A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

|Synopsis|

Is Love Stronger Than Vengeance?

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|

Kingdom of Flesh and Fire was a steamy read. It had everything you could ever ask for in a book; enemies to lovers romance, hot sexy scenes and a plot that was intriguing and went with the romance versus being lost in it.

While it’s been a while since I’ve read From Blood and Ash I never felt lost. Armentrout does a great job of reviewing what happened last book without info-dumping it. It picks up right where for first book ended, that non-marriage proposal Cas just dropped on Poppy. The pacing of the book was the same as the first book. The plot was slow moving but that just left open the possibility of character development and the development of what was going on between Poppy and Cas. 

Poppy is still fierce, brave and a tad naive at times. She’s got no romantic experience which leads to her questioning how she feels or what she’s thinking Cas might feel. Like we as readers know what’s going on with them but neither of them are the best at communicating their feelings. Luckily this was not the main plot of their romance. Those who get frustrated with the miscommunication trope will be happy with the quick resolution.

Behind the romance we’ve got the Atlantians versus the Blessed. We actually get to meet more Atlantians and see how they actually live and survive. We get some bombs dropped along with a couple shocking revelations and some mysteries not answered until the very end. 

Armentrout sure loves her cliffhangers though, abruptly leaving us once again dying for the third book. While we get one major question semi-answered, there are so many more questions that arise. I’m interested to see how it’s all going to be wrapped up in the third book which I wish I could dive into immediately. I just need more steamy scenes between Cas and Poppy and to know how Kieran is going to fit into all of this.