Servant of Earth💎🗡️❤️‍🔥
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EEEEK GO READ THIS BOOK! @bringyourownbooks had been begging me to read this for a while and I finally caved. WHY DIDN’T I READ IT SOONER?? First of all, the world building was magnificent! I had such a clear picture of everything and it wasn’t too complicated. The first chapter had me hooked and I didn’t ever want to stop reading. 🤩

The plot was so intriguing and I loved all of the characters. The men in this book, especially Drustan❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 WHEW!! Kenna was such a strong female character and I truly adored her. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but it was well worth it. It was so entertaining and I loved getting to know everyone. The author packed so much good stuff into this book and it was written so well!!! Not a single page was wasted, that’s how you know a book is good😍 I loved how this was a bit darker than normal fantasy books, there was lots of gore! But that didn’t bother me🤪

This was truly such a magical read! The magic, the politics, the tension, the trials, the different houses, the morally gray fae, it was all crafted so well. In my opinion, this had bits and pieces that reminded me of my favorite books like ACOTAR, Hunger Games, The Cruel Prince, and Goblet of Fire!🤩 With that being said, nothing felt like copy and paste! Everything was so unique and I just loved this book so much. Might even be a SIX star book if I keep thinking about this🖤

Really enjoyed this unique take on the realm of the fae. Games and trials but not in the typical way. Fae houses with different gifts. A human with no magic. An evil king. A potential rebellion. I suspected the direction things were going to go but that didn’t at all detract from the story. Can’t wait to read book 2!

Servant of Earth is a dark fairytale that is mostly a cautionary tale, with a dash of feminine rage and romance. Kenna is a human trapped among a group of fae led by a sadistic bastard. The story of her suffering sets up a fantastic ending that will leave readers impatient for the next installment.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. A market of heavily saturated far romantasys I was excited to add another favorite to my collection. Right off the bat the FMC had so much potential. I love having a strong and smart character to immediately get behind from the beginning. I love that she was brave and showed herself through the story. Unfortunately I felt the romance was lacking. This was more high fantasy than a fantasy romance I wish there was more development even with the two potential matches. What really saved this story in my eyes were the trails and how we watch her navigate them with her wit and smarts.

I do wish this book was written more from showing me then just telling me what she was doing. I do think that it needed a bit more depth into really understanding the characters and why they seemed to do the things they did in this one.

I am looking forward to reading the next story as I believe there is so much left unsaid and the end was so gripping I can’t seem to forget this story.

When a human woman finds a way into the fae underground where she is forced into the life of servitude. Kenna meant well to help her friend travel through the bog when she was chosen but when her bestie didn't make it and only she did she is forced by the fae king into servitude to the Earth house and its princess. In this you have games that turn deadly in the quest for that princess to obtain her power and immortality, an uprising against a tyrannical king, and so much more.
I have been eyeing this book in stores every time I go into Barnes and Nobles. I knew I had to grab it while I could on NetGalley when it came up as read now! Thank you Berkley for this gifted copy all thoughts and opinions are my own. I have been eyeing this authors works for a while but this is my first encounter with Sarah Hawley's writing and now that I have read one...I am going to need to read them all.
The world building was fantastic and the characters well developed. I have read a lot of Fae type fantasy and this one reminds me of the more ruthless type fae, specifically the King and that characters like him, I would find in the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton when she is writing about the Unseelie and Seelie courts. But you do not have that system here. Here you have the Light, Void, Earth, Fire, Illusion, and Blood branches of magic. Each have their own prince(cess) and each have to go through a trials eventually to obtain their power/immortality to be judged in the end by the shard of each branch,
I really liked how this was set up. I appreciated the thought and time it went in for each trial and how the author worked each one out individually. I really thought I had everything figured out when in fact I didn't...well not completely and that doesn't happen to me often, I had the general idea but what I thought was going o be the answer to get me me there was, in fact, not correct. Now that I have reached that ending of this first book I really am dying to know what Sarah Hawley has planned for book 2, Princess of Blood. Here is hoping I can find out sooner rather than later!

5 stars.

This was such a magical book! The world is great, the houses with their powers and dynamics are awesome, and the descriptions of everything from dresses to magic is so beautiful - and I loved the names like Underfae and Nasties because it's just so magical. It's clear that the author is a lover of fairytales and it's amazing when that shines through in every page. The book reminded me of the first ACOTAR while also giving serious The Cruel Prince-vibes but more... mature. I liked TCP but it lacked something for me. This one had that something and felt more high stakes which I really enjoyed.

And speaking of ACOTAR... Imagine if Feyre had fallen for Lucien instead of Tamlin? Yeah, that's this book. Drustan is (for the majority of the book) very Lucien-coded and it was so exciting and fun to see Kenna get swept up in his charms. SPOILER INCOMING: Don't get me wrong, it's obvious from the beginning that Kallen is going to be the real love interest in this story (just like with Rhys), but I still really enjoyed seeing everything play out with the redheaded prince of fire. I was unsure how their relationship would end and I actually liked how that was done. I was scared he was going to betray her in a “he faked everything, was a tyrannical horrible person and he was just using her” kind of way and I was glad to see that wasn't the case. He did care about her but he was also willing to sacrifice anything (and anyone) for his goal. And he's definitely power hungry, so there's that. Excited to see what happens with him in the next book! END OF SPOILER.

None of the plot twists really took me by surprise but it actually didn't matter. I still loved how everything played out, and ooh that ending... It was so good in the most horrible kind of way.

I am looking so much forward to more scenes between Kenna and Kallen in future installments. Their chemistry is amazing and even though we don't see him that much throughout the book I honestly love him already. There are so many possibilities with his character and I just know it's going to be good.

The only negative thing I will say is a certain scene with the Nasties. SPOILER INCOMING: It was so stupid and weird for her to go visit them... And how on earth is she able to kill so many of them AND outrun them? She has zero combat training and only a dagger against their swords - and yet she doesn't get hit once and manages to outsmart the generals in actual combat. That just seems impossible. END OF SPOILER.

So I was a bit frustrated with that whole scene. But everything else was awesome! Really looking forward to continuing this story.

Tfw you know a book is going to be 5 ⭐️ when you’re only halfway thru. Sarah freaking KILLED IT again, in a totally different genre! The world-building of Mistei and the human villages was gorgeous and visceral and darkly fae! The trials for fae to gain their magic and immortality were brutal and unique. The tension and banter and tension and terrifying moments were amazing! The lore kept me guessing as more was revealed, and I am so excited to learn more about the sixth house and all that comes with it in the second book! Did we mention there is a sentient blade?! ✨😍

Kenna is a human from a small village. After trying to save her friend from the cruel fae, she finds herself in their grasps instead. Forced to serve her mistresses, she is tasked with helping her survive six trials.

Wow, I really enjoyed this story! I loved Sarah Hawley’s take on the fae and how she built up this world. This is what a Romantasy should be! A good plot and world building with just the right amount of romance. I really enjoyed Kenna as well as the development of the side characters.

I’m excited to see where Sarah Hawley will take this series in the next book!

I need to sleep on what I just read. My jaw is on the floor, my book thrown across the room, and my mind is scrambled. This book is action packed, mind boggling and a little bit spicy and it was honestly perfection. The elements basically having a society built around them in this way was so original and addictive. Also THIS is a story with the true Fae. None of this overly romantic stories we’ve been seeing.

All I can say is I can’t wait for book 2.

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK!!! Spoilers incoming!!

THIS is the kind of fantasy book ive been looking for since reading anything SJM. i swear i’ve read a lot of fantasy/romantasy, but nothing has quite hit like this one did. when a fantasy book has me TWITCHING for the last 50 pages, you know it is good.

we have kenna, a human girl, who lives on the border separating the human world from the fae world. the border is a dangerous bog, which she often explores & searches for lost items in. we start the book with kenna finding a special dagger in the bog. she then meets with her bff anya, and that night, there was a ceremony which sends 4 “chosen” human girls across the bog to the fae world. anya is one of the chosen, and kenna at the last second chooses to go with her across the bog.

kenna enters the fae world and is thrust into the earth shard to be a servant for lara, a noble mistress of earth. she has to help lara survive six trials for each shard, and if lara is deemed to be worthy after the trials, she will gain magic and become immortal.

this book is filled with dangerous trials, friendship, love, and betrayal. kenna starts to get close with two noble fae men - drustan of fire shard & kallan of void shard - and i seriously was questioning throughout the book WHICH OF THE MEN DO WE TRUST? even after finishing this book, i don’t know which to trust but i fear a tamlin situation is forthcoming!!!!

i’m so excited to learn more about the blood shard/house and to see what kind of house kenna can build (now that she is a princess and is immortal!!!). i saw the plot twist of anya becoming a servant to the king from a MILE away so i’m happy i was right about something. i’m kinda shook that the king actually died at the end of this book, so im expecting the next book(s?) to be about restoring order in mistei and traveling to other fae territories.

FIVE STARS!

What. A. Banger! I have no idea why this book is not being hyped all over the place. This digs its claws into you, pulls you in, and refuses to let go. I was up until 2am with the first half of the story alone!

The story is SO good. The writing and storytelling is SO compelling. I felt drawn into the world and was rooting for the main character almost instantly.

If you love strong female leads, violent magical objects, and fae as they were meant to be (with malice, spite, and a whole lot of shenanigans), this book is for you. This story also includes a unique and unconventional take on trials, as well as a strong focus on the value of friendship, which I really enjoyed.

That ending, too! It wrapped with the near-impossible combination of a cliffhanger, but also somehow still a satisfying conclusion. (Maybe this author has some magic of her own at play, who knows.) I really, really need to know what kind of plotting and scheming is going to happen next.

OBVIOUSLY I am reading the next book in the series.

Servant of Earth has it all - cruel fae, courtly intrigue, deadly trials, espionage, masked balls, corrupt royalty, and SENTIENT WEAPONRY?! There are elements from all of our favorites woven in and I was here for it! Our human protagonist Kenna is just trying to tread the treacherous waters she finds herself in and I was wildly speculating from beginning to end! I was immediately sucked in as we follow her exploits in the underground realm, and found the story to be thoroughly addicting. I cannot WAIT to see what happens next in book two!!

I have pretty mixed feelings about this book. It definitely leans into a familiar blend of tropes that have dominated the fantasy romance space over the past decade—it’s got that recognizable formula, for better or worse.

That said, the beginning actually worked for me. It hooked me in with the classic setup: a poor girl seen as strange and out of place, a best friend she’s fiercely protective of, a risky decision that lands her in a Faerie world she has to navigate as a human outsider. It’s the kind of opening that’s very typical, yes, but it was executed well enough to hold my attention and make me curious about where it was going.

The middle section, though, is where things started to fall flat. We’re introduced to a brooding, mysterious “Void daddy” type - cold, powerful, and emotionally unavailable - and the flirty, charming second male lead who takes to the FMC a little too quickly to be convincing. The trials the FMC had to assist with didn’t feel particularly tense or exciting, and where I expected the heroine to grow more layered and compelling, she instead became kind of passive and frustrating. Her choices often felt more naïve than believable, and it made it hard to stay emotionally invested.

I don’t mind a heroine who isn’t a total badass - it’s not about that. But in a story that feels this familiar and doesn’t offer a ton of surprises, I need a main character who at least feels fresh and engaging. Unfortunately, I just didn’t find that here.

The fae world itself also didn’t quite land for me. It lacked the otherworldly strangeness or danger that usually makes these settings so captivating. The fae felt mostly human, with a touch of cruelty, but not much else to set them apart.

By the time I hit the 40% mark, I was honestly ready to be done. But I pushed through - through the sex scene that felt like a weaker version of others I’ve read, through the familiar betrayals and antagonists - because I’d heard the ending was worth it.

And in some ways, it was. The ending was about what I expected, but I genuinely appreciated the focus on platonic love and support. That was a really nice note to end on, and it gave me something to walk away with that felt warm and satisfying.

Even though this ended up being more of a mixed read for me, I’m still curious about where the story will go next. The heroine ends in a stronger place, and I’m hopeful that the next installment will dig deeper into the fae realm and give us more intrigue, more depth, and hopefully a bit more originality. There’s definitely potential here. I’m really hoping it finds its stride, because I did enjoy enough aspects to want to continue on with this series.



Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

SIX DEADLY TRIALS. ZERO ROOM FOR ERROR.
🗡️ If you have not picked up this book, do yourself a favor and go buy it now!!! 🌹 I DEVOURED this book in a day and it was everything!!! 5/5 🌟 2 🌶️ This plot sucked me in from the very beginning and THAT ENDING! I need book 2 NOW!

I loved this book so much! I was exactly what I wanted in a dark romantasy genre. I devoured this book in two days and I was left wanting more, NEEDING MORE. This book doesn't get the hype that it does and I really can't wait to get my hands on book two!

AND PLEASE, bring me more Kellan (yes, I am shipping them)! Thank you!

This is absolutely my favorite read of 2024 and the sequel, Princess of Blood, is my most anticipated read of 2025!
The writing, the characters, the magic system, everything was PERFECT. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it.
Turning the new adult fantasy genre on its head and setting the bar high, for sure!

Servant of Earth follows human Kenna as she gets thrown into an underground faerie kingdom, forced into serving a lady of Earth House as she undertakes six trials to gain her immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn't, the punishment is death for both.

Kenna is a strong and smart heroine, and it seems a lot of her strength comes from the sentient dagger she found before making her way to the faerie kingdom - and I am HERE for the stabby dagger making its presence known!
The world building is pretty great and draws you in immediately, the whispers of rebelling against the tyrannical king and not knowing who you can trust keeps you turning the pages, and watching Kenna do anything in her power to survive this world shows her courage.
This book gives off a lot of your favorite fantasy tropes but it WORKS and the climatic ending ensures that I will need book number 2 as soon as Sarah Hawley can write it

Thank you Sarah Hawley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for a review!

Rating 5/5

What a banger of a book to start the new year off with! Kenna is such a strong-willed, smart mouthed human woman who ends up becoming a servant to the earth princess's daughter.

Loved that the magic system for the fae was set up differently than other fantasy books. This who world was set up differently and just unique!

There were two parts that I called out (unfortunately, only my partner heard them cause i don't know anyone else who has read this book..) but my brain didn’t pick up on the third on until right before it happened!

Overall HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

While impatiently waiting on Onyx Storm to release and needing my romantasy fix, I loved this book sm! There was everything I love in my fantasy - easy to follow world building, action/adventure, spice, and UPRISINGS. I was so invested in the story and inhaled this book. I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY!!!

Thank you so much to Berkley- Ace, Sarah, and PRHA for the advance physical copy, e-galley and audiobook!

I was introduced to Sarah Hawley’s writing with her lighthearted paranormal rom-com series Glimmer Falls, including A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. But Servant of Earth, the first in the author’s The Shards of Magic series is a grittier fantasy story with romantic elements that had me spellbound right from the start.

Kenna Heron spends her days treasure hunting in the bog next to her small village of Tumbledown. On the morning of the Winter Solstice, the day that her village chooses four young women through a lottery every year to cross the bog, led by fairy lights, to live out their days in luxury (or so it’s believed) in the Fae land of Mistei, she draws from the water a gorgeous, bejewelled dagger that she knows will fetch her a good price. The dagger is odd – it has an unearthly shine and when it accidentally cuts her skin, the blood disappears into the dagger. But she can’t ponder it for long. Her best friend Anya is one of the chosen women and Kenna is determined to follow along behind in secret, to protect her if needed.

Crossing the bog quickly becomes a nightmare as one by one the women disappear on route, leaving only Kenna left to make it safely to the other side. And when she does, she discovers what she has always feared – that there is no wonderful life in Mistei. Instead the humans who make it across become slaves, and Kenna is given as a servant to Princess Lara of Earth House. There are five Noble Fae houses – Fire, Earth, Light, Void, and Illusion. There used to be a sixth house, Blood House, but the current tyrannical King Osric had obliterated that house so no Fae remains who belongs to it. As Kenna learns how to survive in her new life, she also becomes friends with Prince Drustan, a Noble Fae of Fire House. And she discovers that not everyone is happy serving King Osric. Tasked with helping her mistress pass a series of challenges to become fully immortal, Kenna must use all of her wits for both of them to survive. But will the alliances she’s made aid her or lead her to ruin?

The first sentence of the book is as follows: “The winter solstice crept in cold, wet, and heavy with dread.” This captures the dark and mysterious mood of the story precisely. Kenna is poor, she’s an orphan, and her day to day existence is always fraught. And she seems to be the only one in her village who is suspicious that the Noble Fae are not as lovely as the stories tell, and indeed they are not. This novel isn’t for the faint of heart as there are scenes of gore, violence and sexual assault and the author includes a warning note for content. But the worldbuilding is thorough and interesting and the characters, especially some of the Noble Fae, are not as clear cut as good or evil as they might appear at the beginning. The reader learns as Kenna does, who she can really trust. Prince Drustan becomes Kenna’s love interest and they share some intimate scenes but whether he will remain long term as her partner remains to be seen as there are other Fae princes who are interested in Kenna as well. The story is action packed and the pace is swift, leading to an exciting conclusion. There is no cliffhanger, but there are still many things to be resolved, and I am excited to continue the series!

Review will be posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.