Synopsis

She's the sidekick. He's the villain. Vanessa Wilson cherishes her quiet life running her coffee shop in a cozy beach town and sharing a condo with her somewhat absent best friend, Audrey. Things get complicated when Vanessa is attacked by otherworldly creatures, and Audrey shows up out of nowhere to save her. All the secrets Audrey has been keeping from Vanessa over the years come to light, including the powers Audrey harnesses and the magical realm she discovered. But Vanessa has no business in the magical realm; she’s only human. While Audrey is focused on fulfilling a prophecy and bringing peace between the realms, Vanessa will do anything to keep her best friend alive. This includes trekking through the mystical land of Hyvenmere, encountering creatures she’s only read about. Creatures like fae, nereids, and a seven-foot-tall murderous siren who seems to have one thing on his mind: Vanessa.But men are the same no matter what realm they are from, and Vanessa has no desire to team up with someone who is known for leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Yet here she is, determined to protect the person she loves the most. Can an ordinary woman with nothing but a death glare and supportive pats on the back keep her best friend safe? Or will she fall victim to Hyvenmere—and its most notorious killer?

The protagonists

My review

Hymn of Ashes was one of those discoveries that reminds you why romance can be so special when it decides to do something different. Andrea Andersen makes a narrative choice I hadn't seen before: the protagonist isn't the chosen one, but rather the human friend. Vanessa has no powers, no prophecy to fulfill, and yet it's impossible not to follow her with your eyes glued to every page. There's something profoundly refreshing about a heroine who arrives in the magical world out of pure loyalty and stubbornness, not because fate has chosen her. The love interest doesn't disappoint either: an unscrupulous, morally ambiguous prince who, from the very first moment, has his eyes on her in ways she's not ready to process. The slow burn is the kind that hurts in a good way: patiently crafted, charged with tension that builds chapter by chapter until you can't put the book down. You anticipate some things as a reader, but that doesn't diminish the enjoyment in the slightest. The character development is what captivated me most, and now I can only wait for the second book to see where all this takes us.

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