BOOK REVIEW: A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

An explosive trip down memory lane that is worth every page...

I have been a huge fan of this series since the beginning with From Blood and Ash. Nothing quite compares to that first book, but man this is a close second in my favorite book of the series. Being the fifth book presents its own challenges in the sense of…are there enough fresh ideas, is it getting slow, drawn out or boring, and even, with the time between all of these books, do we even remember what is going on or how we got here!

But this one, this one right here is one of the smartest ways to approach a book in the middle of a long series that started with two books in 2020, one in April 2021, the next in March 2022 and then we waited until July 2023 for this little slice of magic. And magic it is. This epic fantasy series never fails to have twists and turns that you didn't see coming with characters that are continually evolving and changing, even though you think you know everything about them.

The short and sweet version of this is Poppy falls into stasis (a coma like sleep). Cas is told that he must talk to her while she “sleeps” in order for her to not forget who he is or even who she is. As a result, we get to revisit the events from the first book but from Casteel’s point of view. There are alternating timelines as we are reminded of the beginnings while continuing the VERY slow progression of events in the present time. 

Honestly, I wasn’t really feeling it at first. I really didn't feel like re-reading a book that I had already read but Cas’s voice is very different from Poppy’s making his tale of those events fresh and unique from what we experienced through Poppy’s eyes back in From Blood and Ash. I began to feel like I was wrapped in a warm blanket, and was reminded how much I loved that first installment of this series. This is why I say it was the smartest approach, because there were scenes and moments I had forgotten. If you’ve read the series, you know that SOOOO much has happened in the last three books that it was easy to forget some of the details of book one, but they are critical to how Poppy and Cas developed to who they are at the end of book five.

Cas wasn’t with Poppy in every scene of book 1, so we get to see a lot of new moments. There are holes that are filled in and explanations and understandings that come to light as we see what was going on behind Poppy’s life as the Maiden. I had no idea the extent that Kieran and the other wolven played from the moment “Hawke” arrived to be Poppy’s guard. Plus, Cas has always been a little bit of a lovesick sap so it was cute to watch him fall for Poppy.

The process of falling in love with Poppy had started in Masadonia. It had just taken me that time to realize I could be worthy of such an emotion after betraying her – after all I’d done. That I could allow myself to love and be loved without hesitation or conditions.

There are quite a few negative opinions on this one because it is a “re-telling” from a different point of view. I’ve seen that it is called a “money grabber.” Here’s the thing, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. For me, it allows me to live in this fantasy world a little longer. Was there a lot of forward movement with the plot? No. However, you do glean a little more depth and perspective into Cas’s motivations, goals and how he has evolved through those interactions with Poppy’s fierce and unexpected personality. 

We’ve seen this same structure used on new releases in the Twilight Series with Midnight Sun and Fifty Shades of Grey with Grey. Now, I will admit that I haven’t read either of those, but those were released more as companions than as a full installment of the series. However, A Soul of Ash and Blood ends in the present, and if you don’t think that there are some crazy developments that create some forward momentum, I don’t know what it will take. Granted, it’s not a lot, but I found it to be very dramatic and to be left with that cliffhanger was just cruel.

I hated that it was over a year since we had the last book, and I’m really not thrilled that the next book in the series is going to be a compendium versus an actual book. At least it will be from Ms. Willa’s perspective which could be a little spicy. This next one, Visions of Flesh and Blood is due to be released in February 2024 with The Primal of Blood and Bone coming out later next year (I’m not exactly sure what this book is). Book 7 will be released in 2025 and the final book of the series will hit the shelves in 2026. Does this really mean that I have to deal with the aftermath of the cliffhanger for TWO whole years????

Where does this book land on my bookshelf?

Top shelf. I read series because I love living in the world with the characters and watching them grow and develop. They take up residence in my head, so any time that I am able to read something that allows me to understand the characters in greater depth, I’m going to take advantage. There were several scenes that I forgot about, like the Barn scene when they stop on their travels. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with Kieran and Casteel. There was new information given that filled in our original reading experience. It gave us what we didn’t even know we were missing! And the ending!  I DID NOT see that coming. I highly recommend this series, and I will stand behind this one as a meaningful addition to the series.

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