Book Review: ‘A Soul Of Ash And Blood’ By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Image Source: CultureSlate
Released on July 18th A Soul of Blood and Ash is one of the most anticipated books of the year. But does it live up to the heights of the rest of the series? Launched in 2020, the (currently five-book) New Adult steamy Romantasy series took TikTok by storm. This was in part, down to protagonist Casteel, who has become the template for the literary bad boy. They are packed with action, magical races, and romance. Heroine, Poppy has an intriguing arc from a naive restrained Maiden to a fiery warrior. The books have consistently topped best-seller lists and rightly earned a devoted fan following who have waited just over a year for an update.
In Jennifer L. Armentrout’s newest offering, Prince Casteel Da’Neer tells an unconscious Poppy the tale of their courtship. The reader does get dropped into the present every few chapters, rather jarringly at times, but the vast majority of the book is a retelling of From Blood and Ash, from Casteel’s point of view. A Soul of Ash and Blood is comparable to Twilight’s Midnight Sun by Stephanie Mayer.
RELATED:
The last twenty pages drop a massive clanging setup for the next book, so even if you decide to give it a miss, flick through the ending at your local library. It's a strange time to release what is essentially a recap view, but if you are familiar with the fandom, you may be aware of the backlash after the release of The War of Two Queens. Without spoiling the book if you’ve not read it, Casteel and Poppy’s romance took a new turn, splitting the fandom down the middle. This oddly timed throwback to the simpler beginnings of their courtship might be to appease the riled-up element.
Image Source: Then There Were Books
There are plenty of elements that the hardcore fans of this series will love. It’s fantastic to revisit characters that were killed off in later books. Vikter Wardwell and Casteel’s banter is amusing and unexpected. Excluding the surprise ending, it’s the best part of the novel. Readers also get to witness one or two key events from the first book that happened off-screen. It was also good to be reminded about how far Poppy has come from her days living under a veil. Armentrout does this gently and expertly using observations of body language and dress, picking up on themes that run through the series.
There is no shortage of angst; let’s be honest, that’s what you picked up the book for.
But, the novel doesn’t give us anything new. Armentrout could have surprised readers with the point of view change. She could have written about events during the planning and execution of Poppy’s kidnapping that we were previously unaware of. Fans will mourn the missed opportunity to give them more background about the Descenters and show just exactly how deserving of his reputation Casteel was. There’s a whole host of side characters whose interactions with Casteel are just skimmed over, (all of New Haven). Armentrout missed a trick, readers always want more Wolvern.
In truth, A Soul of Ash and Blood feels more like fanfiction or chapters given away for signing up for a newsletter rather than a complete work. It’s one long meta-reference. Casteel gets a little monotonous, he exclaims his love using the ‘F word’ every half a page. The Casteel we know is more conflicted, more layered. A Soul of Blood and Ash hasn’t done him any favors.
Rating 3/10 Wanted to love it, but it’s a poor copy of the original
READ NEXT:
Latest News
Featured
