Poppy has been Chosen — sheltered, guarded, forbidden from human connection, and destined for a fate she doesn't fully understand. Hawke is her new guard, the one person she shouldn't trust. From Blood and Ash is the self-published romantasy that became a phenomenon before traditional publishing noticed, selling millions of copies.
Who it's for
ACOTAR fans who want more of the same intensity with heavier mythology
Readers who want enemies-to-lovers with genuine stakes beyond the romance
Anyone who wants a series that escalates significantly across its multiple entries
Editor's take
The achievement of From Blood and Ash is the escalation. What looks like a standard guard-and-maiden romance in the first act reveals layer after layer of mythology, conspiracy, and character depth across the series. Armentrout is an extremely efficient prose writer — no scene exists without narrative purpose.
Hawke/Poppy is one of romantasy's great pairings precisely because the power dynamic shifts repeatedly. The secret at the heart of Book 1's world is worth arriving at. The series currently runs to six main novels with spin-offs; readers who love it tend to consume the entire catalogue.
Who this is NOT for
Readers who don't like slow-burn romance — the romantic tension is extended across the full book and beyond
Anyone who needs a complete, resolved story — this is Book 1 of a series that must be read in order
Readers sensitive to dark content — this includes violence, captivity, and explicit scenes
Emotional payoff
From Blood and Ash delivers the enemies-to-lovers payoff that fantasy romance readers specifically seek out: the tension is extended carefully and the release is earned. It's a book that readers consistently describe as 'unputdownable' despite being 600+ pages.
The Blood and Ash series runs six books as of 2024: From Blood and Ash, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, The Crown of Gilded Bones, The War of Two Queens, A Soul of Ash and Blood, A Fire in the Flesh, and Through a Sea of Stars. A prequel trilogy (Flesh and Fire) runs parallel.
Is From Blood and Ash similar to ACOTAR?
Yes — similar DNA: fantasy world, morally grey love interest, protagonist discovering power, escalating mythology. The heat level is comparable. ACOTAR has more refined prose; From Blood and Ash has heavier mythology and more explicit content from the start.