I love the way this book came together—from the additional POVs, to the continued growth of characters and their relationships, new characters, to the general atmosphere and setting of this magical Viking world. Every page was captivating.

I felt the pacing to be perfect for the story. It didn't move too fast, but let you linger in a certain feeling while becoming more familiar with the characters. I especially felt this from Silla's pov.

The slow burn and romance was incredible and the progression of each relationship felt natural.

Something that stood out to me were both Rey's and Saga's backstories. Learning more about these two added so much depth and understanding about who and why they are.

As for the plot, it was intriguing and mysterious and many of my questions were answered by the end of the book while still leaving me ready to see where this story will progress next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-copy of Kingdom of Claw in echange for an honest review!

3.25 stars

Demi Winters has a lot of potential here to create such a vast and intriguing world, and we are only getting glimpses of it. I would love to see more about the gods and the magic and how the sisters are connected.

I am rooting for both romances, yet I also want more from them.

Essentially, which I think this has great potential, and hope Demi Winters really follows through on it in the next book, I’m just not seeing it executed to its fullest extent. Especially when the books are very long.

We reunite with Silla as she learns to grasp her true identity and travels with Ray, the fearless leader of the Blood Axe Crew. They’ve survived the Road of Bones and a heartbreaking betrayal by one of their own, but now must find shelter from the ones to search for Silla,while she learns to harness and control her magic powers. So much more depth is grown in these characters as they continue their epic journey. Silla and her sister Saga begin piecing together their family’s history, both determined to save themselves and their people. As they both find unexpected allies and feelings brewing, they must also deal with ever-growing evil presence that threatens to unravel all their hopes. While this story is a lloonnggg epic journey submersed in difficult names and strange folklore, it is well worth the long haul for patient readers. It does end on a cliff hanger once again, so this story will continue. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Truly enjoyed this, the plot, and the romance. I did have a hard time getting into the book, and felt like it dragged on for quite a while. I did really enjoy Saga's story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I was so excited for this book however, it took me so long to read this because it felt like it was dragging on. The first book I absolutely loved and it was one of my top books, but this one fell short of that.

We still follow Silla and Rey in this book but for so long nothing was even happening. I did like how they added Saga’s story so that made it more interesting.

All in all this one was harder to get through.

3/5 stars for me and I would still recommend it just with the disclaimer that it’s so much slower than the first.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read book two in this series!

I’ll admit, romantasy isn’t usually my thing, but this book offers so much more than just romance. The stakes are high, the plot is gripping, and every small issue I had with the first book was either resolved or expanded upon in a way that made the story even stronger. I’m completely invested in where this is going. The two sisters are thrown into incredibly difficult situations, and I truly feel for them. Their love interests are well-developed, and the way this book ends is both powerful and bittersweet—it really highlights how sacrifice is often necessary on the road to happiness.

If I had one complaint, it’s that the crew from the first book is barely present. After all the time spent developing them, it’s disappointing to see them disappear from the main plot. They’re briefly mentioned, but I really hope they make a return in book three. That being said, I’m surprisingly loving this series—especially for someone as picky about this genre as I am. :)

I really enjoyed reading Road of Bones and after the ending I was so excited to start book two and I can say positively that I was not disappointed! Definitely wanting to know where this goes in book three!

‘Kingdom of Claw’ is the second of five planned books in The Ashen series. This book takes us back to Íseldur and immediately follows the events from the ending of book one. We get to alternate between the POVs of Silla and her long lost sister Saga.

Silla fled Kopa with Rey to Kalasgarde where they are in hiding from the King’s Claws after Silla’s true identity is revealed in book one. Silla trains her galdur and Silla and Rey’s relationship grows.

Meanwhile in Askaborg, we get to know Saga and learn that she has been raised as a ward by the family of the usurper King Ivar and his wife Queen Signe. We also learn that Saga has galdur but has revealed it to no one. Saga struggles with severe anxiety and other issues due to her circumstances. Saga meets a mysterious warrior from a neighboring country who helps her come into herself.

Saga and Silla each have their own plans to reunite with one another; Silla to rescue Saga and Saga to protect Silla, but their reunion does not come to fruition in this novel.

This book definitely felt like a placeholder in the series and while I feel that it was necessary for the continuation of the series, for character growth, for developing relationships, and the important introduction of Saga’s character, I did not find this to be overly compelling and felt that the pacing was rather slow.

I will likely continue the series but would not consider this a must read for lovers of romantasy.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

GAGGED. That’s the only way I can describe it.

I love audiobooks, but I typically will use them for books I’ve already read because I get distracted. However, I was so enamored with The Road of Bones, I couldn’t let it go. With this being physically released in February, I literally could not wait. So I’ve been doing everything while listening to this sequel.

First, Islay Jacob’s is a *phenomenal* narrator. Everything about her voice pulled me in even more. For 3rd person, multi POV narrator, she absolutely kills it in every scene. I’m going to have to go back and listen to The Road of Bones as well because she is just that amazing.

Now, the story. It’s like @demiwinterswrites took everything I was obsessed with in the first book, kept them, and added even more. The largest addition was with the new POV from Saga, *SPOILER ALERT* Silla’s sister.

Rey’s POV is raw and heartbreaking and the emotional growth we see from him is perfect. Silla is still stubborn and determined, but also we can see her confidence grow. There are a variety of other new characters that I hope we get to see more of with the next installments.

I missed the Bloodaxe Crew, particularly Hekla, but I know it was necessary.

Run. Don’t walk. And pick up The Road of Bones because I’m going to continue yapping about it for a while. And longingly waiting for the next book.

I am another that has fallen to their own assumptions and suffered. This is NOT a duology, but a series. And I'm extremely excited and impressed that Demi Winters is a debut author and she has started her career with this slamming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy, but especially to Demi, who has given me the fantasy I've been begging for!! She also sent the most lovely character art and series themed stickers.

A spin on Nordic and Slavic culture with unique, and original magic. Exhilarating creatures. With the most likeable, and then some very unlikeable, relatable characters I've read in a very long time.

I'll be honest. I'm pretty upset we don't already have the next in the series announced, but with all epic fantasies, one must be patient.

This series is a masterpiece. I love the character work, the descriptive locations, it really is an amazing book. I feel like Demi does such a great job with character depth and development. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

This was an amazing sequel. It may have been better than the first and I really loved the first. Things slow down a bit to get the backstory of both Saga and Rey. I really enjoyed learning more about Rey and seeing a different side of him. It alternates between Saga and Silla's perspectives (and unfortunately sometimes Jonas' too). Saga's story is hard to read at times. Silla really comes into her own in this book. And its slow burn times two!

I missed the rest of the Bloodaxe Crew (except Jonas, he can go away) and I can't wait for Hekla's book.

Kingdom of Claw is the second book of The Ashen Series by Demi Winters

I was a little nervous going into this book that it would not live up to book 1, but I was happy to be wrong. Demi Winters continues the story flawlessly and I really loved the character development. I liked that she added in Saga’s storyline as it gave more depth and understanding to her character and those around her. I could not put down Kingdom of Claw and would recommend it for anyone looking for a Viking inspired fantasy romance with well rounded characters. I will also be purchasing a physical copy of this book, it was that good!

Please check the trigger warnings since this book touches on some rough things.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

I have posted a review on Goodreads and have submitted my review to amazon and am waiting for it to be posted.

after reading road of bones and absolutely loving it, i couldn't wait to read kingdom of claw! this was a great second installment and i liked it even more than the first one.
i really enjoyed delving deeper into the magic system and this fantastic world demi has created, seeing the characters grow and learning more about them.
there are multiple POVs in kingdom of claw and we get introduced to many new characters! i loved silla's POV (and was used to her and rey) and at first i thought i wouldn't like saga as much but i soon found myself looking forward to her chapters and loving her more and more. especially when we meet rurik, and this is where i apologize to rey, because rurik might be my new favorite. he won me over so fast and i screamed with delight at any scene between him & saga, i couldn't get enough of them!
the bond between saga and silla is also really beautifully written and i look forward to reading more about them as sisters and their relationship in the future releases.
rey and silla's slow-burn was SO worth it - them helping each other heal and learning to trust each other and let themselves be vulnerable was so beautiful to read about. i loved how they became friends first and watching their relationship evolve from reluctant allies to friends to lovers made my heart full.
i can't describe how excited i am for book 3 and this solidified demi winters as an author i love reading!
～thank you to random house publishing and netgalley for the arc!

Wow what a sequel! The road of bones was a 5 star read for me and Kingdom of Claw was EVEN BETTER! I loved the edition of the new characters and found myself equally entertained and eager to see what each pov was getting up to. Loved seeing all the political intrigue and court politics book two added to the series as well as the deeper exploration into the magic system. This is a MUST READ SERIES and I cannot wait for book three! The ending of this book will have you begging for more!

Ohhhh my goshhhh this took me forever to get through! It’s not that the story was bad it’s just that literally nothing happened??? Rey and Silla were flat to me. I like the parts with Saga but again nothing was really revealed. She just kind of bumbled about and made a mess of things. And then the end??? With the dark chaos god taking over. It reminded me of One Dark Window with the “monster” but way worse haha and then Kass is a werewolf?? Or something?? Like wtf lol I’m so glad this book is over.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Geoup and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Kingdom of Claw is book 2 in the Ashen series and continues to follow the journey of Silla and Saga as they navigate their own personal obstacles, betrayal, and a new darkness in Kingdom of Iseldur
I truly enjoyed this book and series so far so much. This book had multiple POVs from different characters with the main ones being Silla and Saga. The personal growth they each went through as they both strive to reach safety and reunite with each other was so well executed. I love how both characters show continued determination and resilience despite mental illness, physical barriers, and many secretive opponents. The lies and deception continued but now with the added mystery of a new darkness, I found myself glued to the pages in suspense. I enjoyed learning more about about the magic of Galdur and each character’s experience with it.
The multiple story lines were so well written and as they start to converge I’m very interested to see how the characters interact once they’re all together!
I definitely plan to read the next book!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
Please check all trigger warnings of this book.
This will be a general review and not give spoilers.

This is Book two in The Ashen series. Book one is The Road of Bones.
This story continues as Silla has survived the perilous journey of The Road of Bones. This book does have different POV as in times of the story. Overall this was a great sequel and I enjoyed it very much.

Silla in this book has come to terms with who she is in terms of her magic. Her character is very developed in this book. This did not come easy as she had a lot of internal battles as what to do with all the information she has learned from The Road of Bones.
Saga has a more enjoyable second half to the book and I was smiling.

There will be a book three! Happy reading.

4.17!

”Let me make this clear to you. There is nothing uncertain in how i want you. It’s almost maddeningly certain I’ve ever felt. I want you all the time. I want you everywhere”

The biggest problem in life that I have is that I assume things.....and I assumed that this was a duology ahahaha so the shock on my face as I read that ending would make a good meme.

“You see blundering. I see progress. There is beauty to behold in the in between.”

This book tbvh was not as good as book1 for me and I know this is an unpopular opinion because people liked book 2 more but for me book 1 was amazing and that's fine because book 2 was a solid sequel as well, I just felt that it was too long, the writing was really fun to read, I was in a slump but I still managed to read it and besides that I loved how well everything from book 1 was handled, how most of the opportunities that book 1 provided were explored and how its widening it's stance but again it was too long, at times the filler content just got on my nerves, I didn't hate it but I would want it to move on!! like actually move forward but thankfully there was just a patch and it did move forward and gave us that ending >:(

“Silently, Silla watched as light and dark swirled together, marveling at how his darkness made her light shine so much brighter. At how her light cast the deepest shadows from the darkness.”

Silla and Rey Our main characters were so fun to read about!! I was rooting for them since book 1 to see them in this one was the highlight, I loved how much Silla developed as a character and how I felt her character to be more relatable now and how I found more connection and how more likeable she was, Rey's grumpy persona coupled up with him wanting to keep Silla safe was everything, their chemistry worked so well and all the scenes that they shared, their perspectives were the best part about this book. Saga and Rurik, were new characters that got pov's in this book and I do feel that it took me some time to adjust to them and like them like for rey and sillas chapters I would enjoy both the story and the characters arc but as for Saga and Rurik, I enjoyed the story from their perspective more than their character arcs. I do feel like their arcs have more to offer and that in the next book(s?) I will be more fond of them.

“I want you,” he said in a bare whisper. “More than air. More than anything in this gods damned world, Silla.”

The romance, for me Saga and Ruriks romance was cute but I wasn't that invested but as for Silla and Rey, I was bouncing off the walls for them, they were everything, the grump x sunshine vibe was so prominent here and I loved how Silla and Rey's chemistry was so natural and the slow burn was actually so lethal because these two botches weren't fucking kissing!! I also liked how Rey didn't coddle her and how Silla didnt want to be coddled, I just like how they started communicating and understood each other and that is probably the reason why their romance storyline overshadowed the other one.

“You cannot risk your life like that. It’s worth something!” "Silla stepped closer. She was small, yet so fierce. He wanted to hold her, wanted to shake her, wanted to kiss her and strangle her all at once.
When she spoke, her voice was low and dangerous. “You’d best not suggest your life is not worth the risk, Galtung. I would do it all over again.”

The worldbuilding was done here and it felt so fun to read, it did get a little boring at time but for the most part I was having fun, the plot progressed a little slower but I didn't mind and omgg all that Jonas plotline had me furious because ugghh I hate him sm.

Spoilers below for book 1, The Road of Bones!

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Second Book Syndrome, who?? I can confirm that Kingdom of Claw did not fall victim to this syndrome like so many books do- a slog and a slump in book two of a series. We follow split POVs in this book, experiencing the individual story line's of both Silla and Saga as they navigate dangerous situations in an attempt to aid each other from afar. On Silla's end, we experience the progression of Silla and Rey's relationship, the revenge of Jonas, and Silla's journey to connect with her powers. On Saga's end, we experience her life in the royal court, and watch as she attempts to navigate the dangerous political atmosphere she's held captive within.

Of the two books that have been published thus far in the Ashen series, Kingdom of Claw is absolutely my favorite. The stakes are higher in book two, and I feel like we get to see more of the character's true selves. Demi is clearly a master of weaving a story together that slowly builds as the book progresses, until suddenly an avalanche (see what I did there?) triggers and we get non-stop action and danger. I love the romantic subplot that gets woven in, so much so that Rey might just be my new favorite fantasy romance main male character. I was quite literally smiling and giggling while reading some of his lines. And, as with book one, Demi had some plot twists up her sleeve that I just did not see coming, even on the last page of the book.

This is easily my favorite Viking-inspired fantasy romance book that I've read to-date, and I'm very excited to see where book three takes us!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.