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Princess of Blood
by Sarah HawleySeries: The Shards of Magic #2
Published by Ace on September 30, 2025
SubGenres: Fantasy Romance
Format: AudioBook
Pages: 498
Narrator: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Length: 17 Hours and 11 Minutes
Source: Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Once a servant, now a princess, a young woman thrust into power challenges everything about the underground Fae realm in the next installment of Sarah Hawley's new romantasy series.
Kenna Heron is still reeling from her lover's betrayal and the threat of an impending war. With only her two closest--and most powerless--friends by her side, she must navigate the treacherous politics of Mistei while coming to terms with her new identity as not just Fae, but princess of her own house.
With the king dead, three candidates are vying for the right to wear the crown next. A princess who claims the throne as her birthright and two rebel princes, both of whom are depending on the support of Blood House to break the stalemate between them. Old loyalties fray as new, dangerous alliances form, and Kenna finds herself caught in a web of violence, deceit, and unexpected passion.
Kenna has the power to shape Mistei's future... but someone's willing to kill to make sure she never gets the chance.
Princess of Blood, the second book in Sarah Hawley’s The Shards of Magic series, picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Servant of Earth, so it’s essential to read the books in order. I’ll try not to spoil anything, but just in case, be wary of reading my review of book two. After that intense first book, I had to find out what happened next to the FMC, Kenna Heron.
Kenna endured a lot in book one, but this sequel further challenges her as she adapts to fae life and learns about Fae politics. With a power struggle brewing to determine the next ruler of Mistei, Kenna must choose between three Fae: one who believes it’s her birthright, who everyone thinks is like the former king, and two rebel princes vying to prove they differ from the previous King. One of the rebel princes, with whom Kenna shared a brief romantic tryst in book one, now plays a much less likable role in this installment. (I couldn’t stand Drustan because he’s one fae that can’t be trusted.) A truce forms briefly among the royal fae, but rising tensions, including assassination attempts, force Kenna to quickly learn to survive as a fae and figure out how she can help improve Mistei.
I loved Kenna’s growth as she learns to be Fae and manages the Blood House while facing danger. She’s not alone; she has support from Lady Lara, a disowned Fae from Earth House, and Kenna’s human best friend Anya, who has reasons to mistrust Fae. I loved both Lara and Anya in this book and understood why Anya was reacting the way she was due to what was revealed about her. She went through a lot with the former King, and it’s taking everything for her even to trust Kenna.
Another highlight was the slow-burning romance between Kenna and the former king’s spy, Kallen. Their “will they or won’t they” tension stems from Kallen’s past of being a spy and what he did for the king, and his reluctance to be with Kenna because of it, making their relationship intriguing.
I thought that the first book’s ending was brutal for Kenna. No, this one tops that one, and I’m not sure what is going to happen now because Sarah Hawley just made it worse for poor Kenna. She really needs to grow more into her power in book three. All I know is the antagonists that are in this book better get what’s coming to them in book three.
One other thing I’ve learned, while reading this sequel, is that if Mistei were real, I would always be on high alert, given how the Fae treat others in this fictional world.
Overall, I give this book four stars and am eagerly awaiting the final installment.
POV: First Person (Single POV)
Cliffhanger: Yes.
Would I recommend this series? Yes. If you enjoy Fantasy Romance with a human-turned Fae navigating magic and politics, check out this trilogy. Fans of slow-burn romance with a morally grey MMC will also enjoy it.
What to Expect:
⚔️Romantasy
⚔️Forbidden Love
⚔️Found Family
⚔️Slow Burn
⚔️Morally Grey Hero
⚔️High Stakes – Fae Politics & Power Struggle
About Sarah Hawley
Sarah Hawley is the USA Today bestselling author of Servant of Earth and the Glimmer Falls series. She has an MA in archaeology and has excavated at an Inca site in Chile, a Bronze Age palace in Turkey, and a medieval abbey in England. When not dreaming up whimsical love stories, she can be found reading, dancing, or cuddling her two cats.
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