Maryse

A Soul of Ash and Blood: A Blood and Ash Novel (Blood And Ash Series Book 5) IS LIVE!!! Here’s my reading order guide: From Blood and Ash Series Reading Order (and I included comments from our fellow readers to show how much everyone is LOVING these books).

PLUS! To celebrate this release, Jennifer (as well as her publisher, Blue Box Press) are sponsoring today’s newsletter, and sent over the first three chapters!

The author has posted a very specific note about this book on her Facebook page. She says:

A Soul of Ash and Blood is finally here! A huge thank you to the publishing team at @1001darknights_blueboxpress for hearing my idea for ASOAAB and not immediately running in the other direction. A quick reminder or two—ASOAAB picks up right where TWOTQ ended. So, if you have not read that, you want to do so before starting ASOAAB. It’s told in the past and present, in Cas’ POV, and you’ll see that there aren’t actually chapters in this book. Once you crack it open, you’ll understand. Oh! And I believe this is the first time you’re seeing the new map of Solis and Atlantia, designed by @byhangle. There may be a new place or two on there. There are a lot of reveals in this book, both that may have you looking at past things a bit differently and those that show what is to come. So beware of spoilers.

Speaking of spoilers, the next part does contain what I consider a minor but necessary spoiler. ASOAAB is a fantasy romance. Like the other books in the series, it’s part action and adventure with a dash of mystery thrown in alongside the romance. However, there are very serious topics discussed, especially surrounding Casteel’s backstory. While he is a fictional character, what he’s experienced and how he attempted to deal with what had happened to him occurs in real life. For some of you, it will not be easy to read. I know this, because pulling from my own experience wasn’t easy to write, namely the sections labeled “Haunted” and “Present III” but it was important to me to address how differently we all deal with trauma, the good and the not so good, and the impact on ourselves and those around us. But if you have experienced abuse or self harm and are not sure how you will respond to discussion surrounding this, those are the sections to avoid. And if you find yourself still dealing with things in a not so good manner, please know you do not have to hurt. There is help. crisistextline.org is a great place to start.

Okay. Not your normal release day post, but sometimes fantasy is real, ya know? To end this on a much lighter note, JLAnders will be happy to see Delano is a crispy yet cuddly marshmallow in this book.

So what’s it about?

Only his memories can save her…

A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

Want a sneak peek? Here are the first three chapters: