From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout Pages: 634
Published by Blue Box Press on March 30, 2020
Series: Blood and Ash #1
Genres: adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Paranormal
Source: Bought ecopy
Also in this series: A Kingdom of Flesh and FireA Maiden…
Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.
A Duty…
The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.
A Kingdom…
Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.
From Blood and Ash is an adult fantasy and is the first book in the Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved this book so much! I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning reading because I just. could. not. stop. reading! (and trust me, I do not stay up late. haha) From Blood and Ash is easily my favorite read of 2020, and I know this will become one of my favorite fantasy series. When I tell you that I was enthralled with this book, I am serious. From Blood and Ash gripped a hold of my heart and did not let go. Not even after I was finished reading.
I am going to try my very best to not include any spoilers in this review. Short review- If you are a fan of fantasy and paranormal romances, then you NEED to read From Blood and Ash. If you still need convincing, then read on.
In From Blood and Ash, we meet our main character, Poppy. Poppy is her kingdom’s chosen maiden. Chosen by the gods to participate in a ceremony, called the Ascension. The ascension is a mysterious ceremony that helps to anoint the new royals of the country, but no one knows too much about it. Being the maiden comes with some perks, like living in the palace, but mostly it comes with huge restrictions. No one is allowed to see, touch or speak to Poppy other than her ladies maid and her royal guard.
Poppy is a fantastic main character! I loved her so much. She is brave and plucky and resourceful. She loves to ask questions and she takes very little at face value. She is the type of heroine that I love. Poppy is no wallflower, and she is not afraid to get right into the action. When Poppy’s current guard is killed by an enemy group in a kidnapping attempt, Poppy gets assigned a new guard- Hawke. Hawke and Poppy have sparks right from their very first meeting. I loved their fiery fighting and interactions. I couldn’t get enough of these two. And the romance was everything I was hoping for and then some. It is fantastic!!
In addition to great characters, and a fantastic romance that sizzles through the pages, the world building is also really interesting. There are warring factions, dangerous creatures called the Craven and plenty of mystery and secrets. I will admit that I did figure out a a few aspects of the story, but that didn’t detract from my enjoy at all. I think this book is a must read for all fans of fantasy romance and paranormal romance. If all Jennifer Armentrout books are like this one, I need to read them all ASAP! From Blood and Ash is my favorite read of the year…and further, it is my favorite book that I have read in a long time! The second book in this series comes out September 1st, so now is the perfect time to pick up book one if you have not read it yet! I think you will fall in love just like I did!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2020 New Release Challenge
- Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2020
sherry fundin
great review. i love the paranormal and fantasy. some of my favorite reads and this looks like one i need to add to my reading list!
sherry @ fundinmental
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Oh, you have to add this to your TBR. It is so fantastic! I think you will love it!
sherry fundin
i just added it. i don’t buy books very often any more, but this may be an exception
sherry @ fundinmental
Anna
I’m not clear on the. Royals.
Are there two sets of Queen/king?
Original King and his exiled mortal queen, then also an original Queen and her new chosen King who run the fake Ascensions?
Or is there a third pair of royals who were falsely appointed?
Love the series so far but the origins weren’t quite clear.