4.5 Stars
Jennifer Armentrout created a fantastic fantasy world in the Blood and Ash series’s first book, FROM BLOOD AND ASH, and continued the wild ride in A KINGDOM OF FLESH AND FIRE (out today!!). So far, each book has ended on a pretty epic cliffhanger (no spoilers!). Still, both books are satisfying and enthralling adventures that will transport readers into an enchanted world with magic, secrets, a super sexy hero, and a fiercely brave heroine.
If you’re a big fantasy romance reader like I am, you’ll live for Aremtrout’s masterful world-building AND relationship building. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and the relationship between Poppy and her hero/kind of antihero. There is nothing I love more than an epic journey with fraught sexual/violent tension (does that sound weird?). This book is steamy, fun, and so easy to immerse yourself in.
Poppy is such a fun character! Her powers are growing, and her ability to sacrifice for the greater good makes her easy to root for. I also love that we often find things out as she does. In the first book, we saw her start to come into her own; in this book, she develops and matures even further – she’s really becoming one of my favorite fantasy romance heroines. Also, her hero is HOT AS HECK. Poppy needs a cocky/confident hero with a heart of gold, and JLA has created the perfect man for her… and maybe me. Did I just say that??
Like the last book, this is one hefty novel at almost 500 pages, and I did feel the repetition a little bit. Some of the back and forth between Poppy and her hero could have been pared down. I felt the drag a little bit in the middle of this book, unlike the last one, which I sped through.
Overall, this was another fantastic addition to a ridiculously good series. That ending, though??!? I need a book three release date, like, yesterday!
**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 