Spice: 🍆🍆/5
It's been so long since I've read anything from Armentrout. I loved her Lux series and I was very happy to jump into another series of hers.
From Blood and Ash is the first book of what I believe to be a seven book series. It takes place in a world with the 'Ascended' and 'Craven'. The Ascended are those who are immortal and noble. The Craven are the infected, the monsters, the enemy.
Penellaphe, Poppy, is the beloved Maiden with a duty to the people and the ascended to be the future of the kingdom. They keep her away, behind a veil, to ensure she stays pure for her Ascension. However, she's curious and determined to live her life with the best of her ability and defies the rules set upon her.
The issue I had with Poppy was that she's reckless and doesn't use her brain at times which can be a little frustrating. Furthermore, the name Penellaphe. It's just a personal annoyance every time I read it so I hope she gets referred to as Poppy for the rest of the series.
Armentrout just knows how to write a heart-throb. Hawke, the new handsome guard, comes into her life and she discovers a new side of herself. He's young, mysterious and charming with a shit ton of secrets Poppy fails to discover till she's head over heels for the guy.
Armentrout always knows how to write sassy men, if-he-wanted-to-he-would men and juicy banter between her characters. The chemistry and passion between the leads is super addictive, I was giddy every time they were alone. This is a series for those who love the trope enemies-to-lovers.
The main problem I had with the book overall was the pacing. A lot of things were meant to be discovered along the journey but a lot happened in the last quarter chapters. For instance, the 200 pound rats just casually thrown into the mix, the mass of people who hate the maiden, and all the other spoilers. In a way, Armentrout is very smart because I just got my hands on A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire but now I need more.
