SPOILER WARNING!
Jennifer Armentrout is one of the BEST authors I have ever read. Trust me when I say I have read so many books that my home library has more books than people read in their lives. If you enjoy reading Sarah J. Maas, you will absolutely devour the From Blood and Ash series. Both authors have a way of taking you on a dangerous adventure that you can get lost in for hours. So if you enjoy amazing storytelling, enemies to lovers, major plot twists, and heartbreaking cliffhangers, this book is for you.
Poppy can be seen as your typical damsel at face value, however, she has more bite than she seems. She has secretly been training with her guard, Vikter, and has mastered the art of escaping her room and hitting the town. As the maiden, her extracurricular activities go against everything that she is supposed to stand for. If she were caught, it could be detrimental. Life hasn’t changed for her for years, spending most of her time locked up in her room. Personally, I love this kind of MC. They have so much growth to undergo, and you get to witness them through their struggles and highs.
Poppy’s life begins to change as she sneaks out to the Red Pearl, a bar in town, where she meets a new guard from the capital. Hawke has yet to discover who she is, and they have a somewhat scandalous encounter. Unfortunately, they were interrupted which led to Poppy fleeing back to the castle. We can already see some tension between the two, and to my great pleasure, it continues through the story. As fate would have it, Hawke ends up becoming one of her personal guards after her current guard, Rylan, is shot dead by an arrow during their garden walk.
Poppy goes to Rylan's funeral against Vikter's wishes. Despite the fact that they were surrounded by a dozen Royal Guards, Vikter hesitates before lighting the funeral pyre out of concern for Poppy. Funny enough, Hawke steps forward to guard Poppy in his place. Tension rises as Hawke vows she will never be hurt again after seeing her injured. During my first read, I could see the foreshadowing of their relationship and I was all for it! As Hawke becomes her official guard, Poppy is forced to reveal her scared face to him in front of the cruel Duke. However, despite the Duke’s cruel words, Hawke claims that both sides of her face are beautiful. He does not seem to recognize her from the Red Pearl, causing some mild disappointment in Poppy and in me.
However, it is easily remedied in my eyes as we get to the part where the Duke calls Poppy to his office because of her time in the Atrium. After seeing Tawny, Poppy’s maid, concerned about the summoning, Hawke is suspicious about the anxious feeling that has spread through the room. After her beating, Poppy hides away in her room to prevent any questions from Hawke, especially since she can no longer walk. This scene just made my heart squeeze, I felt so bad for Poppy, but at the same time, I craved the confrontation between her and Hawke. I’m a sucker for the typical “Who did this to you” type.
Armentrout doesn’t disappoint on that factor, though. The more time Hawke spends guarding her, he sees how difficult her life has been and all the factors that contribute to her amazing nature. He finds out about her training after discovering her fighting the Craven, and he later learns about her doings with those who have already turned. I won’t spoil the rest of the book for you, but just know that the tension between the two gets HOT! Spicy garden scene coming right up. Overall, if you love my short little summary, you have to check out the book and the rest of the series. Just watch out for the cliffhangers!
