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A review by rubeusbeaky
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5.0
This was a phenomenally written book, up until the last 50 pages. Naughty? Absolutely. But done with finesse, and with respect for all the stages of young/new/forbidden romance. For a YA vampire romance, I was impressed by the healthy sexual habits modeled: Ask for consent, ask about protection, admit your boundaries... As far as the plot was concerned, I found all the "twists" INSANELY obvious; the fact that Poppy missed the reality in front of her face is ASTOUNDING! But maybe that's the point, maybe it's not supposed to be a big reveal, and maybe the book is merely highlighting Poppy's naivety/cloistered lifestyle.
But in the last 50 pages, the book drops all that good writing. So much so that I almost knocked off a star. Casteel has all the answers, but he taunts Poppy, making her feel foolish for liking him/sympathizing with him, and making her pay the price for the abuses inflicted on him and his people. He knows her better than that by now. What's more, he blames her for /his/ behavior, claiming he can't control himself around her. Big old red flag, and the biggest problem with most YA vampire romances. It is not a girl's fault if she makes you horny, dude, and it's not her job to keep you in check, vampire or not. All of the respect goes right out the window. I get that he is manipulative, and has played many parts, including feigning respect to get people to oblige him. But he has been with Poppy long enough to know she is not his enemy, was naive of the atrocities her government was committing, and might even HELP him if he apologized for mowing down innocent and guilty alike in his quest for vengeance (if not out of genuine remorse than out of respect for HER suffering)! But no, his arrogance ratchets, and he humiliates and terrorizes her no differently than The Duke had. I don't know how we're supposed to invest in an enemies-to-lovers romance between these two when he is so atrocious and controlling.
I hope Casteel turns around in the next book, because his selfishness could sink this series. Poppy is brilliant, and my heart goes out to every teen who has had their dreams crushed by their first "love".
But in the last 50 pages, the book drops all that good writing. So much so that I almost knocked off a star. Casteel has all the answers, but he taunts Poppy, making her feel foolish for liking him/sympathizing with him, and making her pay the price for the abuses inflicted on him and his people. He knows her better than that by now. What's more, he blames her for /his/ behavior, claiming he can't control himself around her. Big old red flag, and the biggest problem with most YA vampire romances. It is not a girl's fault if she makes you horny, dude, and it's not her job to keep you in check, vampire or not. All of the respect goes right out the window. I get that he is manipulative, and has played many parts, including feigning respect to get people to oblige him. But he has been with Poppy long enough to know she is not his enemy, was naive of the atrocities her government was committing, and might even HELP him if he apologized for mowing down innocent and guilty alike in his quest for vengeance (if not out of genuine remorse than out of respect for HER suffering)! But no, his arrogance ratchets, and he humiliates and terrorizes her no differently than The Duke had. I don't know how we're supposed to invest in an enemies-to-lovers romance between these two when he is so atrocious and controlling.
I hope Casteel turns around in the next book, because his selfishness could sink this series. Poppy is brilliant, and my heart goes out to every teen who has had their dreams crushed by their first "love".