spoiler free for dawn of the north - possible slight spoilers for previous books in series.

I don’t know how to explain it other than: slipping back into this world felt like coming home. Demi’s writing? Unreal. These characters? Family. This series? My entire personality and I’m not even sorry about it.

We now officially have three incredible FMCs and three incredible MMCs and every single one of them has my whole heart. I was grinning like a fool, crying, and fist-pumping the air all in the same sitting — RANGE.

What blew me away in this one was the structure. Normally I ride or die for first person POV, but this third person was so well done. Instead of bouncing between names on chapters, the POVs were framed around locations - and it made everything feel like you were zooming out on a map, watching the threads tighten together across the world. Chef’s kiss.

Silla continues to own my soul. Watching her development and just HER as a character? It's my favorite. She's our resident soft girl but don't label her just as that because she is also a bad ass warrior and realizes that you can lead and still be KIND. Her relationship and connection with Saga, was everything I wanted. I especially loved how Demi handled Silla’s doubts without ever tipping into a miscommunication trope. Like… thank you for respecting us, the readers.

And the way each character stayed so aligned with themselves while still growing? Wholesome and fierce. Saga and Silla’s arcs had me absolutely locked in, but I also adored seeing how every storyline pushed forward without losing momentum. Of course, I loved seeing more of hekla and kritka. AND WE GOT A NEW ANIMAL FRIEND: Havoc <3

The ending? Perfect. Yes, there’s a little cliffhanger, but it’s the kind where you’re feral for the next book while still feeling some sense of peace because key threads were tied off. (Basically I didn’t throw my Kindle across the room, which is a win.)

At this point, Demi Winters could write her grocery list and I’d preorder it. This series is an ode to women, to strength in all its forms, and to messy, brave, complicated characters you want to root for.

I cannot wait for the next installment - but until then, just know this book gave me everything: empowerment, laughter, yearning, and a whole lot of heart.

Demi has done it again. I can’t believe how well she can weave a story. I love seeing the multi pov, the world building, and just the sheer magic that she puts on the pages. Demi is one of my favorite authors and as always, I look forward to her next installment in the series!

this was a strong third entry in the Ashen series, it had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening. It continued the story perfectly and the characters continued to feel like they belonged in this universe. It worked well in the Viking elements and how it uses the fantasy romance perfectly and had that spirit that I was expecting. Demi Winters has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.

It was an amazing book. Though I admit I hate Jonas and Signe, how dare they blame Saga and Silla for their shortcomings, I hope Signe and Jonas get karma handed to them. I’m glad Silla and Saga are reunited, and am excited what this means for future books. I’m actually curious how the ending, though it shocked me, I’m curious how the ending will play out in future books. I loved it in it’s entirety and already I’m excited for book four.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! All opinions remain my own.

Wow wow WOW!!! I could not put Dawn of the North down! The pacing was so good, switching the point of view between characters in different parts of the world is such a good way to keep me drawn in. I adore Silla, Saga, and Hekla, their internal dialogue and struggles are so relatable and it’s very empowering to see them face and overcome each of their hurdles. Demi’s world building is *chef’s kiss* and the only thing I’m disappointed about it how long I’ll have to wait for the rest of the story!

4.5! This was everything I wanted in the next book. I loved getting the multi pov and the short chapters really helped with pacing. I don't love story lines where there are scheming nobles trying to sow doubt into the feelings/emotions/trust between love interests but it was a short part of the book and getting a small glimpse of that and then being able to quickly jump to a different story arc really saved that for me. Saga getting to strengthen her resolve, overcome her anxiety, and choose Kass was so fun to watch and I love how Zagadka became home for her. The sisters reuniting was everything we wanted and have been waiting for, I love that it was Saga and not Rey that was able to pull Silla back from the chaos in her mind. I'm curious to see where Jonas' arc goes in the next book, I didn't expect to keep seeing him but his reluctance to be all in with the queen's schemes is interesting, it seems like he's more concerned with survival than vengeance sometimes which has humanized him. Seeing Silla stand up for herself and become the leader she wants instead of who everyone expects Eisa to be was perfect and the realization she has that Rey has always believed in this side of her was touching. Really looking forward to more of the Rey/Kass dynamic going forward.

Demi Winters has once again taken over my life with Dawn of the North!
The long-lost Volsik heir returns to the Kingdom of Íseldur. Silla, with the warrior she loves by her side, must rally the northern jarls to overthrow the tyrant King Ivar Ironheart and bring peace back to her land. But Silla harbors a dangerous secret: a fragment of a god resides within her mind, subtly influencing her actions.
Meanwhile, Saga Volsik is imprisoned on the mysterious Isle of Zagadka. When King Ivar sets his sights on the Zagadkians, Saga faces a gut-wrenching dilemma: join forces with the man who once abducted her—or watch innocent lives perish.
As a deadly mist spreads across the realm, the sisters must explore the depths of their magic to combat a rising evil. It’s a world of ice and fire, where a dormant god stirs, a queen claims her strength, and a sisterly bond may be the realm’s only hope.
This book was such a great immersive experience and adds on so much to her Ashen series. I look forward to reading more of her work!

INFINITY STARS!!!!
Dawn of the North is an absolute must-read! Demi Winter's writing is utterly magic in itself! Each book just gets better and book three is the best yet! I'm still processing what I just read! Multiple POVs, that are easy to follow and each where the characters build and progress in their own. Must say Saga and Kass were amazing! Gotta love the banter Hekla, Eyvind and Kritka! Silla fighting the god of chaos in her with Rey their story continues. I'm not sure how I liked sillas insecurities but I'll take that as the god making her slowly go crazy..You have some spice, lots of action, found family,heart feels and answers. Definitely the world is building up to book 4 which I can't wait! Bring on more mythical creatures I loved it! The best viking romantasy out today! If you have not started the Ashen series you have time to start! Dawn of the North comes out February 2026! You will love it!
Thank you,
Netgalley, Demi Winters and Delacorte Press this ARC was such a gift. Opinions are my own!

I stayed up way too late finishing this last night because the last 20% of this book was un-put-downable. This was a top anticipated read for me and I was so privileged to receive an ebook ARC through Demi Winters' Street team.

SO much happens in this book and at first I felt like there was a bit of a struggle to weave all the stories together and the number of POVs and switches was a bit overwhelming. That said, the story really hit it's stride in part two and everything started to come together beautifully. Specifically, the battle scenes (yes more than one!) were so well written and had my heart racing!

I especially loved Saga's story in this book and felt like we got to know her so much more. I also love that Hekla's story continued so seamlessly from the novella.

Our girl Silla was put through the ringer this book but came out a beautiful badass as usual. We also got a fair bit of tasteful spice which I appreciated (🌶️🌶️).

Overall, this was a five star read for me and I'm already anticipating everything to come in the next book (and I know I can rely on Demi to give us an excellent recap so I can remember all the madness that happened in this book too).

An incredible continuation of an incredible series! In the third installment of The Ashen series each interwoven storyline grew only more complex and exciting. I couldn’t put it down!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. This book was a great continuation of the Ashen series! I would highly recommend reading the novella Roots of Darkness (book 2.5 of the series) before diving in, as it really gives more insight into Hekla's POV. I was worried that this book would be just a "filler" book in the middle of the series, just getting us through to the meat at the end, but I am happy to report that this was not at all a filler book! There were some very important plot points that occurred, and the action was very engaging. There were a few slower moments in some of the POVs in the middle, but overall the story was well paced. It was really cool to also get a glimpse outside of Iseldur- I found the Zagadkian culture and their own brand of magic to be fascinating. I thought the additional worldbuilding with the Zagadkians was well crafted. I also continue to enjoy learning more about galdra and the Iseldur deities. Overall, the worldbuilding in this book (and series) has been very well done. I really enjoy Demi's writing style, as well- she has such a great way of making these characters and this story be so riveting.

I continue to love Silla and Rey, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship mature. I don't think we got as much of them as we did in Kingdom of Claw, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the continued spice. Silla also continued to gain confidence in this book and started to demonstrate that she is living up to her heritage. However, I felt that Saga really stole the show in this book. Her character really grew significantly in depth and confidence, and I loved seeing her interactions with Kass. I also enjoyed getting more of Hekla in this book, as she is so badass!

There were two elements of this book that I struggled with a little bit: 1. many POVs: there were 6 POVs throughout this book, and it sometimes felt a bit hard to juggle them all. That being said, I understand that each of them had their place in the storytelling, making it useful to have them all. 2. There was a mention of a side/minor character at the beginning of Kass's POV that I don't think had been introduced prior (it would have been in Kingdom of Claw, but I don't recall them being mentioned), and it was a little confusing to try to figure out who they were and why they mattered. Perhaps this will be a little bit more honed in the final publication.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC, which I received via NetGalley through Demi's Street Team. I will absolutely be getting this book once it is officially published!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. I loved the first two books of this series, and book 3 is even better! There is so much happening all at the same time, and it moves flawlessly from storyline to storyline. I adore all of the female characters, but I did read a little faster to try to get back to Saga.

THIS ONE HAD ME IN MY FEELINGS SO BAD. This book had me stressed out. So much happens. This book was definitely my favorite. I am loving how all the storylines are finally coming together. I am so worried about book 4 since this one ended so peacefully and perfect! I cannot wait!

I recommend reading the novella Roots of Darkness (#2.5) before starting this book. It will help flesh out Hekla's journey.

I kept reading this book because I loved reading about Saga and Kass. However, some of the worldbuilding and fantasy elements of the book felt like a ripoff of Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings.

Spice rating: 3 out of 5 🔥

This book was excellent. I love the consistency in that every book in this series is excellent; seamless in its story telling and character development. I’m already aching for the next one!!

And I will be continuing to obsess over this series! I genuinely didn’t think I could love Rey more than I did before but I’ve been proven wrong. I really enjoyed seeing Silla and Saga continue to grow as they navigate their new worlds and positions. Their growth from the very beginning to now has been a full 180 and they are genuinely some of my favorite FMCs.

I am feeling a little indifferent about the multiple POVs. On one hand I absolutely love getting all the characters povs as we followed them on their different missions up until the ending but on the other hand the flow wasn’t always the strongest. Also as much as I love Hekla I wanted to personally strangle her as she ignored Gunner and Eyvind through 94% of this story. I think it was pretty obvious where their like triangle of tension was going to end up so I wish we had gotten to that point a little quicker so we could have enjoyed Hekla and Eyvinds banter longer.

I’m really anxious for the next book to see how Rey and Kassandr interact with one another because I just know it’s going to have me cackling.

Demi Winters is an auto-read- this series is AMAZING. AND Dawn of the North is no different. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Each book in this series is better than the last. Seriously. Demi does not miss. I'm so happy that we got so much of Hekla in this book even though we just got a novella about her. Jonas' story line is SO good which I was shocked I enjoyed it because I hate his character but the story line is so freaking good.

✨Book Review✨

📚 This story is an epic fantasy tale unfolding on the page in front of you. Once the scene was set, each chapter was gripping and furthering the plot in a way that made it hard to put down. You’re going to get answers that you’ve been waiting for and moments you’ve been waiting for too! The characters were diverse and easy to fall in love with (or hate). The writing is descriptive and action scenes are creatively explored. The bouncing back and forth between characters and POVs was well timed and left me wanting more from everyone, waiting to get back to them, while also being fully ready to be updated on the character(s) within the chapter. The ending was phenomenal. The epilogue was exactly what I wanted, and not what I predicted. This book leaves me longing for the next one already…. It also leaves me looking at each squirrel wondering if Kritka is among us. IYKYK

🌟 If you enjoy epic fantasy, a little romance, a lot of action and Nordic vibes then this is a series for you. Be sure to start with Road of Bones. Be patient, there’s some world-building that needs to happen!

A special shoutout to @NetGalley and @DemiWintersWrites for the Advanced Reader Copy. I abandoned my TBR immediately to dive into this one. (Also thanks to my family for understanding my *need* to be reading at every available minute.) This book will publish February 3rd, 2026.

More about: Dawn of the North - Demi Winters

📖 Welcome back to the Kingdom of Iseldur in the third installment of The Ashen series. In this book we will follow Silla, Sage, Heckla, Jonas, Rey, Kass, and many others as they work to find the answers they seek. Their stories are unfolding, driving each of them closer to who they are becoming.

|| The Ashen Series, Romantasy, Read This Next ||

#BookReview #BookRecommendation #Bookish

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I get worried every time there's a particularly long book series that I get heavily invested in, as quite often the stories end up dragging on. Not with this one!! Dawn of the North kept my attention in a stranglehold (MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT) like its predecessors, and now I find myself lamenting that we're not going to see Book Four for quite some time! The plot continues to be engaging, the character development is sharp and crisp, and the plot twists are certainly ones I didn't see coming!!