I swear this series just loves to keep me in detective mode, I felt like I was eagerly piecing together everything we were learning around every corner. There’s also a bigger reveal on the lore of the world, which was really well done, and played well into the questions surrounding Poppy’s own past. It’s essentially like a vampires and werewolves scenario, but instead of hating one another, they work together? There’s also more information on the kingdom she left behind, and the craven they have to run from constantly, so as much as I said there’s a bigger focus on the romance and characters there’s still quite a bit of the world being revealed. I’m planning to read some thick fantasy books this year, so I know romance isn’t always a big part of those, which is why I love series like this.įor the world building that we do get in this book I was really interested in the tidbits we learn both of the Atlantians and wolven, all of the gaps in Poppy’s knowledge getting slowly and beautifully filled in. That said, I really do like a good romance, so I was perfectly happy with having a series that gives us that as its priority. If you aren’t as big a fan of romance, or the characters from the first book this could be a drawback as there is a lot more in this one than the first. Like A Court of Thorns and Roses, there are times where I’d say the Romance takes full stage, and all else is put on hold. There’s still quite a bit of world-building, and I constantly enjoyed the Paranormal creatures lessons we get as readers, but I can definitely see how this could make some readers love it, and some not. Somehow, between the ending of the last book, and the majority of this book we quickly departed the primarily Fantasy feel the series had going, and had Romance take over. It also doesn’t help that Hawke happens to be the Dark One whispered about as well as the Prince Casteel of the other kingdom that wishes to use her.įrom Blood and Ash was like a different book compared to this, and I think in this case that was a really good thing. She now knows a lot of dark truths about her own past, but it doesn’t change that she is caught in between two kingdoms who want her for terrifying reasons. I always love a good romance in my books, and this series seems determined to keep me reading it, so how did book two go? This review goes into the second book of the series, so if you do not want spoilers for the book one, please see that review here.Ī Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (AKOFAF) picks up after Hawke’s betrayal, as Poppy finds out that the one last person there to protect her was only out to use her from the beginning. I finished the book pretty fast, and then found myself waiting for this book to arrive. I picked up From Blood and Ash in January thinking I’d see what all the hype was about, but little did I know I’d get hooked as fast as I did.

A kingdom of flesh