Whispers Among Thorns is the thrilling first installment in Cassandra Aston’s Deadly Fae duology—a dark urban fantasy set in a modern-day New York City where fae and humans live under a tense, uneasy truce. Sav, a centuries-old fae in hiding, is forced to infiltrate an anti-fae extremist group threatening her community. But when her mission leads her into a dangerously complicated connection with Jack, the leader’s son, everything she thought she could control begins to unravel.

This book kicks off with a bang—almost literally—and throws you straight into the action. The world-building is seamlessly woven in as the plot unfolds, and the tension (both romantic and political) led me to reading this in basically one sitting. I’ll be reading the next book in the duology, especially because of the cliffhanger ending!

Highly recommended for fans of:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨ Undercover infiltration
✨ Forbidden romance
✨ Found family
✨ Political intrigue
✨ Fae courts & hidden magic
✨ Slow burn tension

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me a complimentary advanced reader copy of the ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and based off of this draft; the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is June 24, 2025.

Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston

This is the first book I have read by this author and I greatly enjoyed it!

The story follows the FMC named Sav. She finds herself forced into the human realm and caught up in the hostile/violent treatment of her kind by the Anti-Fae resistance. Jack, the son of the leader of resistance, teams up with her to save the magical beings from the Fae realm that are being held prisoner.

Their journey takes them across the Faerie Realms and involves a slow burn/tension filled romance, court intrigue, multi POVs, past heart break, conspiracy, and an epic world of magic. I really loved that you got more POVs than just the two main characters which really added to the overall plot and provided you with insight into other characters’ minds that you normally wouldn’t.

There are many reveals that kept popping throughout the story that keeps the storyline intriguing and adds more layers to the plot. It makes you want to keep theorizing how things will play out and what the ultimate plot twist will be. Turns out there were several plot twists/cliffhangers that left you wanting to read more! I look forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGallery and the author for gifting me this eArc!

This was a good read. It was refreshing to read a story with a different direction than most fantasy reads. I liked that the the book took on vulnerable populations with a twist from normal. I enjoyed the book. It did take awhile for me to gain interest but it surprised me!

Thank you so much to author Cassandra Aston and NetGalley/Victory Editing for an ARC of Whispers Among Thorns!

I really wanted to love this book, but it didn’t quite hit home for me so I’m giving it 2.75/5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 3).

This book follows Sav, a fae who’s been forced into the human world a few years after Faerie and Earth became intertwined, leading to humans and fae living side by side. Sav was an interesting FMC, but unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with her. I also didn’t love the MMC, Jack, who’s a human and the son of one of the most notorious anti-fae leaders out there..someone who’s all about eliminating fae at any cost. That said, I did appreciate that Jack himself was mostly a positive character who really wanted to help fae and push back against his father’s beliefs.

One of my biggest issues was the instalove. Jack’s feelings came on super strong, super fast, and it didn’t feel believable to me. On top of that, Sav had a lot of family and court issues that I really wanted the story to dive into more, but it kind of skimmed the surface. I also felt like Kaspar and Hazel deserved way better from Sav and I really didn’t love how she treated them.

The worldbuilding was another struggle point. I was confused about the portals and how Faerie and Earth were connected. It was also hard to follow the history of the fae and some of the roles of some of the side characters were kinda random. That said, I did enjoy learning about the other fae and magical creatures and thought those parts were super interesting. The court system and magic had elements I’ve seen before in other fantasy books, but it still had some fresh ideas that kept me curious.

All in all, this one just didn’t land for me. I struggled to connect with the characters, the worldbuilding left me confused, and there wasn’t much tension or romance to keep me hooked. Also… there’s a scene with a tree fae/creature (you’ll know it when you get there) that felt super weird and uncomfortable… I hated it. I think there’s potential here, especially with the lore, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.


♥️♥️♥️

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Unfortunately this book didn't quite work for me. I ended up dnfing at 65%.

Some of this book takes place in a very depressing version of our world and some takes place in Faerie. Reading both worlds was interesting but between how awful this version of our world was and how evil the characters were I would have liked a little hope or happiness sprinkled in somewhere. But for me this book didn't have any balance of some sort of happiness with all the bad stuff. I love a good villain but I need to feel some happiness or at least hope with the characters sometimes too.

I'm also not a fan of other woman/other man drama. So that was a personal preference that other people might not care about.

I feel like this book would be great for people who don't mind a tragic world or ow/om drama. The fae are very interesting and it had a great slow burn with lots of yearning. The slow burn between Sav and Jack was what kept me reading. Hopefully when they get together it will be worth all the bad stuff but I ended up dnfing before that unfortunately.

4.5/5 stars! I really enjoyed this author's debut series and was super excited to read this new romantasy book. This series is planned to be a duology and I think that's the right decision. The world-building and character development is strong, but I don't think the story would carry on over 3+ books. I wish there was a little more shown of the chemistry and romantic development between the two main characters, but I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to book 2.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4

Whispers Among Thorns is an action-packed fantasy set in an interesting magical world where there are portals that fae have used to migrate to modern-day NYC. It’s perfect for fans of Zodiac Academy, with multiple POVs, diverse magical creatures and magic systems, and an intricate plot. Detailed review with spoilers below.

The thing I enjoyed most about Whispers Among Thorns was the setting and world building. I liked the portal idea, and I thought the complicated relations between humans and the fae migrating to the human world was very compelling. Where it fell flat for me was I didn’t really have a good idea as to why the fae had started migrating to the human world. By the end of the book, it’s clear something was/is happening in the fae realm, but I wish that had been made more clear at the beginning. And, since we get Dane’s POV, it would have been nice to get more insight into why he really hates the fae instead of his cartoonishly racist narration.

Another aspect of this story that I enjoyed was the romance between Jack and Sav, but I wish there had been a better buildup to their attraction and connection. It felt really instant, and then Sav was very hot and cold until she decided she would be with him. I feel like it could have been more clear that she was choosing to be with him as well.

Speaking of Sav, her motivations were often very confusing and contradictory, and that was frustrating to read. She wanted to hold off from a political marriage for love, but then she was mad she wasn’t given the opportunity to make a different political alliance than the one her sister tried to force her into. She liked Jack, but wanted to protect him, but wanted to use him, making parts of the story hard to follow.

Lastly, the adding of new first-person POVs as the story continued was not my favorite as a reader and contributed to some of my confusion of the plot.

All of that being said, I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to those who are looking for a fun, political fantasy set in an interesting modern world.

Thank you for the ARC. 2.75 ⭐ Sadly just didn’t love this. Maybe in a bit of a reading lull but felt this was chaotic and also anticlimactic? Couldn’t connect to the characters or understand the premise of the plot really. All I know it was a human vs fae war and Sav was trying to recruit an army but going about it in a really bad way?
I felt it was written well however, and Urban Fantasy element was interesting.

Love the different fae angle in this urban fantasy set in modern NYC! I’m obsessed over the fact that the MMC is the gentle human in this with the FMC being the fae. It was refreshing to have them flipped. I like the dual pov and seeing both of the main characters thoughts. Be prepared for a cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts and ratings are my own!

I will say Urban Fantasy is not by usual go too but this could change my mind. First off - what a refreshing change that the FMC is the older, more powerful fae ( not to many funny) This was a really nice change and was nice to have a less competent, tries his very best, sweetheart of an MMC.

The whole fae court trope is quite overdone as of recent but I feel that Cassandra's had a cool enough edge that it did stand out.
Got off to a flying start with the book, engrossed straight away , the romance was cute & kept you guessing - I would have liked a slightly faster pace in the middle & the ending felt a tiny bit rushed for me but this is is obviously all to set up the 2nd part of the duology and all in all this was a very fun read.
Roll on book 2

This book just didn’t grab me like I hoped. From the beginning we are thrown into a world like modern day Earth if one day the fae world and the human world collided to create portals. We are mostly focused on NY only, I’m not sure if we ever will see what the rest of the world is facing with portals or if there even is any.

The fae beings are discriminated against with whole clubs who are dedicated to killing and torturing them.

I found the whole premise a little ridiculous, while I don’t underestimate that things like this would happen in the real world, just the way that no one cares, including the fae royalty about what is happening seems far fetched. The relationship between our two characters is strange and forced. And even though the main male character has a whole plan to release some fae being tortured, he takes his time and then decides to run to the fairy realm with a girl he just met? So now he’s leaving the fae to fend for themselves, with no food (as he provides it) to follow this girl when he knows none of the rules for the realm. And not to mention the realm is so small that it takes them a day and her pulling him most of the way to cross courts.

Such an amazingly written and interesting book! I couldnt turn the oag3s fast enough to see what was going to happen next. I hope we see more books from this author!

Loved the fresh angle on a fae book. The interaction with humans was unique, instead of the usual humans being "lesser", so offered a new twist on a regular humans vs. fae in each others worlds. There was great work in making sure that not just the FMC was developed, but we see the complex relationships with various others in her life and how those play out and develop further. Loved Hazel and hope that we hear more about her in the next book - she was such a great character build at the start when you're not sure if you hate her or love her. The story was complex and had political actions and mysteries in both worlds - but wasn't overpowering as it was revealed over time as the characters were finding out more. I really liked the balance in this book and the slow burn was real.. can't wait for the next book!

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!