The Road of Bones: The Ashen Series, Book 1

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 5,049 ratings

Price: 43.74

Last update: 01-30-2025


About this item

A woman on the run. A crew of Viking mercenaries. A forbidden romance. And the secret that threatens them all.

Silla Nordvig is running for her life.

The Queen of Íseldur has sent warriors to bring Silla to Sunnavík, where death awaits her. When her father is killed, his last words set Silla on a perilous quest: travel the treacherous Road of Bones—a thousand-mile stretch haunted by warbands, creatures of darkness, and a mysterious murderer—and go to Kopa, where a shield house awaits her.

After barely surviving the first stretch of road, a desperate Silla sneaks into a supply wagon belonging to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she must win over Axe Eyes, the brooding leader of the Crew, while avoiding the Wolf, his distractingly handsome right-hand man. But the queen's ruthless assassin has other plans and hunts Silla obsessively.

Will Silla make it safely to Kopa? Or will she fall prey to the perils of the Road of Bones?

Featuring an immersive world blending fairy tales with Vikings, The Road of Bones leads you on an adrenaline-fueled chase with fun banter and a slow-building enemies-to-lovers romance. It is book one in the Ashen Series.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Erinarkin20
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Fantasy Series!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2024
    I came across The Road of Bones by Demi Winters as I was scanning NetGalley and when I read the summary I was intrigued. I'm always interested in a good Fantasy but when you throw Vikings into the mix, I'm on board. Now, I did have this book on my TBR shelf, but I'm going to tell you, thankfully when I cracked this book open I happened to be on vacation because I couldn't put it down and I've been telling everyone I know who will listen that they need to read it. Not only because it is good but because I NEED someone to talk to about it.

    Winters starts this book out with a bang and pulled me in from the start...Silla Nordvig is our fmc and she is on the run. We find out very quickly that she and her father have been moving from village to village but we don't truly know why and unfortunately as they are headed on their way out of their most recent village, Silla's father is killed and Silla is on her own trying to survive. What she doesn't understand is why the queen of Iseldur has sent warriors to bring her back to Sunnavik and based on her father's last words to her, Silla is determined to travel the Road of Bones and get to Kopa and the safety of a shield house.

    After barely surviving her first stretch of travel, Silla overhears a group discuss their travels and she sneaks into their supply wagon. What she didn't count on was that the wagon belonged to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she has to win over Axe Eyes, the crew leader, while not falling for the Wolf's handsome face. As she finds herself getting closer to the whole crew (and slowly winning them over), the queen's hunter is on her tail and is determined to bring her back to Sunnavik no matter what it takes.

    Like I said, I couldn't put this book down. There is non-stop action in this book. Whether it is the danger of traveling the Road of Bones and coming across the various monsters there or trying to escape the queen's assassin, the Bloodaxe Crew and Silla are always facing some sort of danger along their travels.

    As for the characters, I love a book that has me feeling all the things for all the characters and this book did this for me. First, there is Silla. I won't say a lot about her backstory as I don't want to ruin anything here but she is put through the ringer here. That said, she doesn't ever give up and I love that about her. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments where she questions everything and doubts herself just like anyone who has gone through what she is going through would but she always tends to sit in it for a moment and then pull herself back together. And despite all this, Axe Eyes still refers to her as "Sunshine" which compared to him is probably fair.

    Wolf/Jonas - He values family and loyalty so that is a plus but I have a lot of feelings here and I can't say anything for fear that I will give anything away and sway someone's thoughts. That said, I had high hopes for him and I will talk about him more in my review for book 2.

    Axe Eyes/Rey - As grumpy as he likes to come across, he truly is a protector and while he likes to pretend he doesn't like Silla around, he also doesn't truly want her gone and when things go wrong, he is the one who tends to come through for everyone. Again I won't say a lot here as he has some secrets that are revealed and feed into the next book.

    Rest of the Bloodaxe Crew - The rest of the crew are a great supporting cast and help to move the story forward.

    Ultimately, this book was one that did a great job of combining the character's stories with the overall plot and there is an underlying story here. It's not just about Silla trying to get to Kopa. The queen of Iseldur is up to something and while we only get snippets of what the queen wants Silla for through her assassin/hunter, there is definitely something bigger at play. Admittedly, it wasn't a surprise to me as to what Silla's background was but I also couldn't help from feeling all the feelings for Silla as she starts to realize what she is up against and what that means for her. Also, it's a harsh world that these characters live in and Winters did a fantastic job of putting it down on paper and getting me absorbed into it.

    If you're looking for an adult fantasy to pick up, consider grabbing this one. It has a great story, strong writing, solid world-building, and well-developed characters. Plus...then we can talk about all the things. The next book, Kingdom of Claw, comes out early in 2025 so you won't have too long to wait to see what happens with these characters. I'll definitely be picking up the next books in the series to see what happens for these characters as this book/series has me in a chokehold.
  • Shannons_Bookcase
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Debut Novel!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024
    ✨️ Book Review ✨️

    ????????????????????: Road of Bones
    ????????????????????????: Demi Winters
    ????????????????????: 500

    ???????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????: Silla knows she is different but she just isn’t aware just how different she truly is. Or who she is for that matter. She is strong and resourceful. Fleeing for her life when her “father” is brutally murdered. Her bravery was apparent throughout the book on her journey to safety and self discovery. Love interests - Jonas and Rey.

    ???????????????? ???? ????????????????????:
    • Fabulous debut novel!
    • Great character development
    • I loved the bond of the Blood Axe Crew
    • Great use of words - I felt as if I was right there inside the story
    • Hot, sexy, Morally Grey Vikings
    • Disability representation
    • Love the twist at the end!
    • I absolutely didn’t want this book to end! I cannot wait to read the next book!

    ???????????????? ???? ????????????????'???? ????????????????:
    • Slow to start but definitely worth it!!!
    • Her addiction denial
    • Jonas - definitely a love/hate relationship with him. In the end, he made it to my hate list

    ???????????????? ???????????????? ℍ????????:
    Romantasy
    Viking Romance
    Forced Proximity
    Multi POV
    Forbidden Magic
    Enemies to Lovers
    Found Family
    Secret Identity
    Love Triangle
    Loaded with Secrets

    ????????:
    Violence/Gore
    Addiction
    Loss of Family
    Mental Health/ Social Anxiety
    Forced Drugging
    Death
    Kidnapping

    I did read this book earlier this year when I was on The Nerd Fam Inner Circle but still talk about & recommend this book all of the time!
  • Stephanie F.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Call it a Masterpiece
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2024
    It is such a pleasure to revisit The Road of Bones. To travel its road with a fresh perspective and fall in love all over again-- as if it's the first time. For it is a revelation.

    The world-building that daunted me the first go around is now a warm embrace, it is an exhilarating charm. I readily hold onto its every detail, I listen up for every piece of information, collecting ravenously. I fall in deeper love with our heroine Silla and the enigmatic Bloodaxe crew.

    This book should be considered a classic. I hope it is, I hope one day when people list modern classics, this gorgeous story (and its glorious sequel that is soon to be re-released under Delacorte Press!), will be firmly at the top of all mentions. That’s where I’d put them.

    The Road of Bones opened my eyes to a brand new world, and I feel right at home.

    A home led by whom has become one of my all-time favorite heroines, Silla. Oh dear Silla, how I adore you. My favorite part of her is her strength, but it’s not the type ever so commonly seen in fantasy. It’s not one of brawn and physical power, it’s one of brain, wit, and so much heart. I can’t express how much I NEED heroines like her. Soft, gentle, vulnerable, and oh so wholly relatable. I was glad she wasn’t a warrior, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a fighter. That doesn't mean her own unique strength isn’t as valuable as those who can wield a heavy blade or physically stand in the way of the villains. Her strength is her courage, her kindness, her wit, her will to live and never bring harm to others. She will buckle, she will fall, but she always tries her very best to get back up. And she feels so much, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and is vulnerable, is emotional, and is so utterly human.

    I look at Silla’s journey in awe, I look at what’s ahead in wonder, and I look at that girl and think: she is magnificent. She defies the archetype of the common fantasy heroine and that makes her all the more unique and relatable.

    Something this book achieves for me that no other book had until now, is make me love a multi-POV book! I was nervous, y’all! Could I handle more than single or dual POV? As it turns out: Heck yeah I can! In fact, I highly anticipated each POV presented as the narrative unfurled. But I played favorites, I can’t lie, I did, I did!

    Silla, my girl, my number one. But her love interest— *the* love interest— slowly but surely creeps in the most tantalizing way. I don’t want to spoil this POV, but my story’s end, trust me, you’ll know. And he is such an incredible part in this story, his scenes at the end had my heart racing and I genuinely mean that literally. My heart was pounding in my ears, both times I read this. I think every time I reread the ending all my emotions will be pouring out like it’s the first time. I was just so immersed, my attention so deeply captured that it like connected into each of emotions in an explosion of fireworks. It’s so rare to find a book that pulls something so powerful out of you.

    But The Road of Bones does just that.

    Brava, Demi Winters, brava! To watch this journey from an indie published work to now a traditionally published book, allowing for greater audiences, has been absolutely magic.

    If you love fantasy, romance, intelligent plots, excellent pacing, and a dynamic cast of characters you will come to know deeply and feel so many colliding emotions for— then pick The Road of Bones as soon as you can!

    You won’t regret it— that is my promise to you! And just you wait, oh my goodness, just you wait for the new edition of Kingdom of Claw, to me— it’s the greatest sequel of all time, and I am so excited to read its new release. Let’s goooo!

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