Margaret M - (having a challenging time and on GR as much as I can)'s Reviews > A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

God give me fantasy to stop me thinking about the things I cannot change
Imagination, courage, and belief to change the things I can
and wine to know the difference!!! 😉

5 fiery stars for a story that is addictive, explosive and highly imaginative, as we combine political and religious conflicts with cultural and mythological elements to provide the perfect backdrop for a passionate and spicy romance that would rival any romantic novel out there.

Flaming brilliant.

The Plot

Too many threads to explain but the essence of the story is, Poppy had lived her life as a veiled ‘Maiden’ and was deceived into believing she was the chosen one. In the last book she is rescued and kidnapped (yes both) by Hawke, her bodyguard, who at the end of book 1 is revealed as Casteel the Prince of Atlantia.

This is where we pick up book 2 in the series and the continuation of Casteel / Hawke and Poppy’s personal story and a fiery romance full of passion, tension, and also mistrust.

Casteel has kidnapped Poppy to use as a bargaining tool to save his brother and negotiate a peace treaty with the Blood Crown. What he doesn’t foresee is the chemistry building in this passionate, spirited, and fiery relationship with Poppy as they both fall in love. However, like most people in Poppy’s life, Casteel has his secrets and lies to her about his full intentions, his past and his duty which threatens their union as revelations are slowly released through the story, constantly undermining what they thought was ‘real’.

From Spessa’s End to Atlantia, and with the Ascended, Descenters, Craven, Vamprys, and Wolven at play in this power struggle we are taken on a journey to places and within people who are cursed with much emotional baggage, history, and betrayal.

Review and Comments

Heart-warming yet violent, a slow burn romance with such an action-packed storyline, and with similar real-life themes of betrayal, political instability, religious and cultural division yet this is pure fantasy at its best.

Storyline and Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The lingering and constant level of threat in the story was a standout. With so many divisions in the kingdom, danger could have come from anywhere particularly as Poppy was not accepted by Casteel’s people and with so many factions vying for power. The world building was superb, the plot was action packed, unpredictable and adventurous. Just brilliant.

Main Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Incredible character development, particularly with Poppy, but also Casteel, and even Kieran, Vonetta, and Alastair.

Romance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ this was a romantic fantasy story where the banter, humour and chemistry had me gripped. As far as spice goes this certainly was 🌶️🌶️ without being vulgar, yet it was very physical, which came down to the choice of words the author used. So, hats off to write such hot and saucy scenes without the crude expressions you sometimes find. If I had one complaint it would be the use of cheesy dialogue which I don’t care for – peel it back please.

Addictive, immersive, spicy, adventurous, and fiery. Another 5-star fantasy that provides pure escapism, so let’s make a deal “… that we don’t borrow tomorrow’s problems today” and read a fantasy instead and this my friends is an excellent choice.