Thoughts on Blood and Ash Series (Books 1-5)

Thoughts on the Blood and Ash Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fangirling? A Defense of? Anticipation? 

~ Yes - All of the Above ~

Ah!!! Okay, so within the past couple of weeks, I have reread/completely caught up on Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series. To be clear, by this I mean books 1 through 5, listed below, without including the Flesh and Fire series. For that one, I've still only read book 1. I know there's a recommended reading order, but I just ~accidentally~ would start the next B&A one and then suddenly that book would be over and I'd end up doing the same with the next. Don't worry -- the rest of F&F will be read soon. :) 

Book 1 - From Blood and Ash

Book 2 - A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

Book 3 - The Crown of Gilded Bones

Book 4 - The War of Two Queens

Book 5 - A Soul of Ash and Blood

I love love love this series and, as always, I love JLA's writing. This post is pretty much just going to be a combination of gushing and a defense of the series because I've heard a lot of nay-saying that I don't think is very objective. Or kind. Some of it is honestly straight-up ridiculous and can be used as evidence as to why Goodreads review numbers are partially bull****. Granted, all opinions are clearly that -- opinions. And so there is no real thing as an "objective" review. But I can see the pluses and the minuses for this series, and for her writing style, and so I want to just put some things out there because I think she and this series deserves that. 

First things first... Poppyhawke. Love them. Adore them. Flawed? Yes. Slightly messed up meeting? Yes. Do I care? Mmm... the world is nothing but a bunch of shades of grey and I think given their specific circumstances and story, no -- I don't care. Throughout the rest of the series? They are one of my favorite ships of all time. I can say that absolutely without a doubt. I love reading the genuine dynamic of support they have with each other, both in asking for it and giving it. That is really part of their core as a couple: loving support and balancing each other out. The sexual tension between them is also off the charts, of course, but I really love them because they are so much more than that and they are able to care about and love each other deeply. 

And then you add in Kieran. I remember being neutral about Kieran for the longest time. It's not that he didn't have a personality, but it was just a bit flat in book 2 I think? But he becomes more of an individual in book 3 and he takes on a lot more individuality in book 4 to the point where I am greatly intrigued by his relationship with and devotion to Poppy and Cas. The point is made several times that there is love between him and the two that is similar to what Poppy and Cas have, but is also different. And that's just such an interesting description to me because it 1000% is more than just friendship and it also seems more intimate than that of family/brother vibes. There's definitely more there that we haven't seen yet, but I know that as a person, I love Kieran. 

Also, I forgot how much I love Delano! Dear Lord, I love that little snowball marshmallow. There's not even too much that can be said about him because he's such a minor character, but there's something about him that makes me so happy. He's like the Poppy/Cas/Kieran kid they babysit. Or their child. Whatever it is, it's amazing and I love how he interacts with Poppy especially. 

Moving on to some more critical things... one of the biggest flaws with the series is that, I think, the rollout of the high fantasy elements are difficult to follow. Not as an excuse, but just for context, this is JLA's first high fantasy series. She is a pro (imo) at the urban fantasy genre, particularly for the YA readers. Literally amazing. So with this background, she knows how to build a world other than that of reality, but I wonder if that skill wasn't perfectly translated, especially early in the series. I feel like there's a unique fine line writers of high fantasy need to balance where they simultaneously explain the world and how it operates while also doing so in a way that is organic and doesn't interrupt the reader's experience or break their suspension of disbelief.  For me, I could have used more description on the rules of the world. Or maybe even a reduction in the number of rules of the world because it was overwhelming at times and I felt like I was missing details or that some details were just assumed instead of provided for. 

Speaking of how this is high fantasy, one of the things that really annoys me with other people's reviews is that they complain about how there aren't enough romance scenes in the later books. There is admittedly a switch away from focus on the romance aspect to focus on the fantasy aspect, but this is a romantasy series. That incorporates the term "fantasy," so I don't think it's a very fair review of the book for someone to mark it a low rating simply because they wanted something more romance-heavy. It's still a valid review (not one of the "ridiculous" ones that I mentioned earlier), but it is based solely on personal preference and not an objective review of the book as a member of the genre. It's just irritating when I see those. 

Now, to address a love-hate tug of war between different types of readers... some people love JLA's writing style and sense of humor, and other people hate it. Personally,  I love it. And I don't think there's anything to say about her writing style other than it makes the story fly by when you love it and, from what I've heard and read, makes you cringe hard when you don't like it. I just wanted to point this out in case someone reading this is considering picking up the books because there are a lot of reviews out there that are rooted in her writing style. *shrugs* Pick up a copy and test out a page. Download the sample and check it out. You'll be able to tell right away if it's a style that you vibe with or not. 

Lastly, one of the things that I have loved so far about the series is that it is connected to another one that takes place in this world. And I love love that the characters are directly connected to each other and that their storylines are intertwined in history. 

However, the big drawback because of this... it makes a complicated history and rules-of-the-world even harder to follow. There's just so many things to know or that can happen. You would think it makes things simpler, and JLA certainly does a great job of making sure that you don't need to read both series to understand them individually, but it really just makes for a giant cast of characters to follow at some points and it feels like there are a dozens of ways for people to become gods, or demis, or primals, versus a true primal, or an Atlantian, etc., etc. I'm exaggerating a LOT with that statement -- I know the differences now and have kept them straight in my head now. But there really are a lot of rules and loopholes and one-offs regarding what happens to person with X status ascending another person with Y status versus Z status and all of that is different again if it is done by a person with A status instead of X status. See what I mean? I don't even know if I'm explaining it correctly, but there are so many combinations of species and ascension results that my head was spinning and there were points when it was simply more confusing than it was entertaining. 

But I think we've finally stilled the world-building waters enough to be prepped for and fully enjoy the ride of book 6, The Primal of Blood and Bone, which comes out this upcoming summer! I'm so pumped for this release. It's one of the few books of 2025 that I have saved on my calendar to make sure that I don't miss the release and I am dying to see what goes down with Kolis back in the picture and we've now gotten to the core of what has been driving the plot this whole series. Plus the characters. I live for their interactions and am so excited to see how they keep interacting and growing with each other. And the snark and sarcasm. Eeeee! Yayyy!!! :)

Hopefully this all made sense and was at least slightly helpful for those looking to read the books or if they are feeling unsure about whether or not they should pick them up. Personally, unless you really don't like the writing style, I would highly recommend it. It sucks you in and can be the best kind of investment of your time. 

Thanks for reading!

A Touch of Chaos (Hades x Persephone Saga #4) by Scarlett St. Clair REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

3.76 out of 5 Stars

*May contain spoilers*

I forgot how long and hard I could go for these reviews... holy crap. 

Short version -- check it out here or just know that I really liked it! 

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

As I'm outlining this review, I'm realizing there weren't as many *sparkling* moments between Hades and Sephy that are causing me to fangirl... not a great thing, but also not the worst. They were still amazing, and I don't think it really takes away from the book at all, but it wasn't like I was pining for more scenes with them. If anything, I felt that way about Ari and Dionysus (more on that later). 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

Plot

I thought this had a really great plot. It wasn't the most seamless in transitions between scenes, but it wrapped things up and kept moving. It brought satisfaction to the main cliffhangers and resolution to the important points of the story in a way that was excellent. Also, there were some great battle scenes in this book! There wasn't just one epic ending. There was a series of tasks and skirmishes and obstacles and I am so happy that there was so much going on and it was to a level of detail that every character had a critical role. There were also some really funny moments too which broke things up nicely. *Cough Dionysus delivering a baby Cough* 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole though was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):) 

Okay so, one of the bones I had to pick about the plot specifically was that I really wish there was some sort of resolution for Hera's soul. I get that she was an awful bitch and what Theseus did to her was a result of her own actions, but to have her broken like that and wandering forever? I can't. My heart hurts even just remembering that scene where Hades sees her and realizes her fate. Even though she was horrid, and its all fictional, it bothers me so much that she will never find rest. 

Lastly, I want to briefly touch on Theseus's death and atrocities toward Ari. Firstly, I'm okay with Theseus's death being somewhat pathetic because he is pathetic and deserves no epic way to die. There was also something I think very Greek about his downfall being a bit anti-climatic and directly tied to his flaw of hubris. Plus, it was a workaround to an oracle. Secondly, one of the things that I saw repeatedly be mentioned in other people's reviews is how the scenes between him and Ari played out. For me... I have mixed feelings about them. I'm glad they weren't brushed aside and dismissed like they meant nothing, but at the same time, I think maybe they were a tad overdone? I don't think we needed more than one because then you can just refer back to that one somehow... I don't know. I don't really want to dwell on it much further. I suppose I just wanted to touch on it because I don't think it was as poorly handled as I've seen some people describe it. 

Characters

Persephone -- I love this retelling of Persephone. I think her modernity contrasted against all the other gods and goddesses jadedness from years of divinity really makes her stand out. She's strategic and hardworking and in the final stages of discovering who she is as a person as well as a goddess, but there's something really unique about this Persephone being both modern and like a normal woman that I just really love. Plus, I love that she can be equally worried about getting Hades back and pissed that he's kept so much information from her.

Persephone by unsidhe (DeviantArt/creativecommons)

Hades -- From what I remember in the other books, Hades is a suave badass in this retelling. Grumpy and closed off, but he, like, makes deals with mortals at a nightclub. By no means would I think he could ever be described as dusty, but those attributes that are so attractive were a little flat in this book and could kind of hint at dustiness. Which is really unfortunate because I love a great Hades! And this is a great Hades! But it was like he didn't fully show up to the party. 

Hermes -- WE LOVE HERMES AND DIONYSUS!!! Hermes especially though is a favorite of mine. He's so goofy and so loyal and I love when there's a sincere character like that where they, just by being themselves, break up the heaviness of a scene or a story. Apollo served that role a little too, but sadly, we had to say goodbye. Although, thinking about Apollo, if he had had more page time, I think I would have been more upset about his death. As it is, if Hermes had died I would have been crying. But with Apollo, I was just plain said. 

Hecate -- I love Hecate so freaking much. She such a great motherly figure to both Hades and Persephone and I love that she will soundly scold anybody. I'm really glad that she had a good story in this book. It was nothing huge or dramatic, but she remained vital and loved, which makes me really happy. 

Dionysus x Ari -- I don't remember them existing before this book!! Did they exist before this book??? I don't think so?!?!! I really really fell hard for this little ship that is really just a subplot. But I fell for it SO bad that I'm slightly upset. Even if I wasn't obsessed though, I still would have wanted more of the Ari x Dionysus arc especially at the end when Ari emerges with the baby wrapped around her because there is so much there. She had suffered through so much and that I think needs some sort of resolution to that and I think Dionysus is a part of that resolution.

Theseus -- Vomit. Just absolute vomit-inducing filth. Literally one of the worst characters I've ever read. Developmentally, he was alright. I think there were a few times when his character was almost overblown and exaggerated as if St. Clair was really trying to make sure we all understood that this is  a character with no redeemable soul, and it didn't need to be. 

Not specific to any character development, but ummmm... Thanatos and Lexa?? More please???? We get a whole conversation between Lexa and Sephy where Lexa is upset because she kissed Thanatos and then he said it was a mistake and CLEARLY it's just Thanatos being stupid about his job and what he thinks is right versus wrong when it comes to caring for the souls but she doesn't know that and thinks she instead that she did something wrong! Not okay! I need to see Persephone kick Thanatos's ass in line and get him to wake up and realize that he's hurt Lexa and he doesn't need to! Ulghhhh, I need this.... not as badly as I need an Ari x Dionysus spin-off... but I still need this.... 

Writing

I wouldn't say there's anything uniquely spectacular about the writing of this, other than it flows so damn easily. It would feel like I'd blink and 30 minutes had gone by while reading. One of the best things about this book, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!
Xo

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

3.76 out of 5 Stars

*Spoiler Free Review*

If you would like the full review, with spoilers, details, and fangirling, follow this link to the full review!

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):)

One of the best things about this book though, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!

Xo

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards (and my own rankings of them)

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards 

(and my own rankings of them)

This may be absolutely bonkers of me considering how many reading goals I've set for myself going into the end of the year and into early next year (for reference, I started a second blog about traveling via books), but as of writing this, the Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees of 2024 have been released and it has been ages since I feel like I've done a deep-dive into what is out there in terms of romantasy. And I've been reading romantasy since before it was called that! (To the younger readers and newer readers of the genre -- yes, "romantasy" is a relatively newer term.) 

I also always just love a list of titles for awards because I find it can be easier to read than looking at blocks of book covers, so I wanted to make this list putting them all in one spot. 

Here's to me reading all the romantasy nominations "so you don't have to" (said with saccharine sarcasm). And then I'm going to do a subsequent post, which will likely be finished early next year, where I do my own rankings of these books. I'm going to update that list of rankings though as I go along so that it is as complete as possible. Cheers!

** In the below list of titles, I've noted when the nominee is not the first book in the series. If there is a note only about that, that means I'm up to speed on the series and will be reading the nominee. If I'm not up to speed, I'm only going to read the first book because if I don't like that one, I'm not going to continue with the rest of the series. **

The 2024 Goodreads Choice Award Nominees for the Category of Romantasy

1. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
2. A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair (Not book 1) 
   
3. A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading A Dawn of Onyx)
4. Zodiac Academy: Restless Stars by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading The Awakening) 
   
5. Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Trial of the Sun Queen)
6. Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Assistant to the Villain) 
7. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
8. Gold by Raven Kennedy (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Gild)
9. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
10. The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
11. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
12. 
    Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
13. Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Not book 1) 
14. Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields 
15. House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (<-- This one's going to win. Calling it now. Not book 1)
16. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
17. The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
18. A Crown this Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark
19. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
20. A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

My Hesitations & Concerns:

Lots of other reading goals

I already referred to this in the beginning paragraph, but I started a second blog where I plan on reading books that can mentally take me to places I want to travel to, but can't afford to. I'm really looking forward to that blog as much as I love this blog! Starting up a new blog though, while also returning to writing in this one, is honestly very intimidating. I've kept up reading, so I'm not ~very~ worried about that... but it's the writing these blog posts that can take quite a bit of time and I don't want to skimp on these posts because then that's shit quality and I don't want to be that person. 

     Some of these titles I already know I don't love

Oof... I don't know if people are going to come at me because of this but... I already tried to read the Zodiac Academy once and I just struggled with the first half of it so bad that I put it down and didn't return. But there's a HUGE fan base for it so there must be something there. Maybe at the time I was reading I was just really distracted or simply not in a good place? If a book couldn't hold me through a time like that though, especially a romantasy book, I still hold some reservations about it. 1000% still willing to give it another shot though!

Scared some are just riding the coattails of successful trends, which annoys me

Over the years, this has REALLY become one of my biggest pet peeves -- books where you can tell they're really just trying to benefit off the success of other titles or the tropes in them. And then they're half-baked or over-marketed and heralded as "the next Sarah J. Maas" or "the next Jennifer L. Armentrout." I really, really get annoyed by this and I'm incredibly worried that with the reductive readership of online popularity that there will be titles in this list that I simply will get frustrated with because of a lack of true originality.

On the whole, I'm looking forward to this! I can't wait to see how this turns out! 

Thanks for reading!!

Xo