Author:Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher:Blue Box Press
Pages:634
Source:Kobo
Buy:Amazon|Indigo Canada
Rating:4/5
"Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. A 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." -Image/Bio: Goodreads
I need book 2!!! This book...the feels...gaaahhh!! Sorry, I just loved this book so much!! Where do I start?
I think my favourite aspects of From Blood and Ash were the characters and the plot!! The ending leaves off on a cliffhanger. It also leaves readers with new and unanswered questions. I read Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout last year. In that book, I loved the characters' interactions. I feel the same way in From Blood and Ash. I loved Hawke's and Poppy's interactions. I also loved Vikter's and Poppy's interactions. I hated the people Poppy hated, and I adored the people Poppy adored. Armentrout does a fantastic job of getting readers invested in her characters' lives.
Poppy is a kick-ass heroine who has a caring, curious and determines personality. She doesn't think twice about saving others at her own expense. The first book is about her exploration of figuring out what she does and does not want in life.
Hawke knows who and what he represents. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and contradict what others believe. He is good at reading and judging others' characters. Hawke is also a bad-ass guard who doesn't like to follow the rules when it comes to Poppy. *cough* Forbidden Romance.
My favourite scenes in From Blood and Ash are when Poppy and Hawke are interacting.
I also really enjoyed the side characters: Tawny, Vikter and the ones that show up later in the book.
The plot!! Where do I start? I guessed correctly on some of the plot twists. I did not predict what ended up happening on the last page. Armentrout does an amazing job of pacing out the plot. I resonated (felt the emotional impact) with the ups and downs due to the plot being smoothly carried out by the author. The romance also developed at a reasonable pace in the book. I did not find this book slow. It was a story that I kept thinking about even when I was not reading the book.
The paranormal!! Is it just me, or are paranormal books finally making a comeback?! Let me clarify that a little more, are vampires making a comeback? Because all I can say is: YES!!!
I thought the lore and history of this world was well thought out!!
My only critique is that I wish the world was better described. I felt there could have been more descriptions of places in certain areas of the novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed From Blood and Ash and I cannot wait until the sequel is released.
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