A Kingdom Of Flesh & Fire | Jennifer Armentrout (book 2)

 

Star Rating: 4/5
Spice Rating: 9/10
Art Rating: 8.5 / 10
Favourite Quote: "“You can’t spell dysfunctional without fun, now can you?”

Synopsis;

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice….
Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.
A Secret…
But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

Review; 

The second novel in the series picks up straight after the cliffhanger of From Blood and Ash; Poppy is shocked by the statement Casteel has just announced at the dinner table - they are to marry. After the first book, this cliffhanger had me thanking every star that the second book was to hand so i could literally just pick it up! Arentrout really knows how to keep her reader on the edge of their seat, wanting more. The narrative continues to follow Poppy and her conflicting feelings for Casteel and the agreement to marry purely as a business deal, nothing more. Casteel wants to use their marriage to negotiate with the Blood Crown the freedom of his Brother and Poppy wants to find her brother to see if he is Ascended and if he is, is he the Ian she knows and loves.

 Now that we know Casteels true identity,  we get to know him more in this book and ultimately fall in love with him even more. He is fiercely protective of Poppy, but never undermines her decisions. I believe this is a great character trait for a strong male character that was once the enemy turned lover. So many characters get away with gas lighting or making decisions for others without consent that for Casteel to be so open and honest about how he feels but STILL doesn't intervene, it's very refreshing. We finally get to see more of Atlantia and it is not in ruin like the Ascended kept saying, it is thriving and quickly becoming overpopulated. Whilst exploring these new locations, there are new characters introduced and they are a great addition to the narrative.

 If i am completely honestly, i did get slightly bored during the middle of this book. It stems back to what i discussed in my previous review for From Blood and Ash; there is ALOT of internal dialogue and question asking that the repetitive nature of it made me not very excited to pick it up. However, the characters the world Armentrout has created are so addictive, i am glad i pushed through because Poppy grows so much in this book and we get to find out more about her powers and who she is. 

There is action, romance and betrayal mixed into this story that it is hard to not love it. There were a few  moments when i physically gasped what gets revealed throughout. I do find however with these books and i am predicting for the next one, is that they are very slow burning (narrative wise) and then the last 100 pages you get overwhelmed with betrayal, fight scenes and then BAM a cliffhanger.  If i am completely honestly, i did get slightly bored during the middle of this book. It stems back to what i discussed in my previous review for From Blood and Ash; there is ALOT of internal dialogue and question asking that the repetitive nature of it made me not very excited to pick it up. However, the characters the world Armentrout has created are so addictive, i am glad i pushed through because Poppy grows so much in this book and we get to find out more about her powers and who she is. I wouldn't be surprised if those who DNF this series felt that it was too slow but they needed to hang on a bit longer to benefit from all of the information and build up! 

I am excited to read the third book as now that the characters are even more developed, i am hoping there isn't as much stagnant narrative - but i am sure i will enjoy it all the same!