A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is the second book in Armentrout’s Blood and Ash series. The first novel was situated largely in Solis, a kingdom ruled by immortal vampire elite called the Ascended. Poppy is known as the Maiden, a young girl chosen by the gods to assist in the next Ascension Rite of the kingdom. In the Rite, a new batch of Ascended will be created, including Poppy and her ladies-in-waiting. To keep the Maiden safe, she has been raised in complete isolation in a castle and is not meant to court or wed. She is supposed to be quiet and pious. However, as Poppy grows into a young woman, she begins to suspect that something is off about the history of her homeland. One of her guardians, Vikter, trains Poppy in warfare in secret. Poppy also feels stifled by her cloistered life and sneaks off to an establishment called the Red Pearl to socialize. At the Red Pearl, she runs into a handsome stranger whom she kisses. This stranger is Hawke, a new guard for Poppy. Hawke and Poppy fall in love before it is revealed that Hawke is none other than Casteel Da’Neer, the heir apparent to the enemy kingdom of Atlantia.