Things to see/tropes:
☆ Arranged marriage
☆ Enemies to lovers
☆ Forbidden love
☆ Dragons and other mythical/magical creatures
☆ Chosen one
☆ Prophecy

General thoughts
For most of the book it felt like the story was dragging all too slowly and it made it hard for me to get really into it. I mostly stayed because of Mal who, to me, was such an interesting character with a strong mind and voice.
Though I personally find it hard to focus and read so much descriptive text and often found myself just skimming over it, the worldbuilding is truly well thought through, so immersive and varying from kingdom to kingdom. It was a real pleasure to see all the differences between different houses.
Multiple points of view really helped in setting up the characters, their relationships and world views. I thought it would be jarring at first, but the author was really good at making clear who we were with at the moment.

Relationships
The sibling relationships were such a treat! Absolutely love the different dynamics between the Acheron siblings and Blackburn siblings, seeing them interact were my favorite parts of the book.
The romantic relationships, however, I found a bit lacking. Ash and Mal’s relationship felt like it went from zero to a hundred in one blink. They went from barely talking to being inseparable in one single evening. And Kai’s reasons to pursue Alina are still a mystery to me, though they did click with me better than Ash and Mal did.
Wren and Bryn were super fun, I enjoyed them a lot as siblings as well. I hope to see more of them in the next book.
I found it a bit odd to not really see much of a relationship between the Queen and King of the Fire Kingdom. The King was barely ever there throughout the story, while the Queen was quite a prominent figure. Would’ve been nice to see them interact a bit more rather than leaving the King so far in the background.

The twists and turns
Oh my god the betrayal (you know which one I’m talking about) was something that came completely out of the left field. I was shook. The entire ending of the book had my heart racing, all the twists and turns that it took were just mesmerizing and that alone makes me want to see what happens next. Though the reveal at the end did not come as much of a surprise, I do wonder where they even go from there.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and J.F Johns for the copy!

I’m big on trying to predict the endings, finding the clues that piece it all together & I was honestly shocked by the ending. Absolutely, mouth on the floor, reeling, what just happened kind of shocked - had to stay up till midnight & finish because I couldn’t believe what was happening the entire last 9%.

Although it follows similar romantasy/fantasy aspects - it didn’t feel overly done.

I wish the POV’s would have been labeled at the beginning of the chapters because it got a little confusing on who you were reading from.

8 kingdoms, gods, dragons, wyverns, wolves, fae, witches, enemies to lovers, forced marriages, shadow mommy?.. you’ll see.

I also LOVE that the prince, the MMC was not “perfect” - beautiful, of course BUT his “flaw” was kind of refreshing.

Going into this book, I honestly did not think that I would love it as much as I did. Mal was everything I love in a Female Main character. The world building was amazing. From the first page, I was just captivated by the first page. Enemies to lovers, which was done so perfectly. I honestly can't say enough good things about this book, besides that I actually loved it. I can't wait till book 2, and hope it turns into a trilogy as well in some way.

WOW. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I was absolutely blown away from the first page. The story was clearly planned out well and executed perfectly. The writing itself was atmospheric and immersive, making the story that much more enjoyable. Mal is a strong, loveable, smart, and fierce FMC. The side characters are fleshed out and as enjoyable to read about as the main character(s). The world-building was top-tier, really everything about the writing was! That ending left me stunned and I honestly cannot wait to find out what happens next. A stunning start to the series, and a book fantasy and romantasy lovers alike shouldn't sleep on!

Characters: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️.5
This book was a 10/10 read! The dept of each character was amazing. Seeing them through the other points of view and how they are perceived was so engrossing and made each character feel complex and fleshed out.

The twists were perfect! And just the right amount of foreshadowing. It didn’t feel spoonfed or obvious.

My only issue was how close the siblings were - giving me real Circe and Jamie vibes if you know what I mean. The handholding and climbing into labs felt very intimate for siblings. It absolutely read as if Ash’s sister was in love with him.

Cannot wait for book 2!

⭐️ARC READER⭐️
Wow that ending! This book was amazing.
Had my interest from the start to the very last page.
I am patientially waiting for Book 2!! Definitely worth the read!

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns is a wonderfully well written, character/plot driven novel that exceeded all my expectations. From the first page I was instantly hooked. The world building, characters and plot are all so beautifully written I couldn't put the book down.

There were so many plot twists I didn't see coming and while the beginning might seem a tad info dumpy I enjoyed it and felt it added more to the background and story. While there are some similarities to other well known books in the genre I feel that A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash went in it's own path and played out perfectly. I can't wait for book 2!

A richly imagined fantasy with a twist that was teased to perfection.

A Kingdom of Shadow & Ash completely pulled me in. The world-building is stunning - layered, detailed, and full of history. Each kingdom felt distinct and alive, with its own customs, politics, and depth. It’s the kind of world you want to get lost in.

The side characters stole my heart. They weren’t just supporting cast, they felt like real people with their own stories, and I found myself genuinely invested in their lives. It’s rare to connect with a full ensemble like that.

And the twist at the end? It didn’t come out of nowhere — it was cleverly breadcrumbed and teased throughout the book, building just the right amount of tension. When it hit, it felt both shocking and inevitable in the best way. Now I’m counting the days until A Kingdom of Sand & Ice.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves immersive fantasy with emotional stakes and a payoff that delivers.

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

This book is my new favorite Romantasy! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The prince was perfect in his imperfections! I related so deeply to Mal. I mean the change of the darkness being the ones with the better morals? This was just a fantastic read through. I can not wait to see more of the characters! I was Alina's biggest hater at first and I literally can't wait to see her in the next book! I'm in love with this story and its characters!

This book captivated me from the first chapter. I love books where marriages start as a political gain/alliance and this book just hits all the others out of the park! I love all the POVs we get and how each character has their own storyline within the main plot. Each character is so uniquely their own and has distinct characteristics. Seeing how all the houses interact and which are aligned with which was so captivating. This is my first book by JF Johns and clearly I will be reading their back log. I cannot wait to see what comes next, I will be as patiently waiting as I can.

*ARC Review*

A Kingdom of Shadows and Ash by J.F. Johns

Thank you to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want it to end. It has Game of Thrones vibes, but better in my opinion.

There are so many things I liked about this book. I enjoyed the gradual world building. The first book of a Fantasy series is always a little difficult for me to get into, but this book had me hooked immediately. Details about the world, kingdoms, and families kept getting revealed throughout the story so it didn’t feel too overwhelming like an information dump during the first 25%.

I loved the family dynamics in this book - especially between siblings. I especially loved the characters of Kai and Wren and all the interactions between the different courts.

There were so many twists and turns and plot twists. I’m still processing everything I read - especially in the last 10 percent of this book. I spent about 10 minutes pacing around my house trying to process everything.

I will be insisting all of my friends, my book club, random strangers I meet at bookstores, and everyone on the internet read this book. I can’t wait for a Kingdom of Sand and Ice.

This was one of the best Romantasy books I have read.

The writing grabs you immediately. The story is incredible.
The side characters feel like main characters and I’m equally as invested in their stories as the MCs.

I love Mal’s badass, f*ck the world attitude, and that Ash your typical perfect MMC with no flaws.
I cannot wait to see Alina’s growth over the series and I need to see her and Kai get their HEA.

There’s dragons, wyvern, phoenixes, wolves, the list goes on.. every fantasy creature you can think of.

Ughh just perfection. September is too far away for book two!

ARC Review:
I enjoyed this book a lot! We met a lot of characters, but they all played a really large part in the story. It was nice to get a lot of in depth information about them all. The book felt a little long and the pace was a bit slow.
Overall 4 out of 5 stars. I will for sure read the second of the series!

Rating 3.5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun read. However, the prophecy started getting confusing towards the end as it kept changing. The yearning was there but not as much as I would like for an enemies to lovers. I also feel like they weren’t “enemies” very long. I was honestly more invested in Kai’s and Alina’s enemies to lovers story.

The house system with different type of character types (phoenixes, wyverns, dragons, fae, wolverians, desert people with giant snakes, etc) was different and unique in a way that I haven’t seen in many stories. I liked the snippets from Tabitha’s journal at the beginning of each chapter but some of it got confusing and wish it was a little more clear, but I think it’s meant to give mystery and intrigue as to how the past correlates with the current.

The ending is a brutal cliffhanger so be prepared to wait with the rest of us for the next book. 😂

Overall it was a good read and I will be reading the second book when it releases.

-Enemies to lovers
-Court politics and intrigue
-Magical creatures and prophecies
-Strong FMC


Thank you NetGalley for the arc read!

Cursed destinies, fractured kingdoms, and a girl fated to kill the man she must marry—J.F. Johns weaves a tale where peace is only an illusion, and love may cost the world.

It had been a while since I found a fantasy novel that fully drew me in like this. Written in third-person, the narrative offers a deeper dive into both Mal’s internal struggle and the emotional complexity of the supporting cast. The pacing is deliberate, at times slower, but the character development and atmospheric tension make it worthwhile. Mal is a fierce, emotionally layered heroine. Ash, the prince with a damaged past, stands out as a beautifully flawed counterpart. Wren and Kai add further richness to an already strong ensemble.

The journal entries that open each chapter act as quiet warnings, but rather than spoiling the plot, they amplify the intrigue. The ending may come too fast, but it delivers. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it flips. The final betrayal left me reeling.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J. F. Johns is a blend of dark magic, political intrigue, plotting and betrayal and deliciously swoon worthy romance. Filled with strong characters, a cleverly thought out magic system and a world of warring kingdoms this is a book that had me feverishly turning the pages, desperate to see what came next. Arranged marriages, disguised witches, complicated power dynamics and sizzling chemistry, this book had it all in spades. While the main focus of the book may have been on Mal and Ash, I was really impressed by how well developed all the characters were and there were several pairings that worked particularly well because of the opposing character traits. If you struggle with multiple POV this might not be ideal for you, we get several perspectives and ( though this may be resolved better in the finished book ) at times the shift from one POV to another is not well delineated and it took me a few sentences to get thing straight. I loved that the author was not afraid to go for the gut and hit the reader hard, there were several times in the last hundred or so pages that I literally gasped while reading, and the ending was both satisfying and intriguing, making me excited to see where book two will take us, which is a difficult line to tread.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I could not put this book down! A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash had me hooked from the very first page. This book truly has a little bit of everything: romance, mystery, suspense, intense battle scenes—you name it. The pacing kept me on my toes, and the twists and turns made it nearly impossible to put down.

The world-building was easy to understand, and the relationships between characters felt real and compelling.

My only suggestion would be to clarify character perspectives a bit more. It would be helpful if each chapter or scene switch included the name of the character being followed. At times, it took a few lines to figure out whose point of view I was reading, which slightly pulled me out of the story.

Other than that, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a gripping fantasy with a good story line and strong characters. It’s a must-read!

You know those cliffhanger season finale scenes where the characters are all “what have we done”??? That’s how the ending of this felt and I am hype for it- except for having to wait for book 2. It took me a few chapters to get into it (but also I kept picking up my kindle after long days when I was admittedly tired) but once I was hooked that’s all it took. There is lore, and world building, and intrigue, and SO many characters. It’s all 3rd person POV but you get POVs from a ton of characters. It’s a little jarring but each POV change is made fairly obvious.

Okay, this was actually incredible! I four it hard to keep up because of the different POVs but once I did?! I was hooked. The MMC was sweet and misunderstood and our FMC was a badass.
The last 100 pages had me feeling like I was sucker punched over and over again and I was kind of a fan. I didn’t see any of that coming. I need book two pronto. Please and thanks

Oh wow. So you know how to hurt my feelings huh? Okay I see you I respect it. BUT DAMN I DO NOT HAVE TO BE HAPPY AT HAVING TO WAIT FOR BOOK TWO! (Thank you for letting me read this lol)

These characters are impeccable. You get to know ALL of them. Which upset me later on because I adore them but it was SPECTACULARLY done! At first I was shocked by the POV changes to more than like four characters, but I ended up being so into it. Even my pookie Kage got his moments! It makes the ending hurt me ten times more ten times harder and you know what this is the last time any of you will see me I’m not kidding - until you see me for the next release. The plot twists in the end of the book? HOLY SHIT I’M LOSING MY FUCKING MIND. Some of them yes, the plot leaves Easter Eggs to make you feel good about guessing the plot twists. BUT OH HO HO, NOT ALL OF THEM! And don’t I know it now 😭💕 When I saw this was a series I knew I was about to hurt but my favourite character really pushed me over the edge everyone.

Ultimately the keynote is your feelings will be hurt but you’ll still come back for more because this is LITERATURE (fantasy and romance at its FINEST people).