A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

This section continues to explore the theme of trauma and its complicated effects in the form of Poppy’s recurrent nightmares and Cas’s attack on Poppy. While Poppy relives the night her parents died and she was scarred by the Craven, Cas can sometimes again become “the animal they turned him into” (298). Cas’s trauma was extreme, since he was kept in a cage and denied blood until he lapsed into a hunger so excessive he fed from helpless mortals brought to him. Feeding from mortals is forbidden to Atlantians and against the natural order; thus, Cas’s trauma is inextricably linked with guilt and shame. Cas relives the overwhelming hunger and the shameful feedings in his nightmares. When he is startled in the middle of such a nightmare, he cannot wake from it immediately and behaves much like the “monster” (298) of his dreams, as his attack on Poppy shows.

Kieran’s centrality becomes clear in this section. Kieran initially seems like a narrative device: He often serves as a sounding board for Poppy, helping her work out her emotions, as well as a source of exposition for the reader while he explains the mechanics of Atlantian society to Poppy. However, here the calm and collected, Kieran becomes a natural foil to the more excitable Cas. Cas and Poppy value Kieran as a protector and a much-needed voice of reason. Kieran also provides irreverent commentary which adds humor to the proceedings, such as when he dryly says “Speak for yourself” (257) in response to Delano’s assertion that no one wants to see Cas and Poppy fall and get trampled to death as they bicker on horseback.

The erotic schema necessary to the romance genre emerges in these chapters, which focus on two different aspects of sexual desire and expression. The first is on the domination/submission spectrum. Since partaking of blood is an intimate act in Atlantia, The Relationship Between Pain and Pleasure is blurred. Under the right circumstances, drinking blood is not cannibalism or violence, but a sacred union: Pain, when sought with consent, is regarded as purifying. Poppy often thinks of Cas’s bite as erotic. When Cas fastens his mouth on her neck in his bloodlust, the act soon lapses into sex. Importantly, Cas seeks Poppy’s consent before feeding from her; consent is crucial in all intimate acts, especially those involving domination or pain. The second type of sexual expression featured in the novel is the threesome: Kieran’s presence during Cas’s feeding on Poppy introduces a growing physical intimacy between the three main characters and foreshadows the changing nature of their relationship. The same idea is also hinted at when Alastir tells Poppy about the tradition of joining, which includes group sex. Even the sheltered Poppy does not judge the practice—in the novel’s world, polyamorous relationships are as valid as any other.

The theme of Violence and Retribution is ubiquitous, with the Dead Bones clan wearing the skin of those they have slayed as masks. These shocking details are important for world-building and for justifying the actions of the protagonists. Poppy and Cas are retributive because their world is filled with brutality and injustice. The Dead Bones clan members have turned cannibalistic and amoral because they have been denied all other resources. Their situation introduces important themes such as Power and Control. In the novel, ignorance and apathy play a part in keeping violent systems alive. After Poppy learns how the Ascended sacked Pompay, she is filled with shame at being “a spoke in the wheel of the very system that brutalized hundreds of thousands, including myself” (285). Poppy believes herself complicit because she ignored the Ascended’s truth. Conversely, Cas knows he cannot ever become apathetic toward violence despite the power he wields: If he loses empathy for others, his absolute power will turn him into the Ascended. Cas brings up the significant point about balancing power with wisdom and ethics.

As befits a coming-of-age narrative, Poppy is still in the process of forging her own identity and discovering autonomy after her young adulthood as a virtual prisoner. Raised as the Maiden, Poppy has been led to believe she must not take arms or defend herself. She had to learn how to hide her true self from her jailers to “make [them] pleased with me” (323). Now that she is taking part in battles and realizing her innate ability to fight for those she loves, she questions everything she has been told about herself. She is torn between being the Maiden and the warrior. Cas’s insistence that she is a warrior shows the positive aspect of their relationship. He encourages Poppy to be her true self without fear. Thus, he brings out the best in her, which foreshadows their maturing bond.

The trope of the long journey through the woods enables Armentrout to flesh out her world further. Poppy is introduced to the horrors of the Dead Bones clan and discovers the beauty of Spessa’s End, the city Cas has reclaimed for Atlantia.