Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Blue Box Press

Page Count: 634

ISBN: 9781952457012

Goodreads Rating: 4.52

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. A Maiden… Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. A Duty… The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. A Kingdom… Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

I’ve read several books by Jennifer L. Armentrout over the years. And I loved all of them. But it had been a while since I last read one of her books. So when I read the book description of ‘From Blood and Ash’ I knew this was book I really needed to read. So I ordered the paperback on Amazon, because I really wanted to hold that pretty cover in my hands, and waited impatiently. And finally this beautiful book arrived, and I started reading immediately.

In ‘From Blood and Ash’ we meet Poppy. Poppy is the ‘chosen’ one and lives her life being guarded by soldiers and never being able to go places. She is forced to hide her face, she can’t talk to people outside her guards and maid and she isn’t allowed to talk about her ‘gift’. But this is a hard life for everyone, and especially for Poppy. So when Poppy meets Hawke she is immediately smitten by his handsome looks. And Hawke doesn’t treat her like she’s the chosen one. But the world they know is changing, and it’s hard to know who to trust.

Well.. where to start?! I’d loved Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing before, but now I absolutely adore it. I mean.. WOW!!! This book completely blew my mind and I couldn’t stop reading. There are 636 pages in this book, and I read it in only two days. And it is two days because I have a little girl to take care of, so I kind read all day.. otherwise I would have easily read this book in one sitting. It was just so good!

The world building in ‘From Blood and Ash’ is awesome. It’s a complete new world, with new ‘creatures’ and new rules. And from the moment I started reading I felt like I was a part of it. And I could easily follow the rules and … of this new world.

And then there are the main characters.. Poppy and Hawke. I loved them so much I can’t stop thinking about these two. First of all Poppy character.. She was such a strong and interesting character forced to this life she really didn’t want. And I was rooting for her from the start. I loved how good and curious she was about life, even though life was so hard for her. And then Hawke.. I don’t think I loved a character as much as I love him. I mean.. we’re talking major crush butterflies love! He was just so mysterious, and fun and he totally stood up for Poppy when no one did.

Besides the romance, this book keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat. There’s a lot of suspense and a lot of moments that made me say ‘Nooooo..’. There are also a lot of things unsolved, a lot of things that keep you wondering, and lots of things that makes you want to visit Mrs. Armentrout and beg her to finish the next book in the series. I can’t wait to read that one!

‘From Blood and Ash’ is definitely a book I recommend! It’s the perfect combination of paranormal romance and suspense and it’s definitely one of my all time favorite reads!

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# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. She also writes under the name J. Lynn. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel and her hyper Border Jack Apollo, and a slew of farm animals that include alpacas, goats, and sheep.

 

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I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Maureen Bakker

Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always!  Facebook | Instagram