Oh. My. God. Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Cassandra Aston for this eARC.

This story has me in a chokehold and is easily in my top 5 reads of the year! I didn't know how I would feel about the NYC setting, but this was done incredibly well. There were layers and layers to the world building, the characters, the overall plot, and the settings themselves. From the romance perspective, everyone wants her, and she only wants what she cannot have.

I adore our Savage little FMC, our leopard, potentially our kelpie, and the naivety of our MMC.

I could not put this book down and I cannot wait for book 2! Sitting on that ending for the rest of the year is going to be rough.

This book was a wild ride, in the best way! I wasn’t sure at first since it’s so different from anything I’ve read before, but it quickly pulled me in. The mix of a gritty modern New York City with rich, imaginative fae creatures (featuring satyrs, kelpies, orcs, and more!) and realms made the worlds feel fresh and totally unique.

Sav and Jack’s alternating POVs were super engaging. The tension between them was nail-biting, and I was fully invested in their connection. I especially admired Sav’s fierce loyalty and found myself really connecting with both of them as the story unfolded. The magical elements was really detailed and the story packs emotion, action, and just the right amount of danger.

And that ending? I have so many questions. I need book two right now, waiting until the end of the year feels impossible!

Whispers Among Thorns is a solid dark fantasy debut with a cool premise. A fae infiltrates a human extremist group to protect her people, only to fall for the son of their leader.
The urban fantasy setting was one of the strongest parts, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the story.

Jack was a standout for me. He’s not your typical brooding, alpha male main male character. He’s softer, conflicted, and emotionally open in a way that felt refreshing. His dynamic with Sav had tension and some really cute scenes, but I wish their relationship had a bit more time to develop.

The pacing overall felt uneven to me. Some plot points were rushed, especially the romance shift, while other sections dragged with repetitive inner monologue. The world-building was solid, though at times I wanted more detail on the fae court politics and anti-fae movement motivations.

It ends on a sharp cliffhanger, which I thought really added to the tension and makes me more excited now for the second book. This was a promising start to a series and I’m curious to see how it all plays out in book two.

**DISCLAIMER: I WAS PROVIDED WITH A FREE ARC VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston is a captivating dance between shadows and starlight, effortlessly pulling me into its alluring depths. From the first whisper of Sav's fierce resolve, I found myself spellbound by her struggle—a fae heroine caught between duty and desire, in a city that pulses with both modern grit and ancient enchantments.

Aston breathes fresh magic into familiar tropes, weaving a poignant tale of forbidden longing and intricate politics. Sav and Jack's tangled destinies unfold with aching tenderness.

Richly atmospheric and poetically rendered, this tale occasionally pauses its rhythm but swiftly recaptures its melody, culminating in a heart-stopping finale. Readers yearning for romance touched with lyrical grace and intrigue will find themselves utterly enchanted.

Highly recommended for fans seeking a unique twist on romantasy.

If you want to get a bit lost in lands of faeries, creatures and climates, but also keep your feet on the ground in good ol' New York City, this is the book for you. I liked this one a lot, especially immersing myself in the world(s) and creatures. Most of all, there is a greater symbolism etched throughout this book about a people immigrating to a land they are not familiar with, and how there are many that reject them but also good handfuls that support them and fight for their rights... HELL YES. We need so much more of that right now: helping those around us that just want to LIVE. The magical elements were fun, and the hints of romance, rebellion and revenge kept the story strong. Definitely set up to be another book, and I can't wait to read what happens next.

A favorite line, in the very beginning dedication page:
"For every woman who's ever wanted to fling a dagger at a man when he pissed her off."

There is a reason why Cassandra is an award winner author. Wow I was transported immediately with the world building right from the start. And then placing the character development in between was done so flawlessly. The characters all have so many amazing personalities despite what is actually going on with the world they live in. Which the map got me so excited with all the seasons ! This was so unique with an added modern element. I had so much fun reading this. I know book two will be epic with that cliffhanger ending.

I really enjoyed Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston!

The story moves with a slow, careful tread as we follow Sav, a faerie exiled to the chaos of modern-day New York. But once the momentum kicks in, it sweeps you into a world where ancient magic still lingers beneath the city’s restless pulse.

I’m usually wary of fae stories set in the present day — they can often feel either out of sync or overly romanticized. Aston, however, nails it!

This book really surprised me.I was invested from the very beginning!

Let me start off by saying that this is the first book I have read by this author and I plan to read more. I love fantasy books because there is no limit to what you can read. I don't want to give away spoilers but I will say that for me it was fast paced and had me hooked from the very beginning. The main character was my favorite. If you like fantasy like ACOTAR and similar book then you will like this too. Good job on the book. :)

I enjoyed Whispers Among Thorns, but I didn't love it.
The plot was interesting and I did like how it was opposite most fantasy - the FMC being High Fae, and the MMC not.
The Characters were likeable and quite typical, I really did love some of the side characters through!
The plot was decent, there were a lot of things happening, and different obstacles to over come, but nothing that really entranced me.

The romance is slow, almost non - existent for most of the book, it isn't a high plot point.
The end of the book was best, and included some new information that made it overall more interesting. It ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I am more interested in what will happen in the next book than what has happened so far.
If you like the long game and slow build up this would be a good urban fantasy for you for sure!

In Sav’s life everyone has made decisions for her, including ending up in the human realm where fae have been forced to live amongst the humans. With her magic bound, when things take a turn -her people relying on her- she isn’t much help. However, she finds help in the most unlikely of people, and the story unfolds. It’s a fight against the past and its wounds. Who is the enemy and who is a friend? One thing we know; one rule, don’t fall in love with the other species or you’ll die.


This is one of my first reads in the faerie realm and I enjoyed it so much. It was a comfy read, with an easy to follow story. You really get to know the characters and their back stories which I love. The story has some subtle twist, and ends on a little bit of a cliff…it makes me want the second book STAT. The only thing I noticed is that there is a character whose name is Memphis and Memphe in different chapters, but that may be a fae thing I’m not familiar with. I could’ve used another chapter because it ended with SO much happening, but the author did a wonderful job setting it up for the sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Cassandra Aston for the opportunity to read this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was so great, but filled with hard decisions that are so heartbreaking! I was hooked and could not put this down.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! 2.5 ⭐️

Unfortunately, I did not bond as well with this book, hence the 2 star rating. Here’s my reasons why:

•One of the biggest things I have to address is the “show don’t tell” of books. Unfortunately, this book felt very much “tell, tell, tell, don’t show”. Because of this I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the world, I didn’t even feel for any of the characters that much.
•The summary hooked me immediately why I even requested the book, but I found that nothing much happened. For example, from the summary I got the impression there would be yearning between the two love interests, some intense emotions and forbidden love, but it was very vague and I didn’t really see the two bonding that well before they would inevitably fall for each other.
•The world building was alright. I loved the map, I had never seen a book use the four seasons as their own kingdoms, I loved the idea! But, unfortunately, we were more stuck in the politics between the human world and the Fae, so the magical world wasn’t much explored and it left me wondering what else is special about that realm! And when we were in the Fae world, the scenes felt a bit rushed and some even made me ask “what’s the point..” like when they went back to one area to look for something only to just say “forget it, leave it”. It didn’t feel thrilling to read.
•There were moments that simply didn’t make sense to me - if a person is chained and lead through a city set in the modern times, would people really not even think of calling the police? Moments like these were scattered across the book that left me a bit frustrated, creating little plot holes for me.
•Finally, the romance. There wasn’t much depth of it personally. There was one point in the book that I really thought would begin the forbidden love with stolen moments together, but it never really happened to how I thought it would be :)
•I found myself skimming pages towards the 50% mark thinking “surely the action/forbidden romance trope will spark up soon!”, but for me it didn’t :(

Overall, I see a lot of people loving this book and all my love and praise goes to the author for writing a book and publishing it! It may be that this book and writing style/plot simply wasn’t for me, but it is for everyone else who absolutely loved it!

Maybe I’m in a slump but I found it a little hard to get through the book. The characters and plot were amazing and there was definitely a ton going on at once. Just felt like it was a long stream of problems but no big conflict or climax. Just a bit predictable but still a good read.

First off, this is such an interesting premise. After reading the description, I immediately knew I was going to love this book!

It flips the trope - the female main character is the hundred of years old fae and the male main character is the human.

It takes place in NYC, but in a NYC where humans and fae live together. I thought this concept was so interesting, especially as someone who lives in New York City.

I had so much fun reading this one and I can’t wait until the sequel comes out!!

Thank you to Cassandra Aston and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!
I'm obsessed, and I need the second right now! This was such a refreshing dark fantasy/ urban fantasy. The author really did a great job of mixing the Faerie and human worlds in a way that seemed realistic. Humans are the ones endangering the faeries, and our FMC is doing all she can to save everyone she can.
There is action and danger from the start, with multiple POVs. It's emotional, it's whimsical, and it has so many known as well as unique creatures!
Love triangle, Forbidden love, betrayals, SLOW burn! There wasn't any spice in this one, but I have a feeling the next book will give us what we spent the whole book yearning for!
And the cliffhanger this book left me on....Cassandra, I'm dying here! Give me number 2!!!

This book unfortunately didn't grip me like I'd hoped it would. The potential was there but it just fell flat.

Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston surprised me in the best way. Following Sav, a faerie banished to modern-day NYC, the story unfolds slowly at first, but once it finds its rhythm, it’s an enthralling ride through a world where the old magic hasn’t faded—it’s just gone underground.

I’m usually hesitant about stories that bring fae into modern settings—it’s easy for them to feel out of place or overly romanticized. But Aston strikes a rare balance here. The gritty, fast-paced energy of New York meshes surprisingly well with the traditions and politics of the ancient faerie courts. The contrast between the glowing neon of the city and the eerie, otherworldly customs of the fae is one of the book’s biggest strengths.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

Atmospheric and lyrical, Whispers Among Thorns reads like a fever dream wrapped in florals and secrets. The prose is beautifully descriptive, evoking a world where danger blooms quietly beneath every petal. I was drawn into the gothic vibe and slow-burn mystery, although at times the pacing meandered.

The central romance felt subtle and ghostly, more emotional than physical, and the thorny magic system was both haunting and unique. It’s the kind of book you read with a blanket, a candle, and a bit of patience.

🌹 Highlights: Stunning worldbuilding, dreamlike tone, dark fairytale aesthetic
🌀 Perfect for readers who love: Uprooted, The Bear and the Nightingale, or The Hollow Places

🧚 Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston 🧚‍♀️

Review: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🌺 A fast-paced urban romantasy set in NYC, in which humans are slaughtering Fae. Sav, a fae with bound magic forced to reside in the human realm, journeys to free the fae and falls in love. She must sacrifice everything to save her people. ❄️

💕 Tropes: found family, forbidden love 💕

📖 Book 1 of the Deadly Fae Duology releases June 24th📕

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

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Goodreads. 4/23/2025.
I have to say I was not prepared to like this book as much as I did after reading the prologue. The prologue felt very unnecessary and almost elementary. All the people mentioned in the prologue never really play a part in the rest of this first book so it felt very pointless to me.

THAT BEING SAID. I did really enjoy the rest of the book. There could have been more romantic tension for my personal favor but I do not knock the book for that. The slow burn was still fun. The multi character POV might be too much for some people but personally I love it. I loved seeing the perspective from both sides. Miss Cassandra did a wonderful job leaving me wanting to read the second book with the questions I was left with. The plot and story line was a lot of fun. Enemies to lovers and forced proximity are always solid tropes. I would personally consider this book to be YA. I'm hoping the second book is a bit more open and less YA. I also loved the urban setting.
Thank you to the publishers for a chance to read this book before it is officially released!