Roots of Darkness

An Ashen Series Standalone

De: Demi Winters

Narrado por: Islay Jacobs

Join Hekla and the remnants of the Bloodaxe Crew as they battle the evil, poisonous mist threatening the citizens of Istré—and perhaps all of Íseldur—in a novella following the events of Kingdom of Claw.

Traveling the Road of Bones was only the start of Hekla's troubles.

The Bloodaxe Crew has arrived at the village of Istré—beleaguered and missing three of their members. They might be down in numbers, but Hekla "Rib Smasher" is determined that they'll complete their job all the same: defeat the monstrous, sentient mist and keep the citizens of Istré safe. What she didn't expect was for Istré's bullheaded chieftain to block her every move.

Exasperated, Hekla throws caution to the wind for a single passion-filled night. But to her horror, the mysterious red-cloaked warrior to whom she's spilled her deepest secrets is the Bloodaxe Crew's new temporary leader and ally—Eyvind Hakonsson.

Hekla must now learn to play by Eyvind's rules while guarding her heart. But when it becomes clear that his plans align with the chieftain's, Hekla takes matters into her own hands.

Nothing will stop her from keeping the innocent people of Istré safe—not even the man who haunts her thoughts.

Contains mature content. A complete list of content warnings can be found on the author's website.

©2025 Demi Winters (P)2026 Podium Audio

A novella that embodies female empowerment

Roots of Darkness is a powerful reminder of why Demi Winters is one of my Roman Empire authors. Hekla is the embodiment of female empowerment, fierce, unapologetic, and impossible not to admire. Listening to this glimpse into what she and the Bloodaxe Crew have been up to felt like coming home, and it only reinforced how brilliantly Demi writes powerful women and gives them the space they deserve to exist, lead, and take up room in the story. The narrator of the story does an incredible job bringing all of that to life. The themes of grief and loss are especially impactful in this format. Hearing the weight of what the crew has lost does a brilliant job with showing the character’s vulnerability at the loss of one of their own. The push and pull between her and Eyvind is immaculate on audio and stands true to the core of who Hekla is. As always, Demi writes incredible scenes filled with passion and intimacy that reach your soul and the audio performance amplifies that emotional depth beautifully. While this novella technically stands alone, it absolutely should be listened to within the series. Experiencing it out of order would rob you of the emotional punch and honestly, you’d be spoiling it for yourself. The impact comes from knowing these characters, their history, and everything they’ve already endured. And let’s talk about the animal familiar for a second because I am a complete sucker for them, and the squirrel, Krikta, stole every single scene it was in. A must-listen for fans of the series and another shining example of Demi Winters’ ability to write strength, loyalty, and found family with heart and intention.

Sentient Mist......whoa

4.25 Stars

This is a novella set in the same world of the Ashen series, but for this book the focus is on FMC Hekla as she leads the Blood-Axe Crew on a mission to save the town of Istre from a scary and sentient mist. Families have gone missing but there is evidence that whatever happened to them - well, it isn't good.

Hekla is trying to hold the Blood-Axe Crew together after the events of the last book and they are down three members from their tight knit group. It becomes apparent that the town leader is hiding something and knows more than he is saying.

We then get to meet MMC Eyvind Hakonsson, a totally new character to the series. He is the leader of the second crew that arrives to help and it becomes immediately apparent that there is HUGE chemistry between the two. Unfortunately, Hekla has to step back and follow his lead.

Most of this book revolves around Hekla and her frustration as she continually has to prove herself in a normally male dominated role. I liked her. She is a strong woman who has survived things that would break anyone else.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

amazing

I think this is the perfect 2.5 book. it gives you someone else's story just enough to keep you craving for more! I think the author is amazing and the performance is perfect for this series. I honestly think it would be odd to hear someone else's voice.

One of my favourite series!

This series is incredible and this was no different, cannot wait for Dawn of the North!

what can I say I love Demi winters books!!!

Chefs Kiss!! loved Heklas story she was a favorite character from ROB, and I can't wait to see where all of this ties into the next books! Islay jacobs is the best narrator on Audible hands down,