The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk: Chapter 92 (Author's Note) Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The Author's Note opens with a heartfelt thank‑you to readers. Carissa Broadbent acknowledges that the book is “a big, epic, wild ride” but emphasises that she fell in love with it because of Mische and Asar and the emotional core of their story. She explains that while she came to love these characters while writing The Songbird & the Heart of Stone, it was during Fallen that she understood them on a much deeper level. The story was especially cathartic for her to write, even in ways she doesn’t fully understand. She identifies a particular beauty in two people who always believed they needed to be the sacrifice, learning how to actively want life and fight for it—not just for each other, but also for themselves. The note ends with a call to action: leave a review, sign up for the newsletter at carissabroadbentbooks.com, or join the Facebook reader group. Broadbent expresses excitement for what comes next and hopes readers will join her again.
Key Events
- The author expresses gratitude to readers for finishing the book.
- She reflects on her personal connection to Mische and Asar, noting that The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk deepened her understanding of them.
- She describes the story as “cathartic” and suggests its emotional core resonates beyond her own comprehension.
- She highlights the theme of two people who believed they were meant to be sacrifices learning to want life for themselves.
- She encourages readers to leave a review on retailer sites or Goodreads.
- She invites readers to subscribe to her newsletter and join her Facebook group for updates on new releases, art, and swag.
- She teases future projects and expresses anticipation for the next journey.
Character Development
The note offers direct insight into Mische and Asar's interior arcs. Broadbent states that The Songbird & the Heart of Stone introduced her to the characters, but Fallen allowed her to see them with greater depth. The emotional core she references is the transformation from self‑sacrificing individuals—people who always assumed they would be the one to give everything—into people who actively choose life and fight for their own existence. This is not merely a shift in external action but a profound internal change: learning to value oneself independently of the other person. The author's personal catharsis mirrors the characters' journey, reinforcing that the story's power lies in watching two people reclaim agency over their own lives.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Sacrifice versus self‑worth: The central tension of the series is revisited. Both Mische and Asar began as characters who saw themselves as expendable. The note confirms that their growth is about learning to want life for themselves, not just for each other.
- Emotional catharsis: Broadbent explicitly calls the writing process cathartic, linking the characters' release from sacrificial roles to the author's own emotional release. This suggests a meta‑theme of storytelling as healing.
- Author‑reader connection: By thanking readers directly and inviting them into her community, the note underscores the collaborative relationship between writer and audience. The book is framed as a shared journey.
Why This Chapter Matters
In a non‑fiction chapter, the Author's Note serves as the book's final farewell. It validates every theme the story worked to build by revealing the author's own investment in the emotional arc. Readers who may have struggled with the epic scope are reminded that, at its heart, the tale is about two people learning to value their own lives. The note also provides closure: it acknowledges the effort of finishing a long book and offers a clear path to stay connected with the author's future work. For character‑driven readers, it deepens the resonance of Mische and Asar's journey by affirming that the transformation was as meaningful for the creator as it was for the audience.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the author identify as the emotional core of the book?
The emotional core is Mische and Asar's relationship and their individual journeys from believing they must be sacrifices to learning to actively want life and fight for themselves.
2. How does the note frame the character development of Mische and Asar?
Broadbent frames their development as a deepening that occurred while writing The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk. She describes them as two people who “always believed that they needed to be the sacrifice” and who ultimately learn to choose life not only for each other but also for themselves.
3. Why might the author call their story “cathartic”?
She calls the story “cathartic” in ways she doesn’t fully understand, suggesting that writing about characters who overcome a sacrificial mindset allowed her to process something personal. The term implies an emotional release and a sense of healing that parallels the characters' own liberation.
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