Roots of Darkness is a short, side story in The Ashen series. It’s an important part of the timeline and stars Hekla, one of the Bloodaxe crew’s strongest–and most damaged–warriors. Hekla has been through a lot in her life and instead of letting it defeat her, she uses it as fuel to throw on top of the already fiery spirit she has.
About the Book
Join Hekla and the remnants of the Bloodaxe Crew as they battle the evil, poisonous mist threatening the citizens of Istré—and perhaps all of Íseldur—in a novella following the events of Kingdom of Claw.
Traveling the Road of Bones was only the start of Hekla’s troubles.
The Bloodaxe Crew have arrived at the village of Istré—beleaguered and missing three of their members. They might be down in numbers, but Hekla “Rib Smasher” is determined they’ll complete their job all the same: defeat the monstrous, sentient mist and keep the citizens of Istré safe. What she didn’t expect is for Istré’s bullheaded chieftain to block her every move.
Exasperated, Hekla throws caution to the wind for a single passion-filled night. But to her horror, the mysterious red-cloaked warrior to whom she’s spilled her deepest secrets is the Bloodaxe Crew’s new temporary leader and ally—Eyvind Hakonsson.
Hekla must now learn to play by Eyvind’s rules while guarding her heart. But when it becomes clear that his plans align with the chieftain’s, Hekla takes matters into her own hands.
Nothing will stop her from keeping the innocent people of Istré safe—not even the man who haunts her thoughts.
My Review
Hekla is in a man’s world always having to prove herself. Thankfully, the leader of the Bloodaxe crew–Rey–sees her worth and knows her contribution is priceless. That’s why he put her in charge at the end of the Road of Bones (Book 1) to go to Istré to complete the job they were commissioned to do.
While in Istré, what’s left of the Bloodaxe crew are biding their time and grieving the loss of a fallen crewmate until Rey’s childhood friend shows up with reinforcements to help complete the job. Hekla knows the local chieftain is hiding things from them and has become more of a hindrance than a help. She’s got a feeling the chieftain is placating her until “real warriors” can help solve the problem.
When the band of warriors show up 3 days early, Hekla gets a huge surprise when she finds out the dalliance she indulged in the night before is the one she’s been waiting for, Rey’s friend and second son to the Jarl of Kopa, Eyvind. Talk about awkward.
Now they have to work together, despite the simmering sexual tension, to defeat the mist and save the town of Istré. Working in close proximity to Eyvind and his warriors brings back lots of unpleasant memories from Hekla’s past. She does her best to shake them off while keeping the rest of the Bloodaxe crew together and proving to Eyvind’s warriors she’s more than capable for the job ahead. No problem right? Not. At. All.
I really enjoyed reading this short story and I loved that Hekla got the spotlight. Her past is a private pain she rarely shares and I loved learning more about her and how hard she had to fight to overcome her demons and the misogyny in the kingdom. I greatly admire Hekla and if anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s her.
While Roots of Darkness leaves more questions than answers, it is an exciting installment to the series and I am SO glad we don’t have to wait long for the next book!
I highly recommend the entire Ashen series!
Purchase Links*
Penguin Random House | Demi Winters Website
About the Author
Lover of all things fairy tales, fantasy, and romance, Demi lives in British Columbia, Canada with her husband and two kids. When she’s not busy brainstorming fantastical worlds and morally gray love interests, Demi loves reading and cooking. Learn more at demiwinters.com
*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.
No comments:
Post a Comment