A truly stunning fantasy debut. I am a big fan of Sarah Hawley first three novels; and stepping into Servant of Earth was wonderful.

Fae. Rebellions. Spicy Romance. Twists. Betrayals. Trials.

With the darkness of Cruel Prince, the spice of ACOTAR and the momentum of Hunger Games, this was a fantastic read.

I loved Kenna! So strong and clever but also a little naive in parts and vulnerable which made her relatable. Thrust into the world of the fae with much to learn and with lies to uncover, Kenna is assigned to serve the Earth House during the upcoming trials.

Lara took a little getting used to but she had great character growth which I hope carries on through book 2.

Drustan... I liked him, I did. He kept things interesting but... I never trusted the fire Prince.

Now Kellan... We better get more of him in the next book as I think he will be even more interesting!

The ending was all go with twists and turns, battles and revelations, leaving it open for one hell of a Sequel!

In a world where the fae are seperated into different houses with different styles of magic, our main character Kenna is a human.

King Osric is a tyrant and sends one member of these fae houses into deadly trials to judge if they are allowed to keep and worthy of their powers.
This is where Kenna fits in, she is assigned to help the princess for the house of earth.

She ends up helping Lara a lot, and meanwhile catches the eye of two of the male fae around her, both of who are dark and mysterious and have their own motivations for good or bad, unknown.
I was apprehensive to read yet another magical fae into houses/regions book, but Hawley brings something new to the field and her style of writing felt very different to what is on the market. The fae are not secretly nice and heartwarming and misunderstood. They are powerful, they are smart, cunning clever and a force to be reckoned with. Kenna herself was also a really powerful MC who didnt let the world push her around she fought for every inch she gained.
I loved the charcaters, i adored the romance (i need more already on that), and the pacing throughout was phenomenal. Absolutely recommened if you want fae but want something new and bloodthirsty in the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc

I really enjoyed this book. It was different to what I’ve been reading therefore it felt really refreshing. The books pacing I felt could’ve been slightly faster hit overall it was a fairly quick read.

I loved the element of the dragged attaching itself to her and I’m excited to see where book 2 goes!

Kenna Heron is an outsider in the village of Tumbledown with only one true friend, Anya. Kenna makes a living by scavenging from the marsh on the borders with the no mans land leading to the Fae lands of Mistei, and on Solstice day she finds a fae dagger. At the solstice celebration, four young women from Tumbledown village are chosen to make the journey to cross the bog to reach Mistei where they would be treated as royalty and live lives of luxury.
When Kenna's friend Anya is chosen, Kenna cannot bear the thought of living in Tumbledown without her and so chases after the four chosen. Kenna has explored the edges of the bog regularly and so takes the lead of the small party, however the group are soon set upon by monsters, only made visible to Kenna due to the fae dagger. Soon only Kenna is left and she makes it to Mistei and passes out.
Life in Mistei is soon revealed to be nothing like the stories told in Tumbledown, The Fae are ruthless and see the annual crossing as a blood sport, of which Kenna is the only human in an age to survive. The Fae king assigns her as a servant to a princess of the Earth court, a clear signal of his disdain for this court as humans are thought of as little more than disposable chattel.
Kenna survives on her wits, alliances and the help of the dagger which is sentient and a relic of the destroyed House of Blood. There is romance, treachery, brutality, trust and beauty to be found under the earth with Kenna experiencing it all.
There were some elements which were formulaic which meant that you could predict the path the story would follow. That said I did enjoy this book with characters you could root for and will keep a look out for the sequel.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this book. All views are my own.

This book was very much like ACOTAR, but better.

Kenna is a human who finds herself in the land of the faeries. She is now somehow involved in the fairy court. There’s deadly trials.

There’s an underground world, kinda like Under the Mountain. A bad king, kinda like Hybern. And humans are lesser than fairies.

The thing that’s different between the two is the writing. I much prefer Sarah Hawley’s writing. There wasn’t heavy “influence” of Howl’s Moving Castle in this one.

However, if I had to choose, I would prefer to reread 5)3 Glimmer Falls books.

Oh my God this was an addictive and gripping fantasy read that had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the whole premise of this one and the trials! I'm a sucker for a book with trials and this one did not disappoint. This is my first Sarah Hawley book and I can assure you it will not be my last. Her writing is beautiful and the pacing and world-building was perfect.

Kenna was a great main character who finds herself thrown into this world where fae are vicious nothing like the fae most of us are used to reading about. Kenna is resilient and fierce but also flawed and incredibly relatable. She will do anything ahe can for the people she cares for, even if it means putting herself in immense danger. Kenna is a character you cannot help but root for!

Full of political intrigue, romance and betrayal, Servant of Earth is a fantastic fantasy romance that I throughly recommend picking up! I cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Filled with courtly politics, a dangerously unfamiliar land, and the possibility of betrayal around every corner, this book drew me in and kept me hooked throughout. Kenna finds herself torn in multiple directions and strangely drawn to this land she's now prisoner in, which keeps her on her toes and tests her constantly. With the trials underway, and her new friend needing help, Kenna is breaking rules in the interest of saving her life and keeping a whole host of secrets sure to get her into trouble. Sarah Hawley has crafted an intricate world of fae, with different allegiances, and covert power struggles. There are a lot of different moving parts, and a large number of characters but it was mostly possible to keep track of everyone and everything going on. The one thing that bugged me was a lack of any emotional reaction or grief in Kenna's character, and while I won't give away any specifics, it seemed very much an afterthought to the story which didn't gel with how I'd expect her to be experiencing the situation - so that definitely could have been better written but I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed the story and desperately need to know what comes next!

I received a free copy of this book, all views are my own.

Welcome to Mistei, the underground fae kingdom where cruelty reigns supreme, magic is a double-edged sword, and the only thing sharper than Kenna Heron’s wit is her sentient dagger. (Yes, it talks. No, it doesn’t like you. )

Kenna is no damsel in distress, she’s a whirlwind of grit and wild energy, fighting to survive the fae court’s deadly trials.

These aren’t your average obstacle courses; think monsters, magic, and challenges designed by a fae king with way too much free time and a flair for sadism. Survival isn’t just about brawn; it’s about brains, guts, and occasionally sweet-talking an ancient blade into cooperation.

But let’s talk about the secret rebellion (because who doesn’t love an underdog story?). When Kenna teams up with the rebels to topple the tyrant king, sparks fly, literally and figuratively!

The romance adds just the right amount of forbidden passion to this dark, twisty adventure. (Seriously, if you don’t swoon at least once, are you even alive?)

Sarah Hawley delivers a world that’s vivid, brutal, and unrelentingly captivating. The six trials are pulse-pounding and inventive, the rebellion is full of twists, and Kenna? She’s an FMC you’ll root for with your whole heart.

If you like your fantasy gritty with a side of snarky humour and a dash of rebellion-fuelled romance, Servant of Earth will be your new obsession.

I really enjoyed the Glimmer Falls series by Sarah Hawley, so when she announced her new fantasy novel I was quite intrigued and, overall, I can say I liked it, even though there were a few things that I predicted from the beginning and I think that the pace was a bit off. The protagonist of the novel is Kenna, a human who, in an attempt to help her best friend from being sacrificed to the fae of the underground kingdom of Mistei, finds herself taken and made a servant. Not only she has to help her mistress pass six dangerous trials, but she is also thrown in the middle of the political intrigue of the various courts. Even though I found Kenna very smart and resourceful, especially as a human in a court full of vicious and sadistic fae, there were times when I found her annoying, but I liked how she developed in the end. There is spying, rebellion, scheming, betrayal, secrets, and romance and an unexpected ending that makes me want to see what happens next.

I didn't enjoy this, which is a shame as I did enjoy Sarah's other series! I feel like there was a lot of info dumping with very little in the way of real information for the world building, and I just didn't enjoy the characters themselves.

Magic, Death, and Rebellion in the Fae Realm

Kenna has had a solitary existence the last few years.  With the exception of her friend Anya, she's pretty much had a solitary existence.  When Anya is selected to walk the swampy land and enter the Fae Realm, Kenna ensures that she doesn't go in alone.

But Anya's fate is changed and Kenna must once again navigate a world on her own, learning what she can about magic, the Fae and the trials that she has found herself in.  Along the way she's made herself useful as a gossipmonger and information gatherer but will this be enough to save her?

Oh I love a good rebellion in a fantasy read and Kenna gets caught up in not one but two!  There are some harrowing scenes she observes and gets caught up in.  She soon realises how little power she has amongst these beautiful but cruel fae. This book was twisty and full of morally grey fae and I had exactly zero clue who to trust the entire time. Aside from the trials, there’s a war and rebellion brewing and Kenna wants to make sure she’s on the right side of that.

Trials and tribulations aside, Kenna also finds a dangerous attraction and betrayal.  There are twists and turns galore and those morally grey MC make everything murky! The grand finale was epic and it has set up the second book beautifully.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.

All hail the House of Blood!

This was everything you want and more. I was obsessed with this book and read it so quickly. I loved the court intrigue and honestly cannot wait for the next one!

I have recently enjoyed the Glimmer Falls trilogy by this author, and I loved the light rom com fantasy feel, they were definitely cosy fantasy. Servant of Earth is not what I expected at all, but it's occasionally nice to be surprised (even when that is a complete about-face in writing style).
What you have with this book is a story that feels very targeted towards the ACOTAR/Crescent City/Foxglove King fan (which sadly I am not). Luckily, there are lots of people who love the "mortal girl goes to fae world and falls for deceptively beautiful and handsome man" story.
This book has great potential to become an incredible series, especially targeting that (very large) audience.
Not one for me, but the main characters are well-crafted in a world that is structurally sound - we get enough of the history to make me (a world-building nut) happy, giving us a great foundation for a strong series that readers who enjoy visiting an intriguing fae-world will love.
If this review were purely about the writing rather than subjective opinion it would be a high four...

REVIEW
cw: violence, murder, torture, SA and sexual harassment, self-harm, death, grief, slavery, mention of bullying, PTSD

Growing up in Tumbledown, the closest human village to Fae territory in Enterra, Kenna Heron has always lived an impoverished existence. After her mother's death, the only person who understands her is her best friend, Anya. During the human solstice ritual, four women are chosen to cross the bog to Mistei every six years, assuming they'll find a better life, perhaps even marriage to a fae prince. But when Anya is chosen, Kenna decides to help her and the others cross the perilous bog. When she becomes the sole survivor, she's sent to Earth House to serve Lara, one of the candidates about to take place in the coming-of-age deadly trials for potential heirs of the six houses, which are linked to the six branches of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If Kenna succeeds, Lara will gain immortality. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant. With nothing but the mysterious and sentient dagger found in the bog, Kenna must face monsters and magic, all while becoming caught up in a secret rebellion against sadistic King Osric, and trying to manage her growing feelings for the rebellion’s leader.

I love Sarah Hawley's writing, so, even though I'm not an avid fantasy reader, I was excited to read this different style from her. But, full disclosure, that also means I can't compare this story to its contemporaries. Still, for the most part, I enjoyed the story and the world-building. Some of my review will be intentionally vague so as not to spoil any of the major plotlines.
Kenna was an interesting character, but I can't say I particularly liked her. She was both wise and wily, yet SO oblivious at times, and I often found it hard to believe she was quite so capable, or that she was able to go undetected in so many ways, particularly in the trials, and that none of the other competitors or houses detected her. I also found her a bit oblivious when it came to her love interest, who I really didn't like or trust even early on. However, the themes of grief and loss were beautifully observed, particularly when related to her mother and best friend, as well as the confidences shared with her by some of the faes. I loved Caedo, the sentient homicidal dagger with a sassy mouth, and appreciated it when they eventually had a more candid dialogue. I loved the inventiveness of the trials, although I'd have loved even more details of them.
There were some interesting supporting characters, many of whom had intriguing story arcs. Lara really grew on me. It was unfathomable how stoic she was made to behave, so I loved how she and Kenna briefly bonded in chapter ten. Though she still made mistakes, often at Kenna's expense, I loved how freeing Beltane was for her. I also loved how their friendship continued to develop, and her gifts for Kenna's new collection were sweet and thoughtful. I absolutely ADORED Lara's brother, Selwyn. He was so sweet and caring, and I'd have loved to have seen even more of him. My heart broke for Triana and Maude, and the reality of the humans kidnapped from Enterra. I also loved Aidan, immortality trialist Edric's servant, and Kenna's friend, but his seemingly unrequited pining also broke my heart
There were two Noble fae men who Kenna shared time with during the story. One becomes her love interest for most of the story, and the other is the detached, cold King's Vengeance, spying on behalf of King Osric. I adored c.33, which only confirmed my suspicions. The final few chapters revealed no surprises to me, but were still deeply satisfying, yet also left me veering between fist-pumping, sobbing, and wanting to scream. Still, I LOVED how it ended.
There were some dark themes as noted in my content warnings, so please be aware of any potential triggers. While I knew it would be a darker read, I would still have loved a bit of the author's trademark humour. There were only the faintest glimmers of it in this story. Overall, there were parts I really enjoyed and some characters I loved, but I found the pacing a bit slow at times. I'm hoping that was because there was a lot of world-building as well as backstory, particularly early on. So, when I read the next book (and I do want to see what happens next) I'm hoping we jump straight into the action as well as spending some more time with other characters.
Though this wasn't my favourite story, there was enough to keep me turning the pages.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.5 (rounded up to 4 for the ending)
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

*Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Servant of Earth is published on 14th November in the UK*

Favourite Quotes:

There was something comforting about carrying a weapon. Women weren’t supposed to unless they were hunting. Was this how men felt? Bold and brave, like no one could hurt them?

I stroked the dagger’s outline at my thigh, thinking about what it might be like to live in a world where women didn’t have to depend on people they feared for safety.

I had escaped the bog, but I was still surrounded by monsters.

I knew from losing my mother that grief had countless small traps like this— not just the big ache of missing someone, but the small cuts of memories or wishes. People vanished all at once, but the things you wanted to tell them or do with them or show them didn’t.

In that moment, the way I saw my mistress began to shift. Despite her harsh attitude, despite the vast gulf between our stations, we had become reluctant allies in the same fight.

“So we are both ill-suited for our positions.” When she didn’t respond, even to snap at me, I smiled at her in the mirror. “That’s why they’ll never expect it when we succeed.”

“Six Shards, six trials, six virtues.” Six years between sacrifices of innocent human victims, too.

“Bold but clever is a rare combination.”

“I find the Fae are perpetually surprised by what humans can do,” I said. “You’d think they’d start learning.”

It seemed some of the monsters of King Osric’s court were more complex than I had realized.

That was what King Osric did to us. He made us witness his atrocities, and because he held so much power, we said nothing. We became complicit.

In a way, the death of my hope for escape was a relief— it was one less worry, one less thing to focus on. All my rage and energy could go towards a different cause.

“The danger in looking at the wrong people, Kenna, is that sometimes they want to look back.”

“Every solstice I’m reminded of a fundamental truth. Act like your enemy long enough, and you become them.”

"Even if I won’t see it, I’m happy to know you will not rule forever.”

@mssarahhawley has knocked it out of the park with this one!!! A fantastic new take on the Fae worlds and humans. I loved my time with this story, Kenna was a brilliant FMC and even though I had high hopes for her and Drustan I’m now torn. That ending was superb and even thoigh my thought of who Kenna was turned out to be wrong it still came to fruition. I can’t wait for book 2, just know it’s going to be amazing

This book sounded great, however I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

There is a lot of world building but I don't think it goes into enough detail, it's all very surface level and there is too much info dumping. I would have liked it to be slowed down, so I could get to know more about this world that seems amazing.

The plot twist was predictable and I didn't warm to any characters. Unfortunately I was just bored throughout and if I didn't get an ARC copy I would of DNF'd.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Servant of Earth is an intense fantasy with good characters and a fascinating setting. The plot wasn't my favourite - a bit predictable at points and some tropes I wasn't really feeling - but overall it was a solid start to a series that has real potential!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A fantastic new series. I loved the new world of magic and dark fae, set against a poor human world. Kenna is a brilliant lead characters and the many twist are very engaging. Just enough heat for the genre. Loved it.

This is the first instalment in The Shards of Magic series.

Kenna Heron has lived her entire life on the borders between the human and the fae world. She has learned there is little to love about the magical beings and has grown hard and distrustful, some say half-feral, as she has sought to survive in the harsh environs they force upon the humans. This will prove necessary to her survival as she is uprooted into the fae realm and forced to serve under her new mistress. She is set the task of aiding in her undertaking six deadly trials, one for each branch of magical fae house. 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.

I absolutely adored every element about this book! The trials in the synopsis were what initially piqued my interest and I was relieved to find each one given proper and detailed attention. They were bloody and brutal and the other fae were clever and conniving. Kenna had as much to battle against surviving each battle as she did the court politics that this world thrived upon.

This same close focus was provided to the underground fae world. It was a sprawling labyrinth that Kenna only got to see a fraction of. I'm so eager to learn more about the magic of the fae and the clans they have divided themselves into, as the series progresses. There is so much room for growth, in both geography and history.

The romance was swoon-worthy and I was just as eager to see this enter into the storyline as all the other elements previously mentioned. I was relieved to find that it didn't overshadow these other elements, however. I love my romantasy books, but I also often find myself longing for a stronger storyline to centre the tale, and this definitely delivered that!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Sarah Hawley, and the publisher, Gollancz, for this opportunity.