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.
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After pulling an all-nighter, this book is just completely out of left field from this author but I absolutely CANNOT wait to read the next installment. Poppy and Hawke are quickly becoming my new favorite people and after some sleep I’m totally reading this again!
There’s a reason JLA is my #1 author. And this book is proof. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this book is has so many layers, plots and subplots. One quickly gets immersed in the story and it keeps a hold on you until the last page.
I love badass heroines, and no one creates them better than JLA. Poppy is full of surprises and she doesn’t quite fit the mold that was setup for her.
And our hero, Hawke, ah Hawke. He’s so complex, real, and alive, you can’t help but fall for him.
I don’t want to give away anything. So the rest of this review will be made of my reactions to this book:
YES! A new JLA book.
OMG, it’s fantasy.
Oh, clever.
No, no, don’t do it.
You gonna get caught.
Holy crap!
Oh yes, this is getting good now.
Awwww, I love him.
WOW!
O.M.G.
GAHHHHHHHH.
$%#*&%#@*&%$#
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!
Blarghhhhhhhhh
Oh, my heart
Fans of Sarah J. Maas, look out – there’s a new sheriff in town.
Jennifer L. Armentrout’s work of more than 50 books has spanned all genres save one – high fantasy. This is a wrong that has finally been righted with FROM BLOOD AND ASH. Jen has written many books with fantastical elements in them. But, they’ve all taken place here. On our Earth as we know it. Jen has now created a completely new world in the Kingdom of Solis, and she paints a vivid picture of medieval style castles, old style European taverns and a hierarchical system of life that is frustrating and infuriating and completely captivating.
The story follows Poppy, a.k.a. The Maiden, as she goes through a life she did not ask for, nor does she want. She’s destined for an unknown higher purpose, and as is the case with all religions, she and all the people trust in this purpose with blind faith. But that doesn’t change the fact that Poppy feels absolutely trapped. She can’t speak to people, her face can’t be seen, she can’t do fun things a normal 18-year-old would want to do, she can’t even have a friend, much less a boyfriend. She has zero choice and zero control over her life. But, as she starts testing her boundaries, she begins to discover that things are not as they’ve always been told to her.
Hawk – her new personal guard – helps her in this self-awakening. It’s easy to like Hawk. I promise, you will be angry at how Poppy has to live, so when Hawk continuously gives her opportunities to stretch her wings like no one else ever has before, you will have no choice to love him for that. But, honestly, by the end of the book, I felt very conflicted about Hawk. I found myself thinking about every nice thing he did for Poppy in a new light. But, that’s all okay. I LOVE a complicated hero. One whose loyalties are tested and one who sometimes screws up – sometimes HUGE – makes that moment when he realizes that everything he will do moving forward will be for the woman he loves… those are the best types of heroes. And, I just know that this will be Hawk. Eventually.
From Blood and Ash is a big book. The beginning is a bit slow as the world is described and the stage is set. I find this to be the case with all high fantasy books. There’s so much more that needs explained because we are not familiar with this world. It’s a means to an end, and it’s not long before the action and intrigue picks up. This is absolutely a roller coaster ride. There are super high highs and the lowest lows. And this is only book one!
I’m super excited to see what’s coming next in this new series. Although the ending is not a cliffhanger, it does end with a big reveal and a big declaration that will keep me excited for the next installment in this series. And I can’t wait to get it!
I am pretty sure I have a new all time favorite JLA book. Everything about this book is just bookish catnip for me. It combines so many of my favorite elements and I LOVED it.
JLA has written a ton of books to date across numerous genres… but she has yet to tackle high fantasy until now… and it shouldn’t be a surprise but I cannot believe we had to wait so long for a JLA high fantasy. High fantasy is my favorite genre and this is exactly the type of high fantasy that I just adore. It’s in the veins of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Serpent & Dove… it’s high fantasy with some seriously swoony romance and it’s so good.
Poppy is so great. She’s been so sheltered but she’s also such a badass and her sass is wonderful. I loved her drive and determination and how she keeps fighting. And then we have Hawke and man oh man he’s a good one guys. JLA is known for her swoony heroes and Hawke does not disappoint. I LOVED him. He gives her other guys a SERIOUS run for their money. Actually. You know what. He’s my new favorite. There I said it. He’s fun and charming and witty and has a real bad streak and I was done for from the get go. THE BANTER BETWEEN THESE TWO. JUST DONE FOR.
Along with lovable characters, JLA has created a full fledged and engaging world here. And like I said above, it combines so many of my favorite elements. The world building is great and as a reader I truly felt transported. The plot was addictive and engaging. This is not a short book but it never feels like it drags and it’s easy to just fly through. It reads very quick, despite the high number of pages. At the end of it all I STILL wanted more. SERIOUSLY I NEED MORE.
From Blood And Ash is JLAs first foray into high fantasy and I sincerely hope it will not be her last. She continues to deliver book after book and that’s the reason she is one of my very favorite authors. This book is just amazing and this one is going to stay with me for a long time.
From Jennifer L Armentrout comes this new high fantasy story filled to the max with action, adventure, romance, lies, deceit and betrayal. Poppy has been the chosen one since birth, she is the maiden. What does that mean? Well she’s not quite sure, what she does know is upon her 18th birthday she will be given to the gods to fulfill her destiny, if she is found worthy. She lives a sheltered and protected life. Where she isolated from everyone with in the kingdom. Her life has never been hers to live, she longs for more. She wants to make her choices and experience all that life has to offer, but most of all she wants to be seen for who she is and not what she is. Hawke is a swoon worthy guard, with a pain deep inside that only Poppy can see, and he’s the first person to look at Poppy as well, Poppy. He sees the fierce, scarred girl beneath the veil. Quickly things escalate as the kingdom is always on high alert from the craven lurking just beyond the walls.
Jennifer captivates through all 600+ pages of intensity! The story draws you in and refuses to let go. Easily the best read of this year, if not her best work to date. All I can say is I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
Poppy’s life has never been her own. As a maiden, she lives her life mostly in solitude waiting for the day that she will ascend. Unlike most maiden’s Poppy would rather spend her days training and learning to fight, then trying to be worthy of the “gods”. If only she was allowed to think or make decisions for herself….Hawke has sworn his life to protect the maiden as her royal guard. He drives Poppy crazy and makes her question everything she ever thought she knew….
From Blood and Ash is a refreshing and exciting new story from author Jennifer Armentrout. This book blends all the themes of fantasy and paranormal romance and brings forth an unforgettable tale of romance and betrayal…
From Blood and Ash captivated me from the very first page. Author Jennifer Armerntrout created a world and characters that I just couldn’t get enough of. From the moment I was introduced to Poppy, I was desperate to learn more about her story. Her life seemed so perfect, like she was being tasked with this incredible honor. But, as you dive deeper into the story, truths will be exposed and you will see that Poppy’s life is anything but perfect. And when Hawke comes into the picture, all bets are off. Hawke is everything that is forbidden to Poppy, but no matter how much she knows she should stay away, she can’t fight the pull. Hawke and Poppy had some pretty incredible chemistry and I loved watching the two of them together. Even though nothing is what is seems, and my heart was all tangled up in knots, I still found myself waiting with baited breath to see what would happen next.
My immediate thoughts after finishing this book is “What in the world did I just read?” and “I desperately need more.” From Blood and Ash is fresh and exciting and will leave you begging for more. This story has some amazing world building and I loved all of the fantasy elements. Even if you are not a fantasy reader, I promise this as story that you can get behind and just devour. From action and danger, to romance and intrigue, to exciting twists and turns, From Blood and Ash left me on the edge of my seat and had my heart racing.
Jennifer Armentrout totally knocked it out of the park with this book and as the story comes to an end, I’m left with a ton of questions and I can not wait to have them all answered….
Dear Reader… Before I tell you about the “Book of the Year” and why you should just freaking buy it… let me tell you something about myself!
5 years ago I emailed JLA and asked her what I should do to get on her ARC team! She emailed me back (and I fainted) that she didn’t hand out the ARCs but the publishers did instead. That changed a few years later when Our Queen started her own JLA Reviewers! It’s been my dream since then to become a Reviewer and my dream came true this year when I was FINALLY picked to be part of the team!!
I freaked out when I got that email and I cried so much! It was just so unbelievable! To make it even better some of my Stormie friends were picked as well and the older Reviewers were friends too!
But then JLA yelled “Plot Twist!” the moment we got settled in the group! For the first time EVER we were not allowed to talk about the ARC because it was going to be a surprise release! Do you know how hard it was not to be able to tell all your JLA friends what you’re reading and how awesome this book is? I would like to take this opportunity to thank the girls in the group chat (you know who you are!!) For keeping me on the straight and narrow and making sure none of us spilled the beans!
Right! Let’s start with the review! Just listen to me and buy the damn book!! You will thank me later!
If you’re a die hard JLA fan like me, you probably already bought it, so give yourself a pat on the back!
If you’re not familiar with JLA, this book will be a great way to get introduced to Jen’s books! This is by the best book she has ever written and that’s something mayor coming from one of the admins from Seth’s Goddesses!
It was the first High Fantasy book I’ve ever read… I didn’t even knew what High Fantasy was! I will admit that first chapter dragged! The names and terms used didn’t make sense and I felt kinda lost but Kayleigh (Jen’s oldest fan and a pro at High Fantasy) explained that the “World Building” usually takes some getting used to! And it totally made sense then!
But don’t worry in Chapter 2 we get to meet Hawke and you forget all about feeling lost!! Hawke… what can I say? It was love at first sight!
THIS IS A WARNING TO EVERY FANGIRL WHO HAS A FAV JLA BOOK BOYFRIEND – CHAIN THAT MAN AGAINST YOUR HEART AND MAKE SURE HE STAYS THERE BECAUSE HAWKE IS GOING TO TRY AN KICK HIM FROM HIS THRONE!!
Hawke is THAT dangerous!
The beginning of the book gave me serious “The Village” vibes! I just knew the Ascended were keeping secrets… what, I wasn’t sure but I figured it out along the way! When you get into the hang of things the story makes more sense and you get to enjoy this fantasy to its fullest!
Another thing I feel I have to warn you all about – think of JLA as GRR Martin – the moment you say that you like a certain character out loud – she kills them! So don’t get attached to anyone! And I really mean ANYONE! Some of the deaths has meaning because without it the storyline can’t move forward but some of them just wasn’t necessary!
I love the banter between Poppy and Hawke. He reminds me so much of Seth in that aspect! But there’s a few other traits JLA borrowed from other book boyfriends. I got some serious Caden vibes from him.
Tawny is Poppy’s BFF and she reminds me so much of Stephanie – Jen’s PA! She’s quirky and not afraid to say what she wants to. She’s that little voice in Poppy’s head to makes her think twice about what she’s about to do… but Poppy never listens!
Poppy does whatever she wants to do! And she usually gets into trouble because of it! It’s really hard for her guards to keep her safe. What I really love about Poppy is the fact that she fights her destiny with everything inside her! She refuses to become what she’s destined to become!
Even the Dark One aka Prince Casteel had me swooning and they only talked about him in general! That’s how magical this book was! You even fall for the bad guy without meeting him face to page!
My PSA for this book will be this – when you get about halfway through the book, make sure you won’t get distracted for the other half or wait until you can read the rest without being disrupted! It’s plot twist after plot twist and your emotions are going to be all over the place! But you won’t be able to stop reading!!
A lot of the plot twists I figured out while reading but there were a few that had me reeling!! I was screaming: “I $#%# knew it!!”
This is truly Jen’s best book she has ever written! And it’s only fair that this book has the best sex scene written as well!! I still catch myself thinking and fantasizing about it… weeks after I finished it!
Thank you for listening to your heart, Jen and writing this book! Thank you Liz and Jillian for giving her the opportunity to publish it in such a sort amount of time!
I already said it in a post but years from now when we think back to the COVID-19 pandemic, we won’t think of how scared we all were or how we were stuck at home for weeks! We will think of Hawke and how he stole our hearts!!
This Thank You comes from deep within my soul – Thank you, my Queen for giving this gift of love to us! You saved us all and helped us to keep our sanity!!
But please, I’m begging you – DO NOT EVER end another book like this! My mind and my heart can’t handle it again! The only thing that’s keeping me sane is the fact that I will be one of the first people to read the next book!
I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.
Ever since she was a child, Penellaphe has been waiting for her 19 birthday – her Ascension. She is the Maiden, the Chosen, and has been heavily watched and guarded her whole life. She needs to be worthy of the Gods to complete her Ascension, and follow a strict lifestyle until that day arrives.
So far she’s done a pretty okay job of it. Sure, she tests the limits, but nothing to anger the Gods to make her unworthy. Until Hawke arrives. With Hawke comes temptation, feelings, adventure. Hawke awakens too many things inside of Poppy and makes her wonder “what if…”?
Soon Poppy will be on her own adventure, one she’s not sure if she wants or not. But she is also going to discover things she’s never dreamed of, and things she won’t believe at first. Life is about to change for Poppy forever…
O. M. G. I just…I’m speechless. This book gutted me. Ripped me apart and put me back together, just to destroy me at the end. I just can’t put into words how many feelings I felt throughout this novel.
Because this is a high fantasy novel, it did take me a little while to get into the story. World building takes time and I haven’t read a fantasy novel in a LONG time, so it was an adjustment for me. HOWEVER, once I did get into the story, it was game over after that. I flew through the novel within a day and this is a BIG book!
Poppy is amazing. She’s fearless. Reckless. Stubborn and determined. She’s smart and intuitive, but also naive in some ways. She’s a rebellion and is always testing the limits. I do not envy Poppy’s lifestyle because she is also a prisoner. Being told that she can’t talk to anyone, that she has to cover her face, she can’t leave the perimeter. I think I would rebel too, because that is not a way to live life. So I totally understand her “acting out” and wanting to feel something once and awhile.
Hawke. Man, we get an introduction to Hawke that leaves you wanting more, only to have to wait CHAPTERS before seeing him again. He’s intense, so serious, yet can joke around with Poppy at the same time. He seems a little slow, but in reality he’s the smartest character in this book. Nothing gets by him – he has the eyes and ears of a hawk and is always one step ahead of everyone else – well, except when it comes to Poppy. She’s stunned him a few times which keeps him on his guard around her.
I’m not going to go into details about this book and the specific subjects and genres that JLA writes about, because I personally think everyone needs to read this novel. But I will say, I totally guessed it pretty close to the start of the novel. And the big reveals were just as shocking and bone-chilling as I imagined it would be.
Though I will have to say, THAT ENDING!!! (And by that ending, I literally mean THE LAST SENTENCE OF THIS NOVEL!!). THAT was something I wasn’t expecting, because it seriously changes everything that was planned for Poppy and now I’m super confused on how things are going to end up. I mean, there is no way that everyone will live happily ever after. (Though. let’s be real, JLA is a genius and she has the perfect ending, but I’m too emotional to work through all possibilities at this moment.)
This book has so many things in it. Fantasy. Mystery. Forbidden Romance. Supernatural. Lies, deceit, betrayal. Love, friendship, family. And so so so many secrets your head will be spinning.
I am so so so glad I got to read this eARC and I’m so bummed that I have to WAIT FOREVER for the next book in the series. I know that I will be re-reading this novel again because there is SO MUCH INFORMATION in this large novel, and I want to gather every speck of information until I’ve memorized this novel!
If I could rate this book more than 5 stars, I totes would! This book was AMAZING!!!! I’m a huge JLA fan anyway, but this was like GOT with vampires thrown in…and I LOVE both of those! I do believe this is quite possibly her best book she’s written! She had great world building, visuals, narrative, and the characters were well written.
Poppy is such a strong heroine! Like, legit bad@ss! She’s compassionate, fierce, feisty, protective, yet she’s also a bit insecure. I loved how she would take pleasure in her defiance towards the Duke. She wasn’t some meek and frail heroine, she fought when others would run. My heart broke for her many times throughout reading this story too. She sometimes just couldn’t catch a break.
Hawke is quite honestly now bumped to the top of my book boyfriend list of all time. He was protective, supportive, sexy, blood thirsty, and his swoon game was on point! I loved how he encouraged Poppy instead of held her back when things got tough.
This was a page turner from start to finish and I devoured it within hours of opening it up. I so can’t wait to see what happens in the next book! Thank you Jen for this copy! This is my honest review!!!
5+ EPIC STARS!
Holy wow! It’s been a while since a book has blown me away like this one, and almost a full day after finishing it I’m still riding the high of an absolutely epic read! JLA has delivered an amazing read, an NA-ish high fantasy with incredible characters, a wonderfully complex world and a fast-paced, action-filled story that twists and turns and had me gasping right up to the very last moment. And, of course, a fun, passionate, emotional and chemistry-filled romance that completely owned my heart. It’s an incredible read, an instant fave, and I already know it will be one of the best books I read in 2020.
Since birth, Poppy has been Chosen. She is the Maiden, a pure figure forced to lead a life of solitude and celibacy with no contact other than her guards and her maid, no friendships, no touch, limited conversation and no choice in any of it. It is her destiny to ‘Ascend’ and to usher in a new era for the people of her land. But secretly, she is a spirited girl who longs for more. She trains to fight, she has close friends in her guards and her maid, and she escapes the palace where she is kept virtually as a prisoner as often as she can. Desperate to experience more.
“I was the Maiden, the Chosen … I wasn’t Poppy but a shadow of a person who wasn’t allowed to experience, need, live, or want.”
And then Hawke. Her new guard is not only gorgeous, confident and sweet with a delicious sarcastic streak, but he seems to see so much more than others do. He sees her spirit, he recognises her desperate need to live more than the life that has been forced upon her, and he wants to be the one right next to her as she explores it all.
“You’re such a bad influence,” I murmured as I placed my hand in his.
Hawke curled his fingers around mine. The weight and warmth of his hand was a pleasant shock. “Only the bad can be influenced, Princess.”
But, of course, there is something more between them, a simmering attraction that sizzles every encounter and had my heart pounding. And it’s that attraction that proves to be the tipping point for Poppy to begin questioning everything that she thought she wanted.
“I’m the Maiden, Hawke,” I reminded him – or myself, I wasn’t sure.
“And I don’t care.”
My eyes flew open in shock. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I did. And I’ll say it again. I don’t care what you are.” Hawke’s hand slid off my back. A moment later, I felt his palm flatten against my cheek with unerring accuracy. “I care about who you are.”
I’m not going to say anything more than that because you just need to dive in and experience it. The outline above sets the scene, but there is so much about this story to take in. The fantasy world is complicated, and it did take me a little while to get my head around it all, but it unfolds so beautifully. We come to understand Poppy, her world and her life, we fall in love with so many wonderful characters, and with the story written entirely from her perspective, we feel and experience everything along with her.
Though I kind of figured out where the story was going, I was in no way prepared for it as it all unfolded. The story twists and turns, with surprises and reveals sprinkled throughout. Some that had me gasping, others that had me screaming out loud with the surprise and genius of it all. There are violent fights, epic bad guys, political upheavals, huge action scenes, tender heartbreaking moments, brilliant banter, laugh-out-loud interactions, sizzling sexy time, and swoony and emotional romance.
“It doesn’t matter if I want–”
“And you do want.” His whisper danced over my cheek. “What you want is me.”
My breath caught. “That doesn’t matter.”
“What you want should always matter.”
This book has it all, and I was completely hooked through 600+ pages of everything. And even though it took me 10+ hours of reading, I just want to dive right back into it again!
Of course, being a JLA book, there is a cliffhanger. It’s not as nasty as it could have been, but it definitely leaves us hanging. I’m desperate for the next book and can’t wait to see where the story is going to go from here!
An absolute must-read for fantasy/paranormal fans.
5 massive stars!
With From Blood and Ash, Jennifer Armentrout successfully takes on the genre of high fantasy, proving, once again, that she is a master of her craft. Filled with epic adventure, forbidden romance, deceit, lies, and betrayal, FB&A draws you in from page one and refuses to let go!
I am so thankful JLA wrote this book, as it has reminded me why I absolutely love high fantasy, folklore, and mythology.
When I say I sat up for hours reading this book…it is no exaggeration. I could not stop reading. Though FB&A isn’t the first of its kind, nor is it the first to use the type of lore and myth it does, FB&A is certainly one of the most intriguing and well-thought out.
Those with a strong sense of world myth and folklore will definitely recognize some of the elements and patterns presented, but there is a freshness to FB&A that has been missing from most of my fantasy reading.
Poppy is a fascinating character. Labeled The Maiden, she has been raised in solitude, denied even the simplest of life’s pleasures. There is so much strength inside of her, and she is worth so much more than she has been led to believe.
Hawke is…well…Hawke. He is magnetic, strong, charming, funny. As a Royal Guard, his duty is to protect The Maiden and ensure she Ascends.
But there is a fine line between duty and need, forbidden and right, anger and passion, truth and deceit.
There are so many things I want to say about this book but I want every reader to experience it for themselves. What is right? Who is good? Who makes the rules? Who is there to trust? JLA does a wonderful job of weaving all of these fantastical layers and twists together, and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.