House of Aries

The Ascendant Series Volume 1

Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
394 Pages
Reviewed on 04/22/2017
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Whitney Estenson was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. The daughter of two teachers, she spent her summers swimming at the pool. Through the years, she played several sports, including; softball, basketball, volleyball and running track. While traveling to the next tournament, whether it be an hour away, or several states away, Whitney always traveled with a book. It was on these long trips that she developed a love of supernatural and fantasy stories.


After graduating high school, Whitney attended Washburn University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Education in 2009. That summer, she married her husband Josh in a seven minute ceremony on a Jamaican beach. When she returned, she began her teaching career and has been teaching middle school since 2009. In 2012, she received a Master of Science in Educational Technology from Pittsburg State University. In 2013, Whitney and Josh welcomed their daughter.

When she's not teaching or writing, Whitney loves to swim and ride four wheelers with her husband and daughter.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

House of Aries by Whitney Estenson is the first in The Ascendant Series. Kyndal Davenport has been struck by tragedy, losing her entire family in a car accident, and having to move to a small town in Pennsylvania with an aunt she doesn't know. Things only get worse when the mean girl of the school singles her out and spreads rumors about her, leading her classmates to taunt and whisper behind her back. Though when alluring Roman Sands pays attention to her, and she makes two new friends, she thinks maybe her life can return to normal. Then nightmares haunt her, her sheets catch fire, and she develops a powerful connection to Roman who opens up her world to its dark and dangerous secrets, including the truth of her past, and the key to the future.

From the first page I was hooked. The end only made me need more, to know what will happen to Kyndal and her friends. Kyndal is stubborn, hard-heading, flawed, and completely perfect as the heroine of this story. She has so much tragedy in her life, but she overcomes the grief and grows stronger with each chapter. Whitney Estenson brings to life this world through rich backstory, tragic circumstances, unlikely heroes, and strength of character with a charming blend of humor, magic, and mystery. Estenson knows where to pack the emotion punch, letting Kyndal grieve and get angry, but also knows how to lighten the mood when necessary. House of Aries is a strong debut with the same wit and spirit as the lead. A must-read! It'll leave you desperate to know more!

Riley Garrison

It was amazing