She's been the victim and the survivor…
Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.
The enemy and the warrior…
Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.
A lover and heartmate…
But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other
Why You Should Read This Book
Tropes
Trigger Warnings
The Crown of Gilded Bones
“When the gods gave the kiyou mortal form, we were bonded to them and their children on an instinctual level that is passed down generation after generation. And that instinctive bond recognizes you.”
“I want to do everything imaginable, and things no one has ever thought of with you. But I only need you, Poppy. Now. Always.”
“You told me that I was your home. That works both ways. You are mine. What matters is that we’re together and happy.”
“We have come to claim what is mine—the Crown and the kingdom.”
“I do not doubt that, son. I was there when you came to and realized that she was gone. I saw you, and I have never seen you like that. I will never forget it. And I can even understand your need to protect her. Gods, do I understand that. But as the King, I cannot approve of what you did.”
“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.”
“The heart doesn’t care how long you may have with someone. It just cares that you have the person for as long as you can.”
“And if you decide you want to take what is yours, claim the throne, I will set this entire kingdom on fire and watch it burn if that ensures that the crown sits on your head.”
“Make sure she knows that I am the Chosen, the One who is Blessed, and I carry the blood of the King of Gods in me. I am the Liessa to the wolven, the second daughter, the true heir, owed the crowns of Atlantia and Solis. I am the Queen of Flesh and Fire, and the gods’ guards ride with me. Tell the Blood Queen to prepare for war.”
“You were born of flesh with the fire of the gods in your blood. You are a Bringer of Life and a Bringer of Death. You are the Queen of Flesh and Fire, due more than one Crown, one kingdom. What you seek, you already have. You always had the power in you.”
“Not only can she defend herself, she needs to be able to defend herself. And that is why she will be allowed to do so, whether she is our Queen or our Princess.”
“Do not underestimate what I would or would not do to ensure your happiness. I think you know this by now. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do, Poppy. Nothing.”
“My Queen. I guess I will have to stop calling you Princess.”
“You’ve faced Craven and vamprys, men wearing masks of human flesh, creatures without faces, and stared down Atlantians who wanted to harm you with the kind of strength and bravery most lack. Remember what you are. Fearless.”
“When I saw you in the Red Pearl, I knew you wore a mask. Not the one that hid your identity, but one you were forced to wear for many years beneath the veil. One you didn’t know you even wore. I saw you, and I knew you were the Maiden. I knew you were a second daughter, one who shared the blood of the gods. And I knew he was seeking the same thing that led you to the Red Pearl that night.”
“So, I’m a threat that must be dealt with because I’m descended from a deity, who may or may not have had anger-management issues? As if I have no autonomy and am just a byproduct of what is in my blood?”
“I’m going to Iliseeum. Once I return, I will send the Blood Queen the kind of message only Casteel would be proud of.”
“You are the foundation that helps me stand. You are my walls and my roof. My shelter. You are my home.”
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