Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters: A Dark and Exciting Continuation
About the Author
Demi Winters, a new author based in British Colombia, Canada, is a passionate storyteller who adores fairy tales, fantasy, and romance. Her first series, The Ashen, which includes The Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw, is a testament to her love for these genres. To learn more about Demi, her books, and her purpose, visit her website at Demi Winters, Romantic Fantasy Author.
The World
The Kingdom of Claw is the second book in The Ashen series, and much like the first book, The Road of Bones, it takes place inside the Kingdom of Iseldur, a world filled with Viking-type characters, mythical and magical beings, and its god lore. The world is vast, with intense winters getting longer and longer. Many believe it is the work of the god of Chaos. There is a map at the beginning of the book that allows its readers to easily follow along the journey of its characters to see just how far they have traveled. The Thing that sets this series apart from the many popular romantic novels today is its unique Viking lore.
The Beginning
All the world-building in this series is done in the first book, so when you start this one, it jumps right into the good stuff. However, there is a small prologue at the beginning, with some vital background information that readers will want to pay close attention to. The author does have a quick recap of the first book in the first few pages, and I found that to be an incredible idea. Too often, my favorite series has taken YEARS to release the next book, and I must re-read the whole series to remember what happened. Not that I mind doing that; sometimes that’s fun, too. But when the series has six plus books, and it took two years for the final one to come out, it could take months to work your way through to remember everything.
The Characters
Much like the first, this second book follows many characters. I know that sometimes that makes a book hard to follow, but that’s not an issue with this series. The switch from one character’s perspective to another is seamless, and there isn’t one boring one. The main characters in this book are Silla and her sister, Saga. Two princesses, separated after their kingdom was taken from them, struggle to gain control of their lives and their magic while trying to find their way back to each other. The main male characters (MMC) in this book are incredible. You have a broody giant Viking who controls fiery ash and burns his enemies from the inside out and a character from across the seas with a few secrets of his own. This series will not disappoint you with its spice, romance, family drama, and fantastical creatures.
The Plot
The plot in book two is much faster-paced than in the first, but that’s because all of the background world-building has already been done. No, we can dive headfirst into the nitty-gritty stuff. This book starts with one of the sisters developing anxieties about her magic and accepting her title, as well as the others’ hysterical fear of leaving the confines of her cage. As they try to find their way back to each other, both worlds are blown apart and changed irrevocably.
The Resolution
The series doesn’t end here. It has not yet been confirmed how many more titles will be in the Ashen series, nor do I know the title of book three. If I did, I would already have it pre-ordered because the cliffhanger in this book was Rebecca Yaros’s level (author of the Empyerean series).
Review of the first book in The Ashen Series hereA Gripping Viking Tale: Blood, Betrayal, And Discovery – Rae’s Reviews
