Daughter of No Worlds

Daughter of No Worlds (2020) is the first book in the War of Lost Hearts fantasy trilogy by author Carissa Broadbent, followed by Children of Fallen Gods (2021) and Mother of Death and Dawn (2022). The setting that Broadbent created for this trilogy is also featured in the prequel series The Valtain Preludes.

Daughter of No Worlds combines romance and fantasy and is thus categorized as romantasy. Nevertheless, its primary focus is on the epic sweep of political and military events, aligning it with the swords and sorcery and epic fantasy subgenres. The story takes place primarily in the medieval-like fantasy countries of Threll and Ara and is recounted in the first person by two narrators: 21-year-old Tisaanah and an ex-soldier named Max, who is in his late twenties. As Tisaanah and Max navigate their violent and politically unstable world to help free Tisaanah’s enslaved friends, the novel explores the themes of The Desire for Power, The Urge to Possess or Destroy, and Personal Metamorphosis.

Broadbent, a cybersecurity marketer, self-published this trilogy; she has also penned another series entitled Crowns of Nyaxia. Despite not being backed by a major publishing house, her work has gained a large following.

This study guide refers to the KDP 2020 e-book edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss torture, mutilation, warfare, sexual abuse, and enslavement.

Plot Summary

Threll and Ara are rival kingdoms; unlike Threll, Ara is inhabited by humans who possess magic. Tisaanah Vytezic, a magic Wielder known as a Valtain, is sold into enslavement in Threll when she is 13. Unlike most Valtain, who are albino in coloring, Tisaanah is “Fragmented”—she is not of pure Valtain heritage, as evidenced by the mottled coloring of her skin, hair, and eyes. Because Tisaanah is a self-taught magician, she has not learned how to wield her full magical potential. Instead, she relies on her inherent powers to read other people.

Tisaanah’s enslaver is the powerful Threllian Lord Esmaris Mikov, who promises to free her for 1,000 pieces of gold—a flippantly enormous sum. While trying to earn this money as a dancer and magician, Tisaanah dreams of buying her freedom and escaping across the border to Ara, where—she’s been told by a visiting nobleman named Zeryth Aldris—she could learn magic from the powerful and politically influential Orders. However, on the day that Tisaanah finally presents Esmaris with the gold, he is enraged that she wants to leave him and tries to whip her to death. In a panic, she uses her telepathic powers to kill him first.

Tisaanah must flee for her life before her crime is discovered; her best friend, Serel, one of Esmaris’s guards, helps cover up the murder. Tisaanah vows to return to free Serel one day.

After a harrowing journey to Ara, Tisaanah is accepted into the Orders as an apprentice, but the only mentor available is a bitter ex-soldier with a troubled past named Maxantarius “Max” Farlione. Max is a Solarie, a different kind of magic user—unlike the Valtain, who have an affinity for water and air, the Solarie connect with fire and earth. Max hates the Orders and doesn’t want to help Tisaanah, but the Solarie Order of Sunrise has leverage that compels his obedience. Tisaanah moves into Max’s cottage and studies. She believes that if she learns enough magic, she can return to Threll and free Serel and the rest of the enslaved people there. During this time, Max gradually starts to believe in Tisaanah’s cause and falls in love with her.

When it comes time for Tisaanah to be reevaluated for entry into the Orders, she passes, but she is subjected to an additional ordeal to see if she can function as the Host for a magical entity named Reshaye—a sentient weapon. In exchange for her cooperation, Zeryth promises to give Tisaanah the backup she needs to attack Threll. She signs a blood oath requiring her service for five years. Max is horrified because he once made the same deal with Zeryth and hosted Reshaye himself. Tisaanah soon learns that Reshaye can invade her mind and take control of her body. It is an immensely powerful killing machine, with a thirst for vengeance so great that it is almost impossible to control. Max’s experience as Host ended with Reshaye taking over and killing his entire family.

Though Max and Tisaanah are frequently endangered by Reshaye’s rampages, Tisaanah battles the evil Threllian Lords and ends enslavement, almost dying in the process. They return to Ara, sworn to help put down a rebellion there. However, Zeryth, who is planning to assassinate the queen and take control of the kingdom, gloats that he has two weapons as powerful as Tisaanah and Max under his control—a cliffhanger addressed in the sequel.