A Soul of ASH and Blood: A Blood and ASH Novel: 5

Product Information

I did enjoy revisiting FBAA, it reignited the love for these characters I started to feel let down by. We forget how swoon worthy the romance between Poppy and Cas was 🥺 To see Cas go through that angst was PERFECT 🤌 I fell in love with them and Cas again 😍 Casteel on Kieran’s feelings for Poppy: “I knew his face well enough to know when he looked upon someone he cared deeply about. Those fine, barely noticeable lines of tension around his mouth disappeared. Kieran softened. He’d done that when he looked at Elashya—whenever he spoke of her. He softened in almost the same way now when he looked upon Poppy.� Now, about all those hateful and rude comments… I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that 100%, but I also believe that there is a way to share one’s opinion while remaining civilized and respectful. AHH THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!!! There are some spoilers below, but I tried to avoid anything major. If you liked book 1 of this series, I think you will like this! It's so sweet. Yes, it's a retelling of book 1 from Casteel's POV, but there are a ton of new scenes in it too that are worth reading, in my opinion. Most of us [wolven] have fostered friendships that can’t break. So, we just…we just made room for you.”

I did enjoy book 1 and 2. Book two is my favorite in this series. However, the writing started going downhill from book 3. but seeing how every hateful readers ranted about chapter 44 on every social media, you probably already know about this mild spoiler)… I also distinctly remember in the second book, when Poppy awakes to find Kieran sleeping right behind her while she was cuddling Cas, she says that it was as if Cas was a magnet that drew them both. The hints were there, and the fact that they are now sharing the same anguish and pain with the temporary loss of Cas can very well explain why they grew closer to each other. Also, Poppy and Kieran developing a stronger and more intimate bond does not mean that she wants to replace Cas, or that she loves him less.

I would also have loved to have more of Delano and Netta. While I am happy that Kieran was more important, most of the book follows him, Poppy, and Cas, and we do not really know what is happening with the Atlantian army, with the other wolven, and with the drakens that stayed behind. I feel that Poppy did not have any time with them, or the generals, or the other “important” Atlantians, which would help her gain their trust and know better how to organize her army. Casteel’s arm curled, tightening around my shoulder, drawing me closer. My breath snagged as his movement triggered Kieran. He shifted behind me, and my pulse felt like a trapped bird. A sleek, muscled thigh slid between mine, pressing in. I had no idea if it was Casteel’s or Kieran’s.” Alright, the hate this book receives is getting out of hand. I get that a lot of people are very disappointed right now, because they didn't want certain things in this book to happen and they did (myself included). But frankly, some of y'all who rated this book 1 star without EVER reading this series are just pathetic. You only want to jump on the hate train and look woke infront of your friends. 🤡 These opinions are solely my own and can be subjective. I have not been compensated for any review or recommendations that I post ***

I had some problems with the writing as well, such as the fact that this book clearly was self-published because it desperately needs an editor. And a proofreader. And a layout designer. I’m surprised that for how popular of an author Jennifer L. Armentrout is that she didn’t put more work into having this story properly edited because it’s egregiously bad. SO bad, throughout the entire book no less. As an editor myself I was especially bothered by this because there were lots of minor issues—such as misused punctuation, unnecessary repetition, or incorrect word usage—that could easily have been fixed with even one pass by a proficient editor. I’m trying to not let that affect my rating or enjoyment of the story because the story itself was still really fun for me; there were just so many moments where blatant errors pulled me out of the story to the point that I was constantly turning to my husband on the couch and showing him the book and being all affronted like, “Can you believe no one caught this???” Don’t forget what he means to me, Poppy. I’ve known him my whole damn life,” he said. “We shared the same crib more times than not. We took our first steps together. Sat at the same table most nights, refusing to eat the same vegetables We explored tunnels and lakes, and pretended that fields were new, undiscovered kingdoms. We were inseparable. And that didn’t change as we grew older.” His voice roughened, and he dropped his forehead to mind. “He was and still is a part of me.” There were a few chapters set in the present, meaning right after the events of The War of Two Queens, and I was happy to know what happened to Ires, Millie, and Malik. It was also good that Cas and Malik finally got some time to sit and talk, they needed it so much because there were so many conflicted feelings and so much tension and unease between them in The War of Two Queens. Overall though, those chapters represent only about 15% of the book: 10% at the beginning, and 5% here and there in between Cas’ remembering the events from the first book. I shot him a glare. ”Would you like to help, or do you just want to stand there and watch me get yelled at by an old woman?” Alright, on to my review. I was pleasantly surprised that the writing was better than I was expecting. Was it fantastic? No, but it wasn't bad enough to the point where it drew me out of the story over and over. There were a few grammatical and syntactical errors that were a bit confusing, so the editing could have been a bit better, yes. I also wish that there had been a map (every fantasy needs a map; they look cool and are super helpful) and perhaps a glossary because there are A LOT of different people, events, groups, etc. etc. and that was difficult to keep straight in my head. I wish there was a little more world-building to make things a little clearer. The political intrigue was interesting.

Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa.

The first book only had a subtle hint, but it was there, regardless, proving JLA wrote this series with this relationship in mind from the start. Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most. If you think you are ready for From Blood and Ash, think again. Jennifer L. Armentrout has woven a new fantasy universe that will leave you reeling. Filled with action, heart wrenching twists and the most delicious romance, this unputdownable novel comes with a warning: keep a fan close by, because the temperatures are about to rise." Elena, The Bibliotheque Blo

I said earlier that while I would enjoy a throuple, I would also love it if Kieran found his special person or even heartmate. Am I the only one who was hoping for a hate-to-love relationship to develop between Kieran and Reaver? There is tension between them, and I’m not sure it’s 100% angry tension if you know what I mean. Apparently, the author already confirmed that it would not happen, but it would have been nice. I really like their snarky interactions and how Reaver just didn’t seem to give a shit about anything besides burning humans and annoying Kieran.Lastly, Kieran Contou is obviously just as delightful as Poppy and Casteel. I especially loved his presence in this book as he doesn't have much of it in the first one. Unsurprisingly, he is as wonderful as he has ever been. He is so supportive and understanding of Casteel, even though he doesn't agree with his crazy schemes and tries to advise him against them. He is also a calming force and an anchor, especially after Casteel's imprisonment. Later on, Casteel’s father says they should choose an advisor and Poppy says she already knows who she wants, referring to Kieran. But that wasn’t all you did,” Casteel said, reaching over and clasping a hand on [Kieran]’s shoulder. “You made sure we got here safely and kept watch. You did everything we needed and more. I owe you.”

I mentioned at the beginning that I’m not reading this series for the plot. I might not have understand half of what was happening here with all the name and place dumping, I still thought that the plot of TWOTQ was better and more interesting than in TCOGB. I was wary of Hawke from the beginning. That first scene at the start of the book when he put his hands on her without her permission completely rubbed me the wrong way. I was hoping that was a one-off, and for a large portion of the book I thought I was right and I hesitantly started to like Hawke, but I should have known to trust my gut. The readers are led to believe that Hawke thinks Poppy is someone else when they first meet and that is why he touched her, but we learn later on that he knew who she was the whole time, which makes him touching her like that all the worse. We see from the beginning that Hawke only cares about what he wants and not about what Poppy wants or what’s best for her.

Keep in Touch!

He is a good choice. For both of you.” There was a pause as he looked at his son, clearing his throat.” This book was great. I had heard so many good things about this book for so long so I finally decided to buy it and I'm so glad that I did. I reached over, clasping his shoulder. “We are not brothers of the same blood. We are not friends due to some bond,” I told him, and his gaze met mine. “We are not loyal to each other because of courtesy or tradition or title. We have always been above all that. And, in a lot of ways, we’re two halves of the same whole. Different than Poppy and me, but not that much different. You know that.” Do you know what I did first when I opened this book? I looked up the word “Joining” you can’t believe the disappointment I felt when I read through all the mentions and saw it happening in Chapter 44. I was crushed, but not surprised. Before starting, I skimmed through the joining scene and YOO’ WTF THE CONFUSION?! I looked like this