Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

Ever since she was a child, Penellaphe has been waiting for her 19 birthday - her Ascension. She is the Maiden, the Chosen, and has been heavily watched and guarded her whole life. She needs to be worthy of the Gods to complete her Ascension, and follow a strict lifestyle until that day arrives.

So far she's done a pretty okay job of it. Sure, she tests the limits, but nothing to anger the Gods to make her unworthy. Until Hawke arrives. With Hawke comes temptation, feelings, adventure. Hawke awakens too many things inside of Poppy and makes her wonder "what if..."?

Soon Poppy will be on her own adventure, one she's not sure if she wants or not. But she is also going to discover things she's never dreamed of, and things she won't believe at first. Life is about to change for Poppy forever...

O. M. G. I just...I'm speechless. This book gutted me. Ripped me apart and put me back together, just to destroy me at the end. I just can't put into words how many feelings I felt throughout this novel.

Because this is a high fantasy novel, it did take me a little while to get into the story. World building takes time and I haven't read a fantasy novel in a LONG time, so it was an adjustment for me. HOWEVER, once I did get into the story, it was game over after that. I flew through the novel within a day and this is a BIG book!

Poppy is amazing. She's fearless. Reckless. Stubborn and determined. She's smart and intuitive, but also naive in some ways. She's a rebellion and is always testing the limits. I do not envy Poppy's lifestyle because she is also a prisoner. Being told that she can't talk to anyone, that she has to cover her face, she can't leave the perimeter. I think I would rebel too, because that is not a way to live life. So I totally understand her "acting out" and wanting to feel something once and awhile.

Hawke. Man, we get an introduction to Hawke that leaves you wanting more, only to have to wait CHAPTERS before seeing him again. He's intense, so serious, yet can joke around with Poppy at the same time. He seems a little slow, but in reality he's the smartest character in this book. Nothing gets by him - he has the eyes and ears of a hawk and is always one step ahead of everyone else - well, except when it comes to Poppy. She's stunned him a few times which keeps him on his guard around her.

I'm not going to go into details about this book and the specific subjects and genres that JLA writes about, because I personally think everyone needs to read this novel. But I will say, I totally guessed it pretty close to the start of the novel. And the big reveals were just as shocking and bone-chilling as I imagined it would be.

Though I will have to say, THAT ENDING!!! (And by that ending, I literally mean THE LAST SENTENCE OF THIS NOVEL!!). THAT was something I wasn't expecting, because it seriously changes everything that was planned for Poppy and now I'm super confused on how things are going to end up. I mean, there is no way that everyone will live happily ever after. (Though. let's be real, JLA is a genius and she has the perfect ending, but I'm too emotional to work through all possibilities at this moment.)

This book has so many things in it. Fantasy. Mystery. Forbidden Romance. Supernatural. Lies, deceit, betrayal. Love, friendship, family. And so so so many secrets your head will be spinning.

I am so so so glad I got to read this eARC and I'm so bummed that I have to WAIT FOREVER for the next book in the series. I know that I will be re-reading this novel again because there is SO MUCH INFORMATION in this large novel, and I want to gather every speck of information until I've memorized this novel!

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