I loved this book so damn much, I didn't want it to end. I fell in love with Cas all over again and even harder. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked, I was crushed... I've been through all emotions possible. This book crushed my heart and gave me hope at the same time.The existing words are insufficient to express what I felt reading this book. From the bottom of my heart, Jennifer, thank you for this magnificent book. I only experienced this once, when I read A Court of Mist and Fury, and again, just like with ACOMAF, ASOAAB came just at the right time, when I needed it the most. A Soul of Ash and Blood is right there next to ACOMAF, to the books close to my heart. These two are my salvation.I loved every page, every chapter, every new extra scene, I loved everything. It was so interesting to read the chapters that I already knew from the first book, but from a different POV and to have both characters' feelings on display, how they felt, how they thought, how they plot, how they saw things... absolutely amazing!Cas, you crushed my heart. I can say that I fall in love with him all over again and even harder because his heart holds a lot of emotions and all those walls that he built around him... I'm so happy he has Kieran and Poppy in his life.Kieran, I take my hat off to you. I saw a whole new side of Kieran before he even met Poppy and he is a true friend and a true brother to Cas. I loved how he took Poppy under his wing and respected her for her, and not necessarily for Cas.The "PRESENT" chapters are gold. I loved the way the past crosses with the present and how Cas sees and understands things now. I loved "PRESENT X". This one made me cry and also gave me hope for them. This one is one of my favorites.I was so happy to revisit New Haven. I missed Elijah and Magda and I was so happy to see more of Elijah's smirk :)) I have a lot of favorite chapters, but the best one - not going to spoil which one, but those who finished the book will know - is mind-blowing. I don't think I even breathe through that chapter. I really thought he was going to eat that... "sack of meat" :)))I NEED ALL THE BOOKS IN CAS'S POV!!! "THE DUKE" GOT MY SMILING LIKE A MANIAC AND I FELT A MORBID SATISFACTION READING THIS ONE :)) "POPPY" got me laughing so hard I thought I was going to stop my own heart :))) I always wondered what he thought and heard staying at her door, but holy hell, this one got my laughing with tears.I can't wait for the next books. I don't even know which one I want first, just that I want all of them. AND I DON'T WANT THIS SERIES TO END!
I went into this ARC with ALL the excitement and hope and I will start off by saying it blew my expectations! I didn’t quite know what to expect after we got the sneaky synopsis reveal for what was in store and as per usual Jen served it all! We got Daddy Cas POV telling his side of the story while simultaneously moving the plot forward from where we left off in TWOTQ. We get a bunch of scenes we hadn’t before that open new questions, a hundred more theories and what appear to be sneaky breadcrumb reveals! We get so much awesome Dark Daddy Cas kicking ass and taking hearts in the name of our Poppy, even if he doesn’t quite allow himself at that time to admit it. We get SO MUCH Kieran and Cas that we hadn’t before and I reveled in every moment! This was by no means just a retelling of FBAA (book one) from Cas POV it is that and SO SO MUCH MORE! I was swept off my feet by all the swoon worthy moments, and I’m loving the fact I have so many new questions and theories brewing after so many big reveals and new insight. I’d happily take this style of writing for every book in FBAA and ASITE if it were possible honestly because so much happened alongside so many questions being answered. Where we leave off as always just has me screaming I NEED THE NEXT BOOK and reaching to reread both series all over again with the new information gained. The pacing was fantastic and at no point did I feel like I was being given old news or slogging through info dumps etc. Everything was fresh, entirely new and exciting and the reveals were scream worthy! Seriously, Jen outdid herself and I could not have asked for ASOAAB to be any more or any less! 5 big bright I love Casteel stars for yet another triumph of a book!Now to the audiobook! Narrator Tim Campbell is back (he narrated TWOTQ Casteel POV) with a bang! Or shall I say…a growl? You will not find a voice actor who can do a better dark daddy voice than Tim Campbell in my opinion. His intensity fits our passionate Cas, and gives a lot of extra depth to how strongly he feels things. If you’ve ever wondered what a Romantasy writer meant when describing a male character growling, Tim will answer that question and leave you fanning yourself after like OH that’s what they meant! He will leave you shaking in your boots and smiling like that grinch gif! For me there were big boots to fill here as a HUGE Stina Nielson fan who narrated all characters up until TWOTQ including Cas, so shifting to a new narrator joining the team in TWOTQ was concerning, though unwarranted entirely. Even though he smashed it in TWOTQ as a dual narrator I wondered if it would be jarring with a whole book without Stina, but again it was totally unwarranted. I don’t think anyone could have filled her shoes better honestly, and at no point did I find myself struggling to connect the Cas voice I’ve grown accustomed to with Stina, to the one performed by Tim Campbell. His voice is so utterly unique, and the best word I can think to describe it is intense. Intense, and full of a dark mysterious depth that is absolutely everything needed for a fantasy read with otherworldly characters. This doesn’t sound like Todd from HR, this sounds like an Atlantian ready to burn the world if need be in the name of love. He will have you coming back for more and rewinding the spicy scenes again and again. He fully encapsulates why spicy reads are truly best with audio. My only small suggestion is that some of the female voices he does could be fine tuned a bit to not sound as high pitched. Because at times it can make the character sound younger, or exaggerated especially in spicy scenes, which can take you out of the moment a bit. However his male voices cannot be touched they are straight up flawless! I especially love his Nektas voice!Overall it was an absolute joy to get to ARC read this book, especially in both formats and I will be listening to this audiobook again and again! This was yet another smash hit for Jen, and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next!Thank you so much Jillian Stein of Blue Box Press for the Ebook, and hardcover. Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook for my honest thoughts. My views are entirely my own
I really felt like I reread book one again. I became impatient with waiting for Poppy to wake up. I am happy to get to book six as soon as possible.
I really wanted to like this book but I feel like the author left the previous book off with the expectation of the series possibly going into a poly relationship and then backtracked and tried to get the reader to only a relationship between cas and Poppy. Honestly, I’m just thoroughly confused. Cas and Poppy constantly say throughout the book that they only need each other and cas is poppy’s “everything” and that they don’t need anyone else, but then you throw Kieran in the mix and he literally is just like a side chick to them lmao. I just feel like nothing is making sense to me. Not to mention the pov so far has only been poppy and Cas. If keiran is as an important as the both of them why hasn’t he gotten his own POV yet ? Poor boy hasn’t even gotten a chapter and Cas got a book. At this point I would expect the series ending off with just CAs and poppy together and Kieran as a close friends because a Throuple just wouldn’t make sense. Not because i have any negative feelings towards a triad. I was actually looking forward to it but because cas and poppy constantly express there undying love for each other and Kieran is just keiran at this point. Overall I skipped a ton of pages in the book. I couldn’t really get into it. Definitely looking forward to the next book tho because unlike the relationships in the book I really do enjoy the story and characters. So looking forward to see what poppy is like after her completed culling and them battle kolis !!
Llego perfecto!
was it totally necessary?no.did i eat it up and leave no crumbs?yes.if you love casteel and love this story and love all the characters, this is a must read. it filled the hole in my heart that is waiting for the final book, but also gave a lot of fun insight into casteel's perspective. it revealed answers to parts of the story i otherwise wouldn't have known and i really enjoyed it a lot!
Felt a little repetitive but I love Cas so hearing his POV was fun! Can’t wait till June too finally see poppy
This is basically the POV of Cas from the time he met the Maiden. A retelling is his words. It was good but not my favorite.
If you’ve read all the books of the series to this point, you can just skip this one. It’s just a recap of the story, but told from Cas’ point of view. If you haven’t read the series, you can start here and go forward and pretty much know the whole story.
I loved that this was essentially a retelling of the first book from the POV of Cas. I had a good time flipping between this book and the first one, reading the scenes in tandem when I could, and comparing the perspectives. I had many people tell me that this book was a DNF for them because of this, but I found it really brought a lot of depth to Cas and helped me understand him more. I also loved the flashes to present day as Cas and Kieran waited for Poppy to wake up. The final chapter was insane and I may have lost my mind over the ending and the fact that the next book isn’t out until June…. That was an unfortunate shock for me. It was a bit of a slower read for me compared to the rest of the series, but I still really enjoyed this one!
Okay so I thought that this was the last book in this series and it's not. It's just the last PUBLISHED book in the series, so I was happy that there's more to come but also devastated that I now have to wait for the last two(?) books to be published.I had mixed feelings about this book being entirely from Casteel's perspective. One the one hand, I love Casteel; he's one of my favorite MMC's. The entire book is more or less his POV on events that took place in the first book, before Poppy knew who he was and when he was still planning on kidnapping her and trading her to the Blood Crown in exchange for his brother. There were a few chapters that took place in the present but it was mostly just him holding Poppy in bed because she's in stasis until she finishes her Culling. There were certain scenes from the first book that I absolutely loved between Cas and Poppy, so getting to revisit them from Cas's perspective was really great.On the other hand, this book kind of dragged, I hate to say it. There were times when I definitely skimmed, but it was mostly when the topic was about things that have already been discussed MANY MANY times throughout the first 4 books.I don't think we needed a 600+ page book solely from Cas's past-POVs but I did enjoy reading it. Also the reveal at the ending was very exciting and I can't wait to learn more about what that's all about!Now I have to IMPATIENTLY wait for the next book, and there's no announced publication date yet!
3/5 starsmild spice - retelling of "Ash and Blood,' literally event by event - f*boy vibes - lots of good Kieran time - MORE explanation of the primals lore - real implications for the remaining 'Ash and Blood' universe - moderate paceRetellings are not my thing, but this one might slide because it also develops the present day story for the next in the series. Casteel Da'Neer, aka 'Hawke,' arrived in the maiden's life as a sexy guard that knew her intimately from their tryst at the 'Red Pearl.' From the Maiden/Poppy's perspective in the first book, Hawke is a dashing, tall, and indescribably handsome man that shows her to value herself and count herself as worthy of love and a place in their world. From Cas's perspective though? He didn't understand that his 'respect' for her grew into a real love, and that the prickles on the back of his neck were hints at how they were heartmates.I feel as though I need to say, I enjoy this universe, although it occasionally drags with constant explanations for it. Poppy is constantly learning about how the Primals, Gods, and Vamprys for long narratives every chapter, and it's confusing and off-putting at times. There's just so much explaining, that the story itself suffers and the pace slows, often. This book is the same, but now JLA has gone and made Cas an f*boy who **always** knows more than Poppy lets on. It feels like she can't get a break! He knows that she's turned on despite her saying 'no' to him, constantly. He's making jokes about his hot body and face on a chapter by chapter basis, and boasts to the reader about previous conquests, all while lusting after Poppy's 'soft curves' and 'full lips' and inexperience. This book twisted my view of Cas, who used to be one of my favorites. If the book didn't give vital information to the next, I don't know that I would've enjoyed seeing one of my favorite morally grey characters turn into a jerk.
It has been over a year since I was introduced to the world of Solis and Atlantia in From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Poppy and her story captivated me from the very beginning, and I have been a fan ever since. A Soul of Ash and Blood is a retelling of that first book, but it also so much more. It is told completely from Casteel’s perspective as Poppy slips into a state of stasis and he revisits their beginning as he talks to her while he waits for her to wake.I wasn’t entirely sure what I would be getting when I started this book as I couldn’t help but wonder if it would just simply rehash everything that happened in From Blood and Ash. It is truly so much more than that. Not only are there moments from the original story that are completely new as they revolve around what Casteel was doing when he wasn’t guarding (or annoying) Poppy, but there are also scenes set immediately after The War of Two Queens that push the plot forward. Overall it was a fantastic combination of old and new that gave new depth to the original story.Armentrout does an amazing job giving Casteel his own voice in this installment. At no time does this feel like a reworked version of From Blood and Ash, and I think that has to do with how well the narration is written. Knowing what we do of Casteel I had no trouble getting lost in his narration and hearing his voice in my mind as I read. It made me want to do a tandem read at some point with the original to get both perspectives at the same time.Honestly, the thing I loved most about this book was Casteel’s character development. If you’ve read this series, you know the plot and the arc of the characters, but this gives you so much insight. There was also a lot I had forgotten (as I said it’s been over a year), and to experience it all again with Cas was simply perfection.Ratings:Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️From Blood and Ash will also be my favorite book of the series, but this is a close second. If you love or even like this series, definitely check out A Soul of Ash and Blood, you will not be sorry.
4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫"I just didn't know that was what I was feeling because love...it wasn't something I thought I deserved. Not after all my mistakes..."A Soul of Ash and Blood is the fifth novel in the New Adult Fantasy Romance series, Blood and Ash. Acting as both a companion novel to book 2 and a sequel to The War of Two Queens , in this novel we follow Casteel's perspective as he takes Poppy through the events of their first meeting all that time ago in an attempt to keep her tied to the world she once was a part of. Reading of the previous novels is essential and this book also sets things up for book 6.Getting to see the world through Casteel's eyes after after all this time was an absolute treasure. I also loved that Cas was unwilling to keep his love and devotion hidden from Poppy, even when he isn't fully sure what that is. Through getting to see the behind the scenes of what he was up to in the events of From Blood and Ash we get to see how deep this love grew even in the earliest stages.I also really appreciated that this was not a complete retelling. The ties back to the current timeline gave a reason for this book and provided us with interesting tidbits and plot pieces that are definitely going to grow. It tempted you and teased you but still left you feeling satisfied at the end.This book does contain spice. I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers as we get to revisit some of the very fun moments in book one but also...Cas has some alone time. This book reflects on the slow burn experience of the two characters but the present day provides us with the sweet intimacy of the characters that I adore. There is no question of the love that blossoms."I only ask one thing of you...the next time you go out, wear better shoes and thicker clothing. Those slippers are likely to be the death of you. I glanced at the too-thing gown and almost groaned. "And that dress...the death of me."In terms of world and plot, I felt this book did a good job in introducing us some new pieces while also fleshing out the events of previous books. That said, you are getting a book with significant retelling that, while are very fun to read because it's Cas, you should expect you will know a lot of the events. The present day plot pieces are fun and have good twists but these are small and in the wings. Coupled with an intense and VERY surprising twist, I was really happy with this book overall. The banter I love, the steamy tension that caught me first read, and the mystery of the future were all things still contained in this book that had me devouring this book.Overall, if you are a fan of From Blood and Ash , I will say you won't be disappointed. You get to re-experience the amazing fantasy world of JLA introduced to back in 2020 with all the tropes but with enough additions and nuance that it still feels fresh and new. I cannot wait for book 6!
Before we get into the review I have to say, I love it when authors go back to the original masterpiece to give the readers more of what we already love so much. Its nostalgic, its comforting, it feels like home and this book hit all those marks.For those that don't know this book revisits the very first book, From Blood and Ash but from Cas's POV. BUT...instead of JLA just giving us the same story from a different POV, she also slipped in present day chapters so essentially, this book is a revisit yes but its also a continuation of the series. This is important for those that haven't read the series or the spin off series because you have to understand the reading order (I will list out the preferred reading order at the end of the review).Okay onto the good stuff...WOW! It has actually taken me a few days to write a review because I am at such a loss for words (which does not happen often). The way JLA picked up right where TWOTQ left off with some sprinkles of ALITF as well...truly impeccable. So we picked right up where we left off but...obviously its a retelling of the first book...the way she transitioned into the story from CAS' POV was so good. I was flabbergasted how seamless that transition was.This book has action, romance, quippy banter, old characters, new characters, old places, new places...I mean its such a great combination of both the past and the present.Okay SPOILERS NOW....go away if you haven't read it...seriouslyDon't make me yell at you...go away.AHHHH. OMG OMG I didn't think I could love Cas more but I do. His POV was so eye opening to everything happening around Poppy at that time. I often wondered his thoughts when I read FBAA especially during scenes like when he found her at the Red Pearl or on the Rise...or on the window ledge LOL - his inner monologue was just so perfect.When we came back to the present chapters and we got to read how Cas and Keiren and others were so protective over Poppy during her sleep my heart leapt with love. I mean how can you not love these three, they are everything. I am glad we got more of Malik and Millie in this, but I'm also glad we didnt get too much because I think there is one hell of a longer story there.I am not going to lie, reliving Viktors death was traumatic. :( I understand what and where he is but re-reading and getting Cas' thoughts as well, his remorse and his sadness was like a knife to the chest (no pun intended).Getting Cas' POV during the sexy time scenes was on another level...there is something about him that makes me melt into a big puddle of nothing. His thoughts about Poppy and how much he is attracted to her both looks and personality, but how he fights it in his own mind...incredible. And Keiran is just over here like "yea but, obviously" lolThe ending was truly astonishing. I knew something was going to happen with Cas, ESPECIALLY when the Rev came in and got that close to Poppy while she was vulnerable. But I was expecting a wolven TBH, I was NOT expecting a cave cat....that is awesome. His transition was so vivid and the fact that Keiran was there and helped him through it was just the icing on the cake.I am extremely nervous about Poppy not remembering herself or her people, I think we are all treading the line of going insane having to wait to know if she does or doesn't. I'll crawl into a hole and cry if she doesn't.Favorite Quote: "To the surprise of no one, least of all me, Poppy didn’t listen."We shall see! AnywayHappy Reading Friends
“But if this was the idea of a curse, then being damned wasn’t all that bad.”It’s no secret that I’ve been eagerly anticipating a Casteel POV pretty much since the moment we met him in the Red Pearl. Getting to dive into the inner workings of this morally grey MMC’s mind is like unleashing my inner child in a candy shop 🍭ASOAAB has both present day forward progress & retelling FBAA from Casteel during the first moments we met our dashing guard.Poppy has slipped into stasis after unleashing her powers at the end of TWOTQ and while she *should* be fine there’s a chance she won’t know herself when she wakes. Nektas advises Casteel to talk to her, so he begins to tell her the story of them, before they became an *us*.While there isn’t a lot of forward progress, the revelations that we get are JAW DROPPING, the scream I scrumpt y’all! If you don’t read them before Primal of Blood & Bone, you’re going to be REALLY confused. There’s also A LOT of little tidbits we’ll need in future books dropped in the past scenes, both the new scenes and ones we read in FBAA. My mind has been reeling with SO MANY THEORIES!Additionally we learn a lot about Casteel’s past traumas and the mental work he’s had to do on himself, with the help of his best bro Kieran, to become the heart surgeon we love and adore. Falling in love isn’t easy for Cas after all he’s done and that has been done to him, watching him slowly realize *his* value squeezed my heart. We also get to find out why our King loves a stabby Queen, and it may not be what you expect.We get plenty of fun moments with Emil, Delano and the crew. Seeing the depth of Cas & Kieran’s relationship actually brought tears to my eyes 🥹. I love the way Jen handles men’s emotions and mental health, something that is lacking in a lot books.A Soul Of Ash And Blood is a must read if you love alternate POV’s and want to dive deeper into Casteel’s character. If that isn’t your thing you can get the bulk of information for the next book in the new chapters from the past, as well as the present day chapters.I personally adored this book after some minor hurdles of my brain thinking I’ve read it all before. Poppy & Cas are one of my favorite couples and seeing this side of their development gave me all the ooey gooey 🍪 feelings again.
**spoiler alert ** A Soul of Ash and Blood is how authors should do any alternative POV books going forward. This was brilliantly done, and I really have to give Jennifer L. Armentrout praise for the format.We got all of the ICONIC scenes from From Blood and Ash in Hawke’s/Casteel’s POV, plus NEW scenes during the same timeline, AND scenes immediately picking up in the current timeline after the ending of The War of Two Queens. I loved the whole book, and found myself reading the second half slowly because I didn’t want it to end. I selfishly want longer flashback scenes in Casteel’s POV, and even more scenes in the present. I just wanted more! And I don’t want to wait until next year! *stomps foot*I was honestly worried about this book, because the writing and plot in The War of Two Queens wasn’t my favorite, but my only complaint about A Soul of Ash and Blood is that I’m selfish and apparently thirsty so I wanted a longer book. 😂🤣🤷🏼♀️ I absolutely loved the banter between Cas, Kieran, and the whole Atlantian gang. Cas’s inner thoughts and struggles were equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. “He Died With His Dreams” and “Haunted” chapters absolutely wrecked me. 😭💔😭💔 It was also a bittersweet relief to see how Cas’s assumptions and feelings about Poppy evolved, and know that he still struggles with his betrayal. He doesn’t believe he is worthy of being in love because of all that he’s done. It really brings home the scene in A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire when Cas begs Poppy to read his emotions and tell him what they mean because he’s in denial that he’s in love with her and believes he’s undeserving of love. 😭💖I wish we’d had a little more from/about Malik and Millie, though. What did Malik do, or what does he think that he did, for him to believe that Millie hates him and would reject their heartmates bond? Hopefully we’ll get more in The Primal of Blood and Bone!WTAF is the whole truth about Shea?!?!?!? I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!Cas shifted into a spotted cave cat and unalived a Revenant!!! I hope that they find Millie and make her douse the body with draken blood before he re-alives. 😂 Was the Primal eather from Poppy and the Joining what allowed him to shift? Or was it the absolute rage that he felt when the Rev tried to attack Poppy? Is that what Nektas was referencing about Cas’s heritage at the beginning? Will Attes be shifting in A Fire in the Flesh?Kieran is just 👩🏼🍳💋🤌🏼 *chef’s kiss* perfection. Jesus Christ. 🥵🔥🫠 He needs a nickname like Daddy Dimples, Daddy Nyktos, etc.!!!
