Coming December 1, 2026
Roots of Darkness

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨📖: Roots of Darkness (The Ashen Series, Book 2.5)“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘹?”“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘍𝘰𝘹.”In the aftermath of the events from the first two books, the Bloodaxe Crew is sent to investigate the mist threatening Istré. Roots of darkness chronicles Hekla’s assignment and her colorful history with a frustratingly charismatic new ally Eyvind.Tropes:🐈‍⬛Black cat FMC🦮Golden retriever MMC🫂Forced proximity🛏️One night stand turned…❔📇Nicknames⚔️Viking Romantasy🐿️Animal side kick🌶️: open doorThis novella is entirely from Hekla’s POV. We gain deeper insight into the events that shaped her and why she connected with Silla. I loved seeing one of my favorite side characters take center stage and we meet a mysterious MMC that starts to break down her walls.Hekla has remained true to herself and the rules she follows to ensure she’s never powerless again. She never backs down from a challenge and is a certified (and clawed) BA FMC. But Eyvind tests her resolve and she distracts him from his duty. Their verbal sparring is top tier and the tension between them is electrifying. I cannot wait to see what happens next!Alternating between past and present, Demi pens an unforgettable ode to feminine rage while delivering a mesmerizing tale interconnecting to the overall storyline of The Ashen Series.Roots of Darkness poignantly explores what happens after you pull yourself through the darkness— figuratively and literally—and is a must-read for fans of the series and Viking Romantasy lovers!Huge thanks to the author for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review

I love the Ashen series SO much and I was beyond excited to follow Hekla in this story. I’m very glad to say I absolutely loved it too! Hekla is such a fascinating character to me. She’s strong and independent, but also very guarded and affected by her past. This story centers around the Blood Axe crew after they are separated from Silla, Jonas, and Axe Eyes. Hekla, Gunnar, and Sigrún are investigating the disappearance of villagers and a mysterious mist. This kept me hooked. I slept in a few minutes of reading here and there while in a major trip because I needed to know what would happen next.The ending has me feeling all sorts of ways and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book!

I can’t wait for the next book to come out! Loved every bit of it and couldn’t put it down.

✨Roots of Darkness✨Hekla, you are such a mood. You are a survivor, a warrior, witty, and strong. As someone who works in a male dominated field, I felt your struggle to be heard. You are an inspiration and I am so grateful to have read your story. This is for the women who have been through it, who have survived, and who continue to kick a**. If you haven’t read The Ashen Series yet, add it to your TBR now!

This series is quickly becoming an absolute favorite of mine. If you're asking yourself if you really need to read this novella as part of the Ashen series, the answer is you absolutely need to because it's fantastic!This novella lets you know what Hekla was up to in Kingdom of Claw. Demi's characters are some of the best, and the learning more about Hekla was thrilling.There's feminine rage and warrior vibes but also humor and a fun animal companion. The plot will keep you captivated, and the characters will have you wanting to devour this novella.This series has everything you could want in a fantasy romance, and I need everyone to read it! I'll be patiently waiting for book 3. Thank you to the author for review copy.

I'm glad Hekla had her own book. I relate to her because I, too, am a survivor. I liked her strength and that she is her own savior. She's set boundaries to never be in that helpless position again. Smart woman!She meets someone who she might be able to trust enough to let down her guard, but is he hiding something?In the ongoing story, we finally learned about the mysterious mist with a heartbeat. It's terrifying.Hopefully, the Bloodaxe Crew will all meet up again, except Jonas. He's a moldy wank stain. There's a lot of unresolved things that need to be dealt with, so I'm pretty sure there will be at least two more books.

DW left me wanting in the best way. What's gonna happen with Helka? What's this Mist business? And will the Bloodaxe crew meet up again? I can't wait to see.

A solid tho short interlude between big installments in this ongoing Viking-inspired adventure saga. Provided much needed answers to a huge murky misty question from Book One, thanks for that clarification. Book Two introduces us to concepts and characters crucial for this novella’s plot. Hekla is a strong lightning rod for story and characters while she develops/heals from past traumas and current patriarchal dismissal. Even the big bad underestimates our heroine, author Winters cleverly giving a voice and personality to an amorphous menace. A slim installment not to be skipped.

Hekla is one of the best characters in the Ashen Series. To have a full novella of just her POV is incredible.You don’t have to tandem read with Kingdom of Claw as neither book gives spoilers of the other.I’m excited to see if we get a Hekla POV in the third full book and what will happen between her and her new love triangle.

I loved this novella from Hekla’s perspective. My only complaint is that I wish there were more! Bring on all of the side character novels

Sweet, battle fierce Hekla. Fighting. Defending. Finally opening up again.The Protector must help the Mistress.I can’t wait to read book 3.

HEKLA. My love for you will never end. She is THAT woman. I am both obsessed with this novella and frustrated that it's a novella because I need MORE.Demi Winters is such an incredibly talented writer and world builder. I am obsessed with the variations of stories that are going on in this world and so happy to have gotten a deeper look into Hekla and her story. This world just keeps getting better and better and I am praying that we get to follow more of Hekla's journey as she continues to grow into herself and hopefully open herself up again. I also need to see a certain male *coughs* Eyvie *coughs* crawl on his knees and beg.If you are like most of us and waiting on the next book in The Ashen series, you need to pick up Roots of Darkness. This novella had everything that you are waiting for more of, adventure, mystery, some romance with a dash of spice, animal companions, horror creatures that will haunt my nightmares now, absolutely strong FMC and a love interest who has left me and many others with so many questions.This novella keeps you 100% locked in, and with it being just shy of 200 pages (but why, I need more) you will, to your regret, finish this quickly. So much happens, and this is absolutely top tier.I am somehow so much more excited for book 3 now where I hope we can go back and forth between the story lines because this feels like only the beginning of Hekla's adventure.

Absolutely LOVED this novella! I enjoyed getting to know more about Hekla and her journey. Shes such an amazing character. I can’t wait for the next installment!!!

Feminine rage, side quest, amputation rep, magical talking squirrel(!), forbidden romance, high stakesPlease check the trigger warnings, history of domestic @bus€ discussedDedication🥹: "To every woman who’s had her opinion disregarded because she lacks a certain appendage; who's had her passion brushed off and been deemed ‘temperamental’; who’s been told to smile, as though she needs to change herself to put others at ease. I put all of my feminine rage into this one for you."Hekla is doing all she can to hold together the Bloodaxe Crew after tragic recent events. Though down several members, they have traveled as planned to a village to help them with a mysterious mist that is poisoning people. But the chieftain of the village refuses to listen to her or allow her the access she needs. One night, she meets a stranger who is a match for her in sparring and she throws caution to the wind to have a night of release. Except the next day she finds the stranger is the help that has been sent to them. Eyvind is too pretty and charming, but Hekla hopes this will end up helping her get what she needs until he starts to also block what she wants to investigate. Can trust him enough to work together?LOVED the recap! All series should have recaps! "Because who can remember what they read last week, let alone last year? - Demi Winters" Exactly that!!And I'm having trouble with this reaction section avoiding spoilers because I have THOUGHTS about the men around Hekla by the end. Feminine rage indeed. I vote she just runs off into the woods with the squirrel! But Hekla is amazing and had so much on her shoulders and was still persevering. I so enjoyed Hekla's story and I can't wait to see where book 3 takes her and the rest of the crew!

Roots of Darkness is a massively worthwhile novella that sweeps us into Hekla's tale after Rey and Silla temporarily part ways with the Bloodaxe Crew. I entered this novella liking Hekla, and left it so utterly loving her.The remaining Bloodaxe Crew have arrived to the village of Istré, with the intent to be led by the crew's temporary leader as well as ally with the village's chieftain again the mysterious evil mist that is slowly making its way. The reformed crew and new allies cannot agree to terms on how to face this mist, with Hekla especially conflicted upon realizing their new leader is the mysterious man she recently bed. With tempers flaring and passion igniting, they must all work together if they have any hope of saving the village, and perhaps saving their hearts.I came to appreciate Hekla so very much in this tale. She is full of courage and strength, not just in might but in heart as well. She is ready to disobey any orders if it means putting the safety of innocents ahead of all else. All she longs to do is save the innocent. Even if she must give up her own life. She forges ahead. She is a massively inspiring heroine. And beyond her strength, there is also her vulnerability that so softened me to her character. The passion igniting between her and Eyvind will have toes curling, feet kicking, and hearts full of yearning- and perhaps some filled with angsty aching too.I wanted to bring Hekla into a big ol' hug. It's a very, very big step for her to slowly but surely trust in Eyvind, and I wanted to fly into the pages demanding he take proper care of that delicate trust. Whether I left this book either proud of him or wanting to wring his neck, well...let's just say I have a feeling we'll be on the same page once you get to that ending. Emotions were bubbling out of me! That's all I'll say!This may be a short novella, but it builds upon the world in a very important way. So much is learned that will surely be carried onto the third main book. I would absolutely consider this essential reading. Not only does it elevate the once supporting cast of the series into more prominent roles, it expands upon the world-building, providing answers whilst raising the stakes. I was already so excited for book three of this sequel, but somehow this novella has tripled that excitement! I am excited to see how Hekla's journey further develops, how what she comes to learn will affect the plot going forward, and how all the relationship dynamics that shake up by novella end will transform in book three.I am sitting, I am seated, I am sat for that threequel! Let's goooooo!

“You are the most maddening, hard-headed woman I’ve ever met.”⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️First of all, I am going to ask, if you have not read The Ashen series yet, what are you doing? Demi Winters has created a world that is so fascinating, intricate, and intense. The characters are all incredible and strong. This is a self published novella that can be read after the first two books in the series. Book 3 will be coming out in 2026.Hekla’s story was SO good. The story is happening simultaneously with the events in Kingdom of Claw. The romance between her and Eyvind is so good. There is this constant push and pull because of their different duties and responsibilities. It is not a full on enemies to lovers situation, but there is a lot of banter, rivalry, and difficult moments between them. There are also some really swoony moments that made my stomach flip.

✨Roots of Darkness✨Oh my goodness, I don’t know how Demi put SO much into this little read to make it feel so vivid, moving, and exciting, but she did! This little novella following one of our favorite found family members, Hekla Rib Smasher, packed a punch… in my ribs. 🤭🤭 mom joke.This novella is labeled book 2.5 and has a lovely little recap of Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw so that you will fall right into place. We follow Hekla as she continues a mission given to her by the Bloodaxe Crew leader, Axe Eyes. A mist is coming from the forest, people are disappearing, creatures are becoming blood lusting, death is on the horizon. And to make matters worse, no man will listen to Hekla’s wisdom because she’s a woman. This story is Hekla continuing to pave her own path, fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, and defying the man. But we also get a delicious taste of romance.Demi’s writing is so immersive, witty, and emotional. How she made me completely fall in love with Hekla (who I already adored) and Eyvind so quickly blew my mind. The intrigue; the tension; the plot twists!! My poor heart at that ending. How will I ever wait until 2026 for book three?!If y’all haven’t met the whimsical and delicious Vikings of The Ashen Series, you should start now!!

I will read anything Demi Winters writes. Her storytelling is incredibly immersive, creating entire arcs with a sentence, every word adding to the plot. I missed Hekla in Kingdom of Claw and was so excited to get an entire novella from her perspective!Although Hekla seems lost when we find her at the beginning of Roots of Darkness, she truly comes into her own as a leader as the plot progresses. I loved her stubborn determinedness to figure out the secret of the mist and her loyalty to the citizens of Istré. Plus, the simmering tension between her and Eyvind had me screaming.The Ashen Series is an ode to the strength and resilience of women. Hekla’s story shows how the simmering fire of rage can be bent so it doesn’t destroy from within, and how lowering your walls is its own form of bravery.Roots of Darkness was full of mystery, suspicion, tension, character growth, and of course some spice. The depth of the plot made me feel like I’d read a story twice as long, and yet still left me hungering for more. I already can’t wait to dive back into the world of Íseldur in Book 3!Thank you to Demi Winters for my advanced reader’s copy.

Roots of Darkness by Demi Winters-The Ashen, Book 2.5-Really liked2/3🌶️ (*3ish scenes)1/3🦋•My Thoughts•*This is a spoiler free review but this is NOT a standalone novella and while vague, I mention a few big picture moments from previous books. You do you.*This is a fascinating side story that focuses on Hekla from books 1 & 2 from the Ashen series. It takes place at the same time as the events in book 2 and the stories (Kingdom of Claw and this book) will converge and then continue in book 3! We get some more insight into what events shaped Hekla to be the bad*ss warrior she is, her struggles being woman in a man’s world while also being a woman with a physical disability (limb amputation). I loved Hekla and her prickly edges that make so much sense. Eyvind is layered and still a bit mysterious. I loved the introduction to new aspects of magic and the evil mist. The gods are stirring, evil is on the move, there’s mystery and struggle PLUS we’re introduced to some surprising new characters! The ending of this book made me so excited for book 3 and more Hekla and Eyvind! THIS relationship is going to be a journey!Thank you so much to Demi Winters for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Demi Winters could write me a grocery list and I would happily sit down to read it. Whether she’s writing 500 pages or less than 200, she is a masterful storyteller capable of connecting readers quickly and securely to her characters. From the moment Hekla first appeared in Road of Bones, I instantly knew I wanted to read more about her. This novella gave me the deep-dive into her mindset I was craving, and is a fantastic, impactful pit stop between novels. I’m so excited for fans of the Ashen Series to check this one out!