I was introduced to Sarah Hawley’s writing when I read her lighthearted paranormal rom-com Glimmer Falls series, which includes A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. But Servant of Earth, the first in the author’s The Shards of Magic series is a grittier fantasy story with romantic elements that had me spellbound right from the start.

Kenna Heron spends her days treasure-hunting in the bog next to her small village of Tumbledown. Every year, on the morning of the Winter Solstice, the village chooses four young women to cross the bog, led by fairy lights, to live out their days in luxury (or so it’s believed) in the Fae land of Mistei. On this particular morning, Kenna draws from the water a gorgeous, bejewelled dagger she knows will fetch her a good price. The dagger is odd – it has an unearthly shine and when it accidentally cuts her skin, the blood disappears into the blade. But she can’t ponder it for long. Her best friend Anya is one of the chosen women and Kenna is determined to follow along behind in secret, to protect her if needed.

Crossing the bog quickly becomes a nightmare as, one by one, the women disappear en route, leaving only Kenna to make it safely to the other side. And when she does, she discovers what she has always feared – that there is no wonderful life in Mistei. Instead the humans who make it across become slaves, and Kenna is given as a servant to Princess Lara of Earth House. There are five Noble Fae houses – Fire, Earth, Light, Void, and Illusion, and there used to be a sixth house, Blood House, but the current tyrannical King Osric obliterated that house so no Fae remains who belongs to it. As Kenna learns how to survive in her new life, she also becomes friends with Prince Drustan, a Noble Fae of Fire House. And she discovers that not everyone is happy serving King Osric. Tasked with helping her mistress pass a series of challenges to become fully immortal, Kenna must use all of her wits for both of them to survive. But will the alliances she’s made aid her or lead her to ruin?

The first sentence of the book is as follows: The winter solstice crept in cold, wet, and heavy with dread. This captures the dark and mysterious mood of the story precisely. Kenna is poor – she’s an orphan – and her day-to-day existence is always fraught. She seems to be the only one in her village who is suspicious that the Noble Fae are not as lovely as the stories tell, and indeed they are not. This novel isn’t for the faint of heart as there are scenes of gore, violence and sexual assault, and the author includes a warning note for content. But the worldbuilding is thorough and interesting, and the characters, especially some of the Noble Fae, are not as clear cut as good or evil as they might appear at the beginning. The reader learns who she can really trust at the same time Kenna does. Prince Drustan becomes Kenna’s love interest and they share some intimate scenes, but whether he will continue as her forever partner remains to be seen as there are other Fae princes who are interested in Kenna as well.

The story is action packed and the pace is swift, leading to an exciting conclusion. There is no cliffhanger, but there are still many things to be resolved, and I am excited to continue the series!