There's some good news for those of you who, like me, are fans of fantasy romance novels! A popular book series, Blood and Ash by author Jennifer L. Armentrout, is being brought to life, television style. The writer's written work is being developed by Sony, Deadline reports.
It seems like the studio has really high hopes for this show because they are interested in developing not just the first novel, but four more in the series. At this time, a network/streamer has not been chosen yet. However, it is a big deal that this is officially in the works now. Below we shared the list of books iin the series so far:
- From Blood and Ash
- A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
- The Crown of Gilded Bones
- The War of Two Queens
- A Soul of Ash and Blood
If the show is successful, there's plenty of room to continue and expand this world as Armentrout is currently writing and plans to release the sixth book sometime next year. Plus, there's a prequel series of novels to draw from as well, the news outlet shares. They certainly won't run out of material anytime soon!
Sony is the studio behind developing the beloved Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which Starz airs and streams. But it's Sony who helped bring it to life and kickstart it. So I have high hopes for Blood and Ash and hopefully it will go down Outlander's path instead of Shadow and Bone's, written by Leigh Bardugo. I think this new series is really intriguing and has all the elements that will make us swoon!
From Blood and Ash is centered around Poppy, a young woman who was chosen to be the Maiden by the gods since she was born. Her life is a solitary one until her Ascension, even though she'd rather be fighting with the guards against "the evil that took her family," per the novel's synopsis. The story is about a female heroine destined to save everyone in her kingdom. Check out the rest of the intriguing description below:
"The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.
"Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel."
So in seeing this news, my mind immediately went to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. That story is more of an enemies to lovers trope, but it has similar elements to Blood and Ash. And because I was really looking forward to Maas' work being adapted by Hulu, I can't help but think about that fantasy romance project as well.
ACOTAR's journey to television has been a tough one, and right now it doesn't look like the show is going to see the light of day. At least anytime soon, which would be a huge disappointment and I hope this changes. The television series was first announced in March 2021, with Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore attached as showrunner.
Things may have slowed down due to the actors and writers strikes. But since then, there have been very few updates with Hulu saying the show is technically still in development, but not being worked on actively. In other words, they're holding on to it and not completely scrapping the idea, but the series isn't in production, looking for cast, etc. In July 2024, Moore shared that he is no longer working on the 20th Century Television project (parent company of Disney and Hulu) since he's moved over to Sony.
What's funny is that if you go to the official page of From Blood and Ash, the top reads, "From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa." Yes, I feel like the two are very similar! So even Armentrout herself sees the connection.
I think at this point, what would be great for A Court of Thorns and Roses is for Sony to take hold of it, and perhaps then Moore can get back on the project. It's clear that Hulu is frustratingly not interested enough to prioritize it. We've waited long enough. I would love an ACOTAR television series, and it would go great with having it with Blood and Ash too! However if we don't get it, at least we have Armentrout's stories to look forward to which I'm very excited about!