Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is fast-paced fantasy with just the right mix of danger, darkness, and romantic chaos. J.F. Johns gives us a world on the edge of collapse, where every alliance is fragile and every choice feels like a trap.

The protagonist is fierce and haunted, navigating betrayal, shifting loyalties, and ancient magic with grit and vulnerability. It’s a ride full of secrets and slow-burn tension, perfect for fans of morally gray characters and twist-filled plots. An addicting start to what promises to be a powerful series.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
3.5/5 Stars
(All for Kai & Alina)

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
☯︎ Enemies To Lovers
𓅇 Prophecy
☯︎ Chosen Ones
𓅇 Unknown Heritage
☯︎ Strange Birth & Eyes
𓅇 Arranged Marriage
☯︎ Forbidden Romance
𓅇 Better Side Character Then Main Character

𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-

ˋ°•*⁀➷” Let them all believe I am the villain of this tale. As long as they are safe, I do not mind being the truest monster of them all.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷”‘Remember one thing, princess,’ he murmured into her hair, his voice barely a whisper. ‘You are the fiercest woman I have ever met. And I shall never forget you for that alone.’”

ˋ°•*⁀➷” Do not be afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷” I do not mind starting another Great War for you, princess.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷” It would be a sin to touch her. A sacrilege to let her go.”

💭Thoughts-
My only thought during this is why is Kai and Alina’s romance not the actual main romance going on. They were literally the only real reason I kept reading this book. The fmc and mmc did not deserve their role as main characters at all in my opinion. This book may have been focused on Mal and Ash, but they were never the true characters of this story.

📝Characters-

𓆩🖤𓆪 Mal-
Honestly, she was so mid and just such a basic bad A** fmc that anything she actually did or didn’t do did not even phase me. Like oh my gosh you’re this super special person?!? Like so what! Get over yourself girl.

𓆩❤️‍🔥𓆪 Ash-
I actually did not mind him and liked how he showcased how main characters can have anxiety and panic attacks too.

✰ Kai-
This was the Kai that I wished was in Powerless because he was the same exact way as the other, but more unhinged and thus way more fun to read about.

💅🏻 Alina-
I just loved the emotional growth we saw with her and how she became such a girl boss in this book as time went on. Like yas queen, you go and beat them all, girl!

📜🪶Kage-
He was the perfect little nerd and the perfect supporting character to the real main characters. Kai and Alina.

🐺 Wren-
Wren, Wren, Wren, you were just so much fun to read about! The way your brain thinks is so unique and fun to read about and experience!

Now Playing:

⊹ ࣪ ˖Morally Grey By April Jai˖࣪ ⊹
0:01 ❍─────── 4:28
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 1000%
(In Honor Of Kai & Alina)

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

Overall, this gave me all the elements I look for in a Romantasy. I loved Mal’s bold, protective spirit and the layered multiple POVs. The romance had tension, but I wanted more spice.

A dark, magical fantasy that reminded me why I love the genre. Can’t wait for A Kingdom of Sand and Ice!

One of my favourite Romantasy books so far this year 💞💞
Give me dark magic and forbidden love and I’m all here for it I absolutely devoured this book in a few days and I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t put it down.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏*STANDING OVATION*👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

This isn’t your average romantasy! It’s layered, intense, and full of slow-burn tension that is slow delcious.

A Kingdom of Ash and Shadow completely surprised me in the best way! The multi-POV style, the enemies-to-lovers/marriage of convenience arc, and the political magic system all hit perfectly. The final 10% had me breathless. If you’re craving a dark fantasy romance with secrets, curses, and a fierce heroine. Highly recommend to add this to your list.

'A marriage meant to heal an ancient rift, to bind two kingdoms that had despised one another for generations.'

Set in a world that is made up of eight Kingdoms, consisting of the Kingdoms of: Darkness, Fire, Fauna, Light, Ice, Air, Sand, and Magic. A Kingdom of Shadow & Ash is described as an enemies to lovers romance, featuring an arranged marriage supposed to unite the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Fire which have long hated each other, in order to build an alliance against their common enemy the witches and warlocks of the Kingdom of Magic. This story features, magical creatures, mystery, a curse that threatens to doom the world, and an uprising of the oppressed, solidifying it as not just any other 'romantasy book' in my overall ranking.

First of all, I want to thank J.F. Johns and Netgalley for the EARC in exchange for an honest review. Despite this, all of the opinions and remarks in this review are my own and they haven't been altered of swayed in any way.

To start off, I immediately requested this ARC the second I finished reading the description because it sounded right up my alley, and I'm not annoyed to say I was correct in that assumption. I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt real and the dynamics between them didn't feel forced at all. The way Mal and Ash didn't immediately fall in love with each other (whilst they were essentially strangers to each other) was a good thing as it allowed the romance to be a slowburn with tension (although it could've had more). The set up of the world, whilst it may be stereotypical for a romantasy book, felt new and original as all of the kingdoms were properly introduced and seemed like an important part of the plot.

The writing style really fits well for a fantasy book set in a world with magic and mythical creatures. Instead of just calling things what they are, Johns crafts sentences full of whimsy to show and not tell what is going on in the Eight Kingdoms. Instead of just simply saying that Mal really doesn't like Ash when they first meet, she says: "His devilish smirk haunted her, a silent mockery that infuriated her more than if he had spoken outright. He had refused to answer her questions, had toyed wither patience as though she were some game for his amusement. The thought of being shackled to such a man, of enduring a lifetime bound to his silence made her stomach twist in revulsion." And she also includes the most perfect description of unrequited love/not knowing how the person you love feels towards you, with: "Sometimes loving someone else is so painful that you feel like you cannot breathe. just looking at them and knowing that they are yours and you are theirs is the most beautiful feeling in the world. But when you do not know how they feel, it is suffocating. All you want is to confess your love, to feel their skin against yours and yet, the fear of their rejection is like a blade piercing through your heart. Love is torturous./ But what would we be without it?"

One of the main plot points is that Mal and Ash are prophesied to have to kill each other because of a curse that has been placed on the lands by a witch called Tabitha Wysteria after her lover was murdered. For the most part, only Mal is aware of this fact and does plot to kill her husband both before and after the wedding, but Ash doesn't have a clue about this prophecy until it is revealed to him after they are already married. Ultimately, both characters decide that they would rather let the world end than live a second without the other. Johns writes on Mal's decision by saying, "She could not kill him./ The thought was a stone lodged in her throat, an undeniable truth she had come to accept. No matter how many times she tried to steel herself, no matter how many nights she spent convincing herself that this was the only way, the answer remained the same. She would not, could not, plunge a dagger into Ash Acheon's heart. She would face the curse instead. She would greet it with open arms, let it carve it's wrath into her bones, let it take everything if it must."

Out of all the characters, surprisingly my favourite was Kai Blackburn. You may be wondering who Kai Blackburn is as the main MMC's name is Ash Acheon, but he is the older, slightly rebellious brother of Mal. Not only does he essentially say to someone that is harassing his love interest that if he dares lay a hand on her again that he will cut him up into pieces and feed him to his wyvern when he is done, he is also there as a shoulder for Mal to lean on when she needs someone to talk to (going as far as saying to her that he'd kill Ash if he laid a hand on her, alliance be damned). I do wish there was more of him in this book and that he didn't have to leave to accompany his older sister back to their homeland, but nevertheless, I am excited to see what the author is going to do with his character in the rest of the series.

Even though Kai was my overall favourite, I still loved Ash (despite the fact he is a blonde). Ash seems to be a massive greenflag on every level. From the beginning he makes it clear that he will never disrespect Mal or make her change in order to fit in with the customs of the much more conservative and strict Kingdom of Fire. His wedding present for her is one of the most heartwarming gestures I've read in a while and actually had my eyes tearing up with how sweet it was. Also through the character of Ash, Johns describes what it's like to live with debilitating anxiety and the trials and tribulations people with it face in their everyday lives, such as the anger at ourselves for not being able to have a casual conversation like all of the other people around us, and how you can feel so alone because you know lots of people will not understand why we are the way we are and even make fun of us because of this.

My main critiques on this book are that whilst it may be described as an enemy to lovers romance, to me it didn't really come across as that. The relationship between Mal and Ash seemed more like strangers who had believed bad rumours about each other and were then proved wrong when they actually got to know each other properly. The other thing that I didn't really like was the reveal at the end as it sort of just confused me and came out of nowhere, although listening to Dynasty by MIIA during the last few minutes did enhance the atmosphere this scene created and made all of the reveals more dramatic.

Overall, I give A Kingdom of Shadows and Ash 4.5 stars!

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It took me a little bit of reading to get into because the writing is very visually descriptive. However, once I got into it I honestly couldn’t stop. This is a “read until 2am because I can’t put it down” kind of book.

The characters are very well written, especially the females who are all unique and enchanting in their own way (Wren!).

The world building was excellent although I did find myself getting confused between the kingdoms and the houses. I loved that they all differed according to the weather/climate (Kingdom of Ice, Kingdom of Fire, Kingdom of Darkness etc) and the fact that they all had differing looks and attire it was such a cool element to learn about.

The last 100 pages blew me away… I was teetering on a 4/4.5 star rating but the last 50 pages specifically were fantastic.

Can’t wait to read book 2, I just hope it has MAJOR Alina/Kai storylines!!

Started out interesting and good, then the writing fell flat for me and the pacing too slow. The premise felt unique and interesting, but it became too YA in the writing style for me and then I struggled to connect to the characters. I felt like there were too many povs, I don’t mind multiple but then they need longer chapters for me to be able to get into that specific pov.

After the Eight Kingdoms went to war, because of a broken marriage contract, ending with the destruction of the witches kingdom, the seven kingdoms left have a tense relationship. This book follows Mal, the fourth born to the throne of the Kingdom of Shadows and based on what history says, she should not have been born. She gets offered the opportunity to go to the fire kingdom to marry the fire prince, known for being cruel and malicious, to mend the relationship between the two kingdoms. However, there is a prophecy that states the way to end the curse is to kill the fire prince and Mal sets out to do just that.

*DNF at 10%
10% This feels like a very standard Romantasy at the moment. Like there’s nothing special that grabs my attention. It feels very basic. I also think there is too much time and back and forth conversations between Mal and Kai before she goes to the fire kingdom. It felt unnecessary since we know Mal goes to marry the fire prince anyway. There is also a weird tension between Kai and Mal. It almost feels incestuous. There isn’t anything pushing me to want to continue. I like faster paced books and the fact that it takes over 10% to get to the advertised plot is a little too slow for me. Nothing is really explained in this book. I don’t know what the curse is, why everyone is eating rotten fruit, what rumors have been spread about the fire prince that makes everyone hate and fear him, etc. i think I should have a better understanding of the book and be more invested at 10%. I might come back later when I am in a better headspace to read this book, but I don’t think it’s for me at the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and to J.F. John's for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This book was incredibly well done - the writing was fantastic, the darkness, the magic, the wyverns (I'm obsessed), the political schemes, forbidden love, and the way that this book just flowed was simply incredible. This kingdom, this entire world, is so vivid - the way that the author writes just brings it all to life with vivid and colorful descriptions which made it easy to feel as I was there also. I FELT the emotions, I felt the challenges, it was so beautiful.

An issue that I see with a lot of romantasy books as of late is either this over the top, impossible to follow, world building - where it's intense and there's very little room left over for real character development. OR you read the books where the characters are explored in great detail but the magical system and world is left with more holes that aren't filled. However, neither was the case here - the world building is engaging and creative, the magic of it all was really explored and it all just felt so rich. I loved the multiple points of view as well and each character was so well developed and they had such beautiful voices all their own - it was really nice being able to get inside each of their heads.

The one tiny "negative" I had was just on the pacing - some of it didn't feel very smooth and coherent. There was also a bit of a rush at the end and either I would have liked to have more pages to have it drawn out a bit more with the same detail as the rest of the book - and I know - a reader wanting more pages on a 550+ page book?? That's a bit controversial I know but this is just one of the books I feel like I want even more from. I can't wait to see what comes next in the seres though - that's for sure!

THIS BOOK!!!! If you like fourth wing and ACOTAR, this will blow your mind. It's everything you love in a romance fantasy book, Wyvern, shadow riders, werewolves, angst!!! They come from such different backgrounds, enemies to lovers, grumpy moody MMC. Loved seeing all the relationships from different kingdoms come together. Loved this so much!!!

I enjoyed this one! The story had me intrigued, the writing was very descriptive (though, sometimes I felt like it was too wordy), and some of the twists got me.

There were some things I didn’t care for, but overall it was a fun read.

This book has 8 kingdoms. It has amazing world building, and Johns was very descriptive with everything they wrote. The lore was well written and FASCINATING. It was so easy to get lost in. This world is one that I did NOT want to leave.

The characters are otherworldly (literally). The POVs were interwoven, and the pacing was set up so that it was easy to follow the timeline. Other people may disagree but for me it was good.

This book was a great read for me, some people may not like the pacing (slow burn), or the multiple povs. I recommend this book if you enjoy fantastic world building, slow burns, action and mythical creatures.

I WILL WARN YOU: BEWARE PLOT TWISTS.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and JF John’s for this arc❤️.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227639764

I gave this book a 5 star read. I couldn’t put this book down. Fell in love with all the characters and loved the world and magic system. This book lives in my head rent free. I need the 2nd book now.

2.75 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for this E-ARC. I was so excited when I got accepted for this read. However whilst at times I found it really enjoyable, the majority of the time I found the story seemingly dry and it tended to drag on. The execution of the chapters seemed almost puzzled up for me so I found myself feeling quite bewildered at times, this story also has a lot of characters in it - which usually I really enjoy in a story, but due to the lack of world building and character development I found myself struggling to connect with them.

The plot of this story truly was fascinating, especially as I really enjoy my fantasy books however I truly believe that in a way it was poorly executed. I will say though that the last 20% truly saved itself, but the majority of the book felt kind of repetitive for me.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash took me completely by surprise - in the best way. I was graciously offered this ARC directly by the author, J.F. Johns, after requesting it via NetGalley, and I couldn't be more grateful. You will find here my honest review.

From the very first chapters, I was swept away by the fluid and well-written style, the immersive descriptions (never too much, never too little), and the carefully layered worldbuilding. The universe feels both fresh and familiar, with interwoven house dynamics, magical symbols linked to mythical creatures - dragons, wyverns, wolves, giant snakes - and an interesting sense of lore and legacy.

I became truly emotionally invested in the romantic slow-burn between Mal and Ash, and in my opnion, was truly excellent. Emotionally intense, beautifully paced, and "spicy" in just the right way - open-door yet never overtly explicit in a way that breaks the mood. The chemistry builds gradually and feels earned, which made it all the more satisfying.

Beyond the central couple, the dynamics within the Blackburn siblings were a highlight for me and sometimes even brought a little lightness to the story. One character who truly intrigued me was Kage - the calm, calculator and cerebral one, always observing in the shadows. I can't wait to see where his arc leads next!

The strategic undercurrents initiated by the numerous Houses, head to each Kingdoms, with their tension, loyalties and shifting power balance added a rich political layer to the plot.

What I particularly appreciated was the balance between action, intrigue, character development and backstory. The last few chapters had me holding my breath! Many revelations and so much suspense - I would have loved further elaboration regarding the ending as it seemed a little abrupt to me. So... the stakes are high and this only deepened my desire for book two.

Some familiar elements may feel *too familiar* to seasoned fantasy readers - references to some themes (duality ice and fire), certain names or house rivalries that may echo Throne of Glass, Game of Thrones or even Blood and Ash. However, I felt this book stood on its own, a loving tribute to classic romantasy tropes with its own fresh twist.

If you enjoy rich politics, slow-burn, magical stakes or emotional tension - you will likely fall in love with this book too. I cannot wait for *A Kingdom of Sand and Ice*, book 2 of this series Kingdom of gods! And the talented author J.F. John’s is certainly one that I will follow.

overall a really enjoyable read!

heavy kingdom politics, magic powers, arranged marriages, alliances and enemies - this book has it all!

definitely full of adventure, sorrow, strength, love and some pretty hard choices that have to be made…

After spending time with the Fire Prince, Ash, a once easily tasked mission now seems impossible to complete for Mal Blackburn. Princess of the Shadow King, soon-to-be Fire Prince’ wife, Mal’s life is completely different from that of her siblings and for two reasons that equal one - her eyes and a curse sent upon all kingdoms… will she defeat the witch’s curse and save everyone or will she save the Fire Prince and doom them all??

EEEE so so good! so so thankful for this Netgalley arc - exceeded my expectations and sent me on a journey across so many interesting kingdoms meeting new and interesting characters along the way! it was constantly giving me ACOTAR and GOT vibes!! if either of those are you jam then READ THIS👏🏼👏🏼

also not only is this cover to die for but so is the arc cover - literally obsessed✨ check it out now and order a copy from amazon, so worth it! can’t wait to see what in store for book 2!

Unique magic system
Wyverns
Political intrigue
Forbidden love
Murder
And even some good old fashioned back stabbing!
What more can a girl ask for?

This is going to be a BIG booktok favorite! It was definitely a five star read and I cannot wait for book two!!! That ending!!!

Overall definitely think it was a good book. The Fantasy was really good, the pacing was a little wonky but I am a little picky so might have just been a personal thing. Still would recommend.

"She longed to feel the weight of her sword slicing through flesh, to see crimson bloom across her fingers, to hear the gasping chokes of those who deserved it."

~ A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash, J.F. Johns

☆☆.75/5

Mal Blackburn, the fourth child of the King and Queen of the House of Shadows, finds herself thrown into an arranged marriage with the Fire Prince, Ash Acheron, hoping to bring the seven war-ridden kingdoms together again. The eighth kingdom, The Kingdom of Magic, filled with witches and warlocks, is a rising threat against which the seven kingdoms must stand united or fall one by one. This is a story of love and pain, of duty and choice. Finally, a story about a curse, a chosen, and a cursed.

As per my rating, there are a few things I disliked about this book. Firstly, the beginning was so verbose that it was hard to keep reading. Every sentence was laced with "fantasy" sounding words, which gave the impression that nothing was ever regular or insignificant. This, in turn, made it difficult to discern when important events or places were being described. As the story progressed, this stopped being an issue.
Secondly, tied with the first point, and one of my main issues with it, was that the story felt like it was being told at me, instead of to me. Especially in the beginning, everything was bluntly stated and then explained, leaving absolutely no space for the reader to think about the events and connect the plot on their own. At one point, the over-explaining became so frequent that I considered stopping. This, just like the first point, got fixed as the story progressed, and I attributed it mainly to an increase in dialogue.
Now, let's talk about the multiple POVs. Usually, I love reading a book with more views since it gives more context to the story, but here specifically there were more than five. It is really difficult to have so many storylines at the same time and have them all be of high quality. The chapters were not long, so often, the POV would change right after an interesting event, making it difficult to connect with the next character's perspective, and generally disturbing the flow. This also significantly slowed down the plot.

My favourite part of the book was the last 30 or so pages, where the plot twists were well thought out, and the story finally picked up pace and intensity. Even though it was hard for me to believe that Mal and Ash hated each other in the beginning, the relationship they struck after truly committing to one another was entertaining to read. I also really liked how the protagonists were flawed, but learnt to live and develop with their flaws, not despite them.
Also, I would like to take a moment for the stunning cover!

All in all, this was an entertaining book that, while it has its lows, definitely had highs. I'm not sure if I will be picking up the next book, but I truly wish the author all the best!