"'You will bow before your Queen.' Casteel eyed the Atlantian coolly. 'Or you will bleed before her. It is your choice.'"
My Rating: ★★★★
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
Publication: April 20, 2021 (Blue Box Press)
***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR A KINGDOM OF FLESH AND FIRE***
Synopsis:
Bow Before Your Queen Or Bleed Before Her . . .
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book three in her Blood and Ash series.
She's been the victim and the survivor . . .
Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she's found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It's a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.
The enemy and the warrior . . .
Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms' dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy's head.
A lover and heartmate . . .
But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.
And now she will become Queen . . .
Review:
The Crown of Gilded Bones is an epic continuation of Armentrout's Blood and Ash series, filled with betrayal, heartbreak, and mind-blowing revelations. Poppy is the strongest she's ever been, with all of that character growth from the past two books on full display, and she and Casteel become closer than ever before. I was more than eager to dive into this book and learn what happened after that intense cliffhanger at the end of A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire -- rightful queen? Blood of a god? I needed to know more. For the most part, this third installment did not disappoint.
“'Because she is my everything. There is nothing greater than her, and I do mean nothing.'”
Poppy's first foray into Atlantia comes with more shock (and death) than either she or Casteel had intended. The story picks up right where book two left off, and Poppy must deal with the aftermath of the attack on her life as well as the knowledge that she possesses the blood of a god and is therefore the rightful heir to Atlantia's throne. Though she is their true queen, the Atlantians are not very welcoming of Poppy. Due to her association with the Blood Crown, Poppy's people believe that she is a danger to Atlantia, and she is not to be trusted.
“'I think too much value is given to forgiveness when it’s easier to forgive but far harder to forget. That understanding and acceptance is far more important than forgiving someone.'”
Things pick up immediately in this opening sequence, and the first two hundred pages of the book are action-packed. I think that the first third of this story contains the most intense moments in the entire series so far. I was completely enthralled. There were so many pulse-pounding scenes that I swore my heart would leap right out of my chest. There is violence, betrayal, declarations of love, and death, all of it incredibly heartbreaking. We discover the lengths that Casteel will go for Poppy, and we get our first glimpse at Poppy's fear of her newfound power. Throughout these first two hundred pages, the stakes have never been higher for Poppy and Casteel.
"'Bravery is a fleeting beast, isn’t it? Always there to get you into trouble, but quick to disappear once you’re where you want to be.'"
However, once things settle, and there's time to breathe, the story screeches to a halt. After several wild twists and turns, Poppy and Casteel return to Atlantia. There, as Poppy explores its cities, and its people learn to trust her, she has a decision to make -- take the crown that is rightfully hers, or abandon her kingdom for a safer life away from the centuries-old tension between Atlantia and Macedonia and the war that is sure to come. This portion of the book builds on what we learned about Poppy in A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and it delves further into the history of the Atlantian gods. While there are definitely some good and important moments in this middle section of the story, so much of it is just filler. There's a lot of dialogue between characters that doesn't necessarily lead to anything interesting or serve to advance the plot or character development, and there are many spicy scenes that did not at all seem necessary. The latter seemed quite fan-servicey, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it was a bit much for me. Because of all the filler in the middle of the book, it took me a whopping two-and-a-half weeks to read this book, while I'd finished each of the first two books in under a week. I definitely feel like the middle could have been cut down significantly. This is my only real gripe about the book, but it was the difference between a four-star rating and a five-star rating for me.
“'I will not replace the veil you loathed with a crown you hate.'”
Though perhaps not as intense as the first third of the book, the last third was also action-packed, and it was speedy reading through to the end. There is yet more betrayal, and it's more shocking and heartbreaking than ever. It comes with a revelation that, again, is bigger than all that came before. I won't say too much more, but the events in this last portion of the book will leave you dying for book four. If only March would come sooner.
“'The villain is always the hero in their story, aren't they?'”
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this story is seeing how much Poppy has come into her own. It has never been more apparent how much more confident and self-assured she has become since her time as the Maiden -- how much more powerful. She has transformed from a powerless pawn to a queen descended from the gods, and it was particularly satisfying to watch as she learned to accept her own strength. I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- there's not much I love more than a badass heroine.
“'You are the foundation that helps me stand. You are my walls and my roof. My shelter. You are my home.'”
The Crown of Gilded Bones was a great read. Despite some pacing issues, it was a great third installment in the Blood and Ash series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the fourth book. So many questions were answered about the nature of Poppy's powers as well as her heritage, but just as many questions arose that I am dying to know the answers to. And, while Poppy's strength is particularly apparent in this book, the events at the end of book lead me to believe that we will get to see an even stronger and perhaps vengeful side of her that I am beyond excited for. The fourth book is out in March of 2022, and it can't come soon enough!
Content Warnings: death, graphic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse/assault, sex/nudity, discussions of death of children
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