The War of Two Queens

The Blood and Ash series is named after its first book, From Blood and Ash (2020). The series is a fantasy romance and focuses on the relationship between Penellaphe Balfour, also known as Poppy, and Casteel Da’Neer. The War of Two Queens is the fourth book in the series, preceded by A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (2020) and The Crown of Gilded Bones (2021). It is followed by A Soul of Ash and Blood (2023), the fifth installment of the series. In addition to the main novels, Jennifer L. Armentrout also wrote a prequel series, Flesh and Fire, focusing on the Consort, Seraphena, and the Nyktos, beginning with A Shadow in the Ember (2021). There is also a guide titled Visions of Flesh and Blood: A Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire Compendium (2024).

In From Blood and Ash, Poppy is a Maiden destined to help restore the Kingdom of Solis through a ceremonial Ascension, a ritual where a mortal ascends to godhood, the first since the War of Two Kings. Solis defeated the Kingdom of Atlantia in this war, but unrest remains due to a faction called the Descenters who believe Prince Casteel Da’Neer, the Dark One, is the rightful heir to the throne. As her Ascension nears, Poppy begins to question her role and the oppressive systems she has grown up under, and she seeks moments of freedom, sneaking into a nightclub where she meets Hawke, a Royal Guard. She possesses a unique power, “the touch,” which allows her to feel the pain of others, which leads to her questioning the ethics of the Ascended rulers of Solis. She is also forced to endure cruelty from the Duke, one of the Ascended, who leaves her physically scarred.

The political unrest comes to a head during the final Rite before her Ascension, where Poppy witnesses the brutal murder of the Duke by Descenters. She flees the castle, accompanied by Hawke and other guards. On their journey, her bond with Hawke deepens into a romantic relationship. However, she soon learns that he is actually Casteel. He captures her, intending to use her as ransom to free his brother, Malik, who is being held by the Ascended. He also reveals that the Ascended are actually monsters called vamprys who prey on mortals, turned by drinking the blood of Atlantians. Later, when Poppy is severely wounded, Casteel saves her by forcing her to drink his blood, only to discover she is half Atlantian herself. Casteel declares his intention to marry her and take her to Atlantia.

The story continues in A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (2020), where Casteel takes Poppy to Atlantia against her will. On the journey, her escape attempts are thwarted by Kieran, a shapeshifting wolven bonded to Casteel. Her anger toward Casteel gradually softens as he reveals the torture he endured at the hands of Solis’s rulers. He also says she can divorce him after he gets his brother back, and she agrees on the condition that he helps her find her brother, Ian, who was left behind in Solis. Poppy’s powers grow, and Casteel suspects she may be descended from an ancient Atlantian bloodline. As they travel, they face attacks by knights from Solis and an ambush by the Dead Bones clan.

Poppy defends Cas and even nurses him back to health when he is wounded. They eventually marry, and the black sky at the wedding shows they have the favor of the king of the gods, Nyktos. However, Poppy’s powers continue to evolve in unpredictable ways. When attacked by the Ascended, she unknowingly summons many wolven to her aid. She also unleashes her powers when attacked by a mob outside Nyktos’s Temple, killing them all instantly. This reveals her to be a descendant of a god and the rightful Queen of Atlantia.

The Crown of Gilded Bones (2021) picks up where the prior book ended. The entire wolven race severs their bonds with the Atlantians to ally with Poppy. Despite the revelation that she is the descendant of a god, Poppy resists the role that is imposed on her because she has just escaped from the oppressive life she once knew. She is kidnapped by Alastir Davenwell, the king’s advisor, who believes she is the daughter of Malec, a former King of Atlantia, and a descendant of Nyktos. He tortures her, convinced she is the prophesied cause of Atlantia’s downfall. Casteel and Kieran rescue her, but, after she nearly dies during the escape, Casteel saves her life by Ascending her. When she doesn’t turn into a vampry in the aftermath, it further confirms her origins.

After Poppy and Casteel take their places as King and Queen of Atlantia, they meet the Ascended Queen, Ileana, who refuses their demands and reveals herself as Isbeth, the first Ascended and Poppy’s birth mother. Isbeth’s desire for revenge on the Atlantians comes from the death of her first son and her abandonment by Malec. She kills Ian and Poppy attacks her, but she is overpowered.

Casteel surrenders himself to Malik, who is revealed to be working for Isbeth, to save her. Poppy travels to Iliseeum, the realm of the gods, where she learns that her true father is Ires, Malec’s twin brother. She summons the dragon-like shapeshifting draken for the coming war and delivers a message to Isbeth to prepare for war, saying that she will destroy Solis if Casteel dies.