Veil of Web and Ruin

by Aria Ashbrook

Before Rose enters the tournament that will change her fate, she’s fighting a different kind of battle – one she can’t afford to lose.

Cast into the slums after Prince Kyor’s lie shattered her family, Rose is barely surviving. With her parents gone and her younger sister facing a future as bleak as the frostbitten alleyways around them, Rose will do anything to protect what little she has left.

So when a ruthless underworld queen offers Kay a respectable job in exchange for a single favour, Rose takes the deal. The task? Steal a deadly plant from the Goddess’s own temple garden – a theft punishable by death.

The heist forces her into the heart of Wrohelm’s sacred rings, where priestesses tread softly, wolves sniff out lies, and the Goddess of Life watches from every shadow.

And when the night twists into bloodshed, Rose discovers that even the smallest choice can stain her hands forever.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 – 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅𝒔, 𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆.

This novella is available only to those subscribers on Aria’s email newsletter!

99 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2025

Reviews

[Stephanie Keijzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great starting novella of this series. I am obsessed already and can't wait to start book 1 in the serie📚🤩

[Tash Ormiston · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Very rare that id rate a novella 4+ stars but this was so good. Pace was perfect, love all the characters that I met and I’m super interested to see what happens in book 1. Jumping straight into Web of Vows and Vengeance!

[Jessica Blackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from page one which rarely happens. I really hope Kay ends up with a job she deserves after everything they have been through.

[Jennifer Loschiavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. I wish i would have gotten this before reading book 1. I think it would have been more invigorating. It did give some more incite on a few world details BUT i would not call this a must read for the series to make sense.

[Kayleigh Garcia Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this prequel after reading the first book in the series.

But I loved looking back on Rose’s life and the things that happened before the first book.

Rose is still one of my favorite FMC’s. The way she does everything she can for the people she cares about, she’ll put herself in danger if that means that her loved once gain something from it.

She is such a strong powerful woman and I love that about her. The story was written so amazingly and lines you up perfectly for the first book in the series.

Highly recommend reading this too! 💫

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

This is a 100 page prequel novella for Web of Vows and Vengeance.
This book gives us some background information for the FMC Rose and her sister Kay and how they are living after the death of their family.

Rose is given a job to do, in exchange for a single favour to better her sister’s life.
This job is to steal a a deadly plant from the goddess’s temple garden.

I think this has set up for the next book perfectly and can’t wait to dive into that next.

Highly recommended reading this first 😊

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really short and gave some context into the "slum" life that Rose and Kay lived in prior to the retterheld. Although i was hoping for some more context about what all happened with her mom, the story of how her and Jonah met, or even the stripping itself. Not a whole lot of extra knowledge, and honestly not sure its really needed for the plot of book 1. Either way, glad i read it.

Thank you to the Authors for gifting this to the ARC team as a little bonus for book #1.

[thefaeriebookhoarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored getting a little from Rose’s life before the Retterheld, I think it’s shows the desperation of what led to her entering. And you know who I want more of??? - RULA!!!!! That is a formidable woman and I have a feeling there is so much more to come - or I hope so!
I can’t believe how much information Aria was able to pack into this novella, and I have questions!

I would probably recommend reading this before book 1 as I think it gives a fantastic insight into the lead up to events!!

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very intriguing and promising start. Rose has lost everything and is trying to protect her sister, but it doesn't go the way she hopes and after stealing hemlock and being involved in the death of a powerful if nasty man, and the death of a man called Tella who tried to get it on with her, she wonders what fate has in mind for her.

[Summer Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This really got me excited for the continuation of the story! Class systems, social status, magic, tonics; Rose is doing everything she can to support herself and her sister in the slums. They were stripped of their magic and status when their mother was blamed for the queens death.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a prequel, it definitely had me ready to JUMP into the first book!! Reuben gives warm hugs 🥰

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was absolutely amazing, highly recommend reading this either before or after ‘Web of Vows and Vengeance’ to get the before story or Rose and Kay and why Rose is so keen on joining the Retterheld.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to this new series and author! Looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

[Angela Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written prequel to A Web of Vows and Vengeance. This gave a little insight into Rose’s past and things that happen leading up to the Tournament of the Gifting.

[Lex Mak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great prequel to set up the series. Short, quick and full of adventure. I can’t wait to see where this goes!