Review: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Blood and Ash #2

Publication date: May 25th, 2021

Pages: 572

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

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 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.

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Story:

Just when I think that there can't possibly be more twists and turns within this series, I am confronted with the second installment in the Blood and Ash series. The enemies-to-lovers trope is strong within this one and I absolutely love the ebb and flow of the world where you are not entirely sure which side is the right side and which is the enemy. Was the Atlantians at fault? The Ascended? Casteel? Poppy? Luckily Jennifer L. Armentrout will make you just as confused as to who to root for from one page to the next. The world building is on another level and when you add in the Graphic Audio reading of the story it is like being completely consumed by the push and pull of a split kingdom at war to rule over all in their midst. Poppy's lack of knowledge of who she is who she comes from leads to an element of mystery that has everyone guessing. Just when one thinks they know, there is a twist and you are returned back to the beginning to try to root out the truth along with Poppy. I found myself loving Atlantia right along with the characters even though there are outliers in each kingdom who want nothing more than to destroy any semblance of change. One thing is for sure the people within Armentrout's world get zero break from the death threats and bloodshed. But watching them rise from immeasurable odds made the second installment as addictive as the first.

Characters:

• Poppy - I am absolutely loving the growth that Poppy is starting to show. She goes from meek and fragile to a force to be reckoned with. Even Casteel knows he has no hopes of controlling her. Her anger and distaste for Casteel slowly starts to become something more as they stop pretending that they are attracted to each other and realize that it is a reality. Poppy shows her ability to forgive and move past even the most dastardly deeds. She doesn't know who she is or who she was born from but she knows that she has power beyond the scope of what she thought she had. I have never had a character that I have found as fundamentally solid as Poppy and I love watching her grow into her own person beyond the veil and the simpering submission to become someone her captors never expected of her.

• Casteel - I love how much he loves Poppy. There isn't a single moment once the two of them began to accept their feelings for each other that Casteel didn't show that he was willing to walk side-by-side or even a step behind Poppy with his sword at the ready to defend her. He didn't see her powers growing as something that he should fear or feel inferior to; he saw them as awe-inspiring and just another reason for him to fight to protect her with everything he has at his disposal. She wants a crown? He'll cut the head off that wears it to give it to her. She wants her brother? He'll brave all that oppose them to bring her to him. He will give his last breath for her and fight his way back to the land of the living to protect her anew. He is the type of man that book boyfriends everywhere aspire to be.

Writing:

The author of this series has always been a household favorite of mine. She doesn't rush her writing or go so slow that it drags. She introduces sex, love, danger, and fantasy into this perfect symphony of literature that should be respected to the highest regard. How anyone could read any of her books and say she does anything but weave tales of fantastical wonder through her verbiage and style is beyond me.

Overall:

I feel like at the rate I am devouring this series all of the books will slowly bleed together until I have no idea where one will end and one will end. I can't get enough of the books. This installment was Casteel and Poppy finding their connection through all the reasons they shouldn't. They start to learn to trust each other as they slowly start to accept that they are going to be pivotal parts in the war that is brewing. I am anxious to read the next book and see where the couple goes and solve some of the mysteries that the author has placed upon her characters.