The fantasy romance fans will love this, it starts out pretty similar to other human girl in a fae world stories but it comes into its own pretty quickly, especially once we get to the fae realm Mistei. The plot follows Kenna, a human girl from a poor village who finds a vaguely homicidal sentient dagger and ends up in the fae realm as a servant in Earth House. The King in Mistei is super corrupt, the plot is dark and violent and there are trials and magic and monsters. There’s romance as well, of course. It gets spicy. It’s not really the point though, tbh I was like okay I was like really invested in the plot blah blah fire prince and his immaculate dick down skills let’s get back to the coup and the trials and the magic pls. Thats just me tho, no shade at the quality of the spice 🤣

Very bingeable romantasy and the beginning of a series. If that’s your jam, def would recommend it! Thanks again to Ace/Berkley/PRH for essentially every format of this book.

Try as I did, "Servant of Earth", was not for me. I have faith that people will like this book, but I couldn't get into it. I honestly think it was more about the romance than the fantasy because the world-building had promise to me. However, I didn't connect with the characters and in a book like this, I have to feel more for the people I am reading about.

This book was exactly what I'd expect from an adult fantasy about fae. It is an entertaining ride that is brimming with court politics, romance, intrigue, plots, and betrayal.

Our heroine, Kenna, is brought to the fae realm against her will and is quickly thrust into the role of Earth House servant with nothing to protect her but a mysterious knife she found at the bottom of the bog. She does all she can to survive and plan her escape back to the human realm. But it isn't long before she finds herself entangled in the affairs of those at court and engaging in clandestine meetings of her own.

Despite her initial misgivings, Kenna soon finds friendship with her Lady Lara, develops feelings for the alluring Fire Prince, and finds some common ground with the man dubbed the 'King's Vengeance'. But by the end, those relationships are irrevocably changed.

The trials may have been at the forefront of the book, but the plot to overthrow the King was what most held my interest. As the book progressed, I had a strong suspicion about what Kenna's fate would be. I was delighted when my suspicions proved to be correct.

Despite the somewhat predictable end, I did enjoy the book and look forward to seeing how our dear Kenna will grow into her new role at court come book 2.

Thank you so much to Ace and Berkley for the #gifted e-ARC of Servant of Earth! This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on the advanced e-book I read!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Holy snap crackle and pop this book went above and beyond what I expected. This is my first time reading Hawley's writings and I was definitely not disappointed.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Lush, expansive, with fully fleshed out lore, history, and magic system. I appreciate how diverse the Fae are in Hawley's take on a Fae Fantasy Romance.
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 Well thought out with fantastic growth arcs. Lovable. Easy to engage with. Kenna is a fantastic representation of learning to embrace your feminine rage.
𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: Well executed. I felt completely satisfied by the ending of the story and even more excited to see where the next installment will take us! It was fast paced and kept me fully hooked. Impossible to put down.
𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗦: Exquisite ACOTAR vibes. This is a book that I wish i could have wiped from my memory so I could read it for the first time again.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
☆ Fae, Fae, and more Fae
☆ Spicy Romantic Sub-plot
☆ Female Rage
☆ Well built world with excellent lore
☆ Rebellion
☆ Love interests with questionable motivations
☆ Deadly Trials
☆ Fae Pacts
☆ Secrets and Betrayals

Sarah Hawley has done it again.

If you enjoyed the funny, quirky, and heart-warming Glimmer Falls series, I think you would enjoy it's darker, grittier, and heart-stopping first book in the new series by Hawley.

Kenna is a strong willed human who longs to be a trader and get out of her hometown. When fate takes her away from her home and into the underground fae world of Mistei, she'll have to use all the strength and wit she can to survive. Mistei is filled with danger, especially for a human like Kenna. When the six deadly trials that all those coming of age in Mistei begin, Kenna has her part to play. With a tyrant for a king and princes who are shrouded in mystery, what will happen next is anyone's guess.

Who can she trust? Who should she keep an eye on? Can she survive this brutal place? Can she be the one to change everything?

Content Warning:
violence against children, mutilation of sex workers, forced slavery, blood and gore, sexual scenes.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one! It took me some time to get into it, but once I did I was unable to put it down. Kenna is a wonderful character and is likeable and I'm excited to see how she will grow in the next book. The book was a good start for a series and the author did a great job of setting up the world of Mistei. The book covered a time period of 6 months, so there wasn't too much "extra" that you didn't really need. I am hoping the next book will delve a little deeper into the peripheral characters.

Overall, this is a real winner!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing group for the arc, all opinions are my own.

This. Book. Goodness. I will definitely be thinking about this one for days. As the book blurb says, this truly is the perfect blend of The Hunger Games and ACOTAR. The first bit of Servant of Earth is a little rocky, but I think it is due to the amount of world-building that is needed to get the rest of the story's momentum started. There was just a lot of "telling vs. showing", which is evident by a lack of dialogue, BUT once I hit the halfway mark, I was HOOKED. I adored the growth of Kenna, her development alongside Lara, and of course, I have a few theories that are spoilers in regard to a certain two princes.

Do be careful, because like in The Hunger Games and ACOTAR, this book deals heavily in a few sensitive topics, so check the content warnings if you are sensitive. I will have them listed below if you are worried about spoilers.
THANK YOU to NetGalley and ACE for an ARC of Servant of Earth. Pub Date: 11/12/2024


Content Warnings:
Death, Mentions of Blood, Rape, Abuse, Death of a Child, and Death of a Parent (off-Page), Two Explicit Scenes

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley is a journey into a world that’s layered with magic, secrets, and intrigue! From its richly built world to the unique magic system, this book has everything: complex characters, political intrigue, hidden identities, rebellions, and alliances that’ll keep you guessing. And don’t even get me started on the swoon-worthy romance and jaw-dropping betrayals!

I was completely swept up in the fast-paced plot and the endless twists—it’s a true page-turner. And that ending? Absolutely unforgettable! I’m already counting down to the next book in this series!

Thank you to Ace and Netgalley for the eARC (and physical copy) in exchange for my honest review.

I had SUCH a good time with this! I feel like I’m always looking for something to scratch the ACOTAR itch since it was my first introduction into fantasy and this really hit that mark but it was darker and more in depth. It really turned the whole tournament/games aspect on its head and the twist at the end was predictable but no less satisfying. Our FMC was resourceful and so human, in a world of fae, it made her endearing as well.

4.5 stars! I cannot wait for Book #2, Princess of Blood!
To save her best friend from being a sacrifice to the Fae, Kenna Herron follows her across the bog to the Fae land - a cruel and violent place. Kenna is made handmaiden to the heir of the Earth house, to aid her in the dangerous trials to gain her powers.
The worldbuilding is beautiful and you can feel the cruelty of the Fae and Kenna's extreme fight to stay alive. Luckily, she has a sentient talking dagger to aid her in helping Lady Laura of Earth House and finding an escape.
The ending is superb!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ace for this e-arc.*

Sarah Hawley's Servant of Earth is a truly captivating masterpiece that I couldn’t put down. From the very first page, I was drawn into Kenna Heron’s journey, spellbound by the raw power of her ferocity and the pulse of rebellion woven throughout the story. This book is easily one of the best I’ve read this year, and its intensity and tension kept me glued to every twist and turn. Kenna’s relentless fight against a merciless Fae society and her resistance to her captors felt profoundly empowering. As a Swiftie, I couldn't help but connect this story to the fierce independence in Taylor Swift's Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? It’s a brilliant portrayal of female rage and resilience, with each page fueling a sense of justice and rebellion that made this story unforgettable.

One area where Servant of Earth could have been even more immersive is in the descriptions of the underground Fae kingdom of Mistei. While the plot and characters were vivid, the visual detail of the world itself felt a bit sparse, leaving too much room for my imagination in an otherwise thrilling narrative. A touch more imagery would have painted a fuller picture of the dark, magical surroundings, adding another layer to this already gripping tale. Nonetheless, Sarah Hawley has truly outdone herself, creating a story of grit, heart, and rebellion that left me eager for more. Servant of Earth is a testament to Hawley’s talent for crafting compelling characters and intense, emotionally resonant narratives, and I’m counting down the days until her next release.

I will be discussing this book on the Feminist Book Club's podcast with a fellow contributor.

Servant of Earth is the first in The Shards of Magic series. Its the story of a young women coming face-to-face with a Fae world she believed was folklore.

Kenna is poor women barely getting by after her mother's death. She's loyal, fierce and determined to abide by her own rules. Her village holds a ceremony where young women are sacrificed to the Fae, never returning.

Unable to bare the loss of the only remaining person in her life, her best friend, Kenna follows the group of women and arrives into the deep underworld of Fae. Nothing has she imagined, this harsh underworld is a dangerous, brutal place with humans treated poorly.

This new Romantasy series doesn't disappoint with its two Fae love interests, one a soldier and one a Prince.

Servant of the Earth is filled with secrets, betrayal and magic.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace

Fresh, feral, and absolutely on fire. I LOVED this book. Kenna is such a breath of fresh air. Despite being human in the lands of the immortal, she didn’t let that dim her fire. She found ways to fight back, to stay alive, and to fit into the overall landscape of Mistei. With political intrigue, a stunning and inventive magical system, and the perfect amount of spice, I didn’t want this one to end. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I got this as an arc for my honest review so let’s go!!

I will say this book is a trial book but it isn’t the tipple trail book which made me like it! I will say if you are a fan of ACOTAR you will probably like this. It gave me very similar vibes throughout the book without feeling like copy!

I definitely loved this world and our main character. She is the Tom boy who live in the bog by herself when one day she comes across a gorgeous dagger with a red jewel. During this time is a holiday where four girls are picked at random to cross the bog and go live with the fae. Of course something happens and our main character gets to the fae lands and realizes it isn’t what everyone said it was, not that she believed the far were good anyways. We then follow her as she gets caught up in court proceedings while trying to stay alive.

Was I surprised by the plot choices in this book? No. But it was still very enjoyable for me. Like I said it reminded me a lot of ACOTAR but the writing was really well done that it didn’t feel like a total copy and paste situation.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Wow. Hah. I don't know how else to start this review. Because this book was a wild ride from beginning to end. Like I suspected parts of it, but not all of it!

This book was comped by some to The Cruel Prince. In some ways it is similar. Like ACOTAR and TCP this book has faeries and politics in droves. But it is still slightly different from both of those. It has its own uniqueness to it. The world building for this series worked well. I always find that when we have first person POV sometimes it's easier to learn via worldbuilding because we're learning at the same time the character is. In this case, Kenna, was a perfect person for the first person POV.

Kenna was a fabulous main character. I absolutely enjoyed being in her perspective throughout the book. She was a fierce and fiery character, and more than that, she was a conflicted character. She wasn't a perfect heroine.

There were also some great side characters in this book as well.

And that ending left me mind blown -- I wish the second book was already out because I cannot wait to read it.

This is a huge deviation from Hawley's other titles, but remained a delightful read as anything off her backlist. Dark, twisty, and clever--this book has already left me eager for the series' next installment.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
✨ Deadly trials
✨ Magic
✨ Fae
✨ Slow burn
✨ Secrets & betrayals

Servant of Earth is a standard deadly trials book and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t reinvent the wheel but we did get to enjoy the commentary of a sentient dagger which made my time reading this not boring at all.

Many of the reveals were very obvious to me but that can be a common issue with the first in a series. I do still plan on reading the next installment to see how this world evolves and where the overall lore goes.

I would call this a romantasy book but with all book ones, the romance is a subplot and not a main point of the book. If you’re looking for something super spicy or with tons of romance, maybe hold off until book two is out?

If you love ACOTAR or Cruel Prince, then I think this book is for you. It is a deadly trials book and I know that a good chunk of people have fatigue from this trope so if that is you, then hold off on picking this one up.

I like the premise here, but failed to be truly gripped, as this feels like another dime-a-dozen romantasies on the market, with a lot of style, but no substance. There was nothing about the protagonist that kept me intrigued at 24% in, although the story is otherwise fast paced, and I just found myself rather bored by what I was reading.

I loved the Glimmer Falls series by this author, but this book so good that I couldn't put it down and I finished reading it in one evening. It wasn't a small book either! The world-building & characters were relatable & complex. The FMC was everything I wanted with her fierce loyalty and love for others and the belief of equality of justice. I had an inkling of what could happen, but I wasn't 100% correct which I'm not made at because I think it fit nicely with the story. Hopefully there will be more after this book.

This is officially my favorite book of 2024. This cured my ACOTAR hangover. I am at a loss for words because this was so freaking good. I am obsessed with this world and the characters and the DRAMA. THE DRAMA!!!! This book was everything I could’ve hoped for and more. The most incredible world building, characters with so much depth and growth, sizzling spicy scenes, and a story that had me racing to read each page. Holy crap I loved this book.

A gripping adult fantasy, Servant of Earth is a powerful read that gripped me from the start with its compelling protagonist and immersive story. This dark fantasy follows Kenna, a human thrust into the brutal world of the fae, where she mourns the loss of her best friend while being forced into servitude. Kenna must help a princess succeed in several trials while being pulled into dangerous political schemes and complicated entanglements.

I loved Kenna and her story, both of which are complex and layered. She is a force to be reckoned with - caring and kind, a great friend, and brave, she’s also cunning and sneaky and duplicitous, and it’s a good thing because she needs to be. Between being a lowly human vulnerable to abuse and maltreatment, working for one house while being pulled into some secret dealings with others, and avoiding a brutal king's wrath while contributing to a possible uprising, she’s definitely not flying under the radar. Of course, with a hungry sentient sword bonded to her, what could go wrong?

The story has an eclectic cast of characters and supernatural beings, and I was so intrigued by the world and the people who inhabit it. I also loved the magic system and the relationships Kenna develops including with the princess she serves, other humans and servants, and a few mysterious fae from different houses. There’s one enigmatic, character that I’m super intrigued about, and I have a feeling he’s going to have a major role in the next book. He has those dark, brooding, and morally grey vibes, and I’m fully prepared to make him my new book boyfriend. lol We shall see in the next book!

The plot is a bit darker than I expected (you might want to check the content warnings), but the brutality, deadly deceptions, and heartbreaking twists shocked me and had me in a complete and total chokehold. And though there were a couple of twists I totally saw coming, I liked the way they unfolded. Plus, there’s a big twist I didn’t expect at all, and I haven’t been able to think about anything but these characters and that ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.