The Heart of Grim

by Ashen Huston

Mortals cower from the Blood Moon's gaze. Monsters thrive from it.

Korbyn awakens amongst a ruined battlefield of two warring nations as the lone survivor. With no memories of his identity or past, he joins a group of monster hunters called Kendra Dawn, all while attempting to silence the strange, dark powers that begin to manifest within him.

As the war continues, Korbyn and his allies must survive amongst the lands plagued by wild creatures, war, magic, and the Blood Moon that strengthens the monstrosities that lurk beneath it.

In the midst of the chaos, an eerie voice within his mind calls out to him, reminding him of the inevitable:

"You are not meant to save."

Genres: Fantasy

508 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2025

About the author

I am the author of The Heart of Grim, the first book in my Tales of Grim Trilogy. I'm passionate about all things fantasy, specifically action and adventure. In my free time, I'm either reading, at my favorite bookstore or playing games with my husband. I have a degree in communications and two wonderful cats named Lethe and Tobin.

Reviews

[Josh smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Korbyn awakens on a battlefield, surviving wounds that should have killed him, missing memories that should be there. He finds himself rescued and befriended by a group of mercenary monster hunters called The Kendra Dawn.
Caught between two waring nations Korbyn and his new allies must survive amongst the lands plagued by wild creatures, war, magic, and the Blood Moon that strengthens the monstrosities that lurk beneath it.

In the midst of the chaos, an eerie voice within his mind calls out to him, reminding him of the inevitable:
"You are not meant to save."

This is EXACTLY why I read Indie Books! Ashen does an amazing job here, the writing is lyrical and descriptive, the prose draws us in a pulls us along. The characters are lovable, relatable and fallible. The storyline is engaging throughout, I found myself adrenaline rush speed reading some chapters! Ashen gives us enough to keep us engaged and informed but certainly holds cards close to her chest, at no point did I feel totally in control of this ride 😅 I was shocked, I cried, I swooned, I hated and I would run through brick walls for some of these characters.

The Heart of Grim has Dungeons and Dragons lore with biblical garnish, monsters made stronger under the crimson light of a Blood Moon, great lore,LGBTQIA+ representation, found family and one heck of a storyline.

[Hila Jonker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little bit of patience I needed to get through the world, lore and character building at the beginning of this book paid off in spades!

I read this book between ARCs and it was like my emotional support book getting me through whatever heartache or frustration the previous book gave me until...it started to break my heart, in the best way possible.

Reading this book, I felt every emotion described. I cried! I laughed out loud, I longed, I mourned, I grumbled. Felt love, felt pity, felt anger and hatred. I was an NPC in this party's adventures.

As a DnD player, I found myself imagining what rolls the "players" made and what I think the outcome was based on the rest of the story. It added a nice little flavouring to the whole story.

I forgot that I got this book via KU when I had the trial account so when it ended and the book disappeared from my Kindle library, I panicked, thinking it was gone forever. That is how desperately I loved this book. (Yes, I realised what the issue was and purchased the ebook)

Thank you, Ashen, for writing this book and not listening to the demons in your own head.

[Amber Cassady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one took me out of my comfort zone — it's a dark, dreamy fairytale with heavy folklore vibes and a lyrical writing style that fantasy fans will likely love. It's not my usual go-to genre, and I found myself struggling to connect with the story at times, but I can absolutely appreciate the atmosphere and emotional depth the author poured into it.

If you enjoy moody fantasy with a touch of the eerie and poetic, this might be a hidden gem for your shelf. 🖤

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that entertain you, and then there are books that consume you - heart, mind, and soul. “The Heart of Grim” by Ashen Huston is the latter: a dark, luminous masterpiece that paints the picture of a realm trembling under the weight of faith, power, and consequence.

What makes “The Heart of Grim” so striking is how it bridges the sacred and the cinematic. You can feel the echoes of modern mythology and tabletop legend in every scene; the mix of divine lore, human struggle, and moral grayness that feels both ancient and contemporary. Angels and demons clash not just as symbols of good and evil, but as beings bound by laws, love, and loss. The faith that threads through this world feels deeply familiar, a reflection of our own belief systems reimagined through the lens of fantasy. It is a place where destiny is both holy and horrifying, and where even the righteous are forced to question their gods.

“The Heart of Grim” is a haunting meditation on what happens when divine purpose and mortal will collide. Huston’s worldbuilding is nothing short of breathtaking, complex, spiritual, and deeply human.

At the end, it’s a crescendo of pain and purpose that leaves you breathless, haunted, and desperate for book two!

[Lukumatoteea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm not the biggest fan of DnD fantasy in books, but occasionally I'm in a mood for it, and I definitely was when I picked this book.

I'm always a sucker for characters who lose their memory. The journey they go through is always so good. So yes, I did like our MC quite a bit. I also absolutely love monsters, and we definitely got some awesome monsters in this book. The other characters were also fun and annoying (but in a good way).

The book definitely feels like I'm watching a group of DnD players having a great but also not so great time while playing. The length of this book was also perfect. Any longer and I probably would have gotten bored (only because of the genre).

There were some words I wish the author would not have used and instead used a different word. It wasn't any bad words or anything, just something that threw me off sometimes because it just felt like an odd choice to me. Again, this is just personal preference. Others could have no issues with it.

So overall I had a really good time and can't wait to see what happens next!

[Will Dorey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A debut novel that revels in its grimdark roots. While the writing style sometimes overly uses a thesaurus, the development of characters is excellent and forces the reader to care about these characters before breaking hearts. The author wants us to care about the characters but at no point do we feel this care will be rewarded with their safety, like George RR Martin but without his softness and willingness to let some avoid trauma.

I will absolutely look for future stories of Korbyn and Salem. Outstanding.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely awesome!! I was hooked straight away from the start, its a beautifully dark tale of friendship, love, DEATH and of course the Grim!

The fantasy creatures/ monsters were straight fire! The fight scenes were absolutely insane, the last 100 pages are breakneck. I couldn't come up for air..

Also wanna say THAT ENDING?!?!? I NEED MORE PLS AND THANKS ASHEN.

[John Cordova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me on a ride. I loved the characters and the relationships they created along this dark journey. Some parts messed me up pretty good. The battles were awesome and the suspense to uncover Korbyn's destiny was really thought provoking. I cant wait to read another book from this author and from this world!

[Sarah Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic (and appropriately grim) action-packed fantasy featuring loveable characters and terrifyingly high stakes. Perfect for fans of D&D who love well-crafted lore, this story will take you on a journey that is at turns thrilling, mysterious, and devastating. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book!

[Lauren Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written Dark tale of love, loyalty and friendship. The fantasy creatures were excellent.

Great fight scenes. Unexpected twists. I really enjoyed the journey.

That ending…. Ashen I need book 2!

[cosmic_truthseeker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always my goal to read more indie books, and when I saw this cover matched with promises of DnD meets The Witcher, I was ready for some dark and brutal fantasy.

So it hurts to be giving it 3/5 stars, and maybe that's partly down to giving myself the wrong expectations. That's not to say it's not good, though. It is (3 stars is positive) and I will be picking up the continuation of the series. We meet a (mostly) loveable cast of characters, we're presented with mysteries, and we're along for the ride as everything plays out, leading to some shocks and a pretty solid cliffhanger ending.

Obviously I'm avoiding spoilers here.

What I can say is that I was locked in for Korbyn's story as he discovers his new abilities and tries to find a place with new allies. I've been fortunate enough that I haven't read many stories that start with amnesia, so it still felt rather fresh to me. Despite that, he wasn't a blank slate, and he quickly forged a place for himself with this mercenary crew.

Although, maybe that's part of the problem. I feel like some things happened too quickly. Trust formed very quickly with most, animosity just as quickly with another, and the romance just felt too immediate. There was a lot of will-they-won't-they but it felt like the mutual attraction was established from the first chapter.

And I think that actually did a disservice to Salem, the FMC/love interest. She was written as quite strong, but just became a blushing schoolgirl whenever Korbyn was involved that, in my eyes, made it look like she was far too willing to give up on everything that mattered to her for the sake of his attention.

Maybe I just misread that. It wasn't a bad romance, and I do like how it developed, but I wasn't always a fan of how it affected characterisation.

Beyond that, I also struggled a little with the worldbuilding. There's a good world there, but it also felt underdeveloped. I expect that will change as the series progresses, though. That said, I was a little disappointed to just see Christian mythology recycled into this world. It's used well, but I suppose I wanted it to be a little less obvious.

The magic system somewhat makes up for that, though it's not particularly prevalent and beyond the "price" involved, the extent and capabilities aren't explored a whole lot. So hopefully that, too, will get more attention in subsequent books.

I'd also say that the tone sometimes felt inconsistent. The overarching plot is dark, but their quieter moments sometimes felt much more jovial. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as balance is needed, but there was something jarring about it to me. It perhaps didn't help that there was sometimes a bit of the "speaking modern American English in a medieval setting" thing, which is something I always struggle with.

My final critique is that the writing, whilst descriptive, suffered a lot from the Thesaurus effect, to the extent that words were being used incorrectly, homonyms and homophones cropped up regularly, and some sentences lost their flow because of a propensity towards flowery phrases.

Of course, this now all sounds quite negative, but there's a quality of enjoying the story despite these things that I didn't entirely connect with. I enjoyed the conflict that arose between characters, the conflict within Korbyn — and I won't be disingenuous and say Salem didn't struggle between wants and duties — and I was invested in their relationships. I didn't want to see anyone suffer, but the darkness of the story does swoop in sometimes to remind you that no one is safe.

I also deeply respect the diversity on show and feel it was handled positively, overall. The action sequences, too, gripped me, even if some descriptions stumbled and I couldn't always quite visualise how things played out. Towards the end, especially, it was non-stop, although some elements felt slightly rushed to me.

I would still recommend this, especially if you're not someone who's going to get so hung up on the technicalities like me. Hey, maybe this review means you'll go in expecting worse (even though I really don't mean to sound so critical of a story I liked) and be pleasantly surprised.

Again, I am ready for what comes next, and look forward to seeing how the story advances and expands.

[L. Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart of Grim is an expansive and oftentimes dark fantasy epic that follows amnesiac soldier Korbyn’s attempts to comprehend the cost of the promise he made whilst dying, a promise made to an enigmatic entity that may or may not be this world’s version of the grim reaper.

We’re thrust straight into the aftermath of the devastating battle that left Korbyn as the sole survivor, where he is brought into the fold of an unconventional mercenary company called Kendra Dawn. There, he forges friendships with some of the members, a vitriolic rivalry with one, and a potential romantic bond with another. As he seeks to understand who he is at the same time as grappling with strange new abilities, he and the company are drawn into a destructive war between the Kingdom of Esperin and the neighbouring Avernos Empire. Kendra Dawn, as a neutral party, is dedicated to dealing with the bodies in the aftermath of battle, seeing them off to their respective nations. However, their neutrality has become a sticking point, and neither monarch seems to entertain the patience for it anymore.

What follows is an action-packed, character-driven journey through parts of this dark world as Korbyn and his new friends seek to unravel what each of the nations plans. Beset by horrific visions, a malevolent voice inside his head, and burgeoning magical powers that threaten to overwhelm him, Korbyn is repeatedly assaulted by the notion that: “You are not meant to save.” Even with his new abilities, he is unable intervene in certain fates, to the point where he is even granted a vision of someone choking to death and, when it inevitably unfolds, is held in place by a magical force and physically prevented form helping.

It’s an interesting subversion of the concept of a fantasy character, upon gaining new powers, setting out to do good with them. Korbyn wants to do good, he wants to help, but he’s being prevented. Though his strength of character demands he be a decent person, the force lurking within him has other ideas, sometimes even victimising Korbyn himself with his inability to save his friends. I’m interested to see how this theme of powerlessness unravels in future books, because there’s a solid foundation here for how Korbyn might either defy or succumb to his apparent destiny to avoid saving others.

Another standout character for me in terms of how he evolves across the story is Veeris, a member of Kendra Dawn, steadfast companion to Salem (Korbyn’s love interest), and a man with a secret (and powerful) identity. Veeris is a character that you initially love to hate, because he frames himself as unreasonable. Unlike the rest of Kendra Dawn who accept Korbyn into their fold, Veeris is distrustful, standoffish, and sometimes downright cruel. When Korbyn and Salem’s bond becomes more apparent, his hatred develops a new and personal sharpened edge. However, you begin to understand Veeris as a character and somewhat empathise with his potent dislike of a man who’s wandered in, won the trust of his friends, and earned the attention of a woman he himself pines for. You may not agree with how he handles the inevitable confrontation, but you can understand what drove him to that breaking point.

My only real gripe is that sentences can be overly verbose at times. I love it when a book challenges my vocabulary and prompts me to search for a word so that I can add it to my internal dictionary, but at times it felt a little too much. I’d much rather it be this way than every sentence be overly simple, but it’s still something I wanted to point out.

Overall, a great opening volume to a wider series that provides earth-shattering battles, hordes of undead armies, evil rituals, and backstabbing politics.

[Daniel Pajkurich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of finishing Ashen's epic dark fantasy today. As a former DM from years long past, this tale had all the hallmarks of a tabletop campaign gathering brought to life. Many failed saving throws were as well as a few 1's rolled. However, the natural 20's had the same effect as they would during play. (If you know, you know)

I especially enjoyed the second half of the book, which left me yearning for more... Ashen, we need more!

I love the twists that take place and am delighted with the direction she is taking us on. Salem and Korybn's character development has their hooks in me for sure. I was not ready for a few of the revelations, and more than once yelled out, "No way!"

Well done Ashen! P.S. We need more!

[Brandon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart of Grim is a Dark fantasy, dnd inspired masterpiece.

To say the author has put her heart and soul into this book is an understatement. The character and world building is phenomenal! The authors original use of magic is amazing!

Is the book perfect? No no book is ever perfect. Let alone a first release. But the book itself is very well done. I have read this book at least 6 times since I got it and I only had one issue but it was minor.

So if you want to see a Dnd inspired world filled with horror and magic. You better pick yourself up this book and give it a try! You won't regret it!

[Kayla]

I'm not sure how I'm going to rate this yet. There's good bones; if you like TTRPG's, you'll find something to like here. I enjoyed most of the characters (Veeris is loathsome, but it's supposed to be that way). The scope of the story and setting expands as time goes on, and I'm interested to see where it goes.

Unfortunately, the prose suffers from too much thesaurus. It got better towards the end, but it was hard to immerse myself in the story at times.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention from the get go. The descriptive writing made me feel as if I was in the book watching everything unfold. It's definitely a must read in my opinion!

[Chelle Jolliffe]

I wish I could overlook the technical problems, but they were too distracting and totally broke my immersion in the story.

[DH DuPriest · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You are not meant to save.”

Ashen Huston weaves a marvelous tale of camaraderie, with all of the hallmarks of the greatest of stories. The characters are breathed to life in a way as such to leave one longing for more, as is the world and vision that is on display in this debut novel.

From hope to loss to doubt to joy. This humorous and also tragic story is one that not only should anyone who enjoys a dark tale read, but is one that any reader could pick up and fall in love with.

Despite the many reasons to relish this book however, there is one line that always draws me in with its tone, promise and threat. A line so weaved with the narrative that I doubt I will ever not feel it’s chill when reading it.

“You are not meant to save.”