Around this same time last year, I read the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I came to find out that there was a sister series, Flesh and fire. But for some reasons, I was not feeling it. I was so convinced that nothing could beat from blood and ash for me that year. I was so utterly sad when the last available book came to an end in my hands that year. And I reserved the flesh and fire series for later. I knew that reading it would give me more depth of the actual story, would open my eyes and give me a better understanding. I knew but I didn’t want to leave the fictional family I had grown to love.
And now, the fifth book of the blood and ash series is out, was released last month and I already have a copy. Yay! But then, I had this impulsive thought to begin the flesh and fire series. How bizarre does that sound? After waiting for months for the next book to come out and just when it does, I decide I want to begin the other prequel series, flesh and fire. Things don’t ever go according to plan. But I wanted to read it, wanted to have an idea of a particular name mentioned in the blood and ash series and doing that, starting the book series has to be one of my top decisions this year.
Jennifer...oh sweet sweet Jennifer. She never fails to amaze me. Her writing, creativity is as mind blowing as they come. Takes me back to Poppy wars. Another very peak book. The flesh and fire series has its main character as Seraphena Mierel. Seraphena is to be the consort of the primal of death, a deal/promise her ancestors had made before her birth to save her kingdom from the rot and destruction. Everything tumbles when the primal doesn’t come for her and she is tagged a disgrace by her family, she had doomed the entire kingdom for the primal did not find her worthy. Seraphena having been trained and groomed her entire life to seduce and kill the primal of death, hoping to end the rot that damaged her kingdom. Three years after she was rejected and Seraphena had to go on with her life, living it off like a tossed doll. A day came when she was wandering and she stumbled upon three gods murdering a baby and a man. And just when she was about to step in—because consequences be damned—someone stops her from getting herself killed. The Asher, Nyktos. She assumed he was a god and occasionally their paths kept crossing and they kept being acquainted with each other, drawn to one another. A day of pain came and Seraphena was being whipped by her step brother who just assumed the throne. Terror seeped into the room when air twirled and became so much cooler, revealing a being of dark shadows and the smell of citrus and…death.
Seraphena is shocked to see the god—who she thought was a god—was addressed as the Asher, the one who is blessed, the primal of common men and endings, Nyktos. The primal of death. He had come to save her having sensed her pain and devastation. And when he does and she looks upon him, her vein is filled with fury and he does the one thing no one dared to do, no mortal, no god—strike a primal. She threw her knife at him and attempted many times to fight him. All which he chuckled while doing so. Which enraged her the more. They had chemistry, both of them.
It gets so much better from here. Nyktos eventually takes Seraphena from the mortal realm and declares her his soon to be consort. Seraphena is not thrilled about it but she remembered why she was born, what she had been trained to do. To end the rot and suffering of her kingdom, to kill the primal of death. Make him fall in love with you, then kill him. Sounds cliche, I know but in the book Primals are extremely powerful beings that keep the realm in order. They are one of the highest beings, higher than gods even. And after them are the Ancients. The ones who are fallen stars and kick started the world of the living.
As the story begins, Sera learns that killing Nyktos would not end the rot and for the primal of death, Nyktos was exceptionally kind. Loved by his court and the gods who served him. And then she got to learn the truth about the world. The cause of the rot was the effect of the true primal of death switching places with his twin brother, the true primal of life. I just erased five lines of spoilers and had to physically and mentally will myself to not be an arse.
This book is so wonderful. I am loving every minute of it, every single minute. Jennifer writes like a queen. I love her, I love her books and will always willing drown in them. It’s an 8/10 for me. Still reading the other books down the series and when I do, I will tell you guys about them too. I am also so so in love with Daddy Nyktos😔
Thanks for reading;)