The War of Two Queens
Description
From the desperation of golden crowns…
Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.
And born of mortal flesh…
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.
A great primal power rises…
Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.
As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.
Summary
The Aftermath of Casteel’s Imprisonment
The plot opens with two weeks after the events of the crown of gilded bones, with Casteel imprisoned under the tunnels in Carodonia. Isbeth, the blood queen and Poppy’s mother, visits him and Callum, the golden haired Revenant.
Poppy and Kieran alongside the draken, the Primal of Life’s guards and the support of the wolven are in Pinelands hatching a plan to liberate Oak Ambler. After arriving to the city, they see a wall full of hung bodies, left her as a message.
Similar, Poppy is given a box containing Casteel’s finger with the marriage imprint as a message as well. Poppy dives into the power within herself and nearly loses control but is calmed down by Kieran.
While asleep Poppy and Casteel are reunited, dreamwalking thanks to their heartmate bond. Casteel comforts Poppy, and Poppy is awakened to the sound of chaos. There is a violent storm, and the draken are killed.
Vessa, an older woman living in Pinelands tells Poppy of the Prophecy and how she is the Harbinger of Death.
It is revealed that Vessa, the old lady living in the fort they’re fortified in works for Isbeth and she channeled ancient magic to take down the draken.
Reaver, a purple draken, tells Poppy that he suspects Kolis, the Primal of Death, is at the heart of Isbeth’s plans.
Casteel unfed and injured is nearly fallen into bloodlust. His cut off finger is infected. His brother Malik who is working with Isbeth instead of being her prisoner as the Atlantians were planning for his rescue visits his cell and heals his finger.
Poppy moves her forces into Oak Ambler where Commander Forsyth refuses to open the gates. She orders the draken to burn the city’s fortification to the ground.
Casteel’s Rescue
Inside Castle Redrock, the Ascended has turned all the servants into Craven. Poppy realizes the Ascendedhas fled thecity.At the Temple of Theon they find a mass grave of children which enrages Poppy and she orders the temple to be destroyed.
Reaver, after the event, compares Poppy’s behavior to Nyktos’s Consort. The Consort was so enraged about her sons being taken that she had to go to sleep to prevent from destroying the realm.
Poppy is terrified of becoming like Isbeth and makes Kieran promise her he’ll stop her if she ever crosses a line.
The Atlantian Generals arrive so are to discuss the war effort. They take Oak Ambler. After the battle she meets with her advisory council to plan Casteel’s rescue.
Casteel realizes Isbeth is not a true God but a false one, a Demis (a false god). Basically she is a mortal ascended by a god who has all the powers of a god but is not a god.
Tawny is revealed to be alive, but she’s different. She arrives at the camp to tell Poppy that Vikter was a victor, fates agents’ for guiding and protecting important figures in life. Tawny also learns the full prophecy.
“From the desperation of golden crowns and born of mortal flesh, a great primal power rises as the heir to the lands and seas, to the skies and all the realms.
A shadow in the ember, a light in the flame, to become a fire in the flesh. When the stars fall from the night, the great mountains crumble into the seas, and old bones raise their swords beside the gods, the false one will be stripped from glory until two born of the same misdeeds, born of the same great and Primal power in the mortal realm.
A first daughter, with blood full of fire, fated for the once-promised King.
And the second daughter, with blood full of ash and ice, the other half of the future King.
Together, they will remake the realms as they usher in the end.
And so it will begin with the last Chosen blood spilled, the great conspirator birthed from the flesh and fire of the Primals will awaken as the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction to the lands gifted by the gods.
Beware, for the end will come from the west to destroy the east and lay waste to all which lies between”
Jennifer L Armentrout, The War of Two Queens (Blood And Ash Book 4) (p. 235).
(By the way this still isn’t the full prophecy 🙂 We don’t get the full prophecy until Born of Blood and Ash but more on that later.)
She dreamwalks one more time and realizes Casteel’s condition is worse than she originally thought.
Casteel is in his cell when Millicent, one of Isbeth’s handmaidens visits him. She dunks her hair in the water, the black die and the face paint she wears washing off revealing her true face. She looks exactly like Poppy with more freckles. Casteel realizes Millicent is Poppy’s sister, the revelation shocking him.
Poppy, Kieran, Reaver and a few others travel to Carsodonia. Someone recognizes Poppy as the harbinger and a fight breaks out. Millicent arrives with other Revenants and orders POppy to come with them or Casteel dies.
Poppy faints and wakes up in her childhood room in Wayfair Castle with Isbeth at her bedside. She takes him to Casteel who has fallen to bloodlust.
Poppy touches Casteel using her gift to calm Casteel. Kieran and Poppy devise an escape plan to get Casteel out of the blood crown’s grip.
She summons a mist similar to the one the Craven arrive in, sending the city into a panic. Poppy, Kieran and Reaver make it to the Temple of Nyktos. There, they find Malik, Casteel’s brother who offers to take them to Casteel. He also says the only reason he’s been working with Isbeth is because Millicent is her heartmate.
They find Casteel who is worse than before and knock him out. They take him to Dissenters’ house where Malik is welcomed as the Dark One.
Kieran’s Curse
Poppy touches Casteel one more time and calms him with her gift. Casteel’s come to himself and the two of them unite. Casteel reveals to poppy that millicent is her sister.
Isbeth arrives at the Dissenter’s house. Callum cuts Kieran with a special bone knife which puts a curse on him.Isbeth says she will only break the curse if they bring him Malec, her heartmate who is entombed.
Poppy, Cas and Kieran decide to use Malec’s power to drive Isbeth out. Casteel tries to assuage Poppy she is not the Harbinger they claim her to be and she will not usher destruction and death.
Before they take Malec to Isbeth they theorize that if they perform the Joining Kieran’s curse will be lifted. Poppy and Casteel discuss tying their lives to Kieran both of whom gleefully agrees. At the end they perform the Joining in the forest guarded by the Wolven including Delano, Vonetta and other Wolven. The Joining becomes intimate and Poppy sleeps with both of them.
In the morning they wake up in the woods their heartbeats and essences tied to one another with Poppy as their anchoring source.
The War of Two Queens Ending Explained
Poppy, Kieran and Casteel bring Malec’s body in a coffin wrapped in bones to Isbeth. When Malec’s coffin is opened, Isbeth stabs him with a shadow dagger. While her original plans were to sacrifice Poppy she instead sacrifices Malec. Her goal is to summon Kolis, the true Primal of Death.
The ground opens and dakkai pours out from the ground. Poppy uses her powers to fight Isbeth but she is overwhelmed.
Having never been dealt with power at this magnitude, she reaches within. The woman she’s been having dreams about, the goddess with moonlight colored her calls to her revealing herself to be the Consort, Seraphena and the true Primal of Life. Poppy also completes her transformation into a full Primal upon her contact with Seraphena.
With the new power inside of her, Poppy destroys Isbeth, killing her mother stopping their retreat. She then faints.
When the awakens, she finds that those who died in the bottle, Delano, Emil and the others are resurrected thanks to Nyktos and Seraphena’s interference.
Nektas, Nyktos’s draken, arrives. Reaver takes Malec back to Iliseeum to heal. Millicent escapes with Malik chasing her.
Nektas reveals that Poppy is a part of a prophecy that hints at a great primal power rises after the desperation of golden crowns. He also reveals that Nyktos, Seraphena and others did everything they could so Poppy, the only primal of life and death never existed since her existence would fullfill the prophecy.
However now that she’s ascended, Kolis is awake and the true war is about to start.
Between gods, war, and a very intense bond, this one does not hold back. Get your copy now 💋⚔️
Disclaimer: The images in this post are AI-generated artwork created for illustrative, entertainment, and commentary purposes. They are inspired by the world of From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout but are not official, licensed, or endorsed in any way. All characters and settings remain the property of their original creators and copyright holders. This content reflects our personal interpretations and is shared as part of our independent coverage.
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