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A review by theespressoedition
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
When I give a book a three-star rating, it means that the book was average. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. That's exactly how I felt about FBAA. It was a perfectly average fantasy.
The intro hooked me instantly and I was really intrigued by Poppy and her brazen disregard for the rules surrounding "who she was." The fact that the story introduced some serious sexual content pretty much right off the bat reminded me that this was certainly not YA and it's also most likely why there are so many fans. I think the sex sold this book, if I'm being quite frank.
There was a relatively decent plot, but nothing I haven't read before in a fantasy book. The characters irked me from start to finish (but especially towards the end). Their hot-and-cold "chemistry" made me angry more than anything else. It didn't make me feel invested in them. It didn't even feel like a "good" enemies-to-lovers trope (I use this label with quotes because I actually hate enemies-to-lovers, so what really constitutes as good??? I don't know, but this wasn't it).
By the end, I had lost the enthusiasm I had at the beginning and there wasn't a strong desire to put the sequel on my TBR. We'll see if I decide to finish out this series in the future.
The intro hooked me instantly and I was really intrigued by Poppy and her brazen disregard for the rules surrounding "who she was." The fact that the story introduced some serious sexual content pretty much right off the bat reminded me that this was certainly not YA and it's also most likely why there are so many fans. I think the sex sold this book, if I'm being quite frank.
There was a relatively decent plot, but nothing I haven't read before in a fantasy book. The characters irked me from start to finish (but especially towards the end). Their hot-and-cold "chemistry" made me angry more than anything else. It didn't make me feel invested in them. It didn't even feel like a "good" enemies-to-lovers trope (I use this label with quotes because I actually hate enemies-to-lovers, so what really constitutes as good??? I don't know, but this wasn't it).
By the end, I had lost the enthusiasm I had at the beginning and there wasn't a strong desire to put the sequel on my TBR. We'll see if I decide to finish out this series in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment