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Whispers Among Thorns
Cassandra Aston
Not yet published Expected 24 Jun 25
3.92
107 ratings99 reviews

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Book One in the Deadly Fae Duology

There’s only one rule that truly matters. Never fall in love with a human. Break it and die.

Quicksilver meets Game of Thrones in a New York City setting, where she's the centuries old fae and he's the son of her enemy.

Living under the radar in New York City, Sav just wants to carve out a life in her new world. That hope is shattered when the leader of the anti-fae movement destroys her home in an attack on her people. Finding herself caught between protecting a deadly secret and saving the fae from the humans bent on slaughter, Sav must infiltrate the extremist's inner circle, posing as a human, and seduce her sworn enemy’s son.

Jack, the son of the infamous anti-fae-faction leader Dane Clyde, has always lived in his father’s shadow. When a woman is brought into AFF headquarters in chains, he finds himself drawn to her despite the danger. Caught between duty and desire, Jack must choose a side before one is chosen for him.

What began as a mission to rescue Sav’s people may cost them so much more than they bargained for.


Coming June 2025

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Genres
Romance
Fantasy
Fae
Enemies To Lovers
388 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 24, 2025


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About the author
Profile Image for Cassandra Aston.
Cassandra Aston
13 books121 followers

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Award-winning author Cassandra Aston has captivated readers with her Prophecies of Angels and Demons series, available in eBook, print, and audiobook. The series has enthralled audiences worldwide. Her debut novel, Grave Secrets, achieved great success during the 2023 award season, claiming first place in the Pencraft awards and second place in the Outstanding Creator Award for Best Fiction Book of Clash of Champions. Grave Secrets wasn't done there, garnering several other nominations throughout 2023.

Looking forward, Cassandra has several projects in the works including her current WIP - The Deadly Fae Doulogy, which is slated to release in mid to late 2025.

When she isn’t writing, you'll find Cassandra nestled in a cozy mountain cottage, soaking up the beauty with her family. This serene environment fuels her imagination and the fantastical worlds she creates.

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Ratings & Reviews
My Review
Profile Image for Brittni Shafer.
Brittni Shafer
306 reviews · 5 followers
March 24, 2025
The grip this book has on me is one I'm not even close to fighting to get out of. The world, the characters, the layers, absolutely blew me away! I can't even begin to explain how cool this world is and how well developed and thought out it is. Something I absolutely love about fantasy is the world building and this book is done in a way it literally feels real. Yes I mean it's literally placed in the real world and collides with a fake one but I mean this feels like it could happen hahaha.. which.. well.. I'll just say, with the status of the world right now, this book feels crazy accurate with the violence and racism. But do not fear! The characters bring a light to it that will leave you CACKLING and kicking your feet with glee. Sav is everything and I'm obsessed with her. And Hazel is literally every feral thought ive ever had in my life hahaha. I can't gush about this book enough and these male characters, phewwwwwww lawrty. I'm a Kaspar girlie and I'm very jealous Jack got to take a ride on him, IYKYK. If I talk about this book anymore I'm going to give spoilers so I'm just going to say, this was an epic read and is living rent free in my brain and I'm screaming for book 2!!

Thank you for the ARC Cassandra Aston

Thank you net galley.
I enjoyed reading this book and the writing. But for some reason I wasn't able to connect with the characters.

Thank you so much to the author Cassandra Aston and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

This book had the makings of being great. It has fae of all kinds and an interesting concept of the fae needing to move into the human world as Faerie slowly disappears, then taking over parts of New York. However, I felt it dragged on quite a bit. Instead of deepening the plot, there were long violent scenes or scenes that were just background filler that felt like they could have been bettered used for world building or character development.

The FMC was badass, which I love! But found most of the characters in this book hard to connect with. For those interested in fae realms bleeding into the human world, this is definitely a book for you!

Whispers Among Thorns had the bones of a compelling story. It was a unique setting and the beginnings of an intriguing plot, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The pacing felt slow, and the plot never fully hooked me. While the world-building had potential, it wasn’t enough to carry the story on its own. The characters, who should have brought the narrative to life, felt flat and difficult to connect with. Their development lacked the emotional depth I look for in a read, making it hard to root for them or care about the outcome.

That said, I can see how others might enjoy the atmosphere and the ideas the author was trying to explore. It simply wasn’t a match for my reading taste.

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

2.5 stars⭐️ (rounded up to 3!)

This book had an interesting premise with fae courts, forbidden romance, and a hidden world woven into modern-day New York. I have been on an urban fantasy kick so the premise intrigued me!

Unfortunately the book just didn’t fully deliver for me. The world had so much potential, but I wanted more history and depth to make it feel real. There were a lot of magical creatures and court dynamics, but it started to feel overwhelming without enough explanation or structure to ground it. More background and lore I think would have been helpful.

The romance didn’t work for me either. I like that Jack is different from the typical MMC we’ve been seeing in romantasy. But at times it felt rushed and forced, and some scenes made me uncomfortable rather than intrigued. The chemistry between Sav and Jack didn’t feel natural, and I found myself cringing at some of the interactions instead of rooting for them.

The writing style leaned more toward telling instead of showing, which made the emotional beats fall flat. Dialogue felt stiff at times, and character motivations didn’t always make sense. I liked a few of the side characters and thought the political setup of the fae courts had promise, but overall it read more like a YA fantasy when I was expecting something more layered.

I think newer romantasy readers might enjoy it more than I did. It’s easy to follow and has some cool ideas, i think the execution personally just didn’t click for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Cassandra Aston for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Reviews published on good reads, StoryGraph, and Fable on May 16, 2025.

This is the first book in the Deadly fae duology, a romantic urban fantasy set in modern day new york city, where fae secretly live among humans. Sav, a fae woman infiltrating an anti-fae extremist group by targeting Jack, the leader’s son which lead to a different way in romance way.
Sav played a strong, morally complex protagonist, grappling with her duties and personal desires.
This is a slow-burn romance that unfolds amid rising political tensions, and secrets.
The world setting was kinda new to new and its amazing same goes to the characters, the only thing that disturbed was how certain subplot was hard for me to understand. Overall its an amazing story.

This book was not for me, it reads too YA for my taste and some plot points did not make sense to me. I hate to DNF books but I did at 62% as I would have done it sooner if it were not an ARC. I am greatful for this opportunity but I think honesty is important while reviewing books.

WhatWhoWhereWhy : When Sav need to return to her Fairy Court in order to save low faes on Earth, she brings with her Jack, her enemy, a human she is forbidden to fall in love with….
What I liked :
-Kaspar is a really complex and interesting character.
-The politic of the courts
-It feels like a good beginner level romantasy and easy to read.
What I didn’t like :
-the YA writing where things are “told not shown”.
-Jack made some pretty questionable decisions and for most of the book his growing feelings for Sav don’t seem genuine.
-Sav did not act as Fae Royalty and sometimes it did nos make sense.
-what is driving Hazel?
-multiple hints at SAs as plot points.
Overall a book with undeniable qualities that I am sure people will love but not for me.
2,5 stars rounded to 3.

Thank you Cassandra Aston and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really liked the story, it was interesting and fun to read. This has enemies to lovers, forbidden and slow-burn romance, Fae and Humans at war, Fae courts, portals to another worlds, and more..
The FMC, Sav, is a Fae living in the human world, where folk people are hunted and imprisoned just for who they are. Sav is glamoured to look like a human girl and bound without any kind of magic.
The MMC is the anti-fae-faction leader's son, Jack, who is trying to stop his father and his cruelty.
Sav and Jack will have to work against two worlds that are opposed to see them together.. or die trying.

I can't wait to read how this story goes.
This book is due to June 24th.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for providing mean advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sav, our FMC, is a high fae living out the worst sentence imaginable. Her magic is bound and she must live in the human realm. The same human realm that is struggling to keep hate crimes against fae under control. When the place that she is living is burnt to the ground by an anti-fae group, she is captured and put in their prison. This is where she meets Jack, our.. kind of MMC. Jack is the son of the leader of the anti-fae group and he's not super thrilled with how his dad is harming the fae. So he teams up with Sav, to try and save the fae in his dad's prisons.

While the initial parts of the book felt weirdly slow, it was actually a fairly decently written book. I don't hate it, but I'm not in love with it either. It could have used some more world building to explain some of the lore of the world, and it would have been an entirely more interesting read. There were a lot of fae world lore, history and events that could definitely have been fleshed out to draw us further into the story. I can, however, see the parallels between this and the American's history with slavery & how it treated its people of colour. This parallel could have been leaned on a little more cohesively though.

Character wise, Sav is supposed to be this "ancient" princess of the Spring Court, and has had centuries of training in the political gambit that is dealing with the Fae.. but she doesn't show it. She makes huge mistake after huge mistake. The kind of mistakes that someone who has grown up in court wouldn't make. Jack, on the other hand.. I can see how he wants to treat everyone equally (like Sav), What I can't see is him rapidly falling in love with Sav enough to go up against powerful fae on their home territory. And.. frankly.. his version of insta-love feels very shifter scent matchy.. and he's a not-human-human-maybe?-something?-idk?

Overall its a good book. It has its flaws, but most books do. I'm looking forward to reading the next book so I can figure out who the MMC actually is and where they are going from here. This book is a solid 3.75 Stars.

“For every woman who’s ever wanted to fling a dagger at a man when he pissed her off.”

This book had all of the elements I love: high fantasy mixed with urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, a badass FMC who can handle herself, and a wonderful dedication. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. There were some really good bones, but this did not feel fully fleshed out enough. The premise of a New York where fae are living among humans and are absolutely hated was not backed up by enough history for me, and what knowledge I was given didn’t feel entirely relevant. There was more time spent on which New York streets Sav was running on than her backstory, and Jack’s disdain for Dane didn’t land as hard because when we first get his POV, he doesn’t acknowledge that their relationship is familial. There were so many different creatures, too, that I could not really focus on any. I felt that the faerie court names could have been a little more unique instead of just Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn, and the dialogue and prose felt clunky. When I’m reading a book, my personal preference is to be shown things, but I felt like there was a lot more telling in this.

When it came to character development and the romance, they felt very underdeveloped. The motivations behind actions did not make sense to me, and I was uncomfortable by more than a few moments. I found the romance to be incredibly creepy, with the first time they ever physically touch being when Jack is pinning Sav against the wall and then gets turned on. He continues to be very pervy towards her, even mentioning in his internal dialogue that he wants to stick his tongue into her mouth while she’s performing CPR on him.

If the vibes of a book are good, I can typically ignore when the plot has a little less development and just focus on the romance, but in this case, it felt almost nonconsensual to a point that anytime there was any type of romantic tension between them I was uncomfortable.

As someone who hates to DNF books, I did stop reading at 30%. I believe the point of reviewing is to be honest and if I had not been given the privilege by Netgalley and Aston to read this novel, I would not have felt so obligated to read it. I really did want to like this book, but that was unfortunately not the case for me.

Whisper Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston completely pulled me in. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in—especially since I’ve read a lot of fae books lately but this one felt totally different in the best way. It’s not your typical “humans fall at the feet of the fae” kind of story. In this world, humans hate the fae, and the tension between both sides is intense, messy, and so well written.

The story follows Sav, who’s been exiled from Faerie, and Jack, a human caught in the middle of everything. Their dynamic is full of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension with a little forbidden romance on top (which I’m always a sucker for). The spice level is low, but the tension? Off the charts. Definitely still an adult fantasy, with mature themes and some darker moments, so check content warnings if you need them.

I loved the fast pace, the worldbuilding, and how emotionally invested I got in the characters. There’s just the right amount of mystery, betrayal, and heartbreak woven in, and I was so here for it. Also... Hazel deserves her own book. Just saying.

The writing style was super easy to get into and funny at times, emotional when it needed to be, and full of those little breadcrumb reveals that keep you guessing. I’m already obsessed with where this story is headed, and I need book two like yesterday.

If you’re into fae stories with a darker twist, enemies-to-lovers vibes, complicated loyalties, and a plot that moves fast and keeps you hooked—Whisper Among Thorns definitely belongs on your TBR.

Cassandra Aston’s Whispers Among Thorns is a hauntingly lyrical blend of gothic mystery, emotional depth, and quietly simmering suspense. With elegant prose and a richly atmospheric setting, Aston crafts a story that lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

The novel follows Elira Moreau, a quiet botanist who returns to her ancestral estate, Thornhall, after the sudden death of her estranged aunt. The sprawling, ivy-clad mansion is riddled with secrets—whispers in the halls, strange symbols etched into glass, and a garden that seems to bloom in defiance of nature. As Elira uncovers her family's troubled legacy, the line between reality and memory begins to blur.

Aston’s writing is evocative and poetic, with descriptions that bring the setting to life as much as the characters. The garden—lush, overgrown, and possibly sentient—functions as a powerful metaphor for grief, repression, and the wild unpredictability of the past. Elira is a complex protagonist: thoughtful, flawed, and resilient, her emotional journey is as compelling as the central mystery.

While the pacing is deliberately slow at times, it mirrors the creeping dread and unfolding revelations. Readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and atmospheric tension over fast-paced action will find much to love here.

Whispers Among Thorns is a beautifully written, psychologically rich novel that explores themes of inheritance, guilt, and healing through a lens of quiet, otherworldly unease. A must-read for fans of Sarah Waters, Kate Morton, or the slow-burn gothic tradition.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a little flat. I loved the premise and the plot line of fae world and human world clashing together and wish there was more time spent on the history of how it all happened and the way there magic system worked. A glossary for something like this would have been nice with all the characters and types of creatures. What didn’t work for me was the kind of insta love that happened between jacks and sav. I also thought there could have been better pros in the writing. Overall the book has great potential and hope to read the next in the series if it continues to get better in that aspect of things. It was overall a fun read and would recommend to anyone who’s wants a refreshing fantasy books that doesn’t follow the same formula of fae world and just over all a cool world concept

I really wanted to love this book, it has all of the potential elements to make a gripping romantasy but sadly it didn’t quite gel for me.

I enjoyed the premise of what would happen if a faerie world crashed into modern earth but the world building and timeline didn’t quite add up for me, I was a bit lost on when the worlds had crashed together. However I thought the AFF side of things and the whole political aspect on earth felt very realistic and well done. I would have liked more focus on the world building and on the magic system, no spoilers but I suspect we’ll get more of this in the next book next book.

I really enjoyed how we did a complete 180 from the usual 18 year old girl falling in love with a 800 year old fae! So refreshing to have the man be the younger inexperienced human and the woman be a badass, strong fae. I would have liked Sav and Jacks relationship to be more fleshed out, I’m not a fan of instalove and I think it’s a bit of a lazy way to write a love story (although I can possibly see where this storyline is going after a few heavy hints throughout).

One element I didn’t love was the frequent perspective changes, it felt very hard to keep track of all of the different characters that were in each perspective. Possibly a character list or glossary would help with this.

Overall, an interesting read that sadly didn’t quite land for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

This definitely had potential, but parts of it fell a bit flat unfortunately.

So the summary of the book makes it sound like the book is about Sav infiltrating the enemy and seducing Jack. No. That’s over so quickly, and the rest of the book is faerie courts and politics and the human/faerie relations, and jt wasn’t what I was anticipating at all. As such, I spent a decent chunk confused about what was happening and where it was going.

The pacing was off - the beginning felt really fast, the middle dragged in places, and then about 5 different things happened in the last 3% of the book. It didn’t really work tbh.

I did like the modern setting, but some bits feel wrong - like a man is literally murdered on stage in front of a crowd and no one cares? Some more back story about the laws of the human world would be good, because it’s clearly not just New York.

I’ve gotta say, while I did enjoy the book to an extent, I actually would have much preferred a book about infiltrating the enemies, over another faerie courts book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

3.5/5, rounded down to 3

Review – 3.5/5 stars
As someone who enjoyed ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, I was intrigued by the mix of fae politics and modern NYC. The premise is cool—fae and humans now live side by side, and tensions are rising fast.
Sav is a strong fae heroine with a dark past, and Jack, a human trying to defy his villainous father, brings a softer energy. I liked the dynamic, but the romance felt a bit rushed for me—I usually prefer a slow burn with more tension.
The world had potential (seasonal courts, magic, rebellion), but some parts felt underdeveloped or confusing. Still, I loved the side characters—Kaspar especially—and the story kept me curious.
If you’re into enemies-to-lovers with fae, politics, and a touch of forbidden romance, it’s worth checking out.

This one just didn't work for me. I felt the story had potential but it felt underdeveloped and at parts didn't make sense. The progression either jumped ahead at times with a statement of, it's been hours, or was dragged out a bit. Most of the scenes had timing issues or didn't feel like the aligned with what had just happened, especially when we swapped characters.

This book didn’t fully connect with me, but that’s likely due to my personal writing taste. I usually enjoy slower pacing and more detailed world-building. This one moved quickly and skipped over parts I wanted more depth in. The premise had a lot of potential, and I can see it appealing to readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy with lighter detail. I’m still curious about what happens next and hope book two brings more clarity and resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️4⭐️

Fans of urban fantasy, welcome to your next read. Whispers Among Thorns is a gripping, high stakes adventure set in moody New York City, where tensions are high as anti-Fae factions hunt the powerless Fae residing in the city.

When Sav, a feisty and cleverly disguised Fae, gets caught in an attack by the anti-Fae faction in Central Park, her life is upended. With the lives of her fellow Fae at stake, she realises her best chance at saving them is to risk returning to the Faerie realm - the same realm which had stripped her of power and cast her into the human world years ago. Now, however, she might just have a bargaining chip - Jack, son of the anti-Fae faction leader. But as Sav and Jack get further embroiled in the dark political games of both human and Fae, the unearthing of tumultuous secrets make the two question the intentions of the other - and themselves.

Sublime world building and well developed characters makes Whispers Among Thorns a strong introduction to the Deadly Fae Duology. On occasion, however, the pacing felt a bit off and the emotional depth of the characters could have been more fully explored.

With elements of political intrigue, morally grey main characters, and a slow burn forbidden romance, Whispers Among Thorns will captivate romantasy readers long after the last page.

You can’t go back. Sav hates being on earth she misses home but she knows that she can’t go back. Everything changes when her friends are attacked and she is captured. Sav has to pretend to be human so that she can find a way to rescue her friends.
Jack hates what his father does to the fae folk he knows that he can’t save them all but he hopes that Sav will help him. But he never expected to be taken to Faerie and he has no idea if he will ever make it back home.
Will Sav give up her freedom to save her kind back on earth? Even if that means marrying her dear friend Kaspar? She knows that she has promised Kaspar that she will return to him but will she be able to keep that promise now that they are married? Will she be able to find Jack now that he has been taken? She cares for him but duty might win in the end.
A good read interesting characters. The story jumps between realms which makes it abit confusing at times. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.