Book Review: Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

Title: Servant of Earth
Author: Sarah Hawley
Series: The Shards of Magic #1
Pages: 464
Publication Date: Nov. 12, 2024
Publisher: Ace
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power—but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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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 like 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.

Dreams were nothing but air, though, and real change took more than just hope.

Sarah Hawley lives in the Pacific Northwest, where her hobbies include rambling through the woods and appreciating fictional villains. She has an MA in archaeology and has excavated at an Inca site in Chile, a Bronze Age palace in Turkey, and a medieval abbey in England. When not dreaming up whimsical love stories, she can be found reading, dancing, or cuddling her two cats.

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