“For every woman who’s ever wanted to fling a dagger at a man when he pissed her off.”

This book had all of the elements I love: high fantasy mixed with urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, a badass FMC who can handle herself, and a wonderful dedication. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. There were some really good bones, but this did not feel fully fleshed out enough. The premise of a New York where fae are living among humans and are absolutely hated was not backed up by enough history for me, and what knowledge I was given didn’t feel entirely relevant. There was more time spent on which New York streets Sav was running on than her backstory, and Jack’s disdain for Dane didn’t land as hard because when we first get his POV, he doesn’t acknowledge that their relationship is familial. There were so many different creatures, too, that I could not really focus on any. I felt that the faerie court names could have been a little more unique instead of just Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn, and the dialogue and prose felt clunky. When I’m reading a book, my personal preference is to be shown things, but I felt like there was a lot more telling in this.

When it came to character development and the romance, they felt very underdeveloped. The motivations behind actions did not make sense to me, and I was uncomfortable by more than a few moments. I found the romance to be incredibly creepy, with the first time they ever physically touch being when Jack is pinning Sav against the wall and then gets turned on. He continues to be very pervy towards her, even mentioning in his internal dialogue that he wants to stick his tongue into her mouth while she’s performing CPR on him.

If the vibes of a book are good, I can typically ignore when the plot has a little less development and just focus on the romance, but in this case, it felt almost nonconsensual to a point that anytime there was any type of romantic tension between them I was uncomfortable.

As someone who hates to DNF books, I did stop reading at 30%. I believe the point of reviewing is to be honest and if I had not been given the privilege by Netgalley and Aston to read this novel, I would not have felt so obligated to read it. I really did want to like this book, but that was unfortunately not the case for me.

Whisper Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston completely pulled me in. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in—especially since I’ve read a lot of fae books lately but this one felt totally different in the best way. It’s not your typical “humans fall at the feet of the fae” kind of story. In this world, humans hate the fae, and the tension between both sides is intense, messy, and so well written.

The story follows Sav, who’s been exiled from Faerie, and Jack, a human caught in the middle of everything. Their dynamic is full of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension with a little forbidden romance on top (which I’m always a sucker for). The spice level is low, but the tension? Off the charts. Definitely still an adult fantasy, with mature themes and some darker moments, so check content warnings if you need them.

I loved the fast pace, the worldbuilding, and how emotionally invested I got in the characters. There’s just the right amount of mystery, betrayal, and heartbreak woven in, and I was so here for it. Also... Hazel deserves her own book. Just saying.

The writing style was super easy to get into and funny at times, emotional when it needed to be, and full of those little breadcrumb reveals that keep you guessing. I’m already obsessed with where this story is headed, and I need book two like yesterday.

If you’re into fae stories with a darker twist, enemies-to-lovers vibes, complicated loyalties, and a plot that moves fast and keeps you hooked—Whisper Among Thorns definitely belongs on your TBR.

Cassandra Aston’s Whispers Among Thorns is a hauntingly lyrical blend of gothic mystery, emotional depth, and quietly simmering suspense. With elegant prose and a richly atmospheric setting, Aston crafts a story that lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

The novel follows Elira Moreau, a quiet botanist who returns to her ancestral estate, Thornhall, after the sudden death of her estranged aunt. The sprawling, ivy-clad mansion is riddled with secrets—whispers in the halls, strange symbols etched into glass, and a garden that seems to bloom in defiance of nature. As Elira uncovers her family's troubled legacy, the line between reality and memory begins to blur.

Aston’s writing is evocative and poetic, with descriptions that bring the setting to life as much as the characters. The garden—lush, overgrown, and possibly sentient—functions as a powerful metaphor for grief, repression, and the wild unpredictability of the past. Elira is a complex protagonist: thoughtful, flawed, and resilient, her emotional journey is as compelling as the central mystery.

While the pacing is deliberately slow at times, it mirrors the creeping dread and unfolding revelations. Readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and atmospheric tension over fast-paced action will find much to love here.

Whispers Among Thorns is a beautifully written, psychologically rich novel that explores themes of inheritance, guilt, and healing through a lens of quiet, otherworldly unease. A must-read for fans of Sarah Waters, Kate Morton, or the slow-burn gothic tradition.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a little flat. I loved the premise and the plot line of fae world and human world clashing together and wish there was more time spent on the history of how it all happened and the way there magic system worked. A glossary for something like this would have been nice with all the characters and types of creatures. What didn’t work for me was the kind of insta love that happened between jacks and sav. I also thought there could have been better pros in the writing. Overall the book has great potential and hope to read the next in the series if it continues to get better in that aspect of things. It was overall a fun read and would recommend to anyone who’s wants a refreshing fantasy books that doesn’t follow the same formula of fae world and just over all a cool world concept

I really wanted to love this book, it has all of the potential elements to make a gripping romantasy but sadly it didn’t quite gel for me.

I enjoyed the premise of what would happen if a faerie world crashed into modern earth but the world building and timeline didn’t quite add up for me, I was a bit lost on when the worlds had crashed together. However I thought the AFF side of things and the whole political aspect on earth felt very realistic and well done. I would have liked more focus on the world building and on the magic system, no spoilers but I suspect we’ll get more of this in the next book next book.

I really enjoyed how we did a complete 180 from the usual 18 year old girl falling in love with a 800 year old fae! So refreshing to have the man be the younger inexperienced human and the woman be a badass, strong fae. I would have liked Sav and Jacks relationship to be more fleshed out, I’m not a fan of instalove and I think it’s a bit of a lazy way to write a love story (although I can possibly see where this storyline is going after a few heavy hints throughout).

One element I didn’t love was the frequent perspective changes, it felt very hard to keep track of all of the different characters that were in each perspective. Possibly a character list or glossary would help with this.

Overall, an interesting read that sadly didn’t quite land for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

This definitely had potential, but parts of it fell a bit flat unfortunately.

So the summary of the book makes it sound like the book is about Sav infiltrating the enemy and seducing Jack. No. That’s over so quickly, and the rest of the book is faerie courts and politics and the human/faerie relations, and jt wasn’t what I was anticipating at all. As such, I spent a decent chunk confused about what was happening and where it was going.

The pacing was off - the beginning felt really fast, the middle dragged in places, and then about 5 different things happened in the last 3% of the book. It didn’t really work tbh.

I did like the modern setting, but some bits feel wrong - like a man is literally murdered on stage in front of a crowd and no one cares? Some more back story about the laws of the human world would be good, because it’s clearly not just New York.

I’ve gotta say, while I did enjoy the book to an extent, I actually would have much preferred a book about infiltrating the enemies, over another faerie courts book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

3.5/5, rounded down to 3

Review – 3.5/5 stars
As someone who enjoyed ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, I was intrigued by the mix of fae politics and modern NYC. The premise is cool—fae and humans now live side by side, and tensions are rising fast.
Sav is a strong fae heroine with a dark past, and Jack, a human trying to defy his villainous father, brings a softer energy. I liked the dynamic, but the romance felt a bit rushed for me—I usually prefer a slow burn with more tension.
The world had potential (seasonal courts, magic, rebellion), but some parts felt underdeveloped or confusing. Still, I loved the side characters—Kaspar especially—and the story kept me curious.
If you’re into enemies-to-lovers with fae, politics, and a touch of forbidden romance, it’s worth checking out.

This one just didn't work for me. I felt the story had potential but it felt underdeveloped and at parts didn't make sense. The progression either jumped ahead at times with a statement of, it's been hours, or was dragged out a bit. Most of the scenes had timing issues or didn't feel like the aligned with what had just happened, especially when we swapped characters.

This book didn’t fully connect with me, but that’s likely due to my personal writing taste. I usually enjoy slower pacing and more detailed world-building. This one moved quickly and skipped over parts I wanted more depth in. The premise had a lot of potential, and I can see it appealing to readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy with lighter detail. I’m still curious about what happens next and hope book two brings more clarity and resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️4⭐️

Fans of urban fantasy, welcome to your next read. Whispers Among Thorns is a gripping, high stakes adventure set in moody New York City, where tensions are high as anti-Fae factions hunt the powerless Fae residing in the city.

When Sav, a feisty and cleverly disguised Fae, gets caught in an attack by the anti-Fae faction in Central Park, her life is upended. With the lives of her fellow Fae at stake, she realises her best chance at saving them is to risk returning to the Faerie realm - the same realm which had stripped her of power and cast her into the human world years ago. Now, however, she might just have a bargaining chip - Jack, son of the anti-Fae faction leader. But as Sav and Jack get further embroiled in the dark political games of both human and Fae, the unearthing of tumultuous secrets make the two question the intentions of the other - and themselves.

Sublime world building and well developed characters makes Whispers Among Thorns a strong introduction to the Deadly Fae Duology. On occasion, however, the pacing felt a bit off and the emotional depth of the characters could have been more fully explored.

With elements of political intrigue, morally grey main characters, and a slow burn forbidden romance, Whispers Among Thorns will captivate romantasy readers long after the last page.

You can’t go back. Sav hates being on earth she misses home but she knows that she can’t go back. Everything changes when her friends are attacked and she is captured. Sav has to pretend to be human so that she can find a way to rescue her friends.
Jack hates what his father does to the fae folk he knows that he can’t save them all but he hopes that Sav will help him. But he never expected to be taken to Faerie and he has no idea if he will ever make it back home.
Will Sav give up her freedom to save her kind back on earth? Even if that means marrying her dear friend Kaspar? She knows that she has promised Kaspar that she will return to him but will she be able to keep that promise now that they are married? Will she be able to find Jack now that he has been taken? She cares for him but duty might win in the end.
A good read interesting characters. The story jumps between realms which makes it abit confusing at times. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

Whispers among Throns by Cassandra Aston

Whispers Among Thorns by Cassandra Aston is the first book in the Deadly Fae Duology, set to release on June 24, 2025 so I'd totally get set to pre order this book!

This book is an urban fantasy novel which weaves a tale of forbidden romance and political intrigue in a world where fae and humans are at odds.

A quick summary of the book - The story follows Sav, a centuries-old fae living covertly in New York City. Her life is upended when an anti-fae faction attacks her community, forcing her to infiltrate the enemy's ranks by seducing the son of the faction's leader. As their relationship deepens, both characters grapple with loyalty, identity, and the consequences of their choices.
I found that the theme and tone of the book is immersed in a rich gothic atmosphere which weaves in themes of emotional complexity, such as love, betrayal and of course my favourite the grey areas of morality 😘

One of my favourite tropes In this arc is of course the slow burn Romance between our main character and the son of the fractions leader.

Basically overall my final thoughts on this arc is that if you loved Throne of Glass and quicksilver (i know i do!) Then I can say confidently you'd love this book!

I really struggled with this one. While I felt the story had a lot of potential, it just wasn't well flushed out or had enough world building to be truly enjoyable. It was often confusing or the progression of the story didn't quite make sense. There would be one line about how hours had passed and then boom, they are at their next desination. It just didn't quite work.

3.75 Stars rounded up to 4.

Whispers Among Thorns is a well written book. The beginning of the story is very hard to get into. We drop directly into action and negativity. It was so much so that I wanted to DNF the book. I decided to stick with it and I'm glad I did.

The writing and story was so well done while inside of Faerie. The slowburn between Jack and Sav was great. Ms. Aston created an amazing world. If you are familiar with Fae novels, you know the world is filled with bargains and trickery. That was well done in this book. I liked the POV from different characters within the book as well. Mystery about the characters was done at a good pace. A lot of those mysteries are still going to be revealed in future books.

Whispers Among Thorns is a good start to a new series. The writing is good. The characters are well developed. I'm interested to see where the next book takes the reader.

Thank you to Cassandra Aston and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4 Stars)

The premise of Whisper Among Thorns immediately caught my attention, and I had high hopes for where the story could go. At its core, the book focuses on the forbidden romance between Sav and Jack, two characters from opposing sides. However, I found that this conflict didn’t quite deliver as strongly as I had hoped. Their relationship felt rushed and surface-level, and I didn’t feel the emotional tension that should come with a forbidden love story. I think the pacing played a big role in this — there’s a lot going on specially with so many different POVs. As a result, I wasn’t able to fully invest in their relationship, which ultimately made their relationship feel less impactful.

On the other hand, the worldbuilding was a standout. The transition between the modern urban setting and the more fantastical world was a unique and exciting approach, and I really enjoyed how the political dynamics between the two realms were woven into the plot. This added a layer of complexity to the story that kept me hooked, and I found the shift between these worlds to be one of the book's strongest elements.

That said, the pacing was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While the multiple POVs allowed for a broad exploration of the world, the constant shifts made the narrative feel rushed at times. This left me feeling that the book could have benefitted from a slower, more focused exploration of the characters' emotional journeys.

Overall, Whisper Among Thorns was an enjoyable read, with a fascinating world and a lot of political intrigue. Though I enjoyed the idea of Sav and Jack's romance, I didn't quite feel the emotional connection I hoping for. That said, the larger story kept me engaged and I’m excited to see where the story goes next!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

Wow, oh wow! This book was absolutely fabulous! I found myself immersed in the fantasy realm from page 1.

We're introduced to Sav in the the beginning of the book, a high Fae living in NYC interspersed with humans. Earth and Faerie (home of the Fae) collided 3 years ago when parts of Faerie began to disappear. Sav has been banished from her home in Faerie to NYC by her sister and her magic has been mostly bound.

Next, we meet Jack. He's the son of the leader of the faction of humans who despise the Fae and are trying to rid Earth of the Fae. But Jack has a heart and has been trying to take down his father and free the Fae his father has imprisoned.

Sav is captured by the anti-fae faction but does manage to escape and ends up taking Jack to Faerie with her to beg for an army to help free the imprisoned Fae.

Along the way, we get to see most of the Fae courts and learn all about their customs and court members.

We also get to see sparks fly between Sav and Jack. Oh, did I forget to mention that romance between Fae and humans are strictly forbidden? The yearning is top notch, the descriptions had me feeling like I was in the story and I couldn't put this one down! And that cliffhanger?!? Gah! I need book 2 like I need oxygen!! Cannot wait for everyone to read this one!

This story follows Sav, a high fae, living in secret in New York City, where the fae have been allowed to integrate into human lives.

After the AFF, Anti Fae Faction, who believe her kind to be criminals and a threat to their society, capture her and tons of others after an attack on one of the fae associated buildings, she must escape back to her world for help. With the help of one her sworn enemies, Jack, human son to the leader of the AFF, they travel within the courts to conjure up a plan

This book ended with a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I’m personally not a big fan of urban fantasy, so the first 25% of the book I didn’t. But I did end up loving their time in the other realm. I think the sense of adventure and purpose of “saving the fae” solidified the fantasy aspect for me.
I felt like the world building was kept to kind of minimal which I would have loved to see more of. As well as the background to the powers of the main fae in this story.

There is romance in this, but I don’t believe it to be the main focus, as it’s a SLOW burn and things don’t occur until about 75% in. I personally felt like their chemistry wasn’t really that strong, as we didn’t get to see the emotional build up overtime.

While I understand that Sav needed to prove this sense of duty and do the “right” thing to help those captured, there was a lot of internal conflict and going back and forth about her true feelings. Overall, this was a fun read. This is definitely something I would have picked up at a bookstore, after reading the synopsis so I’m thankful to NetGalley/Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

[ARC] Whispers Among Thorns - Cassandra Aston

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Content warnings in image above

In modern-day New York, Faes and Humans are cohabiting the famous city, having to learn how to live with another. But some people don’t want to learn, some people just want to watch the world burn and believe that their way is the right way.

When Sav, the feisty Fae sent to live in New York after being shunned by her family experiences the evil of humans first-hand, she takes it upon herself to be the saviour the Faes on Earth need but what happens when she is forced to set upon her quest for freedom with a human, specifically the son of her enemy?

Whilst on their journey, Sav and Jack start to gain more than friendly feelings for each other, but the two can never be as the consequence of inter-species love is death.

So wrong but oh so right, the tension between Sav and Jack is undeniable and by the time they both admit to their feelings I was giggling like a schoolgirl, but that feeling is short-lived as they are reminded time and time again of why they can't be together.

Take away the fantasy elements and the main conflict of this story feels like something that could be happening right now in our current climate which makes this feel more ‘real’ and traumatising.

The whole sub-plot about the true identity of a certain character was somewhat predictable but, we still don’t have all the answers yet.

The last third of the book really picks up and is the reason this made its way from a 3 to a 4 star and although we’re left on a HUGE cliffhanger, I still really enjoyed the read and the characters and can’t wait for the next part of this duology to come out later this year!

Available to read from the 24th of June 2025, if you’re in to forbidden love and fantasy tropes, then this is a story for you.

Enemies to lovers, he falls first, court intrigue, age gap, slow-burn romance, hidden identities. Plot twists and cliffhangers. Multi POV. Story line is intriguing which made it a great page turner!