A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout Book Review & Summary

QUICK LINKS: Chapter Summary 1–12 | 13–25 | 26–37 | 38–45 // Quotes

My Review

This review of A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout may contain spoilers.

Even with all the ups and downs of 2024, I found a perfect way to close out the year. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire was the final book in my 2024 Reading Challenge, and ending with a five-star read made it feel like I was finishing the year on a high note.

Rereading this book for the fourth time never gets old. Each time, it’s just as amazing, and honestly, it’s still so much better than From Blood and Ash.

Slow Start but Better World-Building

I absolutely love long books—the longer, the better! This second one started a bit slow, just like the first, but once the pace picked up, I was completely hooked. Hang in there because the plot twists are definitely worth the wait.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the expanded world-building. We learned more about the vamprys and the wolven and delved into the history of the Atlantians, their heritage, and their fascinating customs and beliefs. We even got a glimpse into the mysteries of the gods.

The characters are fantastic! Poppy is an incredible, feisty, and kick-ass heroine. Cas is Cas. Kieran is the best secondary character ever. I adore his friendship with Cas and his interactions with Poppy. And Vonetta as Poppy’s friend? I love it for Poppy.

The Angst-Filled Romance

I love the angst and tension between Poppy and Cas. Thankfully, it’s not the annoying kind of push and pull, and I don’t think it dragged on too long. I also love their banter, Cas’s cheeky behavior, and their “let’s pretend” game above all else. 

What truly makes Poppy and Cas one of my favorite book couples ever is how completely they accept each other, flaws and all. At its core, their romance is both sweet and intense.

Cliffhanger Ending

Now let’s talk about that cliffhanger ending. I can’t stress enough how much I love it when the female lead turns out to be even more powerful than I initially thought. The male lead shouldn’t be a pushover either, but I absolutely love me some strong, independent woman vibes. That revelation at the end had me so excited for the next book, even if it’s not my first time reading it.

Overall, while we learned some key information, it feels like not much actually happened in this sequel. However, that ending sets up an intriguing direction for the next installment of the series.

Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

This chapter-by-chapter summary of A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout contains spoilers.

Chapter 1

Prince Casteel “Cas” Da’Neer shocks Penellaphe “Poppy” Balfour by announcing in a room full of strangers and enemies that they will be married. Bewildered, Poppy asks why he thinks she would ever marry him. 

At that moment, Landell, an Atlantian, questions Cas about their plan to use Poppy in exchange for Prince Malik‘s freedom. Landell then insults Poppy by calling her a “scarred-face bitch.” Enraged by the insult and seeing Poppy flinch, Cas violently rips out Landell’s heart.

Chapter 2

As Poppy and Keiran start to leave for her room, Cas stops them, warning Poppy not to oppose him, as they’re about to have company. Alastir Davenwell, advisor to the King and Queen, arrives and shows interest in Poppy. Cas, however, tells Alastir that Poppy is retiring for the night. 

After walking for a few minutes, Kieran suddenly stops and tells Poppy that she smells of death. Later, back in the room, Poppy asks him if she should be afraid of Cas. Kieran reassures her that, despite Cas’s past actions, he is the one person that she has no reason to fear. 

Chapter 3

Kieran’s words fail to reassure Poppy, and she begins to panic. Determined to find her brother Ian, she picks the lock, flees the castle, and runs through the woods.

Just as Poppy thinks that she might escape, Kieran, in his wolven form, blocks her path. Refusing to go back, she stands her ground. Cas catches up and tells Poppy that if she wants to fight, she’ll have to fight him instead.

Chapter 4

Cas proposes a deal: if Poppy defeats him in a fight, she earns her freedom. He sends Kieran back to the keep, and Poppy, armed with a short sword, battles Cas.

During the fight, Cas expresses concern for Poppy’s safety, criticizes her escape attempt, and insists that he’s protecting her. Despite disarming him, Poppy is overpowered by Cas, who admits his attraction to her fierce nature. 

Poppy and Cas’s moment is interrupted by a Craven ambush. Cas kisses Poppy and promises to continue their conversation later. After defeating the Craven, Poppy reveals that she was bitten before and realizes that she survived because she’s part Atlantian. Cas confirms that Atlantians are immune to the Craven’s curse.

Before returning to the keep, Poppy tells Cas that she will continue to resist his plans and try to escape again.

Chapter 5

Back in the room, Poppy and Cas find Kieran waiting. Cas explains that they fought off some Craven and warns Poppy against trying to escape again before leaving with Kieran to burn the bodies.

While bathing, Poppy reflects on her failed escape attempt and realizes that escaping is nearly impossible due to Cas and Kieran’s vigilance.

When Cas returns, Poppy questions his marriage plans, which she still opposes. Cas reveals that he chose the name “Hawke” in honor of his uncle Hawkethorne, following Atlantian tradition. Only his mother and brother knew him as Hawke until he told Poppy.

Chapter 6

Cas reveals that Kieran knows the origin of his name but doesn’t call him Hawke. When Poppy asks why Cas is sharing this, he says it’s important to her. He encourages her to ask anything, promising the truth.

Taking Cas’s offer, Poppy asks if he killed the first Maiden. Cas denies it, unsure that she even existed. He explains that half-blooded Atlantians can’t become Ascended but are sustenance for vamprys. He then tells Poppy that they’ll talk more about their future tomorrow.

Despite Poppy’s resistance, Cas insists on sharing a bed with her. He confides that he told Poppy about his name so she would know that not everything was a lie.

Chapter 7

Later that night, Poppy has a vivid nightmare about the Craven attack on her family. She wakes up in Cas’s arms and finds comfort in his embrace. She apologizes for waking him, and Cas shares his nightmares from his captivity. He admits that his desire for revenge on Queen Ileana and King Jalara kept him going.

Cas then tells Poppy that she was talking in her sleep, reciting a disturbing nursery rhyme about a flower. Poppy remembers someone speaking to her mother before the Craven attack and thinks it might be the same person who mentioned the flower, but Poppy is unsure.

Shifting the conversation, Cas admits that he used compulsion on Duke Teerman‘s Royal Guard to learn what the Duke did to Poppy. Poppy tells Cas that she’s glad that he didn’t stake Lord Mazeen along with the Duke, as she wanted to see the Lord’s face when she killed him.

Cas then tells Poppy that they’ll leave for Spessa’s End once the storm passes. Poppy eventually falls asleep peacefully beside Cas, dreamless.

Chapter 8

The next morning, Poppy feels relieved that Cas is gone, but frustration sets in when she finds herself locked in her room with Delano guarding the door.

Suddenly, Delano bursts in, pale and alarmed. He mistakes Poppy’s internal yelling for a cry for help. He dismisses it as the wind, then quickly leaves and locks the door, further frustrating Poppy.

Later in the afternoon, Poppy wakes to find Kieran ready to escort her to dinner. As they walk, they talk about Atlantian bloodlines. Their conversation is interrupted by Emil Da’Lahr and Alastir, who question Poppy’s parentage and Atlantian heritage. Kieran quickly leads her to the banquet hall, where Poppy notices that the bodies on the wall are gone. He informs her that Jericho is finally dead.

During dinner, Poppy asks Kieran about Atlantians, and he suggests she might belong to a once-thought-extinct bloodline.

Chapter 9

When Cas enters the banquet hall, Poppy feels a strong physical reaction to him. She asks Kieran about Cas’s heightened senses. To her dismay, Kieran confirms that Cas can indeed detect arousal through scent.

Cas then leads Poppy to a hidden crypt, where a wall is covered with names and carvings of those who have died because of the Ascended’s actions. The crypt serves as a place for mourning and reflection.

As they walk back to the keep, Poppy and Cas talk about the upcoming move to Atlantia. Cas insists that they need to marry to guarantee Poppy’s safety and ensure she has a long, free life.

Chapter 10

Cas asks Poppy to hear him out. He explains that their marriage will protect her from those seeking revenge against the Ascended and help prevent a full-scale war between Atlantia and Solis. He plans to negotiate his brother’s release and reclaim some of Atlantia’s lost lands.

After laying out his plan, Cas promises that he will grant Poppy a divorce in the future. Poppy agrees to marry Cas temporarily if he helps her find her brother. However, she will continue to argue with Cas privately but will maintain appearances publicly. 

Poppy then insists on a large engagement ring, and Cas agrees.

Chapter 11

The next morning at breakfast, Kieran informs Poppy that Cas will announce his and Poppy’s engagement and advises her to behave, which makes her anxious.

Lost in thought, Poppy misses Cas’s question but refocuses when he touches her back and holds her hand. This makes her realize that she needs to pull herself together and do her part.

During the conversation, Alastir voices his doubts about the engagement because Poppy is the Maiden. Cas clarifies that she’s no longer the Maiden and explains that she initially refused his proposal but was eventually won over.

Curious, Alastir asks how Poppy and Cas met. Cas explains that they met at the Red Pearl when Poppy sneaked out of the castle. Alastir then asks if Cas plans to keep her.

Chapter 12

Cas tells Alastir that he wouldn’t marry Poppy if he didn’t plan on keeping her. Alastir questions if their engagement is just a strategy to free Cas’s brother, Malik. Cas admits that it offers some bargaining power but states that his main motivation has shifted and that he has accepted Malik’s situation.

Despite Cas’s explanation, Alastir remains skeptical but hopes Cas is being truthful. He requests a private conversation with Poppy to ensure that she isn’t being forced into the marriage. Cas hesitantly agrees.

As they walk, Poppy tells Alastir that her personal guard, Vikter, taught her how to fight. Alastir reveals that Cas was once engaged to his strong and independent daughter, Shea. He hopes that Poppy will ask for help if needed and offers her an escape if she’s being forced into the marriage.

Despite being moved inside, Poppy declines Alastir’s offer and assures him that Cas isn’t using her. She then asks him about his past efforts to help Atlantian descendants escape Solis. She wonders if her parents, Coralena and Leopold, knew about this network. Alastir agrees to investigate and find information about her parents once they reach Atlantia.