First off I think that most people will really enjoy this. I did. But I was a little cookie cutter for me. I have read this story so many time in other books. However the characters and the world building is great. Exactly the characters. If you are new to Romantasy I would definitely this. If you have been around a while I would tell you to give it a try too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Cassandra Aston for this ARC

3.5 ⭐️

I want to give a HUGE thank you to author Cassandra Aston as well as NetGallery for my VERY FIRST ARC!

While this may not have been my top read of the year, I was so intrigued by the New York City setting with both Fae and Humans forced to live side by side.

I loved the romance between the FMC, Sav, and MMC, Jack. While I love a dark and broody man, it was so refreshing that Jack was so grounded and wholesome.

I found the world building and history to be extremely interesting, but a little hard to follow at times.

Overall, I loved how this book wasn’t as cookie cutter as some other romantasy books I’ve read.

You’ll get a chance to pick up a copy on release day, tomorrow June 24th ✨

The collision between the huma and Fae worlds is such an interesting concept. It was a bit difficult exploring themes of racism between the humans and fae, given how much this is top of mind in the real world. I enjoyed exploring the characters, especially Sav as FMC, and all of the supporting characters and their motivations were fun to explore. Massive cliffhanger, and looking forward to the next book.

📚 ARC Review: Whispers Among Thorns
✍️ Author: Cassandra Aston
📅 Release Date: June 24th, 2025
🏷️ Genre:Romantasy
🌶️ Spice Rating: 🌶️
⭐️ Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
📖 Book Overview
When her home is destroyed by anti-fae extremists, Sav is forced to go undercover—posing as a human to infiltrate the movement and seduce her enemy’s son. Jack Clyde, heir to the faction’s brutal legacy, never expected to fall for the mysterious prisoner who threatens everything he knows. But as secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, their forbidden connection could ignite a war.
✨ Initial Thoughts
I picked this book up because I was interested to see how the author would navigate the world of having both fea and earth. From the very beginning, I was a little wishy-washy on whether I was going to like this book. With it starting off heading straight into action I felt like I wasn’t as invested in the outcome of the first couple of chapters. But, as I continued to read I fell in love with the character while they were on their journey.
💘 What I Loved
This book absolutely delivered on pacing after the 15% mark. After the first initial chapters I was hooked into the plot and I liked how their mission was not just an easy path. There were twists and turns that kept me interested. I especially loved the side characters throughout the book. Both Kasper and Hazel are great characters that help you understand Sav’s background and how she has changed during their time apart.
😬 What Didn’t Work for Me
While I really enjoyed the book overall, I had a hard time with the insta love/ lust Jake and Sav had towards each other. I wanted to see more growth after them having initial attraction for each other. On the same line I didn’t enjoy that every male character had feelings for Sav. It would have been fine with me if it was only like one other person but it was like every male she met. I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't more time that Sav was in the enemies compound. I wanted there to be more interactions between the two sides and how she would infiltrate their compound. Still, it didn’t take away from the story but it was worth mentioning.

🖤 Final Thoughts
If you’re into insta attraction, playing the long game and missions inside missions you’ll want this one on your shelf. I am excited to see how this duology will play out in the end.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes — if you really enjoy insta attraction, playing the long game and missions inside missions.
Maybe not for readers who need more world building, don’t like insta love/lust, along with every make having a thing for the FMC.
📢 Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts are my own!

I had a LOT of fun reading this & couldn’t put it down. I really love how different the plot/storyline feels compared to many books I’ve read recently.
I love that Sav is a strong & independent, stabby FMC who would do anything to ensure the safety of not only her loved ones, but the ‘lower’ fae aswell. I love a hero who has good intentions but will also do what she needs to do, by any means necessary. She’s been sent to the human world and has had her magic bound, and when her city apartment is burnt down by an Anti Fae group, she must escape them & make her way back to the Faerie realm and try to get help from her estranged family/court.

The story wasn’t exactly what I expected based on the description, but I truly enjoyed reading it nonetheless. It is fast paced, and I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives, adding more depth to the entire story and my understanding of the characters.

I was excited to learn after finishing this ARC, that the second book will be released at the end of this year. I cannot wait to read more about Sav & Jacks story and to learn how it all unfolds.

DNF
This book is the most common plot you will read in the fantasy or rather romantasy genre. I understand the people who liked this book and recommend it; even I would have done that in the past.
This book is for someone who has recently picked up the romantasy genre and is getting acquainted with it. This is the same kind of story that is present in books written by Sarah J. Mass. When I was starting out in this community, I read books like these all the time and loved them but my fascination has dwindled and I'm no longer interested.
I was hoping I would have liked this book as I read the description but as I continued reading, I realised that it didn't really hold my attention and I didn't want to pick it back up again.
This is not a negative review in terms of the plot and especially about the book but it's just my opinion about the fact that I'm really tired of reading these kind of plots.
**Thank you Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op and Netgalley for the ARC**

I really liked this one! The writing style was super engaging, and the characters actually felt real.

I just finished reading Whispers Among Thorns, Book 1 of the Deadly Fae Duology by Cassandra Aston.

I’m going to call this one a dystopian romantasy. Set primarily in New York City, the story follows the arrival of fae who have sought refuge among humans. But an oppressive regime has risen to drive them out, and it’s up to Sav, a fae glamoured to appear human, to rescue her kind. Resilient and determined, Sav won’t let anything stand in her way, not even her heart or her dreams of freedom.

Caught in a love triangle, Sav must decide… Will she surrender to a forbidden love with a human, or choose the fae prince and claim her power? I can’t wait to see where the story goes in book two!

TechaBooks Review Rubric:
🎭Narrative Elements (Characters, Plot, Pacing, etc.,) - 4 STARS
🧩Genre: Fantasy (Magic System, World Complexity) - 4 STARS
⭐️ Overall - 4 STARS

Much appreciation to @victoryeditingngc and @netgalley for the advanced e-copy. Opinions shared in this honest review are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Political intrigue, interesting world building and an enemies-to-friends-to hopefully lovers romance (sub)plot. Whispers Among Thorns is the first book in the Deadly Fae duology by Cassandra Aston and delivers on those three fronts!

The story mainly follows Sav, a fae forced to live in the human realm. There are portals connecting the human world with Faerie and I enjoyed not fully knowing what is happening to Faerie and the mystery of why some fae needed to migrate. It is very clearly a first book in a duology/series though, so while there is heavy foreshadowing and the story doesn’t end in a huge cliffhanger, lots of events and secrets remain unresolved.

The book was slightly difficult to get into for me: It was a bit repetitive and slower paced initially due to the extensive world building and setting the political stage. Unfortunately, I felt there was some disconnect between this and the actual plot. Once it started “flowing” more naturally together (around 25% in), my reading experience immediately became heaps better!

The book has multiple POVs and I loved that the number of POVs increases as the story progresses and more secrets are coming to light! Both Sav and Jack (our MMC) are very interesting characters, but Sav’s actions and motivations are a bit contradictory and therefore frustrating at times especially regarding the romance. Also, I find the romance in this book is very much a subplot even though there are parts of the book that put more emphasis on the budding relationship between Sav and Jack. If that might be a dealbreaker for you I would keep that in mind before reading.

It’s not a new favourite, but I’m definitely interested in the sequel and I would recommend reading if it sounds like something you might enjoy! Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is pure magic. I kept wishing it was longer, not because it felt incomplete, but because I wanted more. More history. More of the why, who, what. The world was so intriguing, I wanted to live in it longer.

The central rule-never fall in love with a human-sets the tone right away, and you just know someone's going to break it. The tension is real, and the way Cassandra Aston builds that slow, magnetic pull between the leads had me flipping pages late into the night. There's danger, desire, and just enough mystery to keep you constantly guessing what's really at play in the fae world.
The writing is smooth and immersive, and the world of the fae feels both beautiful and cruel in equal measure. I especially loved the way emotional vulnerability was handled-there's real weight behind the romantic stakes, not just pretty words.

If you like your romantasy with high stakes, slow-burn secrets, and characters who challenge everything they've been told to believe-Whispers of the Dark is your next obsession.

I need a fanfic of Kasper RIGHT NOW 😩😩

Sage is a Virgo sun, moon, AND rising?? That explains the.. not stick… not branch…. Massive oak tree up her ass.👀


We need justice for our fav Ken doll, Jack. I feel like the entire book did my boy dirty!

Overall, this was a great book. Urban Fantasy, done right!! (YOU HEAR THAT KAYLA EDWARDS)
I’m ngl I’m upset I have to wait for the ending in late 2025

“If you and the prince are together, tell me now. Because I’d like to know who my competition is.”

Thank you Cassandra Aston and NetGalley for approving this eARC.

This book was truly very engaging and easy to follow. Written in first perspective with multiple POV we got to explore thoughts and feeling from all the main characters, which I always love.

The story follows Sav, a high fae who got banned from the magical realm to NYC, and a human man, who together try to work agains an anti-magical association. It’s a constant action-packed back and forth between reals and the human world, with lots of magical creatures and twist and turns. And so much tension and unresolved feelings!!

I’ve become quite fond of Jack, the MMC, but I somehow ended up falling for Kaspar. Even though he does seem quite controversial and a mixture of best friend and villain at once. I just know there is more to him. And I can’t wait to find out more in the next book.

🏙️Urban fantasy
🧚🏻Fae world
❗️Tension
💔Enemies to friends to ???
👥Forced proximity
⚠️Love triangle (maybe?)

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! I really wanted to love this but it just didn’t hit home for me. I very well might be in a bit of a reading slump but it didn’t pull me in as much as I hoped! I tend to struggle with urban fantasy’s as well so I may not have been the target audience for this.

On the positive side…I did like the premise of the plot. I liked the world building a lot too! I could’ve used a bit more exploring of the magic system but the politics was really well flushed out. The romance was sweet. It could’ve been more in depth - a bit too insta love for me and I found myself struggling to connect with the characters a bit.

I’ve seen a lot of readers enjoy this so it’s definitely worth trying!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Sav, a fae living under the radar in NYC, has her new world turned upside down because of an anti-fae movement which destroys her home and many of the creatures living in it.

Jack, the son to the leader of the anti-fae movement, has always rebelled and gone against his father. This has lead to Jack meeting and going along with Sav’s plan to help save the captured fae.

Both Sav and Jack enter Faerie together and travel to different seasons in search of an army to help aid them. Unexpected turns and events take place so that Jack must decide what is truly important to him.

I really liked this book, but I felt as though at some parts I was wanting something more to happen. I am however very intrigued to see what the next book has to offer.

Thank you so much to author Cassandra Aston and NetGalley/Victory Editing for an ARC of Whispers Among Thorns! Publication date is set for June 24, 2025.

I’m very much looking forward to reading this book and will update my review in due course!

This story covers multiple realms, not just the realm we know, which I find an interesting add because it adds to the world building and provides more room to introduce other relevant characters. From the premise, Sav and Jack were the main two perspectives I was more interested in, but the story provides multiple viewpoints as well. Sav is a brave character who adapts to the situations she's in, and I found Jack's stance a bit intriguing too given not just who his father is in the story but also how he refers to his father. As this is a duology this book also seemed to set up to lead into another part, but this was overall a good introduction given the worldbuilding and current character dynamics.

Thank you for the complimentary ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

There’s only one rule that truly matters. Never fall in love with a human. Break it and die.

Living under the radar in New York City, Sav just wants to carve out a life in her new world. That hope is shattered when the leader of the anti-fae movement destroys her home in an attack on her people. Finding herself caught between protecting a deadly secret and saving the fae from the humans bent on slaughter, Sav must infiltrate the extremist's inner circle, posing as a human, and seduce her sworn enemy’s son.

Jack, the son of the infamous anti-fae-faction leader Dane Clyde, has always lived in his father’s shadow. When a woman is brought into AFF headquarters in chains, he finds himself drawn to her despite the danger. Caught between duty and desire, Jack must choose a side before one is chosen for him.

What began as a mission to rescue Sav’s people may end up costing them both so much more than they bargained for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this arc.
I did enjoy the book but I really wanted more.
This definitely has potential but parts fell off for me unfortunately!

The overall concept was amazing but I felt like narrative flow was a bit disjointed at times, making it hard to follow .I’d like to see more character development, back stories and more on why fae and humans are on earth together.

Thank you Net Galley for this eARC!

I loved this book. It has everything I loved in it, faeries and humans having to mingle with a twist of enemies to lovers. I loved the world building and interesting characters. I also enjoyed the urban setting contrasted with the fae realm. I enjoyed the fmc even though she goes through it in the beginning. Overall I enjoyed the book very much but also please check your trigger warnings.

This is book 1 of a fae duology and actually my first fae book. So while I can’t compare to others in this genre, I found it interesting how the Faerie world was structured around seasonal courts. The story follows Sav, banished high fae, and Jack, human and son of the villain (yep, forbidden romance). It’s set in between 2 worlds after they’ve collided, NYC and the Faerie realm, creating what I’d say is a darker and action packed storyline.

This has been set up with a lot of questions that I’m hoping we see answered in book 2. I’m especially keen to get to know the characters more. Their backstories do unfold later into the book but it’s clear there’s more beneath the surface, especially after the ending. I’d definitely read the second book to see what comes next. Thanks for a copy of this eARC!

This book is pure magic. I kept wishing it was longer, not because it felt incomplete, but because I wanted more. More history. More of the why, who, what. The world was so intriguing, I wanted to live in it longer.

And oh, the metaphors. My soul was doing backflips. “The dissidence in the air was so thick, on some days, like today, it was hard to breathe.” Lines like that had me pausing, rereading, feeling things.

Then the second half hit, and everything changed. Suddenly, it is packed with action, forbidden love, twists I did not see coming, and more of that delicious magic. I loved that we are dropped straight into the chaos from page one. No hand-holding. Just go.

The contrast between New York and Faerie? So good. Completely different and yet... the politics, power plays, betrayals somehow still feel the same. That parallel really stuck with me.

Also, this line? “We don’t choose the time we get with the ones we love, only the time we don’t.”
Still not over it.

The best part? It is a series. The next book is out next year, and I need it now. But I will pretend to be patient as I wait to dive back into this thorny, magical, beautifully twisted world.