From Blood and Ash Paperback – September 15, 2021

JLA has done it yet again. She has created a masterpiece with this story. I have no idea why she ever hesitated to write this story. It’s written in a way that draws you into the story and doesn’t let you go until you reach the end. And boy, what an ending that was. It sets the stage for the second book and I cannot wait for it. The world JLA has created in FB&A is fascinating, riveting, suspenseful, and so full of angst and heartache that I almost couldn’t handle it. I devoured this story and completely fell in love with Poppy and Hawke. I need more of these two and their world.Poppy is an epically awesome character. I loved every second of getting to know her. She’s naive and sweet, but at the same time strong and hardcore. She is not at all what I expected and I loved every second. Poppy is the Maiden, which basically means she is not in control of her own life. The Gods and the Ascended (those in charge of her world) are in control of her. She has to be as perfect and pure as possible. She can’t do anything she wants. She’s not allowed to interact with most people, she’s not supposed to learn how to defend herself, she’s not supposed to express her own opinions, she’s not supposed to talk unless spoken to, and she’s not supposed to be her own person. Basically, she’s supposed to be whatever those in charge tell her she can be, which isn’t much. Her choices have been taken from her. Her free will has been taken from her and she finally makes the choice to begin taking back control over her own life little by little in unexpected ways. She learns self-defense (that girl is amazing with a dagger and sword), she sneaks out to go on adventures and to experience life, and she starts expressing her thoughts and feelings. Poppy’s character development was wonderful to read and I cannot wait to see where the second book takes her. She is pretty darn awesome and a perfect match for Hawke.Oh, Hawke. I loved everything about his character, even though I thought he had ulterior motives the entire story. It was just too convenient how quickly he moved up in the ranks of the Royal Guard. But, alas, I won’t go into to much detail there. Hawke is just so full of surprises. He’s charming, funny, witty, and so dangerously sexy. Gods, his character fascinated me. He did what he thought was the right thing and didn’t care about what the consequences could be. And that was so wickedly hot. He stood up for Poppy when no one else could or would. That right there made me fall in love with his character. I enjoyed every scene with Hawke. He was just so deliciously wicked and sinful and he made me wish that he was more than a fictional character. Goodness gracious. The things he said made me fan myself silly. He is definitely a dangerous one for the health of all females. I need more of Hawke!Poppy and Hawke together is everything. I simply adore them. These two are fire together. The chemistry between them is absolutely perfect. Hawke made Poppy feel alive in a way no one else did and she actually allowed herself to feel alive in those stolen moments with him. These two were never meant to be together, but they couldn’t fight the attraction and the feeling that they knew one another. Hawke is one of the only people who fought for Poppy. He told her she is worthy of having free will, she is allowed to control her own life, and she is allowed to feel things. And that it’s okay to be scared. She’s allowed to simply feel. Gods, these two made my heart dance with joy whenever they were together. I couldn’t get enough of their banter and sarcastic remarks with one another. Hawke is one of the first people to treat her like an actual human being with her own thoughts and feelings. Poppy is so much more than just the Maiden. Who Poppy is as a person is important, more important than what she is. I swear the second book better answer all my questions about these two or I’m gonna combust! I can’t wait for more!Overall, if I could give this story more than 5 stars, I would. It’s an amazing story that takes you into a world of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and heartache. JLA truly has outdone herself with this story. I was totally captivated by the world she created and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next. I need to know absolutely everything about Poppy and Hawke and I cannot wait to see where their journey takes them. The next book in this series cannot be released soon enough.

A Maiden…Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.A Duty…The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.A Kingdom…Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel."You're an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature."I read this back in 2021 and I liked it then... But then I decided to try Audible and well, now I'm in love. I want to say my original review is 4 stars, I'm now bumping it up to 5 because listening to this on Audible was so much more enjoyable. It made getting through the world and character building much easier. I struggled heavily getting through the first 60-70% of the book while reading it but it's been a breeze listening. I can walk around and do adulting things while I am listening.The narrator is enjoyable to listen to and she does a good job at playing all parts. I did giggle the first few times that she talked as Casteel / Hawke but I think it's mainly because I wasn't prepared for her to deepen her voice and give him a slight accent. Regardless, the narration was enjoyable and kept me engaged even while I was doing other things.Due to TWOTQ being released in just a couple of weeks, I wanted to read FBAA again and refresh my brain for it. I really have enjoyed it more so the second time around versus the first. I'm obsessed with these books. The story that JLA created and the emotion it ignites.I love this series and I'm so freaking excited to read the next installment.ORIGINAL REVIEW:"I won’t lie, I nearly put this book down an OBSCENE amount of times, I felt as though the story was slow to start and at times I didn’t quite understand what was going on.Once I got about 70% of the way through was when the story picked up and the world was more built for the story and I liked it more. I won’t say I truly fell in love, but it became intense and picked up speed to the point where I enjoyed it more than I did the first part of the book.A friend of mine had to keep telling me to have patience and wait, so I could see just how good it got.Overall, 4/5 because the story for me personally was slow to start. I think anyone who likes fantasy with some smut will enjoy this."