Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.
Synopsis: 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 invites 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 a,so her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together beckons to unravel.
Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.
Review: Jennifer L Armentrout has a way of making me fall in love with every single book and every single character she has ever written. I don’t know why it took me so long to read her works, but I’m very glad that I’ve discovered her, because she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. As you can probably tell from how I’m starting off this review, From Blood and Ash is no exception to this.
I fell in love with Poppy from the start. I feel like I understand her. This girl who is completely unrelatable from her circumstances is somehow, the most relatable character in the entire book. You feel for her. You empathize with her. And for me, she reminded me a lot of myself…but like, a cooler, more badass version.
I also loved Hawke from the first time we were introduced to him. He captured my heart and I immediately added him to my ever-growing list of “book boyfriends.” I think that JLA wrote him exceptionally well, from his fierce protectiveness, to his snarky wit, I was in love.
I loved the vampires in this novel as well. They were really unique. We actually got several different types of paranormal creatures in this book: vampires, werewolves, and vampire/zombie hybrids. Most of the info on these creatures was shrouded in mystery until the very end of the book, but it kept me intrigued the whole time. Even though there were so many paranormal elements to this book, it never lost its High Fantasy feel. Definitely a win for me!
The only relative downside was that I called the twist at the end of this book, which seems to happen a lot for me with JLA, but I’m never mad about it. The twist is always what I want it to be, so I get very excited when I’m right.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was exceptionally well written, and the plot was stellar. My review on book two will be out tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled!
What did you think of From Blood and Ash?
All Booked Up At The Moment 