From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrou

From Blood and Ash follows Poppy, a young woman known as the Maiden, chosen by the gods to bring about a new era. Her life is one of solitude and duty, never to be touched, never to be looked upon, never to be spoken to. She awaits the day of her Ascension, which will determine the future of her kingdom. But when she meets Hawke, a guard with secrets of his own, Poppy’s world turns upside down. As she questions everything she’s been taught and desires freedom and love, Poppy becomes embroiled in a deadly struggle where the lines between duty, desire, and destiny blur. The book is filled with twists, romance, and danger as Poppy battles both external threats and her own inner turmoil.