Hymn of Ashes

by Andrea Andersen

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?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Slow Burn, Romance, Magic, Fae

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2026

About the author

Andrea Andersen is an author living with her little family in Southern California. Using her maladaptive daydreaming to her advantage, she likes to write stories filled with laughter and kisses. When she isn't writing love stories, she can be found rewatching her favorite TV shows or taking too many naps.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, didn’t realize this was going to be a duet/series/whatever, so I was gobsmacked when I DEVOURED this only to realize Van’s story was incomplete 😩

This was so good though, so I’m not too mad.

[Linah Soliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not go through a book THIS FAST in a long LONG time. This was a riveting, fun, absolutely fascinating reading experience. A TRUE PAGE TURNER❤️‍🔥✨

Vanessa is hilarious and strong. The storyline is so gripping. All the characters are extremely levelled and layered. Absolutely enjoyed the world and how it was smoothly constructed

I need the next book like my next breath. Drustan and Vanessa’s story might be one of my favorites ever! I nearly cried at the end. (I absolutely did.) can’t wait to see more of them😭❤️‍🩹

Liam, Sergei, Fergus and Hush grew on my heart like lovely vines. And while Audery danced on my last nerve at times, I still like her

I LOVED Hyvenmere. I loved the nature. The humor. The music. The culture. Everything about this book was honed to perfection. And I can’t wait for the next! Andrea Andersen please feed us🤤💚

[Tsara Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I was so excited to read a book with the main character NOT being the savior of the world or tiny and weak, or having the most bad ass, superhero powers ever… my expectations were too high. There’s a significant lack of world building and several plot holes. Overall, the characters are a little bit childish and word choice is sub par. “Lowkey, lowkey, low-key.” I’m not sure I know a single 30 year old that talks like that but hey, I’m not from CA. A very, VERY, forced LGBT theme that’s not so well blended in… “don’t call me a female, I’m a woman!” Too many of the human world things simply being unrealistic and not researched well enough. For example, no one can captain a “mini yacht” alone that takes at least a few people… unless it’s actually a smaller boat… also who the heck is docking that thing? Multiple instances where the timeline isn’t adding up, poorly written timeline, could go on. Overall, disappointed the book focuses more on being about gender than actually having any significant plot. Predictable characters and predictable story. Nothing too exciting…

[Aïda G.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★
Well if we did not have an amazing sloooooooow burn (still waiting).
Drustan is unhinged and I love him for it.
Vanessa was amaizng and totally how I would react to many things that happened to her suddenly realizing that the faes and sirens and all are real.
Somehow... I did not like Audrey, even if she is the one prophesied about. She was soft and sometimes did not want to make big decisions that lead to many injuries for others. At the end she sounded like the villain! Wtf! I thought the bid problem was Illia.
Also thought it was a standalone, dunno why but nope!

Thank you so much for the amazing opportunity to read an eARC will recommend, will buy and will continue with the next books.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 31%.

There are some clever ideas in here but I'm not a fan of instalust and body betrayal.

Also, getting stabby with little provocation.

Enh. There's too much that isn't fully thought out.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite mate-y. And uh, fate-y.

But it’s a decent portal fantasy with fun characters and a few twists. Plus the idea of a sidekick X villain romance was intriguing enough to keep me interested.

[Minty Margins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massive thank you to the author, Andrea, for having me on your ARC team. I read this all the way through in one sitting. Once I got started, there was no stopping.

I was INVESTED. It’s been days, and I still feel a little feral about this excellent story.

The emotional damage was immaculate, the slow burn was delicious, fantastical but sometimes brutal world(s) fit well with the story, and this book managed to be so funny at the same time.

Vanessa and Drustan together are absolute cinema. I also love the approach to this story where we are seeing events happen through the eyes of the “sidekick”. In my opinion, this may be the hottest view.

Sometimes the morally grey “villain” is actually quite wholesome! Every single interaction was piled with decadent tension. The intimacy was written so well between the two of them with some open door spice. There was far less than I thought there would be— given how sensual and open both Drustan and Vanessa are on their own. No filters for either of them. At the same time it worked beautifully!!!!

I just know that some of the characters are going to meddle in part 2. I can feel it in my bones after the last line of the book and it’s something I look forward to for the next installment!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could NOT put this down! Morally grey MMC is a fave, and a not-morally-grey but still similar FMC is crazy good, and I need to finish this series ASAP. There were so many little surprises that just made the story better and better. Here I am, begging Andrea Andersen to write these as fast as her fingers can fly.

[A. Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. Once I picked it up, I struggled to put it down and finished it in a day.

We are given a portal fantasy with an incredibly interesting mythical world. Vanessa lives in California with her best friend/former foster sister Audrey. I kinda loved that the real world was set in coastal California and that the portal was off the coast of Catalina. I completely forget how to spell the name of the other realm, but I felt like it was well fleshed out in the world-building and descriptions. I kinda liked how each different race of fae, sirens, etc. identified their mates in different ways. I wasn't sure what to expect storywise going into this and was pleasantly surprised. We had the plot of Vanessa and Drustan and his kind of dancing around her. Then, we also concurrently had Audrey's story of being the chosen one and the political side/prophecy. It was interesting to have the story NOT from the chosen ones perspective.

I absolutely adored our cast of characters. Vanessa is hilarious and self-sufficient, and definitely not the chosen one. Audrey definitely could be the chosen one, and I was super interested in her story. Honestly, the letter at the beginning of the book had me feeling as though I had missed an entire book full of material. There easily could be an entire novella based on that letter, and I would 100% read it. The first part of the book had me wanting Audrey's story, and frankly, I would read it from her point of view. (Aka, for the love of all that is good, write her story, please!!)

As much as I loved this, the story felt a bit clunky in its telling. Maybe that was from me wanting Audrey's viewpoint?! But, it felt like we were trying to weave two disparate stories together. One of fated mates, and all that cuteness, and the other of working together to save people and take down a tyrannical despot. The longer the story went on, the easier the storylines wove together. Like I said, I absolutely ate it up and definitely would revisit this world to finish the story.

It's a good first foray into fantasy, and I would recommend the read.

[Melissa Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to read an early version of this book and it was such a fun ride!! Andrea brings her contemporary author sensibility to a rich world of fae, sirens, and other mythical creates. THe tension and chemisty sizzle with fun, flirty, and punchy disalogue. And that knife scene! Yes! Yes to it all!

[Whitney Cooksey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character isn’t the hero, the love interest is the villain, the whole thing was great. I love it here.

[joon317 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

suchhhh a good slow burn omgggg - i can’t wait to read book 2

[Bookish Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beyond perfection & it starts with its idea. Instead of focusing on “the chosen one” in a fantasy romance, we get to focus on her bestie... who happens to catch the attention of the story’s villain. Like always, we LOVE this villain. He’s ridiculously charming, completely obsessed with his mate, unapologetically murder-y (well, maybe that last one is only good in books).

“Even the deadliest monster would crumble to his knees for a chance with a stunning creature like you, my song.”

Seriously though, the arc of their relationship is incredible. She gets a little stabby when they meet, he’s kinda turned on by it.

Suddenly, a large presence appeared behind me, and I stiffened in alarm. A throat cleared, and I gasped at the same time I straightened, clutching the handle of my cake knife.
Without hesitating, I whirled around and struck.
Plunging the blade right into the side of the Mad Siren Prince.
Drustan grunted from the impact, his gold eyes widening in shock.
My eyes were also wide with shock, realizing what I had done.
I just stabbed someone.
Oh my god...
I had just stabbed him, and in response, he had simply pulled the knife back out...
Locking his eyes on mine again, Drustan adjusted his grip on the knife to angle the tip of the blade toward me. My breathing staggered, and heat bloomed from my chest to my vagina as he gently started to drag the blade across my collarbones. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to make a flurry of goosebumps erupt...
“Is this how humans show their interest? ... If you wanted my attention,” he hummed, his eyes dropping to my mouth as he stepped even closer, “You did not need to resort to such extreme measures...”
“Excuse me?” I asked with a pant. I swallowed around nothing, my throat dry.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and his eyes locked on mine again. I watched in real time as his pupils kept expanding and contracting, almost filling the entirety of his golden irises as he leaned even closer...
“Stunning,” he whispered, ignoring my question. “… mine.” His tone changed to a low growl with the claim...
“No.” I repeated and swallowed around a dry lump in my throat. “Actually, I should leave.”
Surprisingly, he nodded his agreement, but then he said, “With me...”
I’m going to strangle him, I thought, picturing my hands wrapping around his neck.
Drustan’s eyes landed on me as his lips tipped up in a grin.
We’ll work our way up to that, my song. His hypnotic, warm voice rang in my mind.
I immediately gasped and took a step back, “What the fu⁠—”

They have this super cool fated connection, she absolutely hates it... until maybe she doesn’t. He finds her condoms, learns their purpose, & then proceeds to steal them as a twisted, yet adorable & hilarious, form of “mine” that we all love in our romances.

That son of a bitch just stole my condoms...
“Broke into my bedroom and stole my condoms. You took away my protection.”
“Have you taken a male to your bed since I took them?” Drustan raised a dark red eyebrow at me.
I blinked in surprise at his question. “What? No. Because I don’t have—ohmygod—you fucking dick.” I balled my hands into fists. This fucking siren and his fucking audacity.
Drustan responded by pulling his pink lips back into a feral, unrepentant grin. “My motive is sound, then...”
“I’ll just buy more,” I muttered to his back.
Drustan turned his head just enough to tell me over his shoulder, “I will take that as a personal invitation to return and rid you of them.” My blood was burning with feminine rage.
“You don’t get to dictate my sex life. What I do with my body is my choice. If you think I’m above going out of my way to sleep with someone else out of pure spite, you’re wrong,” I informed him.
Drustan whirled on me then... “If you insist on creating a death wish for humans in your realm, then by all means, bed as many as you want.”
I glared up at him, determined to ignore how warm his hand felt on my face. “You can’t be serious.”
“You know that I am deadly serious, my song,” Drustan’s words practically rumbled out of his chest. “You have said how dangerous I am. Just imagine my wrath when another pitiful human mistakenly puts their hands on you.”

Andrea took a familiar & often overdone storyline & completely flipped it on its head while still maintaining everything we love about it & including the sense of humor we love from her.

“By dulling one sense.” Drustan sighed, keeping his hands secured behind his lower back. “We can better search for the sounds of our mate...”
Fae could feel their mates’ heartbeats.
Nereids could feel their mates’ waves in the water.
Sirens could hear their mate.
It was all so… poetic...
“Sound isn’t just noise,” I murmured to Audrey. “Sound has waves. Vibrations... sirens can also feel the vibrations their mate makes through their surroundings...”
Fuck you, I thought with all the rage I could feel.
Is that a request? his voice whispered in my mind.

Seriously, the way she tackles siren & fated mate lore is super incredibly creative & I’m in awe of her captivating storytelling & writing talent to be able to flawlessly pull this idea off. I loved every single part of this story.
The petty-level of hatred between our FMC & her bestie’s crush.

...as he gave the two of us a soft smile.
“You can still fuck off, though.”
Audrey snorted and laughed, whereas Liam sighed dramatically with an unimpressed frown at me.
“I don’t want to be enemies, Van.”
“Tough shit, Liam.”
...
“Audrey always wanted to keep you safe. You are precious to her.” Liam’s blue eyes locked onto mine. “Who was I to tell her otherwise?”
I frowned at him. “I still don’t like it when men come between Audrey and me, even if you’re claiming that it was unintentional.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed at my words... “Are you and Audrey lovers?”
I opened my mouth to say no, but I hesitated.
Because what if Liam was homophobic? That made me want to say yes, just to spite him. But I had no idea if lying about this was dangerous. The more I studied Liam’s body language, though, the more I realized his heated reaction to his question wasn’t one of bigotry.
No. He had tense shoulders, tight fists, uneven breathing through his nose. Liam’s reaction looked… jealous.
Well, I’ll be damned.
Audrey’s little crush might not be so unreciprocated after all.
“What’s it to you? ... Would you back off? Would you let us live our happily ever after in my realm without putting weird pressure on her to hang out here?”
Liam closed his eyes, attempting to compose himself...
This thrilled me. I loved irritating men...
Audrey dumped the bags of food and started unpacking them...
I moaned, sexually. “Babe, I could kiss you on the mouth.”
Audrey just snickered, rolled her eyes, and continued to unpack the food. I glanced over my shoulder to see Liam taking a deep pull of his drink as he kept his eyes on us.
I turned back to Audrey, “Can I?”
Audrey grinned... “Yeah, sure.” She clearly didn’t think I was being serious. “But let me show you what else I got—” Audrey was cut off because I had cupped both of her cheeks with my hands and slammed my lips on hers, dramatically...
“What the hell was—” Audrey was cut off once again by the sound of glass shattering, making both of us turn to see Liam fuming...
Light started to glow from their touch, and Liam’s shoulders immediately relaxed at her proximity. When Audrey removed her hand from his, the cuts were completely gone...
“You know you’re not my type.” Audrey raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk. “Right?”
“I was thanking you for saving my life and bringing us food.” I scooped another heap of mashed potatoes, because damn, these were delicious. “Can’t a woman express gratitude with a passionate kiss on the mouth?”
Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head at Liam. “You should know that Vanessa is a bit of a wild card at times.”
“I’m starting to see that.” Liam smiled at Audrey... he turned and glared at me.
In response, I stuck my tongue out at him.
His face twisted up in annoyance, and I dramatically dragged my thumb across my neck in a clear threat.
Audrey glanced up when my thumb was halfway across my throat, and watched Liam shake his head at me.
“You two are going to get along beautifully, I see.”

The slow burn that makes me want to scream “just kiss already!” & pull out my hair.

“You know that I want you.” My body didn’t believe him. My mind didn’t believe him. I shook my head; my breath became shorter and shorter under the weight of my panic.
He’s rejecting me.
“I’m not. You’re mine, Vanessa.” Right—his mind-reading and stuff.
I shook my head again. This isn’t how I wanted this to go. I wanted him to want me, to need me. I wanted to feel wanted. When was the last time I was truly, passionately wanted? ... Why did I want him? Why did I need him to want me so badly?
I smacked myself on the forehead, desperate to get a grip and escape this horrible high.
“Vanessa!” Drustan growled. He roughly grabbed my shoulders and slammed me onto my back. His body blanketed over mine... “Fine, fine. Just breathe, my song.”
I gasped for frantic breath, desperate to cooperate... I squeezed my eyes closed. I slapped my hand over my mouth, desperate to cover the sob that wanted to escape.
Drustan growled, “Look at me.” I shook my head at him. Warm, large hands cupped either side of my face. “My song, open your eyes...” Eventually, his forehead pressed against my own. “Vanessa, breathe.”
“I’m trying,” I gasped...
“You know I want you,” he announced...
“You want me,” I murmured back to him.

Even that one character that I have major beef with, still makes me happy because of their unique story arc.

“Ugh, I forgot that I needed to die today.”

Plus, she incorporated social commentary about immigration & borders that’s especially relevant today. I love it all & this is probably Andrea’s best work yet! Hands down, one of my all-time favorite reads & I’m eager to read its conclusion!

“You’re a little frightened of me, that I will concede,” Drustan murmured. He pressed his lips together in that shit-eating grin before he continued, “… but that also excites you.”
I made a what the fuck face at him, “No. It doesn’t. I am not excited to be alone on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, with a killer.”
Drustan smirked... “Fortunately for you, I’m your killer. Whether you want to accept it or not.”
“Dude!” I lifted my hands to shove him off of me... “What the hell is wrong with you?” ...
“Where would you like to start?” Drustan replied without looking at me... “Perhaps it was the pure joy I felt ripping the hearts out of the worst fae in the realm. Maybe it was five years of torture in the Gravhune. Maybe it’s because my mate doesn’t seem⁠—”
“Stop it.” I glared at him. “Sit still and stop talking.”
Drustan laughed at that... “I know you enjoy the sound of my voice, my song. It would be a shame to deny you it...”
“I hate your voice.” I lied.
“No, you don’t...”
“You are drawn to my voice, Vanessa. As I am drawn to yours,” Drustan explained.
I shook my head and replied, “My draw to you isn’t real..."
"...I was designed by the goddess Tynara herself to specifically appeal to you. Because you’re mine, and I’m yours... Do you think this is our first fight as a couple? Or—” He was interrupted when I grabbed my insulated water bottle and threw it at his head. He dodged it, laughing as he did so. It spilled somewhere, but I didn’t care about that right now.
“We are not a couple..."
“I must admit,” Drustan replied, his tone a little lower. “I’m still learning the details about human courting customs, but⁠—”
I laughed.
It wasn’t a cute one; it was a hysterical one. I used both of my hands to cover my face as I laughed into my palms. My entire body shook with it. I couldn’t believe this was my reality. The deadliest siren in the magical realm was sitting on my boat, talking about courting me.
It was all so insane.
“I wasn’t expecting you to find this so amusing.” Drustan dared to sound mildly offended.
“Nothing is funny,” I laughed with my words. “This is just so crazy. You’re crazy.”
“I hear that’s a side-effect of the Gravhune,” he deadpanned.

Let’s talk connectivity for a second. This book really exists on its own, but there’s a teeny tiny shout out for those of us who are completely obsessed with Andrea’s writing & have read all of her previous books. If you’ve read her debut series (the What It Means series), specifically book 2, What It Means to be Brave, then you’ve heard of a band named Carbon Cut. And there’s a small moment where a band mate makes an appearance in this book. It’s totally not necessary to know the background in order to understand the plot, but it’s a tiny reminder of that other story for those of us who love them.

Hundreds of gold eyes locked on us, as if they were waiting for something.
Everyone calmly rested in the aftermath. The sound of our breathing filled the air, accompanying the soft melody from the gentle touch of ash flakes falling from the sky like snow. Landing on us. The ground. The stone. A hymn of ashes cascading around all of our people. Penned by my mate’s determined hands.
A song conducted by nature herself, consecrated by Tynara’s desires being fulfilled. Hope bloomed in my chest that it wasn’t too late to turn things around.
For my people. For me. For my Vanessa.

And I couldn't find a place to put this quote in my review, but it's a favorite & I needed it to be here:

“He’ll just drive,” Audrey promised with a nod.
“Shirtless,” I muttered. Audrey gave me a quizzical scowl.
“Excuse me?” ...
“I mean, if Temu-Thor is determined to crash the party, the least he could do is show off his rippling abs and look pretty for us—”

[Knih_addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I enjoyed this book, really.
I found the plot, where FMC is sidekick, not hero, quite refreshing.
But I feel like I was misled by the way this book is marketed. I thought it is going to be hilarious.
It definitely way fun to read but not the way I expected.

[Talya]

DNF 10% the way this book is written makes me nauseous

[Mamie Diemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already know this is going to be one of my top books for the year without a doubt. I was lucky enough to be given an arc of this and IT IS SO FREAKING GOOD. I literally need everyone to go out and preorder this RIGHT NOW.

In any other story, Vanessa would be a side character-the heroine's best friend who learns the hard way that her best friend is the chosen one of a secret magical realm. But not in Hymn of Ashes! Vanessa is just trying to run her coffee shop in peace when she is thrown into the chaos of a whole new realm. She is not the quiet and innocent BFF of the heroine (Audrey) that you'd expect. She is sassy, takes no shit, and goes after what she wants. She isn't afraid to tell you how it is and I found her to be a breath of fresh air! She gives no f*cks. She has many talents and hobbies and literally does it all-dancing, boating, playing multiple instruments, owns and runs her own coffee shop-I freaking just adore her.

Drustan is suchhhhh an interesting take on villain MMC that makes you question-is he really the villain tho???? He is called the "Mad Siren Prince" and has a whole laundry list of faults and a problematic past but also a POS dad that he has to deal with.

The banterrrrrrr and wit in this book is SO FREAKING GOOD and well written. I think I have 70% of this book highlighted with lines that made me laugh out loud and were just SO CLEVER and funny! There were soooo many one liners coming from Vanessa directed at Liam (Audrey's crush) that are just so freaking funny.

I loveeee the musical element of this book too. Vanessa has a musical inclination and plays multiple instruments and sings. Drustan is a Siren and Sirens -as you can probably assume- have a natural affinity to music. They find their mates by sound, whether their voice, music they create, or by a shared melody. After her first visit to Hyvenmere, Vanessa starts hearing this melody that no one else seems to hear, but only when she's in Hyvenmere. No spoilers, but the significance of the melody is so emotional 😭

This isn't a super spicy book but it is sooo horny. Drustan and Vanessa are sooooo horny for each other (to her disdain lmao) and Vanessa hates it. She keeps feeling this pull to him and tries to fight it while he just enjoys making her *squirm* 👀😈 He is such a menace I love him.

This book does end on a bit of a mild cliffhanger so I know (hope to god) that the spice will come in the next book 🙏🏻 This is my first book by Andrea Andersen so I'm not familiar with how she writes spice but I can assure you the slow burn was BURNING in this book.

I'm anxious to see how the next book handles Vanessa's relationship with Audrey since Audrey's drive to protect Vanessa was a big drive for a lot of the plot in this one. I also am sooooooo excited to see where Vanessa's relationship with Drustan goes because these two are sooooo well matched and have amazing chemistry.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I ended up having a fun time reading this.

I really liked the overall concept of the story, where the FMC is the traditional romantasy FMC’s best friend. And the opening letter had me confused because I thought it was just summarizing the plot of the book to come, but it was used to set up the aforementioned concept.

However, the opening letter and the rest of the book feel a bit choppy, for lack of a better word. I don’t mind prose that is basic and easy to read, but things were often a bit weirdly phrased or a slightly off with what felt normal. There were also a few instances where the wrong words were used.

I had a hard time starting the book, a little because of the writing style and mostly because of the tone, which took a bit of getting used to. In this case it’s mostly my own taste, where I’m not a fan of reading too much current slang in a book, even if it partially takes place in the modern world. A few examples: “nerdy-ass weapons”, “it’s pretty legit”, “it’s lowkey ruined my life”, and “temu-Thor”. And can we find another way to discuss mating bonds other than “snapping into place”?

I got used to it, which made the line “did you just pull a sword out of your ass” much better. And once I got used to the writing, I had a hard time putting the book down.

I appreciated that the book often acknowledged and then played with certain tropes in a humorous way. For instance, the FMC lets her bestie’s (the actual romantasy FMC) guy think that they are a lesbian couple and then in a quick scene where her intent is to torment the guy, ends up determining that he likes her friend.

The FMC is strong and funny without being too obnoxious about it (you know, like the “strong” FMC’s that can’t stop quipping or talking about stabbing). There is some weirdness specifically about men that isn’t fully justified by the character’s backstory. There are many instances of statements like “I don’t like it when men come between Audrey and me”, “I loved irritating men”, And on and on. It’s weird singling out men in these specific statements when it would’ve worked just fine as general ones. And really unnecessary to have written “while female is technically accurate for me, I am more than that. I’m a woman”. It honestly would’ve been better in that context to have said that calling human women “females” was cringy and been done with it, rather than try to make some generic feminist statement.

Overall, there are some flaws that hold the book back, but it’s still a decent read that makes me want to read the second book when it’s available.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇬🇧 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.

🇪🇸 Hymn of Ashes fue uno de esos descubrimientos que te recuerdan por qué el romantasy puede ser tan especial cuando decide hacer algo diferente. Andrea Andersen toma una decisión narrativa que no había visto antes: la protagonista no es la elegida, sino la amiga humana de la elegida. Vanessa no tiene poderes, no tiene una profecía que cumplir, y aun así es imposible no seguirla con los ojos pegados a cada página. Hay algo profundamente refrescante en una heroína que llega al mundo mágico por pura lealtad y terquedad, no porque el destino la haya señalado. El interés amoroso tampoco defrauda, un príncipe sin escrúpulos, moralmente gris, que desde el primer momento tiene sus ojos puestos en ella de formas que no se siente preparada para procesar. El slow burn es de los que duelen bien: construido con paciencia, cargado de tensión que se acumula capítulo a capítulo hasta que no puedes soltar el libro. Algunas cosas las anticipas como lectora, pero eso no les quita ni un gramo de disfrute. El desarrollo de los personajes es lo que más me enamoró, y ahora solo puedo esperar el segundo libro para ver a dónde nos lleva todo esto.

[I K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟 but I want to rate it 2.75 for that cliffhanger

I put off this review for a while because the cliffhanger frustrated me so much, and I didn’t want my feelings to taint the review. Unfortunately because I waited, I’ve lost half the review because I can’t understand my own notes 😅

The writing style was not my favourite and was a bit too crude for me, but it was engaging. The villain x sidekick aspect was fun. Although, at times the writing almost felt omniscient as the emotions of others were assumed by Van. That said, it was easy to label this a Van being egotistic.

Van was not my favourite character. I didn’t hate her but she rubbed me the wrong way more than once. On top of being immature, she has little respect for people’s boundaries.

Additionally, it did seem like Van overshadowed Audrey as the ‘hero’ a couple times. Though I’m open to believing it comes across that way because Van is our main character.

I do agree with the review that the LGBTIQA+ themes felt forced and not well blended in. There were a couple issues with this but the main one is that the author didn’t explain why it meant so much to Van. To compare to a different book, Praise by Sara Cate has a FMC who cares deeply about LGBTIQA+ inclusivity because her sister is transgender (mtf). Van just rocks up to a culture she doesn’t understand and is instantly critical because it doesn’t seem to separate gender from sex. Additionally, these political themes weren’t relevant to the plot in any way.

Now, I was really disappointed in the ending. As I said above, the cliffhanger frustrated me so much. But I can’t entirely pinpoint as to why. I didn’t realise this was going to be a series, which certainly didn’t help, but I’ve not realised before and have tolerated cliffhangers. Valid or not, I felt a bit cheated by it — like the romance didn’t meaningful progress enough or the cliffhanger felt like a cheap tactic.

Other people seemed to love this, so I’m clearly in the minority here.

Reading Method: Kindle Unlimited

[Ash C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this story, and I really appreciate the author giving Vanessa a very real reaction to "mating bonds" and fae calling each other "male" instead of "man" or "female" instead of "woman". That reaction is cringe. And it is exactly how I'd feel in that situation. I had never thought about nonbinary folk in those cultures and what they would be addressed as and it brought a unique conversation up.

The concept of sidekick being the "main character" was really cool!

I love that by the end of the story, Vanessa still didn't suddenly become the chosen one, and the world of Hyvenmere didn't magically make sense. She still doesn't understand all the cultural differences and still can't read anything there or understand the native language.

Drustan didn't turn out to actually be a great guy and it was all a misunderstanding. He still killed people and wasn't remorseful about it. He still has violent tendencies and is unapologetically petty.

I would have liked to get a chapter from someone else's POV when they did the whole faking her death thing, and also we never found out how Ilian managed to detain Drustan in the dungeon or really why it took so long for him to be able to hear her when she was able to hear his tune when they were on other sides of the continent. We could get some bonus chapters or maybe these things will be better explained in the second book. I may be a masochist, but there's not any point that felt like a gut punch or left me sobbing.That's really my only complaints about the story.

The writing style was surprisingly good but occasionally things were over explained or the obvious was over stated.

I figured out who Drew was almost immediately, no idea how Vanessa didn't. I didn't guess Hush though. That one was a surprise, but it makes sense when I thought about it. Also the subplot of missing women and children was well developed and the reason was a great twist!

[Veeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 (rounded to 3) ⭐️

I loved the premise of this being the best friend of the hero getting paired up with the villain of the story. It’s such a fun take that really isn’t done a lot in fantasy books and is what sold me on picking up this book. I really love Andrea’s other contemporary romance books so I was excited to see a new fantasy one by her. However, this one didn’t really hit the mark for me.

The book was a bit all over the place to where too much was happening in such a short amount of time that it was hard to keep up. It felt like the first 20% of the book was great and really sold me and kept my attention and then it just fizzled out. It got to the point where so many things were getting introduced and all these other tropes being added that it was way too much in such a short amount of time. This is a pretty intense world and we aren’t given much as far as building the world. They sort of just dump all this information at once on the world without really expanding on it. I mean you have this world full of different creatures who also have technology - phones, TVs, etc and all this added lore on kings, mates, and other politics but yet we barely scratch the surface of it. It was like a trauma dump of info at once on top of all these new storylines that it became info overload. Plus, the fact these are older main characters (30+) but their behavior and how they speak is a bit immature. The FMC started out really great and I loved how bad ass and didn’t put up with anyone’s shit that she was, but then she just became more and more annoying to read, especially with the book being 99% in her POV.

Overall it was a pretty okay read. I think it would have done better if things were slowed down to really world build and maybe even split between a few books rather than shoving in all these different storylines and tropes all at once in such a short amount of time.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanessa Wilson is content with her quiet life running a beachside coffee shop, until a sudden attack by otherworldly creatures shatters any sense of normalcy. When her best friend Audrey reappears to save her, long-buried secrets come to light: Audrey has been hiding powerful magic and a connection to a dangerous, hidden realm. Though Vanessa has no place in this world, she refuses to let Audrey face it alone. In the mystical land of Hyvenmere, Vanessa is forced to navigate unfamiliar dangers, including a deadly siren with a particular interest in her. Determined, but out of her depth, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her best friend.

This was a fun, action-driven read that balances its heavier moments well. I really enjoyed the subversion of the typical “chosen one” narrative, following the “side character” perspective felt fresh, and Vanessa proves herself to be a capable and engaging lead in her own right. She has clear flaws but still maintains agency, which helps ground the story. The world itself is also a strong point, blending modern elements with more traditional fantasy in a way that feels distinct. And while the romance is very much a slow burn, the ending sets up some intriguing possibilities that make me curious to see where the series goes next.

There are a few areas where the story feels like it’s still finding its footing. The pacing and worldbuilding can wobble at times, and I would have liked more development in certain relationships, particularly between Vanessa and Drustan. The dynamic between Vanessa and Audrey occasionally leans a bit sitcom-like, which may not work for everyone, though it didn’t take me out of the story too much. Overall, this is a solid start to a series with an interesting direction, even if it doesn’t fully hit its stride just yet.

3.5/5 A fun twist on familiar tropes, with more still to come.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, I was really excited to read it after seeing the gorgeous character artwork on Andrea Andersen's Instagram. Having read and enjoyed her contemporary romances I was looking forward to seeing how she'd tackle a fantasy.

The story follows two friends who have been brought up like sisters in foster care. I liked our FMC; Vanessa is tough and fiercely independent with secrets hidden in her past. But it's her BFF/Sister Audrey who is carrying the mother of all secrets - she's been sneaking off to a hidden realm with a Fae Prince. Vanessa's world gets turned upside down with the revelation of this magical kingdom and things aren't going to be the same again.

To me, it was a breath of fresh air to be following the story of the human sidekick rather than focusing on the halfling "chosen one". It made me see myself in the story and felt more relatable.

There was a lot of political intrigue in this, an ancient prophecy, plenty of drama and some great male characters; the classic Fae Prince, a tortured siren prince and an evil villain. I enjoyed the connection between the female characters a lot and the way they worked together.

I was a bit devastated at the ending but only because it left me wanting more! The yearning and slow burn was next level... I need more of Vanessa and Drustan! So hopefully book 2 is not too long in the making...

Overall it was an enjoyable story, there was a lot of action but the world building was great and I enjoyed the fantasy realm a lot. I'm ready for the follow up!!

[Migla M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had an opportunity to arc read this book.

If you like slow burns, fated mates, a 30year old fmc who is a cinnamon roll, but has some dark past and secrets and would undoubtedly do whatever she needed to to save the people that she loves, mmc who is a hot siren, has been yearning for his mate forever, but still respects her every wish, even if it is to reject him, court intrigue and interesting storyline with magic system and various magical creatures then this book is just for you!

It was a very interesting, unique story. I loved how the plot was very well balanced between the court-intrigue, quests, secrets and love story, tension, Van and Dru chemistry.
It has already been a while, when the fmc was just a girl, thrusted into unknown world and didn't gain any powers, acted and trusted on what she knew and could do. This made story more appealing to me, to see how Van will fare with only her wit.
I love fated mates trope, and here it was perfectly written. I loved how there was a lot of tension and longing, that Van didn't fall immediately into Dru's hands. Though my heart hurts for him and what he's been through I find it more interesting how the story will unfold next, what's going to be the tipping point for them to finally be together. This suspense is really good.
And of course I love to see female rage, however small it was. But it is just so fulfilling to see women finally get what they truly deserve, which is goodness, happiness and love.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn't quite feel fair that we can't rate books with half stars, because I'd give this something like a 4.5, but it isn't quite a 5 for me.

Regardless, I loved this book. It was a book that I have wished for because I love the idea of the unremarkable sidekick. What made this book even better is the fact that it is almost targeted toward frequent romantasy readers who understand the beats of a typical romantasy story, so we can estimate that the "larger plot" is probably near the end of book 1/in the first half of book 2. Or it would have been if we were following the Chosen One character and not our POV side character.

So by the time we join the story, we kind of already have an idea of what it would have looked like. And when it is explained to the POV character as much as is possible, we still kind of understand it because we understand what typical romantasy looks like. It doesn't go flying over our heads. We can almost fill in the blanks on our own and haven't felt like we were left out of anything.

I think this book is a great interlude for people who have read too much romantasy (hi that's me). I'm pretty excited for book 2 and I can't wait to see how everything unravels.

[Angelinaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting. It had a very refreshing take on romantasy, with the villian x mc's bff pov. But that's all it was, mindless fun. The plot, for half of the time, was literally nonexistent and it was only at the end, after some crappy worldbuilding, that the whole "meaningful revelation" was dumped (very boringly), and it didn't even make sense! Also, I don't need to read whole pages of this horny creep massaging the protagonist and her getting off on it in the middle of a ballroom in front of her best friend while she thinks hes a crazy sadist.. Uhm, wtf. I went into this with no exceptions, since romantasy these days is pretty crappy, so I'm not disappointed per say. But it's very obvious that this book is centered around Wattpad mating bonds and forbidden romance. Also, I found the scene where the mc crashes out over thinking her hallucinated Drustan doesn't want her RIDICULOUS. What? What? Also, why is gender so over-inflated without actually being fleshed out? All we get is an irritating repetition of "woman, not female!" ALSO, who names their kid Drustan Shaw. WHO? I didn't take this book seriously, and I'm damn glad I didn't, or this review would be furious and an essay long.

[Jenni Pastrana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made a mistake reading this book - i heard about it from a tiktok and i was like: human best friend of the chosen one with no powers? sign me in.

Until about 86% I decided to check if this was a standalone and it’s not - and since this was published in 2026, now i have to wait for the next one.

That aside, this books is about Vanessa, who is who I dreamed to be when i was younger.

she has a coffee shop, a boat and she’s unapologetic about who she is. The only thing that’s missing is her best friend who by all accounts met a guy and now she’s with him 24/7.

Once we know why Audrey (Vanessa’s bff) has been missing we are presented with a new world (literally) where Audrey is the *chosen one* and Vanessa is her human friend with no special powers.

what i loved is that Vanessa really has no special powers, she’s just herself - loyal to the home to her best friend and who is ready to throw hands if needed.

we have romance and spiiiice with our bad boy prince, who surprise surprise has fallen head first with vanessa

100% recommend, it’s quick page turner you won’t regret :)

[Hemlock & Sweet Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever questioned what would happen if you were to be inserted into a fantasy world, this book is your answer. The FMC isn't some wildly overpowered 'coming into her power' character, she isn't some 'destined for greatness child of prophecy', she is like you or I. A normal person, with a normal job and...some abnormal circumstances. It's refreshing.

She is grounded, logical and genuinely human in a genre that tends to not prioritize that. She struggles, has to think her way through things, she missteps but through it all she sticks to her core beliefs and who she is while being self aware enough to come around when she's wrong or out of her depth.

What was done really well is that while this book focuses on the FMC, there is a world around her that is bigger than just her story. The larger pieces are happening and she, alongside the reader, are along for the ride. We are both figuring it out at the same time which adds to the richness of this book.

Fair warning, it does end on a cliffhanger and I am desperately awaiting the next one!

Easy to devour, realistic character driven and the kind of book that reminds you of the magic of reading.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantasy is flooded with teenage Mary-Sue protagonists who make increasingly confounding choices and yet still somehow save the world with the power of only their petite stature and their desperate love for their MMC!

I've had enough.

If you have too, you'll like this book.

Vanessa is a smart, witty, funny and determined 30-year-old business owner whose life gets turned upside down when she finds out her m.i.a. roommate is actually the savior of another realm. Her choices are smart and she FIGHTS BACK ferociously, but she is still thwarted-- not because of some arbitrary plot device but because she's a human in a fae world. Some of the things she does had me snorting which might as well be a guffaw from me (I rarely emote while reading).

Spoiler alert: there is NO SEX. The only people who get it on are her bff and her partner and that happens off page.

However, the "spicy" scenes were some of the most blanket-clutching, window-fogging, blush-inducing, toe curling I've ever read.

This author gets it: we want smart, funny protagonists, witty banter, electric chemistry, oh and an interesting plot with good writing helps too.

I am incredibly frustrated finding out this only released TWO MONTHS AGO and WHO KNOWS how long I will have to wait for the next one?!

One things for sure the second it's released, I'll be there.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an arc of this book! I had such a fantastic time reading it and I flew through it! Somehow this is both a fated mates AND a slow burn romance! Ugh, just kiss please!!

I wish we got more depth from the characters, especially the side characters. I loved how deep the friendships went, I just wish I could've seen more of instead of just being told about it. Give me more Audrey and Van being soulmates please!!

Overall, an incredible ride, fun idea and good execution! I greatly enjoyed seeing the chosen one trope played out from the sidelines with the MC being her very regular best friend instead! I LOVE Drusten! He is giving the best parts of Rhys from ACOTAR and all of Edward from twilights red flags (in a good way, you know what I mean) if Edward wasn't also riddled with self loathing and shame! The art the author commissioned of these two had me kicking my feet! When does book 2 come out?! I need it already!!