The Crown of Gilded Bones
The Crown of Gilded Bones is the third installment in Jennifer L. Armentrout's popular From Blood and Ash fantasy romance series. This novel continues the epic journey of Penellaphe 'Poppy' Balfour as she navigates her destiny as queen and goddess, solidifying her bond with Casteel Da'Neer amidst an impending war. The narrative is rich with intricate world-building, exploring themes of identity, power, and loyalty within a high-stakes fantastical realm. Readers will find a blend of intense action, emotional depth, and intricate political intrigue as Poppy strives to protect her people and claim her rightful place. The book targets a New Adult audience, appealing to those who enjoy sweeping fantasy sagas with a strong romantic core and mature themes.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighThe book features implied polyamorous themes and includes a scene where heterosexual main characters observe a same-sex sexual act. This indicates the presence of non-traditional sexual dynamics within the narrative, elevating the content's severity.
One specific instance describes Poppy and Casteel observing Kieran receiving oral sex. Additionally, the recurring presence of Kieran during Poppy and Casteel's intimate moments, alongside discussions of a 'joining' (a ritualistic bond), suggests a polyamorous dynamic within the main trio.
Violence
HighThe narrative contains graphic and frequent depictions of violence, including battles, murder, and torture. The intensity of these scenes is consistent throughout the book, with main characters often involved in or witnessing brutal acts.
Poppy is shown to 'slaughter a mob of violent Atlantians' early in the book. Later, she 'starts killing everybody in this courtyard,' engaging in stabbing, slashing, and murdering with an 'oily soul deep rage.' Another intense scene describes Casteel being 'hit with multiple arrows' and falling 'cold lifeless gray'. Trigger warnings explicitly list 'violence, gore, descriptive violence, torture, attempted murder, murder, war, child death, animal death, parental death, sibling death'.
Romance and Sexual Content
HighSexual content is explicit, frequent, and central to the plot, often described as 'smut heavy' by readers. Scenes can be graphic and occur at various, sometimes inappropriate, points in the story.
Goodreads reviews note the book is 'filled with unnecessary smut' and that 'sex scenes are nearly constant'. A highly explicit scene involves Poppy and Casteel having sex while Kieran is in the room, holding Poppy's waist. In the same context, Poppy and Casteel reportedly 'watch Kieran getting a blowjob.' Reviewers also mention 'over the top sex scenes especially at innappropriate times like when Poppy had killed the Duchess'.
Profanity
HighThe book features frequent and strong profanity, including the use of expletives and modern-day slang that some readers found jarring within the fantasy setting.
Characters like Poppy use phrases such as 'Fuck it' and 'POPPY IS A FUCKING BAD ASS.' Kieran is also noted to use expletives, for instance, stating 'Fuck. okay we're going to do this.' Some readers found the 'swearing i could maybe deal with as her character develops' but noted the 'heavy use' of 'modern day slang' like 'whatever' felt out of place.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighThe core of the story is deeply rooted in a fantastical world involving powerful gods, deities, supernatural abilities, and various mythical races. Magic and occult-like powers are central to the characters' identities and the unfolding plot.
Poppy is revealed to be 'the Chosen, the Blessed' and 'carries the blood of the King of Gods within her,' indicating her divine lineage and supernatural powers. The narrative involves 'Atlantians (inhabitants of the Kingdom of Atlantia who possess superhuman abilities)' and a 'wolven race (a werewolf-like species)'. Characters travel to 'Iliseeum (the land of the gods) to wake Nyktos the King of the Gods and summon his draken (dragon-like guards)'.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe book contains numerous scary and intense situations, including graphic violence, threats, and high-stakes emotional distress. The narrative maintains a tense atmosphere with significant plot twists and life-threatening scenarios.
The story begins with an 'intense scene' and is described as 'action-packed, nonstop, and utterly thrilling'. Trigger warnings include 'gore, descriptive violence, torture, kidnapping, attempted murder, murder, war, child death, animal death, parental death, sibling death'. Poppy experiences 'a kind of pain fury that throbbed relentlessly' during a violent outburst. The emotional intensity is high, with readers describing feeling 'all the emotions' and 'defeat' while reading.
Substance Use
MediumThe book includes references to alcohol and potentially drug use. While specific scenes are not extensively detailed, parental advisories indicate their presence as a factor in its mature rating.
General content warnings for the book state it 'may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.' Given the 'New Adult' target audience and genre, casual social drinking or similar substance use would be implied, even without explicit scene examples in the provided data.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe protagonist, Poppy, frequently displays disrespectful and rebellious behavior towards authority figures, including royalty, often expressing defiance and a stubborn attitude. This is a consistent character trait that can be portrayed as both strength and immaturity.
Poppy is described as 'mad disrespectful' when interacting with Casteel's parents, expressing how she 'wouldn't really listen to them when they spoke and just got overly mad at them.' She also tells Casteel's parents 'how they aren't ruling properly, and how she'd do things differently,' despite her limited worldly experience. Some readers noted Poppy's 'endless questions' and stubbornness, which can be seen as frustrating or a form of defiance.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe book does not contain explicit anti-Christian themes. Its religious and spiritual elements are entirely fictional, revolving around a polytheistic system of gods, deities, and supernatural beings inherent to its fantasy world. There is no mention or critique of Christian beliefs.
The narrative establishes its own complex pantheon of 'Primal gods,' 'deities,' and a 'King of Gods,' which forms the basis of its spiritual framework. Characters like Poppy are identified with divine bloodlines and powers specific to this fictional cosmology. The story does not reference or engage with Christian theology, symbols, or practices in any capacity.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
17+ due to frequent and explicit sexual content, pervasive profanity, graphic violence, and mature themes of rebellion and power struggles.
Additional Notes
The series' content, particularly sexual and violent elements, tends to intensify in later installments. The writing style, including repetitive dialogue and plot points, was noted by some readers as a potential challenge. The book is lengthy, with a page count around 576 pages, and may require significant engagement for readers.
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