Everyone:AGREED.
Umm, at this point, things got so chaotic there was no point in continuing—especially because Lassiter came in and tried to sit in V’s lap, and that har-har-har, through-a-plate-glass-window got a little too close to right-here-and-now for comfort. So yeah…there you have it. Personally, I hope you do readLassiter. It’s a pivotal book in the whole series, and it goes deep into the most profound parts of the Black Dagger Brotherhood world. It’s also a beautiful love story.
Two of them.
Bella’s Book Recommendations
I love that Bella did these! I always pictured her cozied up when Nalla was napping, engrossed in a physical copy of whatever she was reading. Z’sshellanjust seems like someone who would want to hold the actual book in her hands...
From Blood and Ash
Hi everyone! After years of not reading, I’ve fallen into the pages of good books again. I’m not even sure why. Nalla keeps me busy, and social media is still rife with good memes. But I’ve been needing a different kind of escape lately, one that involves a nice glass of wine and a quiet corner, not a scrolling screen in my palm or a big one on the wall of the billiards room.
Anyway, I mentioned this in an offhand way to Beth, and she suggested I do book reviews for theCCJ—so I’ve decided to give it a shot. I’ve tried all kinds of books, but in spite of the fact that it can be a little weird for me, I’m in a paranormal rut, so to speak—actually, it’s more like a graveyard, a delicious onewith old stones and mist and friendly ghosts. Accordingly, for my first review, I’m doingFrom Blood and Ashby Jennifer L. Armentrout.
To be honest, what got me was the cover, which suggests good marketing works. The cover attracted my attention, and then I read the blurb, which I’ll share below:
Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.
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 theybelieve 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 liked so much about the book. Poppy, the heroine, is a badass, but she’s also vulnerable—and the balance between the two opposites was done very well. Also, although the book is a fantasy, Poppy’s relatable. She has this responsibility on her shoulders. This duty. But she still wants to live her life, be a person, rather than an icon.
There are a lot of serious situations in this book. Bone-crunching physical conflict, and also heart-wrenching emotional drama, but it’s not all dark and heavy. There’s playfulness and banter what with Hawke, the hero, treating Poppy like she’s not just the Maiden. He treats her like a female of worth.
Which brings me to the hero. Hawke’s hot. I’m not going to lie. He’s also incredibly consuming as a character. From the first moment he comes onto the page, you want to know more about him. He’s charming and yet you sense there’s an edge to him. You know that he’s dangerous and can be ruthless.
I won’t spoil anything, but the story is an action-packed fantasy that is both fresh and relatable. Filled with twists and turns, and a delicious love story, it did its job. It transported me to another world, and you know you’re into a story when the fact that there are more books makes you hit the Buy Now button like you have a tic.
Oh, and the last thing I’ll say, is that part of what fascinated me about the world was how a human imagined a fantasy realm and reality. She did a great job!
The author is a woman named Jennifer L. Armentrout, and I decided, on a what-the-hell, to send her some questions to go with my review. To my shock, she answered them. Here they are below!
Q1)Where do you get your ideas from? I found the world depicted inFrom Blood and Ashto be complex, yet believable. I’m just curious where it, and the people in it, came from?
A:I get my ideas from some pretty random places. ForFrom Blood and Ash, it all started with the 2016 Olympics. I don’t know why. I don’t know how, but the idea started and spun from there. The Ascended and the Descenters were with me from the beginning, along with Poppy and Hawke. They came to me immediately, and the rest pieces together, almost like a movie playing in my head, as I write. I wanted to make sure that even though this is a fantasy world, not rooted in any contemporary setting, that it would still be relatable, and even a little ‘modern’ in the way people speak or in societal rules. I think that helps keep it relatable. I could be wrong, though. I’m usually wrong.
Q2)I really identified with Poppy because she was so apart from everyone else—I won’t go into my own personal circumstances, but I know what it’s like to be separated from others. What made you go that direction with your heroine?
A:I think that even though most people would never (hopefully) find themselves in Poppy’s situation, there is still something so incredibly relatable to feeling separated, even if you’re surrounded by people. But in her case, she truly is set aside from everyone else because of her status as the Maiden. I think it’s interesting to explore how society puts so much weight and value on something that’s not tangible (like maidenhood or purity) over how a person thinks, acts, and behaves, and I really wanted to delve into how she is pretty much held to a standardthat at the end of the day doesn’t determine if someone is good or bad. One thing that I personally love about Poppy is that she is a badass despite being incredibly sheltered and caged. Hand her a dagger or a bow, and you better start running. But she is also vulnerable. There’s so much she hasn’t experienced. And the contrast between being able and willing to use a weapon and still being vulnerable with an air of innocence (that has nothing to do with naughty shenanigans) always makes for an interesting character.
Q3)I read in your reader group—JLAnders—that this hero, Hawke, is a combo of your most popular heroes. That really intrigued your readers, because the guys are vastly different. What qualities of each does Hawke have?
A:So I said he was a mixture of Aiden, Roth, and Hunter, which really are three vastly different characters. Hawke has Aiden’s patience and kindness, he’s as charming, flirty, and snarky as Roth, and like Hunter, you do not want to be on his bad side. Hawke can be brutal in his vengeance and what he will do for those he loves.
** Speed round (this or that) **
Q1)Alpacas or llamas?
