Romantasy Roundtable: Fantasy Romance Reviews

Romantasy Roundtable: Fantasy Romance Reviews


A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: Chapters 36-End

October 24, 2025

Episode Title: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire – Chapters 36–End (Finale!)

Description: The Romanty Roundtable has survived the third-quarter slump and is finally done with A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire! Amanda, Kim, and Rick close the book on Poppy and Casteel's chaotic journey, covering the final, explosive chapters (36 through 45). They discuss the long-awaited wedding, a sudden battle, a heartbreaking betrayal, and a shocking divine power-up in the final minutes. The crew gives their definitive final ratings, debates the concept of "soul eating," and celebrates the fact that the two best parts of the book were, unfortunately, the last two chapters.

Key Topics Discussed:

 * The Atlantian Wedding: Poppy and Casteel actually get married in a surprisingly un-Christian ritual, complete with burying rings and a mark of union on their palms.

 * The Best Bad Sentence: We revisit the terrible, cringe dialogue, including the line: "I've always known you like that I enjoy when you make me bleed."

 * The Final Betrayal: The crew reacts to the unexpected traitorous plot twist involving the "cute little puppy" Becket, and the subsequent "Red Wedding" chaos.

 * The Power-Up: Poppy discovers a terrifying new use of her empath skills: soul eating and channeling hatred back at her attackers, causing the sky to rain blood.

 * The Divine Reveal: In the book's climax, Casteel kneels, Queen Eloana abdicates, and Poppy is proclaimed the rightful Queen, the descendant of the King of the Gods.

 * Join or Don't: We discuss the constant teasing of the threesome/joining and the consensus that the third book has to deliver.

 * Hot Takes & Final Ratings: The crew gives their final star rating (a reluctant 2.5 ⭐️) and "soup" score for the whole book, concluding that author Jenny should stick to writing plot, not romance.


Next Up: Omegaverse!

We’re putting away the heartmates and jumping into Mate by Ali Hazelwood, the highly anticipated paranormal companion novel.

Join us next time as we begin reading Chapters 1–12!