Article contributed by Tessa Qi
[Spoiler alert: contains spoilers from the prequel From Blood and Ash]
Yep, Jennifer has done it again! She has singlehandedly saved 2020 with this new beautifully written fantasy novel, which is the sequel to her first novel in the fantasy series, Blood and Ash. If you are looking for an extremely seductive new adult enemies to lovers romance, filled with delightful banter, addictive drama, and a handful of deadly but awesome sidekicks, look no further! This book contains all of the above and more! One suggestion might be is that if you haven’t yet read From Blood and Ash, do make sure you have both copies in your hands before starting this journey…
Our story picks up right after the ending of From Blood and Ash with Poppy finding herself surrounded by Atlantians and wolvens who mostly wanted her dead (*oops*) and the person she found she had been falling for, Hawke Flynn, had lied and betrayed her and was in fact, the Prince of Atlantia, Casteel Da’Neer (*double oops*). Casteel’s plan to kidnap her, in order to make a trade with the Queen of Solis for his brother, changed after finding out Poppy was half-Atlantian and so he decided to bring Poppy back to Atlantia in order for them to get married (*GASP*). As the story unfolds, Poppy gradually unveils the lies that the Ascended had created for their own selfish purposes and accepted the reality that everything she had believed in was in fact, a downright falsehood. Even her identity was a mystery, possibly only know to the Queen. In the meantime, despite Casteel’s betrayal, she finds herself still hopelessly in love with him while also learning more about Casteel’s dark and painful past. By the end of the book, we are getting a bit closer to actually figuring out Poppy’s true identity and to be honest, the last few pages were mind-blowing!
One of the things that makes the book amazing is obviously, the characters. We all love a fierce female character, and Poppy has shown herself to be quite the fighter. Not only is she skilled with a bow and arrow and sword fighting, but also her resilient spirit in that she never gives up without a fight. Honestly she has been through A LOT in the books: her parents murdered in cold-blood when she was young and gained a few permanent scars across her face and body in the attack as well; became the Maiden and forced to wear a veil all the time; having her personal guard who is almost like a father figure to her dying in her arms, then being betrayed by the man she loved, imprisoned and finding out her whole world had been based on lies. Yet still our beautiful and courageous heroine never stopped fighting. She never gave in and that leaves me in awe. Even when she was the Maiden and was forced to obey everything and occasionally being beaten by the Duke for no reason whatsoever, she still remained a kind and generous soul and determined to help others when they’re in need. She knows that she might not be perfect in appearances, but she never tries to hide her scars or be ashamed of them. She has spent too long, almost her entire life, in silence and living the life that someone else had planned for her without having her own voice, but she will not be controlled any longer. She can finally be her own true self and it’s truly fascinating to watch her transition.
‘I was the Maiden, nearly groomed my entire life to remain pure and focused only on my Ascension. I was Chosen to be given to the gods, even though I never chose the life. And I don’t know what you know of me, but I had no control over where I went, who I spoke to or could speak with. I was veiled, unable to even look someone in the eye if they were allowed to speak with me.’ – A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire p.458
Apart from our amazing Poppy, we also have our overly charming and devilishly handsome Prince Casteel, AKA Hawke Flynn. Although technically Casteel is not exactly the knight in shining armour that we might have imagined in the first place. In A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, we get to delve deeper into his past life and receive glimpses of the pains and tortures he had suffered which made him into the person he is now. It turns out he’s not all that he seems, all cute dimples and wicked smiles, he was also murderous and unforgiving which inevitably earned him the title of ‘the Dark One’. There’s no doubt he’s cruel and cold-hearted (and he never denied any of those), but deep down he would do anything to protect the ones he loves. And when he met Poppy, she filled that missing part in his heart that allowed him to love again.
‘“Your heart, Poppy? It is a gift I do not deserve.” He placed his hands on my knees as he lifted his gaze to mine. “But it is one I will protect until my dying breath.”’– A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, p.513
Romance always finds its way in when two equally strong and attractive characters meet. There are different kinds of couples in the world, as Casteel had mentioned in the book. There are those who give sweet kisses and shower one another with compliments all the time; there are also ones who seek delight together like players in a game; and there are also those who seek comfort in their partner’s embraces. Whereas Casteel and Poppy, despite them trying to be as romantic as possible every now and then, operates on a more violent level. The constant baiting, fighting (and I mean this literally), threats of stabbing and never-ending battle of trying to draw the other’s blood. Yeah that sounds like a dysfunctional relationship, but hey, as Casteel said, ‘You can’t spell dysfunctional without fun, now can you?’ (A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire). Even though Casteel constantly teases about Poppy, he never dismissed her or in any ways underestimated her, but he is in fact all the more delighted by the challenge that she presents.
Frankly speaking, Casteel and Poppy’s relationship was dangling off the cliff edge by the end of From Blood and Ash when Poppy had found out Casteel had lied to her all along and had intended to use her to trade for his brother. Betrayed as she was, she was already in love with the Hawke that she thought she knew, but she definitely wasn’t going to give in to him so easily. Their banter is essentially the highlight of the story, they fight and they bicker constantly but they are also always there for each other. In this cute albeit strange relationship, Poppy is definitely the unexperienced one. It’s interesting to read Poppy’s thoughts and the feelings she has towards Casteel and how she gradually accepts the fact that she still loves him, that he was the only thing she ever chose for herself during her depressing life as the Maiden.
‘I chose him because he made me feel like I was something other than the Maiden, and he saw me when no one else ever really did. He made me feel alive. He valued me for who I am and didn’t try to control me. And then it all seemed like a lie once I realised the truth of who he was and why he was a part of my life.’ – A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire p.459
Alright, now let’s please give a moment to appreciate our equally charming wolven, Kieran! I have to say, Armentrout does have a knack at building relationships. And I’m not just talking about the romance between Casteel and Poppy, but Poppy’s relationship with Kieran as well. He’s constantly making jokes and annoying her with sarcastic comments, bickering with her yet also genuinely started to care about her. Sometimes, it’s as if they were like a family. It’ll be interesting to see more about the other wolvens as well and Poppy’s relationship with them in future books.
‘He pressed a hand to his chest. “You wound me yet again.”
“He’s not wounded,” Kieran answered. “At least, not physically. Emotionally, I believe you left him shredded.”’ – A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, p.257
In the third book that is expected to be released in April 2021, hopefully we will get to see more of the relationship between Poppy and Casteel. I can say we are all waiting for them to actually say the ‘love’ word to each other (Jen recently teased her readers with a small snippet of a love declaration in the new book in her spoiler group!) I believe the only minor disappointment of this book is that it yet again ends on another major cliffhanger (*sigh*) and April 2021 just can’t arrive any sooner…
One last thought before we head off and curl ourselves in this amazing book again, I doubt any of us would continue to think about honeydew in the same way after finishing this series, now are we? (*smirk, smirk*)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is available from Amazon and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A Betrayal…
Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice…
Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.
A Secret…
But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.
