation is the appeal: Broadbent refuses to let the war be a simple backdrop, insisting instead that it corrupt, complicate, and test everyone caught in it. That seriousness, combined with the deepening romance and the expanded mythology, makes Children of Fallen Gods a richer and more demanding book than its predecessor, and it sets up a finale that must carry considerable emotional and dramatic weight. It is the volume where the trilogy proves it is aiming for something more than entertainment.

Our rating: 4.3/5 — A darker, higher-stakes middle volume that plunges its heroes into the moral horrors of war and deepens the trilogy’s mythology with a compelling new perspective.

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