Challenge Corner discussion

Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa.

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

I'll join you ladies to buddy read this one...LOVE Armentrout!

yay the more the merrier girl!

starting this now!

19%: (view spoiler)[Oh no! Who the heck shot him with an arrow? (hide spoiler)]

40%: (view spoiler)[ohhh shit. I can't wait for this talk! (hide spoiler)]

67%: (view spoiler)[oo she is traveling without the veil into the outside world.. I'm excited for her even if it's for a sad reason. (hide spoiler)]

100%: (view spoiler)[Not surprising he was the prince, aka the dark one, but are they really going to get married? Ugh, now I need the second book ASAP! (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING MARCH 21ST, 2021

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Starting today!

Whose BR is this?! I'm crashing it! Hahahah.

Nice! lol I forgot the name of the person who wanted to read with me

Ruthie wrote: "Nice! lol I forgot the name of the person who wanted to read with me"

Well, now you're stuck with me girlfriend! :P

Welp, I really suck. Lmao. I only wrote one spoiler tag. 🤷‍♀️

Chapter 1-7(view spoiler)[poor guy! He was so nice! This is definitely suuuper interesting. I want to know more about the guy from the beginning! What was his name? Hawke? (hide spoiler)]
Finished(view spoiler)[I listened to this while doing a diamond painting and totally just lost myself. Lol. So I didn't get to write notes. BUT! I freaking called EVERYTHING. I literally called my sister when I was at work while listening to the book so I could tell her that I thought Hawke was the "bad guy" and that the "bad guys" were actually going to be the good guys. While the "good guys" were the actual bad guys. AND LOOK! That's what happened. Lol. However, I didn't see it coming that she was half Atlantian. So kudos to JLA for that one. Lol. (hide spoiler)]

And I've already dived into the next one. Are you reading the second one too? I noticed this thread is only for book one?

I've already finished it just haven't written my review yet! No worries sometimes I'm so bad at updating my progress on the BR thread. But now we can just have a conversation about it

I think I'll have to wait until next month to read the second. We can set up a BR so we get the points for next month and it's ok if you're ahead of me

(view spoiler)[

YES! I called everything too, which to me is pretty disappointing because I like when books surprise me. I did enjoy this one and I did like it but I didn't LOVE it like so many people do. It felt like JLA cherry picked ideas from books and concepts I've read so many times and she didn't make it her own so I was let down by that. Her strength is definetly the dialogue and banter between Poppy and Hawke (hide spoiler)]

I rated it 3 stars, here's my non spoiler review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ruthie wrote: "

YES! I called everything too, which to me is pretty disappointing because I like when books surprise me. I did enjoy this one and I did like it but I didn't LOVE it like so many people do. It fel..."

Right! I'm the same way. This was my first JLA book too. I gave it four stars because (view spoiler)[of the guessing damn near the whole plot. (hide spoiler)] But I'm about 25% into the second book and it's pretty okay so far. Unfortunately we won't be able to BR since I'm reading it now. It's got to be within two weeks from the start date of the BR. But I'm sure with the last book coming out next month that members will want to BR the series. :)

Felicia wrote: "Ruthie wrote: "

YES! I called everything too, which to me is pretty disappointing because I like when books surprise me. I did enjoy this one and I did like it but I didn't LOVE it like so many pe..."

ok sounds good!

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RESTARTING SEPTEMBER 5TH 2021

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Anyone else planning to start this tomorrow?

(view spoiler)[
Okay but how on earth did i finish this in a day?!? Iv'e read the fastest i have ever read in my life. ( I Did a readathon for this but im still shocked)

-Loving it so far, not faced paced but the banter between Poppy and Hawke at the start was amazing.
-Just read a massive chunk, still loving it though.
-I wish i could find more about the other maiden died. I just know the basics.
-Just finished it and LOVED it. It's hard at the start but it's worth it at the end. I can't wait for the next one!.
(hide spoiler)]

Starting this one! =D

Yes me too, later today.

Chapters 1-3
(view spoiler)[ well we’re off to a very Armentrout start…it’s a while since I’ve read anything by her. I have to be in the right mood - otherwise my inner cynic gets in the way! Hawk and Poppy seem off to a promising start (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7
Lord Mazeen:
(view spoiler)[ aaaaand we have our Evil Baddie (hide spoiler)]

Damn you Jennifer Armintrout! I’m completely hooked again!
Up to end of chapter 22
(view spoiler)[ normally with this ‘type’ of story I get very annoyed with the female MC when they act stupidly, but for some reason this author always manages to get it right. I’m already thinking ‘ I hope it will be Poppy and Hawke for the 3 book series. One that does still annoy me is the twisting of names to make it sound like a fantasy setting- Pompei becomes Pompay, Penelope becomes Penellophe- I can’t even! I’ve just got to the bit where Mazeen has caught up with Poppy at the Rites ceremony, but I’m not too worried because hopefully Hawke is going to save her! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25
(view spoiler)[ getting heavier hints now about Hawke possibly having special gifts of some kind..intriguing (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 26 (view spoiler)[ pretty impressed with Poppy right now, her having killed Mazeen. How will she ever fare without Vickter? (hide spoiler)]

Okay, well that was a late start for me. I fell ill and started this late. And then it was so slow at the start that I stopped reading. Then I went back and restarted it today since there was so much info-dumping there at the start and I didn't want to miss anything important.

8% (view spoiler)[There was a lot of info-dumping right at the start. It kind of made things drag at first.

Hmm, I wonder if that girl sent her to Hawke's room on purpose? And if so, then why? Was she really a seer like Poppy thought? Or did she know Hawke and wanted to stir up drama?

I really liked Hawke and Poppy's first encounter. Their banter was amusing. Jennifer L. Armentrout really knows how to write great chemistry. (hide spoiler)]

Charlotte wrote: "

Okay but how on earth did i finish this in a day?!? Iv'e read the fastest i have ever read in my life. ( I Did a readathon for this but im still shocked)
..."

(view spoiler)[I agree. Their banter at the beginning was awesome. I loved the chemistry that they had. I also agree that it was a slow start. There was A LOT of set up at the beginning. (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Chapters 1-3
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes, I am really loving their chemistry. (hide spoiler)]

my fingers are crossed that i get this from the library in time for the BR

Starting this soon in October

22%

(view spoiler)[So is a craven a vampire or a vampire and werewolf hybrid? So the scars that Poppy has on her face are from a craven?

I'm a little confused about Poppy's relationship with Victor. Is he like a father figure? He works for the Duke or the Queen but he allows her to do things that are forbidden for the Maiden to do. And I still don't know what his role is with regard to her. If he is a soldier or guard then what is his purpose with her? Is he one of her guards? And it is mentioned that he taught her with a blade but it is implied that that is also forbidden. So why would he be breaking all these rules with her?

I really have no idea what it means to be ascended and it's driving me crazy not knowing. They are immortal but they used to be mortal.

Lord Mezine seems like a real prick. And a creep too.

Hmm, I am not sure about Poppy's powers. Can she take the pain of someone?

Aww, poor Rylan. He seemed so sweet. (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Chapter 7
Lord Mazeen:
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, he was a real piece of work. (hide spoiler)]

28%

(view spoiler)[I'm going to be honest. I am really not fully understanding this world. I don't understand the gods and the ascended. I don't understand the rules about which children must serve the gods and what that entails. And who chooses who gets to be ascended and who doesn't?

So now Hawke is her personal guard. He didn't seem to recognize her when she was made to reveal her face to him in the duke's office. Now she has to hope that when and if she speaks that he won't recognize her voice. (hide spoiler)]

43%

(view spoiler)[I really hate that Poppy feels like nothing more than a slave. Made to do as she is asked without question just because she is the Maiden. What the hell does that even mean? What is the significance of the Maiden? They are chosen by the gods, but how? It's like she has no rights.

The Duke is an absolute prick. Just like Lord Mazeen. It's no wonder why they seem thick as thieves. The entire scene where the Duke beat her was disgusting. More so beacause he had Lord Mazeen present to witness it and ogle her naked torso.

So Hawke knew that it was Poppy the whole time. (hide spoiler)]

51%

(view spoiler)[Hawke and Vikter's bickering is quite amusing.

The Duchess said that she and the Duke spoke with the gods. How did they do that? How do the Ascended talk with the gods? And where the hell are the gods? Where do they reside and what are their motivations?

Hmm, things are getting a tiny bit clearer. Well, not really, but some things are making the gears in my brain turn. The guy at the assembly screamed at the Duke and Duchess and said that the Ascended steal second and third sons and daughters in the name of false gods. That makes a lot more sense than anything so far, really.

If Poppy has a gift from the gods then why would she forbidden from using it? The Duchess said that she wasn't supposed to use it until she has proven to the gods that she deserves it? If that were the case then why wouldn't she develop the gift after she has proven herself? It makes no sense.

Why have there only been two maidens? I still have no clue what a maiden's purpose is and why they are chosen by the gods from birth. Chosen for what exactly? The Duchess said that the first maiden was killed by the Dark One. Another thing I don't wholly understand at this point.

Hawke is such a smartass. God, I love it! =P

I like that Hawke defended Poppy against the priestess.

Haha, Poppy reading the smut diary was amusing. She is so innocent. (hide spoiler)]

28%

(view spoiler)[ ok so far but there are still things I dont get like whats so special about being the Maiden?
Why the veil and what so special about being an Ascendant (hide spoiler)]

62%

(view spoiler)[ a massacre. The world just turn upside down (hide spoiler)]

84%

(view spoiler)[definitely not surprise at Hawke's revelation.

I didnt take Poppy to be so brutal, slaughtering Lord Mazeen like that (hide spoiler)]

7% (view spoiler)[ started this audio today. They just jump right in don’t they? Haha (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[ I am still confused about some of the history and the world but don't think it will impact my reading.

hmm so Poppy's brother is possibly not her full blooded brother (hide spoiler)]

44% (view spoiler)[ Hawk sounds like fun! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

76%

(view spoiler)[OMG, I love Hawke. His personality is just perfect. I love his smartass comments and his clever quips. He always has just the right thing to say to Poppy and it always puts a smile on my face. OMG, I am actually laughing right now.

Hawke seems to genuinely be attracted to Poppy because of her personality, not simply for a piece of ass, as Vikter implied.

The Duke totally deserved it.

Wow, Poppy kicks ass.

Oh god no, Vikter!

Lord Mazeen deserved it too.

Now that's a good way to get to sleep. =P

I wonder what Hawke thinks of Poppy now that he knows about her powers. And it was kind of off how he seemed to know the people where they were staying when he said he had only been there a few times. They seemed awfully familiar with each other. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!

(view spoiler)[Oh, wow. Kieran is a werewolf? A wolven?

Hmmm...betrayal? All sorts of shit is going down. Hawke is in league with these Wolvens and they killed her other guards. It really has to suck to be betrayed by the man that you just had super hot sex with.

I love how vicious Poppy is when trying to defend herself and escape.

So Hawke is an Atlantian. Though I am still not entirely sure what that is, but it sounds ominous. He has fangs so is he akin to a vampire?

So the Ascended are just mortals that have been given Atlantian blood? And so they are essentially vampires? Why aren't the Atlantians considered vampires then? And so the Ascended use Atlantians to turn mortals into Ascended? And the Ascended take the children that are supposed to serve the gods and feed on them? I guess that makes sense. I always thought that that part was a little off. Maybe Hawke really is telling the truth. But if the Ascended have bloodlust then what makes the Atlantians different? So Hawke was a captive of the Ascended for fifty years, used to create new Ascended? Things are really getting interesting.

Delanoe doesn't seem that bad, all things considered. I think I like him.

Well, that was kind of expected, wasn't it? Hawke is the Dark One. Casteel.

Okay, that love scene after she stabbed him was pretty hot.

So Poppy is half Atlantian? And Hawke, or Casteel, is going to marry her in Atlantia? He kind of sprung that on her. He didn't even ask her, just announced it in front of his people. And he said that an Atlantian can only marry another Atlantian if they are on their home soil? That made no sense to me.

Overall, I really loved this. I admit that I was a little tripped up by all the confusing world-building through most of the book but otherwise I think that this book is really clever. I'm really looking forward to reading the next one. (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Damn you Jennifer Armintrout! I’m completely hooked again!
Up to end of chapter 22
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree with you. Her writing is kind of addicting. =P And the names really don't bother me. I kind of like Penallaphe's name. It sometimes feels weird because there are fantasy-sounding names and then there are also very normal and modern sounding name, like Vikter and Kieran. It's kind of a mixed bag in this book. Hearing modern names mixed with fantasy-sounding names kind of throws me off-kilter sometimes but it isn't as bad in this book even if it is something that I notice. (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Chapter 25
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, I kind of love the foreshadowing in this book. (hide spoiler)]

Emma wrote: "Chapter 26 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, I was really proud of her for sticking up for herself. And I was so gratified with the reactions of everyone when they saw her fight. (hide spoiler)]