It’s here!  The latest instalment in the best-selling Blood and Ash series, The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout, is live!

 

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Blurb

From the desperation of golden crowns…

Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.

And born of mortal flesh…

Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.

A great primal power rises…

Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.

As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.

 

 

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Review

5 huge stars!

Holy wow. What a freaking incredible read! Jennifer L. Armentrout takes us back to her Blood and Ash world, and once again, completely consumed me. I laughed, I cried, I was surprised, nervous and excited, and God, did I swoon! I cannot get enough of this series, and devoured every single moment of this book, and can already tell it will be a fave for 2022.

This book is not a standalone. Make sure you’re all caught up on the previous books – and though it’s not completely necessary, I’d also recommend having read A Shadow in the Ember, the first book in the prequel series Flesh & Fire. There is starting to be some crossover, and it’s definitely handy to have some of that information going in to this one.

This book picks up shortly after the hideous cliffhanger of The ​Crown of Gilded Bones left me raw and hanging, desperate for resolution. Poppy is leading her army against the Blood Queen, desperate for vengeance and unwavering in her goal to see the end of the reign of the Ascended, and peace in the mortal lands. She knows it’s not going to be easy, but with her ever-increasing powers, the strength of the wolven, and the guards of the Primal of Life at her back, she’s determined to get back what has been taken from her.

It’s a hard journey, and as she goes into battle it’s dramatic, exciting, and violent, but with a lot of sweet, emotional and funny moments as well. Armentrout continues to build upon the fantasy world that she has so brilliantly created, and the supernatural aspects of the story are so cleverly written, and tied in wonderfully to the emotional story that unfolds along the way.

As Poppy fights for the ones she loves, she’s also learning more about herself – discovering the powers that she holds and embracing what she is becoming, while trying to avoid her prophesised destiny that she will destroy all that she is trying to build. And the wicked Blood Queen has been plotting (God, she is a piece of work!), and as much as we thought we knew, it’s nothing compared to what is coming.

Gah! This story! It’s captivating, intriguing and mysterious, with intense and emotional ups and downs. My heart was pounding, and so many moments had me holding my breath, desperate to see what was going to happen. There are twists and turns, and a lot of surprises along the way, and I was completely hooked, madly flipping through 600+ pages and unable to stop thinking about the story, even when I reluctantly had to put it down.

As always, Armentrout balances of all the intensity with lots of funny moments. At this stage of the series there are a lot of ‘in’ jokes, and the wit and humour of these characters absolutely shines, even in the middle of a war. I loved being back with this group, enjoying all of the dynamics at play, with a special shout out to Kieran, who continues to rock my world.

“There are things far worse than death. Like her when she’s annoyed.” He jerked his chin in my direction. “She likes to stab things then. But when she gets angry? You’ll see exactly what …(she)… is capable of.”
The Priest’s eyes darted to me, and I smiled tightly. “I do get stabby. And I’m already annoyed by a whole list of things.”

And, for the first time in the series, we get Casteel POV. I swear, I squealed out loud with excitement the first time we got inside of his head. As if I didn’t already love him enough, getting all of his witty sarcasm first hand, and seeing and feeling his love for Poppy, I was a complete goner.

“Whether she ruled over all the lands and seas or was the Queen of nothing but a pile of ashes and bones she would – will – always be my Queen. Love is too weak an emotion to describe how she consumes me and what I feel for her. She is my everything.”

The love story between Casteel and Poppy is nothing short of epic. These two are an absolute powerhouse, and their passion and love for each other is felt through so much of this book. The sex is so freaking hot, and the emotional connection between them is palpable. I love so much about these two, and revelled with them in all that they feel for each other.

“I’m never not in awe of you. I’m always utterly mesmerized. I’ll never stop being that. Always and forever.”

“I love you … With my heart and my soul, today and tomorrow. I will never get enough of you.”

This book is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and that ending just about did me in (holy damn, the feels!). Between the love story, the action, the fantasy lore, and the wonderful relationships and dynamics between friends and family, all of the different elements of the story are woven together brilliantly to create a truly incredible read that had me catching my breath more than once. It forms an exciting turning point in the series, and though it ends on another cliffhanger, it’s not too nasty, and I am so excited for more.

5 huge stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Blood and Ash

 

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About the Author

#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. 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 a hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

 

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