This book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. It is a captivating blend of political intrigue and personal discovery. The story follows a short female protagonist Kenna (love this as a short girl myself) who defies traditional beauty standards by being described as scrawny and weak, providing a refreshing perspective on strength and agency. Rather than being the stereotypical stunning heroine, she navigates a complex magical underground fae world called Mistei filled with political machinations and ethical dilemmas, proving that true power comes from within.

This book also expertly weaves a narrative that balances moments of spice with the high stakes of her character's journey. The romance adds depth to the plot without overshadowing the intricate political landscape (LOVE A BIT OF SPICE). The interplay of personal and political conflict kept me engaged, making for a thrilling read. I NEVER knew what was going to happen and whose allegiances were with who.

This book overall reminded me of ACOTAR and Cruel Prince vibes and I loved it. I can’t wait for book #2…
I just know my shadow daddy Kallen is going to have a comeback in book 2 🔥🔥

🌶️🌶️/5 on the spice scale

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6954900663

Will post a video on tik tok as well, but I have to buy the physical book once it comes out. My best performing videos have physical books. So excited about this book!!

When her only friend is selected as an envoy to the fae realm, Kenna follows her into the bog, hoping to lead the group safely to the border, but the stories of Mistei are beautiful lies. When they are attacked on the path, Kenna is the only one to arrive alive at the boundary. Sent into service of Earth House, Kenna must figure our how to survive while her mistress undergoes trials to gain her magic.

This is much grittier that Ms. Hawley's previous novels. I really enjoyed the trials and the world building. I do think we are only approaching the core of the story in the final few chapters though. I look forward to the next installment.

4.5 STARS
Kenna Heron lives in a small village bordering a dangerous bog guarding the entrance to the faerie lands. She lives a life of poverty and as a near outcast. Every six years, four young women are selected to have the honor of crossing the bog to live a life of supposed luxury within the faerie underground land of Mistei. Kenna knows the bog better than anyone which she enters to help a friend only to become trapped in Mistei to be a very lowly servant. There are six houses of magic: Earth, Light, Illusion, Fire, Void, and Blood. Each of the houses are marked by rules of the mysterious, magical Shards of the same names; the kingdom is under the very vicious reign of an exceptionally cruel fae king.

While serving the Earth house, Kenna is forced to help a princess undertake a very exacting and deadly six immortality trials even though if caught helping, she will be immediately executed. Kenna’s only hidden advantage besides her wits and skills is a sharp changeable sentient dagger she previously found in the bog. As Kenna learns the rules and about people with whom she is forced to live, it becomes clear that a rebellion is taking shape to overthrow the evil king. Kenna not only supports the revolt, but is strongly attracted to one of its leaders though trusting any centuries year old fae can be dangerous and ill advised.

Kenna is a prime example that even the least powerful and most non-magical person can make a difference. With her honor, learned skills, compassion, and determination, Kenna will fight not only for her life, but those who have been used and abused for centuries by the fae.
The author has done a fine job of not only world building, but making it interesting without bogging down the story. Kenna is a very credible heroine who will have readers rooting for her in this rancorous and peril laden world. As is often with the fae, there is great beauty as well as darkness. This story is first in The Shards of Magic series, the second releases June 2025. I highly recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy, romantasy, and magical worlds.

As Kenna sprints through the bog at the start of SERVANT you will be sold by the tension. Once she meets the brooding fae love interests you'll swoon. The found family? I'm telling you, this book will wrap you in the court intrigue, Kenna's strength, and the mystery of it all.

If you love epic fantasy stories with romance, brooding fae, court politics and hidden identities then this one's for you! Sarah Hawley's new series is intricate, epic and will have you guessing until the final moment. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thank you Ace & Berkley for the early copy! I loved it.

3.75 stars

I think someone said this is ACOTAR meets Cruel Prince, and that actually feels right. But I’d say this is a darker and more dangerous world than either of the above, and the humans in this world are treated much worse.

The pacing is a bit slow until the very end, but the world building is detailed and easy to follow. Kenna is a compelling enough lead. I absolutely loved her bloodthirsty sentient dagger! Drusten as the charismatic love interest always left me a bit suspicious I have to say. I ended up being very drawn to the cold spymaster Kallen.

Were most of the twists and reveals predictable? Yup! It doesn’t mean my mouth wasn’t hanging open when things I suspected came to pass though! And the end was fantastic. I’ll definitely read the next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PRHAudio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Also, definitely pay attention to the content warnings. Like I said, this work is DARK and cruel, and it’s reflected in the horrors on page.

I enjoyed the world and the characters. I thought the trials were entertaining and clever. I also liked the talking dagger, I thought that was different and added something extra to the story.

The plot could be predictable at times but that may just be a genre thing.

The writing is good and kept me hooked.

Would recommend if you like fantasy.

i don't like the term romantasy but this book is labelled by that even by the publisher so i guess i will use it. but overall, i ate this book up. the fantasy world was really well written and the romance was a subplot, but i think that was a good choice. this world was truly so interesting and i cannot wait for the rest of the series as it is published.

Servant of Earth is a luxuriant, action-packed, inherently bingeable fantasy that's a cross between A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Cruel Prince, and The Hunger Games.

The story follows Kenna Heron, a human who becomes trapped as a servant in the underground faerie kingdom of Mistei. With no support except from that of a sentient dagger, she must act as handmaiden to the heir of Earth House, Princess Lara, and help her complete six deadly trials, one for each of the faerie houses: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. However, when magic and courage swirls with unforeseen passion, Kenna gets swept up in a clandestine plot to overthrow the tyrannical faerie king. Will she be able to do it or will she risk her life trying?

What dark, delightful fun! I flew through this one at a clip thanks to the worldbuilding, which was the perfect balance of verdant, macabre, and magical, and the characters, who were a combination of brave, charming, enigmatic, and sadistic. Kenna was a good heroine. Intriguing. Not only was she competent, kind, and likable, but she was imbued with a survivalist fire that made it easy to root for her. I loved the inclusion of a sentient weapon, too. The plot was rather predictable in that it hit beats that are typical in the fae subgenre, but I found I didn't mind because the relational dynamics between characters and the messy court politics more than made up for it. The ending also left lots of room for further expansion and exploration in this world, so I can't wait to get my hands on book two!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a fascinating concept for a fantasy novel, it uses the description perfectly and enjoyed how well the world was set up and worked with this universe. I thought the characters were everything that I was looking for in this type of book. Sarah Hawley had a great writing style and it worked for the genre, I can’t wait to read more from Sarah Hawley.

RATING: 4.75/5 STARS

Calling it right now that ACOTAR fans will really love this! SERVANT OF EARTH has all of the elements of a successful fantasy novel. It is fast-paced, unpredictable, and exciting with a scrappy and relatable heroine. There are some interesting twists and threads to be picked up in the next book, which I am eagerly anticipating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-fantasy
-slow burn romance
-not the chosen one
-death trials
-fae
-first in the series

I have been so hyped for this book and was just immediately pulled in. I loved the twists and turns. Kenna isn't the chosen one, but her best friend is one of the chosen to live with the fae. But with no family left, she can't leave her friend alone and ventures into the world of the fae to protect her friend. Kenna was a great heroine, not perfect, but refusing to give up. I loved the twists this book put on the chosen one/death trials with Kenna. I don't want to spoil much but there are a lot of hints and things, but this book will leave you guessing.

And that finally third, I tried t slowly savor this story, but I gave up trying to guess because this book kept surprising me until the heart twisting ending that answers some questions yet opens up so many more. I am so ready for book 2 and to learn more about this world that Sarah has created.

The book was an over all great Dark Fantasy. The plot was very intriguing and the world building was done really well. Kinda reminds me of cruel prince a little bit but in all the good ways. It was a little bit of a slow burn but if your into that you’ll love this. The plotting and scheming is what really kept me into the book.

A good dark fantasy that made me think of The Cruel Prince. Well plotted, a bit disturbing at time.
The world building is well done even if it pays homage to other novel set in the world of Fae.
I found the talking dagger very interesting and original.
Some more humour would help but it's a compelling read nonetheless
The cover is gorgeous and I'm curious about the next installments
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The first book since ACOTAR and Fourth Wing that I couldn't put down. Imagine the plot of A Court of Thorns and Roses but if Feyre was actually strong and intelligent and Tamlin wasn't a complete psychopath. My familiarity with the genre may have given me a leg up predicting the outcome of the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey anyway. This book isn't even officially out yet and I'm already eying Hawley for book two!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me access to the ARC.

There are a million and one Fae romantasy titles coming out nowadays (it’s probably a tie between dragons and Fae, though I think Fae has the lead). It’s a good problem to have if you enjoy these subgenres (which, in theory, I do, regardless of some of the bigger misses I’ve read recently), but it also makes it difficult to wade through and decide which titles to check out. That being the case, I was excited when I was approached to participate in this blog tour! Yes, please take some of the decision making out of my hands!

This book was a bit of a hit-and-miss experience, but there were definitely aspects that I enjoyed. For one thing, I’m always down for a fantasy story that involves sentient weapons! No on will do it better than T. Kingfisher with “Swordheart,” but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other author’s take on the concept! And this one was pretty fun!

I also enjoyed exploring this Fae world. I always appreciate it when authors don’t shy away from some of the darker aspects of Fae that are often present in older fairytales and folklore. Of course, this is often immediately counteracted by some super sexy shadow daddy of a character (yep, we potentially have one here as well!). But this book definitely goes into some darker themes, elevating the danger that our heroine faces to levels that truly feel threatening at times.

The writing was also strong and compelling, and I found it easy to become drawn into the story. However, as the book progressed, some of the plot points and twists started to feel pretty obvious. One fairly major reveal, in particular, was telegraphed so early and so strongly that it ended up landing with a bit of a thud when it was finally confirmed. It had gotten to the point where there was literally no other explanation for what was going on, which made it a bit frustrating to deal with a main character who wasn’t putting two and two together.

I also struggled with the romance. I can’t say for sure, but it feels like this one may be going the ACOTAR route, with one love interest being set up at the beginning and then with another to take over as the true partner in the next book. Personally, I always struggle with books that go this route. For me, it makes it feel as if I’ve wasted an entire book’s worth of character growth and interaction on a story that was, essentially, meaningless preamble before we get to the true good stuff.

It also doesn’t help that this book, like ACOTAR and so many like it, goes with the obvious choice where the handsome, charming one may end up being the jerk and the cold, dark one is actually the greatest guy ever. If some author wants to truly write a unique and compelling romantasy novel with an actual twist, for the love of god, I beg you, write your first guy as the cruel dark one and then have him (surprise!) end up actually just being cruel and then have the kind, charming one (let’s make him blonde to really shift the tropes) swoop in to show a heroine how healthy relationships should look! If anything, this would be a true twist in a genre that is too often drowning in predictable plots and tropes.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read. It felt overly familiar in a lot of ways and relied on particular tropes that I find tedious. However, the writing was strong and the world-building had potential. For those not feeling worn out by the current trends, this one is likely a great next read!

Rating 7: A bit too predictable to be truly enjoyable, however I enjoyed exploring this world and would probably be interested in seeing where the story goes from here (particularly with regards to the direction of the romance).

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on Nov. 15

As a fan of Sarah Hawley “Glimmer Falls” series. When I found out she was writing a brand new adult high fantasy series I was giddy. When I found out I got approved for the arc I freaked the F out. I already knew Sarah could right fantasy characters well in a romcom setting. I was excited to see how she pulled off this high fae fantasy world. And let me tell you folks she did not disappoint.

Little background for “Servant of Earth” We follow our MFC Kenna as gets pulled from the human world into the underground fae kingdom. Where she is forced to work for the princess of Earth House. Her sole job is to help aid the princess as she partakes in six trials to gain her full magic and immortality. If she doesn’t aid the princess, she dies. If the princess loses, she dies. And of course let the chaos of fae court politics begin!

Let’s talk about what I loved. Freaking Kenna! It’s been a while since I’ve read such a strong, smart heroine. I immediately connected to her and couldn’t wait to see how she dealt with each trial she faced. My only hiccup with Kenna however was at times I did think she was a little too trusting and naive. Honestly if I was in her shoes I would’ve done the same thing.

My next favorite thing Kenna’s sentient dagger. I don’t know about yall but I love a good “stabby” sentient being. (See what I did there 😉) Besides the dagger having some attitude I loved learning about the magic system behind it. I found it unique and couldn’t wait to learn more about where it had come from.

My last pro of this book. Goes to our world building. Sarah did a great job of building this world and bringing us in without overwhelming us. And now that we’ve had a taste I cannot wait for book 2 to learn more about this world.

With that said I highly recommend “Servant of Earth”. Please check it out when it releases later this fall. Also big thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

2.5 Stars

Servant of the Earth is an exciting, fast-paced romance. The plot is refreshing and intriguing, and the story has everything you could want such as great world-building, action, and romance.

Unfortunately, there was just something about this book that was a miss for me. Despite the fast pacing and other positives I mentioned, I felt like some parts of the story were either too predictable or needed to be fleshed out more. Don't get me wrong, this story does have a lot of potential, but I think since I've been on a bit of a romantasy kick lately, this one just didn't live up to my expectations. Definitely a me thing and that's okay.

4 ⭐️

Servant of Earth is going to be a fantasy of the season!!! This had such a unique and addicting plot. I honestly thought it would be similar to other “trial” type of fantasies, but I found it to be unpredictable and it has super strong word building. The characters were engaging and I felt invested in the storyline & the political scheming/betrayals (the tidbits of romance are going to be goooood for the next book) Definitely recommend this one! Dying for the next book and this one isn’t even released yet!!!

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy.

I thought this book was really interesting! It is a little bit of a slow burn but i thought it was structured well. I will say that most of the book felt like just a little taste of what is to come. You spend a lot of time learning about how the system works, the magic and the politics. There is a little sprinkle of romance in there but I won’t say more about that because I don’t want to spoil it. Why I am trying to say is that this book felt like a good foundation and I am so excited for what its yet to come!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Hawley's other supernatural romance books, so when I heard that she'd written a romantasy, I was intrigued, if a little worried. Romantasy isn't my genre, for whatever reason, but I figured I'd give it a shot and see where it landed. Well, romantasy is still not my genre, and I'm not sure it's Hawley's, either - her character are likeable and I appreciated her down-to-earth writing style in this one, but it felt like a patchwork quilt of other genre staples that come before it, a mix of every "faeries, but make it sexy" that you see all over shelves these days. I made it further here than I did with ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, which is solely because I really enjoy Hawley's writing, but alas, it just didn't do it for me, and it felt very generic.