From Blood and Ash

Finally, I too can have my say on From Blood and Ash, one of the book community’s latest literary phenomena. I gave it 4 stars because it drew me in like few books can, even though I didn't like several things about it.

FBAA’s world-building is rather weak and does not stand out in any way from the hundreds of Fantasy settings that already exist. I also found it rather confusing: in this world, there are humans, vampires, werewolves, zombies … in short, it’s a bit of a jumble of stuff.

The book is written in first person, which helped me enjoy it more. Also, the story is definitely character-driven, which I prefer. Every now and then Poppy’s inner monologues go on way too long, and the characters – especially Hawke – have a bad habit of saying phrases that sound really weird in conversation. A clear example is given by the famous quote “You’re so incredibly violent” – but, I mean, who talks like that??

The relationship between the two, in my opinion, is a bit too hasty, and it didn’t give me the right amount of slow-burn that I would have wanted: the two in fact meet already on page 10, and are immediately attracted to each other, to the point that they can easily be considered insta-love. I did, however, love their interactions, especially their banter and constant poking and prodding. Some scenes really made me laugh! The tension between them is through the roof, and I loved it – I just wish it didn’t start as early as page 10.

From Blood and Ash is undoubtedly, despite its flaws, a book that grabs the reader’s attention. It struggles a bit at first – the first few pages drag on in a sea of info-dumps and non-dynamic scenes – but then picks up nicely, when the character of Hawke finally comes into play, since he objectively carries the entire weight of making the story compelling and interesting on his shoulders. Thankfully, he carries it more than well!

The plot-twist at the end was rather predictable, and sadly I didn't like how Armentrout handled it. What I hated the most is how Hawke's personality drastically changed out of nowhere, losing all the traits that made him likable in the first place.