Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
The Shards of Magic #1
Fantasy Romance
November 12, 2024- Ace

Review by Angela

Kenna Heron is an ordinary woman, living on the fringes of her village, finding treasures in the bog, which she sells in order to put food on the table. When the time comes for sacrifices to be chosen to travel across the bog to the Fae, Kenna is distressed to find her best friend is picked. So, in desperation, she follows her and ends up in a cruel Fae kingdom where she is given as handmaiden to the heir of Earth House, Lara, as an aid as her trials are about to begin.

The underground kingdom of the Fae is a cruel and viscous place. Magical gifts are divided into houses. Earth, Void, Fire, Illusion, and Light. And the now decimated house of Blood, who were wiped out after the rebellion. Kenna is tasked with helping her new mistress as she undergoes the trials, one for each house of the Fae, which if she performs well will solidify her magic and immortality. As a human, Kenna isn’t knowledgeable about cosmetics or hair design, or even which dress Lara should wear in certain court functions, but she is resourceful and sets out to help Lara.

Along the way, Kenna catches the eye of a handsome Fire Prince and somehow becomes involved in a rebellion against the king. Armed with only her wits, and the sentient dagger she found in the bog, Kenna undergoes each trial alongside Lara and finds herself deeper and deeper immersed in Fae politics.

I will admit that it took me a bit to really settle into this world. This is a felt like a longer read than it actually was, it’s 464 pages, but I think that’s because there is a lot of worldbuilding and backstory set-up to get through. While it did give the same feel as quite a few romantasy/fantasy romances I’ve read lately- ordinary human woman put in an impossible, dangerous situation, an evil Fae kingdom, trails of some kind that must be completed, and even a sort of love triangle- I do think it was fresh enough that I was invested by the end.

Kenna is a cunning, strong women who finds herself in an impossible situation and manages to immerse herself into a world that is vastly different from her own. I found myself looking forward to the scenes with the trials, interested in how she would outsmart each house and help Lara make it through. As her other relationships grew, I wasn’t really thrilled with the prospect of a love triangle, but it seems like that is what is in store for the next book in the series.

Now that I’m invested, I’ve settled in for the long wait until the next book in the series releases. Princess of Blood has a release date of September 30, 2025.

Grade- B-