A review by michellemaas
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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

4.0

* Beware of minor spoilers

First read: 3 - ⭐⭐⭐
Second read: 3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫
Third read: 4 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The first installment in the Blood and Ash series. New Adult High Fantasy novel featuring the "enemies-to-lovers", "secret identity", "betrayal", "chosen one", "one horse", "knife to throat", "forbidden romance", "scars", and "nightmare" tropes.

I love this book and I love this series. It feels super slow and confusing on your first read, but from the second book onwards (and especially once you start rereading) it just keeps getting better and better.

“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.”

Poppy, the Maiden, was told that she had been chosen by the gods to serve and usher in a new era. In reality, she has been caged away for 18 years and stripped of the privileges most people take for granted. As the time for Poppy to take her place among the gods draws near and the unrest in Masodonia increases, the stakes become higher than ever and Poppy must decide what she wants for herself and the people she aims to protect.

 *1st Read*

From Blood and Ash is a good book, but it definitely suffers from what I call "first book syndrome".

“With my sword and with my life, I vow to keep you safe, Penellaphe,” he spoke, voice deep and smooth, reminding me of rich, decadent chocolate. “From this moment until the last moment, I am yours.”

A huge chunk of the book is dedicated to explaining the world, but it's paced very poorly so the first 6 chapters are so slow that you almost put the book down, and then the last few chapters are so fast that you finish the book confused. The actual world-building is so complicated though (and paced so poorly) that I didn't really understand it by the end but I will say that this all definitely gets better in books 2 and 3 so I would say it is worth suffering through the first few chapters for.

“You’re an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature.”
 
Now I'm going on to our main couple: Poppy and Hawke! Poppy and Hawke have so much chemistry from the get-go. Their relationship is one of my all-time favorites (taking books 2 and 3 into account as well) and I would say this book gave the perfect introduction to their relationship which still has a lot of evolving to do.

“But you know how easy it is to be yourself when you wear a mask.” His voice was low as his gaze held mine. “How anything you want becomes achievable when you can pretend that no one knows who you are.”

The SMUT is also pretty good (since I know some of you were wondering). The amount of SMUT in this book was actually at a perfect level for me where it wasn't the only thing the book was about (there was one hell of a plot you had to focus on, after all) but it was also more than enough to satiate the need for it.

 “You’re such a bad influence,” I murmured as I placed my hand in his. Hawke curled his fingers around mine. The weight and warmth of his hand was a pleasant shock. “Only the bad can be influenced, Princess.”

As I'm sure you heard by now, there's a huge plot twist in the end. It was pretty obvious but the plot twist has so many facets to it (and since most readers don't understand the world until book 2 anyway) you won't be able to guess it all so again I suggest you just get through it. I realize that this review might come off as having a negative undertone, but it actually really is a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed, it's just the pacing that really ruined it.

*2nd Read*

Sigh. She's a long book but I'll be damned if it's not of the best books I've ever read. The exposition isn't as long anymore. There's always something to look forward to. The twist is beautiful. Hawke and Poppy's relationship is everything and beautifully developed yet a complicated slow burn. What I have for this book can only be described as true true love.

*3rd Read*

I stand by what I said in my original review, but when you understand the world it is such beautiful to just sit back and appreciate. Armentrout clearly put a lot of thought and imagination into creating this world and despite being on my 2nd reread, I'm not bored because every time I discover new things I didn't notice before, especially with each new book that comes out. I originally gave it 3 stars since I enjoyed it but the pacing was off, but understanding the world made all the difference to me and I just had to bump it up to 4 stats. 

“I haven’t forgotten. I won’t ever prevent you from lifting a sword to protect your life or those you care about,” he said. “But I won’t let you shove that sword through your own heart to prove a point.” 

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy romance. It features so many fun and iconic tropes but also deals with serious issues such as abuse. Furthermore, if you read this and liked it I would also recommend the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy if you enjoyed the plot and worldbuilding or the Kingmaker Chronicles by Amanda Bouchet if you enjoyed the characters and Poppy and Hawke's relationship.
 
* Please note that this is a New Adult novel, therefore not suitable for minors or sensitive readers. Check the trigger warnings on the author's website before reading. Your enjoyment is not worth risking your mental health for! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings