From Blood and Ash

From Blood and Ash

• Genre: Fiction; paranormal fantasy/romance
• Originally Published: 2020
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: 41 chapters; approximately 625 pages; approximately 19 hours, 46 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Penellaphe Balfour is a young woman chosen as the Maiden, a sacred role with a destiny she is meant to fulfill. Penellaphe, however, longs to escape the restrictions of her role and the secretive, dangerous world in which she lives. When she meets Hawke, a mysterious and alluring guard, her world unravels, leading to a journey of self-discovery, forbidden love, and a battle against dark forces.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Mature themes and content, including romance, violence, sexual content, abuse, assault, and sexualized violence; drug and alcohol use; explicit language; dark fantasy themes including the supernatural

Jennifer L. Armentrout, Author

• Bio: Born 1980; American author known for her prolific work in the young adult and new adult/adult fiction genres; writes across multiple genres, including fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance; authored numerous best-selling series, including the Lux series and the Covenant series
• Other Works: Obsidian (2011); Half-Blood (2011); Lux series (2011-2018); Covenant series (2012-2015); Dark Elements series (2014-2015); Wicked trilogy (2014-2019); Harbinger series (2020-present); Blood and Ash series (2020-present)
• Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance (2020)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Self-Exploration and Character Growth
• Religion as a Means for Control
• The Equalizing Nature of Death

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on the dark fantasy genre and coming-of-age stories to increase their engagement with and understanding of From Blood and Ash.
• Read/study paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Self-Exploration and Character Growth, Religion as a Means for Control, and The Equalizing Nature of Death.
• Demonstrate their understanding of From Blood and Ash’s genre by creating a chart analyzing the novel’s dark fantasy elements.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the text, such as genre conventions and romance characteristics, narrative voice and first-person viewpoint, and vampirism in a figurative sense; construct essay responses tying these to the text’s meaning.