Jennifer L. Armentrout
Author: Jennifer L. ArmentroutToday I am reviewing the Wicked Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout as a whole. My favourite book in the series was Torn (Book #2). My least favourite book was Wicked (Book #1).
Source: Kobo Store
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Rakuten Kobo|Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans. Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart. Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her. But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.-Goodreads
My favourite thing about any of Armentrout's work is her characters. I absolutely adore Ivy, Ren and especially Tink. I wish there was more page time with Tink because he is funny, weird and geeky.
The one thing that stood out throughout the series was Ivy's character development in each book. I could pinpoint how she grew and developed throughout each book. I also could relate to her trust issues (albeit I never had to deal with evil fae in my past). I liked how Armentrout handled Ivy's trauma in Brave. I felt Ivy's actions in Brave showed how traumatized she was from the events of Torn.
In regards to Ren, I felt so-so about in him in the first book. However, by book 3 I was shipping him and Ivy as a couple.
I hated the antagonists...which means they were well written.
My only complaint, in regards to characters, is that I felt the side-characters could have been fleshed out more. I felt the Order, itself, and their members could have been fleshed out more. I had a hard time connecting with David.
The first book was very character-focused and heavy on the romance. I found the amount of romance, that was presented in book 1, to be a bit of a turn-off. I felt, in book 1, the romance overshadowed the plot and the world-building. The plot, in Wicked, was a slow build-up for the end.
I enjoyed Wicked's ending and it made me want to read Torn right away. Torn was plot-driven and fast-paced. I could not put book 2 down and I finished it within 48 hours.
The third book, Brave, was more character-focused. It was a bit slower in pace than Torn. I felt the climax of the Wicked Trilogy was a bit of a let down. There were three questions that I had throughout this series that were never answered. I do not want to spoil the ending but book 3, as an end to a trilogy, was a bit of letdown.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and their journey throughout the series. However, I felt the side-characters, the order and the plot, in some places, could have been expanded on.
26 June 2020
Wicked Trilogy Review by Jennifer L. Armentrout
10 May 2020 Saskatchewan, Canada
From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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.
10 May 2020
From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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