This is the sequel to The Road of Bones. It follows both sisters now, Silla and Saga as they work to help one another. It is a beautifully written sequel and a delightful series. Fans of A Fate Inked In Blood would like these books!

Kingdom of Claw was a great second installment in The Ashen series. This is a Viking-based world, in a conquered kingdom with outlawed magic, following two sisters who are the princesses of the former regime. This picks up right after book one. Silla has retreated to the north to develop her newly discovered magic. Saga is a ward in the castle, betrothed to the younger prince, and tasked with welcoming ambassadors from a neighboring kingdom here to form a treaty. We mostly alternate through the sister's POVs, but also follow the warrior Rey who has taken Silla to his home village, and sometimes Jonas who had betrayed Silla and turned her in to the guards at the end of the last book.

You can expect:
Viking Romantasy
Forbidden Magic
Hidden Identities
Slow Burn
Who Hurt You
Only One Bed
Found Family
Disability Rep
Grief and Addiction
Secrets and Betrayal
Cryptid Creatures
Norse-inspired World
Early20s MCs
Multi, 3rdP POV

I enjoyed watching Silla grow and accept her past and magic. The relationship development between her and Rey was a huge slow burn, more so than book one, but understandable after what she went through. I loved how the supported each other through their journeys. It was great getting Saga's POV this book, there was so much more background to learn from the castle. The blossoming romance with her was fun too, and I loved the broken second language and more heartfelt translations. There is a dark force throughout the story that they are discovering, and I'm interested how that is going to incorporate now on top of the political schemes.

This is the second of five books and I am very excited to see where the rest of the series will go. This was written even better than book one, so I can't wait for more. I'm definitely getting Throne of Glass vibes, which is my favorite series, so it will be great to have another series to recommend. As with book one, I listened to the indie version of the audiobook, the narration is amazing. I followed along with a eARC from NetGalley and I spotted a few differences to the text, with just a few lines removed or edited. Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

I am not sure what to make of that ending!

This book has everything I enjoy in a fantasy and everything I didn't know I needed. It is plot driven, with some romantic tension and spice sprinkled throughout. It has political intrigue, magic, Vikings, multiple POV's. And of course, in Demi Winters' style, you don't know who you can trust.

Silla is training to master her galdur (magic) in the northern lands of Iseldur. Her goal is to rescue her sister, Saga, from the Urkans who currently rule the kingdom. Saga is not allowed to leave the castle grounds in Sunnavik and has not gone outside the walls of the castle for years. She is locked in a "prison" of sorts, being paraded around like she is the royal family's prize.

I just couldn't decide which point of view I liked best. I enjoyed watching Silla's story continue to unfold from the first book, The Road of Bones, while getting to know new characters in this world. I would be so immersed in the story of one character, and just was the tension was building to a climax, the story would change to another point of view. It was frustrating but exciting all at the same time and kept me wanting to read more. This book is a true masterpiece, and I need the next sequel...now!



Thank you Net Galley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I love this series! It’s somehow dark yet uplifting. I love the Vikings vibes and the crazy creatures lurking in the wild. This is also one of those semi-rare occasions where the sequel somehow manages to outdo the first book….and I REALLY like The Road of Bones. I think Kingdom of Claw does a great job of showcasing Silla’s timidity (which is refreshingly rare in fantasy), but also her determination to help and protect those she cares about. She has so much growth in the book physically, mentally, and emotionally, and I absolutely loved it. Throw in her chemistry with Rey and all their delicious tension and you have a recipe for greatness. Yet, that’s only half the plot in Kingdom of Claws. This book also brings us Saga’s POV and what she has been living through as a “ward” in Sunnavik. Her story is so incredibly unique. Much like with Silla, Demi Winter’s portrays Saga as softer than the standard “badass FMC” you usually see. Yet these characters are strong in their own ways, and I find I really like this deviation from the norm. Saga deals with the daily life of being a glorified prisoner while also managing her agoraphobia, thus making escape difficult. In spite of that, she’s stubborn and curious and takes chances to try to help her sister. Her relationship with Rurik is fun and a bit mysterious. I very much hope to get snippets of his POV in the following book(s). Which brings me to my final point: that ending!…I’m dead. I need more asap. How am I supposed to survive until book 3?!

🏞🐍

Second part of this story is even more amazing than the first!

Silla character continues developing, relatably getting better and better on the road of her mental health. Rey've shown suprising relatability, it was great to still have his pow. A lot of new gorgeous (and loathsome, but valuable for the plot) characters were introduced adding yet again more developmemt to the story.

Loved that now we not only follow Silla's life in the main plot, but also are involved in complications of political intrigues of Askaborg castle and Saga's life in it. I only wish we also had our Zagadkian guest's pow, though it's understandable that his thoughts had to remain hidden to maintain the intrigue. And of course we still had the antagonist representation in a way I loved it in The Road of Bones.

The breathtaking landscapes leave your mind flying though the endless new sites of Iseldur while its unique creatures and magic make you wonder what other kinds of them there are still unknown for us.

The author perfectly immerses in the authentic traditions and other uniqueness of the world. Not just introducing the landscapes and creatures, but also building the mythological history and filling the everyday life of the characters with special things of their world. Each nationality had it's own distinguishable traditions and history.

Personally I was happy to hear my own language from Zagadkian people and I must say all of the translations are correct and satisfying.

This book made me shaking with nerves and exitment, the ending seemed both worrying and satisfying, changing everything from political situation to the kindgoms fates to their new unknown states.

Can't wait to read more about our amazing characters' journeys and unraveling of those gorgeous twists and secrets yet held.

- - -
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I ended 2024 with The Road to Bones and I instantly fell in love with Silla and couldn’t wait to hear more about Saga’s story. I instantly searched for Kingdom of Claw and discovered that it would be coming out in February of 2025 and didn’t think I would make it until then. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to receive an eARC of Kingdom of Claw. I then proceeded to not be able to put it down and absolutely devoured it. The only problem with that, is now I have even longer to wait for the next installment in the Ashen Series. I loved this book even more than the Road of Bones. Getting more of Saga’s story along side Silla’s was so exciting. There was great pacing, character development, and continued world building. For a story where half of it takes place in a singular tiny village in the frozen mountains, you wouldn’t think you could continue world building and keep the reader entertained. Demi Winters is an impressive writer and has become an auto buy author for me. I will be recommending this to all of my fantasy reader community, as well as new to fantasy readers. I believe there is the perfect amount of romance mixed in with the fantasy, that even non-fantasy readers could enjoy it as well!

This was a fantastic sequel to The Road of Bones! I loved reading about the growth and relationship between Silla and Rey, but the best part of this story was the addition of Saga's character and POV. I absolutely loved her relationship with Rurik. Reading the parallels of the two sisters working to save one another was the balance this book needed. Everyone needs to read this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for this ARC!

I wasn’t expecting Kingdom of Claw to be better than The Road of Bones but it totally was. By far. There was so much more movement, more development, and a greater understanding offered in book two. When I had finished The Road of Bones back in November I wasn’t in any rush to pick up Kingdom of Claw, content with letting it just sit on my TBR for a while until I had some free time; so I am thankful to Random House for granting me access to Kingdom of Claw ARC and urging me to pick it up. Once it was opened up on my Kindle I couldn’t put it down.

Kingdom of Claw is a plot-heavy slow-burn centered around Saga’s need to learn how to fight back and Silla’s need to surrender. A perfect continuation to The Road of Bones filled with adventure, pining, overcoming trauma, and finding the strength to be a hero to those who are in need - or perhaps to even make themselves the villain for the greater good. The depth that this book adds to the lore of the world is thrilling and inspiring, giving us greater glimpses at the bigger picture while still leaving so much shrouded in shadow and mystery.

I was so grateful for the recap at the beginning of the book – even if it meant finding myself hurt all over again by being reminded of Jonas’ betrayal and Ilías’ death. The pronunciation guide, the translations at the ends of the chapters, and the glossary are great additions next to the beautiful map and even more glorious cover of the book.

Aside from immediately lovable characters like Vig and Rurik, we’re faced with villains around every corner, with dark motives that had my skin crawling. I have a feeling that, as these characters get more and more fleshed out with every book in the series, these books will grow ever better. I cannot wait to see where the story takes us after Kingdom of Claw’s disastrous end but I know now that I won’t be waiting to pick up the third installment when it drops.

5⭐
2.5 🌶️
Tropes/Themes: Viking/Norse Mythology, hidden identities, politics/court intrigue, prisoner princess, found family, slow burn, grumpy horse, one bed
Multi POV 1st person
Kingdom of Claw is the second book in The Ashen series, and you absolutely must read Road of Bones first! But you definitely need to because this book is so good. I ate up Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw. I’m eagerly waiting for the next book
I really enjoyed how this book focused on Saga, instead of just being a continuation of Silla’s story. I mean, it does still include Silla but it’s more about Saga. Along with that, it made me happy that we got to discover Rey’s backstory while in his hometown of Kalasgarde. And just like with Road of Bones, the magic system/mythology is amazing. You definitely don’t want to skip this series!

This was a full 10 out of 10 experience for me! Thank you Delacorte Press and Demi Winters for the ARC of this amazing sequel to the Ashen Series!

It took me a little bit to finish this book because, as with most things that I LOVE, I wanted to savor it and make sure I took in all the little crumbs!

The writing for this book, as with the first book, is phenomenal. I rarely find recently published works that keep me in the world, fully immersed within the parameters that are set during world building moments. But the atmosphere, the scenery, the vibe are all very clear and will keep you immersed. The dialogue and even our FMCs and MMCs inner ramblings add depth to the atmosphere.

In this book, we learn more Galdur and the machinations with which each person must work with in order to wield it properly. And whilst there are lots of parts that I love, this was amazing to me and a fascinating study into how different each of us really are. We may have the same teachers and may even experience the same things. And yet, we are still very different. Even Silla and Jonas have similarities with their history, but they cannot be any more different.

I absolutely loved meeting Saga and getting to know her! But what I love most is the growth we see from Silla and Rey. Individually and as a team. It was beautiful!

Pacing was amazing on this one. I loved the slow moments AND the action sequences. But to leave us with that ending!!! I need the third book pleaseeee!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️

Unfortunately, The Ashen series thus far just isn't for me.

In terms of premise and setting, it is unique and captivating, and the way the story bends standard romantasy tropes is very refreshing. But the various components that craft a cohesive narrative just never gelled for me.

To Kingdom of Claw's credit, it did improve upon the pacing and character inconsistency issues that were prevalent in The Road of Bones, but... only marginally. Ultimately... the journey just wasn't there for me to hold onto. Characters are largely in the same place that they start out from, the story never meaningfully evolves (though, you can tell what the intended evolution was). Everything INTENDED in this series is beautiful, needed even, but it has its eyes set on achieving those goals first, story and characters second... and you just can't do that.

Without a doubt, though, Demi Winters knows how to craft a fascinating world. I'm eager to see how her stories evolve over time, once she strikes that bargain between theme/messaging and story/character.

This was even better than the first of the series. I don’t normally like perspective changes but found myself looking forward to getting back to Saga’s perspective and loved the addition of Rurik’s character. Cannot wait for the next book!

I did not love Road of Bones but I enjoyed it enough to pick this one up and I’m very glad I did. The addition of Rey, Saga, and Kass really made this book so much better. I loved Silla but I felt like she needed to grow up and make better choices in book one (Jonas cough cough) and she definitely does in book two. While at times the book felt long and could use a bit more editing to shorten it, I really enjoyed the ride and can’t wait for book three!


Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kingdom of Claw picks up where The Road of Bones left off. After the revelation of Rey’s identity as the Slatrari, and his rescue of Silla from Kopa, Rey and Silla are on the run. They are wanted by the queen and are forced into hiding in the one place Rey promised never to go again. Together they must overcome their distrust of each other and their past traumas.

Meanwhile in Sunnavik Saga is waging a battle of her own. She has been living in captivity by the usurpers who murdered her family for 17 years. She has not left the castle walls for 5. But when she discovers the existence of her sister whom everyone believed to be dead, everything changes. She will do anything to protect Silla now that she knows she is alive. Even if it means teaming up with the mysterious Zagadkian dignitary who clearly has motivations of his own.

What did I like about the book?
This is one of those sequels that is so much better than the first! While I loved the first book, it was much slower, with a lot of character and world introduction. Kingdom of Claw jumps right into the story. Demi Winters does an absolutely amazing job of providing characters with real, personal issues that need to be overcome. I loved watching Rey battle his grief and need to put people at a distance while Silla battled her addiction which was only made more difficult by her inability to master her galdur.

While the romance in the first book seemed off (it was supposed to), the romance in Kingdom of Claw is beautiful. We are able to watch Rey and Silla’s relationship develop naturally as they are forced into hiding together. I loved watching them battle themselves rather than them being instantly in love.

This book offers more points of view. We are able to follow Silla’s journey in captivity in Sunnavik. Silla battles her own ailments while also finding a very morally grey love interest.

What did I not like?
Honestly the only thing I don’t like about this book is that I want more, but it’s not available yet. The third book is currently being written with no publication date. I am so excited to read the next installment of this series!

The second installment of the Ashen series, Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters, is absolutely fantastic.

Without giving away the ending of book one, the scope of this sequel expands dramatically, delivering an adrenaline-packed (but fun!) experience as we jump between POVs. It picks up right where the first book left off, but quickly broadens the story with a new location and the introduction of a fresh POV. This new perspective not only adds crucial context but also brings its own side romance—which is absolutely chef’s kiss with a little language barrier.

Have I mentioned how much I adore multi-POV books? Because they’re THE BEST, and this one absolutely nails it! I loved how we were introduced to new characters and got to know them on a much deeper level. The expansion of the world and the development of relationships added so much depth and richness to the story.

One of the standout aspects for me is how Demi delves into the characters' trauma and explores how it shapes their everyday decisions. It makes the story feel so raw and real, adding an emotional weight that’s hard to forget and so impactful.

The ending was phenomenal! It left me on the edge of my seat, and I honestly have no idea where the story will go next—something I absolutely LOVE in a series. I can’t wait to dive into the next book and see how it all unfolds!

If I could give this book 10 stars I would!! Absolutely phenomenal series and cannot wait for the next one to come out. This was a perfect addition in the series.

Kingdom of Claw is the second book of the Ashen Series. This book picks up right where Road of Bones left off (perk: there is a 2 page recap at the beginning of this book so you can easily just head right back into this journey!)
There’s a lot going on in this book, but despite different point of views it felt like it flowed well and kept me turning the page to read more.
Silla and Saga are sisters and it’s enjoyable to watch them both yearn to find each other and see their own growth throughout the book.
There’s a slow developing relationship and it was GOOOOD. It’s a nice slow burn build up. You get more backstory for them and why they feel undeserving of love so when it finally happens it’s feels swoonworthy. We also are introduced to another potential morally grey character and there is some mystery and potential romance teased in.... but who really is he?
The layers of this story interweave and build – albeit long – I feel like this is a underhyped series!
The author seems to think of everything – she’s included pronunciation guides and glossary in the back and you can find TW here: https://demiwinters.com/trigger-warnings/

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Kingdom of Claw is a phenomenal follow-up to Road of Bones. We follow Silla and Rey as they flee and hide from the Klaernar. While Silla now understands who she is, much of this book focuses on her internal struggle to accept what that means and how it shapes her future. At the same time, Silla’s primary purpose becomes clear: to help Saga, What makes Silla such a standout character is her sunny, optimistic outlook (most of the time!). She longs for autonomy and she isn’t afraid to demand it. In contrast, Rey is the classic grump to Silla's sunshine, which makes their dynamic even more enjoyable. Their slow-burn romance is deliciously satisfying. The story also gives us Saga’s POV, as she discovers her sister is alive and resolves to protect her at all costs. I’m eagerly awaiting the moment these sisters come back together and look forward to seeing their relationship evolve in future books. That said, I couldn’t help but miss the Bloodaxe Crew from the Road of Bones! Hopefully, they’ll return in future installments (just not Jonas!). Some readers might find the book's length and deliberate pacing a challenge, but for me, it was a strength. The slower pace allows for deep character exploration, immersing you in their experiences and emotions. I can’t wait for Book 3!

Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters is an enthralling continuation of The Road of Bones, delivering an intense blend of high-stakes action, forbidden magic, and complex relationships. Silla and Saga's parallel journeys are richly developed, with each woman grappling with inner demons and external threats that keep the tension high. The story excels in its exploration of power, betrayal, and unlikely alliances, weaving a dark yet captivating tapestry of secrets and simmering romance. While the intricate plot and dual perspectives occasionally make it challenging to follow every thread, the richly imagined world and emotional depth more than compensate. Fans of epic fantasy will find this sequel a satisfying and immersive experience.

Start this off by saying I’m not a fan of books with MPV and I understand why it was needed in this book but would prefer to just read two separate books. This was a long book where I felt like I just wanted to get to the end that I never really got too. I loved Sagas story in this but for our other main character I just felt like she was at the same spot at the end of the book that she was at the beginning.

With that being said I will most likely pick up the next book because I will want to know what happens to Saga.