Did not finish. The writing was good and I enjoy Hawley's storytelling, but fae stories seem to not be for me. I can see why people love this though and I think fae/faerie fans of other books would love this too.

This was sooooo good I'm running to request the sequel asap!
The world building and details of the different houses was so beautiful and one of my favorites in a long time.
The characters! I have so many faves it's so hard to choose but what I will say is that our fmc kicks ass! she's so headstrong and that ending!
If you ask me about the vibes, they were through the roof!
I'm left gasping because I was hoping for a bit more towards the end especially the house we were heading to I wanted all the details and descriptions of! So unfair that I have to hope it's in the next book!

Thank you big time to the publisher for giving me a copy of this book because it truly delivered!

The Servant of Earth delivers a darker, grittier fae world than expected, and I was hooked from the opening pages. Kenna, a human hunter turned reluctant handmaiden, is pulled into a brutal world of court intrigue, looming war, and deadly magical trials. The worldbuilding is so rich (talking daggers, six elemental Houses, and Fae lore galore), and the tension never lets up! Especially when it comes to who Kenna can actually trust.

The friendships in this book were a highlight, especially Kenna and Anya, and later Lara. And while the romance took a backseat for most of the book, the slow burn setup is chef’s kiss. (Even if Kenna’s taste in men made me want to shake her a few times.)

Some pacing issues and a slightly underwhelming ending kept this from being a full five stars for me, but the political maneuvering, layered characters, and high-stakes magic totally make up for it. Already counting down the days for book two!

This book knocked it out of the park for me! I am stoked for book two, and I absolutely loved reading this one!

Kenna is a human who finds herself in the world of the fae, where they are separated into five houses. Each house has a specific type of magic - fire, earth, void, light, and illusion. Kenna is assigned as a lady’s maid in Earth House and tasked with helping their princess make it through the trials. If the princess succeeds, she will receive her full powers and immortality, but if she does not perform well enough, she will die.

Servant of Earth felt fresh while also containing many of my favorite fantasy elements. I love that the fae houses were well crafted and each had a trial event associated with them! There are some great friendships explored in the story, and I loved the romance! I’m very excited for book two after that cliffhanger!

Read for:
🗡️ Sentient dagger
🗡️ Love triangle
🗡️ Magic
🗡️ Court intrigue
🗡️ Great pacing
🗡️ Clandestine kisses

Thank you to Ace Books for the gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Servant of Earth has familiar romantasy beats—human girls sacrificed to fairies, games and trials, houses and factions—and yet it manages to feel fresh, and I was sucked into the action from the very first chapter. It ends not exactly with a cliffhanger—instead it ended right at the point where there’s enough resolution to feel satisfying but with enough still unresolved that I’m eager to get my hands on the next book (which sadly isn’t out yet).

It’s a departure from Hawley’s paranormal romance series, but she makes the transition look easy.

Thank you Berkley for my ARC.

Servant of the Earth starts out strong and delivers a dark, moody fantasy with an underground realm full of danger and morally grey fae. The magical dagger was such a cool element, and the worldbuilding really stood out—gritty, atmospheric, and harsh, especially in how humans are treated. Our FMC is smart, cunning, and easy to root for.

Some parts of the story lagged a bit, and the romance took a backseat for much of the book, but I have a feeling that will ramp up in the sequel. If you like morally grey characters, dark settings, and complex fae politics, this is one to check out!

This is a riveting storyline from page one and the fast momentum took me on quite a ride. I enjoy well written stories that stay in my mind after reading them and it was hard to put this book down for this reason. There is so much I want to say about it but that would give away the storyline. Let's just say it is in the top 50 books I've ever read, and I have reviewed over 400 books and audio books combined.

The author Sarah Hawley’s beautiful descriptions and vivid imagination creates a spectacular read. Her characters are richly designed and intriguing in nature.

Main character Kenna Heron goes through a huge transformation in her desire to escape Mistei and stay alive. From spending her time being mostly alone to now being in large dangerous crowds avoiding death.

There are two main male characters, who I immediately matched as possible love interests for Kenna. Prince Drustan of the Fire House and Lord Kallen, the King’s Vengeance, from the Void House. The ending of this book proves that the author wants to keep the reader guessing as she thickens the plot for book two of the series.

I can't wait to read the next book.

I’m surprised I haven’t heard about Servant of Earth! It has an interesting story line, great characters and this mysterious dagger. Some parts were predictable but there were some big moments that caught me by surprise and really made this a great read!

I did enjoy the ending and really want to see where it goes. Some of the secrets and betrayals were a little obvious, but it gave me more of a dread feeling, because I was like oh no this is going to end up badly. I was hooked into what was going to happen next. That being said, it did take a little to get into the book. I also didn't care for the "love interest" so that also took a little away.

2025 Book #78
Rating: 4/5
Tropes: Human in a Fae World, Politics, Sentient Dagger, Trials, Betrayals, Secrets
Spice: 1 (Ch 23 27)
Romance: No
Plot: Yes
Pages: 451

I loved this book! My only complaint is I’m reading it so fresh to release day, knowing the next book (there better be a next one!) might not even be in the works yet.

The character growth is astounding, the world building easy to imagine, and while my predictions were somewhat right I still got a pleasant thrill with how the story unfolds at the end.

I cannot recommend this book enough, to my fae loving bookies. Officially obsessed with Sarah Hawley

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

Servant of Earth was a captivating journey into a richly imagined world where loyalty, power, and destiny collide. Sarah Hawley’s writing drew me in with its immersive world-building and complex characters who felt raw and real in their struggles.

I was especially drawn to the protagonist’s fierce determination and the emotional depth Hawley brings to her story. The intricate political dynamics and the tension between duty and desire kept me hooked from beginning to end. What stood out was the blend of fantasy and emotional authenticity—this isn’t just a tale of magic and power, but one about identity, trust, and sacrifice.

Hawley’s prose is both elegant and gripping, effortlessly painting vivid landscapes and tense moments that made me feel fully present in the story. Servant of Earth is perfect for readers who love fantasy with a strong heroine, layered intrigue, and heartfelt stakes.

This book stayed with me long after I finished, and I’m eager to see where the story goes next.

A fun take on faeries and the devious ways they live their lives. Every few years humans are sent to keep the fae happy but this year Kenna refuses to watch her friend go out alone. So she helps guide her.. only to end up in the lands of fae alone.
Here’s she’s treated as a servant and is expected to keep her fae alive during a set of trials.
There’s a splash of love, revenge and danger at every corner.

✨Book Review✨
📖: Servant of Earth (The Shards of Magic Book 1)

After losing the only person she considers family, Kenna finds herself thrust into the underground Fae realm and forced into servitude. Her fate is now tied to her new mistress as they navigate high-stakes trials and deadly court politics.

Tropes:
🙋🏻‍♀️Determined FMC
🗡️Sentient dagger
🫂Forced proximity
🧚Fae politics
⚠️High-stakes trials
💫Magic & monsters
🔥Slow burn 🌶️

Kenna is completely out of her element but she’s a survivor through and through. An absolute spitfire, she’s both courageous and more cunning than anyone gives her credit for. When she becomes entangled in a brewing rebellion and its magnetic leader, Kenna engages in a delicate dance of espionage and duplicity.

I loved the unique magical branches and fae kingdoms and cannot wait to see Kenna’s continued journey after everything that transpires.

With lush world building, surprising twists, and rich characters, I was fully immersed in the dark and dangerous world of Servant of Earth!

Huge thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Ace Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I absolutely loved the way Hawley crafted such a dark, intriguing fae world. The FMC, Kenna, was so wonderfully human in all of her explorations of love, lust, friendship, and existence. The political intrigue throughout was top notch - the fae were so dark and mysterious. I also throughly enjoyed the quests and easy to understand magic/house system. The sentient dagger was such a great addition to her journey, and the ending has me eager to read the next book!

I am very wary of beginning a new romantasy series because I can be *picky* but I really enjoyed this one!!! It felt like a very fresh take on the genre but still had familiar things that I’ll never get tired of seeing!! it was also really cool to see the plot and tropes deviate from what i would normally expect!

Our main character, Kenna, is a human girl who winds up in fae court and while this is not a new concept I found Sarah Hawley’s take entertaining and engaging and I can’t wait for the next book!!

I’d say this one’s a solid 3.5★.

I’m always into books with trials, so I was looking forward to this. The pacing was a bit of a struggle early on. It started off slow and dragged a bit through the middle. But thankfully, it picked up later and got more engaging. What really stood out for me was the world-building. I liked the idea of a Fae world divided into six houses: Earth, Fire, Void, Light, Illusion, and Blood. The high-stakes trials tied to each one kept things interesting, and I thought the addition of a magical talking dagger was a fun and unique touch. The political intrigue also caught me off guard. It was a pleasant surprise, and I’m curious to see how that aspect develops moving forward.

I also appreciated the friendship between Kenna and Lara. I liked the dynamic and slow growth between them and hope it gets more attention in the next book. My biggest issue, though, was with the main character. While I liked that she was cautious and didn’t blindly trust everyone, she just didn’t leave much of an impression overall. I was hoping for more depth or growth from her, though to be fair, the last 10% gave me some hope that her arc will improve in the sequel.

As for the romance, there are two love interests, but it’s pretty obvious early on who Kenna’s going to end up with. The betrayal near the end also felt a bit too predictable, which took away some of the impact. Still, despite its flaws, I did enjoy this book, and I’m curious enough to continue with the sequel. The world has a lot of potential, and I’d love to see it get fleshed out even more.

I really enjoyed this book because the female main character is “just” a human. The pacing felt a little off at times but the plot line kept me intrigued.

The perfect romantasy does not exis—

Oh my heavens I will never get over this book.

Kenna Heron, our “half-feral” human FMC lives in a ramshackle hut in a poor village. All she has left after the death of her mother is her best friend, Anya. When Anya is selected to cross the bog into the faerie kingdom of Mistei as a sacrifice of sorts (or a bride? They’re all a little unclear on what’s actually supposed to happen), Kenna tags along to protect her friend. Instead, Kenna finds herself thrown deep into the underground realm as a servant to Lady Lara, the somewhat unimpressive heir to Earth House. All young faeries are required to prove themselves to gain their full powers, and Kenna is secretly tasked with helping Lara succeed. However, faerie court politics are alive and well, and members of the four other houses plot and scheme behind the scenes. Kenna finds herself entangled in a sticky web of lies and deceit.

I loved everything about Servant of Earth. The story was fast-paced and engaging. The world building was absolutely fantastic. I haven’t been this gripped by a book in a long time; I couldn’t stop reading. The ending was jaw-dropping and set the scene perfectly for book two. This is one of those books I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

beyond excited to see this books hit my inbox- the sequel is one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and i will be sure to post my review on all retailers!! 💞

As soon as I saw that premise -- ACOTAR meets The Cruel Prince -- I knew I'd either love Servant of Earth for its take on fae lore and romance, or I'd hate it because it felt less than the sum of its parts. Truth be told, there were times I felt a bit of both. I was captivated by the opening chapters, felt ready to DNF in the middle, and was hooked once more by the final third. But there were a number of things that kept me reading even during the parts I didn't love, and I think it's things others have already noted.

One of Hawley's strong points is main character Kenna. An ordinary village girl who is perhaps a bit eccentric and a bit feral, Kenna is no one's fairytale princess or chosen one. In fact, when 4 girls are selected to cross into the fae world as brides, Kenna is not among them. Instead, she follows her best friend, because she knows the truth: girls chosen to marry the fae don't live a perfect life - they die. She's seen the skeletons in the bog. When Kenna emerges on the other side into the fae world, she's alone, grieving her friend, and angry at a world that places wagers on human lives. I've made no secret of the fact that I LOVE feminine rage, and Kenna more than delivers. I also love the strong bonds between Kenna and the faerie she ends up serving, Lara. It was wonderful watching Kenna and Lara bond through the trials that will grant Lara her power and immortality.

I also really enjoyed the trial set-up. They're crafted in a really engaging way, and I found myself looking forward to each one and rooting for Lara and Kenna. I also liked the bonds between Kenna and the other servants. Sarah Hawley is a girl's girl, and it shows. Is the bar so low that I'm rooting on female friendship in romantasy? (Considering I read some truly dreadful stuff this year, yes. Yes, it is) Anyway, I love that our girl Kenna is looking for love, but it's not just the romantic kind.

And speaking of love, that's one of the reasons I'm docking some stars. For as much as I adore Kenna's friendships, the most feeling I could muster for her love interests is apathy. It's a quasi-love triangle and it's just fine, I guess. Drustan, our super hot ginger fire prince, is charismatic and cunning, but he didn't really do much for me. Their spicy scenes were pretty under seasoned, tbh. The other love interest, Kallen, would have been interesting, but he seems cut from the same "shadow daddy" cloth as every other TikTok romantasy man. He's Xaden 2.0, basically, and while he DOES have chemistry with Kenna, and I do like the slowburn, idk, I guess I'm just tired. Are shadow powers the ONLY powers a love interest can have? When the house of Illusion is Right There?! It would've been so fun to have an Earth House man, or an Illusion man, or a Light man with the darkest heart...or, hell, even spice Drustan up a little more.

The one thing I did love, related to both love interests, was the politics surrounding them. That part made the final third so enjoyable. In a market crowded with fae stories, romantasy, and trial tropes, it's tough to stand out; what Servant of Earth lacks in uniqueness, it fully makes up for in likable characters and perfectly plotted courtly intrigue.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkely Publishing Group, and Sarah Hawley for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I think this was a fun romantasy read, but ultimately I will not be continuing with this series when other, more engaging ones are tugging at me.