This was an excellent start to a series. Some of my favorite tropes were included. Like any first book in a series, there has to be world-building, and I have always felt that the first 50% of a book takes longer to read than the second 50%. My biggest concern was the number of characters that we meet in the first half of the book. I had a hard time remembering who was who and from what house. I did love that, with the amount of POVs we had, we saw the start of relationships and friendships. But I was confused for most of the book until I started connecting more with the characters. I liked our FMC Mal, she is someone who was overlooked but ends up being more than what was thought of her. She was so fine making sacrifices for her family, which led her to find out some truths. Haven, Kai, and Kage were great. I loved them all. When I got to about 60% of the book, I was finally able to read the story without having to really put thought behind whose POV I was reading, and from where exactly this person was from. This story has so many fantasy aspects that I love. It was wolves, dragons, wyverns, far, etc. Some things that I would have loved more of were the main MMC and FMC's love story. There was so much going on that the banter and main love story were put to the side. I do hope to have more of their story in the second book. I also want to get to know more about Ash, I feel like we didn’t get to know him as much as Mal. He is such an interesting character because he has to overcome some of his fears and issues, but I want to see more of his training and fighting skills. I LOVED the plot twist towards the end and everything else that was discovered. It was such a great climax to the story, and I’m so excited for the second book!

4/5 🗡️🐉

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a captivating fantasy with rich worldbuilding and a strong heroine. Fyia’s journey is full of magic, political intrigue, and slow-burning romance. The pacing is a bit slow at first, but the story picks up and keeps you hooked. Great for fans of epic fantasy with strong characters.

Before I start on this beautifully written romantasy, I have to say the writing style was amazing, it hooked me straight away. The book is full of wyverns and dark magic, there's politics and scheming, forbidden love and a plot that will have you clawing for more. The world the author has created is amazing, it was sad to see the book end as I travelled alongside the main characters.
The story is about Mal - destined to break the curse laid upon the kingdom but fate is never that simple as love complicates things, and then there's Ash, the Draconian prince who will change it all. And let's not forget about Kai and Alina, their story might not have been the headliner of the book, but their relationship and journey was just as important.
I can't wait for more and look forward to seeing what the author brings to life next as I am hooked.

I couldn't really get into this. The writing threw me off and the overload of information was an info-dump. I love the cover; the summary hooked me, but sadly, this just didn't play out.

Ok I loved this!!! I was hooked form the first chapter!

The characters were great and the ending was soo good

Thank you for giving me access to this ARC

4.5! This book was so so good!!
I loved the characters so much and I loved how we got to see chapters and point of views from so many of them!

The betrayals. The plot twists. This book was amazing and I am so excited for book 2! I cannot wait! I’m

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!