Dawn of the North - Demi Winters (The Ashen Series #3)

     Title: Dawn of The North    Series: The Ashen Series #3    Author: Demi Winters

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 608    Audiobook: No

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SPOILER FREE - ARC REVIEW & RECOMMENDATION! Expected to Publish: 02/03/26

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    Brief Synopsis: This 6-perspective sequel to Kingdom of Claw and Roots of Darkness follows Silla, Rey, Saga, Kass, the Bloodaxe Crew, and a bombshell external individual as they navigate the origin of the mist and earning the allegiance of northern nobles to defy Ivar Ironheart. 

    My Impression: The Dawn of the North is the most action packed of the books-- I was enthralled by each event that took place, no matter whose perspective. We were granted multiple perspectives for events, without being confusing, which consumed me as a reader. I only came up for air when forced; I was in love with the direction the plot has organically taken over the last 2.5 books. This being the longest book gave the author many opportunities for problems and solutions to take place without being overtly rushed-- I felt the pacing was excellent. Plotlines that have been ongoing did not feel stagnant; in fact, it felt like a more realistic timeline for fantastical endeavors. There are certain tropes I personally steer clear of and I deflated a little seeing them begin; but Demi Winters did a beautiful job of inserting those scenarios and wrapping them up so neatly that I was enjoying them... I mean, whose book characters *actually* & *effectively*communicate with each other? Demi Winter's do and that is what we love that about them.

The bonus plot that us readers were gifted had me sitting at attention with every chapter that focused on it... I was even rereading those chapters, enjoying the depth of the main character. I enjoyed that our favorite attack squirrel loves to give relationship advice (all of it was worth notating). The creatures get more eerie, the battles are savage, characters become stronger, and the romance is feral. 

    Conclusion: 10/10 recommend Dawn of the North to anyone who even remotely liked The Road of Bones or likes Nordic style fantasies. The series' momentum has become so powerful, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to read this ARC and the book exceeded all expectations. After reading the uncorrected copy, I have hopes there are minimal to no changes at all to the plotline. The book was everything The Ashen series needed; I thank the publisher for the chance to read it early!

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

Roots of Darkness - Demi Winters (The Ashen Series #2.5)

     Title: Roots of Darkness    Series: The Ashen Series #2.5    Author: Demi Winters

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 176    Audiobook: No

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 When the past comes back to haunt-- whether it's yours or not, be ready. 

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    Brief Synopsis: Guiding the Bloodaxe Crew in lieu of Axe Eyes' presence, Hekla continues the mission to Istre. Frustrated she is not receiving the respect of those around the Crew, Hekla takes out her ire on a one-night stand-- who, in a strange turn of events is discovered to be the Crew's interim leader. Uncovering the source of the mist proves to be deadly and more than they could have ever anticipated.

    My Impression: Novellas do not hold a candle to a series, in my opinion-- Apparently, there are exceptions!!! Hekla is a great reprieve to a genre full of barely legal FMCs. She has lived a hard life, and the readers are given understanding of what made her the person she is. Hekla is written to be a born leader, but being in a man's world, unable to exercise the trait effectively. Our squirrel friend, Kritka, was the perfect attack squirrel and sidekick. Eyvind being the ever perceptive and cocky male counterpart was a fun dynamic and I was eating up all of their interactions.

    Conclusion: It is obvious while reading this book that it is necessary for full context towards the third book, and I was heavily invested. A plot heavy novella, though there was not a lot of romance, there were multiple open-door scenes portrayed as flashbacks. Delving into Hekla's personal life and history was a great way to move her to the forefront of the series plot.

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

Kingdom of Claw - Demi Winters (The Ashen Series #2)

 Title: Kingdom of Claw    Series: The Ashen Series #2    Author: Demi Winters

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 586    Audiobook: Yes

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  Found family with a twist that discovers the beast within.

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    Brief Synopsis: Silla and Rey return in Kingdom of Claw as two of the main perspectives in this four POV storyline. Identities and powers revealed, Silla and Rey travel to a shield house in his hometown and work to hone Silla's galdra. Upon arrival it is learned that a dangerous presence has been tormenting the sheltering village, and they are determined to find the malefactor. Meanwhile, Saga Volsik is held as the usurpers pet and is betrothed to the heir of those who slaughtered her parents. Visiting foreign diplomats divert the attention of King Ivar while Saga works diligently to protect Silla from behind castle walls. 

    My Impression: Kingdom of Claw remains a plot heavy book, but the romance and humor ramp up to add great balance to the inky malevolent parts of the story. The dynamic between Selfless Silla and the stone hearted Axe Eyes is quite amusing, adding lightheartedness to the path they travel. The malignant presence plaguing the sheltering village brings forth several fun characters who add insight to Axe Eyes' history. Silla learns about her heritage more in depth, which fuels her desire to refine her battle wits as well as galdra. Silla's journey to self-acceptance was tedious for me as a reader; though, I will say, it was satisfying once she fully embraced herself. The trust that builds between Rey and Silla is heartwarming and I found myself shamelessly cheesing like the dweeb I am. Saga's POV held my interest most-- after years of abuse and agoraphobic tendencies, Saga bravely pushes herself in too many ways to count. Attempts are successful and unsuccessful, but with the help of Kassandr she presses through the failures. We are not granted Kass POV chapters, and his visit is shrouded in so much mystery I was on the edge of my seat with every interaction. The fourth perspective we are given was unexpected to me -- I was not sure how to feel about it at first; however, it rounded out the plot lines having this fourth surprise perspective. 

    Conclusion: The Road of Bones was Bellissimo -- We learned all of the secrets in book 1, the sequel expanded on them to offer extensive plot and it all will easily carry over into the next book. I loved the path taken for each character; she wrote every story and perspective so satisfactory the book was unputdownable. I will always recommend this book be read, even if the first book was not loved, as it may add the depth that the reader was missing in book 1!

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

Caging Darling - T.A. Lawrence (The Lost Girl Series #3)

   Title: Caging Darling    Series: The Lost Girl Series #3    Author: T.A. Lawrence

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 451    Audiobook: No

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Raw emotions, gutting the reader every other page... 5 stars!

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    Brief Synopsis: Months after the ending of Freeing Hook, Wendy is forced to continuously choose her captor. Betrayed once again, Wendy is living a life she never expected and watches for the love she forfeited to come back to her. Having made a deal with the Nomad and not acted on it, there is precious little time left on the clock. Against her own volition, Wendy is on the hunt for Tink with the help of Peter and Captain Astor-- can she be saved?

    My Impression: Once again, I skipped my daily RedBull and put the money toward this e-book the moment I finished Freeing Hook. The raw emotion, or lack there of, within Wendy grabs the reader by the heartstrings. The tragedies of Freeing Hook follow us into Caging Darling and it gets no easier. The dark fantasy themes expand into human trafficking and domestic violence; with convoluted allies, it is eyebrow raising through the entire story. It was impossible to put down. The romance takes full control in this book and I was pleased to have it. Miscommunication tropes are redundant, this take on it was bearable and paid off in the long run. The love interest is absolutely swoon-worthy and makes you feel things. The turns the book makes may or may not eviscerate you, that's up to the reader.... but probably will.

  

    Conclusion: Having gradually moved from plot heavy to full on romance was a great pace over 3 books. The series became better each book and I look forward to the next book releasing soon. There were a lot of emotions in Losing Wendy, but it wasn't until Freeing Hook that I was personally invested and the ending to Caging Darling maintained it *easily*.

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

Freeing Hook - T.A. Lawrence (The Lost Girl Series #2)

  Title: Freeing Hook    Series: The Lost Girl Series #2    Author: T.A. Lawrence

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 412    Audiobook: No

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You know it's good when you are reading a fantasy novel that makes you ask:
 "What is even real anymore? " 

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    Brief Synopsis: Overcoming the sting of betrayal, Wendy Darling has become a passenger on the ship of the man she has come to hate most. Scheming her way back Neverland, Wendy has resolved how to break Peter's curse. Wendy must learn there was more to her trauma than she ever could have imagined.

    My Impression: As soon I finished Losing Wendy, I could not wait another minute before tackling Freeing Hook. The man who killed the Darlings now holds Wendy's life in his hands and I had to know what he did with it. T.A. Lawrence wrote twists of M. Night Shyamalan proportions-- my jaw became so unhinged I needed x-rays to make sure everything was fine. We were given much character growth, amongst more than simply Wendy... This book guts you, gives full body chills, and torments you until the very last page. The dark fantasy theme continues into this book, and I would say it becomes stronger-- yet, it remains refined and not gratuitous. Wendy's brothers play much larger roles in this sequel. While I felt more drawn to Wendy's storyline, I was still drawn into the intensity of what went on in Neverland in Wendy's absence.

  

    Conclusion: Romance becomes a stronger plot in this sequel; we do remain plot heavy though and I found it to be *chef's kiss*. Keep a glass of water on you, your mouth will be hanging open more often than not. Somebody to read this with is strongly recommended, it is extremely discussion worthy!

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

Losing Wendy - T.A. Lawrence (The Lost Girl Series #1)

     Title: Losing Wendy    Series: The Lost Girl Series #1    Author: T.A. Lawrence

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 426    Audiobook: No

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 The whimsical Neverland we know, and love got a dark and twisty renovation that I didn’t know I wanted. 
A retelling of Peter Pan with a twist of fate!

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    Brief Synopsis: Wendy Darling has been dancing with the shadows for years, whispers and promises they will come and make her theirs if she is not married by her 20th birthday—The Darlings are down to the wire, on the eve of her 20th birthday a masquerade is thrown in her honor; one last effort to find her a husband in time. The past comes back to haunt the family, amid celebrating and Wendy finds herself in Neverland. Abducted by a man that gives her no sense of safety and yet she relies on for her survival, Wendy tries to figure out which way is up.

    My Impression: I found this first book slower to get into; however, once I reached that special part that snagged me—I did not sleep until I finished the book. I appreciated the darker methodologies for a fantasy without being gratuitous; it was jaw dropping at points and I had to put the book down to discuss with my friend who recommended the book. While “Whodunnit” isn’t my go-to for storylines, the secrets, murder, mayhem and flashbacks were incredibly riveting! The subject matters this book touches on are tastefully done; it should be mentioned that it is a dark fantasy, things alluded to will be up to the reader's discretion. 

  

    Conclusion: I recommend this book for plot heavy readers and *especially* recommend finishing the sequel if there are any reservations regarding feelings on the book! A lot of questions left unanswered or even unrealized are brought full circle and it leaves you wanting so much more!

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

The Road of Bones - Demi Winters (The Ashen Series #1)

    Title: The Road of Bones    Series: The Ashen Series #1    Author: Demi Winters

   Genre: Fantasy/Romance    Page Count: 500    Audiobook: Yes

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 After completing my second read through of The Road of Bones, I find it to be just as enthralling of a book as it was the first time.

The Road of Bones is a Nordic Fantasy with Romantic Sub Plot.  

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    Brief Synopsis: At the start of the book the reader meets Silla, aged to be 20 winters and working as a village baker. Silla and her father have been periodically traveling from region to region under false names, attempting to escape their past. Deciding to travel north toward a safe house, Silla and her father begin formulating their journey but tragedy strikes and Silla must make the trek on her own.  

    My Impression: The first moments of the book I found to be engaging, as it opens with a ritualistic public punishment and the book maintains this momentum. There are plagues, Nordic creatures, lies, truths, and mysteries. Silla is on the run for known, as well as unknown, reasons-- the author does an excellent job of keeping the reader vigilant. The members of the warband Silla meets up with on the Road of Bones are written with excellent depth and the sparks FLY. Us readers are granted character growth/progression in more characters than just Silla, as there are 4 points of view for this story. There are 3 major twists in this book that I cannot say I anticipated and I adored the journey!  

    Conclusion: This is a 5-star book for me, and I know having read the sequel already that this series holds true. If The Road of Bones is not 100% your cup of tea, I recommend still reading Kingdom of Claw as it is a sequel you can say was better than book 1! 

                All The Best,

                                 Hannah

First Blog!

 Thank you for visiting my blog and reading anything I have to write! 

The purpose of this blog is to write reviews of books I've read that are out and also books that are soon to be released! I intend my blogs to be Spoiler Free; however, there will be warnings in the headers for anything in-depth. 

Any suggestions for books to read or include in my reviews/blogs will be appreciated, I strive for my blog to contain valuable information!

                    All The Best,

                                          Hannah