A Soul of Ash and Blood

Blood and Ash, Book 5

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Narrated by: Tim Campbell

Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Only his memories can save her…

A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

©2023 Jennifer L. Armentrout (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Tim Campbell returns to the role of Casteel Da'Neer in the fifth book in the Blood and Ash series.… Tim Campbell captures the sarcastic and flirtatious sides of the prince. Campbell's sonorous voice is as easy to fall in love with as the character of Casteel, making Campbell the perfect casting choice.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Expertly and vividly performed with the impressive narrative vocal styles of Tim Campbell, this…will have a very special attraction to fans of vampire romance fantasy fiction. Original, self-contained, and a must for the growing legions of Jennifer L. Armentrout fans.”—Midwest Book Review

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Loved it!! Not a big fan of this narrator but that is only because Stina is Casteel as far as I’m concerned. HOWEVER, I quickly got past it and he did really good regardless! I almost prefer his Keiran and the rest of the wolven/Atlantian gang over Stina’s portrayal, so it wasn’t a completely bad experience.

I absolutely love how Jennifer did this book! Taking parts of the first book and offering Casteel’s perspective! Love love loved it! I’m not even past the first 5 chapters yet and am already reviewing it 5 stars! Casteel is MY FAVORITE book boyfriend. This means even Rhys, Cassian, Rowan and Hunt takes a back seat to my Casteel! No offense to my SJM girlies out there. This was the first series I started after reading ACOTAR and it quickly became my favorite, not to mention, most listened too series to date. Poppy’s internal monologuing gets a little annoying after awhile, so writing the book in Casteel’s POV like this was just fantastic! GO JLA!! Thanks for blessing us with such a beautiful and wonderful (and so freaking sexy) character that is Prince Casteel Da’Neer!

I'll be brief just like the author

There was barely anything new. Cas' perspective didn't add much to what was included in previous books from the series. And just when something interesting starts happening we end on a cliff hanger. Was this a money grab? I can see no other reason for this book.

It may have not been what I was expecting....

4.5 Stars 🌟

I'm not sure what to say about this other than the fact that it was WONDERFUL to get back into the world of Poppy and Cas. Was I a bit disappointed that this was just a rehash of everything that we already knew - but from Cas' point of view? Well, maybe just a bit. But it was still Cas' POV, so there is that.....

I will admit to loving every minute, even if it wasn't what I was hoping for. This book takes us back to the very beginning, but from Hawke's POV. Were there some surprises? Yes, but less than I would have thought.

This book just got me that more excited for the conclusion, or if not the conclusion, then the next chapter on what is going to happen in this saga.

JLA, there is no doubt about it, you have already hooked me. Now, I'm just along for the ride.

Heads up, book 1 from Cas perspective

4 hours left in the book and still no continuation of the storyline. There are a sprinkle of “present” scenes, but that’s about it. I wish I would have known the whole book would have been from Cas’s perspective. The story overall is not bad, I enjoy learning more about him and the reader does a great job. I just wish I would have known before hand.

Kinda feel cheated

This is just a rehash of the storyline from Cas’ point of view. Then a little bit of new story at the very end. Now I feel like I paid for the book twice. I expected a continuation of the story. Don’t waste a credit on this one.

A little disappointed

I loved Cas’s POV but honestly it was a little much to do the whole first book over again.

Cliff hanger.

There’s a cliff hanger. You have been warned. This book flashes back and tells casteels pov. And then you get a tiny tiny bit of progression in the current story timeline. Then cliff hangs.

The ending should be illegal, and Jennifer will be hearing from my therapist.

First of all, right to jail for that cliffhanger. Right to jail, you villain. Secondly, I loved how much I was reminded of how morally gray Cas actually is. And the bond between him and Kieran? 🤌🏼✨ Usually Kieran is a bit hard to read from Poppy’s POV, so I liked hearing about his tells from his childhood bestie. I won’t lie, I was disappointed at first that this would be a retelling of book one because I’m dying to see how their story progresses. However, I’m happy to report I was wrong!

A must read!

I was absolutely consumed by this book and loved hearing this retelling through Casteel’s eyes. The internal dialogue, humor, and banter gave me life. Casteel was and still is my favorite book boyfriend. Tim Campbell made the perfect Casteel and did a stellar performance for all of the voices, I could listen to him all day, everyday! If you are on the fence with this book, spend your credit, you won’t regret it!😍

Loved it

I loved reading Cas's POV on the events of how he and Poppy met, and how he fell in love. This was book one from his POV with a little bit of what happened after the end of AWOTQ, and the ending!?! I can't wait for more!