Reading With Tyler

Name: Born of Blood and Ash
Series: Flesh and Fire #4
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Format: Kindle
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Noted Tropes: Prophecy, High Stakes, God Wars
Steam or Spice: Spice

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review:

This is book 4 in the series, therefore it stands to reason spoilers for the previous books may be included in the below.

Born of Blood and Ash was always going to be a tough one, for me personally. We were reaching the territory where we knew how this story ended – thanks to the Blood and Ash series – so how much shock could there really be? And I hope that anyone else who reads this series is able to ignore that voice in their head that says ‘yes but we know he can’t die, because of X Y Z in Blood and Ash series’. Sadly, I couldn’t ignore it. It is for that reason, and that reason alone that I didn’t enjoy this book to it’s fullest potential.

Let me explain – Yes, I knocked half a star off the rating because parts of the book were slow and some lost it’s impact because we already knew how something turned out. But that issue I have (and why I didn’t knock a full start off the rating) is also kind of missing the point? Born of Blood and Ash is setting us up to one, understand how From Blood and Ash came to be and two, set up an amazing meeting (that I’ve been waiting for! because surely, it’s going to happen now!) between Ash and Sera, and Poppy and Cas. Excuse my language, but shit is about to go down! And whilst I didn’t read all of A Soul of Blood and Ash (it’s book one from a different point of view with some present day chapters sprinkled throughout…) I will be going through it and reading the ‘present day chapters’ (aka the parts that aren’t book one from a different point of view) so that I’m fully prepared for the God War that is about to break out!

We got some lovely couple time in this book – and some very steamy couple time – which felt like it was deserved after all the crap Sera and Ash have been through. However, it did (and I cannot believe I’m about to say this) feel like it was constant and too much. It was great at first, but then I was bored of it, and wanted the story to move along. This is a chunky book, let it be known! And a lot of it is JLA reminding us just how feircely these two love each other and to what ends they will go to protect one another. Which is fine, there is nothing wrong with it! But these two fuck… a lot!! It felt like it was every other chapter!! I was just hoping for more, I guess, more of their interactions with their court, the other Primals, even Kolis! Or even just less sex…

That being said, we got a lot more Nektas, Jadis and Reaver in this book and holy hell my heart swelled each and every time they were around. I love these three Draken, so much!! Jadis and Reaver bring comic relief and just the sweetest bondings with Sera and Ash that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Nektas, ever the voice of reason, the voice of calm provides council to both Sera and Ash when it is needed and it always feels like a warm hug whenever he opens up.

We also did spend more time with a few of the Primals, for examle Attes, whom I adore. I love every interaction between him and Ash as they just remind me of brothers at the end of the day. Which, would be better for Attes than the brother he does have.

Kolis was down right icky in this book. This villain has been building up his anger and he unleashed it in incredibly icky threats in Born of Blood and Ash. Which was what I had expected from him before this point, so now it kind of feels like there should still be more to come from Kolis? I would have expected the violence to be ramped up from him in this book, but whilst he did absolutely instigate violence, he also resorted to a lot of icky threats… Meh, alright.

I really enjoyed, especially towards the end, seeing little bits of scenes that directly explained why something was the way it was in the Blood and Ash series (a couple of examples will be hidden below in the spoiler drop down) – they felt like little full circles, moments where I’d go OH! That’s why! or Awh, I love that… They were great.

Overall, I enjoyed Born of Blood and Ash and I appreciate how the finale of the Flesh and Fire series title paves way so nicely to the first in the Blood and Ash series – though all of these titles are somewhat confusing and I do regularly have to double check which story line each title belongs to! I found it a little slow in places and most of my problems came down to that voice in my head saying ‘yes but we know how this turns out’ but mostly it was full of action (and sex) and has me excited for The Primal of Blood and Bone to be released!

“You are who I fell in love with, Sera. Every part of you. Not just the easy stuff but the complicated, messy aspects, too. I love each part of you equally. You will always be what I cherish most, liessa.” Clasping my cheeks, he kissed the top of my head. “Nothing will ever change that.” – Nyktos / Ash