A Fire in the Flesh: A Flesh and Fire Novel Paperback – October 31, 2023

This is my second read of this amazing continuation of the Flesh and Fire series by the incredibly gifted Jennifer L. Armentrout.I originally read this book shortly after it's release in 2023. I had just finished a reread of the previous two books in the series and was ready to go as soon as this was released. To say I gobbled up this book the first time around is a serious understatement; I believe I finish this book within four days because frankly it was that good!!It has been a year and the next book in the series, Born of Blood and Ash has been released and I found myself wishing I could reread this particular book in preparation for jumping back into a wonderfully diverse, characters previously written. Having stumbled upon this prequel series after reading becoming a loud and proud From Blood and Ash series fan, I found myself falling head over heels in love with the character of Sera and quietly moving her ahead as favorite JLA female badass character just ahead of the From Blood and Ash character of Poppy (don't worry it's a close tie 😂 iykyk).The characters within this series are gritty, dark, damaged, and sometimes incredibly misguided but they are also incredibly relatable and so human despite their more supernatural and magical characteristics. From the jump, this series offers amazing enemies to lovers, witty banter, some of the most emotional and heartwrenching revelations and reveals and also a truly believable determination with an all characters to see their goals met; even if the goal in question is to rule the world and to hell with everyone else.In this particular installment, we pick up where we immediately have left off at the end of the previous book. Sera is in a very precarious situation with no real escape plan or solution on the horizon. She is alone, scared although she doesn't really know it, and quite certain that she will die before she returns to her friends and her love. In walks one of the most twisted, damaged, and delusional villains that I have ever truly felt that I definitely could understand his side but that he also seriously twisted, damaged, and delusional. The character of Kolis is absolutely unhinged in almost every way but it is the way that JLA writes this character, one could almost feel pity rather than down right hatred. Consider the Lord of the Rings character of Gollum: you can see how he got this way and has done some truly heinous things but man do you feel sorry for him; enter Kolis a truly overpowered, obsessive, abusive and egocentric God who wields his power as if he is the victim. Together Sera and Kolis learn and explain many of the structural components of the lore and society within the Flesh and Fire/From Blood and Ash universe. Much of what occurs in 75% of this book provides more support and explanation for the events leading up to or are directly occuring in the From Blood and Ash series down to some significant reveals involving Poppy and her role in the coming war within From Blood and Ash.Unfortunately many of the characters that we have come to love in the previous books of this series are noticeably absent from the first 75% of this book. This includes the male main character or my secret on the side love interest, Ash or Nyktos Primal of Death which is disappointing but incredibly important and worthwhile. Despite him being absent, he is never far from Sera's heart, dreams, and thoughts because it is in the final moments of the previous book that Sera has realized that everything she is and everything she will be is because Ash loves her and is willing to stand by her despite her damage, trauma, self-loathing, and self-destructive tendencies.This book creates such a level of tension but the audience isn't truly aware of it until the last 25% of the book where are two main characters are finally reunited but under the most devastating and tragic circumstances. Every declaration of love, desire for more time, and determination to save the other truly pulls at the audience heartstrings and even brought a tear to my eye.Overall the characters, setting, and plot of this novel are invaluable to the development of the series and the series written in the time period following this. Together all of the books build a world of deep lore and legend but also intense relationships, truly a found family trope and a deep unyielding, infinite amount of love. Sera and Ash have become two of my absolute favorite characters; not to ignore the wonderful side characters of the series who also bring a lovely flavor of humor, loyalty, and friendship.As I hold the next book in the series, Born of Blood and Ash, in my hands I am absolutely ecstatic to read what happens next and I'm very grateful that I took the time to reread the previous book as it furthered my absolute love and loyalty to Jennifer L Armentrout.

I looked forward to this book for MONTHS, so I’m not happy I needed to give it three stars. I’ve read many reviews trying to see why others felt the way they did, but my irritation seems to be mine alone… so I’m going to talk about it.This book takes place exactly where the second book ended. Sera is with Kolis. Nyktos/Ash is there and trying to kill everyone. It’s some beautiful action and I enjoyed it. We then get 63% more book with Sera being Kolis’s prisoner. So, if you haven’t read the book yet, know 65% isn’t our main couple together. You’re also going to get 0 moments with Reaver or Jadis and 3 or 4 moments of dragon daddy Nektas.Before I get into spoilers, I would like to discuss how much I really enjoyed the first two books. Ash is one of my favorite male leads. He’s dreamy and sexy. Sera is also an Aelin (ToG) from top to bottom. She’s beautiful and knows it. She’s good at killing and knows it. She swaggers and seduces all males who look upon her. And she has a tragic destiny where she’s basically promised to die to save the world. Sound like Aelin? Yep. The plus about Sera is that she isn’t obsessed with clothing and dramatic flair and is never convinced she can lead and entire army with no experience before reaching adulthood. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy Sera… just that I’ve read her character a few times.Either way, I still loved the first two books. I enjoyed the world. I enjoyed almost all of the side characters. I even enjoyed the banter filled romance.I went into this one with high hopes. What I wanted to happen: Kolis has Sera, but she manages to escape at about 25% of the book, she then saves Ash around 40%, they make a real plan to take down Kolis with the help of our wonderful side characters, Kolis is imprisoned or something around 90%, and then we get 10% setup and tension for the next book. This is NOT what we get, so here comes spoilers.******* SPOILERS *******Kolis has Sera because Attes handed her over. Attes explains he did this for the greater good and acts like he has a very interesting history with Sotoria (the girl Sera pretends to be and the soul she has inside of her with her own - dual souls and no one noticed).Ash wants to save Sera by killing Kolis. Attes tells Sera neither of them can die or the world ends and so Sera distracts them causing Ash to be captured and stabbed repeatedly going into stasis (coma).Sera decides pretending to be Sotoria but with zero memories is a very solid plan to seduce Kolis to kill him. Sera though can't keep her mouth shut in any situation she doesn't agree with and so her and Kolis fight constantly while she repeatedly tells him she just wants him to love her. Kolis buys this very shallow story but his right-hand-man/revenant Callum, who happens to be Sotoria's little bro, does not.As a reader, you know she's faking it, but it's also written so poorly to keep us from ever questioning her obsession with Ash we wonder constantly why Kolis is even entertaining her lies. Yes, we are told he isn't "right in the head" many many times, but he isn't written as a moron.During her time with Kolis and fighting him on everything he punishes her. This punish ranges from an almost rape scene Sera keeps telling everyone is nothing (which as a rape survivor seems legitimate) to mild torture to forced snuggles. Some of the scenes are so gross I can't deal with it and others just made no sense to me. Everyone else's reactions also seemed terribly written especially Attes who keeps saying Sotoria is just the most important thing ever... he didn't kick up a fuss over the abuse? Okay.Like I said above, this is 65% of the book. Yes, the author throws in back story... especially a lot of info to try and force sympathy for Kolis. (This upset me. I understand villains aren't just one dimensional evil characters. I also understand no reason is good enough for forced rape, murder, killing his brother's wife, baby killing, etc. Kolis deserved zero forced sympathy!)We also find out Sera needs the star, but the reader gets beaten over the head with the fact it's right above Sera's head her entire imprisonment and she's too stupid to realize it... but then Kolis shows it to her, gets upset it shows her him killing his Brother and tries to rape her again. THIS is when she FINALLY uses the power we've all known she has. (She was even told to use this power chapters ago!!!!!)She incapacitates Kolis, frees Ash, and everything is wrapped up from the entire book! I'm not kidding. Every single piece of side drama fixed in two chapters. Kolis is stabbed and sleeping. Ash is back to being Ash. The star is in hand. The previous primal of life's soul is freed. Sotoria's soul is removed from Sera. Bam! Done!Then we get one small chapter (37) with a bundle of side characters saying goodbye to Sera so she can go be killed by Ash. Very touching.Turns out Ash does love Sera. We all knew this. The only one who didn't was Ash. He decided he isn't killing Sera, just almost, then ascends her against her will. Then talks to her while she's sleeping.Sera sleeps. Sera wakes up from dreams of everyone talking and her seeing her animal form with two twin cubs. She then feeds from Ash and they have a great deal of sex.I know we read these books for the smut, but this is actually why I rated this book so low.Damn near five chapters of almost nothing but feral sex or sex acts. Dear god, this book just had a universe changing action take place and these two just curl up to do it. I know they've been through a lot. I know they have big feelings. I know Ash is very well equipped and Sera is glorious to look upon, but this was one time I desperately wanted to know what was happening in the world. I know the next book will go into the world and what is happening, but if you're on the brink of war and you've been asleep for days why aren't you getting up and doing something or anything?!?!?Maybe I'm just negative, but I felt this was an insane choice, even for a just-okay written fantasy novel.The last chapters, we find out nothing much. We get a tiny Kingdom of Ash moment of plants growing. We get a lovely moment of vulnerability and honesty from Ash and then more lying from Sera. It's a rather crappy ending.Am I going to read the next book? Yes. I'm going to read the next book AND I think it's going to be awesome. This book was a filler book and it could have been a novella. I still really enjoyed Ash and a lot of things, but the good moments did NOT weigh out the tons of repetitive useless moments. Fingers crossed the next book goes well! If it's worse, I will give up on this author. (Which I know won't affect anyone at all.)