From Blood and Ash book review

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2020

Fantasy, romance

In this fantasy novel, Poppy is the Maiden, one of only two to have ever lived. Her position is incredibly important to her entire kingdom because, upon her nineteenth birthday, Poppy will ascend to the gods. Yet when she meets, Hawke, a handsome Royal Guard, the values and life Poppy has already questioned are thrown into disarray

I swear, since the new year, I have seen this book pop up on my feed over and over. And now I'm adding to the already numerous reviews of the book because I had a really great time reading From Blood and Ash. Even though my copy was over 600 pages, this was a quick read for me! Armentrout knows how to keep the plot moving quickly. I lived for the drama and plot twists.

One of the things I really love about From Blood and Ash is Poppy. Considering all the fantasy  elements of the novel, Poppy could have been unbelievable or too child-like due to the life she’s lived as the Maiden. Instead, her character is grounded and a fully-fleshed out part of her world. I enjoyed her first person narration and how she reacted to everything going on around her. Her development was subtle yet there; Poppy of page 500 is not Poppy of chapter 1.

The romantic lead of Hawke made for some great banter, easily one of the most important parts of any romance plot. Though I didn’t necessarily love his character, I understand the hype and look forward to where the series will go next.

What stopped this from being a 5 star read for me was Poppy’s interactions with some of the settings. Twice during the pivotal moments, I was confused about what exactly was going on. Though I suppose this can be attributed to Poppy’s perspective, as a reader, I would have loved a bit more clarity.

Rating 4/5: Anyone looking for a fun, steamy, action-packed fantasy set in a magical kingdom, From Blood and Ash is for you!