I feel like I should also mention: this book is high fantasy meets supernatural. There are vampires and werewolves and a manner of other supernatural creatures. Like I said, the synopsis is pretty vague so I was surprised when I kept seeing other reviews mentioning vampires. But more on that in a bit.

Originally Answered: Why is tvtropes so addictive? Because it’s fascinating that there’s an entire level of communication happening below language – you see somebody kick a dog, and you instantly know that’s the bad guy, speaks Russian, and has “destroy the world” high on his todo list.

Writing Relationships: Enemies to Lovers.

1. Stay away from abuse.
2. These characters need to be ‘ship-able’ already!
3. Examine why the characters hate each other.
4. What needs to change for this hate to be repealed?
5. Misunderstandings: These two characters are both genuinely decent people.

Poppy and Casteel finally being real, not “pretending,” and getting married. Yes. I am all for it. The fact they get married in this book, with two more to go …

Early Life. From birth, Poppy had been loved by her parents and her brother. However, when she was quite young, her mother and father were murdered, changing Poppy’s life as she was whisked away and bestowed upon the title of the Maiden, while her brother, Ian Balfour, became one of the Ascended.

It’s interesting to read Poppy’s thoughts and the feelings she has towards Casteel and how she gradually accepts the fact that she still loves him, that he was the only thing she ever chose for herself during her depressing life as the Maiden.

He is so devastatingly in love with Poppy and is trying so hard to give her freedom and make her choice. He is trying so hard to escape the image he has been given as the Dark One because everything he has had to do was to protect or save someone he loved.

Kieran reveals that since Casteel cares for Poppy, he would find it repellant to feed from anyone else because it’s too intimate. Rather, Kieran believes that they are heart mates, something that is far rarer than love, especially since they recognized each other after speaking a few times.

sixteen year old

Casteel originally posed under the name of Hawke Flynn, a Royal Guard from Carsodonia with glowing accolades. He is present at The Red Pearl, where he resides alone in a room until he is visited unexpectedly by Penellaphe Balfour.

Ascended: immortal-like nobility who somehow have powers but don’t really use them for anything. They only accept second sons/daughters for a reason never explained in the book. Once they ascend they basically play courtiers and other useless roles of nobility.

This book picks up right where we left off at the end of From Blood and Ash, with Casteel/Hawke’s revelation that he and Poppy will get married. Poppy is obviously still feeling betrayed by him and she doesn’t trust him at all. She’s very angry, defiant, and acts a little recklessly out of anger.

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Book 2) – Kindle edition by Armentrout, Jennifer L.. Paranormal Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.