I enjoyed parts of Servant of the Earth. The trials, Kenna’s determination and perseverance, and the world was an interesting one. However, the story had a lot of cruel brutality in it. More than I could stomach. I ended up having to skim parts. The story also felt overly long, but I did hang in there because I wanted to know how it all turned out. Was happy with the ending, but I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series.

WOW I loved this!! I cried, I smiled, I raged, and at the end I was left feeling hopeful. One of my favorite recent fantasy romance reads. Fans of ACOTAR add this to your TBRs. I’ve read a lot of fantasy romance and this one comes closest to ACOTAR vibes with a thrilling storyline balanced well with romance while still remaining very original in its plot and world building. I don’t want to say more because I went into this completely blind except for the tagline on the cover and it made the experience even better. I will say sentient dagger companion, hell yes! And I absolutely loved our FMC Kenna. I am so excited for the rest of the series!!

Thanks to the publisher and author for the review copy, thoughts are my own.

HOLY S*** THIS WAS SO GOOD

Ok, now that I’ve calmed down a bit—this gave me all of the amazing & obsessed feelings I had during ACOTAR (series, not just the first book) and Hunger Games, but amplified. This world and the magic were so unique and intriguing. I was enthralled from beginning to end. I loved the FMC, Kenna, and in just this one book, I became incredibly emotionally attached to her and many others…. I cried quite a bit.

This has a FMC who is selfless, fierce, a total badass, and she finds herself stuck in the world of the fae as a servant. She has to help her new mistress succeed in a series of trials (aka cheat), or else she’ll be put to death. Kenna is cunning and tough, and her mistress is… kind of a weak spoiled brat. She needs Kenna to help her whether she likes it or not, and the trials are pretty insane. The magic system in this book wasn’t hard to follow, but this was intense. I never knew who Kenna could trust and there’s an added element of political intrigue and a rebellion brewing.

This book had me in a chokehold because not only were the trials, the suspense of the fae world, and Kenna so addictive to read about—but so was the love interest(s) (Possible love triangle. I’m still not sure, but I’m excited to see how it progresses in the next book!). There’s also a sentient dagger and it was one of my fave characters too? 😆

This was pretty spiiiicy & has some serious triggers, but the author addresses them early on as a warning.

Berkley/Ace Books offered this to me, and I FOOLISHLY chose a different fantasy book, so I had to buy a physical copy for my shelves because I am left utterly speechless. This was such an intoxicating and dark fantasy, and I am left reeling from that ending!

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Berkley/Ace Books, for this ARC!!!! I’m blown away and cannot wait for the sequel!

I feel no review I can write will give this justice. You may think you know what this is going into it with the setup: town sacrifice, feral FMC steps in to help a friend. But once Kenna is in the faerie world of Misti, something her mom always idolized, a whole new world explodes and I found the different houses and test and manipulation so interesting.

This is high stakes fantasy. People are tortured or die and Kenna is at the threat of death a lot. But she also gets to truly live for the first time in her life in small moments of freedom or rebellion. She unknowingly walks into a political uprising in the making and has to play all sides, all while they assume she’s a useless human.

There are trials but I wouldn’t tropify it as being a “trials” kind of story. They were all super interesting and I loved the spin that they weren’t directly happening to the FMC anyway, she was tasked with helping someone else through them (hence the book title).

I’m so appreciative to Berkeley and Ace for the giveaway book win. I enjoyed this so much

I received a gifted galley of SERVANT OF EARTH by Sarah Hawley for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

SERVANT OF EARTH follows Kenna, a human who finds herself in the underground Fae realm. There, she is assigned as the servant to a member of the House of Earth who is undergoing the fae trials. If she succeeds in passing all of the trials, she will be named hear to Earth. If she fails, both she and her servant Kenna will die. Kenna is not technically allowed to help, but with a lot on the line, she begins to work to support her new mistress as best she can. She is also caught up in the rumblings of a rebellion against the king, used as a pawn by multiple sides in the quest for uncovering secrets.

This book really took me by surprise with how rich the world building really is. I really enjoyed uncovering information about the different houses in this realm (Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood) along with Kenna. In her human village, Kenna was considered a bit of a wild child, but in the fae realm, humans are brutally treated, sent into slavery or to work in the brothel. It did leave to some pretty difficult moments in the story, but I appreciated Kenna’s determination to uncover all the secrets and and stand up for herself.

I really enjoyed the various trials and the secrecy behind them as the contestants didn’t know what they were in for. Each trial is very different and the way they tie to the different houses worked well. I found the idea of a human hiding to help from the shadows to be an interesting approach to the story as well. Kenna has one extra advantage in the form of a sentient weapon which is really interesting as well!

When it comes to the romance in the book, Kenna is quickly drawn to the prince who is seeking the rebellion. I found this relationship to be a bit insta-love (or at least insta-lust) for my personal taste and I was pushing for Kenna to maybe look elsewhere. There are other prospects on the horizon.

Overall, I had a fantastic time with this book and I flew through it! SERVANT OF EARTH is the first book in the author’s new The Shards of Magic series and I definitely will look forward to book two!

SERVANT OF EARTH is out today!

Start to finish, I enjoyed every part of this romatasy. We will be using it in a fantasy book box, because tit kept us so entertained and we believe it'll be the next big popular romantasy book.

🗡️ Book Review 🗡️

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
🗡️
This book was phenomenal, and I could not put it down. The world was captivating, enchanting, and cutthroat. The storyline was filled with magic, love, danger, and betrayal. Kenna is an excellent protagonist. She’s a survivor, she’s brave and clever, and she’s a little bit morally gray. As a human in a fae world, she has no power. She’s forced to be a servant, forced to help her mistress in surviving deadly trials, and forced to be a spy. She walks a fine line between telling the truth and protecting the people she cares about, and she has to do terrible things to stay alive. The romance in this book is so good, and I can’t wait to see what happens with the relationships in book two. If you want a high stakes fantasy with female rage, rebellion against a corrupt ruler, forbidden love, found family, and an ending you never saw coming, go pick this one up!
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️fae
▫️elemental magic
▫️deadly trials
▫️court politics
▫️strong heroine
🗡️
Thank you to Ace Books, Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and Sarah Hawley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fantastic characters and a fantastical world. I enjoyed the writing style and the vivid descriptions that makes the reader feel like they’re in the same room as the characters.

Dark and magical, Servant of Earth is a tale of power, deception, and the unknown.

Living on the outskirts of the mythical fae world for her entire life, Kenna is very familiar with the village tradition of the fae selecting a few people to venture into their lands as tribute for keeping the village safe. When her best friend gets chosen, Kenna will do everything she can to help her. But when she falls into the dark world of the fae, the race to survive becomes an even higher stake.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read. I was drawn in instantly by the mystery and intrigue of the plot, but the dark themes of the fae world were a little too much for me. I am interested to see where the series goes and will keep an eye out for the next installment.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

It took me a second to get into this book, but I flew through the second half and can't wait for the sequel. I found "Servant of Earth" to offer a unique setting for romantasy. If you wish we got more of Feyre trapped under the mountain in ACOTAR, then this is the book for you! I really liked Kenna, the main character, and enjoyed following her through the story.
None of the plot twists surprised me, but I still found the story satisfying and enjoyable to read. I would highly recommend this to people looking for a mixture of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas and "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black. This series has a competition, a cruel culture, court politics, and romance.

This is a really stellar fantasy that had me completely riveted. The world building is so detailed and unique, it really made the whole story come together for me. I can't wait for a little more romance in the next one and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us!

I really enjoyed this book! Kenna was such a strong human stuck in a fae court during a set of trials. She was assisting one of the princesses. She also was in a bit of a love triangle with two princes from different courts both trying to get information from her in different ways.
There were some brutal parts as the king was very cruel! All the courts were trapped cause this king.
I was hoping for some things to happen but they were way better than I imagined. The ending was so intense and chaotic. I'm really curious where this story will go, especially how she ends the book - she's a very different person from when she started and her alliances all shifted.
Excited for the next book!

Thank you to Ace Books and Berkley for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I love this book so much that it's hard to find the words to express it. Kenna is a human. Across the bogs from where she lives is the Fae court, and every six years women are selected to serve the Fae. Though she is not selected, Kenna chooses to face their danger in order to help a friend make it through.

We learn about the Fae county and the six different houses of Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood along with Kenna. I greatly appreciated sharing her outsider perspective. That meant that the world building happened at a natural pace and made as much sense to me as it did to her throughout. Moreover, her outsider status enabled her to question how things work and not be okay with the status quo.

And that was essential because there are some challenging topics (see content warnings below). It felt incredibly relevant in its deep exploration of how people treat others.

The only part that was tough for me was keeping track of the different fae when we first met many. I want to re-read some of the initial interactions now that I know all the players.

But wow did this draw me in with the incredible court intrigue and just how much I was impressed with Kenna.

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw did a phenomenal job bringing me in Kenna's head. Her narration of the audiobook added to the tension and suspense. It's a longer book with the audio lasting just under 17 hours, but it flew by as I listened.

I can't wait for the next book in the series and correctly guessed what the title would be.

CW: graphic death, slavery, SA

This is a new fantasy novel that I devoured. Kenna (FMC) tried to save her friend from the fae but ends up as a servant in Earth house instead. Kenna is forced to help Lara survive the trials to become immortal. In doing so she is caught, turned into a spy, found a lover, and joined a revolution. But how can one lowly human save all of Mistei and her human realm?

It was SO good. I will admit that I knew early on what would happen to Kenna, but I am the kind of reader that is constantly trying to figure out books. It did not disappoint when everything went down. Now I have to wait till Sarah Hawley writes the sequel. Woe is me....how will I survive not knowing more about Kallen?!

Unfortunately I could not finish this book - it was not my cup of tea. I tried to enjoy this but the pacing was not something enjoyed what so ever.

servant of earth was an unconventional take on trials and I ate it up and was on the edge of my seattttttt.

kenna is alone in a small village on the edge of the bog that borders the fae lands. when her best friend (and only person who cares about her AT ALL) gets chosen to be gifted to the fae, she feels like she has no choice but to accompany her. but when she reaches the fae realm, she’s alone and thrust into servitude for the earth house. and the trails for power are about to begin and kenna must make sure her new princess stays alive.

this book was twisty and full of morally gray 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.

i loved the court politics and espionage in this one. kenna is at a horrible disadvantage due to being human in a world full of fae, but she’s cunning and so smart.

the pacing was a bit off for me and I found myself only looking forward to the actual trials. also she is an IDIOT when it comes to men. however I am sensing a love triangle on the horizon maybe 👀 and I always eat those up.

i can’t wait for book 2!

Far from a paranormal romcom (loved Glimmer Falls by this author) this was a darkly seductive high fantasy that is both epic and romantic, where a human is thrust into the brutal world of the fae, (oh no hope that doesn't happen to me 👀 😅 would be terrible.. 👀 ahem) forced into a life of servitude and one where she must navigate political schemes ..sounds familiar but this is far from the usual damsel in distress story
A compelling and complex protagonist is found in Kenna, theres a lot of depth to her character, shes kind, shes brave, she's fiesty, shes cunning and kinda sneaky too, we love her for that 👏 the world building and magic system was unique and interesting, I'm excited for this series and to see how things play out, definitely a book for fans of TOG or ACOTAR I've loved all of Sarah's books so knew I'd eat this up! P.S the cover??? st-HUNNING 🤩

I absolutely loved this book. I was initially hesitant when reading the synopsis—it felt like a gamble—but I requested it on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. If you’re a fan of the first A Court of Thorns and Roses, this is definitely a must-read for you.

The story follows Kenna, a young woman unexpectedly abducted into the dangerous and enchanting world of the Fae. Tasked with assisting her lady through a series of magical trials, Kenna finds herself navigating a court full of shifting loyalties, hidden motives, and threats lurking around every corner. The stakes are high, and every choice could mean life or death.

This book is packed with action and brimming with romance, making it almost impossible to put down. I was particularly impressed by the intricate magic system and the vivid world-building. Hawley crafts a realm that feels both expansive and immersive, filled with rich details and intriguing lore. The characters are well-developed, each with their own layers of mystery and depth. The court intrigue is top-tier, with plenty of twists to keep you on edge the entire time.

I can’t wait for the next installment in this series—I’m already eagerly anticipating the sequel. Can I get my hands on it now, please?

When I saw that Sarah Hawley had a fantasy book coming out, I got grabby hands. I LOVE her Glimmer Falls series and feel like I am in my fantasy era. I knew I needed to read this one.

And it did not disappoint.

A headstrong human who trips into the world of the Fae must help her mistress to succeed the six deadly trials representing the six houses of Mistei—Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and (the many-centuries-banished) Blood—while navigating the different moral code, caste system, and strict ruling regime of the underground Fae kingdom.

Armed with a sentient dagger and her own wits, Kenna soon learns that the trials are not the only dangers that she faces in Mistei.

Y’all, I LOVED this one. I would have read it in one sitting if life responsibilities hadn’t gotten in the way. (Silly responsibilities, always messing with my reading time….)

Here’s a list of words I jotted down while reading this one: loyalty, courage, potential love triangle, HEAT, friendship, testing the bonds of loyalty and friendship, disillusionment, politics, courage, caring, and learning who you can trust.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley Publishing and Ace. All review opinions are my own.

I’m obsessed and I need more right now🙃

This is one of those books that just suck you right in and don't let you go until the end. I enjoyed it so much that I'm actually struggling to get into any other fantasy/romantasy books right now because I just want more of Kenna's story.

There are so many interesting characters that have wildly different personalities and motives. I love that each character is well thought out and described, but mysterious and at times difficult to figure out since most are fae so they all pretty much have ulterior motives, talk in riddles, or have grown accustomed to hiding all true emotion. Kenna winds up in very dangerous situations but luckily has a protective and bloodthirsty sentient blade to help her make it through alive. The blade is a character itself and one of my favorites at that. I love their dynamic!

While I wasn't surprised by the twists, I still really enjoyed them as they came up and was happy how they turned out. In a place where Kenna is such a rarity as a human who isn't mute and hidden away to serve, she doesn't really fit anywhere and stands out in many places, not just for that fact but for how strong and proud she is. She's a protector despite being considered the weakest of beings and she's a total badass. I was very invested in the romance too and I won't say too much to avoid any spoilers but there are two fae men who appeal to our FMC in different ways and there's a clear superior choice in my opinion but I'll let y'all make your own(;

The magic system and hierarchy were really detailed and interesting but not difficult to comprehend as you continue through the story. I love the different types of fae and the politics of the houses. Pretty much everything about this book intrigued me and had me wanting to read more. There is so much drama, scheming, betrayal, hidden meanings, passion, danger, adventure - literally everything I want to see in fantasy. While I definitely consider this a romantasy, the first half is more focused on fantasy and worldbuilding, with more tension and pining than passion, but we fully get there too so don't worry!!

🗡️Forbidden romance
🖤Friendship
🗡️Betrayal
🖤Found Family
🗡️Competition
🖤Fae / cool magic system
🗡️Danger & deception
🖤SPICE 🥵🌶️🔥

I highly recommend Servant of Earth to any and everyone - seriously go check it out!! You won't regret it(: But especially to the romantasy lovers; you'll want to make sure this series is on your radar.

Thank you Berkley Publishing / Ace for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.