Page Count: 454
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Published on: March 30, 2020
Genres: new adult fantasy, paranormal
Amazon // Indie Bound // Barnes & Noble // Better World Books
Content Warnings: does contain some sexual/spicy scenes, death, gore, talk of losing a child, kidnapping, loss of a loved one, mention of suicide, assault, physical abuse, blood depictions, mentions of rape, anxiety depictions, war themes, and self-harm for the acquisition of blood
Rating: 4.5 stars
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.
~ ~ ~
Hey, guys!
This book has been on my radar for so long. Back in high school I really enjoyed reading JLA's Lux series. However, I when tried to reread them after graduating from high school, they just didn't live up to the hype. I never did finish that series and I don't really think I'll ever get to it. The writing wasn't my favorite and I really lost interest in the fates of the characters. I was really worried that this would be the case with FBAA.
I originally was going to read this with Crystal @crystalsbookishlife when she was hosting a buddy read back September of 2020. Needless to say, it was a flop for me. I wasn't in the mood and I couldn't get into the storyline. I think I put it down around 22% through it.
This time, I was pushed by a friend IRL to read this book. I'm not sure what switch was flipped this second time around, but I was instantly hooked. I didn't want to put this book down. I spent the first week of November devouring it on my work breaks, the gaps I had between writing for #NaNoWriMo, and any other free time I could muster. If it tells you anything, within the first 100 pages, I decided to purchase books 2 & 3 for my collection and instantly dove into book 2 after finishing this one. I'm hooked!
This book isn't peak literature by any means. I still don’t think JLA’s style is 100% my favorite, but her writing has definitely improved. It’s so addicting. Granted, It's pretty predictable at some points, but it managed to completely shock me by the end. I think this series is really promising and I'm really glad I picked it up. If you love high fantasy setting with a paranormal romance, you definitely should check this one out. If you love spicy content in your romance, you’ll definitely be pleased. I definitely will be continuing on with this series ASAP. As I said before, I've already picked up book 2: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and I have book 3: The Crown of Gilded Bones on standby when AKOFF destroys me.
Let's discuss second chances in the comments! What book or books have you given a second chance? Did they work out or were they consistent flops for what you wanted to read?
Other Reviews for JLA books:*
No comments:
Post a Comment