Rey you little cinnamon roll I love a good Viking man, you just keep getting better and better. I have so many questions about the sisters now and I’m so excited to see what’s next. I need the next book like now

Run don’t walk when this book hits the shelves. This series is one I didn’t know I needed in my life. This book dives more into Silla and Rey’s stories and then brings Saga, Silla’s sister more into the light. At first when I was reading I really didn’t want to read the chapters of Saga (because I just didn’t know her yet) or Jonas (because I hated him), but then the book ends with a Saga chapter and I was just devastated because I wanted more. I cannot wait for the new book and to learn about where Rurik is from and his culture/story.

Demi Winters did such a nice job of melding the story lines of your beloved characters from the first book and the new character plots in this one. So much so that I think I loved this one even more than the first book, and let me tell you I loved that one and recommend it to everyone!

Thank you forgetting me read the ARC net galley!

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 and book 2 was even better, to add Saga's storyline was perfect! Babygirl's love life is on life support though! The characters we were already familiar with matured more and new characters were perfectly written, holding their weight, and not being filler characters. Silla's story was the winner to me, she has come so far in book 2. She has gone from sweet and aloof, to sweet, strong, and self-aware. The romance scenes are so intense and to finally get the story on Rey and why he is the way he has pulled a tear, that man has layers! I love that he would burn the world for Silla, just to be able to walk with them through the development of their love story was and is perfect. It is relatable and organic, spicy and magical!

The ending though...WHEW, DEMI! BRING ON BOOK 3!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, and Demi Winters for the ARC of this epic book!

An instant top 10. This is one of those series you'll want to read over and over because it's fantastic from the characters, the world building, the drama, the twists. Demi Winters is incredible at crafting a story and making the entire setup come to life on the pages. There's spice that burns. There's banter that slays. The viking theme was one of my favorites that I didn't know I needed. The Russian and Russian accent was really flipping cool but I don’t know how I feel about that yet. Stay tuned for book 3, I guess. I am obsessed with Saga's story.

I thought book one was good and then I read this book and it's even better. This series is intoxicating and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I want everyone to read it and talk about it. It's one of those books worth sharing to everyone you know and hope they too fall in love. I don't even need to hope, they will.

Kingdom of Claw is the second book in The Ashen series. I absolutely enjoyed Book 1 and this was just as good. loved Winters continued world building in Kingdom of Claw. It’s richly written and well developed- together with the magic system the author has created. Even more than all of that, though, I love the characters! The development of the characters their relationship makes the reader feel thoroughly. There’s plenty of action, twists, betrayals, and romance which kept me hooked from the beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this a lot as a second book in the series. I was missing a lot of the characters from the first bir the payoff for the slow burn was delicious. It’s a very interesting magic system and so different from normal fantasy books these days so that is really refreshing.

Kingdom of Claw is an engaging and intricate sequel.

Silla is on the run again. After Jonas’s betrayal, she and Rey have fled Kopa and are seeking refuge in the north. But they are both keeping secrets, ones that could change the fate of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Saga has learned that her younger sister is still alive, and even though she’s trapped in the palace, a prisoner of the vicious king Ivar and his ruthless wife, Queen Signe, she tries to resist in the small ways that she’s able. When a group from a foreign kingdom visits to initiate trade, the mysterious warrior Rurik takes a keen interest in Saga. They find that they are able to help one another, but their mutually beneficial arrangement comes with the cost, one that Saga is not sure if she’s able to pay.

I really enjoyed this story!! After being surprisingly impressed with book one of The Ashen series, I was excited to dive into the sequel, Kingdom of Claw. The world building is incredibly intricate. The plot is engaging and I’m loving all the characters. We meet some exciting new faces in this book, and while we continue to have chapters from Silla, Rey, and Jonas, we also get Saga’s point of view in this book, which adds an exciting new dimension. I loved Silla’s growth in this story, as she learns to embrace her magic and her identity. While the pacing of this book is not very fast, the story builds to a crescendo. The world building is incredibly intricate, and we are following plots from book one and setting things up for the next. This was a really engaging and exciting sequel and I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

⭐️ 4

This is better than the first in almost every way! I'm not sure why but my guess is that Saga is just a much more interesting character this book than Silla. Saga's story was dripping with tension, both romantic and political, and I found myself a tad disappointed when the POV switched and we were back with Silla and away from the castle. Don't get me wrong, I do love Rey and he's GREAT this book, but something about Kass was like crack to me.

Was the dialog sometimes juvenile? Yes, that's part of my reason for the 4 stars and not 5. But there is so much there with the addition of Saga's story that wasn't there in book one, so much inner turmoil that Saga's situation and history brings to the table. You can't help rooting for her. I'm very excited to pick up the next book in the series and to see them reunited.

Just as a last aside, I would like to ask romantasy authors to stop using nicknames so much. I get that they're cute and charming but they really start to wear on you when they're used every few lines.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy for review. This is my own opinion.

<i>Kingdom of Claw</i> has:
-hurt/comfort
-training montages
-court intrigue and espionage
-traumatized character with anxiety/agoraphobia (or at least it's heavily implied)
-mild spice
-secret royals (and not just in the way you think)

First and foremost I want to thank Demi Winters for the "and that's what you missed on Glee" sort of recap of The Road of Bones because HOLY CRAP these are long books. Seriously, thank you Demi.

Anyway, getting into the story, this picks up right where we left off in TROB, only we have Saga's POV now. Rey and Silla are immediately thrown into yet another mess, Jonas is a self-loathing ass, I don't want to give anything away, but there is A LOT going on in this book.

I really enjoy this series that feels sort of half historical and half fantasy. This is a Norse-inspired fantasy, rather than the typical English/Scottish/Irish lore of many tradpub fantasies (no shade--there are just a ton of them) and it's a nice deviation from that standard. We get a lot of training montage, discovering of powers, etc., but none of it feels rote with these characters. I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC! I'm really looking forward to book 3!

4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

For the most part, I have been actively avoiding fantasy romance. That being said, I am still really liking the Ashen series.

This does suffer a little bit from slow pacing and a slightly naive FMC, but there is a lot more world building and character growth happening. I had assumed this would be a trilogy, but I just looked it up and it’s planned to be a five-book series. There is still a lot going on in this story, and with this addition to the series we also get new POVs.

There are several new characters to enjoy, but we do leave a lot of favorites from the first book. I’m hopeful that we’ll get to see them again in the next book. The romance is really enjoyable, and while I wouldn’t call it a slow burn, it certainly isn’t anywhere close to the “insta-lust” that has turned me off from most romantasy titles.

If you’ve been looking for a new fantasy romance series, I definitely recommend this one and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out.

This book was fantastic. Thank you so much for the early eARC of Kingdom of Claw. I was blessed to read an early copy of the Road of Bones as well and Demi Winters weaves magic in everything she writes. I loved the dual POV in this book and she flawlessly transitioned between characters and settings. I am so excited for book 3!

This was a SOLID 2nd book! Something I think a lot of authors really struggle with. Road of Bones was so different to anything I’d read within the romantasy genre before, it absolutely captivated me - so to say I was buzzing about the sequel would be a complete understatement!

Silla is such a refreshing character. Her development and growth was written with such emotion and care, and I absolutely loved her relationship with Ray and watching everything unfold. She really comes into her own in KOC!

The slow burn was exquisite!!! I was turned the pages so fast, and I cannot wait to read more from Demi Winters!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. This was an amazing sequel and I especially loved Saga's chapters (even more than Sillas)! I hope the third book comes out ASAP.

Kingdom of Claw is the second book in The Ashen series. As with the first book in the series, I loved Winters continued world building in Kingdom of Claw. It’s richly written and well developed. I also really enjoy Winters magic system. Even more than all of that, though, I love the characters that Winters has created. Silla has undergone quite the character development journey from the first book to where she is now. She’s worked hard to hone her magic and come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. I also love the relationship she’s built with Rey. Those two are absolutely perfect for one another. I was rooting for them from their early interactions in book 1. Saga was a surprising favorite for me. I love how she kept her fiery nature and hasn’t let what she’s been through completely crush her. I also appreciate that she still finds ways to help the rebel cause despite her illness. I love how much Winters manages to pack into each installment. There’s plenty of action, twists, betrayals, and romance to keep any reader engaged. I combo read this as an ebook and audiobook. While I enjoyed Islay Jacobs narration overall, I wish there was a greater distinction between Sillla and Saga’s POVs. There were a few times where I got confused on who was speaking. With that in mind, I think I would lean towards eyeball reading this one or following along in the book to the narration. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙨 and introduced new elements that kept the story fresh & exciting!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 Delacorte Press 𝘢𝘯𝘥 NetGalley 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 — 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I liked this one better than the first, and I can confidently say it’s because of the 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. The new male love interest introduced is — 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. I loved that his native language is different and how he “hides behind the language barrier” — especially when he’s dropping sweet confessions the FMC can’t understand. 𝘚𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺. He has all my attention going into the next book, which I can’t wait for!

This is a sizable read & the pacing was sometimes irksome. Bit of a down-throttle on the romantic bits also — it’s a slow-burn after all so I didn’t mind this. But there’s a slew of new vibrant characters, an expansion on backstories, an evolution of magical abilities, and a “deepening” of the darker elements that keep this follow-up compelling. And like the first, plenty of action & excitement!

This second book is so rewarding! I was impressed by how well the author balances the romances with the internal & external conflicts of the MCs. Each book seems to gently tug the reader deeper into an increasingly suspenseful storyline, I’m absolutely hooked at this point!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of Kingdom of Claw!

Ever since I finished the Road of Bones, I’ve been thinking about how Demi Winters was going to follow up an amazing first novel. Without going into spoilers, I’m extremely pleased with the direction this book took! I sometimes find that the second book in a series can have trouble living up to the hype of the first, but this wasn’t the case with Kingdom of Claw. Adding in Saga’s POV and storyline only added great things to the plot without overcomplicating it.

With each character, the reader gets to explore a greater depth to what makes them, them. My favorite aspect of the characters (especially in this book) was exploring how morally gray each of them could be. I did find that in a few cases, some of the main characters had some plot armor, but it was counteracted by an equal amount of suffering the consequences of their actions.

Also, the overall construction and execution of the plot is magnificent. It’s been a while since I’ve been just totally immersed in book and forget that I’m reading.

I’m extremely interested in how book 3 continues to build on the plot and seeing how each person develops! 10/10 read, no notes.

I couldn’t start this because I couldn’t get through the first one. I just didn’t like it. I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, the talented Demi Winters and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of Kingdom of Claw, the second book in The Ashen Series. It was such a delight to have read this book last year and later on become a member of Demi’s street team.

Where to even start. This was one of those books that you just know will be a 5 star read almost as soon as you start. I got hooked on Demi’s writing in the first book of this series, The Road of Bones, and it was absolutely a 5 star read as well. But Kingdom of Claw just hits differently. Questions were answered, characters were fleshed out, and the twists and turns were twisting! There are really no faults, it is a fantastic book.

I loved the new characters introduced, especially Saga who goes through her own harrowing experiences and challenges. But wow wow wow, the new MMC in Saga’s story is so good!

It is such a beautiful and easy-to-read book, and a series that I will recommend to everyone. I cannot wait to see where it goes.

Book 2 of the Ashen series opens with various POVs of different major players in the coming revolution. Silla and her sister now armed with the knowledge that their sister has survived find themselves desperate to reach each other.

This book includes:
- a gruff and broken MMC
- a FMC who is healing against trauma
- a murderous mist
- a father with secrets
- unlikely friendship
- a horse named Horse
- multiple POV
- complex adversaries with humanizing traits
- surprising twists

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this story. The pace was startling slow and I felt like it ruined all of the momentum from book 1. The character development stagnated and the motivations became garbled.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Demi Winters, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
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THERE AREN'T ENOUGH STARS TO RATE THIS BOOK. Vikings, romance, tension, slow burn, an incredible plot?!!!! Demi Winters is now an auto-buy author FOR SURE.