I unfortunately did not finish this book. I thought there was too much going on and the world building was not straight forward.

This is a heart throbbing slow burn, enemies to lovers and dark fantasy that will have you wanting for more!

I loved the world building. It was immersive but did not feel overwhelming and very well written. It does feel a bit more high fantasy than romantasy though.

Mal turned out to be one of my favorite FMC’s. She has to marry the prince from another kingdom and unalive him in and break the curse in order to save everyone else.

This is for readers who love:
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity

Note: It is on the 🫑 spice level.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy!

I really enjoyed this first book and have a feeling the next one with be even better. Mal is a great character and the way the author wrote about her loneliness was very relatable. I really liked the lore the author created about the witches! Thank you so much and I will def read the next book

I loved it so much.

The world building was fantastic I loved how detailed the backstory was and how each kingdom is different. I also felt that the plot did drag in some areas but the more was reveled the more questions I have. The twist at the end and the heartbreak was something else that I cannot describe. I hope we get more from these characters and we learn more about what is going to happen

This was a solid 3 star read for me! It was definitely intriguing, but many of the elements have been done in a fantasy book so many times that it didn't have me fully invested. There was enough to grab my attention and keep me reading though.
The world building - There were a lot of kingdoms, and each had their own completely different details. It was a lot to take in and I don't think I fully immersed myself in any kingdoms other than those of Mal and Ash.
The main characters - I loved Mal, she was a strong, determined, and a badass FMC! She's betrothed to Ash, the Prince of the Kingdom of Fire. Ash was the opposite of what most MMCs in a fantasy book are - he was much softer, giving total cinnamon roll vibes. I'm not gonna lie, I would have loved if the book was from their POVs only. The slow burn was burning SLOWWWW! If you love tension, it was there!
Multi 3rd person POV - I did find the pacing really choppy, it didn't flow as well as I would have liked. That could have been because there are multiple 3rd person POVs so it jumped around a lot.
Overall this book had a lot of potential and a few unique things that drew me in enough to turn the pages!
Thanks to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt it was refreshing!

I really loved the different characters and their individual story arcs and how for the most part they all had redeeming qualities. The narrative switching focus was interesting but at times felt frustrating as I wanted to know what happened next.

The romance was lovely between the 2 main-main characters but I felt like I would of liked more development beyond lusty needs like what we saw in other relationships.

My only critques: the Tabitha passages didn't always feel like they added a lot and the timeline is intentionally non-linear but dates to contextualise would be helpful to understand a bit better.
Also just a note on sometimes the language felt repetitive or unnecessarily descriptive.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this! Ive already downloaded the next one ❤️

Ratings
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Setting: 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Characters: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖

What to Expect
-Arranged Marriage
-Enemies to Lovers
-Forbidden Love
-Strong Sibling Bonds & Dynamics
-Unique Magic & Lovable Characters

“I do not mind starting another Great War for you, princess”

I had such a great time with this book! It expanded into such a great story with so many twists and turns my heart hurt. The multiple POVs were interesting and I enjoyed being able to see each of their perspectives and the politics within each Kingdom. I don’t think I’ve loved characters like this in a very long time. It had great family dynamics and the bonds between the siblings was refreshing. You truly get to see into the different courts and how each family functions and operates in different ways.

The plot centers around the different Kingdoms coming together for the arranged marriage between Mal Blackburn (Kingdom of Darkness) and Ash Acheron (Kingdom of Fire). Mal is whip smart and observant, not much gets past her. She has a hard exterior and can be pretty brutal at times, but is also very sweet and caring deep down. Ash is quiet and doesn’t speak much, he struggles with court life and the responsibilities that come with it.

The Blackburn siblings Kai, Kage, and Haven were a force to be reckoned with and I loved every moment of their story and bonds. Ash’s sister Alina is a caged princess longing for more and unyielding in the protection of her brother. I’ve got to say that Wren Wynter (Kingdom of Ice) was one of my favorites, she added the bit of fun that was needed in this sometimes heavy plot.

I CANNOT wait to see what happens next in this world! I’ve been waiting for a book like this for a long time and I loved every second of it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 💕

I enjoyed this read. Everything about this story felt pretty original and I found the pace to be slow starting off, but really picking up by the midway point. There is so much mystery tangled up in here that i'm honestly not sure what this original curse is all about, but I am really excited to find out.

I liked Tabitha's diary entries at the beginning of each chapter, it really provided a lot of subcontext about the world and the relationships between the kingdoms.

The worldbuilding could have been a bit more detailed, but I definitely recognized the effort to give readers enough information to follow along with the plot. I look forward to discovering more about the kingdoms and the gods as the series progresses.

Mal is a formidable FMC. Strong, stubborn, wild, loyal, clever and incredibly independant. I really enjoyed her dynamic! Ash's stutter made the story feel more human as well, despite the story being an absolute fairytale. I think Alina's journey has also only just begun and I look forward to watching her arc, since hers was the only one I found to be a little bit childish at times- and understandably so given that she is a royal child who was literally forced to sit still and look pretty for her entire life, and outside of that, devoted herself to helping her brother get through courtly social interactions since his speed impediment was a big personal struggle of his. She has never been able to just live for herself and it showed. I really felt for Alina, especially by the end of this book.

This was an excellent read and I intend to stick with the series and recommend it to friends!

⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
-Marriage of convenience
-Prophecies and curses
-High stakes
-Magical beasts

First of all, huge thanks to @NetGalley and the author for providing me with this ARC.

So, it starts like this:

Every queen in the Kingdom of Shadow bears 3 children (in this economy..) one to rule, one to fight, one to think. So why is it that princess Mal Blackburn is fourth in line?

Deemed an irregularity in her own home, Mal decides to accept a marriage proposal from Ash Acheron, heir to the Kingdom of Fire. Her real mission? To stop a prophecy from being fulfilled—by killing her soon-to-be husband.

Now, you can see why I was excited to read this book; the premise sounds amazing. So imagine my disappointment when it delivered what felt like over 400 pages of nothing but a drawn-out, inconsistent, meandering, and sometimes illogical plot—basically a prologue stretched to novel length.
As I said before, a book should stand on its own and not rely on the promise of a continuation for it to make sense.

As for the characters: they sounded and acted like teenagers (I thought they were supposed to be older). Mal, at times, behaved like a little edgelord—because social expectations and etiquette are SO beneath her, apparently. On the other hand, Ash Acheron was a refreshing kind of protagonist; he has a stutter, which hinders him and serves as a relevant plot point throughout the book.

And if only we’d seen more of their interactions, maybe I’d have believed how they suddenly fell in love and were all over each other... but a good chunk of the book focused on secondary characters—some completely irrelevant, others forming an unnecessary (at least for book one) secondary couple. The characters lacked nuance, too. At one point, a character turns into evil incarnate out of nowhere, like a sloppy plot twist.

And the almost-sad thing is: I actually think this book has good bones and could be great with solid editing. The writing style is amazing—the right amount of flowery, with precise and beautiful descriptions. At one point, it reminded me of *Game of Thrones*’ eighth season: beautiful visuals, horrible script.

Finally, ignoring the fact that the title suffers from the *A Bowl of Mac and Cheese* structure, and that at one point a character says “Smells like testosterone” (holy mother of anachronisms)... you might still enjoy *A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash* for: the rich prose, unconventional MMC, shadow mommy FMC, and final plot twists.

Dark, twisty, and totally addictive.
A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash hooked me from the start with its moody, magical world and morally gray characters. The main character’s journey is full of grit, heart, and just enough angst to keep things interesting. There’s political drama, secrets, slow-burn romance, and a lot of “who can I trust?” energy—which I loved. The pacing dips a bit in the middle, but once it picks up again, it doesn’t let go. If you’re into fantasy with danger, betrayal, and a main character who refuses to stay down, this one’s for you.

I would first like to thank netgalley and the publishers for this arc.

Okay now let’s get into it.

2.5-3/5

I’m not going to lie, I had severe misgivings heading into the story as soon as I saw the map, the kingdoms, and the names of the various characters. It’s like tossing in every single possible trope into a blender and somehow ending up with the most basic, archetypal world. Case in point: Kingdom of Darkness and Kingdom Light

But then the prologue came, and it came with such an atmospheric and cinematic flair, I was hooked, line and sinker.

But despite all that promise, I feel somewhat letdown? The first 50% of the book felt like a 3-3.5 star read. The writing was refreshingly sophisticated despite the occasional clunkiness (how does one move like liquid dusk, pray tell?). The characters were fleshed out to a reasonable, if not satisfactory, degree.

The romances (note there are multiple story lines) were a decent slow burn, with a side romance being quite more compelling than the main couple. Some of the politicking was enjoyable as well, and the magical world building was decent, if not completely unique. We have a magic system that has rules and makes sense, a myriad of creatures that are properly established, characters with fantastical attributes, and we even have a mortality count akin to something from grimdark fantasy genre .

Despite these positives, it’s still impossible to miss the clunky transitions, awkward pacing, inconsistent characterizations, and shallow character interactions. But that isn’t the biggest drawback here.

Unfortunately, it seems like this author fell to an increasingly common pitfall of YA/New Adult fantasy: completely jumping the shark. Despite the above flaws, the book was still compelling until the last 25%, at which point the author lets go of the grounded reality of the world she established and heads into uncharted ,and in my opinion, completely unnecessary territory.

Imagine reading harry potter. The world has been grounded and the rules established , but then all that work just gets tossed aside into irrelevancy, and you find out Harry was the mystical son of the founder of magic, and has to take on magic itself. Silly and eye-roll inducing, and not my cup of tea.

I may be more critical than others, but it’s frustrating as there is so much promise in the author’s story, but it just seems like the execution may have missed the mark.

I enjoyed the story overall and the conflict between the 2 nations, the love stories , and the powers were intriguing. However I found myself lost in the story many times over as the perspectives/ pov would switch chapter to chapter and sometimes mid chapter and I had to figure out which character was talking/ whose chapter it was without a guide. By the time I would figure it out half the chapter would be over and the next chapter would be in another pov. Very confusing. If that was fixed the story overall would be a great ride.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a high-stakes romantasy debut that throws you headfirst into political intrigue, ancient curses, and mythical beasts. Mal Blackburn, a fiercely capable princess of the Kingdom of Darkness, is fronted into a marriage with the ruthless Fire Prince—but she’s actually there to kill him and break a century-old curse that threatens all five kingdoms.

Their chemistry is slow-burning and layered by secrets, loyalties, and betrayal. Multiple POVs let you peek into the inner workings of rival courts and shifting alliances, though the sheer breadth sometimes buries emotional depth. The palace intrigue is razor-sharp, and the fantasy is richly textured—wyverns, dragons, witchcraft, curses, and prophecy fuel an immersive world.

Pacing can be uneven: it captures you early, then stalls under the weight of worldbuilding. Characters occasionally feel more trope-driven than nuanced. But if you thrive on ambitious worldbuilding, arranged‑marriage enemies‑to‑lovers vibes, and epic tension—this one delivers. A strong start with promise, even if the execution occasionally wobbles.

Thank you NetGalley and J.F Johns for allowing me an ARC of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash, the first book in the Kingdom of Gods series. I fell in love with this book very quickly! Enemies to lovers, fantasy with epic world building, and a badass FMC, Mal, who you will love. I cannot wait to read the second book!!

This fantasy novel was enjoyable but I wished for more detailed world-building to fully immerse myself in the setting. The multiple points of view created a sense of distance from the main character, making it harder to connect with her journey. While the story lacked significant romantic tension, it was still a fun read and the ending left me excited for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to receive this ARC. Sadly this one wasn’t for me. I was very excited for this and the cover is stunning but the story fell flat. The plot was doing well and then it seemed like the author lost confidence and tried something new and it became convoluted. I will pick up book 2 to give it a shot but overall I wasn’t a fan.

Huge thanks to J.F. Johns and NetGalley for the ARC of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash! I know I’m definitely late to the game but WOW!

From the gripping prologue to the jaw-dropping ending, this book had me hooked. Mal and Ash are incredible leads, but the rotating POVs—Alina, Kage, Kai, Vera, and Wren—truly make this world feel rich and epic.

Expect political intrigue, betrayal, tension, and magic wrapped in fast-paced, high-stakes storytelling. I literally had to put the book down just to breathe.

That ending? Wild. I need book two now. If you love dark fantasy, complex characters, and twisty plots, don’t sleep on this one—top read of the year!

A massive thank you to J.F. Johns and NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash as an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Wow—what an exhilarating ride from start to finish. I was completely hooked from the prologue and stayed glued to the pages until the very end. Our main characters, Mal Blackburn and Ash Acheron, are magnetic, but what truly elevates this book is the dynamic ensemble cast. With multiple POVs—from Alina Acheron, Kage and Kai Blackburn, to Vera and Wren Wynters—this story unfolds like an intricate tapestry. Each character’s perspective deepens the world-building and raises the emotional stakes, making this feel like a true epic fantasy in scope and tone.

The plot is filled with tension, political intrigue, magic, betrayal, and unexpected twists that had me holding my breath more than once. The pacing is sharp, the stakes are high, and the storytelling is layered and masterful. I had to physically step away a few times because my anxiety couldn’t handle what might come next—in the best possible way.

And that ending? Not what I expected at all—and now I need the next book immediately. If you’re craving a high-fantasy series with rich lore, morally gray characters, and edge-of-your-seat plotting, this one’s for you.

Seriously, this series deserves way more hype. It’s easily one of my top reads of the year and I’ll be shouting about it until book two hits my hands.

This was a refreshing take on a romantasy genre since it didn’t feel like it was trying to be Sara J Maas like a lot of other ones do nowadays. (But ironically, the ending of the book ended up feeling like Maas’ books used to feel like, when she used to take risks with her characters. Obviously, I mean it in a good way)

I think this is one of the better romantasies out there right now. The writing is beautiful and descriptive and metaphorical without getting into cringe territory. Diverse and interesting cast of characters with an interesting plot and world.

BUT… if it was up to me, I would not classify it as a romantasy necessarily, it would just be fantasy for me. Does it have romance line? Yes, and more than one. And yet, I felt like it was just not enough, it didn’t feel like romance was the main plot. Which is ok, but I feel like classifying it as a romantasy sets certain expectations. (Also, if you are one of the readers that want spice in their romance, you are not gonna get it here, it’s almost nonexistent 1🌶️)

What didn’t work for me…

The story has suffered from too many POVs. It got stress too thin, and some of it wasn’t necessary in the first place. Honestly, we could’ve done without Wren’s chapters( I honestly didn’t care for her character and I think that time should’ve been spent with Mal or Ash) and even Kage’s, who admittedly became interesting character at the end, though his development could have waited for the next book.
I constantly forgot that it was supposed to be Mal’s story, because there was just not enough of her in the book and secondary couple completely took over. But, to be fair I really liked Alina’s pov’s and her story and her love interest(who also got his POVs, like also even several completely secondary characters). I think, if it just been more focused and limited to few (2 to 4) main POVs, it would’ve made it 5⭐️ for me.


The ending reminded me of S J Maas at her best. Definitely will be reading next book.

I had such high hopes for this one because I loved the premise, but unfortunately, it did not deliver. There were times where it was so repetitive that I felt like I was reading the same paragraph over and over again. And even though there were A LOT of detailed descriptions, nothing much happened in the first half. I wish the worldbuilding had more variety, so it didn't feel like there was just this one big land where everything is the same.
Also, the names... I'm sure we could find literally any other name that is not too reminiscent of one of the biggest romantasy series.
This book was slow, to say the least, and the only reason I'm giving this 2 stars is because I enjoyed the plot twist towards the end.