Review

Let me start off by saying that this book was not that original. Whether it's the characters, plot, or love interest; everything just seemed like the same story with a new twist to it. 

And I still loved it.

From Blood and Ash was probably one of my most anticipated books of 2020. After countless full star reviews and beautiful bookstagram marketing, I was compelled to get this book for my Christmas Wishlist. And it delivered exactly the story I needed. I didn't go into this book wanting something otherworldly. No, I simply wanted to lose myself in a beloved plot that happened to include a dangerous but secretly sensitive love interest and a badass heroine that could cut your throat in an instant.

This book was a big one, topping the 600 page count. This already says a lot about the journey that From Blood and Ash delivers. We're often bombarded with world-building and information dumps but the foundation Jennifer creates helped me fully connect with the characters and story, keeping me transfixed until the real meat of the story started to rear its head.

The second and third quarter of this book was masterful. It was filled to the brim with mystery, banter, battles, and angst. You're slowly but surely taken on Poppy's journey as she starts to see her true purpose and takes a stand in her own way. While I saw the twist(s) coming, I did enjoy the way Jennifer chose to turn the story on its head. 

The characters felt familiar, easily engaging me and evoking a sense of protectiveness. I was especially fond of Vikter and Poppy. The latter took some time but I connected with her much better when she started showing some bite, fighting back in small ways that made me start seeing her differently. I'm excited to see how her character grows. I often find that writers tend to start diminishing a female character's bravado as she takes on more pain and loss. I really hope this isn't the case with Poppy because she has so much potential.

Overall, this book was just pure fun and adrenaline. I was a sucker for every steamy scene and fevered look shared between Poppy and Hawke and I'm not even ashamed of it. They're your quintessential fantasy romance couple and I still want to see them win and grow and conquer in the most epic of ways. The villain wasn't really explored in this book but enough seeds were planted to help peak my interest. I can already sense that something big is coming... and I can't wait.

Rating: 4 stars.

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, war, blood, gore, abuse, violence.

Description

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.