To start, THE WAR OF TWO QUEENS is the fourth book in the BLOOD & ASH series.
My mind is blown. Head up: this review is definitely giving ranty vibes. There is a lot to process in this book. Unfortunately, I am not able to write a spoiler-free review. I need to rant and rave about everything that happened in THE WAR OF TWO QUEENS and the emotions that it evoked or I will explode!
Revelations. And changes. So many changes. Mostly good, incredibly interesting changes. But some that were hard to swallow.
𝐻𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒮𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌:
*The Joining a.k.a a threesome between Poppy, Cas, and Kieran.
“𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓉𝒾𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒𝓈𝓅𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓃𝑒𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒞𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓇 𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹𝒷𝓎𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓂. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒥𝑜𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔.”
No. Just no. When I tell you I knew it was coming as the book grew closer to the end, the anxiety and dread I felt about having to read that scene. Cas and Kieran are next-level bonded and close—he trusts him and loves him implicitly. I get it. I really do. But Cas sharing his wife? Allowing Kieran to fuck his wife? Poppy? Being a-okay with Kieran harboring ongoing sexual and romantic love feelings for her? That doesn’t sit right with me. How do you give me one version Casteel for the first 3 books then change of his M.O. like that? My brain and heart can’t reconcile the two versions. Listen, Casteel was like “What’s mine is yours… including my wife!” to Kieran. And I just wasn’t here for it. At all.
Does this mean they’ll be a throuple? Because I didn’t sign up for that when I started this series and grew attached to Casteel and Poppy as a pair. It would have been different if that was clearly the intent and vibe from the beginning.
I could have understood The Joining if it remained non-sexual. I still wouldn’t have liked it, but I would have understood. Kieran is their best friend and they want to keep him alive. But as soon as it became sexual, that all went out o the window. Honestly, I wished it never happened and Kieran got his own mate instead, which I think would be interesting.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈:
Seraphena is the true Primal of Life—I figure this was the case since it was alluded to in A SHADOW IN THE EMBER. Still, it was pretty awesome how she came through to save Poppy & Co. to fight another day.
“𝒯𝑜 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓀 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓀𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜𝓅𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓈 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝒶.”
𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓈:
Poppy has always been a badass who I could strongly empathize with and connect with. I love her character and what she stands for. She is strong, brave, fierce, loyal, and she’s not infallible even though she’s powerful. The finale when she comes into her nearly final form is so fucking epic! The emotional heartstrings that were tugged on man.
“𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝒹, 𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓌𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈. 𝐼𝓉 𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓇𝒾𝒷𝓊𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝒪𝒻 𝓌𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽.”
Casteel has his own POV!!! I repeat: Casteel has his own POV!!! And Gods, it is glorious! I fell for him even more—minus the whole I’m cool with sharing my wife with Kieran bit. I love being able to see how he worships Poppy from inside of his own head. It is addictive.
"'𝐼 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊,' 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓇𝓂𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹.
𝐹𝓊𝒸𝓀.
𝑀𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉.
𝐻𝑒𝓇 𝓋𝑜𝒾𝒸𝑒.
𝐼𝓉 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒.
𝐿𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈, 𝐼 𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓇𝓂 𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝓈𝑜𝒶𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓂𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝒻𝓉𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈. '𝐼 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊.'"
𝒫𝓁𝑜𝓉:
This book was a lot of getting pieces of the plot game in the correct positions. On both of Isbeth’s and Poppy’s parts as well as JLA’s as she set us up for the epic finale. Unfortunately, it was a lot of flatline plot, where The two queens bickering and pressed buttons but nothing major actions plot-wise. A few things we got to see mature was Poppy growing into her own as a Queen and as a foretold eather being, as well as her growing closer with Kieran during Casteel’s absence. That first part was well done fr the mostpart. The second part with Poppy's relationship with Kieran was weird for me. For three books Kieran was teasing but not unkind. He was loyal and protective. What I expect at this point in the series and under these circumstances (Casteel having been kidnapped) was a full-fledged best friendship with maybe an unbreakable bond. Not all of the touchy-feely, kisses on the forehead, caressing cheeks from Kieran. Someone even mentions Kieran sounds like her husband, to which Poppy responds by saying their relationship and feelings were complicated. It was weird for me honestly. But I know why it was done—The Joining. . .
And now we’re back to my rant.
The thing is, I might’ve, could’ve, maybe begrudgingly come to terms with it because Kieran is their best friend and Poppy wanted to save him. But for it to turn into a sexual and/or throuple situation? It’s a hard no for me. I am confused and repulsed by the dynamic of the three’s relationship. I was fully invested in the Casteel and Poppy as a duo pair. The always and forever, heartmates, don’t touch or you get stabbed or your heart ripped out, don’t cover or you die status of their relationship. I was never warned or prepared for a throuple.
So, that was my major qualm with the book but it was actually a really good book that I truly enjoyed. It's just not my favorite in the series for the obvious reason stated above. After finishing the book, I honestly felt unsettled. Betrayed even. But also, I really enjoyed the book as well as still love this series and the characters. The plot was interesting. Heartstrings were pulled. We got dragons and the prick Reaver we all love. *Reaverbutt* Bad characters got their comeuppance. We got a new heartmate revelation. And so much more. Highly recommend THE WAR OF TWO QUEENS!
