Power & Ash

Fear and Fire #2

by B.B. Salem

Power. No matter how much you have… It might not be enough. After revealing herself as the heir of Iriha at the King’s Annual Celebration, Alina finds herself struggling in her role as queen. She feels lost, buried in regret after trusting the prince that broke her heart. Ruling the kingdom is challenging enough, especially since many of the people in Iriha think she is the one who killed the king. But not knowing why Iolas, the Prince of Vouhan, betrayed her, may cost her more than just her spirit. Alina not only struggles to navigate the court but she must also find a way to stop the King of Death before the next blood moon. She has months to figure out a plan, but when she gets captured by the deadly king himself and stripped of her powers, she has to trust a familiar face that let her down once before. In a game of politics and war, the lies she was once led to believe are unraveled one by one. She must be smart, trust the people around her and come up with a way to protect the entire realm. But when the blood moon makes an appearance quicker than expected, it might already be too late.

Genres: Fantasy

474 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2023

Reviews

[sanne ♥ (sann_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

this book was a little bit longer and slower, but had some great character development and plenty of action!

[Quinty [ikleesveel] · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL:DR: Action packed, political and magical. I loved it.
4.5/5 ✩

But since you're here on Goodreads looking for reviews, let me explain the details and why it is not a full 5✩ this time.

This review may contain (small) spoiler-ish descriptions.

I received the eARC (many thanks) and bought the paperback when it came out (it's gorgeous). The book begins where Fear & Fire left off. We see Alina trying to come to terms with the choices she made in book one and (assuming you've read book one) with the fact that our sweet Prince Iolas got engaged to someone else.
And then we get straight into it. The politics of Alina's kingdom, the men working against her, the pressure to marry; it's all there! There's tons of action too and a plot twist which gives Alina a hard time for a while... We see our favorites; Esta, Maya and Sylvar. And also some newer faces. I did feel like some characters could've (of should've) been more present (in the storyline and in Alina's thoughts), but I am glad they made a return. Alina makes great character growth in this book as well, although she can still act out of pocket sometimes, but far less than in Fear & Fire. Alina does have to move over, because Esta is my new favorite. I hated her in book one but she's amazing and ruthless in book two.

I really liked the plot and everything that happened, however... I feel like everything was almost a bit too easy this time around. The choices Alina made in book one all had consequences in that book and I feel like that isn't really there this time. It's not that I want something bad to happen to Alina or those she cares about, but it would've been so bold if it did. There is a couple of moments where I was on the edge of my seat, almost not believing the author would go there but hoping she did and then it didn't. Don't get me wrong, I still loved this book either way, but I would've liked to see some more consequences. That's the only reason I didn't give this book 5✩. (I just like to see fictional characters suffer. Sue me.)

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It fueled my escapism and brought me back to the days I first started reading fantasy. I liked the politics and how much was happening. The romance was a big part of the plot too, but didn't overrule the existing plot. It did feel a bit rushed here and there, but that might come from my own expectations of love and relationships. It felt right for the story, so maybe not take my opinion to heart on that matter. I think every character will be able to benefit from a shit ton of therapy and bonding over all of their daddy-issues.

I want to thank Bo for sending me the eARC and being patient with me for reading so slow, haha.

[Yasmine Van Den Meersch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rate: 🌶️ tension
Tropes: Nightmare trope, fire wielding, he fell hardest, found family trope
TW: yes, always with B.B. Salem, since she loves to make us cry (but we love her <33)

Review:
I don't know if I can write a review that will do this book justice.
I loveeeeeed this duology, Bo is an amazing writer and her characters are *chef's kiss*.
This book took me a little longer to finish, simply because I couldn't part with the characters and the world she has built.
This is an amazing fantasy and I love our strong FMC and the found family trope is soooo incredibly well done. <3

I will read whatever this woman writes!!! I would recommend.
TIP: buy the hardcover, because the naked covers are sooooo STUNNING!

[Claire Lct · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25*

Power & Ash is the last book of the duology Fear & Fire.
I had a nice time reading it; I was hooked from the beginning. There was lots of action, lots of magic scenes, lots of fight scenes and I enjoyed each one of them. Power & Ash had more romance than the previous book. I really liked the balance between the romance & action / plot.

I liked following Alina’s journey from “nobody” to a true Queen. I got teary eyed with her grief.
The romance was so sweet, so pure; I really liked how it was written. They are just the cutest on earth. (Just a reminder: it’s a Young Adult book without spice). Power & Ash was more focused on the relationship and some of them were very funny, I laughed a few time. I could feel the found family vibes. I felt like being a part of their team.

The ending was great; I had some time to enjoy the HEA.
I highly recommend this duology with you are looking to a YA fantasy romance with lots of magic, court intrigue…

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this!! Like all of Bo’s other books, this one reads like a train. It was filled with action, banter, immaculate humor, heartbreaking stuff & sooo much tension 🔥 although there are no spicy smutty scenes, the tension is through the roof!

I love the growth Alina made throughout both books honestly, although she had a lot of trauma to get through, she became the strong happy woman I LOVE!

The bond between all the main characters grows a lot aswell and I love to see them bickering & joking around with each other. Perfect example of “chosen family”

I’m a little sad to be done with this series but I still have the novella to read AND I can’t wait to dive into Esta’s story next. I’m looking forward to seeing all these characters again ♡

10/10 would recommend this duology for sure.

[Books.with.Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
I am obsessed with this book, omg!!!
not going to lie I was scared of where this book was going to go after how the first one ended but I was not disappointed. Even though the book doesn't have smut but the tension was everything and it was worth it, it had me on the edge of my seat!
I was not the biggest fan of Esta in the first book but she totally won me over in this one, absolutely loved her! She is so strong and powerful and we love women on top!
Alina showing who's boss as queen yesss girl! Who runs the world girls! Love to see it!
I swear I love Rina haha but omg but she can be a bit much sometimes. I love her and Brun, they were funny and cute.
I also love how everyone wanted to fight with everyone, like yeah let's go. Loved the banter!

I hated Killian with a burning passion!

and keeping best for last because OMG I LOVE IOLAS!!!
I swear everything this man does makes my heart flutter! He is just so perfect! Like did he screw up for a while? Yes but my god does he make up for it! AND THE NICKNAMES!! He calls her like my princess, my queen, my love omg SWOONING! He is so perfect and he is such a dork but omg do I love him! I want someone to love me like that!
I want a scarred grumpy book boyfriend who will do anything to protect me

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

[Sarin Booi · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ Power & Ash

I was once again happy to receive an eARC for this book! The second and last book in this duology.

I really enjoyed this book. The more I got into it the faster I was going through the chapters.
I was hooked from the beginning. The story picked up right where the first book finished.

I loved the romance and the tension in this book. Not only between the main characters, but also between certain side characters.
I loved all the characters and I honestly can not wait for the book about a certain broody female character😏

The plot had me flipping page after page to see what would happen next.

I loved the ending and I love a good HEA:)
I'd really recommend this duology if you love a good plot, realistic (but make it fantasy) characters, banter, great magic and maybe - just maybe - a little pain...😜

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Lenalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin?

Fear and fire came out just when I needed it, my mental health was at an all time low and it gave me a lovely escape to another world.
Power & ash is the AMAZING follow up to fear & fire.
Everything you loved in that book will be here but even more en even better.
To see alina struggle and eventually grow into the woman she was meant to be is a journey you don't want to miss.
Also the banter in this book? 100 more then book 1 and the banter there was already top tier!

I wish I could reread this amazing series for the first time but I for sure will reread them!
Thanks bo for this amazing world and I can't wait for what is to come!

Thanks for the e-arc.

[Jana Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to the book Fear and Fire. I read Fear and Fire a while ago and I was immediately hooked by it. It was really exciting to get the opportunity to read Power and Ash as an ARC.

In this book Alina’s story continues. I was thrilled the whole time I couldn't really put the book down. I'm just in love with the whole story and the characters. There was a lot of action and even some funny moments I really liked.

I would definitely recommend reading this book if you've read Fear and Fire!

[Loes Truijens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being one of the ARC readers, so my review here might be a little different from the one on GoodReads since this is the second time I’ve read it. I LOVED Power and ash with a passion and can’t talk about it enough. The romance, the tension, the drama it’s all so good. Rina is amazing and I loved the little bit of extra depth we got from Esta. The relationship between Rina and Brun was my favourite and was just so sweet. I can’t wait to read more from B B Salem in the future.

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second book of the duology and it was again amazing, I loved it from start to finish! You grow to care for all the characters and I really enjoyed the journey with them. Fun fact: I don’t even like romance in books, but when *something something* happened, I was beyond words and just had to tell everyone about it lol.

[Christel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

I loved this book, it was soo good and a nice ending to the duology. It again was so funny and cute, it was also sad at times where I cried and the tension was yet again so good! I really love the couples and characters so much, they are too cute!

[F3nn_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I loved every second of this book. Just as the first book, I flew through this one. The writing is just so amazingly fast-paced without lacking in depth or tension. Big probs to Bo for that, you did amazing!

Not knowing what was going to happen the next chapter and what might be lurking around the corner had me not wanting to put this book down. Honestly if I had the time, I would’ve finished this in a mere day or two.

The strong characters in this book make it so enjoyable. They all have depths and pasts and together as a group they make for the most interesting and funny moments.
I just absolutely adore Alina and Rina, their sister relationship is so much fun and I felt like as a reader we really got to be part of that. And I have a feeling that Esta found some sister figured aswel. Can’t wait to read her story!
Also just about Alina, she is such a badass. Defying all odds against her and seeing her grow so strongly in her confidence was amazing to be a part of.
We also can’t forget the boys ofcourse. Iolas and Brun. What gentlemen they are. I love them, but you’ll have to read for yourself

I’m not gonna spoil anything about the plottwists but let me tell you they are definitely there and they had me sobbing, holding my breath, ugly crying and nearly fall over of relief. It was gooooood

[Renee Sarah Stevelmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you, I absolutely adore this book! This book has the action, tension and romance that I need in a book. This book made me cry happy tears, but also sad tears, which is perfect.

What I really noticed in this book is the improvement of the author since her first book. I felt as if the writing had improved a lot which is an absolute delight to see. There were still some spelling errors, but who am I to judge 🫣

All in all, it was the perfect closure I needed for this book series, because I felt like the ending in the first book was lacking BUT this book made it more than up for it 🩷 I'm sad to know the story of Alina and Iolas is over, but I'm happy to know not all stories in this realm have been told yet.

Good job lovely author 🩷

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was much faster paced than the first one, and I liked it for that. Alina got on my nerves a few times, mainly during the misunderstandings. But overall, she did well. I enjoyed seeing Esta and would highly recommend reading To Mend a Broken Heart after this one!

[Rhys Turai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been edited a bit more because the writing seemed rushed and sloppy. I liked the idea but the execution just wasn’t there.

[&#x1f380; Anaya &#x1f380; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying: I devoured this book. If Fear and Fire was the setup, Power and Ash is the payoff. The pacing? Better. The world? Bigger. The romance? OHHHHH the romance—it had me giggling, kicking my feet, and occasionally throwing the book across the room (in a good way).

In this sequel, Alina is no longer the sheltered girl we met in book one. She's evolving, she's powerful, and she’s done playing nice. After everything that happened at the end of Fear and Fire (RIP to her birth mom 🥲), she’s ready to claim her place, face her father, and embrace the fire inside her. And y’all… she is NOT messing around.

But let’s talk about the real reason I couldn’t stop reading: Alina and Kael.

THEIR. CHEMISTRY.

It’s tense, it’s soft, it’s chaotic. Kael is still the brooding, morally grey prince with a heart that only beats properly when Alina’s around. He’s constantly trying (and failing) to stay away from her, and she’s constantly calling him out—and it’s GLORIOUS. They fight, they flirt, they burn.

“You drive me mad,” he whispers, voice hoarse.
“Good,” I whisper back. “You deserve it.”
ICONIC.

And the angst?? Off. The. Charts. Kael tries to act like he’s dangerous, like she should stay away, but Alina’s like no thanks, I’m into emotionally unavailable men with swords. And honestly, same.

One of my favorite scenes (no spoilers but you’ll KNOW when you get there) takes place in a cave. Let’s just say: emotions run high, shirts come off, and so do defenses. It was vulnerable and tender in a way I didn’t expect, and it made their connection feel even deeper.

Also, I really appreciated how much more confident and powerful Alina has become. She’s finally stepping into her role, even if she’s still figuring out what exactly that role is. She makes hard decisions, stands her ground, and still keeps her sass:

“If you think I’m going to kneel just because you wear a crown, you clearly don’t know me.”
Queen behavior, literally.
My only small critique (and it’s minor because I loved this book) is that sometimes the dialogue leaned a little dramatic—but honestly, I was so into the story I didn’t care. Drama fits this world.

[Anysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

BROOOO I JUST FINISHED THIS BOOK!!!!


Okay, so I'm completely obsessed with Alina and Iolas. I usually don't feel true satisfaction with any love story, but with these, 2 are the perfect couple since they have enough bad moments to make it believable that they accept each other's flaws two and they're also sooo sweet to each other

I also loved the suspension to any major moment like the last battle and how she keeps me on my toes with what will happen next.

I also love how the characters grew so much since the first book and how Alina grew to understand that she doesn't need to do everything by herself.

So B. B. Salem, you should be proud of the story you created it was absolutely amazing!!!

[B.B. Salem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm beyond exited to share the second, and final, book in the Fear and Fire duology. There will be more romance, more powers to explore, more friendships made and also a lot more explanation on the Vannari and the history of the agamori! If you enjoyed Fear and Fire, you are going to love this book, I'm sure of it!

The cover and synopsis is coming very soon so stay tuned. I can't wait for you all to experience Alina's life as a new queen and watch her grow immensely. I'm already working on a book on one of the side characters (hint, it's a very sassy elf princess who has been through a LOT) and I'm looking forward to continue writing in this word I created, just from different POV's!

[Melisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing duology!