Ascending Shadows
Sydney Hawthorn
Navarre Chronicles #4
Welcome back to Navarre
Cover and Synopsis
Ascending Shadows Cover & Blurb
A pirate. A new king. A shifter.
A realm ascending into chaos.
And a queen struggling to defend her throne.
Nestled within Dorwynn’s borders, Jenson trains his newly discovered healing magic, while Erza’s suspicions of Queen Kira grow stronger. Suspicions that do not go unwarranted between the Fae queen’s mysterious comments and too kind smiles, their interest fixated on Jenson’s every move. As Edan adjusts to his new life as king, he takes every opportunity to show his people he’s not a ruler to be feared as those before him. But the darker parts of his magic have other plans, determined to smother his light whatever it takes.
In the heart of Rathal, Joseline and Quinn’s company attempt to search for comrades to aid in the final battle looming on the horizon. Comrades who believe Joseline to be dead. Drowning between maintaining her royal persona and her lingering anguish, Joseline struggles to quell her grief and overwhelming anger despite Quinn’s efforts to soothe her mind. In the east, Evalyn returns to Narcio Island with Dax and Gaelin against her better judgment, hoping to find survivors and set the cursed land ablaze once and for all.
But secrets still linger within the island’s forgotten shadows, complicating the knowledge they bring and the impending war more than any of them ever imagined.
Book Information
Ascending Shadows
Independently Published November 2026 by Sydney Hawthorn.
Genre : Fantasy
Pages : 446 pages, Paperback
aSCENDING sHADOWS Tropes
Prophecy
Chosen One
Fae, Witches, Demons
Found Family
Review
Ascending Shadows by Sydney Hawthorn
Minor Spoilers
Major Spoilers for Awakening, Whispering & Rising Shadows
Welcome back to Navarre.
Ascending Shadows is the fourth book in indie author Sydney Hawthorn’s The Navarre Chronicles, a new adult dark fantasy series. It has been roughly four years since the third book, Rising Shadows, was released. So obviously when Hawthorn announced she was back and going to complete the series and release the final two books, I reread the first three. I forgot how much Hawthorn’s writing improves with each book. Hawthorn now has four books published and I honestly love how much she has grown as an author. The Navarre Chronicles is a complex series with lots of moving parts and characters. So please, if you are just picking the series up for the first time, keep this in mind.
I am so thankful to Sydney for sending me over an eARC of Ascending Shadows. The Navarre Chronicles is one of the first series I discovered after joining bookstagram. It holds a special place in my cold dead heart. As always babes, these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Please know that my heart grieves with you, and as such I have decided to bestow upon you a gift. Consider it a token of my utmost apologies. Your dedication to defeating me has sparked newfound delight in this cruel demon king’s heart, you see. And thus, I refuse to meet you on the battlefield until your skills hold a candle to my own.
Ascending Shadows mostly takes place a handful of years after the events of Rising Shadows. Aeron really is just the nicest villain and gives our heroes time to train. He will not debase himself by killing someone beneath him. He wants and needs Josephine at full strength to accomplish his goals. How kind. I love the demons in Navarre. Aeron and his children are delightful. Their mom is kind of a bitch, but damn if I don’t love her too. Mrs. Aeron is up to all kinds of no good in Ascending Shadows and I was there for it. In fact, I was there for all the reveals into the demons and how they came to be. I have been waiting for this and Hawthorn did not disappoint. And now, I can’t wait for Aeron to know the truth because that demon king is missing a vital piece of information. Will his plans change? Doubtful. He’s too far gone now. It could prove a useful distraction though, a chance to change the tides of war against the Demon King.
When I tell you a lot happens in Ascending Shadows, I truly mean it. This series has a large cast of characters and is told through multiple pov’s across various locations. Ascending Shadows is book four and some of our major players still haven’t even met. Think Charlie Day white board & red yarn meme because that’s how I picture Hawthorn holed up in her writing cave. Now that the kingdoms are finally uniting and sharing information a lot of the lost history of Navarre is coming to light. Ascending Shadows might be the most informative installment of the series. I loved the info dump. Everything is coming together for the final showdown.
A lot of new information has come to light in Ascending Shadows but the characters are going through a lot of turmoil as well. Some more than others, Jenson & Ezra in particular. Others, like Josephine, are still reeling from previous events. I was on the edge of my seat numerous times reading Ascending Shadows. I am a logical person, I know certain characters will not die. At least not until the very end. Hawthorn was still able to instill that fear in me despite knowing that it simply would not happen. Josephine needs these people to fulfill the prophecy. It’s not just her prophecy. And yet, there I was in full panic mode mumbling she wouldn’t to myself repeatedly.
In my opinion, Ascending Shadows is Hawthorn’s best work yet. With each passing installment of The Navarre Chronicles her writing gets stronger. It’s more cohesive, articulate and has matured over the years. A project of this magnitude, indie author or not, is impressive. Hawthorn has shown incredible growth as a writer since beginning this series. Not only can I not wait to read the epic conclusion to The Navarre Chronicles but I can’t wait to see what Hawthorn dreams up next.
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