Review – From Blood and Ash

Title:

From Blood and Ash

Series:

Blood and Ash #1

Author:

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre:

Fantasy

Blurb:

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.

Review

5stars rating
Worldbuilding:

Amazing worldbuilding! As this is the first of the series, quite a bit of information is coming our way. But it felt smooth and unhurried (well, it has 622 pages, so yeah). The scenes and environments were superbly written. Dive into the story and enjoy 😀

Character development:

Poppy was marked as a Maiden by the Gods when she was born. On her 19th birthday, she will be given to them for the betterment of the kingdom. Or, well, so they say… But Poppy wants different things. She wants to live, be free and do whatever she wants. But, alas, even the smallest things are forbidden to her, giving her a very lonely life indeed.
That all changes when horrible circumstances lead to her meeting Hawke, her new guard. He has a way of getting under her skin in the most infuriating ways (or so she tells herself). But, of course, she is rather good at bending (or rather, breaking) some of the rules imposed. Be aware she is not a damsel in distress!
The characters in this book feel so alive. I love it! We get insights into even the smallest side character’s hopes and dreams and why they do what they do.

Pacing & Flow:

Be prepared to lose a lot of hours reading this book! 😀 I Love how the story doesn’t let you go and keeps giving you little tidbits of info to keep you going. Great balance between all the conversations and the action.
I really felt the author wasn’t in a rush but just let the story unfold in its own time.

The book itself:

The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There was some sexual content (if that is important to you).
It has 622 pages, spread over 41 chapters and is told from Poppy’s point of view.

Final Thoughts:

I loved the book! It has such a rich world, the characters are really well written, and those unexpected twists and turns… who needs sleep? Another series to be marked as a favourite. I can’t wait to grab the next book!
Note for those who want to read the series: there is a companion series (Flesh and Fire) that should be read alongside this one. Needless to say, I’m hooked! 😀