BOOK REVIEW: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A successful sequel in a magical series.
Wait, what?!?!
Oh, I have so many questions!! (See what I did there?)
⁃ What does it all mean? The ending?
⁃ What are Alastair’s motivations?
⁃ Is what the Duchess said true?
⁃ What really happened the night her parents died?
This was a excellent transition book. From Blood and Ash was amazing at creating the characters, conflict and setting, but now we have the backdrop for an epic showdown in book 3.
I read this one through the audible. The narrator was excellent, and I loved the development of the characters. The emotion, suspense, confusion all came through with the narrator’s ability to portray all that a listener would want and need to fully immerse themselves into this world,
Character wise, Casteel was a little flat for me in this book, and Poppy’s nativity can get a little old, but she’s sassy and snarky for someone who grew up so sheltered. I love her quick tongued retorts and her finding her strength and not backing down. There are so many moments when I would let out an audible snicker myself at the dialogue, which by far is one of the best aspects of this book.
It did feel like 75% of the book was about Casteel and Poppy’s relationship; however, I found I couldn’t put the book down. There were new characters to love and more foreshadowing than you could throw a stick at. All while they were ‘pretending’ and tiptoeing around their relationship. Plot developments were perfectly placed to balance it all out.
Armentrout spins a tantalizing web confusion through the magic of foreshadowing. And, it’s not like it was hidden. Many time something would happen and the characters would discuss how no one m ew what it meant. Other times though, little things would happen, a comment made or a look given and it’s the notion of “hmm, is that important?” I love when authors make me wonder like that.
For me, sequels don’t often live up to the original, but this on was on par with book 1. Maybe it was was the fact that it was a simple continuation, literally picking up where the first one left off. But whatever the case, I was intrigued in the progression of the storyline.
The world evolves as the characters travel through the lands. The conflict depends as more pieces are revealed. The worst thing about this book is that the 3rd book isn’t out yet!
I swear, if Armentrout kills off one of my favorite secondary characters in The Crown of Gilded Bones, I may throw the book out the window. This is my biggest fear as I have come to love them.
Where is the book on my bookshelf:
Top shelf, obviously. It’s right there beside From Blood and Ash. I’m so so intrigued and invested in this series, this world, and these characters.
Definitely worth the read!