Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished my re-read of From Blood and Ash as we get ready for the release of The War of Two Queens and realized I never posted a review. I listened to the audiobook this time around and thought Stina Nielson did a great job with the characters. There were some minor mistakes in the audiobook where the narrator misspoke, but it really didn't detract from the storyline. You would have only noticed if you were reading along with the book or had read it previously in print. I went on to listen to A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and there weren't any noticeable mistakes in the audiobook. I'm about 20% into The ​Crown of Gilded Bones and she's done a great job maintaining consistency with the voices of the characters throughout the series.

This book has been out for quite a while and has become pretty popular. I read it initially right after it was released in 2020 before all the hype. I love the series, but I can see why some people do not. It is trope heavy and parts of it are predictable. There are other parts that are unique and interesting. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorite authors, so it is no surprise that I loved this.

The synopsis lays out the plot pretty well so I won't really go into that too much. Poppy is "The Chosen One", though she isn't really sure why. She's lived a pretty sheltered life, but she finds ways to rebel against the rules set for her. Poppy is terrified of the future that has been chosen for her and she isn't quite sure that she wants what is in store for her. As the book progresses we see that Poppy is so much more than the demure Maiden that she is supposed to be. Hawke is her personal guard, but it quickly becomes clear that he's not fully bought into Poppy as "The Maiden" either.

If you are a traditional fantasy lover, this may not be to your liking. The world building is ok, but we don't get the detailed descriptions you might expect in a high fantasy series. It is more atmospheric and character driven. The magic system isn't fully explained yet (we learn more in the later books). If you've read some of Jen's other PNR books you will know that she often sets up things to be learned later on in the series. This is going to be 5 or 6 books in total so I expect things to be revealed as we go much like they did with the Lux series. While it is set in a fantasy world with fantasy elements, it has more of the feeling of a paranormal romance or urban fantasy. Many of the tropes you expect to find in a PNR are present here. The romance element is front and center with the fantasy parts taking a secondary role. I like both high fantasy and PNR, so you get no complaint from me on that front. The characters speak in modern terms which didn't bother me, but I know that can irritate some readers. Parts of this world have electricity and running water while other parts rely on lanterns and candle for light and pitchers of water for washing. It walks the line of traditional high fantasy and urban fantasy. That will not be to everyone's taste.

As I said the romance is what really shines here. JLA is really good at writing intimate scenes at the YA, NA, and adult level. This book gives you a taste of what is to come in the later books and while Poppy and Hawke get a little steamy here, the books only get more steamy going forward. I do feel there are several situations that had questionable consent between Hawke and Poppy, and that continues through the 2nd book. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way as I've seen it mentioned several times in the more negative reviews. I don't think I noticed on the first read, but I definitely notice the 2nd time. The author tried to clear it up with Poppy's inner monologues and what was supposed to be witty banter between the main characters, but I feel clear consent is really important in books as is use of protection. They do discuss birth control as protection isn't really an issue as far as disease is concerned between the two of them. That being said the banter between the characters is excellent! I was laughing out loud constantly while listening to this.

Overall, this is the start to a fun fantasy romance series. I really enjoyed it. It is easy to read, has great banter, and I thought the pacing was good. This does end with a cliffhanger, so be prepared. If you've read Jen's other books you should expect that, but if you are new to her books you've been warned. I'm anxiously awaiting the remaining books in the series to find out what happens.

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