A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Book 2) Kindle Edition

Spoilers & Thoughts Below!!•Second book following From Blood and Ash.•I absolutely loved this book, could not put it down! I’m just amazed at how well JLA writes, honestly her characters and stories are some of the best.•Poppy is literally one of the best badass female characters I’ve read. Her growth throughout this book was amazing; she never backs down, speaks her mind, and fights for what she believes in.•I can see why some people may find Poppy’s inner turmoil annoying but I thought it was just so realistic and understandable for her situation. Her conflicting emotions and thoughts surrounding Casteel were so well written and heartbreaking.•Casteel aka Hawke is now my new book boyfriend! He is honestly just perfection; love how charming, charismatic, strong, violent, and passionate he is. Also, everything he says is just swoon worthy, absolutely love him.•The Culling is very interesting and I hope we get to see more of that in the future books. Wondering how that’s going to effect Poppy and her abilities.•Loved the explanation regarding Casteel and Kieran’s bond and how fiercely protective Kieran is over him.•Enjoyed that we got to see more of Poppy’s abilities, definitely something more is going on there because the things she is able to do and feel seems more than just her being half Atlantian and from an empath warrior bloodline.•The empath warrior also being called soul eaters was so cool and I’m definitely curious about them.•All the details regarding the other mythical creatures like the wivern, draken, ceeren, and gods was so interesting. Definitely expands the world and characters.•I have some mix feelings about Alastir. I didn’t really trust him at first but after his offer to Poppy I somewhat came around to him, however towards the end of the book I’m back to being somewhat suspicious of him. So don’t really know just yet how I feel about him.•To learn what Casteel experienced while he was being held captive absolutely broke my heart and to know his brother is going through the same thing is just unimaginable.•I have admit I was worried about Shea and that whole history so I definitely shocked to learn what truly happened and again I’m just so heartbroken for Casteel.•Some of my favorite side characters were Delano and Vonetta. Hopefully we get more of them in the future.•There were so many interesting plot points and characters including the dead bones clan, the female guardians, the blood tree, the Skotos mountain and mist.•Poppy and Casteel’s relationship is incredible. The tension and build up between them was amazing and the whole fake marriage trope was hilarious because we all knew they weren’t pretending. I honestly just love how fiercely protective he is of her and doesn’t hold her back.•Favorite quote: “She is more than capable of handling things herself. But that is my future you were walking away with. Guard her well. Your life depends on it.”•Spice level was very hot! All their scenes left me blushing!•The whole heartmates concept has me very intrigued and I just love how much deeper and meaningful that means for a couple.•So the Joining….I was a little skeptical at first but I want and need it to happen now because after that one scene I can totally picture it and wow, definitely hot!•I really enjoyed the development of Kieran and Poppy’s relationship, definitely see them growing closer together in the next book.•So we didn’t get a huge betrayal like the first book, which I expected and feared but the not telling her about the whole promised to another definitely hurt and made me cry.•Their fight in chapter 33 was so heartbreaking but I did love that they were finally really communicating with each other and telling their truths.•The battle in Spessa’s End was very intense and a lot of interesting things occurred and breadcrumbs were laid out. Curious to know if the certain things that were mentioned are in fact true.•Their declaration to each other in chapter 36 was just perfect. They love each other so much that it makes me cry.•I have no words about that ending expect…what!!•Poppy…is she really?? Like what does that mean!•There are so many unanswered questions that I cannot wait for to be revealed but I do have to say I have a bad feeling about Poppy’s brother.•Honestly one of the best books I have read this year and I cannot wait to continue with the series!!

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Blood and Ash series. I bought this book for my Kindle.Story (5/5): I absolutely devoured this book. However, this is more of a romance where Poppy and Casteel are getting to know each other better than anything else. There are a lot of politics surrounding this and Poppy and Casteel must protect the Atlanteans from the Ascended. Poppy spends a lot of time learning to understand the true history of the Atlantean people and trying to gain their trust. There is a huge surprise at the end of the book and I am eager to see where this leads us in the final book of the series. This is one of those books that I loved and devoured but it’s hard to review because when you think back not a ton of actual plot happened.Characters (5/5): This book is 100% about the characters and their relationships. Watching Poppy and Casteel uncover each other’s truths and get to know each other again is engrossing. The chemistry between them is amazing and pretty much perfectly written. Some of the wolven and other side characters are also well done. Armentrout does an amazing job with characters and excels at creating absolutely engrossing tension between them. These characters are lovable and just pull you into the story completely.Setting (5/5): There is very solid world-building here and I enjoy it a lot. In the first book Poppy (and thus us as the reader) is pretty sheltered from the broader world, but in this volume the detailed world-building and lush history are revealed in a lot more detail. This is a very well built world full of a deep mythology and history and I loved it.Writing Style (5/5): I am not sure what it is about Armentrout’s writing style but it is just so effortless to read. These books pull me right through the story and I find myself unable to put them down. Despite the long page length I always find myself just breezing through these. In addition to amazing characters and amazing scenes with these characters, Armentrout’s other great talent is her action scenes….she does an amazing job creating heart-pounding action scenes that are just so engrossing. The balance between the romance, friendships, world-building, and breathtaking action is really well done.My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to see what the third book brings. Those who are looking for a fantasy romance that is well balanced with solid world-building and excellent action should definitely check this book out. I am loving this series even more than Armentrout’s Harbinger series (which I also love).

O segundo capítulo da série não decepciona, já que a autora consegue fazer o enredo crescer exponencialmente, ao aprofundar e destrinchar o relacionamento entre Poppy e Hawke após as dúvidas, brigas, mentiras, traições e sentimentos conflitantes trazidos pelas revelações do final do livro anterior, além de adicionar novos personagens interessantes, aprofundar ainda mais a história dos Atlantians e enriquecer esse mundo com outras criaturas, lendas, cenários e paisagens.Basicamente, vemos Poppy tentar entender seus reais sentimentos em relação à Hawke/Casteel e a verdade de quem ele é, ao mesmo tempo em que descobre novos poderes e dúvidas sobre sua origem, quando uma batalha inevitável acontece e uma traição inesperada causa uma completa reviravolta na história.A autora consegue, mais uma vez, manter o interesse do leitor durante cada capítulo com o aprofundamento das relações entre os personagens, o enriquecimento do mundo criado e a introdução de surpresas e reviravoltas que te deixam ávido para ler o livro seguinte. Excelente e envolvente continuação!!!Obs. c/ spoilers dos próximos livros: Como já li os quatro livros disponíveis da série, deixo avisado para quem interessar que a autora destrói completamente a relação de supostas almas gêmeas construída nos três livros para transformá-la em uma relação a três deturpada no quarto livro e totalmente incoerente com tudo que havia sido escrito e desenvolvido anteriormente.Ela vendeu uma mentira nos três primeiros livros da história, porque o tipo de relacionamento que ela construiu jamais poderia incluir uma terceira pessoa em qualquer nível.Infelizmente, ela conseguiu estragar uma das principais premissas da série, desperdiçando uma história com um enorme potencial.Só aviso para que os leitores tenham a opção de não se frustrarem e perderem seu tempo e dinheiro para continuar acompanhando a série e ter essa grande decepção como eu tive. Uma grande pena!

Poppy's entire world is a lie, including the man she was starting to fall for. Thrown among people who see her as a symbol of a hated kingdom, she's struggling to find out who she really is without the Maiden's identity. What she does know is that he's the most dangerous thing to her—the Dark One, the Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight back, and she's more than willing. He may have captured her, but he'll never truly own her.This book blew me away! I was completely hooked. I loved that I never knew what was coming next, making every twist and especially the ending a huge surprise. And such a great ending that perfectly sets up the next book, leaving me with so many questions I can’t wait to see answered.I also adored how Poppy and Hawke’s relationship evolved, from pretending to genuinely choosing each other out of love. Their banter made me smile and my heart flutter. Poppy doesn't instantly forgive or trust Hawke, and his efforts to win her over in the most unexpected ways were just perfect. The side characters are well-developed and add real depth to the story, making all the dialogue feel real.I can't wait for the next book in this series!

One of the best books I have ever read. As I continued reading, I found that each chapter, each page and each paragraph had me at the edge of my seat. The suspense, the romance, the action all combined in this great novel. Her books books just get better and better. I absolutely loved it.

I’m very impressed by the paper quality of these books. Even the paperback version has nice smooth thick paper unlike other paperback books that sometimes have rough almost see-through paper.

“I don’t want to pretend,” I whispered.“I’m Poppy and you’re Casteel, and this is real.”Can you hear me crying? That's also real.This book was too beautiful.🥺AKOFAF is definitely one of the best books of 2020 and my favourite from JLA.🥰I didn't even think it was possible to love JLA more than I already do, but it is.🔥THIS QUEEN🔥How does she do it?!?! Casteel, Poppy, and Kieran have got to be my favourite characters from all of her books. The banter between them all and just.....everything.🤧😍Awww now I feel like crying even though there's no reason to. JLA is simply just amazing.🛑WARNING: SPOILERS FROM FB&A BELOW!!!🛑A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire picks up literally right after Casteel Da’Neer aka The Dark One aka the Prince of Atlantia aka Hawke Flynn (xD so many different names) declares to all about his plans to marry the once-Maiden, Poppy Balfour.Well, you can guess how that went with Poppy........She definitely wanted to stab someone.😈🤣 And so it began: The battle between Poppy & Casteel.🔥⚔️“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. I didn’t get to choose what I ate, when I left my chambers, or who was allowed to even touch me.""But he was the first thing I’d ever truly chosen for myself.”Poppy has got to be one of my all time favourite MCs. I love this girl so much.🥰 She's such a strong and witty female protagonist. Finally, after being subjected to a life of no choices and silence, Poppy can now be herself and speak out to those who insult her. And being declared as the fiance of the Prince of Atlantia—well, of course she's going to have a lot of enemies and hatred directed towards her.Even so, she speaks her mind and refuses to let anyone put her down or scorn her. Her curiosity also never ceases to amaze me xD. I love that all the questions she asks annoys Kieran endlessly. Their bantering is just too good.🤣“Do you think he’ll believe us?”“Yet another question?” Kieran leaned back, crossing his arms. “Seriously? Do you ever get tired of asking so many?”“Apparently, you don’t, since you just asked three of them.”And though she used to feel a self-conscious of her scars, now Poppy stands proud and looks straight into peoples' eyes without absolute fear of what they'll think of her. I love this girl sm.💞“Somewhere along the way, I no longer saw her as a bargaining chip or a tool for revenge. I saw her for who she was. Who she is—this beautiful, strong, intelligent, endlessly curious and kind woman who was as much a victim of the Ascended as any Atlantians.""I fell in love with her, probably long before I even realized I had.”Ahhh how could anyone not fall in love with Casteel?!?! Even after all the lies and betrayals, you could understand where he was coming from. He wanted so badly to save his brother, Malik, from the Ascended and was planning on using Poppy to get to him, but all that changed from the very moment he met her. Instead of going through with that, he completely changed all his plans just to find a way to be with her.🥺 This boy.....And then there's Casteel's fierce protectiveness over Poppy. I love how even though he worries and tries to convince Poppy from taking huge risks, he doesn't actually stop her. He respects Poppy's decision and ability to do what is necessary. He's always taking care of her, too.🥰“Fight me. Argue with me. I won’t stop you. But I will not allow you to put your life in jeopardy."And don't forget those dimples as Poppy loves to point out.😏😍“He was Casteel then just like he’s Hawke now,” Kieran stated quietly, drawing my gaze to him. “And you know that. You just aren’t ready to accept it.”Oh Kieran🥺🤧💞. You're like a wingman and the barrier between Casteel & Poppy for majority of the book xD. He had to deal with being in between the heat of Casteel and Poppy's arguments and conversations. You gotta admire him for all that.I probably love him the most.🥰 He knocked some sense into Poppy, that's for sure.Haha and the conversations the 3 of them had😆🤣“I’m curious,” Casteel said, causing me to jump. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “What are you two discussing that has Poppy looking as if she’s five seconds away from crawling under the table?”“Nothing,” I said.“I was just telling her about how you have heightened physical senses,” Kieran answered at the same time as I did. “Like your ability to see better than her, and scent her arousal—”“Oh, my gods!” I spun on the bench, swinging at Kieran, but he easily avoided my fist.“I’m sorry.” Kieran didn’t look remotely remorseful. “I meant desire. She doesn’t like the word arousal.”You must not use the word 'arousal' in front of Poppy xD. Casteel, Poppy, & Kieran.... all of them are definitely best when together.💖Of course, I got to see more of both some new and old characters. Some wolven, Atlantian, and Descenters. Declan, a wolven, was placed on guard duty a few times and his responses to Poppy demanding to be let out was just too good.👌😂“No one wishes to chase you through a snowstorm.”“I’d rather not be gutted by the Prince, so no.”“The Prince will return soon.”My favorite was when I’d said that I just wanted some fresh air. “Nothing personal, but there is literally no way I would trust you enough to crack this door open to allow even an inch of fresh air to enter your chamber.”He's learned his lesson from the last time he was on guard duty with her xD.Ooo and then there's Alastir.......I'm a little conflicted about him🤔 I do so love him for being such a kind wolven to Poppy, but certain events have left me wondering some things. Still, he'd only met Poppy yet he was already offering to help her. So kind.🥺“So, that is why I’m offering you my aid. If you are being forced into this, I will help you escape. I will do everything in my power to ensure safe passage.""But I will make sure you are somewhere neither the Ascended nor Casteel can ever reach you. All you have to do is tell me, and this will be over for you."I must, before I end this, put in those moments with Poppy threatening the life of others xD. Mostly just Casteel & Kieran.He chuckled. “Careful, Kieran,” Casteel murmured, catching my hand before I could swing at Kieran once more. “She’ll be threatening to stab you next.”The wolven grinned. “I’m pretty sure that’s already happened.”“I hate you,” I announced. “I hate you both.”Awww of course Poppy means the exact opposite.🥰🤣“Obviously, Casteel takes after his father when it comes to women with sharp objects,” Jasper commented with a snort. “I feel like I’m missing some vital information that Delano conveniently left out when he met me halfway.”I frowned, but at least I knew where Delano had been.“You stabbed Casteel?” Jasper repeated. “In the heart? With bloodstone. And you thought it would kill him?”“In my defense, I felt bad afterward.”“She did cry,” Casteel remarked.I was going to stab him again.Poppy's murderous intentions and violence is too funny, especially when she's around others who bear witness to it.😂 I need more of that.Well, after that ending the 3rd book has definitely landed into my most anticipated releases for 2021. Ackk I can't wait!!! I NEED the next book NOW!!!😫😭😍I just love JLA so much.🥺🤧 You can really tell how much her writing has changed from her first few books. Truly just a queen😍💞Hopefully, the latest the 3rd book comes out will be spring 2021.I don't think I can bear waiting a full year or more....."From Blood And Ash.""We Will Rise."