| Title | : | Servant of Earth (The Shards of Magic, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593819799 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593819791 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 464 |
| Publication | : | Expected publication November 19, 2024 |
Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.
Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.
With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.
Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will... but even that may not be enough.
Servant of Earth (The Shards of Magic, #1) Reviews
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This is how I find out about upcoming books: I see beautiful covers and just clickityclick✨
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fae and trials? ya it’s a need
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SCREAMING this book was so good. I was immediately sucked into the story, fantastic world building and magic system. Full of political intrigue, rebellion, and shifting alliances, betrayal and friendship and spice. It gets dark and violent and the heroine is not afraid to get her hands bloody and I love that for her (and me).
It’s kind of like ACOTAR meets Hunger Games meets Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Whatever it is it WORKS and I am desperate for book two. The climactic ending sees some resolution, no major cliffhanger, but it’s clear there’s a lot more story to unfold.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ace/Berkley/Penguin Random House for the review copy. -
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this is the next epic fantasy romance sensation.
I’m not easy to please with this stuff, either. This is such a fun spin on a topic I thought had been done to death.
The world building is stellar. The author’s background in archaeology really comes through here.
The magic system / weapons are fun and while I think weirdly Quicksilver did a more interesting job with the weapon part, I am looking forward to how this will be expanded on in book 2.
Most of this genre isn’t very good at portraying authentic female friendships, and yet here we are, with an absolutely incredible and lovable cast of women.
The men play on tropes enough to appeal to women who typically read these books without becoming boring. I particularly enjoyed the fire lord’s arc. That ending. 10/10. Boy was I ready for a different take on hot fairy guys.
The heroine is not only likeable, she is exactly the kind of heroine that we have been lacking in this genre - someone who is not chosen, but has to choose.
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Update: I had the biggest book hangover after finishing this, and unlike most books I have decided to re-read it very soon because there is no other cure. -
A fast paced fantasy book with a hit of romance!
I loved this story so much, Kenna is such a bad ass!
It also includes my favorite micro-trope which is magic weapons.
The ending!!!! Sarah I’m going to need book 2 ASAP
Full review on my TT/ IG
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNWTqxeG/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-f74G... -
Solidly mid for me. The magic/power system in this world was interesting, and the MC was likeable enough but overall wasn't very memorable. BUT, that being said, I'm definitely invested enough to find out what happens in the next one because it ended (naturally) when things were about to get interesting.
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3.5ish stars rounded down.
There will be spoilers in the review, so read at your own risk.
I liked this one, but not as much as I thought I would. Unfortunately, I found a lot of the plot points and the way the story was trending to be very obvious, and none of the reveals brought too much surprise to me, which did detract from me wanting to sit down and read it, as I felt I knew what was already going to happen.
I also wasn't too attached to the characters, unfortunately. I did like Kenna and Lara, but didn't love them. I didn't like the main love interested in this one, unfortunately, but I do believe there will be some interesting things happening in book 2 on that front.
As soon as Kenna began enduring the trials alongside Lara, as well as having the blood dagger from the beginning, I knew by the end she would be a blood fae. Not that that's a bad thing, it was still an interesting story, getting to that point! I just wish that it had felt a little less obvious, and a little more mysterious.
Same with Anya being taken by the King, it didn't feel like much of a mystery, but the way the story ended and set up for book two I do think will make for a good story.
Same with the betrayal at the end of the book. It says a lot about me as a reader, I think, and the stories I consume, that I could tell that Drusten was going to end up doing something horrible, and than Kallen is probably going to be the true Love Interest (or at least, compete for the title). I have to say, I really hope there isn't any big leaning into the love triangle trope in a sequel. I like Kallen much more than I like Drusten.
Overall, I definitely think this is going to have mass appeal. I could see this being a big release and a favorite for some people, as I do think it has that inherent spark that people look for in the new Romantasy trend! and I did definitely still enjoy this, just not as much as I had hoped.
Final thoughts- I will continue with this series when the sequel comes out! Because I think the set up for book two makes for an interesting premise, and I'm intrigued enough to keep going.
Thanks for the eARC! -
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley is a fairytale romantasy following a scrappy human as she's thrust into the court intrigue of the fae realm that is teeming with rebellion, monsters, and trials of the young fae lady she's forced to serve.
Wow, wow, wow, I absolutely loved this! It started off similar to other fae-centered stories but quickly veered into finding its own once our main gal hits the fae realm. I can honestly say by a quarter of the way in, you'll be sucked into a tale that stands out amongst the rest. Yes, there are tried and true tropes at play, but overall the story felt fresh, the magic system unique, and the pacing and stakes were a perfect mix to keep you on your toes.
Needless to say, I gave this book a five-star rating and would highly (HIGHLY) recommend this to any fantasy romance loving reader. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee. And with the way book one ended, I'll be chomping at the bit for the next installment. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year! -
Servant of Earth follows human Kenna as she gets thrown into an underground faerie kingdom, forced into serving a lady of Earth House as she undertakes six trials to gain her immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn't, the punishment is death for both.
Kenna is a strong and smart heroine, and it seems a lot of her strength comes from the sentient dagger she found before making her way to the faerie kingdom - and I am HERE for the stabby dagger making its presence known!
The world building is pretty great and draws you in immediately, the whispers of rebelling against the tyrannical king and not knowing who you can trust keeps you turning the pages, and watching Kenna do anything in her power to survive this world shows her courage.
This book gives off a lot of your favorite fantasy tropes but it WORKS and the climatic ending ensures that I will need book number 2 as soon as Sarah Hawley can write it
Thank you Sarah Hawley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for a review! -
Kenna is a known as a feral human in her town who, suddenly against her wishes, ends up in Mistei, the faeries' mysterious underground kingdom. Soon, she finds herself thrust into court drama with the different fae houses and trying to help her mistress survive the deadly trials that will allow her mistress to keep her magic and become immortal.
This book is a fast paced story full of intrigue, adventure, politics, and romance. The writing hooks the reader quickly, and has enough world building to keep you reading and not being overwhelming. There are many similariities with the fae houses as other current fantasy romance series, but this stands apart with it's interesting underground world, tyranical and cruel king, and the intracacies of the servants who serve the fae.
Any fan of Sarah J Mass, new adult fantasy romance, and Fourth Wing, minus the dragons, will enjoy this story. The cliffhanger is on par with I can't wait for book two!
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Gropu for a free copy. -
What starts as your classic Fae story quickly shapes into a unique dark fantasy filled with trials, court intrigue, desire, and death. Kenna is a human servant to the heir of Earth House and it is her duty to help her lady complete her trials to become immortal. Forced into servitude, Kenna will do anything to survive, even if it means making a deal with the enemy. Servant of Earth will pull you in from page one with its lush worldbuilding and stouthearted heroine. It is simply unputdownable.
PLUS! There are some rathy spicy scenes! -
Trust me when I say you have never seen Fae lore like this before. Sarah Hawley is a genius in fantasy world building and romance. I want to take her masterclass. Seriously, if you love story structure then read this book! Every single beat hit! Every single character and their development was amazing. The hints and watching the plot unfold was delicious! I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.
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The cover is stunning and the book sounds right up my alley 👀
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This book is for the stabby girlies. For everyone who ever wanted a magic dagger and the courage to shank the people who have it coming. Rock on, Kenna Heron. May you shank a thousand more.
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objectively i give this book 4/5
subjectively i give it a 3/5
i feel like it has the potential to be the new acotar/fourth wing if they get the marketing right -
2.5 ⭐️
I said F the trigger warnings and I paid the price 🫡 -
I enjoyed this! I like Hawley’s romances so was super interested to see how she’d fare in a fantasy setting, and overall I had fun. The beginning was slow, but it picked up around the 30% mark, and then I flew through the rest. As a romance girly I’m obviously very intrigued and excited to see how Kenna and Kallen’s relationship evolves (not sure how many books are planned but I’m READY for that slow burn). But the absolute highlight of this book was Kenna’s friendship with Lara. I loved seeing them work together and grow closer and I just adore Lara, she’s so sweet.
The ending had my jaw dropping multiple times and I’m so excited to see where this goes!
