4.0
Roots of Darkness
ByPublisher Description
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.
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.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesRoots of Darkness Reviews
4.0
“Oh this was so good! I love a spicy little novella that alsooooo furthers the plot and gets me into the mind of a favorite character!!”
“Loved getting to know Hekla more throughout this novella. Also, I now want a Krika in my life”
“It was a fun, snack-sized bite of one of my favorite, steel-armed Viking warriors, Hekla. As with almost all novellas, I wish this story were longer! Luckily, Dawn of the North is lined up! Perfect balance of past and present storyline, high tension, and the most visually romantic and touching scenes I’ve read in a while. I felt almost completely immersed in the story, and can’t wait for more!”
“This actually really didn’t work for me. Eyvind was blah & should not have been forgiven for speaking down to Hekla in front of all the other men. Like I really don’t see why that was necessary?? And ~surprise twist~ yet another male love interest in this series has magic!! Not sure why Hekla was so shocked to hear he’s betrothed when they’ve not had a single real honest conversation about their lives (& she had also just been proposed to)…
Hekla’s relationship with Gunnar was weird, did she really need to say he’s like a brother when she’s been hooking up with him for years? 😶
Is Hekla’s mind-speak with the squirrel a form of Galdra? Wanted this explained more.
Finally, this is mostly personal preference, but it really bothers me when the main “evil” in a story is demonic non-sentient animals. The graphic violence of killing them is just something I really hate to read.”
About Demi Winters
Demi Winters is the author of The Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw, books featuring softer female leads, grumpy heroes, and immersive worlds. Lover of all things fairy-tale, fantasy, and romance, Winters lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not busy brainstorming fantastical worlds and morally gray love interests, she loves reading and cooking.
Other books by Demi Winters
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