The latest addition to the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Born of Blood and Ash, which concludes its prequel series, has just hit Amazon, and we just had to write about one of the most confusing yet crucial things in the series; the family tree. Penallaphe’s origins are a hot issue, especially after her official Ascension as the first Primal of Life and Death. In the Flesh and Fire series, we got a much better look at her ancestry and the development of the powers that have been passed on to her. Poppy is the key to the centuries-old feud with Kolis, and we are here to discover how that came to be. If you are interested in reading this series, here is our proposed Blood and Ash reading order to elevate your reading experience.
If you are tired of going to the Blood and Ash fandom Wiki every time you forget who’s related to whom, keep reading. Let’s dive into JLA’s intriguing world-building and compelling characters, but be warned there will definitely be spoilers ahead.
We know it may seem a lot to digest at first, but let’s break it down and explain each branch of the family tree.
Before the Kingdom of Solis and Atlantia came to be, the Ancients and the Primals roamed Iliseeum and the mortal realm. Eythos the Primal of Life rules all realms as the King of Gods with his wife Mycella by his side. Soon the harmony of Iliseeum is disturbed, when Eythos’ twin brother Kolis, the Primal of Death demands that Eythos give life back to the mortal woman Kolis loves.
The demand to restore Sotoria’s life will lead to a series of events, which will end with Kolis slaughtering Mycella and stealing Eythos’ primal embers to become the Primal of Life, making his brother the Primal of Death. In a twist of fate, Mycella and Eythos’ unborn baby survives, and thus Nyktos the Primal God of Common Men and Endings. The Asher is born.
In a desperate effort to fight Kolis’ faulty reign as the false king of Gods, Eythos will take the last remaining true embers of life from him and Nyktos and will hide them away in a mortal bloodline. King Roderick Mierel, desperate to save Lasania from the Rot—a widespread rotting of the land, brought on by Kolis’ ascending as the Primal of Life, will strike a deal with Eythos and will promise the first female-born Mierel as the consort of the Primal of Death. When King Lamond Mierel and Queen Calliphe produce Princess Seraphena Mierel, it is time for the deal to be fulfilled and for Sera to become Nyktos’ consort in A Shadow in the Ember.
As the first female Mierel, Seraphena becomes the vessel of the last true primal embers of life. But Eythos’ cunning also hides Sotoria’s soul inside her, as the last weapon against his brother’s tyranny. When Nyktos becomes aware of what lies inside Sera, he realises it is up to him to defeat his uncle and ascend as the true Primal of Life by birthright. But to take the embers, Sera must die unless Nyktos can love her unconditionally.
In A Light in the Ember and A Fire in the Flesh we see Sera’s and Nyktos’ efforts to save the Sotoria’s soul, the last true primal embers and the realms for Kolis. But for Ash Sera’s life is the only thing that truly matters and he will stop at nothing to save her. Eventually, Sera will ascend as the one true Primal of Life and Nyktos will become the true Primal of Death.
Nyktos and Sera will go on to have their own family, which will have the blood and embers of both Primals, resulting in something totally new and forbidden until now. They will have twin sons, Ires and Malec who in turn are supposed to keep from falling in love and reproducing lest a byproduct of this dangerous blend of ember occurs.
In an effort to protect their sons, Nyktos and Sera will devise a plan to keep them safe. Nyktos will be known as the Primal of both Life and Death, and Seraphena will only be known as the Consort. Consequently, the creation of the wolven, a human form gifted to the kiyou wolves, will be attributed to Nyktos instead of Sera. However, it is soon apparent that Iliseeum is too small to contain Malec’s curiosity and knack for adventure.
By now the first Atlantians, a species created in the image of the Gods, with longevity, strength and resistance to mortal diseases has been created. Gods and godlings live among the Atlantian people and rule the Kingdom. Malec, who long ago given up on Iliseeum and his family, becomes King of Atlantia and marries Eloana. But his faith soon strays and he finds himself infatuated by Isbeth. Their love is so strong that when Isbeth is about to die from an unknown cause—some say Eloana poisoned her—Malec commits the forbidden act of Ascension and brings her back.
Eloana infuriated by this treasonous act conspires with the Atlantian elders and they overthrow Malec, but Isbeth manages to flee before her apprehension. Their unmaned newborn son is also never to be found.
After Malec’s removal from the throne of Atlantia, Queen Eloana marries Valyn Da’Neer. Together they rule and have two sons, Malik Da’Neer and Casteel Da’Neer. Like all Atlantians they two boys bond with a wolven at a young age. Malik bonds with Prilla and Casteel bonds with Kieran Contou. Cas and Kieran are inseparable and very reckless which leads to Cas being captured by the Blood Queen.
Penellaphe or Poppy as her friends call her has been born and raised in Solis as the Maiden. The countless limitations and rules imposed on her, however, are not enough to stop her from venturing to the Red Pearl and meeting Hawke Flynn. In From Blood And Ash, we see how their relationship develops and how Poppy grows from the Maiden to a fiery warrioress. Her friendship with Tawny will also add depth to Poppy’s character.
When she is called to go to the Capital—Carsodonia— to meet King Jalara and Queen Ileana, Hawke will accompany her. In a twist of fate, Hawke is revealed to be the Dark One, the one Poppy is supposed to be afraid of, Prince Casteel Da’Neer. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is a real banger, with a battle of wills between Poppy and Casteel who desperately try to keep their desire and feelings for one another hidden. Their love for each other will prevail, and they will get married in order to save Atlantia and convince the people of Solis of the Ascended’s corruption.
The Crown of Gilded Bones is a total roller coaster. At first, Catseel thinks Poppy’s gift and abilities are due to her having Atlantian blood, but it soon becomes apparent it is much more dangerous than that; the blood of the Gods courses through her veins. Initially, she is assumed to be Malec’s bastard daughter due to their similarities in appearance and skills. But the Blood Queen, who turns out to be Isbeth—Malec’s long lost lover— reveals she is her real mother and it is not Malec who fathered her, but his brother Ires. Together they have two daughters, Penellaphe and Millicent.
Enraged by this, Poppy will try to take out Isbeth, who is now a demis thanks to Malec’s ascension, but her plan will backfire and Casteel will be captured in her stead. In her efforts to save Casteel, Poppy will confirm that they are heartmates and can walk in each other’s dreams, just like Sera and Nyktos. The War of Two Queens is where it all comes down between mother and daughter and where an ever darker secret emerges; Isbeth is trying to raise Kolis.
And that is all for this multimember and complicated family!
If you are looking for romance books filled with secrets, intrigue, and actions, then the FBAA universe is definitely for you. Like Feyre in ACOTAR, Penellaphe Balfour is a strong female lead who will stop at nothing to protect those she loves and will give all romantasy readers a run for their money.
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Poppy biological father is Ires and her mother is Isbeth. Her grandparents are Nyktos and Seraphena, which is why she is the Primal of Life and Death. Poppy also has a biological sister named Millicent.
No, Nyktos is not Poppy’s father. Poppy’s father is Ires, Nyktos’ son, so that makes Nyktos Poppy’s grandfather. Due to Nyktos and Seraphena being her grandparents, Poppy is the Primal of Life and Death.
The first Maiden from Blood and Ash is Seraphena Mierel, whose story we follow in the Flesh and Fire series. The Flesh and Fire series prequels the Blood and Ash world and shows how the Primals fought Kolis, the false King of the Gods, and Seraphena became the true Primal of Life.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
