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A review by nikitanavalkar
The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Buckle up, folx. This is going to be a mini dissertation. Officially my longest review ever. I just needed to get it all out without yelling at people on the internet to be better
~BIG SPOILER WARNING~
All the drama and the uproar surrounding this book had me so anxious and just frustrated with the bookish community that it took me a long time to be able to pick up the book. And when I finally did, I spent the whole book apprehensive that something terrible would happen that would ruin this world for me? And bad things did happen, of course, it’s a war book. But absolutely nothing that would make me hate it or the characters I’ve come to love so much. It was almost anticlimactic. So idk what everyone’s so mad about. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all perfect, and I’ll get to that.
But first, let’s deal with the draken in the room. Or wolven? Anyway it’s about to get spoilery in here so be prepared. I tried to avoid reviews and spoilers to the best of my ability, but let’s face it, people’s reactions were clear hints being dropped left and right (I wish I’d read an arc so I could’ve gone in completely blind). Let’s face it, the thing that had most of the internet up in its feels was the dreaded/anticipated Joining, and everyone had strong feelings about it either way. Consequently, at least half the people were going to come out of this mad, but they came out hopping mad. I was somewhere in the middle, sort of pro joining but would not mind if it didn’t happen. And I ended up with some pretty darned mixed feelings about what did happen.
I just want to say this though. Poppy is a girl raised within an abhorrently strict purity culture with no agency of her body, and who was told all her life she was not conventionally attractive, and who soon after getting out of that situation at 18, was about to come into more power and responsibility than most people can imagine shouldering in a lifetime. Amidst all this furor about the joining and the sexual nature of it, we must ask ourselves why, as a collective, we are so enraged by this girl discovering and exploring, and subsequently owning her sexuality, however unconventionally it might be. We must ask ourselves why we find it so offensive for her and two other consenting adults (males she trusts most in the world, to boot), to engage in something so natural, even when we’ve been teased, and therefore prepared for it for almost 4 books now? This sounds like a we problem. It’s okay not to like where the story is headed, but it’s definitely not okay to vilify her for her choices. Poppy is more than her sex life, as this book proves over and over again. Poppy is a motherfucking Queen and no amorous escapades will ever change that. In fact, they add to her bad Bitch energy. Go get yours, Popstar!
Coming back to my feelings about it. Firstly, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of ménage in books, so bring them on. Especially when all these super powerful immortal beings not experimenting sexually is about as believable as me reading non fiction only from now on. But also, I was torn. On the one hand, I firmly believe in every word I said above and am rooting for all the female sexual empowerment. On the other, Poppy and Cas have been established as such a there’s-only-you-for-me couple for the ages, that it was hard to even entertain the idea of a third in their equation. Yes, even Kieran, even for a single time. Even when we’ve been warned so many times now (if you think we haven’t, we weren’t reading the same series). So when we start getting a sort of platonic build up for things to come with K and P, it was actually super cute for the most part, but my heart recoiled just a little anyway.
By the time we get to The Joining, it’s a prolonged slow burn, and it’s actually pretty well done. Even the descriptions are less…earthy (?) for the reader’ comfort I presume. Which is why the fan service accusations are utter bullshit. Pro joining fans were not going to cast stones at the author if she didn’t go there 🙄 She tried to gently introduce the threesome, but she might as well have gone balls to the wall for all the undeserved hate she got. To me it wasn’t even hot per se (except C and P together are just always hot) but more comfortable like a couple inviting their long time friend as a third for ritualistic reasons and funsies? Idk at least that’s what I got. But then it looks like this might go beyond a one or few time thing eventually? Which I would also encourage typically but I’m not all the way sold in this case yet. It’s not confirmed, but it’s hinted, and at later points, Kieran does just come off as a slightly annoying third wheel in this epic romance. Which is a bit sad, and which could change of course. And then he becomes a liability, so I wasn’t the biggest fan of his by the end of this book.
Heck, Poppy and Delano’s bond feels more powerful because it feels pure and warm fuzzy as opposed to whatever is happening between the other two. But I don’t hate it. Like, so many male Gods in various mythologies can have multiple wives, why can’t Poppy have two consorts? I know, because Casteel is everything. Oh how glorious it is to see a man so in love, so devoted to his mate, and so secure in their relationship that he would not even blink an eye when presented with this situation, but encourage his Queen to take everything she wants and deserves. I will die simping on the hill of Poppy Cas, regardless of where this goes with Kieran. As I said, there’s two people inside me, the naive romantic and the fierce advocate of poly relationships for those who want them. It would even make sense with Poppy’s primal status. So do I want Poppy to live her best ho life? Yes. But do I want her to be in a long term relationship with anyone other than Cas? As of now, not particularly.
Which brings me to the fact that this book solidified my love for Casteel Hawkethrone Da’Neer and that I would die for him. That is all. I squealed every time his thoughts and actions went all swoon city for Poppy. My soul hurt when he was apart from her and still being positively dreamy. My face every time Cas has a thought or says a word —> 🥹🥹🥹 It was all worth it for his POV alone. The joining anxiety situation was not helped by the fact that I felt like I was just waiting for Cas and the reunion for a lot of the book. That made the book feel longer. Although thank the gods and Jen for the Cas pov, brutal as it was. The book also felt long because it got a bit confusing with all the info we get and the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire worlds colliding. Or maybe because I’m in a bit of a slump.
Thanks to all the controversy, no one seems to be talking about some key things I was so impressed by in the book. Or maybe they are, I just didn’t read reviews.
First, Reaver: Reaver butt is a savage and his zero fucks given attitude is a gift that keeps on giving. I will say that he and Kieran have way more chemistry than Poppy and K do though.
Then, Malik: What a superbly nuanced character, and a great example of how everyone deals with trauma in their own way, and how good and bad is all relative when you’re trying to protect the ones you love. I have high hopes for his future arc.
Lastly, Isbeth- who’d have thought she’d turn out to be this mad, complex villain with a sense of humor? Not me. I mean I still wanted her to experience the most painful unaliving possible, but there was so much more to her madness. And another instance of how love or your idea of it can warp you beyond repair.
Overall this installment is violent and brutal in its description of war and related atrocities, and our protagonists give proper weight to the consequences of the destruction they will surely leave in their wake. The ending is expansive and epic and horrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the twist in the prophecy at the end even as I was yelling at them for playing right into the hands of the baddies, but then when has that not happened in fantasy. The climactic battle was my favorite part of the book. I’m excited for the two worlds to finally merge in the next B&A installment if I’m not wrong in my assumption. This could’ve possibly rated even higher (or lower) if I hadn’t been a mess of overthinking and anxiety (like I said, a me problem) and if I hadn’t had some conflicting emotions about the central romance, but we shall see what I feel if and when I eventually reread it. I remain obsessed with this world, always and forever.
~BIG SPOILER WARNING~
All the drama and the uproar surrounding this book had me so anxious and just frustrated with the bookish community that it took me a long time to be able to pick up the book. And when I finally did, I spent the whole book apprehensive that something terrible would happen that would ruin this world for me? And bad things did happen, of course, it’s a war book. But absolutely nothing that would make me hate it or the characters I’ve come to love so much. It was almost anticlimactic. So idk what everyone’s so mad about. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all perfect, and I’ll get to that.
I just want to say this though. Poppy is a girl raised within an abhorrently strict purity culture with no agency of her body, and who was told all her life she was not conventionally attractive, and who soon after getting out of that situation at 18, was about to come into more power and responsibility than most people can imagine shouldering in a lifetime. Amidst all this furor about the joining and the sexual nature of it, we must ask ourselves why, as a collective, we are so enraged by this girl discovering and exploring, and subsequently owning her sexuality, however unconventionally it might be. We must ask ourselves why we find it so offensive for her and two other consenting adults (males she trusts most in the world, to boot), to engage in something so natural, even when we’ve been teased, and therefore prepared for it for almost 4 books now? This sounds like a we problem. It’s okay not to like where the story is headed, but it’s definitely not okay to vilify her for her choices. Poppy is more than her sex life, as this book proves over and over again. Poppy is a motherfucking Queen and no amorous escapades will ever change that. In fact, they add to her bad Bitch energy. Go get yours, Popstar!
Coming back to my feelings about it. Firstly, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of ménage in books, so bring them on. Especially when all these super powerful immortal beings not experimenting sexually is about as believable as me reading non fiction only from now on. But also, I was torn. On the one hand, I firmly believe in every word I said above and am rooting for all the female sexual empowerment. On the other, Poppy and Cas have been established as such a there’s-only-you-for-me couple for the ages, that it was hard to even entertain the idea of a third in their equation. Yes, even Kieran, even for a single time. Even when we’ve been warned so many times now (if you think we haven’t, we weren’t reading the same series). So when we start getting a sort of platonic build up for things to come with K and P, it was actually super cute for the most part, but my heart recoiled just a little anyway.
By the time we get to The Joining, it’s a prolonged slow burn, and it’s actually pretty well done. Even the descriptions are less…earthy (?) for the reader’ comfort I presume. Which is why the fan service accusations are utter bullshit. Pro joining fans were not going to cast stones at the author if she didn’t go there 🙄 She tried to gently introduce the threesome, but she might as well have gone balls to the wall for all the undeserved hate she got. To me it wasn’t even hot per se (except C and P together are just always hot) but more comfortable like a couple inviting their long time friend as a third for ritualistic reasons and funsies? Idk at least that’s what I got. But then it looks like this might go beyond a one or few time thing eventually? Which I would also encourage typically but I’m not all the way sold in this case yet. It’s not confirmed, but it’s hinted, and at later points, Kieran does just come off as a slightly annoying third wheel in this epic romance. Which is a bit sad, and which could change of course. And then he becomes a liability, so I wasn’t the biggest fan of his by the end of this book.
Heck, Poppy and Delano’s bond feels more powerful because it feels pure and warm fuzzy as opposed to whatever is happening between the other two. But I don’t hate it. Like, so many male Gods in various mythologies can have multiple wives, why can’t Poppy have two consorts? I know, because Casteel is everything. Oh how glorious it is to see a man so in love, so devoted to his mate, and so secure in their relationship that he would not even blink an eye when presented with this situation, but encourage his Queen to take everything she wants and deserves. I will die simping on the hill of Poppy Cas, regardless of where this goes with Kieran. As I said, there’s two people inside me, the naive romantic and the fierce advocate of poly relationships for those who want them. It would even make sense with Poppy’s primal status. So do I want Poppy to live her best ho life? Yes. But do I want her to be in a long term relationship with anyone other than Cas? As of now, not particularly.
Which brings me to the fact that this book solidified my love for Casteel Hawkethrone Da’Neer and that I would die for him. That is all. I squealed every time his thoughts and actions went all swoon city for Poppy. My soul hurt when he was apart from her and still being positively dreamy. My face every time Cas has a thought or says a word —> 🥹🥹🥹 It was all worth it for his POV alone. The joining anxiety situation was not helped by the fact that I felt like I was just waiting for Cas and the reunion for a lot of the book. That made the book feel longer. Although thank the gods and Jen for the Cas pov, brutal as it was. The book also felt long because it got a bit confusing with all the info we get and the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire worlds colliding. Or maybe because I’m in a bit of a slump.
Thanks to all the controversy, no one seems to be talking about some key things I was so impressed by in the book. Or maybe they are, I just didn’t read reviews.
First, Reaver: Reaver butt is a savage and his zero fucks given attitude is a gift that keeps on giving. I will say that he and Kieran have way more chemistry than Poppy and K do though.
Then, Malik: What a superbly nuanced character, and a great example of how everyone deals with trauma in their own way, and how good and bad is all relative when you’re trying to protect the ones you love. I have high hopes for his future arc.
Lastly, Isbeth- who’d have thought she’d turn out to be this mad, complex villain with a sense of humor? Not me. I mean I still wanted her to experience the most painful unaliving possible, but there was so much more to her madness. And another instance of how love or your idea of it can warp you beyond repair.
Overall this installment is violent and brutal in its description of war and related atrocities, and our protagonists give proper weight to the consequences of the destruction they will surely leave in their wake. The ending is expansive and epic and horrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the twist in the prophecy at the end even as I was yelling at them for playing right into the hands of the baddies, but then when has that not happened in fantasy. The climactic battle was my favorite part of the book. I’m excited for the two worlds to finally merge in the next B&A installment if I’m not wrong in my assumption. This could’ve possibly rated even higher (or lower) if I hadn’t been a mess of overthinking and anxiety (like I said, a me problem) and if I hadn’t had some conflicting emotions about the central romance, but we shall see what I feel if and when I eventually reread it. I remain obsessed with this world, always and forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War, and Child death