We have already talked about authors such as Sarah J Maas with her breathtaking A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series, now it’s time to talk about another wildly popular epic fantasy series “Blood and Ash” by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Whether you are new to the young adult fantasy world or a veteran reader this series has something to touch everyone’s heart.
Are you ready to dive into this friends to enemies to lovers series, filled with vampires, werewolves, evil kings and queens, and many secrets?! If yes let’s briefly discuss what you have yet to discover and experience (get ready for your heart to be broken thousands of times):
From Blood and Ash
Penelaphe (Poppy) Balfour has been chosen from birth to usher the Ascended and raised to serve the great destiny of the gods, to be the maid everyone expects her to be, however, she has never truly accepted her fate. She has never really owned her life, she is never to be touched or seen and not allowed to feel anything that is considered against the gods’ will. Every move she makes is guarded by her guards Vikter and Rylan. Soon she will turn 19 and will leave for the capital of the Kingdom of Solis for her Ascension to protect the kingdom from curses carried by those who are not found worthy by the gods. Despite her fate decided for her, she fights a hidden war by training with her guard and best friend Vikter, visiting places she is forbidden to visit, and reading books that can summon the feeling she is forbidden to have (I want to point out here Mis Willa’s diary, which will be particularly important in the next books).
However, as much as everyone in Solis is looking forward to her Ascension, the previously strong kingdom of Atlantia is against this. Nobody knows why Atlantia interrupts the Ascension. Nobody knows what this Ascension really is. Nobody knows what happened to Poppy’s parents. Nobody knows what is this magic power that is growing inside her. Too many secrets surround every part of her life. The first book unveils some of those secrets.
The best part of the first book: we meet Hawke Flynn! The new guard from Carsodonia (the capital of Solis) with glowing accolades to replace Rylan. He fastly warms his way toward Poppy and becomes one of the few people she trusts.
“You’re important to me, Poppy. Not because you’re the Maiden, but because you’re… you.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout
On one of the days of the riot, when people have to hand in their third sons and daughters to serve the Ascended, the Dark One, the king of Atlantia, the king of Blood and Ash, appears with his followers.
That day many died. Masadonia is believed not to be a safe place for Poppy anymore and she is forced to leave for Carsodonia earlier than expected. She is accompanied by Hawke and other guards. Whatever happens on their way changes Poppy’s life forever. Everything that holds her world together begins to slowly crumble.
“Promise me you won’t forget this, Poppy. That no matter what happens tomorrow, the next day, next week, you won’t forget this, forget that this was real”.
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
I want to avoid major spoilers here, but I still want to briefly discuss the second book in the series. We meet the new characters here, Casteel Da’Neer and Kieran Contou!
Poppy will finally learn the truth about many things, mainly what the crown and her beloved and trusted queen of Solis stand for. Whatever seemed right becomes blurred. That thread that holds her world disappears and she has to decide her fate, who she believes and for the first time, she is faced to make a choice she has never had before. She is driven by violence and vengeance, but she is also tangled with desire and need for the only person she trusted and has betrayed that trust.
“Let’s make a deal that we don’t borrow tomorrow’s problems today.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout
We will see a lot of blood here, a lot of fighting, and our favorite trope of enemies slowly turning into lovers. The nicknames and a bunch of inappropriate things are about to unroll. We will fall in love with the new characters, oh and if you have heard the honeydew joke before, you will learn what it means here! Do not forget about Miss Willa’s diary.
The Crown of Gilded Bones
The third book of Blood and Ash series is full of surprises and another handful of secrets will be unveiled. Poppy finally learns about the evil that took her family and who stood behind it. We will finally travel to Atlantia and the characters will finally have a shower!!! (literally a shower, not a bath). Get ready to meet the new queen of Atlantia, who will usher in a new era of the kingdom of Atlantia.
“You will bow before your Queen. Or you will bleed before her. It is your choice.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Oh, and do not forget the well known Miss Willa!
Poppy will be learning more and more about herself and her past. Who she is and what is her destiny. However, the truth carries a lot of responsibilities and is not always the one she was waiting for. Again, she has to make life-changing decisions and finally face the Queen of Solis, who will tell her even more truth and take the only precious thing Poppy has gained.
The War of Two Queens
It is hard to talk about this book and avoid spoilers, but get ready for even more blood, an even stronger poppy, and surprise surprise THE WAR. Who are the two Queens and what is the war standing for? You have still to find. My heart jumped so many times, I lost count. However, a bigger surprise is that it is not the last book in the series! Whatever it ends with, do not worry we are getting new ya fantasy books in 2023 and the next book of this series will be released in July!
The even bigger surprise, we’re also gonna get a book 6!
Therefore, dear reader, fasten your seatbelt and get ready to immerse yourself in a breathtaking realm of Blood and Ash series. And if you are worried that it will be hard for you to wait for book 6 in the series, Jennifer L. Armentrout has another A Flesh and Fire series, that can fill in that void of waiting.
