From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

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.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) I knew I needed to read this book because it is literally almost a full 5 stars on both Goodreads and Amazon. There was a lot I liked!

1, The vampires. They’re not called vampires (some are vamprys) but all in all they are scary, they’re mysterious and they don’t make friends. I liked that!  They’re not sparkly and they’re not boyfriend worthy, phew! 

2. I also loved the characters. They are flawed and real and they make mistakes. 

3. The writing. Wow!  I will be picking up more Armentrout books because she had the ability to use words in a way that describes emotions and details perfectly. 

4. Snarky banter.  No explanation needed here, it’s just always great, right? 

Now to what I didn’t like.

1. It was very steamy!  Ok, I’d heard this was steamy but um, wow. It’s very steamy. Others will love it, it’s just not my favorite.  I prefer more adventure going on than sex. 

2. Poppy’s “big awakening” made me mad.  I did not want it to happen, too many things were changed because of it. Then after learning what happened next…(UGH).  I would have liked it more if her awakening was an experience, or a self-discovery that was a huge epiphany for her. Armentrout had given me the impression Poppy was learning more about herself and what she could do so when it changed pace a bit there, I was let down.

3. It was a slow start.  It picked up after a bit and I was hooked soon after.

All in all it was a great book. It’s full of great story lines that weave suspense and experience and strategy. The plot is unique and once again, her writing is phenomenal.

For the content and trigger warnings, the intimacy was very detailed. The blood is very detailed and gory. She does not shy away from painting a very descriptive picture. The language had casual swearing with less than 10 F words. For triggers; babies dying, attempted rape, physical aggression, whipping/torture, murder. 

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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