Roots of Darkness by Demi Winters is a novella in The Road of Bones Viking inspired romantasy series. Following the events of Kingdom of Claw, Hekla and the remaining members of the Bloodaxe crew are tasked with dispelling a murderous mist in Istre. However, Axe Eyes sends Eyvind Hakonsson, an arrogant, handsome second son of Jarl Hakon, to appease Loftur, who is deeply distrustful of women. Hekla, not realizing the man she spent the previous night with is the same man now placed in charge of the mission, must now protect her heart and Istre itself.
I was riding the excitement of having just finished Kingdom of Claw the night before, but it was Roots of Darkness’s fierce female main character that made me sit and read it in one go. Hekla is strong, kind, persistent, and full of flaws that feel deeply relatable. Mixed with the murderous mist plot and clear setup for Dawn of the North, this was a novella that delivers far more than expected.
Read our summary and review of Roots of Darkness below. This post contains spoilers.
Tropes
- Vikings
- Golden retriever x black cat
- Slow burn
Please check trigger warnings before reading Roots of Darkness!
Review
Overall Impressions 😊
The way Roots of Darkness catches you up on what happened with Hekla and Eyvind while Saga was taking down the castle and Silla was coming to terms with being Eisa was great. It’s everything I want out of a novella.
It’s a new set of characters who weren’t part of the main crew. We’re introduced to Eyvind and Thrand, and we also get to spend more time with Hekla, who might just be my favorite side character of this series.
I can relate to her so much, having to prove herself as a woman in a field dominated by men, trying to get herself taken seriously, and trying to figure out how to carry herself without losing who she is.
The romance wasn’t bad either, and the plot moved forward enough that I felt like this was a great primer before Dawn of the North.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🧭
First things first, this is a must read for The Road of Bones series. Novellas usually feel like they’re optional, but this one is not. There is critical information here that will matter going into Dawn of the North.
If you like side characters and enjoy shorter novels with great chemistry between the crew and the main characters, Roots of Darkness is fantastic.
Not to mention, this expands the world and leans really hard into feminine rage, so if you enjoy strong female characters, go read Roots of Darkness.
Characters 👥
I have no notes for Hekla. She’s strong. She’s powerful. She is guarded. She has flaws. I love a flawed character who grows on the page. Add the burden she’s still working through, and I really enjoyed Hekla as a protagonist. Something Demi does really well is represent real issues through fantasy, and this one is full of proving yourself as a woman in a world of men. I rooted for Hekla from start to finish. She is a goddess among men.
Eyvind is a golden retriever boyfriend if I’ve seen one. He’s handsome, attractive, arrogant, and full of jokes. Unlike other golden retriever boyfriends, though, he doesn’t feel flat. He is just as flawed. He lets Hekla down in this novel, which for the girls who love grovel, we’re going to love Dawn of the North. I can feel it.
A talking squirrel? It’s so unserious. I love Kridka so much. He is great comedic relief and an enjoyable animal companion. I hope he sticks around too.
Plot 🗺️
There is so much plot built in here for it being a novella. Demi Winters does an amazing job at worldbuilding, and it reminded me of Throne of Glass’s deep rooted fantasy elements, and this one doesn’t disappoint. In Kingdom of Claw, Harpa has a vision of a Queen, a Tree, a dragon, and a snake. The story revolves around the tree, or at least that’s my assumption, based on the fact that it’s a forest that spawns a murderous mist that turns men and creatures into draugr.
I love a mysterious mist plotline with good magical background, hello Mistborn, so I really enjoyed this one.
I was still overstimulated from reading Kingdom of Claw, but either way, I’m not ashamed to admit the plot was so good that I read this in one sitting.
The ending sets itself up very well for the next books and Hekla’s role in Dawn of the North and the fight against Chaos. Overall, this is a novella that’s very well done with no stops.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
The story is told exclusively from Hekla’s point of view, which if you ask me, we could stay in her internal monologue forever. She’s sassy, strong, funny, and a bit vulnerable. It’s just a great read.
It’s told in alternating timelines, which if you’re no stranger to our reviews, you know I’m a sucker for. We move between the night Eyvind and Hekla first meet and the current timeline where the mist job is “completed.” The pendulum swing between watching Hekla fall for Eyvind and seeing how she navigates his public persona was incredibly satisfying, and it only made me more excited for Dawn of the North.
The Norse mythology continues to be strong with the murderous mist and draugr. All of the elements feel well researched and grounded in lore, which makes this an immersive experience with really strong storytelling.
Synopsis
The Night Hekla and Eyvind Met
In this novella, we see flashbacks of Eyving and Hekla’s first night together. In this summary, we’re going in a linear timeline.
We see a flashback of the night before where Hekla notices a woman who suffers abuse at the hands of her husband and offers to help when she’s ready. Then she runs into the handsome stranger and a brawl breaks out. His name is Eyvind Hakonsson, the second son of Jarl Hakon.
They spar by the riverbank, don’t exchange names, and hook up. They call each other Lynx and Fox.
Hekla and Eyvind return to his room and finally going all the way. Being beneath him briefly triggers memories of her husband, but she works through it. Afterward, Eyvind asks her to stay and comforts her as she opens up about her marriage and how her father blamed her for her mother’s death in childbirth. Hekla reluctantly stays the night.
Hekla In Charge of Bloodaxe Crew
After Rey returns to Kalasgarde with Silla, Hekla is left in charge of the Bloodaxe crew in Istre. She’s seen the drawings of their wanted posters and wants answers but trusts Rey. The crew is grieving after Elias’s death. Hekla spent the night with a guy the previous day, who the next day, turns out the next day to be the man Rey sent to help get rid of the monstrous mist. Hekla snuck out from his room without saying goodbye.
In the present day, they discuss what to do about the mist, but the chieftain and Eyvind dismiss Hekla’s ideas, mostly because they’re not used to working with women and disregard her opinion.
Hekla goes to see Eyvind for a meeting, and he shamelessly flirts with her. He tells her he’s there to manage Loftur, the local chieftain, and that he won’t speak of them spending the night before together.
Hekla spars the next morning with Eyvind’s men, who are openly misogynistic. During the fight, Hekla has flashbacks to the abuse she endured from her first husband. She defeats the man named Thrand, who is Eyvind’s second.
Hekla Enters Western Woods
Hekla checks in with Sigrund, who is deaf and communicates via sign language. The two women confide in one another. Hekla later sees a creature in the forest, the first living thing they’ve encountered since arriving in Istre. She disobeys orders and ventures into the forest, where she finds symbols drawn in blood using the Volsik sigil.
She wanders deeper into the forest and touches a tree. She sees a vision of the forest teeming with life, then it dies. She then sees the mist, white, thick, and tracking her. As she accepts her imminent death, a massive wolf appears and begins fighting the mist. Hekla collapses.
Hekla wakes to find a squirrel waiting for her. They share her water canteen, and the squirrel speaks to her, telling her its name is Kridka and that it has driven the evil away. She’s burning up and confused when Eyvind finds her and carries her out of the forest. She also sees a vision of Loftur summoning the mist in the dining hall, further strengthening her suspicions.
With Kridka’s voice urging her to wake, Hekla regains consciousness. Sigrund and Gunner are shaken and admit they’ve been lost in their grief. They promise to do better.
Hekla heads into the mead hall and learns the group investigated a third attack site and found nothing. Eyvind confronts her and orders her never to disobey him again, clearly angry about her entering the mist. His behavior reminds Hekla of her former husband. She threatens him and storms off.
Gunner makes a move on Hekla, but she feels uncomfortable and pulls away. Kridka continues speaking to her, calling her the Protector and insisting she must return to the forest. The squirrel tells her that her mistress needs her.
Gunner continues to push, but Hekla refuses him. Eyvind later tells her there are concerns about her well being after her encounter with the squirrel. Hekla lashes out, criticizing his rank and lack of experience.
Kridka magically leads Hekla back to the first mist site while she sleepwalks. Following his advice, she uses fire. She enters a barn and finds all the missing villagers possessed, their veins black and eyes red.
Finding the Barn and the Draugrs
Inside the barn, Hekla realizes all the missing people, entire families, have been turned into draugr. Draugr are undead creatures, and the mist has transformed one of them first, who then turned the rest, including children. Loftur has been feeding them, hoping the old gods will restore them. Hekla understands his actions are driven by grief and desperation, but she knows they cannot be saved. She believes they deserve a mercy death but cannot bring herself to kill them.
One of the draugr speaks, identifying itself as the Avatar of the Mist and promising to feast. Hekla flees as Kridka and fire hold the creatures back. Outside, her horse is overtaken by the mist and turned undead. Hekla is forced to kill it before escaping the forest, devastated.
Hekla finds Eyvind Hakonsson searching for her. She tells him what she saw. His colonel and second arrive with the remaining Bloodaxe crew. Eyvind initially appears worried, but his demeanor shifts when the others arrive. Hekla learns they’ve known about the barn all along. Feeling betrayed, she asks what their plan is. The colonel intends to perform a ritual to cleanse the barn. Hekla doesn’t believe it will work. Eyvind removes her from the mission and orders her to leave Istre, though his expression shows regret.
Hekla dresses, grabs her prosthetic arm, leaves her sword behind, and prepares to leave. Sigrund and Gunner arrive and trust her account without question. After Hekla shares what she knows, they make a plan to evacuate the town and trap the mist.
Roots of Darkness Ending Explained
Hekla sneaks back into Istre and realizes Eyvind has listened to her and is defying his father’s wishes. While Loftur and the colonel attempt their ritual, Eyvind helps evacuate the town. The ritual fails, the mist spreads from the forest, and morale collapses. Eyvind orders the evacuation to continue.
The town prepares to burn as the mist presses forward. Wolves and bears twisted by the mist emerge from the woods. The creatures throw themselves into the fire while Hekla and the others struggle to hold them back.
Eyvind and his men return and reveal themselves as Galdra, using fire magic to reinforce the barrier. Hekla asks Eyvind to create an opening so she can distract the mist while the barrels are ignited. During the explosion, Eyvind throws himself over her. His cloak shields them, though his hair and face are burned.
When it’s over, Istre is a bonfire. Hekla and Eyvind reconcile and kiss before leaving. Eyvind explains that he and Rey were fostered together one summer, which is how they know each other.
Later, while Hekla rests, Gunner asks her to marry him. She gently refuses, worried about his grief, but certain she does not want to marry him. Looking for Eyvind, she overhears him speaking with Thrand and learns he is engaged. Although he admits Hekla is different to him, she is hurt and storms off.
In the final chapter, Kridka returns and tells Hekla she must release his mistress. After resisting, Hekla agrees to confront the mist in its own territory.
Spicy Chapters
How Spicy is Roots of Darkness by Demi Winters: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 16
I am SO READY for Dawn of the North. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses, what happens with Hekla, Eyvind and Gunnar (knowing Demi it’ll be hilarious).
What did you think of Roots of Darkness. Let us know in the comments!
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