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A review by breabooks
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This is one of those books that I delayed finishing because of the inevitable book hangover. I devoured the last 100 pages but felt instant regret once I knew I would not be in Mistei anymore. Servant of Earth is easily one of my top books of the year.
Kenna finds herself trapped in the underground fae court of Mistei after some major trauma. Her best friend dies, thus confirming her town’s bogus faith in the fae. Kenna must rely on her own wit and a sentient dagger as she’s forced to assist her new mistress in 6 deadly trials. She quickly finds herself torn between different allegiances as she’s caught in the middle of a secret rebellion against the heinous fae king.
Servant of Earth is very dark. The plot is immersive - full of twists with little bits of foreshadowing breadcrumbs. The fae, while wildly different from other stories in class and description, are cruel and conniving. The story is heavy on politics that reflect universal truths such as a house (or court) divided cannot stand. The world-building is beautiful and macabre. The fae live underground in a complex court that’s stunningly attractive and terrifying at the same time.
Kenna is one of my favorite main characters this year. I found myself heavily invested in her success. Kenna will stop at nothing to protect those she loves. While she understands the necessity of alliances and playing along to further her objectives, she still saves herself. I’ve never hated a protagonist as much as King Osric. The other main characters are not what they seem, each developing/changing drastically by the end.
With that, I need book 2. Immediately.
Thank you Sarah Hawley for the (traveling) arc!
Kenna finds herself trapped in the underground fae court of Mistei after some major trauma. Her best friend dies, thus confirming her town’s bogus faith in the fae. Kenna must rely on her own wit and a sentient dagger as she’s forced to assist her new mistress in 6 deadly trials. She quickly finds herself torn between different allegiances as she’s caught in the middle of a secret rebellion against the heinous fae king.
Servant of Earth is very dark. The plot is immersive - full of twists with little bits of foreshadowing breadcrumbs. The fae, while wildly different from other stories in class and description, are cruel and conniving. The story is heavy on politics that reflect universal truths such as a house (or court) divided cannot stand. The world-building is beautiful and macabre. The fae live underground in a complex court that’s stunningly attractive and terrifying at the same time.
Kenna is one of my favorite main characters this year. I found myself heavily invested in her success. Kenna will stop at nothing to protect those she loves. While she understands the necessity of alliances and playing along to further her objectives, she still saves herself. I’ve never hated a protagonist as much as King Osric. The other main characters are not what they seem, each developing/changing drastically by the end.
With that, I need book 2. Immediately.
Thank you Sarah Hawley for the (traveling) arc!