Wow. I cannot say enough how much I love this series. It’s very rare that I have two 5 star reads in a row and even more rare that I give 5 stars to the first AND second book in a series but this book deserves every star given and then some.

‘Hope was like a carnivorous plant, lovely and bright to lure you in. That was when the gods sprang their trap.’

Every single character is extremely unforgettable and relatable in some way. This book touches on a few subjects that just makes you feel seen by the author even as one single reader. I honestly could not express in words how I felt during and after reading this book. All I have to say is when you sit down to read, be sure you have the time to read the whole thing because that’s what you will want to do.

The world Demi made in this book is one of my favorites by far. The magic is unique and the character relationships feel so real. Too often in a romantasy you find yourself reading an enemies-to-lovers/reluctant allies-to-lovers and it goes from them just disliking each other for whatever reason, to all of the sudden they are in love and can’t stay away from each other.

This book has no such thing. You get to have the experience of being reluctant allies and build up to them falling for each other and actually get to understand the reasons why.

Seriously this author has a hold on me and I love it. I am bouncing with anticipation for the next book and I don’t even regret reading the first two without having the entire series released yet. This wasn’t just a story, it was an experience and an amazing one at that!

I didn't expect to love this series as much as I did and could just keep vanishing into worlds of noise inspiration, I need more now

I loved this book!!!! I loved having the dual POV to see what’s going on for both of the sisters. The story was very intriguing and I couldn’t put it down. The romance… obsessed.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a read on book two.

Wow. Talk about intense, high stakes, all my little quibbles from the first book were solved, expanded upon. I'm not a big fan of the romantasy genre, but for a book being billed as romantasy, I feel like there is more going on here. There is a story and I like where it is heading.

I feel awful for the situations the two sisters are being thrust into. I like their romantic counterparts and I love how this book ended where the road to good intentions and happy endings is paved with sacrifice.

This time the only issue I have in this book is the crew from the first book are gone / missing / no longer touched upon. The author spent some good time building them up in book one to completely remove them from the plot of book two. They are mentioned briefly here and there and I do hope they pop up again in book three.

All in all, for someone like me who is picky with this type of genre, I'm enjoying myself.

I read Kingdom of Claw as an indie and loved it then...and I loved this edition just as much. I love the journey Silla goes on and the side characters are some of my favorites. I can't wait for more of Silla and Saga in the future!

This is officially my favorite book series! I absolutely love this and can not wait to see what the next book leads us! As a second in a series, I always worry if it can live up to the first books hype and let me tell you, — Kingdom of Claw does!

Alright, my one complaint about this book is that I can’t immediately jump into the next one…

After how much I loved book one, the Road of Bones, I was nervous that the sequel wouldn’t live up to it for me, but boy was I wrong! Book two in this series is just as incredible, if not even BETTER than book one.

We love a series with well written out plot twists and a slow burn romance. This is also just a very intricate, incredibly detailed fantasy world that you just get sucked into and every character is just so well written. I’m so excited for book two and to see where this series goes, but it’s definitely an instant favourite for me.

Everyone who has read this series says that the second book is somehow even better than the first and THEY ARE CORRECT. This is the most epic romantasy series I’ve ever read. The plot in these books is truly incomparable. I already loved Silla and Rey from the first book, but the introduction of Saga and Rurik on top of characters we already know made this book an absolute masterpiece. The second I realized how much I relate to Saga I started tearing up. Seeing a character have agoraphobia on page made me feel so seen and I wish I had better words to describe what it means to me. Silla’s continuous struggle with addiction also made me cry. The way Rey guides her through when she doesn’t have the strength to do it herself is always so heartwarming. Now onto the romance because, my god THE ROMANCE. I don’t think anything I say will do the romance justice but I loved both of these pairings so much. I literally had to stop reading and process the first kiss between one of the couples. I just sat in silence, smiling at the wall for five minutes. They are now one of my favorite couples ever. We find out the ways the other couple has been connected throughout their entire lives and it really made the build up from book one so worth it. This is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year and I am going to be waiting (not so) patiently for the next one.

Book 2 is still a great story.

Mental Health Representation ✅
Multiple POV ✅
Magic ✅
Forced Proximity ✅
Cinnamon Roll MMC ✅

This book was a great addition to the series. Was it a little long in some areas yes. It was still enjoyable and was well-written. I loved the added characters but missed some of the old ones that didn't show up in this book. Hopefully, we get to see them in the next book. In this book, we get to see Silla learn here magic, fight, deal with her PTSD from her past, and be more confident in her abilities. We also get to know her sister Saga who is a hostage in the castle, and deals with her own mental health, while trying to help her sister once she realizes that she is alive. This book ends on a cliffhanger so I'm excited to read the next book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

4⭐

I instantly jumped to this second book after reading The Road of Bones. Similar to this first book, I loved the characters and the world that Demi Winters has built. Its beautiful and rich. The characters are struggling mentally with real things and in this book we follow them as they begin to heal. This book focuses on grief and how debilitating it can be. How does someone get out of the perpetual cycle and start to move forward.

This book does feel bit like a filler book. The majority of the book is a training session for Silla, as she learns her magic and tries to tap into it. Reyner is close by her entire journey. One of my biggest complaints is probably with Reyner, he seemed to lose some of his autonomy and his character seemed to change some from the first book. I still really loved him, but he didn't really feel like he was the same character,

What really worked was the introduction of a new POV. This POV was great and we got to see what was happening behind the scenes with the Queen. I really loved this character, I thought she had a great character arc. Demi did an amazing job illustrating how something someone else considers safe for us can be a prison of its own. How difficult it can be to see if in a different light and decide to step away from something we have been told is for our own safety. The last chapter of this book though was difficult for me, it made me feeling a bit icky and I am not quite sure where this going to go in the next.

I can't wait for the next book to come out in this series. Demi Winters could really take this series really far and she has done such a great job setting up the characters and the world. I can't wait to see what else she creates in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This book had me from the beginning. We now get Saga, Silla/Eisa’s sister’s story and it is fascinating. She has been in Askaborg the whole time under the new regime as their ward. Silla struggles to find her powers and Saga uses hers to do some digging into secrets in the castle. Introduce a new hotty foreigner and the story takes off from there. I cannot recommend this series enough. Best fantasy I have read in quite a while!

Wow! Excellent writing. Fantastic world and magic building. Great characters that you can't help but love(even the baddies). I thought this one was a smidge longer than it needed to be with A LOT happening in the last few chapters but to be fair that happens in most fantasies and the book was incredibly fun to read. The cliffhanger at the end is torture! I'm so ready for the next one.

My review is published on my Instagram account (@bookishbyrenee), on Amazon and Goodreads.

The original review was published in March of 2024 on all sites above. I plan to reshare on my social media page.

Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters
-The Ashen Book 2-

5/5⭐️

This book DID NOT disappoint - we add some POVs and another concurrently happening story line. The story MOVED and I was just a long for the ride. This series feels epic - this is going to be a journey and I am here for it! The reveals and yet still more plot twists were phenomenal. The range of emotions this book dragged out of me boggled my mind - I went from swooning to terrified to SO ANGRY (especially at a certain character 😡). I ran the whole spectrum of feels and back again. The plot is gripping both on the macro and micro levels (are these words something we can apply to books? I’m declaring it so). The over all story line for the series is sweeping and big with meddling gods and a kingdom in need of saving but the little stories are also so gripping. The character growth, the relationships, the way they deal with death, anxiety, falling in love, coming to terms with their past traumas and losses, were all handled with such care and were absolutely beautiful to read. I’m absolutely sucked into this brutally beautiful world and can not wait for the next part of the story…ESPECIALLY after that cliffhanger!

It’s not often that I read a sequel that out does the first book, but this absolutely did it! Adding the additional POV was a genius move and made the story so well rounded and complex. Thank you for this free copy!

The perfect second book! As soon as I was approved for this one I immediately jumped in to read it. Was absolutely amazing. I can not wait to see what comes next.

I am officially obsessed with this series! I was lucky enough to be able to jump right from The Road of Bones into Kingdom of Claw, and this sequel did not disappoint!

I’m always a bit wary when a new POV is added after the start of a series, but the addition of Saga’s perspective to this story was perfection. I loved following both her and Silla’s individualized journeys. The world building in this series is extraordinarily complex and I loved learning more about all the politics at play. The romances too were everything I look for in a romantasy.

My only complaint is that I don’t have the next book at my fingertips. I loved everything about this book and series. It’s immersive and empowering. A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dell Romance, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Road of Bones and really looked forward to the second book in the series but was unsure if it would live up to expectations. While I felt that Silla's storyline was a little slow at times this book and I missed the other members of the bloodaxe crew, I was enthralled by the new characters. I think Saga may actually be my new favorite in the series and Kassandr is so much fun to read. I cannot wait for the next book!

**Book Review: *Kingdom of Claw***
**4 Stars**
Thank you to: NetGalley, Delacorte press and Demi Winters, for providing me with an ARC copy of this book.

*Kingdom of Claw* continues the journey of Silla and Rey as they navigate protecting their identities, hiding their secrets, and forging crucial alliances. While the book introduces several likable new characters and an intriguing second storyline (I won’t spoil too much, but there’s a mysterious force snatching people that Rey is determined to uncover), the pacing is noticeably slower than its predecessor, *Road of Bones*.

One of the main shifts in this installment is the very slow-burn romance between Silla and Rey. Additionally, a new perspective is introduced through Saga, whose storyline and romance were a strong point. However, this book does feel like a transitional "middle book"—laying a lot of groundwork with new characters and expanding the potential directions the story can take.

Unfortunately, fans of the Blood Axe crew may be disappointed, as they are largely absent in this book. I also missed the humorous banter and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic from the first book, with Silla feeling more subdued here.

That said, while *Kingdom of Claw* didn’t quite reach the heights of *Road of Bones*, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and am definitely invested in continuing the series. With the promise of a 5-book arc, I’m eager to see how everything unfolds.

Spice: 3/5
Romance: 5/5
Multiple POV
Enemies to lovers

I was nervous coming into this book because I did not want to read from Saga’s POV as I felt like I only had enough room in my heart for Silla but after reading one chapter from her point of view I immediately fell in love with her and wanted more.
Silla had so much growth in this book. I am so proud of who she is and how strong she has become. Rey also opened up so much more and I can’t wait to see even more from him.
The spice was done PERFECTLY! It was not pushed into every single chapter like some authors do, it was very steamy and mouthy and I loved every second of it. And the story was still so powerful, so strong and scary. I am genuinely very nervous for the next book because of how this one ended.
I need the next book ASAP!!

Are you kidding me? This is my favorite fantasy series of the year. The plot is fantastic. The plot twists are so good. The main characters are so complex and compelling and lovely. Seeing so much more of Saga in Kingdom of Claw was amazing. Watching her battle her inner and outer demons was a delight. Watching her experience joy for the first time in so many years was cathartic. Women are strong AF. The love interests. These men were created especially for me. The slow burn. It’s so worth it.

“If you never want to be E, it won’t change how I feel. If you wish to rest, I will shield you from harm. If you want to fight, I will draw my sword beside you. If you want a hundred chickens, I will build you a hen-fortress.”

“I was so enchanted, I set fire to my own boat to stay longer by her side.”

I cannot recommend this series enough if you like high stakes, high fantasy, with a nice side of swoon-worthy slow burn romance.