The Wolf of Blood Roses

The Castes of Ascela, Book 1

By: Ellie Tru

Narrated by: Alaura Howery

In the kingdom of Ascela, a rigid caste system demands that every child, upon turning seventeen, demonstrate their magical abilities before the royal family. Aria Byrne has spent her entire life preparing for this Exhibition under the tutelage of her father, the village healer. However, there is one major problem: Aria has no magic. Under the law, this is a death sentence, or worse—it could result in her enslavement to the ruthless royal Westfall line. With her Exhibition fast approaching, Aria's survival hinges on her ability to outwit the Westfalls and leverage her charm and knowledge of herbalism to escape her fate.

Princess Rosalind Westfall, second-born child of the elite Gilded Wolf caste, is feared for her cruelty and cunning. Burdened by a haunting past, she has grown increasingly isolated, trusting few as she navigates the dangerous political waters of Ascela. As she vies with her merciless brother, Idris Westfall, for the throne, Roz's world is thrown into turmoil when she encounters Aria at the Exhibition. The collision of their destinies ignites a spark that will challenge everything they believe about the kingdom, its magic, and their place within it.

©2025 Arielle Sutton (P)2025 Arielle Sutton

Outstanding!

Fantasy is not my usual genre but this book had me hooked from Chapter one. The characters and relationship dynamics connected me to the story right away and the pacing kept me engaged through the entire storyline. The phenomenal narration was the cherry on top of an overall delightful experience!

The narrator is amazing! She nailed the characters!

Love this book! It’s easy to read and draws you into the story from the very beginning. Then leaves you with a cliff hanger so that you are anxiously awaiting the next book.

A Story or Power, Love, and Passion

I loved the world Ellie created. The power struggle between the members of the family and the dynamics between the main characters. However, I didn’t see the point in one of the sub plots that garnered a lot of time only to end in a disappointing manner that had me thinking why even bother with the healing?

Plot and character development

This story was so well put together. Each time I had to step away I was thinking about how this story continued. The characters are so easy to fall for- even the ones you’re not supposed to. The plot thickened at each turn and when I thought the protagonist was somewhat safe, I was thrown a loop.
In addition to beautiful storytelling, this narrator was simply perfect. The smooth cadence and dialects truly brought this story to life.

Amazing!

Such a fun read! Aria and Ros are such wonderful characters with a lot of depth. I love the inner monologues of both characters dealing with trauma and overcoming so much hardship. I'm so excited for the next book after that absolute cliffhanger 😅