I have a love-hate relationship with From Blood and Ash 2 just like I did with From Blood and Ash #1. I wasn’t going to publish this because it just turned into a rant. Also, reading this book and writing this review put me in a reading slump. It’s mostly just random thoughts, close to note format, because every time I sat down to flesh my ideas out, I became annoyed.

Perhaps my distaste for this one was circumstantial? I was PMSing, and the hormones running through my veins made me want to punch Poppy in her stupid face (exaggeration? kind of, but not really).

If you love this book, please don’t come at me with pitchforks, or do. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. So here’s mine.

What’s the the dialogue like in From Blood and Ash 2?

I’m having a difficult time with the immature dialogue pulling me out of the world, as I did in the first book, From Blood and Ash. 

There was mention of a mark that would last until the end of time, and the author referred to it as a tattoo. Just no, please, no. We’re in a fantasy land, and you just made that fantasy crumble around me by mentioning a tattoo. There were so many other words that one could have chosen to explain that mark. 

“Let’s kick ass.” Ugh, maybe in another universe a character would say that, but not this one. Some people are 700 years old, and they, just no.

To mention a positive, there were some instances in the dialogue that made me laugh out loud in this one, specifically between Kerrin and Poppy. I liked their friendship.

What are the characters like in A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire?

Poppy drove me mad this time around. Again, maybe it’s because I was PMSing, but she was so irritating in the first 200 pages of From Blood and Ash 2. I get she would be angry, but she’s kind of annoying and stupid. She has the same thoughts, back and forth, in the last book and for most of this book.

Positive? Thank the gods she finally stopped bickering. Not sure enemies to lovers is my thing.

Poppy and Hawke’s relationship drags with no development for the longest time, and then the author just drops some new change, and then that drags on until she drops more change. I would have liked a slow build to watch things unfold instead of the “Oh, piece of candy. Oh, piece of candy“.

They just argue and have sex over and over and over again, mostly in the first book, but still.

 “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

The other characters, who are 200-700 years old, are on the same maturity level as Poppy, an 18-year-old sheltered girl.

I wish the characters were more fleshed out. You have your good, and then you have your bad; there’s no in-between. You have your old-looking characters, your young characters, and then you have the Poppy-aged characters who seem to be all the hot muscular, good-looking, jaw-dropping men.

I think I’m just tired of your strong female leads with their hot boyfriends. 

The world and magic in From Blood and Ash 2:

This is what kept me reading. I longed more world-building in From Blood and Ash, and From Blood and Ash 2 delivered in this department.

We journeyed over the land, learned more about the peoples’ history, more about the politics, about the gods, the magic, and I enjoyed traveling through this world. I was never bored, always learning new things, seeing new places, and that exploration made this a fun read.

Poppy’s magic continues to reveal itself to her and those around her, which kept me hooked into the story and helped to balance the parts that were not working for me.

The magical elements were kind of like mythology with the Gods and the bloodlines. I enjoyed this for what it was worth.

The world is what kept me reading this one

This book was a bit better than the last.

Is From Blood and Ash 2 worth reading?

From Blood and Ash 2 is one of those books that you’ll either love or hate. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is a book that left me wanting to smack the stupid outta Poppy.

I loved From Blood and Ash 2 because of the world and magic; I was not too fond of it because of the characters, dialogue, and everything else. I will not be reading the next in this series.

If you enjoy the bickering of enemies to lovers, don’t mind immature dialogue, and need some action-packed, sexy in your life, I recommend From Blood and Ash 2 (while you’re not PMSing 🤣).