The War of Two Queens

The War of Two Queens (2022) is a fantasy romance novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout and the fourth book in the Blood and Ash series. The story follows the events of the previous novel, The Crown of Gilded Bones (2021), with Casteel Da’Neer imprisoned and Penellaphe (Poppy) Balfour preparing to lead her army to war with Isbeth, the Blood Queen, to save him. However, Isbeth’s plans involve ancient powers long forgotten, and Poppy may have to become what she dreads the most, and was prophesied to be, to stop it. The series has topped several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today. The War of Two Queens was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy of 2022.

This guide uses the 2022 e-book edition published by Blue Box Press.

Content Warning: The source text contains scenes of physical abuse, self-harm, and references to sexual assault.

Plot Summary

The novel is told from the first-person perspectives of both Poppy and Casteel. It opens with Casteel, imprisoned for nearly two weeks in the tunnels under Carsodonia after the events of The Crown of Gilded Bones (2021). Isbeth visits him with the Revenant Callum and taunts him about his love for Poppy. Meanwhile, Poppy leads a small force through the Pinelands to liberate Oak Ambler, a strategic port under Blood Crown control, but takes the city of Massene first. Upon reaching the city, Poppy is horrified to find the bodies of innocents displayed as a brutal message to her. She successfully takes control of the city, but a box arrives from Isbeth containing Casteel’s severed finger wearing his wedding ring.

In a dream, Poppy connects with him through their bond as heartmates, and he begs her to find him. She wakes to a violent storm summoned by their enemies, killing several of the draken (shapeshifters). She finds that the traitor is a woman in the city named Vessa, who previously tried to stab her and was working with Isbeth. In the aftermath of the attack, Poppy learns from Reaver that the former Primal of Death, who was wiped from history, was named Kolis, and suspects he’s somehow involved in the Blood Queen’s plans. As she prepares for the upcoming siege of Oak Ambler, Poppy insists on a strategy that minimizes harm to civilians. Poppy is determined to win not only battles but also the trust of the people.

Casteel is weakened by hunger and an infected wound from Isbeth cutting off his finger. His brother Malik offers medical aid but avoids answering why he’s allying with Isbeth. Meanwhile, Poppy leads her army from Massene toward Oak Ambler. They encounter fleeing mortals who beg her to find the children taken during the Rites. At the city walls, Poppy faces Commander Forsyth, who refuses her request to open the gates and references the prophecy that portrays her as the bringer of death. The draken use their fire to decimate the city’s defenses, and Poppy directs the citizens to safety while her forces push through the city.

Inside Castle Redrock, the Ascended have set a trap for them by turning their servants into creatures called the Craven. After the resulting fight, Poppy learns the Ascended have fled the city, leaving behind a message in blood that all she will liberate is death. At the Temple of Theon, they find the taken children’s bodies in a mass grave, and an enraged Poppy orders the Temple to be destroyed. When Reaver later talks to her about what happened, he compares her to Nyktos’s Consort, whose rage over the loss of her sons was so intense that she must remain asleep to prevent catastrophe. Poppy, fearing she could become a monster like Isbeth, asks Kieran to stop her if she ever becomes a threat. After the battle, she meets with her advisors to plan their journey to Carsodonia to rescue Casteel. As Poppy prepares to leave Oak Ambler, she receives another message from Casteel in a dream where he tells her details about his imprisonment.

As Poppy’s group travels to Carsodonia in disguise, a lieutenant recognizes Poppy as the Harbinger, and a fight breaks out. Though Poppy kills several guards, she is hit with a shadowstone arrow. Millicent, Isbeth’s Handmaiden, arrives along with some Revenants. She says that Poppy must accompany her to Isbeth; otherwise, Casteel will die. Before she can agree, Poppy faints and later awakens in her childhood room in Wayfair Castle. She meets with Isbeth, who leads her to Casteel’s cell, where she finds him in a state of bloodlust.

Poppy calms him by using her power to heal some of his wounds before being forced to leave him again. She and Kieran devise an escape plan by causing a distraction that will buy them time to fight their way out. She summons a mist reminiscent of the one that accompanies the Craven, sending the city into a panic. Poppy, Kieran, and Reaver fight at the Temple of Nyktos, hoping to access underground tunnels. Malik arrives and offers to help, saying he was only working for Isbeth to help Millicent, his heartmate. Poppy agrees, and he leads them to Casteel, who is once again out of control. They knock Casteel out and transport him to the home of some dissenters against the Blood Crown. Casteel awakes in a frenzy, but Poppy uses her powers to heal and calm him. Casteel and Malik later reveal that Millicent is Poppy’s sister. Isbeth arrives with guards and curses Kieran, saying she will only break the curse if Poppy brings Malec to her.

Poppy and Casteel agree to use Malec to draw Isbeth out and end the war, and the group heads toward the town of Padonia to regroup with their forces before going to find him. Casteel reassures Poppy that she isn’t the Harbinger of death that Isbeth claims, and they discuss undergoing the Joining with Kieran, a ritual that would tie their lives together. In the Blood Forest, Poppy uses a spell to locate Malec, which leads them to a cave on the side of a mountain. Inside, they find Malec’s coffin encased in bone chains. They free it and transport it back to Padonia.

Once they arrive, Poppy, Casteel, and Kieran perform the Joining ritual, successfully removing Kieran’s curse. However, they needed to bring Malec to Isbeth to complete their plans. They meet with her, and once Malec’s coffin is opened, Isbeth stabs him with a shadowstone dagger in an attempt to summon Kolis. The ground cracks, releasing strange creatures known as dakkai. Poppy uses her powers to fight them, but she and the others are overwhelmed. In desperation, she calls on the Consort, Seraphena, the Primal of Life, and completes her transformation into a Primal. Poppy destroys Isbeth with her newfound power before fainting. When she awakens, she finds she resurrected those who died in battle with the help of Seraphena and Nyktos. The draken Nektas arrives and explains that Reaver took Malec to Iliseeum and that Millicent escaped with Malik in pursuit. Despite stopping Isbeth, Kolis is awake, and Poppy, Casteel, and their allies must prepare for the coming war. The story continues with A Soul of Ash and Blood (2023).