Book Review: Dawn of the North by Demi Winters

Genre: Romantasy

Length: 608 pages

Book 3 of planned 5 books – ongoing series known as The Ashen Series

Currently unavailable on Kindle Unlimited.

Available in retailers on February 3, 2026

What is it?

Dawn of the North is the third book in the planned 5 book series known of The Ashen Series. The books are meant to be read in order of publication: The Road of Bones, Kingdom of Claw, and Dawn of the North. However, there is also a novella following beloved side characters that takes place during the events of Kingdom of Claw. This novella, Roots of Darkness, is completely optional, but should ideally be read between books 2 and 3 of the series.

However, I highly recommend reading Roots of Darkness before Dawn of the North (yes, even though it’s optional). The novella provides a ton of insight for major plot points and a major romantic arc for the third book. So, if you are like me, and like to know all of the information available, do yourself the favor and read the novella before diving into Dawn of the North. However, Demi Winters did a wonderful job writing Dawn of the North in a way that Roots of Darkness can be skipped if you so choose.

*** This is a fantasy romance book intended for adults. It may not be suitable for all readers. Be sure to check the trigger warnings provided by the author to determine if the book is a good fit for you.

Official Blurb

A new age begins in the Kingdom of Íseldur in this sizzling third installment of the Viking-inspired Ashen romantasy the series.

The lost Volsik heir has finally returned to the people of Íseldur, and even with the warrior who’s captured her heart standing by her side, Silla’s task is monumental. She must earn the loyalty of the northern jarls to drive Ivar Ironheart from the throne and restore peace in the kingdom. But the secret she vigilantly guards threatens to ruin all her plans: A shard of a god lives in her mind, twisting her thoughts and deeds to His will.

Meanwhile, held captive on the mysterious isle of Zagadka, Saga Volsik fights to return to her sister in Íseldur. But when King Ivar sets his sights on the Zagadkians, she’s forced to make an impossible choice: fight for the man who stole her—and is now hell-bent on marrying her—or let the innocent people of his kingdom die.

As a poisonous mist threatens the realm, the sisters will delve into the unknowns of their magic to battle against evil. Return to the land of ice and fire, where a god awakens, a queen finds her power, and sisters must unite against the darkness threatening their realm.

What I did like?

The short answer is- everything. I liked everything about this book. This is one of my favorite book series.

The Ashen Series by Demi Winters is one of those series that starts out strong and just somehow keeps getting better with each book. The Road of Bones set the bar so high and somehow, Demi Winters has found a way to raise the stakes and make me continue to care about these characters.

This book was over 600 pages and when it was done, I still wanted more!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The entire book was action-packed and exciting. There are several points of view (POVs) that we experience throughout this story. And I loved every single one of them. Well…. there was one that I didn’t like, but that is because I hate the character. And trust me, if you’ve read these books already, you hate him too. You probably guessed that it’s Jonas. That’s right, Jonas continues to be a nuisance in this book and of course, makes all of the wrong choices.

However, being inside his head is likely to make me start feeling sorry for him soon, which is probably the real reason I don’t want to read his POVs anymore. I just want to be mad at him for all that he’s done.

My favorite part of this book was being inside Kass’ head. He was one of my favorite characters from Kingdom of Claw and I loved being able to see what he was thinking and understand his motivations.

I also loved watching both Silla and Saga grow in their confidence. Both are facing hard situations. Both are forced to play a role that they have never played before and I am so excited to see where these characters go.

What did I not like?

Nothing. I really loved everything about this book.

What to expect/ Tropes

A dark viking-inspired world

Women finding theirpower

Animal sidekicks (yes, plural!)

3 different romantic arcs

Tons of magic

Exploring different parts of this world

Is it spicy?

Yes. There are a few chapters in the book with very tense moments and several chapters with spicy scenes. However, this book is not very spicy. Instead it is very plot and character driven.