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Flesh and Fire #1
A Shadow in the Ember
Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.
However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.
647 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2021
About the author
Jennifer L. Armentrout
132 books135k followersHey Guys! Please note: I don't send out ARCs for review. If you're interested in reviewing a book of mine before release date, please contact the appropriate publisher. I also do NOT check my Goodreads email.
To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
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December 25, 2022
“You’re mortal, Sera. But most mortals don’t live as if their life is already forfeit.”
But mine was.
It had been forfeited before I was even born.
✅ Sexy characters
✅ Smut and sexual tension 🔥🔥
✅ Snark and funny dialogues
✅ Romance and angst
✅ World-building
✅ Baby drakens (and baby Reaver!!)🐉
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Action
✅ “Kiss me against the wall so they don’t notice us” trope (aka fake-out make-out trope)
O. M. G.
5 amazing kickass stars.
Well… I never thought I would have the hots for an immortal grandpa, but here we are. I was not expecting to love this book so much. I think I love Sera and Nyktos even more than Poppy and Cas.
First, I want to apologize to Nyktos for all the negative thoughts and bad words I had before I read this book. 😭 Please forgive me… 😭
When King Roderick had grown desperate enough to do anything to salvage his lands ruined by war and save those who were starving after already suffering so much loss, I imagined he’d expected a lesser god to answer his summons—which was far more common for those bold enough to do such a thing. But what had answered the Golden King was a Primal.
And when he’d granted King Roderick’s request, this was the price the Primal of Death had requested: the firstborn daughter of the Mierel bloodline as his Consort.
Seraphena Mierel's only purpose in life is to fulfill her part in the deal her ancestor made with the Primal of Death many years ago. In an attempt to save his people, he asked for help and in exchange, he promised the first daughter to be born in the Mierel line would be given as a Consort to the Primal of Death. Sera is the first daughter of the line, the maiden born in a shroud and chosen by the Fates, the lonely girl with no say in her future. All her life she has been kept hidden and groomed to become the perfect Consort but also trained to become the perfect assassin. She needs to play her part now more than ever as the Rot is slowly destroying Lasania, and it’s only a matter of time before everything dies.
Make him fall in love,
become his weakness,
and end him.
That is quite a simple plan, except of course that Nyktos is not the horrible and cruel Primal of Death everyone is expecting. He is kind, sweet, caring, and also very sexy. He’s the newest addition to my long list of amazing and perfect book boyfriends that I can never have. He is complex and multidimensional, and I just loved how we discovered him in bits and pieces as the story went... I am in love with him. Really. Totally.
I also really love Sera as the main character, and while she shares many similarities with Poppy (hidden maiden, secretly trained in combat, fierce and outspoken, proclivity for stabbing sexy men), I think I like Sera more than Poppy. Both are strong and fierce, but Sera’s moral compass is more ambiguous than Poppy’s, which makes me like her more somehow. She does bad things for good reasons, but also bad things because she did not really have a choice, and while she knows she should feel bad about it, she is trying to stay sane and to survive so she manages to detach herself from it. She is also not afraid to consider a ruthless option to a problem if it can help save more people and somehow this greyness makes her feel more flawed and human. She also has fewer inner monologues so that helps too. I love Poppy, but sometimes the inner monologues get tedious.
The development of her character is just great. It is full of emotions and hidden moments of vulnerability, but at the same time, she remains strong and determined. She realizes as she spends more time with Nyktos that he is kind and that killing him might prove much more difficult than she thought… Making him fall in love with her, without falling for him might prove to be even harder.
Slowly, his head turned to where my stepbrother stood. “I am known as the Asher,” he said, and I shuddered. Is it short for something, I’d asked when he told me his name. It is short for many things. “The One who is Blessed. I am the Guardian of Souls and the Primal God of Common Men and Endings.” His voice traveled through the Great Hall, and absolute silence answered. I could barely force air through my lungs. “I am Nyktos, ruler of the Shadowlands, the Primal of Death.”
I fell in love with Casteel in the FBAA series, but seriously, Nyktos is as lovable, if not even more. He is kind and sweet, yet strong and a badass fighter. He is a broody alpha and he knows the power he holds, yet he does not abuse it. I also adored that he was mature on top of being a kickass alpha-male. He has seen a lot and it shows in his behavior and reflections about life and death. He shares similarities with Casteel, but at the same time, he has a very different vibe. He is level-headed and controls his temper. It takes a lot to get him really riled up. He is soft-spoken, but his words hold authority and power that is not to be discussed. He is more serious and does not use sarcasm to try to lighten the mood every few pages like Cas does in the FBAA series. Overall, it really gives us the impression of an older soul, more in control and more broody and mysterious.
"Planting both feet on the floor, I pushed as hard as I could against him. The Primal still didn’t move, but he did tense. “I would suggest you stop doing that,” he advised, his voice deeper, rougher. “Not only are you going to further irritate the wounds along your back, but I don’t believe your actions are inciting the type of reaction you’re aiming for.”
I just wanted to exist in this moment, with this beautiful, strong, and kind being.
“Do what?”
“Smile at me,” he murmured, the silver in his eyes swirling.
“Why?”
“Because when you do that, there’s utterly nothing I would not allow you to do to me.”
I smiled fully then.
“Fuck.” He groaned.
A laugh left me—a light and airy sound that felt good even as his eyes narrowed on me.
“Don’t do that either.”
The relationship between Sera and Nyktos was the perfect mix of snark, banter, sexual tension, and heat… It’s a slow-burn romance, but the smut and sexual tension run high between them from the very start. It’s more than that though, we can really see the emotional connection that they make, and how they recognize themselves in the other. It was really beautifully written and developed, and I fell deeply in love with both of them.
“Have you ever plotted to kill someone who offered nothing but kindness and safety?”
What made it even better for me is all the hurt and angst that was added in the last 25%. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the angst-lover in me was VERY happy with all the angst and hurt and conflicted feelings involved in the last part of the book, and I can’t wait to read their next book and see how their relationship will progress... I mean, I know they will end up together and have their HEA, but I feel that there are going to be a few obstacles in their way (you know because of the fact that Nyktos can’t trust Sera anymore because she was groomed to seduce and kill him).
I am happy that even though it’s the 4th book that takes place in this world, the world-building still managed to impress me, and it was similar for some parts, but also completely new for other parts. I am happy that we got to see more about the Gods', Primals', and drakens' home and their everyday life (and their scheming and plotting and murder attempts of course).
“I want—”
“I want you to be silent,” Ash repeated, slamming his hand onto another’s face. The silvery energy washed over it, and the thing shrieked. He pushed it aside, and it spun, flailing and falling. “And I want you to think about what you just did.”
I blinked. “Do you want me to find a corner to sit in, too?”
Ash’s head snapped in my direction, and my stomach tumbled. His eyes were brighter than the stars. “Will that help you think better?” He snagged another creature by the shoulder, catching it without even looking at it. “If so, then by all means, find a corner.”
“I am not a child,” I shot back as the creature caught fire and screamed.
The plot focuses a lot on the romance and relationship/character development, but there was also a political and scheming aspect to it... As in the FBAA series, there are also funny moments and banter all throughout the book. I think the mix of romantic focus and plot progression is better done in this book than it is in From Blood and Ash though, and as a whole, the pace is better. I just couldn’t stop reading. There is a healthy dose of action and twists, although I have to say that I did see most of the twists coming. They’re still good, but not that unexpected. I feel that the clues left along the way made it clear where this was going. This book also ends with the revelation of a prophecy that is SO CONNECTED to the Blood and Ash books and we even have some foreshadowing of what might happen in The War of Two Queens and now I am even more hyped than I was for this book. March 2022 cannot come fast enough.
“I would ask what kind of mortal you are, but it is evident that you’re a pathetic pile of shit shaped into that of a man.”
Fucking Tavius, I’m glad he got what he deserved, but I also have to admit that I loved hating him for the first half of this book. He is not a main character in the book, and honestly, he is not even that important as a secondary or side character, but he pissed me off BIG TIME and it was SO SATISFYING to see Nyktos tell him to fuck off. He is such a wimp and a cruel brat and a dumbass, I wanted to slap him hard in the face. Repeatedly.
“I knew his parents. I called them my friends, and I call Ash one of my own,” he answered, head straightening. His gaze caught mine and held it. “I think I will call you one of my own.”
I really had to be asleep. “Why?”
“Because you’ve given him peace.”
Nektas is also an awesome secondary character. Seeing him as a strong and gruff protector, but also as a father of a cutie-pie tiny draken melt my heart and I definitely want more of him. Between this book and The Crown of Gilded Bones, there is not nearly enough of sexy daddy Nektas. I REALLY love him. Like… A lot. He and Nyktos are such an awesome duo.
“Do they understand us when we speak to them? The draken?”
“They do. Well, Jadis sometimes has trouble… paying attention long enough…” He trailed off, frowning as Jadis snapped at her tail. “To listen.”
I smiled as the female draken stopped suddenly and launched at Reaver’s tail. “She kind of reminds me of a cross between a puppy and a toddler.”
“Yeah, but neither a puppy nor a toddler can belch fire.”
I cringed. “Good point.”
YGAUSVFIUSYGFIYAGFUYGASI BABY DRAKENS. 😍😍😍😍😍 Do I need to say more?
“If you’re not going to kill me, then you should probably let go of me.”
“Will you try to stab me?”
“I…hope not.”
“You hope?”
“If you try to tell me what to do or grab me again, I am likely to lose that hope,” I told him.
"Nervous, I lifted my gaze to his. “Are there any more rules, Your Highness?”
A half-grin appeared, stroking my temper. “Why do I find you referring to me as such arousing?”
“Because you’re an arrogant, controlling misogynist?” I suggested before I could stop myself.
Ash laughed, and I swore the corners of my vision started to turn red."
As a whole, the characters’ dynamic, the world-building, and part of the plot did feel familiar and similar to the FBAA series, but at the same time, the execution was different, and this book has its own uniqueness. I am not sure if it makes sense… I guess what I mean Is that if you liked FBAA, you will for sure love this series, and even though it appears to be similar at first, keep on reading because it is different and just as good, if not even better!
“What does liessa mean?”
The god didn’t answer for what felt like a small eternity. “It has different meanings to different people.” The eather pulsed in his eyes, swirling once more through the silver. “But all of them mean something beautiful and powerful.”
Fanarts by Elizianna and Dominique Wesson
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October 30, 2021
Review coming when I stop being so pissed that I wasted so much time reading this.
Edit; my review.
I regard the From Blood and Ash books as somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I know they aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. But the quality declined with the third book, and I can’t even regard this prequal as an even a guilty pleasure. That would imply that there was something pleasurable about it. I was just irritated and annoyed.
Because we already read this one? It’s so similar to the other books, for me this read like a draft for those. The only change was giving the characters other names. I get that this book is set in the same world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the characters indistinguishable from each other. Sera/Nyktos and Poppy/Casteel have the same personalities. Several scenes are just recycled, from Sera being trained by a guard, the love interest going by a fake identity to the stabbing in the heart scene. They even have the same “joke” about Sera being violent and wanting to stab people. If I wanted to read From Blood and Ash again, I would just go back and read that book.
What also gets recycled in this book is the whole “I hAvE a QuEsTiOn” thing. Which I now hate with burning passion. It was cute in the start when Poppy did it, but it’s getting real tiering by now. It’s just a really bad and lazy way of doing world building. It makes every single conversation an info-dump in disguise. Every single conversation is just a Q+A, I tried counting how many questions I could find in a single conversation, but lost count somewhere around 40. It also makes the book lack any real conversations, because every single one is just added to provide some information for “world-building”. It feels like the characters never get to know each other and I, as a reader, never get to know them either. I want my books to get conveyed with “show, don’t tell”, but here it’s all tell and zero show. Why must all information be presented in form of questions and answers? Why can’t the characters go exploring and learn things through experience? Because honestly, you shouldn’t need a 700-page book to explain the world you tried building for another book series, when you already had three books to do that.
So I have to drag myself through these info-dump, Q&A conversations, just to have them recapped in the next chapter. Because then a new conversation is added where it gets brought up that Sera met someone and retells what they talked about. It’s like Armentrout must highlight what was most important in that conversation. And that itself is a testament that the conversations are too info heavy. I also feel like JLA makes several things too obvious and tries to hold the reader’s hand.
“And I also think you forgot to list acting alongside making bad choices as one of your many… talents.”
I sucked in air that burned my throat. What he was referencing didn’t pass me by. He was talking about him and me on the balcony.
Like here, I immediately knew what Nyktos was referencing without the clarification. It’s honestly a bit insulting to the readers intelligence to think that we wouldn’t understand without it being put into writing. This book needs better dialogue and better world-building, it can’t all be questions. Because Sera’s inner monologue is also just questions and it’s driving me insane.
And even after 700 pages, I still don’t know what this book was supposed to clarify regarding the mythology. It just kept adding different creatures, we have gods, primals, craven, vampry, ascended, godlings, chosen, drakens, dakkais, vikktors and I don’t know what else. The descriptions for these gets glossed over in like half a paragraph and it makes me so confused. I don’t know the difference between several of these. I need like a lexicon or something.
This book also lacks any sort of plot. After 160+ pages, we hadn’t even gotten to know Nyktos name, he as still just referred to as “the god”. The annoying thing was that this continued even after we knew his name. After 300 pages Sera finally goes to the Shadowlands and I thought the book would finally start. But no, then it was just Q+A conversations. Even one of the main plotlines failed to deliver. Sera is suppose to kill Nyktos, but I was never under the impression that she would actually go through with it. She hardly contemplated it. Instead, it was insta-love deluxe and he started fingering her before she even knew his name. And then when it gets revealed that she was sent there to kill him, everyone is just “K. Cool, bro”. There were no repercussions? Everyone just immediately forgave her, because Nyktos liked her? But then the betrayal is even worse??
Because insta-love isn’t really my thing, I didn’t connect to the romance at all. One thing that made it even worse was that the characters were so immature. I already had to suffer through genitals being referred to as “goodies” in one of Armentrout’s other works. It gets a similar treatment here;
”If it makes you uncomfortable, I suggest closing your eyes or keeping them off my unmentionables.”
Unmentionables? Really? Are words regarding genitalia like Voldemort or something? Or like “Bloody Mary”? Do we summon something evil if we say it three times in a row? If you can’t say the words penis or vagina with a straight face, you’re not ready to have sex. The characters childish approach to even mentioning the words regarding their bodies, made them seem like tweens. So I was just uncomfortable reading the steamy scenes, and just skipped them.
The language felt way to modern and also childish at times. But this book is supposed to take place like a thousand years before From Blood and Ash. I don’t think they would use the word mouthy, daddy or fuck. I also don’t think they would talk like this:
“Especially since they are driven mad by unending hunger and thirst. They tend to get a bit bitey.”
No adult would use the made-up word “bitey”.
Sera also gets the traditional Armentrout treatment. She can be strong, but the males has to be stronger than her!
Frustration scorched my skin, stroked against the icy heat in my chest, as did the knowledge that even with years of training, he had still easily rendered me absolutely harmless.
All the women that JLA writes is always strong and badass in description. But when it matters, like when she is attacked, she can do nothing but scream and flail until a man saves her. I mean, she tried, I will give her that. But she never goes winning from the encounter without help. But even if Sera could handle herself, she would probably fuck it up some other way. She trained her whole life to be whatever Nyktos wanted, so he would fall in love with her. Didn’t work that well.
All that did was that he was taking me as his Consort. That gave me a real opening. A chance. It gave the kingdom a real chance, but my mouth… gods, I had no control over it, and this was insulting.
But she would throw that all away because he said something that hurt your feelings? Does she think her feelings are more important then the whole kingdom? Then she finds out this:
“It is not often that a Primal dies. The loss of a being so powerful can create a ripple effect that can be felt in the mortal realm. Could even set in motion an event that has the potential to unravel the fabric that binds our realms together.”
But Sera still thinks the only way to save her kingdom is killing Nyktos. A Primal. Did she miss the point were killing a primal could end the world? She doesn’t know if there’s someone else that can take over his power. Well, I guess no one would starve if the world ended, so that’s one way to solve it.
Are we also ignoring the fact that the world is called Lasania? It’s just lasagne with a different spelling. Are we really naming the worlds after our dinners now? What’s next? Pancake? Ravioli?
I honestly don’t know what the point of this book was. There was like 30 pages of material relevant for the other books, this was just an excuse to fawn over other eyes with a different colour! Me and Armentrout’s writing don’t get along anymore. At this point I’m unsure whether I will read any more books from this world. Maybe I will feel different with some time apart.
Edit; my review.
I regard the From Blood and Ash books as somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I know they aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. But the quality declined with the third book, and I can’t even regard this prequal as an even a guilty pleasure. That would imply that there was something pleasurable about it. I was just irritated and annoyed.
Because we already read this one? It’s so similar to the other books, for me this read like a draft for those. The only change was giving the characters other names. I get that this book is set in the same world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the characters indistinguishable from each other. Sera/Nyktos and Poppy/Casteel have the same personalities. Several scenes are just recycled, from Sera being trained by a guard, the love interest going by a fake identity to the stabbing in the heart scene. They even have the same “joke” about Sera being violent and wanting to stab people. If I wanted to read From Blood and Ash again, I would just go back and read that book.
What also gets recycled in this book is the whole “I hAvE a QuEsTiOn” thing. Which I now hate with burning passion. It was cute in the start when Poppy did it, but it’s getting real tiering by now. It’s just a really bad and lazy way of doing world building. It makes every single conversation an info-dump in disguise. Every single conversation is just a Q+A, I tried counting how many questions I could find in a single conversation, but lost count somewhere around 40. It also makes the book lack any real conversations, because every single one is just added to provide some information for “world-building”. It feels like the characters never get to know each other and I, as a reader, never get to know them either. I want my books to get conveyed with “show, don’t tell”, but here it’s all tell and zero show. Why must all information be presented in form of questions and answers? Why can’t the characters go exploring and learn things through experience? Because honestly, you shouldn’t need a 700-page book to explain the world you tried building for another book series, when you already had three books to do that.
So I have to drag myself through these info-dump, Q&A conversations, just to have them recapped in the next chapter. Because then a new conversation is added where it gets brought up that Sera met someone and retells what they talked about. It’s like Armentrout must highlight what was most important in that conversation. And that itself is a testament that the conversations are too info heavy. I also feel like JLA makes several things too obvious and tries to hold the reader’s hand.
“And I also think you forgot to list acting alongside making bad choices as one of your many… talents.”
I sucked in air that burned my throat. What he was referencing didn’t pass me by. He was talking about him and me on the balcony.
Like here, I immediately knew what Nyktos was referencing without the clarification. It’s honestly a bit insulting to the readers intelligence to think that we wouldn’t understand without it being put into writing. This book needs better dialogue and better world-building, it can’t all be questions. Because Sera’s inner monologue is also just questions and it’s driving me insane.
And even after 700 pages, I still don’t know what this book was supposed to clarify regarding the mythology. It just kept adding different creatures, we have gods, primals, craven, vampry, ascended, godlings, chosen, drakens, dakkais, vikktors and I don’t know what else. The descriptions for these gets glossed over in like half a paragraph and it makes me so confused. I don’t know the difference between several of these. I need like a lexicon or something.
This book also lacks any sort of plot. After 160+ pages, we hadn’t even gotten to know Nyktos name, he as still just referred to as “the god”. The annoying thing was that this continued even after we knew his name. After 300 pages Sera finally goes to the Shadowlands and I thought the book would finally start. But no, then it was just Q+A conversations. Even one of the main plotlines failed to deliver. Sera is suppose to kill Nyktos, but I was never under the impression that she would actually go through with it. She hardly contemplated it. Instead, it was insta-love deluxe and he started fingering her before she even knew his name. And then when it gets revealed that she was sent there to kill him, everyone is just “K. Cool, bro”. There were no repercussions? Everyone just immediately forgave her, because Nyktos liked her? But then the betrayal is even worse??
Because insta-love isn’t really my thing, I didn’t connect to the romance at all. One thing that made it even worse was that the characters were so immature. I already had to suffer through genitals being referred to as “goodies” in one of Armentrout’s other works. It gets a similar treatment here;
”If it makes you uncomfortable, I suggest closing your eyes or keeping them off my unmentionables.”
Unmentionables? Really? Are words regarding genitalia like Voldemort or something? Or like “Bloody Mary”? Do we summon something evil if we say it three times in a row? If you can’t say the words penis or vagina with a straight face, you’re not ready to have sex. The characters childish approach to even mentioning the words regarding their bodies, made them seem like tweens. So I was just uncomfortable reading the steamy scenes, and just skipped them.
The language felt way to modern and also childish at times. But this book is supposed to take place like a thousand years before From Blood and Ash. I don’t think they would use the word mouthy, daddy or fuck. I also don’t think they would talk like this:
“Especially since they are driven mad by unending hunger and thirst. They tend to get a bit bitey.”
No adult would use the made-up word “bitey”.
Sera also gets the traditional Armentrout treatment. She can be strong, but the males has to be stronger than her!
Frustration scorched my skin, stroked against the icy heat in my chest, as did the knowledge that even with years of training, he had still easily rendered me absolutely harmless.
All the women that JLA writes is always strong and badass in description. But when it matters, like when she is attacked, she can do nothing but scream and flail until a man saves her. I mean, she tried, I will give her that. But she never goes winning from the encounter without help. But even if Sera could handle herself, she would probably fuck it up some other way. She trained her whole life to be whatever Nyktos wanted, so he would fall in love with her. Didn’t work that well.
All that did was that he was taking me as his Consort. That gave me a real opening. A chance. It gave the kingdom a real chance, but my mouth… gods, I had no control over it, and this was insulting.
But she would throw that all away because he said something that hurt your feelings? Does she think her feelings are more important then the whole kingdom? Then she finds out this:
“It is not often that a Primal dies. The loss of a being so powerful can create a ripple effect that can be felt in the mortal realm. Could even set in motion an event that has the potential to unravel the fabric that binds our realms together.”
But Sera still thinks the only way to save her kingdom is killing Nyktos. A Primal. Did she miss the point were killing a primal could end the world? She doesn’t know if there’s someone else that can take over his power. Well, I guess no one would starve if the world ended, so that’s one way to solve it.
Are we also ignoring the fact that the world is called Lasania? It’s just lasagne with a different spelling. Are we really naming the worlds after our dinners now? What’s next? Pancake? Ravioli?
I honestly don’t know what the point of this book was. There was like 30 pages of material relevant for the other books, this was just an excuse to fawn over other eyes with a different colour! Me and Armentrout’s writing don’t get along anymore. At this point I’m unsure whether I will read any more books from this world. Maybe I will feel different with some time apart.
November 25, 2022
i was already excited for the sequel, but this reread is only hyping me up more. i still lose my mind over all of the foreshadowing connected to the main series! so, so good.
________________________________
the queen does not miss. 🙌🏻
i honestly dont know what to say that i havent said already. my whole mind, body, and soul belongs to every book written in this fantasy universe.
im obsessed with the chemistry and development of JLAs characters, but its the actual plot and world-building that has me fangirling this time around. omg. the prophecy! the foreshadowing of things i already know because of the main series! the layered effect of it all! seriously so so so good.
ive said it before and i will say again - these books are the best thing JLA has written (and ive read 39 of her books). definitely career defining material.
↠ 5 stars
________________________________
the queen does not miss. 🙌🏻
i honestly dont know what to say that i havent said already. my whole mind, body, and soul belongs to every book written in this fantasy universe.
im obsessed with the chemistry and development of JLAs characters, but its the actual plot and world-building that has me fangirling this time around. omg. the prophecy! the foreshadowing of things i already know because of the main series! the layered effect of it all! seriously so so so good.
ive said it before and i will say again - these books are the best thing JLA has written (and ive read 39 of her books). definitely career defining material.
↠ 5 stars
January 19, 2022
I reallyyy wanted to love this one more, but I sadly had a hard time even getting into the story. It almost felt like From Blood and Ash 2.0. We get more background on the world... but it was about things I didn't care about, besides maybe the drakens. I loved Nyktos' appearance in TCOGB but I didn't fall in love with his character here. The romance felt underwhelming – it's hard not to compare to the original series, but Sera and Nyktos just weren't as exciting as Poppy and Cas were. I'm hoping future books will get me more invested but for now, this is just an okay book.
***
We’re getting a Blood & Ash prequel series! JLA is too good to us.
***
We’re getting a Blood & Ash prequel series! JLA is too good to us.
October 24, 2021
FIVE BRILLIANT STARS ⭐️
Make him fall in love,
become his weakness,
and end him.
A Shadow in the Ember is the first installment in the Blood and Ash prequel series: Flesh and Fire. The series takes us back thousands of years and tells the story of Nyktos, the Primal of Death and his consort—Sera.
The book had a more potent fabric that was drenched in fantastical magic and mythological imagery than its predecessor.
It is a reminiscent of the beloved Greek tale of Hades and Persephone yet Nyktos and Sera's tale felt authentic as Blood and Ash is enriched with its own vivid mythology.
- Let's start with the summary of the story shall we?
Seraphena Mierel—the maiden chosen by the the Fates whose destiny was written long before she was born. As part of the deal struck by her ancestor in a desperate attempt to save his people, the first daughter in the Mierel line shall the offered as the bride and future consort of the Primal of Death. All her life, she had been groomed to be Death's bride, a tragedy to her but an anticipated moment for her family and kingdom. The Rot is slowly devouring Lasania—leaving in its wake death and grief and only Sarah's true destiny will save her kingdom from its doom: make the primal of death fall in love, become his weakness, and then... end him.
“You’re not unworthy. You’re not a curse or anything like that. You carry the ember of life in you. You carry hope within you. You carry the possibility of a future.”
Sera's arc was emotional and powerful.
She was fierce and bold yet in many moments emotionally vulnerable which made me easily connect with her. You'd worry she may end up being a carbon copy of Poppy, however, I'm happy to say that while there are striking similarity between them but they are different in a way.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Sera's characterization is that she is morally ambiguous which makes her to me more compelling than Poppy. Not to say that my love for Poppy lessened she will always be my girl—but I connected to Sera on a different level than her.
He was like the brightest star and the deepest night sky given mortal form. And he was utterly beautiful in this form, wholly terrifying.
Welcome the latest addition to my harem of hot fictional men: Nyktos, or better known in the fandom as Daddy Nyktos.
He is a decadent treat but I will not unfurl each of his layers because trust me when I say there are many layers to Nyktos that I'd rather the readers experience for the first time. But while I was reading I will say I was immediately entranced by his powerful aura, his wicked charm, and a another different side of him that made my heart burst with so much adoration for him.
I wanted him to look upon me like he wanted to devour me. And I thought I might actually want to be devoured.
The romance was epic and written beautifully—Sera and Nyktos's slow-burn chemistry left my emotions so raw. They spiced up the moments with their banter and delicious sexual tension. There were the soft and tender moments gave me a similar experience to someone wrapping me in a soft warm blanket.
And of course, we can't do without some angst. It's like sprinkling salt over an open wound.
The plot was solid, gripping, and crackling with tension and drama.
It was addictive to the point I refused to leave my reading spot because I devoured every page.
The secrets and the plot-twists kept me reeling. The betrayals and the truths made my jaw drop. Last but not least, the nods to the Blood and Ash books and the foreshadowing of what may come heightened my anticipation for The War of Two Queens and it kills me that I will have to wait until March 2022.
The cast of supporting characters were a delight and two in particular melted my heart.
The world-building was exhilarating and vibrantly rich. Despite the story taking place in a world that is familiar to us yet it wasn't exactly familiar. In a good way.
We are transported at some point in the story to Nyktos's home and I was anticipating the moment we get to meet the gods, the drakens, and learn more of the powers and the politics of the Gods and their world.
A Shadow in the Ember gave us many answers and left us with even more questions. Overall, the prequel series will prove itself to be an equal competitor to the Blood and Ash books though bear in mind the stories compliment each other and will merge at some point—I am grateful that JLA came to the decision of writing this series because it made the entire story even more outstanding.
This journey in the Blood and Ash world has been nothing short of amazing thus far even though I'm always an emotional wreck after each book and I cannot wait for the upcoming books.
Make him fall in love,
become his weakness,
and end him.
A Shadow in the Ember is the first installment in the Blood and Ash prequel series: Flesh and Fire. The series takes us back thousands of years and tells the story of Nyktos, the Primal of Death and his consort—Sera.
The book had a more potent fabric that was drenched in fantastical magic and mythological imagery than its predecessor.
It is a reminiscent of the beloved Greek tale of Hades and Persephone yet Nyktos and Sera's tale felt authentic as Blood and Ash is enriched with its own vivid mythology.
- Let's start with the summary of the story shall we?
Seraphena Mierel—the maiden chosen by the the Fates whose destiny was written long before she was born. As part of the deal struck by her ancestor in a desperate attempt to save his people, the first daughter in the Mierel line shall the offered as the bride and future consort of the Primal of Death. All her life, she had been groomed to be Death's bride, a tragedy to her but an anticipated moment for her family and kingdom. The Rot is slowly devouring Lasania—leaving in its wake death and grief and only Sarah's true destiny will save her kingdom from its doom: make the primal of death fall in love, become his weakness, and then... end him.
“You’re not unworthy. You’re not a curse or anything like that. You carry the ember of life in you. You carry hope within you. You carry the possibility of a future.”
Sera's arc was emotional and powerful.
She was fierce and bold yet in many moments emotionally vulnerable which made me easily connect with her. You'd worry she may end up being a carbon copy of Poppy, however, I'm happy to say that while there are striking similarity between them but they are different in a way.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Sera's characterization is that she is morally ambiguous which makes her to me more compelling than Poppy. Not to say that my love for Poppy lessened she will always be my girl—but I connected to Sera on a different level than her.
He was like the brightest star and the deepest night sky given mortal form. And he was utterly beautiful in this form, wholly terrifying.
Welcome the latest addition to my harem of hot fictional men: Nyktos, or better known in the fandom as Daddy Nyktos.
He is a decadent treat but I will not unfurl each of his layers because trust me when I say there are many layers to Nyktos that I'd rather the readers experience for the first time. But while I was reading I will say I was immediately entranced by his powerful aura, his wicked charm, and a another different side of him that made my heart burst with so much adoration for him.
I wanted him to look upon me like he wanted to devour me. And I thought I might actually want to be devoured.
The romance was epic and written beautifully—Sera and Nyktos's slow-burn chemistry left my emotions so raw. They spiced up the moments with their banter and delicious sexual tension. There were the soft and tender moments gave me a similar experience to someone wrapping me in a soft warm blanket.
And of course, we can't do without some angst. It's like sprinkling salt over an open wound.
The plot was solid, gripping, and crackling with tension and drama.
It was addictive to the point I refused to leave my reading spot because I devoured every page.
The secrets and the plot-twists kept me reeling. The betrayals and the truths made my jaw drop. Last but not least, the nods to the Blood and Ash books and the foreshadowing of what may come heightened my anticipation for The War of Two Queens and it kills me that I will have to wait until March 2022.
The cast of supporting characters were a delight and two in particular melted my heart.
The world-building was exhilarating and vibrantly rich. Despite the story taking place in a world that is familiar to us yet it wasn't exactly familiar. In a good way.
We are transported at some point in the story to Nyktos's home and I was anticipating the moment we get to meet the gods, the drakens, and learn more of the powers and the politics of the Gods and their world.
A Shadow in the Ember gave us many answers and left us with even more questions. Overall, the prequel series will prove itself to be an equal competitor to the Blood and Ash books though bear in mind the stories compliment each other and will merge at some point—I am grateful that JLA came to the decision of writing this series because it made the entire story even more outstanding.
This journey in the Blood and Ash world has been nothing short of amazing thus far even though I'm always an emotional wreck after each book and I cannot wait for the upcoming books.
November 19, 2021
Well, I’m in a bit of love with Ash 😏
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
January 4, 2022
GUYS, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! It seems I am not having luck with these "spin-off" versions of my favorite series'. First ACOSF and now this one too 😭
❌ I WASN'T PULLED into the plot and characters as much as I expected to be. There were a lot of similarities to FBAA so it didn't feel like a new and exciting story to me
🆗 SERA WAS A TOTAL badass and I really did enjoy that. I felt like JLA did a great job making a strong female that didn't take shit from anyone and I almost always enjoy a sassy heroine. BUT, after a while, I was definitely getting annoyed with her rashness and how she just wasn't thinking before opening her mouth or making decisions
🆗 THE TENSION AND BANTER between Sera and Nyktos was A+ for a while, but there's a certain point where too much banter just feels like arguing. I think we reached that point in this book
❌ THERE WAS TOO MUCH dialogue in this book. A lot of the conversations were longgg back and forth Q&A sessions between Sera and Nyktos and they just dragged on and on for me
"I have so many questions."
✅ THE HEAT AND THE ROMANCE were one of the redeeming things about this book. JLA sure knows how to write these sexy new-adult style high fantasy novels and I love it!
❌ SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME a dictionary of this world 😵 The terminology was so similar to FBAA but at the same time different? The Handmaiden. The Chosen. The Rite. The Ascension. Gods and Primals that seem like Atlantians? Possibly Craven which might be called Gyrms or Hunters or something? It's all similar but in a different context and now I'm just confused
❌ I FELT LIKE AN IDIOT because outside of the one prophecy at the end, I was not able to connect much between the two. I think it would have helped if I re-read TCOGB shortly before picking this up because it's been a while and I definitely forgot a lot
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect going into this book but even with unclear expectations, I was still disappointed. Overall, I still recommend you read this if you enjoyed the original FBAA series and hopefully you will like it more than I did 😊
Steam Scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
Swoon Scale: ❤️❤️/5
❌ I WASN'T PULLED into the plot and characters as much as I expected to be. There were a lot of similarities to FBAA so it didn't feel like a new and exciting story to me
🆗 SERA WAS A TOTAL badass and I really did enjoy that. I felt like JLA did a great job making a strong female that didn't take shit from anyone and I almost always enjoy a sassy heroine. BUT, after a while, I was definitely getting annoyed with her rashness and how she just wasn't thinking before opening her mouth or making decisions
🆗 THE TENSION AND BANTER between Sera and Nyktos was A+ for a while, but there's a certain point where too much banter just feels like arguing. I think we reached that point in this book
❌ THERE WAS TOO MUCH dialogue in this book. A lot of the conversations were longgg back and forth Q&A sessions between Sera and Nyktos and they just dragged on and on for me
"I have so many questions."
✅ THE HEAT AND THE ROMANCE were one of the redeeming things about this book. JLA sure knows how to write these sexy new-adult style high fantasy novels and I love it!
❌ SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME a dictionary of this world 😵 The terminology was so similar to FBAA but at the same time different? The Handmaiden. The Chosen. The Rite. The Ascension. Gods and Primals that seem like Atlantians? Possibly Craven which might be called Gyrms or Hunters or something? It's all similar but in a different context and now I'm just confused
❌ I FELT LIKE AN IDIOT because outside of the one prophecy at the end, I was not able to connect much between the two. I think it would have helped if I re-read TCOGB shortly before picking this up because it's been a while and I definitely forgot a lot
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect going into this book but even with unclear expectations, I was still disappointed. Overall, I still recommend you read this if you enjoyed the original FBAA series and hopefully you will like it more than I did 😊
Steam Scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5
Swoon Scale: ❤️❤️/5
December 2, 2021
3.5/5
“It is far easier to be lied to than to acknowledge that you have been lied to.”
I really wanted to love this book. Really. Because the first 20% was so promising. It was so similar to FBAA but still it’s own distinct work and it had a mystery plot beginning and the main relationship actually was fun to read about. That all changed.
I guess maybe I just don’t like the whole learning about a new world trope or whatever, but I am not exaggerating when I say 50% of this book was world building and smut. I got so tired of both. It started off fine but it became repetitive both ways. The conversations were like more full versions of the ones we saw in FBAA. It really reminded me of TCOGB in the way nothing happened in the middle. Seriously. This book could have been cut down significantly. I skipped so many parts and didn’t miss a single thing.
“That life for any being is as fragile as the flame of a candle—easily extinguished and stamped out.”
Sera started off as a good MC but she goes through zero change. Her development throughout the novel is really non existent. I think I like Poppy more because we can see her significant growth through the series. For Sera she is less naive so I guess she doesn’t have as much to learn? But either way the ‘twist’ at the end about who she really is was so dumb and was really pointless like can we stop.
Nyktos was so much better than Casteel at the beginning but they merged into one by the end of the book so they really are practically the same. He also stays the exact same throughout the entire book.
The romance was really more lust like than love and there wasn’t any fluffy moments really which make up romance for me so I can’t say I enjoyed it.
All the side characters melted together and none were as good as Kieran, so that wasn’t a selling point. It was nice to see Reaver as a small dragon though!
Overall the plot was non existent, the mystery opened in the beginning was forgotten and then explained for at the end very quickly. The last chapter finally gave us something interesting to talk about but then the book ended.
So overall I was really disappointed in this but I’ll probably read the sequel because I hope it has more to do with the prophecy at the end and is therefore more interesting.
“A monster wouldn’t care if they were one.”
“It is far easier to be lied to than to acknowledge that you have been lied to.”
I really wanted to love this book. Really. Because the first 20% was so promising. It was so similar to FBAA but still it’s own distinct work and it had a mystery plot beginning and the main relationship actually was fun to read about. That all changed.
I guess maybe I just don’t like the whole learning about a new world trope or whatever, but I am not exaggerating when I say 50% of this book was world building and smut. I got so tired of both. It started off fine but it became repetitive both ways. The conversations were like more full versions of the ones we saw in FBAA. It really reminded me of TCOGB in the way nothing happened in the middle. Seriously. This book could have been cut down significantly. I skipped so many parts and didn’t miss a single thing.
“That life for any being is as fragile as the flame of a candle—easily extinguished and stamped out.”
Sera started off as a good MC but she goes through zero change. Her development throughout the novel is really non existent. I think I like Poppy more because we can see her significant growth through the series. For Sera she is less naive so I guess she doesn’t have as much to learn? But either way the ‘twist’ at the end about who she really is was so dumb and was really pointless like can we stop.
Nyktos was so much better than Casteel at the beginning but they merged into one by the end of the book so they really are practically the same. He also stays the exact same throughout the entire book.
The romance was really more lust like than love and there wasn’t any fluffy moments really which make up romance for me so I can’t say I enjoyed it.
All the side characters melted together and none were as good as Kieran, so that wasn’t a selling point. It was nice to see Reaver as a small dragon though!
Overall the plot was non existent, the mystery opened in the beginning was forgotten and then explained for at the end very quickly. The last chapter finally gave us something interesting to talk about but then the book ended.
So overall I was really disappointed in this but I’ll probably read the sequel because I hope it has more to do with the prophecy at the end and is therefore more interesting.
“A monster wouldn’t care if they were one.”
November 6, 2023
"Make him fall in love, become his weakness, and end him."
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This might turn out to be my favorite book in the series. I couldn't put the book down, I ignored responsibilities for it, and it was only partly because of the sexy, horny characters. Unsurprisingly, the plot is impeccable. It's not just the emotional moments, there's plenty of intrigue, badass battles, and character development. Not to mention that some scenes are so incredibly satisfying (and have nothing to do with smut), that still bring me joy every time I think of them. Also, Jennifer Armentrout tends to add light yet intense smut very early on in her books and I always appreciate it.
Furthermore, as expected the characters are just as amazing as pretty much everything else in this book. I love Sera's character. She had a horrible childhood, her mother is trash, her step-brother is shit, and her step-sister might be the only one nice to her, yet she is still completely useless when it comes to Sera's mistreatment. It is abundantly clear that Sera hates herself. She feels responsible for the suffering of her kingdom and believes she is a monster who is good for nothing other than killing. Not that her stinking pile of horseshit of a family has done anything other than validate those horrific emotions. She deserves so much better and thankfully she is well on her way to get it.
Besides, Nyktos is as sexy and wonderful as I suspected him to be. Armentrout is incapable of writing a lacking male love interest. Nyktos is incredibly powerful, murderous, grumpy, and the kindest Primal anyone will ever meet. Nothing and no one measures up to him. He deserves the world as much as Sera. He knows a thing or two about crappy family members, but not quite the same as his future consort. However, he is definitely what Sera needs and what she deserves.
What's more, Sera and Nykto's relationship is a wonderful rollercoaster of intense sexual tension, scorching hot smut, mistrust, and dark secrets. Their passion alone is enough to make you dizzy. I was definitely dizzy. Their relationship does have a touch of cliché, but as I've said time and again, I always enjoy a little cheesiness. Especially when it's accompanied by all that smut. Also, it's incredibly frustrating that the only two people who don't know that Sera and Nyktos are in love with each other are Sera and Nyktos.
Moreover, Nyktos's court is as spectacular as he is. The Shadowlands have officially become yet another fictional place I wish I were a part of. Reality sucks ass. Everyone is amazing and I love them all deeply, but I do have my favorites. Firstly, Nektas is just wonderful. His loyalty and compassion are incomparable and he is the biggest Sera x Nyktos shipper in the book and reality. He should seriously lead the fandom. Secondly, I am not a big fan of children, but Reaver is one of the most lovable children ever. I would lay down my life for him without hesitation.
Lastly, I particularly loved all the Poppy and Casteel mentions thrown in the mix. Honestly, if they were mentioned on every page I wouldn't be mad at all. However, I do have a little complaint. There are a few too many parallels between Sera and Nyktos, and Poppy and Casteel. Not only relationship-wise but also their personalities. It felt almost as if Armentrout copied Poppy and Casteel and changed their names and looks, then put them in the book. It was a ton of fun at first and I appreciated the connection, but it soon became frustrating when hardly anything about Sera and Nyktos felt original. Admittedly, their dynamic is a common personal preference, but it could have stayed at that with only a few more similarities. In any case, this couldn't possibly deter me from obsessing over this series and the characters.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This might turn out to be my favorite book in the series. I couldn't put the book down, I ignored responsibilities for it, and it was only partly because of the sexy, horny characters. Unsurprisingly, the plot is impeccable. It's not just the emotional moments, there's plenty of intrigue, badass battles, and character development. Not to mention that some scenes are so incredibly satisfying (and have nothing to do with smut), that still bring me joy every time I think of them. Also, Jennifer Armentrout tends to add light yet intense smut very early on in her books and I always appreciate it.
Furthermore, as expected the characters are just as amazing as pretty much everything else in this book. I love Sera's character. She had a horrible childhood, her mother is trash, her step-brother is shit, and her step-sister might be the only one nice to her, yet she is still completely useless when it comes to Sera's mistreatment. It is abundantly clear that Sera hates herself. She feels responsible for the suffering of her kingdom and believes she is a monster who is good for nothing other than killing. Not that her stinking pile of horseshit of a family has done anything other than validate those horrific emotions. She deserves so much better and thankfully she is well on her way to get it.
Besides, Nyktos is as sexy and wonderful as I suspected him to be. Armentrout is incapable of writing a lacking male love interest. Nyktos is incredibly powerful, murderous, grumpy, and the kindest Primal anyone will ever meet. Nothing and no one measures up to him. He deserves the world as much as Sera. He knows a thing or two about crappy family members, but not quite the same as his future consort. However, he is definitely what Sera needs and what she deserves.
What's more, Sera and Nykto's relationship is a wonderful rollercoaster of intense sexual tension, scorching hot smut, mistrust, and dark secrets. Their passion alone is enough to make you dizzy. I was definitely dizzy. Their relationship does have a touch of cliché, but as I've said time and again, I always enjoy a little cheesiness. Especially when it's accompanied by all that smut. Also, it's incredibly frustrating that the only two people who don't know that Sera and Nyktos are in love with each other are Sera and Nyktos.
Moreover, Nyktos's court is as spectacular as he is. The Shadowlands have officially become yet another fictional place I wish I were a part of. Reality sucks ass. Everyone is amazing and I love them all deeply, but I do have my favorites. Firstly, Nektas is just wonderful. His loyalty and compassion are incomparable and he is the biggest Sera x Nyktos shipper in the book and reality. He should seriously lead the fandom. Secondly, I am not a big fan of children, but Reaver is one of the most lovable children ever. I would lay down my life for him without hesitation.
Lastly, I particularly loved all the Poppy and Casteel mentions thrown in the mix. Honestly, if they were mentioned on every page I wouldn't be mad at all. However, I do have a little complaint. There are a few too many parallels between Sera and Nyktos, and Poppy and Casteel. Not only relationship-wise but also their personalities. It felt almost as if Armentrout copied Poppy and Casteel and changed their names and looks, then put them in the book. It was a ton of fun at first and I appreciated the connection, but it soon became frustrating when hardly anything about Sera and Nyktos felt original. Admittedly, their dynamic is a common personal preference, but it could have stayed at that with only a few more similarities. In any case, this couldn't possibly deter me from obsessing over this series and the characters.
March 13, 2022
EXCUSE ME. I am shook. Y’all this book. It just kept getting better and better. I loved every single moment of it. And JLA was right, I am trash for Nyktos now.
This is the first book in a prequel series to From Blood and Ash, and I must say—I think it’s a must read, even if you’d rather just skip it for more Poppy and Casteel. Trust me! There are revelations and events in this book that directly tie to Poppy and Casteel’s time and I learned so much that has me even more excited to see how that information plays into the next From Blood and Ash book. You might even see a familiar face or two. 😉
I immediately fell in love with Nyktos and love how much his story with Sera paralleled Poppy and Casteel’s. At first, I was a little unsure, but when I realized why the stories were similar I was SHOOK. I had to set my book aside for a few minutes and just breath. I was NOT expecting that and I have so many questions now about what that means for the other books!? *flails*
The romance in this has just the perfect amount of angst and JLA is the queen of giving us little tastes of what’s to come before fully diving in. Some moments in this book are straight up fiery.
I remember JLA saying she thought Nyktos would give Casteel a run for his money and I have to be honest—not only do I feel it, I see it too. *whew* There is a battle in the second half of this book in which Nyktos was giving me serious Geralt vibes and I was GLUED to my book. Yes, he has those broody, mysterious alpha hero vibes but he also gives off vibes like he’s the only adult in the room and he knows it. Like, there is no question he can get the job done. I loved seeing a hero that had those alpha qualities but was also incredibly mature too. It’s hard to explain, but it totally worked for me.
Needless to say, highly recommend this one if you love From Blood and Ash (of course) or other steamy fantasy romance reads like Sarah J Maas, Danielle L Jensen, Laura Thalassa, Raven Kennedy, Scarlett St. Clair, and even Katee Robert. I would still recommend starting with From Blood and Ash before reading this, as I think it gives a better intro into the world, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you enjoy the genre or the authors above!
Thank you to Blue Box Press and Social Butterfly PR for the opportunity to read A Shadow in the Ember early!
As a side note, I’ve seen several DNF reviews since release from people upset that Sera and Nyktos’ story seems to parallel Poppy and Casteel’s journey too much. Y’all. That’s intentional. You need to finish the book. (Also, it’s okay for authors to write stories that are similar to other stories of theirs. The romance genre as a whole mostly follows straightforward plot formulas … that isn’t so much what is happening here, but similarities between an author’s work isn’t a sign of bad writing. It’s literally how we identify what a genre even is.)
This is the first book in a prequel series to From Blood and Ash, and I must say—I think it’s a must read, even if you’d rather just skip it for more Poppy and Casteel. Trust me! There are revelations and events in this book that directly tie to Poppy and Casteel’s time and I learned so much that has me even more excited to see how that information plays into the next From Blood and Ash book. You might even see a familiar face or two. 😉
I immediately fell in love with Nyktos and love how much his story with Sera paralleled Poppy and Casteel’s. At first, I was a little unsure, but when I realized why the stories were similar I was SHOOK. I had to set my book aside for a few minutes and just breath. I was NOT expecting that and I have so many questions now about what that means for the other books!? *flails*
The romance in this has just the perfect amount of angst and JLA is the queen of giving us little tastes of what’s to come before fully diving in. Some moments in this book are straight up fiery.
I remember JLA saying she thought Nyktos would give Casteel a run for his money and I have to be honest—not only do I feel it, I see it too. *whew* There is a battle in the second half of this book in which Nyktos was giving me serious Geralt vibes and I was GLUED to my book. Yes, he has those broody, mysterious alpha hero vibes but he also gives off vibes like he’s the only adult in the room and he knows it. Like, there is no question he can get the job done. I loved seeing a hero that had those alpha qualities but was also incredibly mature too. It’s hard to explain, but it totally worked for me.
Needless to say, highly recommend this one if you love From Blood and Ash (of course) or other steamy fantasy romance reads like Sarah J Maas, Danielle L Jensen, Laura Thalassa, Raven Kennedy, Scarlett St. Clair, and even Katee Robert. I would still recommend starting with From Blood and Ash before reading this, as I think it gives a better intro into the world, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you enjoy the genre or the authors above!
Thank you to Blue Box Press and Social Butterfly PR for the opportunity to read A Shadow in the Ember early!
As a side note, I’ve seen several DNF reviews since release from people upset that Sera and Nyktos’ story seems to parallel Poppy and Casteel’s journey too much. Y’all. That’s intentional. You need to finish the book. (Also, it’s okay for authors to write stories that are similar to other stories of theirs. The romance genre as a whole mostly follows straightforward plot formulas … that isn’t so much what is happening here, but similarities between an author’s work isn’t a sign of bad writing. It’s literally how we identify what a genre even is.)
July 21, 2022
What was that cliffhanger?! Damn it. Can't wait to start with The War of Two Queens. 😩
Now before y'all JLA fans start judging me for rating it three stars. Hear me out.. Take FBAA and take this book. Read it simultaneously and you'll see my point.
While the writing has improved in this book (by a lot), the plot is essentially the same as FBAA. It wasn't unique. It was very predictable. The pacing was slower, but it picked up in the last hundred pages, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
❌POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILERS❌
The Similarities-
1. The story revolves around a Maiden
who have been trained to fight. Though, they both are very likable, I find Poppy to be better. She has much more character and personality to herself but to be fair to Sera, she doesn't have three-four books to herself..yet.
2. A love interest who meets the FMC under a pretense. Both Casteel and Nyktos tho are highly likable. But with slight differences to their personality. While Casteel likes to follow, Nyktos leads. Both of them call their girls Princess. So much for originality, right?
3. The banter is the exact same recipe in FBAA.
Though I will definitely say this book handled questioning and communication better in the sense that in FBAA, JLA uses questions as a means to keep the storyline moving. Here, it's done in a bit more flexible manner, instead of completely depending on the characters, she focuses more on the other factors (environmental, inner monologues, etc), which was a nice change to see. I definitely liked the ending, gives me something to be eager about.
While it was a decent read, it didn't amaze me. Sorry JLA fans, I know how much you guys love this book. But it is what it is🤷♀️
Looking forward to starting with the "controversial" GR book- TWOTQ.
Now before y'all JLA fans start judging me for rating it three stars. Hear me out.. Take FBAA and take this book. Read it simultaneously and you'll see my point.
While the writing has improved in this book (by a lot), the plot is essentially the same as FBAA. It wasn't unique. It was very predictable. The pacing was slower, but it picked up in the last hundred pages, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
❌POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILERS❌
The Similarities-
1. The story revolves around a Maiden
who have been trained to fight. Though, they both are very likable, I find Poppy to be better. She has much more character and personality to herself but to be fair to Sera, she doesn't have three-four books to herself..yet.
2. A love interest who meets the FMC under a pretense. Both Casteel and Nyktos tho are highly likable. But with slight differences to their personality. While Casteel likes to follow, Nyktos leads. Both of them call their girls Princess. So much for originality, right?
3. The banter is the exact same recipe in FBAA.
Though I will definitely say this book handled questioning and communication better in the sense that in FBAA, JLA uses questions as a means to keep the storyline moving. Here, it's done in a bit more flexible manner, instead of completely depending on the characters, she focuses more on the other factors (environmental, inner monologues, etc), which was a nice change to see. I definitely liked the ending, gives me something to be eager about.
While it was a decent read, it didn't amaze me. Sorry JLA fans, I know how much you guys love this book. But it is what it is🤷♀️
Looking forward to starting with the "controversial" GR book- TWOTQ.
Want to read
January 15, 2022tbh i lost interest in JLA's books :/
______
Update [April 26, 2021]: COVER REVEAL OMG. that looks really similar to the FB&A cover BUT THE DRAGON EYE OMG
-----
Update [April 23, 2021]:
after finishing tcogb, im even more hyped to read about little Nyktos and Sera falling in love🥺🥺
also JLA posted a sneak peak of the cover AND THATS A DRAGON-
*screaming*
[March 11, 2021]:
A BLOOD AND ASH PREQUEL SERIES-
ABOUT NYKTOS AND HIS CONSORT???
RELEASING OCTOBER 19TH???
*sobs* so far away :' )
______
Update [April 26, 2021]: COVER REVEAL OMG. that looks really similar to the FB&A cover BUT THE DRAGON EYE OMG
-----
Update [April 23, 2021]:
after finishing tcogb, im even more hyped to read about little Nyktos and Sera falling in love🥺🥺
also JLA posted a sneak peak of the cover AND THATS A DRAGON-
*screaming*
[March 11, 2021]:
A BLOOD AND ASH PREQUEL SERIES-
ABOUT NYKTOS AND HIS CONSORT???
RELEASING OCTOBER 19TH???
*sobs* so far away :' )
December 11, 2023
4.5 stars
i do find that this book had a lot of similarities to the from blood and ash book but in a way that history repeats itself and not an exact copy of it. i hope that is JLA intentions with this story because i do find that she has a habit of being repetitive. i thought that Sera was very similar to Poppy in the way that she was always so curious and asking questions and kind of both that they don’t really have much personality other than having to be strong and knowing to fight but it wasn’t in a way that i was annoyed. i think that this book was a hair away from being too similar to from blood and ash but i didn’t mind that. now on to Nyktos.. omg i loved him, rip to Hawke cus who even is that? what’s a king to a god. Nyktos is definitely my new book boyfriend cus omg… Also i enjoyed reading about the Draken’s and i actually really love this world and the way JLA writes, i do feel like a lot of things could be better but oh well, i still enjoyed it.
i do find that this book had a lot of similarities to the from blood and ash book but in a way that history repeats itself and not an exact copy of it. i hope that is JLA intentions with this story because i do find that she has a habit of being repetitive. i thought that Sera was very similar to Poppy in the way that she was always so curious and asking questions and kind of both that they don’t really have much personality other than having to be strong and knowing to fight but it wasn’t in a way that i was annoyed. i think that this book was a hair away from being too similar to from blood and ash but i didn’t mind that. now on to Nyktos.. omg i loved him, rip to Hawke cus who even is that? what’s a king to a god. Nyktos is definitely my new book boyfriend cus omg… Also i enjoyed reading about the Draken’s and i actually really love this world and the way JLA writes, i do feel like a lot of things could be better but oh well, i still enjoyed it.
Want to read
May 2, 2021I sense another favourite coming ...
December 28, 2022
la jenny sigue exactamente la misma receta en todos sus libros y, por alguna razón, no me canso de leerlos.
hace muchos meses que no leía fantasía, por lo que me aterraba comenzar este y no entender nada, rendirme, abandonarlo y llorar. y, si bien al principio es más lento (introductorio), no tuve mayores problemas volviendo al mundo de esta saga.
ahora estoy emocionada por seguir leyendo mas fantasía con romance 🥹.
pd. escuché el audiolibro en scribd y 10/10 la narración.
hace muchos meses que no leía fantasía, por lo que me aterraba comenzar este y no entender nada, rendirme, abandonarlo y llorar. y, si bien al principio es más lento (introductorio), no tuve mayores problemas volviendo al mundo de esta saga.
ahora estoy emocionada por seguir leyendo mas fantasía con romance 🥹.
pd. escuché el audiolibro en scribd y 10/10 la narración.
November 18, 2022
5 stars 🗡
i really sat down, ready to write this review, thinking i would be able to formulate a single thought from the ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE NOTES i highlighted during my reading period
so, please allow me to give a non-spoiler, summary of the plot (which is likely better than the spoiler section of the review) with the purpose of somehow getting someone to read this masterpiece.
sera mierel (h) is the daughter of the king and queen of lasania. many, many years before she was born, the primal of death made a deal with her ancestor to stop the ‘rot’ killing the land. in exchange for temporarily stopping the rot, the mierel line must give up their first born daughter as a consort (in other words, wife) to the primal of death.
primals are rulers with an insane amount of power that rule different courts in the land of the gods. the primal of death is sorta like the devil. he decides if a soul is good or bad and can punish those who are the worst of the worst. in this case, those who hurt our baby sera☺️
back to the plot…sadly, when sera is born, the rot begins to spread for the first time since the deal was struck. this is causing people in lasania to starve slowly. so sera’s family formulates a plan to stop the rot once and for all
sera is trained from a young age to the age of 17 to be an assassin. her family believes that the only way to stop the rot from spreading is for sera to become the primal of death’s (nyktos [H] 🥰) weakness so she can kill him. sera is essentially cinderella. she’s hidden away by the world, literally no one but her family and her trainer know her true identity. while cinderella is forced to be a maid to her family, sera’s mom uses her assassin abilities to kill people she feels are threats.
now there’s more to the plot, but i feel like this gives a general synopsis that still leaves things that may be surprising to read and discover
⭐️ spoilers below ⭐️
nyktos
I WANT TO JUMP THIS MAN’S BONES SO HARD. even when he’s being a dick i’m like give me more please. the first time we meet nyktos is when sera turns 17 and it’s time for her to fulfill the deal and become his consort. well…it didn’t go as planned. nyk pulls up and goes—
and dips causing sera to be completely neglected by her mom (like the woman wouldn’t even look at her and they would leave her scraps for food)…ALL CAUSE NYK WANTED TO PLAY HARD TO GET
three years after that, sera is out doing assassin things when she comes across these three gods who kill multiple mortals. well this guy named ash saw her spying and pulled her away before she was spotted.
right away I was like ash is clearly nyktos, but for some reason sera couldn’t put two and two together. she describes nyk as having a smoky voice with cold skin and ash has those EXACT things. she even thinks the cliché “he seems so familiar” YEAH NO SHIT
one of the hottest scenes in the whole book is when sera is bathing in a lake, naked, and ash happens to be there too 🥰🥰🥰
please when she rises from the water because she gets pissed off at him—
when they move over to the lake bank and he starts fingering her, i was fucking deceased for EVERY REASON—
the lake scene is also when sera first realizes NYK IS A VIRGIN 😩😩😩 virgin hero/experienced heroine is MY SHIT. he literally cums in his pants after only TOUCHING her (this is in a later scene hehe)
when they finally fuck, it was after he found out sera was sent to kill him and he was injured in battle. well, he needed blood to heal his wounds and the man turned FERAL'
while he fucks and drinks sera’s blood he says—
he’s being a PIECE OF SHIT AND IM LIKE 🥵🥵🥵
sera
she’s such a badass omgggg one of my fav scenes is when she brutally murders her stepbrother after he whipped her and nyk came to save her. she made nyk think that she wanted her stepbrother to be spared because her mom begged for his life, but sera only “spared” him so SHE could kill him 🥰
this was after she cut his arms off and stabbed him in the chest 😍😍
draken
reaver and jadis were so freaking cute 😭😭 the way jadis would chase after reaver’s tail AHHHHH also reaver is a little draken in this who’s just learned to fly and i wanna cry because he was so hot in TWOTQ
one of the cutest things was when sera and nyk fell asleep on a couch and sera woke up to jadis sleeping at their feet. she realizes that nektas is also there, nektas is jadis’s dad and one of nyk’s bonded drakens. nektas at this point has been very lowkey and sera hasn’t been able to decide if he likes her or not…but then he says this—
SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP. I LOVE YOU 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
plot
i know finding out sera is the reincarnation of the woman kolis (the primal of life and nyk’s uncle) was supposed to be shocking, but i realized pretty early on that it was her. basically the second the story was revealed to sera. also, kolis saw “the love of his life” once, ONCE and the whole damn world has to suffer??? the girl got so scared of him that she fell off a fucking cliff and died…like dude take the fucking hint already 😭
i'm interesting in how powerful sera is gonna be and is she going to age? because she is at least half human (the other half being primal), but does that mean she’s gonna be an old ass woman in 50 years and nyk will be young af?? obviously that was kinda answered in the blood & ash series, but i'm still interesting in seeing how that plays out
storytelling
what i really liked about this book more than the blood and ash series, is how little info-dumping there is. there’s nothing i hate more than endless paragraphs of inner dialogue where the MC is trying to figure out what happening or when the only character dialogue is then solving problems they’re facing. like that’s fun, TO AN EXTENT
like this isn’t only fantasy, there’s romance too so the way JLA wrote this book in a way that built the story line AND the romance between nyktos and sera was soo well done. i actually saw someone mention that they hated the amount of dialogue between sera and nyktos…i was like HUH??? don’t you WANT to see their romance progress through their conversations?
also, people saying this is the same storyline as BAA have no idea what they're talking about lol. sure there's similarities, but sera is the grandma of poppy...in a way it feels more like history repeated itself with poppy rather than the books being the same due to lazy writing. the writing in this book was better anyway...i found the lore MUCH easier to follow and i now fully understand what a primal is. only took me 5 books
JLA give me book 2 already
since i have the worst memory when it comes to book, i literally created a 5 minute voice memo on the entire plot of this book which i’m very proud of 💅🏻
flesh and fire
↠ #1 a shadow in the ember — 5 stars
↠ #2 a light in the flame — 5 stars
i really sat down, ready to write this review, thinking i would be able to formulate a single thought from the ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE NOTES i highlighted during my reading period
so, please allow me to give a non-spoiler, summary of the plot (which is likely better than the spoiler section of the review) with the purpose of somehow getting someone to read this masterpiece.
sera mierel (h) is the daughter of the king and queen of lasania. many, many years before she was born, the primal of death made a deal with her ancestor to stop the ‘rot’ killing the land. in exchange for temporarily stopping the rot, the mierel line must give up their first born daughter as a consort (in other words, wife) to the primal of death.
primals are rulers with an insane amount of power that rule different courts in the land of the gods. the primal of death is sorta like the devil. he decides if a soul is good or bad and can punish those who are the worst of the worst. in this case, those who hurt our baby sera☺️
back to the plot…sadly, when sera is born, the rot begins to spread for the first time since the deal was struck. this is causing people in lasania to starve slowly. so sera’s family formulates a plan to stop the rot once and for all
sera is trained from a young age to the age of 17 to be an assassin. her family believes that the only way to stop the rot from spreading is for sera to become the primal of death’s (nyktos [H] 🥰) weakness so she can kill him. sera is essentially cinderella. she’s hidden away by the world, literally no one but her family and her trainer know her true identity. while cinderella is forced to be a maid to her family, sera’s mom uses her assassin abilities to kill people she feels are threats.
now there’s more to the plot, but i feel like this gives a general synopsis that still leaves things that may be surprising to read and discover
⭐️ spoilers below ⭐️
nyktos
I WANT TO JUMP THIS MAN’S BONES SO HARD. even when he’s being a dick i’m like give me more please. the first time we meet nyktos is when sera turns 17 and it’s time for her to fulfill the deal and become his consort. well…it didn’t go as planned. nyk pulls up and goes—
“I’m in no need of a consort.”
and dips causing sera to be completely neglected by her mom (like the woman wouldn’t even look at her and they would leave her scraps for food)…ALL CAUSE NYK WANTED TO PLAY HARD TO GET
three years after that, sera is out doing assassin things when she comes across these three gods who kill multiple mortals. well this guy named ash saw her spying and pulled her away before she was spotted.
right away I was like ash is clearly nyktos, but for some reason sera couldn’t put two and two together. she describes nyk as having a smoky voice with cold skin and ash has those EXACT things. she even thinks the cliché “he seems so familiar” YEAH NO SHIT
one of the hottest scenes in the whole book is when sera is bathing in a lake, naked, and ash happens to be there too 🥰🥰🥰
“You still could’ve said something so I wasn’t just standing there—”
“Like a goddess made of silver and moonbeams, rising from the depths of the darkest lake?” he finished.
please when she rises from the water because she gets pissed off at him—
“I doubt you will find me so amusing when you’re gasping for the last of your breaths.”
He became still again, and…good gods, the water coursing down his chest froze. The droplets ceased.
“I’m already gasping,” he whispered, his voice rougher, deeper.
when they move over to the lake bank and he starts fingering her, i was fucking deceased for EVERY REASON—
“That’s it, liessa, fuck my hand.”
[queen]
the lake scene is also when sera first realizes NYK IS A VIRGIN 😩😩😩 virgin hero/experienced heroine is MY SHIT. he literally cums in his pants after only TOUCHING her (this is in a later scene hehe)
when they finally fuck, it was after he found out sera was sent to kill him and he was injured in battle. well, he needed blood to heal his wounds and the man turned FERAL'
“If you don’t leave, I’m going to feed from you, and I'm going to fuck you while I do it,” he warned.
—uhhh sir, do you expect her to complain or something
while he fucks and drinks sera’s blood he says—
“It’s funny because you cannot hurt me…You can never weaken me to the point that you’d ever be a real threat.”
he’s being a PIECE OF SHIT AND IM LIKE 🥵🥵🥵
sera
she’s such a badass omgggg one of my fav scenes is when she brutally murders her stepbrother after he whipped her and nyk came to save her. she made nyk think that she wanted her stepbrother to be spared because her mom begged for his life, but sera only “spared” him so SHE could kill him 🥰
I jerked his head back. Wide, panicked eyes met mine as I shoved the handle of the whip into his mouth, pushing it down as hard as I could.
this was after she cut his arms off and stabbed him in the chest 😍😍
draken
reaver and jadis were so freaking cute 😭😭 the way jadis would chase after reaver’s tail AHHHHH also reaver is a little draken in this who’s just learned to fly and i wanna cry because he was so hot in TWOTQ
one of the cutest things was when sera and nyk fell asleep on a couch and sera woke up to jadis sleeping at their feet. she realizes that nektas is also there, nektas is jadis’s dad and one of nyk’s bonded drakens. nektas at this point has been very lowkey and sera hasn’t been able to decide if he likes her or not…but then he says this—
“I knew his parents. I called them my friends, and I call Ash one of my own,” he answered, head straightening. His gaze caught mine and held it. “I think I will call you one of my own.”
SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP. I LOVE YOU 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
plot
i know finding out sera is the reincarnation of the woman kolis (the primal of life and nyk’s uncle) was supposed to be shocking, but i realized pretty early on that it was her. basically the second the story was revealed to sera. also, kolis saw “the love of his life” once, ONCE and the whole damn world has to suffer??? the girl got so scared of him that she fell off a fucking cliff and died…like dude take the fucking hint already 😭
i'm interesting in how powerful sera is gonna be and is she going to age? because she is at least half human (the other half being primal), but does that mean she’s gonna be an old ass woman in 50 years and nyk will be young af?? obviously that was kinda answered in the blood & ash series, but i'm still interesting in seeing how that plays out
storytelling
what i really liked about this book more than the blood and ash series, is how little info-dumping there is. there’s nothing i hate more than endless paragraphs of inner dialogue where the MC is trying to figure out what happening or when the only character dialogue is then solving problems they’re facing. like that’s fun, TO AN EXTENT
like this isn’t only fantasy, there’s romance too so the way JLA wrote this book in a way that built the story line AND the romance between nyktos and sera was soo well done. i actually saw someone mention that they hated the amount of dialogue between sera and nyktos…i was like HUH??? don’t you WANT to see their romance progress through their conversations?
also, people saying this is the same storyline as BAA have no idea what they're talking about lol. sure there's similarities, but sera is the grandma of poppy...in a way it feels more like history repeated itself with poppy rather than the books being the same due to lazy writing. the writing in this book was better anyway...i found the lore MUCH easier to follow and i now fully understand what a primal is. only took me 5 books
JLA give me book 2 already
since i have the worst memory when it comes to book, i literally created a 5 minute voice memo on the entire plot of this book which i’m very proud of 💅🏻
flesh and fire
↠ #1 a shadow in the ember — 5 stars
↠ #2 a light in the flame — 5 stars
November 12, 2021
Holy Shit!
That was afuckingmazing!!! 😍
JLA gifted us with a badass hero and heroine, action, angst, humor, betrayal, intense emotion, violence, sex, perfect pacing, beautiful world building, twists and turns, brilliant writing, and baby. freaking. draken., what more could we ask for?!
I was so worried that I wouldn't enjoy this prequel as much as the Blood and Ash Series, but I could not have been more wrong! Sera and Nyktos are amazing characters on their own, but they're perfection together! Their chemistry and banter gave everything that Casteel and Poppy's does, and I honestly questioned which couple I liked more by the end of the book! If that's doesn't show you how good A Shadow in the Ember is, I don't know what will!
I loved discovering all the ways in which this story connected to the one we already know and love. It was so much fun to try to connect the dots as I read. When I finished, I even went back over a large part of The Crown of Gilded Bones to fill in all the missing pieces. There's a ton of information in these books, so it was necessary for me to get the clearest overall picture. It definitely added another level of enjoyment for me. If you remember everything from the Blood and Ash series in the kind of extreme detail that doesn't require you to add this step, especially after several months have passed, then I'm jealous of your brain! LOL
I can't express to you how fucking excited I am to see what the author has in store for us in the next installment of the Flesh and Fire series! I'm equally ecstatic about getting more of Cas and Poppy's story! I'm telling you, this series has me in a chokehold. I can't get enough!
The Blood and Ash Series is one of my absolute favorite fantasy romance series of all time! Jennifer L. Armentrout has always been of my unicorns, but she has continued to blow me away to a degree few other authors ever have. I cannot recommend A Shadow in the Ember and the Blood and Ash Series enough if you're a fantasy fan!
This might just be my favorite book of the year!
That was afuckingmazing!!! 😍
JLA gifted us with a badass hero and heroine, action, angst, humor, betrayal, intense emotion, violence, sex, perfect pacing, beautiful world building, twists and turns, brilliant writing, and baby. freaking. draken., what more could we ask for?!
I was so worried that I wouldn't enjoy this prequel as much as the Blood and Ash Series, but I could not have been more wrong! Sera and Nyktos are amazing characters on their own, but they're perfection together! Their chemistry and banter gave everything that Casteel and Poppy's does, and I honestly questioned which couple I liked more by the end of the book! If that's doesn't show you how good A Shadow in the Ember is, I don't know what will!
I loved discovering all the ways in which this story connected to the one we already know and love. It was so much fun to try to connect the dots as I read. When I finished, I even went back over a large part of The Crown of Gilded Bones to fill in all the missing pieces. There's a ton of information in these books, so it was necessary for me to get the clearest overall picture. It definitely added another level of enjoyment for me. If you remember everything from the Blood and Ash series in the kind of extreme detail that doesn't require you to add this step, especially after several months have passed, then I'm jealous of your brain! LOL
I can't express to you how fucking excited I am to see what the author has in store for us in the next installment of the Flesh and Fire series! I'm equally ecstatic about getting more of Cas and Poppy's story! I'm telling you, this series has me in a chokehold. I can't get enough!
The Blood and Ash Series is one of my absolute favorite fantasy romance series of all time! Jennifer L. Armentrout has always been of my unicorns, but she has continued to blow me away to a degree few other authors ever have. I cannot recommend A Shadow in the Ember and the Blood and Ash Series enough if you're a fantasy fan!
This might just be my favorite book of the year!
November 21, 2021
Rating: 2 or 2.5 stars
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
📘 From Blood and Ash series
🖤 If you were obsessed with Poppy and Hawke, then you’d love Sera and Ash because they are so similar in character and their romance (perhaps too similar)
❤️ Not quite insta love, but the romance developed very fast
🔥 Hot chemistry, smut and spice!
🐢 Slower pace. Picks up a tad in the second half.
~ What I enjoyed ~
I enjoyed the first and last 10% when there was more happening and when some of the mystery was explained.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
Ah gosh there is a lot I didn’t enjoy and considering the length I was relieved to finish it!
This could be seen as a positive to some, but this was TOO similar to “From Blood and Ash”. For example:
- Sera & Poppy and Hawke & Ash had the same personalities and even the use of nicknames for Hawke and Ash.
- The fact that Sera and Poppy were trained by a guard and they have a treasured knife.
- The romance and interactions. There was the similar playful type banter and there was too much mention of stabbing!!
This was far too long! The first half or two thirds was boring. There were some interesting scenes but outside of them it was so dull and it didn’t feel like there was an overarching plot. The scenes would happen but then nothing would follow afterwards and it was only revisited at the end. I wish there was more of Ash at the start, I almost forgot about him.
I was anticipating the ultimate betrayal, the opportunity that would force Sera to make the impossible decision. But sadly that never came. It all came out during a very civil conversation and there were no consequences when Sera’s mission came to light. The only consequence was some passby comments questioning her intentions.
There was no character development, especially Sera, she was more or less the same the whole way through. Also I don’t remember any of the side characters.
I could not take the word Lasania seriously. Did anyone else notice Lasania vs lasagne?
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
📘 From Blood and Ash series
🖤 If you were obsessed with Poppy and Hawke, then you’d love Sera and Ash because they are so similar in character and their romance (perhaps too similar)
❤️ Not quite insta love, but the romance developed very fast
🔥 Hot chemistry, smut and spice!
🐢 Slower pace. Picks up a tad in the second half.
~ What I enjoyed ~
I enjoyed the first and last 10% when there was more happening and when some of the mystery was explained.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
Ah gosh there is a lot I didn’t enjoy and considering the length I was relieved to finish it!
This could be seen as a positive to some, but this was TOO similar to “From Blood and Ash”. For example:
- Sera & Poppy and Hawke & Ash had the same personalities and even the use of nicknames for Hawke and Ash.
- The fact that Sera and Poppy were trained by a guard and they have a treasured knife.
- The romance and interactions. There was the similar playful type banter and there was too much mention of stabbing!!
This was far too long! The first half or two thirds was boring. There were some interesting scenes but outside of them it was so dull and it didn’t feel like there was an overarching plot. The scenes would happen but then nothing would follow afterwards and it was only revisited at the end. I wish there was more of Ash at the start, I almost forgot about him.
I was anticipating the ultimate betrayal, the opportunity that would force Sera to make the impossible decision. But sadly that never came. It all came out during a very civil conversation and there were no consequences when Sera’s mission came to light. The only consequence was some passby comments questioning her intentions.
There was no character development, especially Sera, she was more or less the same the whole way through. Also I don’t remember any of the side characters.
I could not take the word Lasania seriously. Did anyone else notice Lasania vs lasagne?
April 3, 2024
➳ 3 / 5 ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚
❞𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰.❞
I had no idea what to expect from this book, but it definitely wasn't what I got. I guess you could say I'm disappointed - yeah, when I think about it, that's exactly how I feel. I was eagerly awaiting this book, counting down the minutes until I could dive in after my math exam. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. One of the main things that bothered me was the long chapters. It felt like torture finishing one chapter just to get to the next. It made the whole reading experience feel more tedious for me.
❞𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 … 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sera: She felt like a version 2.0 of Poppy from BAA series. Some fans of the author might not like me saying this, but I'm just being honest. She's the chosen one, she's badass, she has powers, she helps people, she's trained by her guard - the list goes on. It's not that I hate her; in fact, I quite liked her. I just wish the author had been more creative and made her character stand out, especially since they're from the same world.
❞𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧! 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Ash: He's the cute, hot god. I remember liking him when I read the third or second book of another series. I couldn't believe he was a virgin in this book - that surprised me. Anyway, thankfully, he wasn't a carbon copy of Cas, but he did give off similar vibes.
❞𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦.❞
ೃ⁀➷ SeraAsh: Their relationship left me feeling unsure. They definitely had chemistry and tension, but something was missing. I still can't quite put my finger on it, but all I can say is that my favorite couple from this world is Poppy and Cas. Speaking of which, the SeraAsh relationship felt similar to PoppyCas. If you've read both series, you'll know what I mean. Again, I wish the author had been more creative.
❞𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴…𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘩 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯?” 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳. “𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯.❞
Overall, this book was a letdown for me, and I really wish the author had pushed the boundaries of creativity more.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Review to come
⤷*ੈ pre-review 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖
Continuing with this world 🍂🗡🫀
❞𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰.❞
I had no idea what to expect from this book, but it definitely wasn't what I got. I guess you could say I'm disappointed - yeah, when I think about it, that's exactly how I feel. I was eagerly awaiting this book, counting down the minutes until I could dive in after my math exam. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. One of the main things that bothered me was the long chapters. It felt like torture finishing one chapter just to get to the next. It made the whole reading experience feel more tedious for me.
❞𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 … 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sera: She felt like a version 2.0 of Poppy from BAA series. Some fans of the author might not like me saying this, but I'm just being honest. She's the chosen one, she's badass, she has powers, she helps people, she's trained by her guard - the list goes on. It's not that I hate her; in fact, I quite liked her. I just wish the author had been more creative and made her character stand out, especially since they're from the same world.
❞𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧! 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Ash: He's the cute, hot god. I remember liking him when I read the third or second book of another series. I couldn't believe he was a virgin in this book - that surprised me. Anyway, thankfully, he wasn't a carbon copy of Cas, but he did give off similar vibes.
❞𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦.❞
ೃ⁀➷ SeraAsh: Their relationship left me feeling unsure. They definitely had chemistry and tension, but something was missing. I still can't quite put my finger on it, but all I can say is that my favorite couple from this world is Poppy and Cas. Speaking of which, the SeraAsh relationship felt similar to PoppyCas. If you've read both series, you'll know what I mean. Again, I wish the author had been more creative.
❞𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴…𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘩 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯?” 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳. “𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯.❞
Overall, this book was a letdown for me, and I really wish the author had pushed the boundaries of creativity more.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Review to come
⤷*ੈ pre-review 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖
Continuing with this world 🍂🗡🫀
March 22, 2022
I forgot to list this as read with everything that happened with TWOTQ.
This was good, a bit of the same, but JLA is so good at writing banter and romance, I didn’t even care. And there’s something about a virgin Primal god that is irresistible.
Original review:
“Make him fall in love, become his weakness and then end him...”
yes please 🥵
This was good, a bit of the same, but JLA is so good at writing banter and romance, I didn’t even care. And there’s something about a virgin Primal god that is irresistible.
Original review:
“Make him fall in love, become his weakness and then end him...”
yes please 🥵
September 25, 2022
“You’re not unworthy. You’re not a curse or anything like that. You carry the ember of life in you. You carry hope within in you. You carry the possibility of a future.”
I really liked this book! This was a romantic and intriguing fantasy about power, loyalty, love and betrayal. This book follows Sera as she accepts a deal with the Primal of Death to become his Consort and save her people from a Rot that is destroying her land. She must make the Primal of Death fall in love with her and then kill him. Along they way she learns about her powers and must make a difficult decision.
This book is told from Sera's point of view. The world building was excellent, I loved learning about this unique world of gods, drakens, Primals, magic, vampyrs and more. The pacing was inconsistent, in the beginning the pacing was slow, then the pacing was fast and then it slowed down again. The plot was interesting, but at times it was a bit boring. In the beginning I had a hard time connecting with Sera, but once I got to know her I ended up really liked her. Sera is strong, brave, reckless at times, loyal, fierce, and unpredictable. I love Nyktos so much, he is kind, intelligent, extremely attractive, strong, and loyal to his people. I really liked the side characters especially Ezra, Aios, Nektas and Bele. I loved the banter between Nyktos and Sera and their chemistry was amazing. I really felt a connection between them. The spice was very hot and the sexual tension was so good. The character development was excellent, I loved seeing a different side of Nykots and Sera. I really liked how descriptive the writing was. The ending was so good and surprising! I can't wait for the next book! I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, excellent world building, great romance, and intriguing characters.
I really liked this book! This was a romantic and intriguing fantasy about power, loyalty, love and betrayal. This book follows Sera as she accepts a deal with the Primal of Death to become his Consort and save her people from a Rot that is destroying her land. She must make the Primal of Death fall in love with her and then kill him. Along they way she learns about her powers and must make a difficult decision.
This book is told from Sera's point of view. The world building was excellent, I loved learning about this unique world of gods, drakens, Primals, magic, vampyrs and more. The pacing was inconsistent, in the beginning the pacing was slow, then the pacing was fast and then it slowed down again. The plot was interesting, but at times it was a bit boring. In the beginning I had a hard time connecting with Sera, but once I got to know her I ended up really liked her. Sera is strong, brave, reckless at times, loyal, fierce, and unpredictable. I love Nyktos so much, he is kind, intelligent, extremely attractive, strong, and loyal to his people. I really liked the side characters especially Ezra, Aios, Nektas and Bele. I loved the banter between Nyktos and Sera and their chemistry was amazing. I really felt a connection between them. The spice was very hot and the sexual tension was so good. The character development was excellent, I loved seeing a different side of Nykots and Sera. I really liked how descriptive the writing was. The ending was so good and surprising! I can't wait for the next book! I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, excellent world building, great romance, and intriguing characters.
October 5, 2022
I want to be called “something beautiful and powerful” so bad…..
This was really good actually. The world-building, the characters, and the plot were interesting enough for me to finish the book. However, overall, there was still this sense of dragging and dullness.
The beginning parts of this were too predictable for my liking but this was made up to me when we got a lot of shocking revelations in the proceeding parts.
Serafina was really cool. I just found her too similar to poppy. Yes, they are related but come on! Her relationship with her family, in the beginning, was really troubling. I instantly connected with her because I was just as angry with her.
Will I be reading the next book? Unfortunately, yes.
This was really good actually. The world-building, the characters, and the plot were interesting enough for me to finish the book. However, overall, there was still this sense of dragging and dullness.
The beginning parts of this were too predictable for my liking but this was made up to me when we got a lot of shocking revelations in the proceeding parts.
Serafina was really cool. I just found her too similar to poppy. Yes, they are related but come on! Her relationship with her family, in the beginning, was really troubling. I instantly connected with her because I was just as angry with her.
Will I be reading the next book? Unfortunately, yes.
November 7, 2021
3 ⭐ Basically FBBA with a slightly different plot and characters
You want an honest review? I'll give you one.
Summary:
Seraphena Mierel is the Maiden promised by the Fates, whose future has never been her own.
Many years ago, one of Seraphena’s ancestors struck a deal in a desperate attempt to save his people from the Rot - a disease that is slowly devouring Lasania. In exchange for saving his kingdom, the first daughter born in the Mierel line shall be offered to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
While the Rot ceased for a time, the sickness returned when Seraphena was born, forcing the king and queen (Sera's parents) to come up with a plan. They believe the only way to stop the Rot is to destroy the Primal of Death himself, and Sera is the key.
All her life, Sera is not only groomed to be Death's bride, but an assassin with one goal in mind: make him fall in love, become his weakness, and end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
But the day the Primal of Death comes to collect his Consort, he rejects Sera - changing her life and the fate of her kingdom forever.
My Thoughts:
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I love the story concept, the characters, and the world-building. However, the pacing was off, the character development was lacking, and there were soooooo many similarities to the From Blood and Ash series that I anticipated nearly everything. If I were not familiar with FBBA or JLA's writing, I would have probably given this 4-stars or more. The story wasn't bad, but it just wasn't fresh.
The writing isn't great, but it's much better than A Crown of Gilded Bones.
- There are more than a few grammar errors. Seriously, where is the editor?
- The modern dialogue/references are extremely distracting and pull the reader out of the story. Here are some examples: hot piece, lived in my head rent-free, color me surprised, kicked the bucket, pervert, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
- There are also some repetitive jokes between Sera and Ash about her 'unmentionables' or how he has 'at least one decent bone in his body'.
The plot is basically nonexistent. The story starts as a mystery when Sera witnesses some gods killing mortals without apparent cause, but we don't find out why until the very end. The rest of this story centers on Sera and her struggles with finding purpose, fulfilling her duty, and doing what's right. There's a bit of romance thrown in there, but it felt ornamental. I wish the story followed the Hades x Persephone mythology more, with Sera immediately becoming Consort to the Primal of Death and traveling to Iliseeum and the Shadowlands.
The pacing is shaped like a W. The first 100 pages were captivating, then it slows way-the-fuck down, then it gets exciting again around page 300 when Sera goes to the Shadowlands, then it's boring again until the last 100 pages when truths are revealed. I enjoyed the end the most because we finally learned wtf was going on, but the way it was presented was in the form of an info dump.
And honestly, I had to put the book down and/or force myself to keep reading. There were a lot of boring parts that didn't interest me, but I kept reading because I was hopeful things would get better. They eventually did, but the reward wasn't satisfying enough. So, I doubt I'll do a reread.
*Spoilers Ahead*
There are so many/too many similarities between ASITE and FBBA. It's almost like JLA took the blueprint of FBBA, changed the names of the characters, gave them slightly different personalities, added a twist to the story, and voila . . . you've got ASITE.
Here are the parallels:
- the main female character is a Maiden who is touch-deprived, lonely, trained in combat, snarky, and has a temper. She has powers and isn't quite mortal (but doesn't know this at first), and these powers get stronger once she goes through the Culling. She is curious and asks many questions. She also stabs her love interest in the heart. She ignores the rules and finds herself in danger, only to be saved by the male love interest.
- the main male character is presented early on under a false identity only to be revealed as the female MC's enemy/rival, even though he was always aware of her identity. He was also previously caught and tortured.
- the male and female MCs have an unexpected make-out session within the first few chapters. The female acts like she dislikes the male MC but they totally lust after each other like crazy, and by the end, they are forced/pressured into a relationship.
- the concept of forbidden love. While Poppy and Casteel from FBBA are forbidden love because of who they are, Sera and Nyktos have chosen to live without love because of their past/upbringing.
There were enough differences that it was still possible to enjoy this story, but I couldn't help but think about FBBA the entire time. It felt like I had already read this story, so I wasn't as engaged or excited about it. But, again, if I had not previously read FBBA, I may like ASITE more.
The characters were two-dimensional (but I still love them).
Sera has been groomed her entire life to disassociate, seduce, and kill to become what she needs for the kingdom. But when she is rejected as Consort, she loses her identity and purpose. Unfortunately, Sera didn't grow much in this story, but I think the revelation about her powers sets her up for character development in the next book.
Ash/Nyktos is a hot god who is powerful, secretly kind, closed off from love, and a loner. After 600+ pages, that's about all I know. Hopefully, the next book gives us more insight into his thoughts, motives, and general personality. JLA, please tell me more about Daddy Nyktos. Thank you. 🙏
The story focuses so much on Sera's struggle with purpose/morals and Nyktos' inner conflict about love that it made up their entire personalities. It got boring after a while when they didn't seem to solve any of these personal problems.
The romance was all lust. I'm not too fond of this, but I understand why it happened. Sera accepted long ago that she would die young and, therefore, never formed attachments to anyone, whereas Nyktos saw love as a weakness and swore it off. These two characters do not know how to love, so when they interact, they grasp whatever connection they can have with one another, and lust is the easiest emotion to recognize. However, I think deep down, both Sera and Nyktos have feelings for each other, but they don't realize it yet. When it comes to love, their biggest enemy will be themselves. I'm interested to see how they break down the barriers around their hearts.
This one really baffled me. . .
Nyktos being a virgin makes zero sense. You're telling me a sexy, powerful Primal that is hundreds of years old hasn't had sex. Pshhhh. Give me a break. But okay, for the sake of this story, I'll play along.
Nyktos makes it clear that he never went too far physically with anyone because it wasn't worth the risk of falling in love. Okay, yeah, I get that. But then, when he finally bangs Sera, he straight up tells her that nothing has changed for him. He makes it clear to her that she will never be his weakness. Okay, so if he can separate sex and love, why didn't he have sex before? Seriously, if he is incapable of falling in love, like he repeatedly says, why not have sex? It doesn't make sense!
Also, virgins are tentative, shy, and awkward. They don't say things like, "That's it, fuck my hand." #unrealistic 🙄
Overall, A Shadow In The Ember was an okay read for me. It had an interesting premise and potential, but the pacing, two-dimensional characters, and FBBA parallels were too distracting for me. I'm really hoping JLA moves away from the FBBA storytelling format and gives us character development and a heartfelt romance in the next book.
Favorite Quotes:
"Only I get to determine what does and doesn't involve me. What I do and do not do is of no concern to anyone. Not even a god."
——————————————
"Did you kill that man?"
"I believe he slipped and fell upon my blade."
"Was it his throat that fell upon your blade?"
"Odd, right?"
"Odd, indeed."
——————————————
“You’re not unworthy. You’re not a curse or anything like that. You carry the ember of life in you. You carry hope within you. You carry the possibility of a future.”
——————————————
"Life for any being is as fragile as the flame of a candle — easily extinguished and stamped out."
——————————————
"Love is a beautiful weapon, often wielded as a means to control another. It shouldn't be a weakness, but that is what it becomes. And those most innocent always pay for it. I've never seen anything good come from love."
"You. You came from one."
——————————————
"A monster wouldn't care if they were one."
——————————————
"Love is even more powerful than what courses through our veins, equally awe-inspiring and terrifying in its selfishness."
——————————————
You want an honest review? I'll give you one.
Summary:
Seraphena Mierel is the Maiden promised by the Fates, whose future has never been her own.
Many years ago, one of Seraphena’s ancestors struck a deal in a desperate attempt to save his people from the Rot - a disease that is slowly devouring Lasania. In exchange for saving his kingdom, the first daughter born in the Mierel line shall be offered to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
While the Rot ceased for a time, the sickness returned when Seraphena was born, forcing the king and queen (Sera's parents) to come up with a plan. They believe the only way to stop the Rot is to destroy the Primal of Death himself, and Sera is the key.
All her life, Sera is not only groomed to be Death's bride, but an assassin with one goal in mind: make him fall in love, become his weakness, and end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
But the day the Primal of Death comes to collect his Consort, he rejects Sera - changing her life and the fate of her kingdom forever.
My Thoughts:
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I love the story concept, the characters, and the world-building. However, the pacing was off, the character development was lacking, and there were soooooo many similarities to the From Blood and Ash series that I anticipated nearly everything. If I were not familiar with FBBA or JLA's writing, I would have probably given this 4-stars or more. The story wasn't bad, but it just wasn't fresh.
The writing isn't great, but it's much better than A Crown of Gilded Bones.
- There are more than a few grammar errors. Seriously, where is the editor?
- The modern dialogue/references are extremely distracting and pull the reader out of the story. Here are some examples: hot piece, lived in my head rent-free, color me surprised, kicked the bucket, pervert, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
- There are also some repetitive jokes between Sera and Ash about her 'unmentionables' or how he has 'at least one decent bone in his body'.
The plot is basically nonexistent. The story starts as a mystery when Sera witnesses some gods killing mortals without apparent cause, but we don't find out why until the very end. The rest of this story centers on Sera and her struggles with finding purpose, fulfilling her duty, and doing what's right. There's a bit of romance thrown in there, but it felt ornamental. I wish the story followed the Hades x Persephone mythology more, with Sera immediately becoming Consort to the Primal of Death and traveling to Iliseeum and the Shadowlands.
The pacing is shaped like a W. The first 100 pages were captivating, then it slows way-the-fuck down, then it gets exciting again around page 300 when Sera goes to the Shadowlands, then it's boring again until the last 100 pages when truths are revealed. I enjoyed the end the most because we finally learned wtf was going on, but the way it was presented was in the form of an info dump.
And honestly, I had to put the book down and/or force myself to keep reading. There were a lot of boring parts that didn't interest me, but I kept reading because I was hopeful things would get better. They eventually did, but the reward wasn't satisfying enough. So, I doubt I'll do a reread.
*Spoilers Ahead*
There are so many/too many similarities between ASITE and FBBA. It's almost like JLA took the blueprint of FBBA, changed the names of the characters, gave them slightly different personalities, added a twist to the story, and voila . . . you've got ASITE.
Here are the parallels:
- the main female character is a Maiden who is touch-deprived, lonely, trained in combat, snarky, and has a temper. She has powers and isn't quite mortal (but doesn't know this at first), and these powers get stronger once she goes through the Culling. She is curious and asks many questions. She also stabs her love interest in the heart. She ignores the rules and finds herself in danger, only to be saved by the male love interest.
- the main male character is presented early on under a false identity only to be revealed as the female MC's enemy/rival, even though he was always aware of her identity. He was also previously caught and tortured.
- the male and female MCs have an unexpected make-out session within the first few chapters. The female acts like she dislikes the male MC but they totally lust after each other like crazy, and by the end, they are forced/pressured into a relationship.
- the concept of forbidden love. While Poppy and Casteel from FBBA are forbidden love because of who they are, Sera and Nyktos have chosen to live without love because of their past/upbringing.
There were enough differences that it was still possible to enjoy this story, but I couldn't help but think about FBBA the entire time. It felt like I had already read this story, so I wasn't as engaged or excited about it. But, again, if I had not previously read FBBA, I may like ASITE more.
The characters were two-dimensional (but I still love them).
Sera has been groomed her entire life to disassociate, seduce, and kill to become what she needs for the kingdom. But when she is rejected as Consort, she loses her identity and purpose. Unfortunately, Sera didn't grow much in this story, but I think the revelation about her powers sets her up for character development in the next book.
Ash/Nyktos is a hot god who is powerful, secretly kind, closed off from love, and a loner. After 600+ pages, that's about all I know. Hopefully, the next book gives us more insight into his thoughts, motives, and general personality. JLA, please tell me more about Daddy Nyktos. Thank you. 🙏
The story focuses so much on Sera's struggle with purpose/morals and Nyktos' inner conflict about love that it made up their entire personalities. It got boring after a while when they didn't seem to solve any of these personal problems.
The romance was all lust. I'm not too fond of this, but I understand why it happened. Sera accepted long ago that she would die young and, therefore, never formed attachments to anyone, whereas Nyktos saw love as a weakness and swore it off. These two characters do not know how to love, so when they interact, they grasp whatever connection they can have with one another, and lust is the easiest emotion to recognize. However, I think deep down, both Sera and Nyktos have feelings for each other, but they don't realize it yet. When it comes to love, their biggest enemy will be themselves. I'm interested to see how they break down the barriers around their hearts.
This one really baffled me. . .
Nyktos being a virgin makes zero sense. You're telling me a sexy, powerful Primal that is hundreds of years old hasn't had sex. Pshhhh. Give me a break. But okay, for the sake of this story, I'll play along.
Nyktos makes it clear that he never went too far physically with anyone because it wasn't worth the risk of falling in love. Okay, yeah, I get that. But then, when he finally bangs Sera, he straight up tells her that nothing has changed for him. He makes it clear to her that she will never be his weakness. Okay, so if he can separate sex and love, why didn't he have sex before? Seriously, if he is incapable of falling in love, like he repeatedly says, why not have sex? It doesn't make sense!
Also, virgins are tentative, shy, and awkward. They don't say things like, "That's it, fuck my hand." #unrealistic 🙄
Overall, A Shadow In The Ember was an okay read for me. It had an interesting premise and potential, but the pacing, two-dimensional characters, and FBBA parallels were too distracting for me. I'm really hoping JLA moves away from the FBBA storytelling format and gives us character development and a heartfelt romance in the next book.
Favorite Quotes:
"Only I get to determine what does and doesn't involve me. What I do and do not do is of no concern to anyone. Not even a god."
——————————————
"Did you kill that man?"
"I believe he slipped and fell upon my blade."
"Was it his throat that fell upon your blade?"
"Odd, right?"
"Odd, indeed."
——————————————
“You’re not unworthy. You’re not a curse or anything like that. You carry the ember of life in you. You carry hope within you. You carry the possibility of a future.”
——————————————
"Life for any being is as fragile as the flame of a candle — easily extinguished and stamped out."
——————————————
"Love is a beautiful weapon, often wielded as a means to control another. It shouldn't be a weakness, but that is what it becomes. And those most innocent always pay for it. I've never seen anything good come from love."
"You. You came from one."
——————————————
"A monster wouldn't care if they were one."
——————————————
"Love is even more powerful than what courses through our veins, equally awe-inspiring and terrifying in its selfishness."
——————————————
November 13, 2023
Reread #2 (Nov. 2023)
I love my dedication to rereading these books every time a new one gets released! This continues to be fantastic and I can't wait to finally know what happens next! 😭
________________________
Reread #1 (Nov. 2022) - I seem to have unwittingly started a tradition with the books in the Blood And Ash universe. Every time a book releases in the series I get the need to reread everything from the beginning. I'm not mad at it since I do need the refresh because of how much information is packed into understanding the series and everyone involved in the story.
Overall, I adored this reread! I think I enjoyed it, even more, this second time around because I knew what to expect and wasn't projecting the original series onto this prequel, its story, and the characters. Onto the next book because that cliffhanger was heartwrenching! 😭
P.S. I'm totally modifying my original rating of 4 stars to 5 stars because this was just THAT good ♡
________________________
Dec. 28th 2021 - My Full Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted On:
I'm going to be honest about how I didn't really want this series to be a thing in the beginning. After I finished Blood And Ash #3, I understood the need for it. Now that I've finished this book I'm definitely invested in these characters but not as much as I'm invested in Poppy and Casteel.
The reason for that is probably due to the overall pacing of this story when compared to the Blood And Ash books. This one was more on the slow starting and eventually steadied pacing, while Blood And Ash started off slow but quickly became action-packed with very small resting periods. You could say that my brain comparing this book to Blood And Ash kind of took away from this book and you'd be right.
Sera was a bad*ss and I was here for it. She didn't take anyone's BS and stood up for what she understood as right. She helped the people in her city to the best of her abilities while feeling overwhelming guilt due to what she perceived she would be responsible to fix. I liked her quite a bit and can't wait to see what happens next!
Nyktos wasn't who I was expecting him to be. I think I projected Casteel on him too much and ended up being completely wrong. Nyktos is relatively soft-spoken and level-headed. You really need to do something extreme to get him riled up enough to actually raise his voice. He's not sarcastic and isn't telling a joke every other minute to lighten the mood. Once I accepted him for who he was it was smooth sailing for me.
The dire ending really hurt but not as much as I was expecting it to. I'm really interested in knowing how it all plays out. I can't wait to see Nyktos figure out how wrong he is when it comes to Sera. I would also really appreciate novellas or novels *fingers crossed* about some of the Draken that work with Nyktos finding love in the future!
The Audio Book:
The narration was fantastic! It made this 25-hour monster of a book go by SO DAMN FAST. The characters were distinguishable from each other and there were no weird noises in the background of the recording.
________________
May 4th 2021
Ok. I take back what I said last month. After finishing Blood&Ash #3 I understand the need for this book. I'm very intrigued and ready to have my heart ripped out for the billionth time, Thanks.
________________
April 26th 2021
*Screams*
It. Has. A. COVER!
And it's SO DAMN beautiful!
AND it's about Nyktos. Not something I thought we were going to get right now but I can go with the flow. Is it bad that right this second I would prefer Book #4 in the Blood And Ash Series because I want more Cas, Kieren and Poppy in my life? I'm still excited about this though! I hope this is just as intense as the Blood And Ash Series 😭
________________
March 14th 2021
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
AHHHHHH! The prequel! It's almost here! ♡
I love my dedication to rereading these books every time a new one gets released! This continues to be fantastic and I can't wait to finally know what happens next! 😭
________________________
Reread #1 (Nov. 2022) - I seem to have unwittingly started a tradition with the books in the Blood And Ash universe. Every time a book releases in the series I get the need to reread everything from the beginning. I'm not mad at it since I do need the refresh because of how much information is packed into understanding the series and everyone involved in the story.
Overall, I adored this reread! I think I enjoyed it, even more, this second time around because I knew what to expect and wasn't projecting the original series onto this prequel, its story, and the characters. Onto the next book because that cliffhanger was heartwrenching! 😭
P.S. I'm totally modifying my original rating of 4 stars to 5 stars because this was just THAT good ♡
________________________
Dec. 28th 2021 - My Full Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted On:
I'm going to be honest about how I didn't really want this series to be a thing in the beginning. After I finished Blood And Ash #3, I understood the need for it. Now that I've finished this book I'm definitely invested in these characters but not as much as I'm invested in Poppy and Casteel.
The reason for that is probably due to the overall pacing of this story when compared to the Blood And Ash books. This one was more on the slow starting and eventually steadied pacing, while Blood And Ash started off slow but quickly became action-packed with very small resting periods. You could say that my brain comparing this book to Blood And Ash kind of took away from this book and you'd be right.
Sera was a bad*ss and I was here for it. She didn't take anyone's BS and stood up for what she understood as right. She helped the people in her city to the best of her abilities while feeling overwhelming guilt due to what she perceived she would be responsible to fix. I liked her quite a bit and can't wait to see what happens next!
Nyktos wasn't who I was expecting him to be. I think I projected Casteel on him too much and ended up being completely wrong. Nyktos is relatively soft-spoken and level-headed. You really need to do something extreme to get him riled up enough to actually raise his voice. He's not sarcastic and isn't telling a joke every other minute to lighten the mood. Once I accepted him for who he was it was smooth sailing for me.
The dire ending really hurt but not as much as I was expecting it to. I'm really interested in knowing how it all plays out. I can't wait to see Nyktos figure out how wrong he is when it comes to Sera. I would also really appreciate novellas or novels *fingers crossed* about some of the Draken that work with Nyktos finding love in the future!
The Audio Book:
The narration was fantastic! It made this 25-hour monster of a book go by SO DAMN FAST. The characters were distinguishable from each other and there were no weird noises in the background of the recording.
________________
May 4th 2021
Ok. I take back what I said last month. After finishing Blood&Ash #3 I understand the need for this book. I'm very intrigued and ready to have my heart ripped out for the billionth time, Thanks.
________________
April 26th 2021
*Screams*
It. Has. A. COVER!
And it's SO DAMN beautiful!
AND it's about Nyktos. Not something I thought we were going to get right now but I can go with the flow. Is it bad that right this second I would prefer Book #4 in the Blood And Ash Series because I want more Cas, Kieren and Poppy in my life? I'm still excited about this though! I hope this is just as intense as the Blood And Ash Series 😭
________________
March 14th 2021
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
*Deep Breath*
AHHHHHH! The prequel! It's almost here! ♡
June 28, 2022
There is no show/book out there that Jennifer can't plagiarize, not even the ones she wrote herself.
July 27, 2023
Uno smash per Sera.
Uno smash per daddy Nyktos.
Tutti molto bravi.
Uno smash per daddy Nyktos.
Tutti molto bravi.
Want to read
November 29, 2022Ok i’ve been seeing a lot of people say that this is better than fbaa. As we all know, I read the latter and enjoyed but then I read book 2 and 3 and absolutely hated them. So for those of you who have read this sequel: is this worth it or nah?
Want to read
June 11, 2021According to JLA: "Loosely inspired on Hades and Persephone myth...without the kidnapping and stuff."
That's all I really had to know! :P *clicks preorder*
That's all I really had to know! :P *clicks preorder*
March 23, 2022
Nyktos & Nyktos only
October 19, 2021
This might be another’s cup of tea if you’re looking for a story and couple dynamic nearly the same as Poppy and Cas, but it wasn’t for me. The reuse of lines and plots felt boring and uninspired to me. There were so many other aspects I didn’t like as well, but I don’t care to go into them in all honesty. I won’t be reading on with this series, but I will with FBAA!
Seems like my love for FBAA (primarily book 1) was a one hit wonder between JLA & I... :(
Seems like my love for FBAA (primarily book 1) was a one hit wonder between JLA & I... :(
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