The Primal of Blood and Bone

This was an absolute whirlwind. From the first page, I felt every emotion: joy, heartbreak, shock, and awe. Poppy’s awakening and the consequences that followed totally blew me away, and watching Casteel and Kieran transform added even more intensity. The stakes couldn’t be higher with Kolis, the true Primal of Death, returning, and the gods' awakening only made the world feel bigger and more dangerous. The romance between Poppy and Cas was beautiful and grounding, though the betrayals and strained relationships definitely hurt. Yes, the book was long, but the twists, lore, and Easter eggs made it so worth it. That ending left me reeling. I need the next book immediately!

This book let me down. Again. Books 1-4 in this series were SO much fun to read, but it’s like the author got lost. First we got a useless compendium that nobody is gonna read. Then we got book 5, which was mostly a rehash of earlier books from the MMC’s POV with little new plot to explore.

This one kinda moved the plot forward, but not a lot really happened. There’s so much inner turmoil amongst all the characters and it’s like the worst miscommunication trope ever. These three people who were so close and bonded are now completely at odds over basically nothing and they refuse to talk about it? That’s not even like them.

Plus, I’m so irritated by the poor world building. The sun reverses its direction in the sky but there show more are no gravitational effects? That should be catastrophic. Also, before she included our world in the series I was more willing to overlook places like Pompay and Masadonia. Now that our world has been introduced, there’s no way to escape those duplications. No explanation for how or why that happened.

Books 1-4 were so compelling because of the love and bond between the characters. Without it, it’s just boring lore and a zillion characters that span thousands of years. Like I almost don’t care what happens to them if they aren’t together.

I desperately hope this is just a blip and that it will start getting good again. And that it doesn’t take another 3 years for a real conclusion. show less

Short summary:

This book continues Poppy’s journey as her powers grow and her role becomes even more important in the war involving gods, Primals, and kingdoms. As she learns more about what she truly is, the stakes get higher, and the conflicts around her become more intense. Alongside Casteel and Kieran, she faces new threats and shifting alliances.
However, a lot of the tension in this book comes from conflicts within the group. There is noticeable distance and miscommunication between Poppy and Casteel, and also tension involving Kieran, which affects their dynamic as a trio. While the external plot continues to build toward a larger confrontation, much of the story focuses on emotional conflict and uncertainty between the show more characters. By the end, things are set up for future developments, but not everything feels fully resolved.


After loving the first five books (especially all those 5-star reads), this one felt like a step down for me. It’s not bad, but it didn’t hit the same way emotionally or story-wise.

The biggest issue for me was the miscommunication. The miscommunication between Poppy and Casteel didn’t make any sense considering the stage of their relationship. After everything they’ve been through, it felt weird to see them suddenly full of doubts and acting unsure of each other. It almost felt like their development from the previous books was ignored just to create drama.

The same goes for the situation with Casteel and Kieran. Their dynamic has always been one of the strongest parts of the series, so it was frustrating to see tension there that didn’t fully make sense. Because of that, Kieran is barely present for large parts of the book, which honestly made the story feel like it was missing something.

I also felt like the pacing was a bit off. There are important things happening, especially with Poppy’s powers and the bigger plot, but it sometimes gets overshadowed by the relationship drama. In the earlier books, the balance between plot and character felt stronger.

That being said, I still enjoyed parts of it. The world is still interesting, and I like how the story keeps expanding with the gods and Primals. Poppy as a character is still compelling, especially as she grows into her power and role. There are definitely moments that remind you why the series is so good.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, this was a decent continuation, but weaker compared to the previous books. The relationship drama and miscommunication felt unnecessary and took away from what made the series so strong before. I still like the world and the characters, but I’m hoping the next book brings things back to the level of the earlier ones. show less