A review by blewballoon
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I wasn't sure how much I'd like this one since I didn't really love A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley. If you have read that series, this book is quite different. The tone is significantly darker and the setting is typical of classic fantasy. There is more weight given to the plot than to the interpersonal relationships and romances. 

I think the people who can't get enough of these types of Fae Court romantasies will probably have a good time with this one, and I'd also recommend Lore of the Wilds as a similar book. 

Ultimately, I didn't enjoy reading this. I didn't have a good time. I didn't like any of the characters and I thought Kenna made stupid decisions. The side characters are just there to provide exposition and kick-the-dog or pet-the-dog moments for the main characters. The kick-the-dog moments are quite gruesome and/or uncomfortable to read. The romance(s) fell completely flat. The fire fae romance in particular is totally lacking in chemistry or tenderness and felt like a frustrating slog because it was so obvious how it was going to play out. I thought the reveals in general were almost comically obvious and my predictions from very early in the book all turned out to be right. That alone doesn't really matter to me, but without good characters and compelling relationships I need more than a predictable plot. 

The audiobook narrator did a good job, very emotive.  I have no plans to read the sequel, but I will admit that it seems like the sequel could end up being more interesting.

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