Have you read From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout? I waited and waited to read it, not sure why. But I loved it so much, I promptly checked out A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire from Libby. Then I loved it so much I wanted to cry that Libby didn’t offer A Crown of Gilded Bone. I purchased it from Amazon the next day because I couldn’t wait to read it. Now, I have to wait until March. next. year. to read the 4th installment. Nail biting would occur if I did that sort of thing. I did in fact, have to read a quick read after, before starting A Vow so Bold and Deadly because I guess I had a book hangover. Jennifer is a genius.
From Blood and Ash
We meet the maiden, Penellaphe, also known as Poppy by her friends. She lives life trapped and hidden behind a veil. She is told that Atlantians are bad. That when she turns 19, she will Ascend. She has been chosen by the Gods. She is not allowed to have friends or talk to others unless approved. She isn’t allowed outside the castle. But she still finds ways to sneak out and live. Her personal guard, father figure, also trains her how to fight. She meets Hawke at a brothel, and receives her first (forbidden) kiss. Later Hawke becomes her guard. They become friends. They kiss again. In the end, he is in charge of taking her to the capitol of her kingdom, to the Queen and King of Solis. The same Queen that nursed her back to health after her parents were killed by the savage, vampire/zombie like creatures, who also attacked her. These creatures are said to have been created by Atlantians. But for some reason, she didn’t die from the attack. She was just left scarred. She also has “gifts”, like being able to read people’s emotions, but she has been told to never use them.
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
Poppy has her eyes opened by Hawke. Aka, The Dark One. Prince Casteel. Atlantian. He teaches her that everything she was told about Atlantia and Solis are wrong. That being Ascended means you are a vampry (vampire). That the vampry prey on the poor mortal people of Solis. That the Ascended are who created the creatures that killed her parents and attacked her. She doesn’t want to believe the stories he has told her because her brother Ian left for the capital 2 years prior to Ascend. She also doesn’t want Hawke to be The Dark One, or the man who has kidnapped her and is taking her away to use her to get his brother back from the Queen of Solis. She is also falling in love with him. And has met very many Wolven (werewolves). She doesn’t know if she can accept that Atlantians are the good guys. Her gifts are getting stronger and she learns she can heal people instead of just easing their pain. And the wolven seem to be drawn to her. Casteel and Poppy decide to unite and marry so that they can save their brothers from Solis.
A Crown of Gilded Bones
Poppy is betrayed once they enter into Atlantia, and her gifts have intensified so that she can kill people by turning their emotions back on them. She is also killed and Casteel saves her by taking all her blood and then giving her his. From the stories both have been told, this should turn her into an Ascended, but does it? Every time she uses a her gift, she starts to glow silver. No one is sure if she is mortal or immortal. Cas and Poppy declare they love each other. A lot happens that I wasn’t sure how it went with the story, but all comes together in the end. Casteel gives himself to the Queen of Solis so that she will not kill Poppy. Poppy learns her true identity. Who her parents really are. And she sends the King of Solis’ head back to the Queen to let her know that she is ready to fight to get Casteel back.
lilisview.com 