[A quick note: It was recently announced that this series will have six books in total, plus some spin offs. I am so excited for that! I have the Barnes and Noble editions, which is the only place you can get hardcovers. And how pretty are they as hardcover?!]
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳. 𝗠𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲.”—Jennifer L Armentrout
Poppy never imagined the true power of her blood. Never imagined the things she was capable of. And because of that, by right, the crown and kingdom of Atlantia are hers. She has a difficult choice ahead of her. She never wanted to rule. But the time must come to seize the crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. When the blood crown offers her an ultimatum, to surrender Atlantia, she will do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves, even if it means awakening something that should not be awoken.
This installment was a journey. Great dialogue, plenty of smut, and a healthy balance between heart pumping moments and calm, I was completely satisfied. The plot thickens as we learn the deeper details behind both Atlantia and Solis. Both sides harbor secrets and grudges. And when Poppy and Casteel are thrown into the center without all the facts, it catches up with them in a bad way.
I absolutely LOVE Poppy’s character. Can we get a round of applause for badass female MCs?! There’s nothing I love more than seeing a MC come into her own. Poppy continues to grow, to evolve, and gain strength. Her days of quiet platitude are over. She’s powerful and she’s ready to show it. There were some fantastic moments where she truly shines. What impressed me most was her ability to stand up to Casteel’s parents. And to defend herself against both words and weapons.
The relationship between Poppy and Casteel is so delicious. I love all the steamy scenes, banter, stolen moments. They are great breaks between the action, places where I can grin and catch my breath. I also love the growing relationship between Poppy and some of the Wolven. Kieran is BAE!
The plot was fine. I felt there was enough balance. Most of the action was in the first 25% and the last 25% but I enjoyed the slower moments in the middle of the book. I needed those moments to catch my breath. I never once felt bored. Never felt like things were dragging. Maybe that’s because I enjoyed learning all the new information that Poppy learned. Trying to solve puzzles about her blood and lineage. Getting to find out who her parents were was the most satisfying thing EVER. This was a question throughout the books and FINALLY.
Overall, it’s a toss up between the second and third book. I cannot decide which I liked more. I think this one because I appreciated Poppy’s increased mental and magical strength. I felt like she was a heroine I could rely on. Like I was always in good hands. Like I could rely on her to do the right thing. It’s going to be absolute torture waiting for the fourth book!
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟰.𝟱/𝟱⭐️