Kendra here wishing Sarah Hawley a Happy Pub Day on her new release (posted review on Instagram on release day), Servant of Earth! A while ago I was casually scrolling Netgalley, as you do, and noticed this beautiful cover and stopped in my tracks. Upon investigating further I recognized the authors’ name, read the summary, and decided to give this fantasy book a whirl.

In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power–but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything. 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 danger 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 of happiness. Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will…but even that may not be enough.

Guys, I was not prepared for the ride that awaited me. I LOVED this book. I loved her found family, friendships, the mystery, the intrigue, the tension… the list goes on and on. THE ENDING!! – It was so satisfying and everything I wanted for for this book. Through finding a way through her perils, she finds strength in herself.

Servant of Earth is out TODAY! Go read it!

Thanks Berkley for the e-arc!

I absolutely devoured this book. This will definitely be a book for fans of Sarah J. Maas and has a very similar vibe to Court of Thorns and Roses series (without the Beauty and Beast reference). Honestly I was on the edge of my seat through all the trials and needed to see what the outcome would be. I had an idea of where things would go with Drustan early on, it's one of those when you read a lot of fantasy they all have similar formulas. I absolutely loved the friendship between Kenna and Lara, watching it build over time was well written. I am so excited to see how things will continue in the next book. I will say that this book is a lot darker than I expected, and yet despite that I could not put it down.

This was such a great series starter! I absolutely adored Kenna, and I loved watching her friendship with Lara grow. I found the first part of the book a bit slow, but after the halfway mark, it was impossible to put down! And that ending!! I can't wait to read the next book, and whatever else Sarah Hawley writes in the future :)

This was a really beautiful dark fairytale that hit all the right marks. And don't get me started on that magical dagger??? SUCH A COOL CONCEPT! Loved this one so much!

I’m late to reviewing this, but I really loved this book. Sarah Hawley writes fantasy in a way I can and will get behind every time. I can’t wait for more from her

I really enjoy Sarah Hawley’s witchy rom-coms, so I was excited to give this a try, but unfortunately I did find this to be a little too predictable for me.

This is about a human woman, Kenna, who ends up in the fae court where she is given as a servant to a fae noble who is competing in trials to earn her powers and her immortality, and Kenna is expected to cheat to help her through. I think the trials, and the way the character gets around them, were a bit sloppy in how they were plotted out. I feel like trials have been having a huge resurgence lately (maybe with the return of the Hunger Games with the Ballad of Songs and Snakes film), but I feel like they need to be done with a bit more build up, understanding of the rules and stakes, and denouement after each one.

I also felt like this book was quite dark at times, with some pretty horrific depictions of mutilation, rape, torture, and even infanticide. These topics were handled a bit clumsily, definitely used for shock factor but not necessarily with care.

This is a fantasy romance, however there was no romance in this first book. The love interest in this book is (spoiler) probably not going to be the love interest of the series, however the other one was not explored much at all. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a first book in a series, but I do think the switch was very predictable and clear from the get-go. There was never a point where I thought he would be the one.

With all that said, this wasn’t poorly written and I am kind of interested to see what would happen in the next book possibly.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Berkley and Ace for this book because I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

I was enthralled from the first page and barely put it down to take breaks for basic human things like eating and sleeping. The author has done a phenomenal job of creating the universe of the fae and humans. I love how we learn about the fae along with the main character, Kenna, as she is thrust into trying to survive in their world. And oh my, the ending of the book speaks so highly of Sarah's ability to plot and plant clues without the reader knowing that even the most minor of details will have a big payoff in the end.

I can't wait for book two and then book three and will absolutely be re-reading this book!!

Servant of Earth is the first book in The Shards of Magic series. It follows Kenna, a human who finds herself trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei and forced to help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death - for both mistress and servant.

This is a darker fae fantasy with excellent world-building, an interesting magic system and full of morally grey characters. The fae world is dangerous and the way they treat humans is brutal.

Kenna was a badass. She does what she has to in order to survive and I loved how resilient she was. I really enjoyed the trials and Kenna’s involvement in them.

The friendships she develops were amazing and the bloodthirsty, sentient dagger was a fun addition to the story.
The romance is a slow burn and not the main focus of this book which I was okay with. It seems like there may be a love triangle in the future but I’m really hoping Kallen will be the main love interest because I could not stand Drustan.

Some parts were a bit predictable but after that ending, I can’t wait for the next book!

After finishing Servant of Earth just prior to the end of the year, I’m now wondering if I prepared my Best of 2024 list a smidge too early. This book was phenomenally entertaining and wraps up so many of my favorite things into a tidy package with a lovely cover. We have a competition element, fae, a questionable potential love interest, sneaky shenanigans, and a magic weapon! 

Servant of Earth follows Kenna Heron, a young woman living on the outskirts of her small northern village that borders the fae lands. Every so many years, the four women between the ages of 20 and 30 are chosen to go to the fae where they live a glamorous life among these magical immortal beings… or so they think. Kenna sneaks along when her best friend is chosen so that she might guide her and the three other chosen women as far as she can through the dangerous marshlands but they come under attack and only Kenna makes it through thanks to a shape-changing dagger she dredged from the marsh. Now in the hands of the sadistic fae court, Kenna is assigned as a servant to the heir of Earth House as an insult to the traditionally neutral fae house and must help her new mistress to pass a series of six trials.

The trials take place over the course of the story which happens over several seasons and, fortunately, Kenna isn’t stuck in some horribly boring maze or something constantly fighting for her life. Earth House is actually quite supportive of their young Heir and they want Kenna to help her succeed, even though that most certainly puts her in danger. Kenna is now a spy, searching out tidbits of information from other Houses and sneaking about the secret passages of Earth House to get into each of the six trial locations. She also catches the eye of the Prince of Fire, Drustan, and an intimidating fae of Void House named Kallen who serves as spymaster to the king. While the trials themselves are fascinating in their diversity, the real fun is all the stuff that happens in between - the encounters with Drustan and Kallen, Kenna’s developing friendships with other servants, the humans, and even her mistress, Lara. I love that this isn’t all just action and that the development of secondary characters and interpersonal relationships is important and given a proper amount of time and space to grow organically. 

Servant of Earth really swept me off my feet and I may have to remind myself to add it to my list of Best Books for 2025 since it just barely missed out on making my 2024 list. It has a definite lean toward political fantasy and it’s difficult to tell who Kenna can and should really be trusting and what their motivations might be. I love the sneaky, underhandedness of Kenna helping Lara with the trials and I love even more that the two of them develop a genuine friendship despite their difference in stations. The romantic element is also quite fun and has a surprising amount of spice in the few scenes that occur, so don’t make the mistake of mislabeling this as young adult. Servant of Earth also highlights the darker characteristics of the fae with gruesome executions and horrific treatment of the humans they steal away, so this isn’t just some cozy romantasy. This was a truly excellent read and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel! It’s also very different from Sarah Hawley’s other romantasy works, which are quite cozy and set in a modern magical version of our world - if that sounds like your thing, go check those out too!

I really enjoyed this read! I was lucky enough to hear the author speak at an event, too, so that really primed me to appreciate this story. Unique set up for how the human FMC gets into Fae. Fairly standard with Fae houses being divided by magic/powers. And as seems to be a trend in YA these days, there are Trials that the FMC has to (somewhat) compete in. But I loved the depth of the two male main characters. And the sentient knife - I want to know more about it/him! The action was well-paced. The relationships between characters well-done. I will say the ending was not at all a surprise for me (I had guessed that's where it was going pretty early on). BUT I definitely want to read the rest of this series.

Servant of Earth is a solid romantasy with engaging world-building and intense trials, though its pacing falters in places. While the romance felt underdeveloped, the strong female friendships and clever magic system stood out. It’s an entertaining read for fans of fae politics and deadly challenges, even if it didn’t completely blow me away. I’m curious enough to pick up the sequel but not counting down the days for it.

A solid romantasy that entertained me but didn’t blow me away. I liked how Hawley engaged with (quickly solidifying) romantasy tropes and the world building was approachable. The book centers on six trials that I thought were executed pretty well, though some were much more entertaining than others. Parts of the story dragged and I didn’t think there was any substantial development in the romance. That being said, the friendships between female characters and non-romantic side characters were compelling and shined much brighter. I’m not going to be counting down for the sequel, but I do think I’ll pick it up so I can find out what happens next! This first installment is still worth checking out, as the ending is pretty well tied up while still leaving plenty of room for expansion in the next books.

I really loved the premise of this book! I was totally sucked in! The world building and character development was fascinating. But, about 1/2 way through the book, it started to drag a little and I put it down several times to read other things.

Kenna is thrust into a world she didn't know existed and it is brutal and cruel for sure. Trying to figure out who is using her and who is supporting her keeps you wondering for sure. And through all the scheming, there are life and death trials going on! The premise is wonderful and I really did like the characters. I just got a bit bored. Maybe I was reading too much romantasy and was just burnt out?

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

THIS BOOK. Oh my god. Fair disclosure, I've never read ACOTAR... but I think those readers would love this one! It's got the fae, romance, and political intrigue, but also a death game for the ages. Kenna is brash but highly capable, never giving off that Mary Sue energy as she navigates the Fae courts and tries to protect Lara in her trials. I enjoyed the 6 houses each having their own magic, especially that it wasn't your typical elements. The trials themselves were deadly enough to keep me interested, but I liked trying to crack the puzzles or tricks myself.

I thought the foreshadowing was so well done throughout - I picked up on most things, but there were still a few surprises tossed in! I cannot WAIT for the next book in the trilogy. Sarah Hawley truly outdid herself here.

SERVANT OF EARTH is full of Fae trickery, epic trials, found friendship, sinuous romance and unique magic.

Hawley sweeps us to the underground kingdom of Mistei, where Kenna, our MC finds herself a captive to the Fae court forced to compete in deadly trials. While trying to stay alive in the tyrannical king’s realm, she finds herself at the center of a Fae rebellion and catches the attention of its leader.

This is a fast read with six dangerous, adrenaline filled trials. I love the fact that Kenna is a magicless heroine who must rely on her cunning and bravery. She’s kind, resilient and a multilayered character you can root for.

The underground realm of Mistei is filled with mercurial Fae, gorgeous atmosphere and dark, beastly creatures. I especially enjoyed how each house is represented by a
unique magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood.

There is a romance with definitely some sizzle but I really loved how Hawley creates complications and layered questions surrounding it. Also, for those of you who enjoy strong, feminine friendships, SERVANT OF EARTH has them.

I enjoyed the whole trial vibe and deadly Fae atmosphere created. Hawley didn’t shy away from creating varied shades of morally grey and dark Fae here. You will find terror and brutality as well as kindness and compassion within these pages.

The ending definitely has me excited to continue the series! I can’t wait to see where Hawley takes Kenna’s story.

➻ 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐁𝐑 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
Dark Fantasy Romance
Atmospheric Fae Realm
Deadly Trials
Sadistic Ruler
Unique Elemental Magic
Sentient Dagger
Vicious Monsters
Fae Rebellion

This was a slow start but then it got really, really good. I enjoyed the relationship between Kenna and her mistress, but especially loved the set up for what I think (and hope) will happen in the next book!

The plot drags are the start but once it picks up readers won’t want to put this down.
The world building is paced perfectly throughout the book. Readers won’t feel they need to take notes at the beginning for fear of being confused as the plot progresses, a perfect blend of low and high fantasy. Be aware there are still unanswered questions at the end of this first in a series.
Kenna feels like Freya (A Court of Thornes and Roses) at the beginning that made me question if I wanted to keep reading. Readers! Keep reading!!! There are layers that are unique to Servant of Earth. The romance in this romantasy takes a back seat to political intrigue and self-discovery, so readers “who don’t really read romance” shouldn’t shy away.
The theatrical pacing makes the book feel like its flying by, but it made me consciously slow down and savor every bit of this novel. Its one you look back on and wish you could read again for the first time.
The perfect combination of Sara J. Maas and Holly Black that won’t leave readers feeling like they are rereading A Court of Thornes and Rose or The Cruel Prince.

Kenna Harron lost her mother and only has her best friend left. She plans to escape to a better life after she finds a magical blade in the bog. But when her best friend is selected to travel across the bog to faeirie, Kenna follows to protect her.

When Kenna is the only person to survive the bog and make it all the way to Fae, she is assigned Servant of Earth House in the underground faerie kingdom called Mistel. There, she must help her mistress Lara survive six magical tasks to gain immortality and become the heir of Earth House. If Lara fails the tasks, she will be disowned or killed and Kenna will be put to death.

Soon, Kenna becomes part of a secret rebellion to overthrow the evil faerie king, Osric while trying to determine what the next task will be and how she can help Lara survive.

Trigger Warnings: Death, violence

Why Jackie loves it: There are so many twists and turns in this steamy fantasy. The different houses of fae (Earth, Fire, Light, Illusion, Void, and Blood) each have their own secrets and are ruled by magical shards or the same name. The fae are cunning, vicious, and beautiful. Within a few pages, I was sucked into this world. I love how smart and resourceful Kenna is, even if she is completely naive to the ways of the fae.

I liked this book for the first half, and then I had to DNF at 70%. It started to get pretty annoying to me, but this might be more of a personal opinion. The second half seemed to get a lot more politically personal, in a liberal way. As if it was promoting it. I tried to continue reading it, trying to accept differing opinions and views, but it started to feel like a chore to read it. Overall, other than that, I really love the premise and setup. I think this will be a hit with the younger generation, particularly 13-21 year olds.

Huh.

The fae are about as common to the fantasy genre as squirrels nowadays, yet I'm still drawn into books that feature them to see if anything new is done with them.

Servant of Earth is only really subversive in the physical location of the fairies realm, a subterranean cityscape divided into several houses/ elemental subgroups.

Other than that the courts operate the same and the fae are supposedly as radiant as all the others from the innumerable book series before this.

I just feel like the actual narrative is weak. The way events are described give too much away to the point of annoyance.

Now while I have read a good bit of fantasy titles, I am still capable of being surprised- but this didn't surprise me at all.

At the 20% mark of this book I felt confident that I knew the major plot points that would occur or at least the general idea of them. There are simply too many Chekov's guns lying around in the writing.

I also disagree with this book's placement in the New Adult age group. The writing style is simplistic and would serve better for a younger teen demographic. The only things keeping it that age group are a few pieces of violent content.