A review by jessicastaylor
A Fire in the Flesh by Jennifer L. Armentrout

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
A reminder to please, please check your trigger warnings. This one is a bit darker than the previous books in the series, and please keep in mind where Sera was at at the end of book 2. 
 
I am in this world now for better or worse, until the very end! This book was (IMO) a little overshadowed by other release news from Jen, but it is a really important book in the series, especially if you’re planning to read the Blood & Ash and Flesh & Fire series together. 
 
We’ve gotten hints here and there of how the stories will eventually connect and collide, but oh buddy, those were nothing compared to the details in this one! 
 
I wish there was more Nyktos and Sera together-ness, but I know it didn’t make sense for the story at this moment. 
 
I’ve talked about Sera’s anxiety before in my reviews of book 1 and 2, but I really just am so, so impressed with how Jen wrote her. It’s accurate, it’s raw, and though it is a defining part of her character, it doesn’t define her. Sera is a badass because of her anxiety, not in spite of it, and I just love that. 
 
The spice was delightful, Nyktos was delightful, it was a ll delightful. The world building was tiers above what we got in the early FBAA books, and it really just nailed down things so much better and made it all clearer. 
 
I can’t wait for the next one! 
 
I highly recommend reading these in JLA’s recommended/publishing order, which is: 
  • From Blood and Ash (B&A 1)
  • A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (B&A 2)
  • The Crown of Gilded Bones (B&A 3)
  • A Shadow in the Ember (F&F 1)
  • The War of Two Queens (B&A 4)
  • A Light in the Flame (F&F 2)
  • A Soul of Ash and Blood (B&A 5*)
  • A Fire in the Flesh (F&F 3)


 
If you haven’t read A Soul of Ash and Blood, it is book 5 in the Blood & Ash series, however, the majority of the book are flashbacks to FBAA from Cas’s POV. That said, it’s still important to be read for those moments between the flashbacks that really set up AFITF and what’s coming next.