From Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout are two of the most popular fantasy romance series today.
From Blood and Ash follows the “current” timeline, where Penellaphe “Poppy” Balfour Mierel Da’Neer is the Chosen Maiden. Her story quickly unravels into a romance with Casteel Da’Neer, the Prince of Atlantia, and the fulfillment of a prophecy thousands of years in the making.
Flesh and Fire acts as a prequel, set thousands of years earlier. This series follows Seraphena “Sera” Mierel, the first Maiden who carries the embers of life. She wants to save her kingdom by killing Nyktos, The Primal of Death but Sera finds herself in the middle of an ancient battle.
Together, the two series are deeply interconnected, weaving a family lineage that spans millennia and a complex power hierarchy of Primals, gods, deities, and magical creatures.
FBAA Glossary: Primals, Gods, Deities, Godlings and more!
A very quick overview of the terms we’ll use quite a bit in this post:
Ancients: Ancients aret the beings who ruled the realm. They are made of the stars and have nearly infinite power. Most ancients are asleep underground.
Primals: Primals are the strongest creatures in From Blood and Ash universe short of Ancients (more of that later). They are loosely based on Greek gods.
Ancients have made Primals after being concerned that they have too much power.
In Illiseum there were 10 primals.
They run courts full of gods and godlings. Godlings are mortals who have eather in them, source of magic in this universe.
Gods: A god is like a primal, but not as strong. Gods serve in Primal Courts.
Deities: Creatures with less power than gods.
Godlings: Mortals who have god ancestry.
From Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire History, Complete Timeline and Family Tree
Here’s what you missed in FBAA and FAF before The Primal of Blood and Bone…
It all began with Eythos and Kolis, the twin brothers. Eythos was the Primal of Life and Kolis was the Primal of Death.
One day Kolis saw Sotoria, a beautiful mortal woman with red wine hair picking flowers on the side of a cliff. Kolis instantly fell in love with her. When Sotoria saw Kolis, the Primal of Death, she was terrified and fell off the cliff.
Kolis begged his twin brother Eythos to bring Sotoria back to life. However, Eythos said that Sotoria had gone through the gates and was already at peace. Resenting his brother for refusing him, Kolis chose to stole the essence of life from Eythos, making himself the Primal of Life and Eythos the Primal of Death.
Kolis brought Sotoria back to life. Angry and hurt from being her peace disturbed, Sotoria resented Kolis. When she died again, Eythos this time, marked her soul for reincarnation, so that Sotoria can be reborn and try to live her life at peace. So, Kolis started chasing Sotoria in her reincarnations.
After taking the embers of life, Kolis tried to go meet Sotoria’s family and apologize. There, he met Sotoria’s brother, Callum. Callum, feeling guilty for letting Sotoria die, slit his own throat. Kolis, as the Primal of Life, tried to bring Callum back to life. However Kolis is not the real Primal of Life so what he brought back was not quite human.
Callum is first of Kolis’s creations, he’s the first “Revenant” although he’s something more.
Eythos married Mycella, and they had their son Nyktos. Nyktos, although a Primal of Death had embers of life in him. Kolis killed Mycella in his rage of not being able to find Sotoria. Knowing
Kolis is seeking revenge, Eythos took the Embers of Life in Nyktos and answered Roderick Mierel, the Golden King’s call. As the balance between life and death was broken due to Kolis stealing the embers from Eythos natural disasters began occuring in all realms. To stop the rot in Lasania, King Roderick made a deal with Eythos.
In exchange for stopping the rot eventually, Eythos asked the next female born Mierel to become The Primal of Death’s consort. King Roderick didn’t know this, but Eythos hid the embers of life in Mierel bloodline.
When Seraphena Mierel was born, her father died when she was younger. Her Mother Queen Calliphe remarried King Ernald and they had Ezmeria and Tavius.
Ezmeria became Queen of Lasania and married Marisol.
Seraphena married Nyktos becoming consort. After falling in love with Seraphena, Nyktos has ascended her making her the True Primal of Life. They eventually entombed Kolis and hid Sotoria’s soul into the Diamond since she’s the only one who can weaken Kolis enough to eventually kill him.
They had two sons, Ires and Malec.
Malec at first married Eloana Da’Neer. However he fell in love with a mortal woman, Isbeth. Isbeth had a child, but he died. Eloana also entombed Malec to keep his power in check.
Eloana eventually married Valyn Da’neer and they had two sons Malik and Casteel “Hawkthorne” Da’Neer.
Callum stole the diamond and wandered the earth for thousands of years.
Malec ascended Isbeth, and made her into a demi, a false god. After Malec is entombed Isbeth took the identity of Queen Ileana. When Isbeth went on a path of revenge, he told her the stories of Kolis. Isbeth, knowing the next female born of Mierel line in the mortal realm would be the Primal of Life and Death forced Ires to have children with her.
Her first daughter was Millicent. On the day of her ascension, Millicent didn’t make it, and based on what Callum has told her, Isbeth turned her into a Revenant.
Her second daughter with Ires was Penallaphe Balfour (Poppy). Poppy was given to Leopold and Corelena. Corelena and Leopold had another son, Ian. We’re not sure if Ian is also adopted.
When the brotherhood shot Poppy in the chest with a crossbow, Casteel (Cas) ascended Poppy.
After the events of The War of Two Queens, Poppy has gone into statis and as of the ending of A Soul of Ash and Blood, she has awaken as The Primal of Blood and Bone or The Primal of Life and Death.
Primals
There are currently 10 primal courts in Flesh of Fire. Below are the Primals and gods from their courts.
- The Primal of Life and Death: Penellaphe “Poppy” Mierel Balfour Daneer is the first of her kind. She is known as the Primal of Blood and Bone. She is also referred as the Queen of Flesh and Fire and rules the mortal realm.
- The Primal of Life: Seraphena “Sera” Mierel is the True Primal of Life and the Queen of Gods. Sera is born in the mortal land and is ascended. The Primal of Life’s court is the City of Gods, Dalos. Eythos, Nyktos’s father, used to be the Primal of Life before Kolis stole the embers of life.
- The Primal of Death: Kolis is the true Primal of Death. He rules the Shadowlands, and his court is in House of Haides and Lethe.
- Nyktos: Nyktos is a Primal of Death, meaning he can conduct all Primal of Death duties, but he is not the Primal of Death.
- The Primal of Accord and War: Attes is the Primal of Accord and War, his court is in Vathi.
- The Primal of the Hunt and Divine Justice: Bele is currently the Primal of Hunt after Seraphena ascended her and they challenged Hanan. Hanan used to be the Primal of Hunt. Their court is Sirta.
- The Primal of Wisdom, Loyalty and Duty: Penallaphe is the Primal of Wisdom, Loyalty and Duty. She rules in Lotho. Embris used to be the Primal of Wisdom, Loyalty and Duty.
- Arae – Fates: The Arae reside in this court, but they are not officially part of this court.
- The Primal of the Sky, Sea, Earth and Wind: Saion is the primal. Phanos used to be the Primal. Their court is in Triton Isles.
- The Primal of Love, Beauty and Fertility: Aios is the Primal of Love, Beauty and Fertility. Maia used to be the Primal of this court. Rules in Kitheria.
- The Primal of Rebirth: Ione is the Primal of Rebirth. Keella used to be the Primal of Rebirth but she passed onto Arcadia. This court is in Thyia Plains.
- The Primal of Peace and Vengeance: Lailah is the Primal of Peace and Vengeance. Kyn used to be the Primal of this Court. This court rules from Vathi alongside Primal of Accord and War.
- The Primal of Rites, Ascension and Prosperity: Seraphena Mierel is the Primal of this court. After Veses is killed, Sera has absorbed this court.
Check back soon, we’re working on the infographic.
Gods
In From Blood and Ash, the Primals are gone and only gods are known to men. We’re not really sure why the primals are not known to From Blood and Ash universe, but maybe Isbeth hid the information? Either way, below are the Gods known to the mortal realm in From Blood and Ash.
We’re not sure how their powers are came to known the men, and whether they are accurate.
- Nyktos, King of Gods: The King of all gods and can create life and death.
- This is obviously incorrect, and Nyktos basically has absorbed Sera and his role in the legends as Sera’s name had to remain a secret to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled.
- Rhain, God of Common Men and Endings: In Flesh and Fire, Rhain is part of Nyktos’s court. He oversees mortal afterlife has powers of death. He sleeps in Stygian Bay.
- Rhahar, Eternal God: In Flesh and Fire, Rhahar is part of Nyktos’s court. He oversees afterlife of Atlantians and deities. He has powers of death. It sounds like Nyktos has delegated the responsibilities of his court to Rhahar and Rhain.
- Aios, Goddess of Love, Fertility and Beauty: Aios has been ascended in Flesh and Fire and looks like she’s kept her title in historical records. She sleeps in Skotos Mountains and has briefly awakened to save Poppy from falling off a cliff.
- Ione, Goddess of Rebirth: Ione has taken over for Keella, and she kept her title in historical records.
- Penellaphe, Goddess of Wisdom, Loyalty and Duty: Penellaphe, Poppy’s namesake, has powers of will and intelligence. She sleeps under the Great Atheneum in Carsedonia.
- Saion, God of the Sky, Soil, Earth, Wind and Water: He has the powers to elemental control.
- Lailah, Goddess of Peace and Vengeance: She has strength, strategy and logic. She sleeps under the pillars of Atlantia.
- Theon, Goddess of Accord and War: He has mirror powers with Theon. It seems like Theon’s duties has passed to Attes, either in title only or Attes has stepped down. He is Lailah twin and also sleeps under the Pillars of Atlantia.
- Bele, Goddess of the Hunt: Bele has the powers of prosperity and fortune.
That about it covers everything for From Blood and Ash! Check back our other posts soon and sign up to your newsletter to get notified of more From Blood and Ash content!
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