Jennifer L. Armentrout Books in Order: The Blood and Ash Series Explained

New to Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series? Here's the complete reading order, including the prequel series and where to start.

8/6/20262 min read

Jennifer L. Armentrout Books in Order: The Blood and Ash Series Explained

If you've read our romantasy recommendations, you've already seen From Blood and Ash mentioned as one of the genre's defining entries. Armentrout's catalog has grown large enough since then — a main series, a prequel series, novellas, and companion material — that reading order genuinely matters. Here's how it all fits together.

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Start Here: The Blood and Ash Main Series

This is the entry point, full stop — don't start with the prequel series, even though it's set earlier in the timeline.

  1. From Blood and Ash — establishes the world, introduces Poppy (a Maiden forbidden from human touch, kept ignorant of her own nature) and Hawke, her mysterious guard. This is the series' foundational slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers setup.

  2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire — picks up directly after book one's major revelations, expanding the world's mythology significantly.

  3. The Crown of Gilded Bones

  4. The War of Two Queens

  5. A Soul of Ash and Blood — the main series' concluding installment.

Amazon link: Blood and Ash series box set, books 1-5

Companion Material Within the Main Series

  • Visions of Flesh and Blood — a compendium/companion guide with background, history, and reference material, recommended to be read after A Soul of Ash and Blood.

  • A Crown of Ruin — a novella collecting scenes that take place between later main-series entries.

The Flesh and Fire Prequel Series (Read After the Main Series)

Despite being set earlier in the timeline, this prequel series is generally recommended to be read after the main Blood and Ash series, not before — it's written with the assumption that readers already know the main series' revelations, and reading it first risks spoiling major reveals.

  1. A Shadow in the Ember

  2. A Light in the Flame

  3. A Fire in the Flesh

  4. Born of Blood and Ash

Amazon link: Flesh and Fire series set

The Series Continues: What's Next

Armentrout has continued expanding the universe beyond the original five-book arc, with additional entries continuing the story's mythology further. Check her official site or your preferred retailer for the most current release, since this series has continued actively adding installments.

If You Just Want the Simplest Path

  1. From Blood and Ash through A Soul of Ash and Blood (the five-book main series, in order)

  2. Visions of Flesh and Blood (companion guide, optional but recommended)

  3. A Shadow in the Ember through Born of Blood and Ash (the Flesh and Fire prequel series)

  4. Continue with newer entries as they're released

How This Compares to Other Romantasy You Might Have Read

If you enjoyed the political fae-court dynamics in A Court of Thorns and Roses or the enemies-to-lovers tension in The Cruel Prince, Blood and Ash blends elements of both — a slow-burn central romance with a guard-and-hidden-identity dynamic, set against a larger mythological conflict that expands significantly as the series progresses.

Final Thoughts

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash universe rewards patience — the main series alone is a substantial five-book commitment before the prequel series even enters the picture. Start with From Blood and Ash, follow the main series through to its conclusion, then loop back to the Flesh and Fire prequel once you have full context for how the pieces fit together.