From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash, #1) in Book Nerds Unite

Nov 21, 2021 Lila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

First, I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars but then I realized I gave 3 stars to far worse books and changed my mind to 4 stars.

I like the concept of the book, a Maiden and all the mysterious Craven. I found both Poppy and Hawke infuriating at times, but I absolutely adore Vikter. I hope it was all untrue and we miraculously see him in the sequel (I am aware how unrealistic that is, but a girl can dream).

I actually whooped when we realize that the Duke is dead and call me dark, but I really en ...more

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Apr 08, 2021 claire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

AHHHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCHHHHH AHHHHH!!!!! I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK AGAIN EVEN THOUGH I JUST FINISHED IT AND BOOK 2 IS ALREADY AVAILABLE HUHU I JUST CAN'T GET OVER WITH THIS BOOK!!!! I DO NOT KNOW WHEN WILL THIS HAPPINESS STOP!!!

ALL I WANT NOW IN THIS WORLD IS TO HAVE A BOOK IN HAWKE'S POV. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING INSIDE THAT PRETTY HEAD WHILE ALL OF THESE ARE HAPPENING!!!!

Update: I FOUND IT WAHAHAHAHA. Click this link to read the Red Pearl's scene in Hawke's POV. HUEHUE https://dl.book ...more

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Feb 10, 2022 akacya ❦ rated it liked it

Shelves: audience-adult, format-ebook, genre-fantasy, buddy-reads

very predictable but i did enjoy some parts

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Jun 14, 2021 Jaid rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-fantasy, booktok, new-adult

I changed my rating. The more I think about it, the less I liked it.

I was let down big time by this book. Probably because of my expectations. But to be fair this series was hyped up like nobody's business on Booktok, a community I cannot trust but for some reason still fall into the trap of whatever is recommended next. On top of that, in the intro the author promised a high fantasy. When I think of high fantasy I think of LOTR, ASoIaF, His Dark Materials, The Chronicles of Narnia. Some of my f I changed my rating. The more I think about it, the less I liked it.

I was let down big time by this book. Probably because of my expectations. But to be fair this series was hyped up like nobody's business on Booktok, a community I cannot trust but for some reason still fall into the trap of whatever is recommended next. On top of that, in the intro the author promised a high fantasy. When I think of high fantasy I think of LOTR, ASoIaF, His Dark Materials, The Chronicles of Narnia. Some of my favorite books I've ever read are high fantasy/high fantasy subgenre, so you have to deliver if you're giving me a high fantasy book.

This book? Did not give me any of it. The little world-building was just info-dumping throughout. Spelling vampire different is literally the bare minimum for languages. And there were so many uses of modern-day phrases. I know it's picky, but it throws me out of the setting completely. I don't know who I have to beg to give me a quality high fantasy novel with romance written by a woman...this is going to end in me writing one I swear.

That aside...how many times...do we need to...use ellipses...to indicate...hesitation? Homegirl was so unsure of everything it made me unsure if I could keep reading her internal monologue. If I could go back and read it with 75% of them removed, maybe I would've been able to enjoy it more. And how does someone have such a high status like "The Maiden" (also you never forget she's the maiden she says it to herself every third paragraph), rebel so much and still manage to have the personality of a wet mop. All that rebellion and she didn't once try to learn her true purpose? She was painted as a badass but why would someone so "headstrong" just be so complacent about her own future...oh yeah she's like seventeen. The book could've been so much better had she been taking an active part in her own destiny. Instead things just...happen to her.

I will credit the author - she can write sex/sexy scenes. But every other interaction with the love interest was a snooze fest. It just felt inconsistent. He was boring unless he was horny. Ugh. I want depth.

The plot twists were obvious, and not in the way that makes you feel clever for figuring out what's going to happen. So it falls very short.

Overall, this story is good for the romance I guess? But honestly, if I want to read explicit enemies-to-lovers with a high fantasy background, I'll just read some Harry Potter fanfiction on Ao3. ...more

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Dec 14, 2021 Alyssa Indira rated it really liked it · review of another edition

**no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review**

"From Blood and Ash, We Will Rise."

Hey guys, so I was influenced to read this book, despite not liking another JLA book i read, from a group i am in. And I am glad I did. I think. LMAO. My emotions are still on a wild high, that ending man, holy crap...but I am getting ahead of myself. I honestly do not even know where to begin. The world, it had some building, kinda? But alot of things were merely talked about and not quite explained, leav **no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review**

"From Blood and Ash, We Will Rise."

Hey guys, so I was influenced to read this book, despite not liking another JLA book i read, from a group i am in. And I am glad I did. I think. LMAO. My emotions are still on a wild high, that ending man, holy crap...but I am getting ahead of myself. I honestly do not even know where to begin. The world, it had some building, kinda? But alot of things were merely talked about and not quite explained, leaving me confused. And any history that we got was...well, not complete. So the world building was alright. Now the way the author crafted a scene was pretty good, not too much information but just enough to get you in the mindset of the characters and what is going on. I never liked particularly heavy scenic details, nor have I liked travel scenes, but the author made it work. However, I will admit the action scenes were a bit chaotic and difficult for me to follow along smoothly. Like, I understood the gist of what was happening, but not step by step, the pacing was slightly off. The pacing of this book, was interesting. In the beginning, we meet Poppy, gods Poppy. All she wanted to do was live and learn and love, and be free from the 'shackles' restraining her. Gods she dreamed of having so much...she deserves so much. Poppy deserves the world, and I will fight anyone who dares say otherwise. We are introduced to her and her world and intriguing to say the least, but it does kinda start off a little slow. This is when I was glad I was listening to the audiobook, I could just speed it up without missing important details. Like, this story ebs and flows. its kinda slow, then something happens, its kinda slow, then something happens. The first somethingt hat happened was pretty intriguing. Then we get a bit of a lull that is filled by...the one and only Hawke. We also, meet Hawke in the beginning. And gods...hawke...He comes off so sexy, scandalous, humorous, charming, charmatic...everything. He is everything. And when he leaves you, you are left wanting more. NO one can get enough of Hawk at the beginning of the book. Whenever he reappears, its like breathing a breath of fresh air. He makes the story lighter and fuller and more vibrant, every time he walks intot he room. HIs banter with Poppy, his interactions, his loyalty, his strength, his resilience, everything about him...is just..deceptively alluring. And gods...No one can blame Poppy. So yeah the first half of the book is ebs and flows with some banter, and then, the second half...holy shit. its just a nonstop rollercoaster. ACTIONS HAPPEN EVERYTHING HAPPENS AND SO MUCH IS SPIRALING OUT FO CONTROL YOU JUST HAVE TO HANG ON FOR THE RIDE. Its insane, how fast and spirited the second half. its like...holy crap. And Poppy proves she is the most badass woman ever, time and time agsin. But she also reveals, that like all of us, she has flaws. And one big one she just cant shake. poor popppy, gods...i just wish I could save her from all the trauma and pain she has gone through in her life. Gods..she's already dealt with so much...but she has faced adversity before, she will triumph once again and give the beatdown to all her defy and threaten her. But yeah, the book...the story...the story was a rollercoaster man. I do not think I cannot go into much more detail without spoiling. but the end...the goddamn ending.. Wow...just wow. My emotions are still on a buzz, I finished this at like 3:30 am last night, lmao. Remember, this is all my opinion, if you want your own, read the book. Okay, till next time. Bye guys.

Merged review:

I love how this starts off as a forbidden guard romance for like 75% of the book then it all goes to shit. It is really remarkable. But of course this is an introductory book so it is a bit slow, even in audiobook form,so there is alot to be built, which happens primarily in the second book. But you do get to start to understand the characters and such, which is great. ...more

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May 30, 2021 AK rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, unfinished-series

Well, first things first, this was a great book. I can certainly see the appeal others may have towards it. I suppose it can be partially compared to ACOTAR, not in terms of writing or character development, but based on certain similarities in the plot in the latter half, but that's probably just me.

Penellaphe Balfour has been told her whole life to act as the Maiden that she is, Chosen by the Gods. Her life has been restricted by a set of rules and all she wants in life is the freedom to be ab ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 Meenu rated it did not like it

I picked it up because of the Goodreads awards. But this book is such a disappointment. The story is boring, unoriginal and predictable. The author didn't bother with the world building at all. We have ascension, descenters, craven, barrats which were not fully explained until the end. No one questions anything in this world. And then we have our dumb lead poppy who can't figure out anything until it is explained to her despite all the painfully obvious hints. Hawke is creepy and the insta love ...more

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Aug 30, 2020 Shannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 2022-popsugar

I just finished my re-read of From Blood and Ash as we get ready for the release of The War of Two Queens and realized I never posted a review. I listened to the audiobook this time around and thought Stina Nielson did a great job with the characters. There were some minor mistakes in the audiobook where the narrator misspoke, but it really didn't detract from the storyline. You would have only noticed if you were reading along with the book or had read it previously in print. I went on to liste I just finished my re-read of From Blood and Ash as we get ready for the release of The War of Two Queens and realized I never posted a review. I listened to the audiobook this time around and thought Stina Nielson did a great job with the characters. There were some minor mistakes in the audiobook where the narrator misspoke, but it really didn't detract from the storyline. You would have only noticed if you were reading along with the book or had read it previously in print. I went on to listen to A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and there weren't any noticeable mistakes in the audiobook. I'm about 20% into The Crown of Gilded Bones and she's done a great job maintaining consistency with the voices of the characters throughout the series.

This book has been out for quite a while and has become pretty popular. I read it initially right after it was released in 2020 before all the hype. I love the series, but I can see why some people do not. It is trope heavy and parts of it are predictable. There are other parts that are unique and interesting. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorite authors, so it is no surprise that I loved this.

The synopsis lays out the plot pretty well so I won't really go into that too much. Poppy is "The Chosen One", though she isn't really sure why. She's lived a pretty sheltered life, but she finds ways to rebel against the rules set for her. Poppy is terrified of the future that has been chosen for her and she isn't quite sure that she wants what is in store for her. As the book progresses we see that Poppy is so much more than the demure Maiden that she is supposed to be. Hawke is her personal guard, but it quickly becomes clear that he's not fully bought into Poppy as "The Maiden" either.

If you are a traditional fantasy lover, this may not be to your liking. The world building is ok, but we don't get the detailed descriptions you might expect in a high fantasy series. It is more atmospheric and character driven. The magic system isn't fully explained yet (we learn more in the later books). If you've read some of Jen's other PNR books you will know that she often sets up things to be learned later on in the series. This is going to be 5 or 6 books in total so I expect things to be revealed as we go much like they did with the Lux series. While it is set in a fantasy world with fantasy elements, it has more of the feeling of a paranormal romance or urban fantasy. Many of the tropes you expect to find in a PNR are present here. The romance element is front and center with the fantasy parts taking a secondary role. I like both high fantasy and PNR, so you get no complaint from me on that front. The characters speak in modern terms which didn't bother me, but I know that can irritate some readers. Parts of this world have electricity and running water while other parts rely on lanterns and candle for light and pitchers of water for washing. It walks the line of traditional high fantasy and urban fantasy. That will not be to everyone's taste.

As I said the romance is what really shines here. JLA is really good at writing intimate scenes at the YA, NA, and adult level. This book gives you a taste of what is to come in the later books and while Poppy and Hawke get a little steamy here, the books only get more steamy going forward. I do feel there are several situations that had questionable consent between Hawke and Poppy, and that continues through the 2nd book. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way as I've seen it mentioned several times in the more negative reviews. I don't think I noticed on the first read, but I definitely notice the 2nd time. The author tried to clear it up with Poppy's inner monologues and what was supposed to be witty banter between the main characters, but I feel clear consent is really important in books as is use of protection. They do discuss birth control as protection isn't really an issue as far as disease is concerned between the two of them. That being said the banter between the characters is excellent! I was laughing out loud constantly while listening to this.

Overall, this is the start to a fun fantasy romance series. I really enjoyed it. It is easy to read, has great banter, and I thought the pacing was good. This does end with a cliffhanger, so be prepared. If you've read Jen's other books you should expect that, but if you are new to her books you've been warned. I'm anxiously awaiting the remaining books in the series to find out what happens. ...more

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