From Blood & Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 From Blood & Ash

by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

My Rating: Maybe 2.5⭐⭐ 
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

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.

My Review:

I truly believe in sharing honest reviews, even when my experience doesn’t line up with the overwhelming praise a book receives, and that is exactly what happened with From Blood & Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This wasn’t a case of me outright hating the book. What made me angry—genuinely angry—was how exhausting it was to get through.

This book dragged. Not just a little, not in a “slow burn” way, but in a painfully stagnant way. Everything, the plot, the pacing, the progression, moved at an absolute snail’s pace. By the time I was three-quarters of the way through, I realized that nearly 75% of the story felt like nothing more than waiting around and watching Poppy be repeatedly abused. Emotionally, physically, psychologically, over and over again. And for what? She’s supposed to be the Chosen. That alone should have meant something, but instead it felt meaningless for most of the book.

What made it worse, and honestly infuriating, was the justification. Everyone around her, every person who claimed to love her or care about her, just… accepted it. They stood by and allowed it because “the gods said so.” Because tradition demanded it. Because it was “necessary.” And I’m sorry, but absolutely not. That explanation does not soften the cruelty, it just exposes the cowardice. If you love someone, you don’t let them suffer endlessly just because it’s convenient or sanctioned. Full stop. So yeah—f that.

Yes, I understand that eventually the story explains why things are the way they are. I get that there’s a bigger picture. But by the time those answers arrived, it was far too late for me emotionally. I had already spent hundreds of pages simmering in frustration, resentment, and disbelief. The damage was done.

And then there’s Poppy herself. She’s trained. She knows how to fight. We’re told repeatedly that she’s capable, yet she continuously allows these weak, power-hungry men to beat her down without resistance. It was infuriating to read. I kept waiting for the moment she snapped, fought back, did something, and instead I got passivity that made no sense given her skills or her situation. The disconnect between what we’re told about her and what we see her do was maddening. Insert the biggest stank face imaginable here.

I know this book is the foundation of something bigger. I can see the potential now. I can even admit that the ending hints at what could become a powerful, compelling series. But the journey to get there took far too long, asked for far too much patience, and delivered far too little payoff in the meantime. What could have been a strong, gripping beginning instead felt like an endurance test, and that frustration overshadowed everything else for me.

Good ideas. Strong potential. But the pacing and repeated suffering without progress made this experience more aggravating than enjoyable.

Silver & Blood by Jesie Mihalik

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

My Rating: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 2.5 🌶🌶

Blurb:

On a deadly mission to kill the mythical beast that has been haunting her woods, a desperate mage finds her fate intertwined with the handsome and powerful man who saves her.

There’s something in the woods…

Untrained and barely armed, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forest and kill the deadly beast that has been attacking her fellow villagers as she’s the only mage available—or so she thought. When one beast turns into two, she fears her death is at hand, but unexpected aid from a scarred, strikingly handsome man with dangerous moonlit magic means a second chance at life—and an opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.

After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. Riela soon learns Garrick is not a mortal mage at all—he’s a powerful Etheri sovereign who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening.

Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets connecting Riela’s past to Lohka, the tenuous threads of trust between them begin to fray because Riela’s life—or her death—might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.

(This is a STUNNING COVER!)

My Review:

👀👄

This was one of those reads that came so close to being a favorite for me. While I enjoyed my time with it, I ultimately walked away feeling satisfied rather than swept off my feet.

The story opens strongly, immediately pulling you into its world, a choice that pays off and sets the tone well. The magic system is thoughtfully designed and easy to engage with, and Riela stands out as a capable, resilient protagonist. As the sole mage in her village, she carries both power and pressure, which gives her character a solid foundation and makes her easy to root for.

After a brutal encounter with a mysterious beast, Riela’s journey takes an expected but cozy turn when she’s rescued by Garrick: reserved, enigmatic, and residing in a magically protected castle (yes, complete with an inviting library and a wolf companion). The setting leans heavily into comfort-fantasy vibes, and the romantic tension sparks quickly. The slow-burn elements are well handled, and the chemistry is present from the start, even if the story doesn’t always surprise.

Where the book faltered for me was in its execution rather than its ideas. The plot follows a fairly predictable path, and while the revelations are spaced out nicely, some sections drag or feel more like connective tissue than meaningful progression. The pacing wavers, and a few moments could have been trimmed without losing impact.

The romance, in particular, was my biggest hurdle. Although the attraction between the leads is undeniable, it often leans too heavily on physical desire without enough emotional groundwork. Much of their connection is expressed through intense inner commentary rather than shared vulnerability or growth, which made the relationship feel more infatuation-driven than heartfelt. This may be intentional groundwork for a sequel, but in this installment, it left the romance feeling underdeveloped.

That said, this is still an enjoyable romantasy for readers who prefer lighter stakes and a more relaxed emotional investment. The world is charming, the magic is intriguing, and there’s a steady sense of momentum that keeps the pages turning. While it didn’t fully deliver on its potential for me, there’s enough here to make it a pleasant and entertaining read.