A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire Blog Tour (Review, Moodboard and Giveaway)

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published by: Blue Box Press on September 1, 2020

Genres: High Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 637

My Rating: ★★★★ ½

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) Review ★★★★★

🚨 MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD 🚨

SYNOPSIS

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice…

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

MY THOUGHTS

❝Beauty, my sweet child, is often broken and barbed, and always unexpected.❞

After the rollercoaster that was From Blood and Ash, I was anxious going into A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire because I didn’t know how Armentrout would be able to match the exhilaration I felt meeting Poppy and Cas (Hawke) for the first time. However, such worries proved nonsensical because I’m still in awe of what I just read and I’m already craving more of these characters. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire picks up where the first book left off, so I was immediately reeled back into the narrative. From the witty dialogue to the sexual tension, Jennifer L. Armentrout nails the sequel. Sequels can be inherently disappointing, but not this one. Not at all.

❝I was raised in a cage so pretty that it took a very long time for me to see it for what it was.❞

Tender moments, steamy moments, action-packed moments, fierce moments, heart-stopping moments, moments that will be engrained into my brain forever and serve as the driving force for the next personality I’ll steal from a fictional character — this book has it all. Everything that made From Blood and Ash so captivating has been amplified this time around, meaning there’s more romance and more twists than before. The fact Jennifer manages to balance all these elements so well is a feat in itself, but the true wonder stems from how beautifully she weaves the world. To be honest, I have a tendency to skim smut because I find it awkward, yet she constructs such stunning, loving images that perfectly juxtapose the vivid, bloody battle scenes too. At times, I was startled by how clearly I could see the book playing out in my head. It’s just that cinematic!

❝Your heart was always safe with me. It always will be. There is nothing I will protect more fiercely or with more devotion, Poppy.❞

CHARACTERS

❝Forcing a warrior to don a veil of submission was never going to last.❞

After spending such a large portion of her life as the Maiden and being manipulated into a role that was never real, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire sees Poppy figuring out who she is. My love for Poppy has increased in tenfold with this book and I just wanted to give her the biggest hug throughout. For all her strength and smarts, she’s been hurt and betrayed by the first person she’s ever allowed to know her intimately — that kind of things leaves an emotional scar! What I love most about Poppy is how unyielding she is. The one thing she wants most in the world is her freedom and she never stops fighting for it, even if it means sacrificing Hawke. In the beginning, she really struggles to figure out the differences between Hawke, Casteel and the Dark One. Her whole world has essentially been tipped upside down, but Poppy Balfour is here to show us all that you can be a lover and a fighter.

❝Make me feel incompetent and kill more than me, Princess.❞

Casteel Da’neer . . . I don’t know where to begin. The most important thing when it comes to Casteel is the fact he’s Poppy equal and he values her opinions as much as his own. Along with being protective and oozing sexual energy at all times, he is multi-layered and genuinely cares about what Poppy wants. He’s not an obnoxious, alpha-male type either because he knows how capable Poppy is — he practically worships that girl and it makes a change from YA relationships where the couple don’t communicate with each other. As individuals, I adore Poppy and Cas, but they’re even better together. I also think Cas possesses an emotional depth that I would like to see more of in male characters. Whilst he isn’t the hero, at no point did I hate him for what he had planned because his only fault happens to be how much he cares about his friends and family.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT

❝Fight me. Argue with me. I won’t stop you. But I will not allow you to put your life in jeopardy.❞

It seems impossible for me to pick a favourite moment — Poppy’s friendship with Kieran is a real standout this time around and I’m really intrigued where ‘the Joining’ will lead the trio in the next book. But, the dynamic between Poppy and Cas is electric and the couple wholly own my heart, so it’s only right one of their scenes is my favourite moment. Their initial fight when Poppy flees captivity is full of passion and pining. The intensity is palpable through the page and the scene exemplifies why they work so well — both of them trust each other to hold their own in a fight!

❝Casteel spun then, fangs bared and mouth streaked with crimson. The sword he swung at me halted a mere inch from my neck. His breath came out in short, ragged bursts.

“You’re welcome,” I panted. “For saving your life.”❞

As I mentioned, the fighting scenes between Poppy and Casteel are really fun, but the pair working together is equally as enticing to me. I really enjoyed the parallels of them fighting each other versus fighting together. Poppy Balfour is not weak and the role reversal where she saves him is refreshing. We need more heroines like Poppy.

MY LEAST FAVOURITE MOMENT

I don’t actually have a least favourite moment. However, around the 60% mark, the pace slows and I’d argue this book could have been hundred pages shorter. I’m not going to complain about some of the sweeter and sexier moments we got between Poppy and Cas at this point, but I thought it was a little strange how everything quietened as their relationship developed.

FINAL VERDICT

Considering I’m already counting down the days until we’re told more about the third book, that should tell you everything you need to know. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is pure magic — it will make you feel things you didn’t know you could feel and leave you with one hell of a book hangover.

MOODBOARD

I created this moodboard, which can also be found on my bookstagram. Each picture represents a moment from the book.

GIVEAWAY

You can win . . .

• $100 Gift Card to The JLA Shop

• FIVE Signed Paperback Copies of FROM BLOOD & ASH

• Open Internationally.

• Runs 8/28-9/14 (ends at 11:59PM EST on the 14th)

Rafflecopter Giveaway — CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

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#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, 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 Border Jack Apollo, six judgemental alpacas, two rude goats, and five fluffy sheep. 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.