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).

I enjoyed this book so much I signed up for the Beta read of the second. Twists and turns galore and just the right amount of spice!

This book was pleasantly surprising! I didn't know if I was going to like it and found myself not being incredibly interested in the romance aspect at first! But then!! The ending was EPIC! The twist and turns in the last 100-150 pages had me GASPING and turning the page quicker than I ever had before! This is a must read and I can not wait to recommend it to people!
I will post a full review on my tiktok and instagram pages this weekend!

This book was about eight kingdoms cursed by a witch who felt betrayed and wanted revenge. Fast forward one hundred years and Mal Blackburn is the person responsible for breaking the curse. She weaves a tangled web of lies amidst personal obligations and we meet a varied cast of characters along the way. Though they're technically secondary, the author does not write them in this way. Everyone is important to the story in their own way. Ultimately, the plot parallel becomes clear when Mal discovers that she must kill the one person she loves in order to clear the eight kingdoms of the curse.

The world building and lore in this book is intense but for a lover of high fantasy like myself, these are the qualities I look for in reading material. The author has taken great care to immerse readers in lushly described lands and settings. The story is woven in so completely that it was easy to get lost. While that is a wonderful thing, I also found my mind wandering instead of absorbing necessary details. The multiple point of views definitely helped keep the story moving forward but there are some areas that felt like they were dragging.

Of course, the speed of the story is subjective to individual readers so do not let that deter you from giving this book a read!

I was hooked to this story immediately. The plot of a curse needing to be broken to save the eight kingdoms by one woman. the lies and deceit along with the tension and longing was so well written. I was hooked and couldn't stop reading! The only thing I did not like was it being third person which is totally a personal pref3erence and nothing against the book or author. I can see that people who love SJM would enjoy this story. We have Dark magic, Wyverns, political scheming g, and so much more that rally makes the story stand out. i can see how the author pulled from other popular fantasy books as inspiration.

thank you for an arc opportunity for this story!

The book is set 100 years after a tragic event where love was chosen over duty, leading to disastrous consequences. A heartbroken witch, disdaim and in love, cursed all eight kingdoms. Now, to break the century-old curse, Mal Blackburn must marry the Fire Prince, Ash — and kill him. If she fails, misfortune will continue to plague the realms.

It’s been a while since I read romantasy and I ate this up — it’s amazing. Even though the romance is quite in a heavy side, the plot isn’t overshadowed at all. It’s actually really solid. I’m super intrigued to see how the author gonna continues with the story, because that ending… was kind of foul 👀

I love the dynamic between Mal and Ash. It’s an arranged marriage, so I was expecting a slow burn — but unfortunately their romance progressed fast. That said, I was actually more invested in the side couple—Alina and Kai. Their dynamic felt more interesting, and honestly, their chemistry and character depth appealed to me more.

The writing is super engaging and the worldbuilding is amazing. The author really knows how to balance the romantic and fantasy elements. My only problem is that some parts felt unnecessarily drag, which made the pacing a bit slow at times. Still, this was a solid read and I really enjoyed it. Tons of potential, tbh!

Oh — if you love dragons, wyverns, fae, witches — everything’s in here 🙂‍↔️✨


authornim give me the book 2 please too in the future

‘Only when fire breaks through the shadows shall they be forgiven.’

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Jones

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is the first book in the Kingdom of God's series by J.F. Jones. This is a new adult enemies to lovers fantasy romance that will set the world on fire.

‘I do not mind starting another Great War for you, princess.’

I had the privilege of receiving the ARC for this book and what a book it was! I enjoyed this far more than I expected to, once I was hooked I was hooked. The world building was so rich and throughout the entire story which helped really paint a picture of everything and everyone. I really enjoyed the unique societal/monarchy system built around deep history and legends.

‘You will be moaning all night long, princess.’

Curses and prophecies, magic and mayhem, secrets and surprises this book just keeps you on your toes. The plot twists in this had me shook every time. I really loved the multiple povs as well, I really connected with all the characters and can't wait to see how the new relationships will develop as the series continues.

'And no one, no one, would ever hurt her again.'

At times it was dark and violent, then light and humourous but it never took away from the storyline and the same for the spice. It was a build up but it was so worth it! The last few chapters went from 0 to 1000% and that cliffhanger was brutal! Definitely want more from this series.

▪️Fierce FMC/Broody MC
▪️Cliffhanger
▪️Curses and Prophecies
▪️ Multiple povs

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🌶️🌶️/5

8 powerful kingdoms have remained separate since after the Great War that detroyed the land of the witches. Rumor has it that a deadly curse cast by a powerful witch will take effect 100 years post end of war. But Mal, the princess from the Kingdom of Darkness, has seen what she must do. She must unite the kingdoms by marrying the cruel Fire Prince from the Kingdom of Fire and then stab him in the heart to break the curse. As Mal uncovers the truth about the Fire Prince, what seemed like an easy path forward starts to blur into something more complex.

This book was a great time! Definitely for the romantasy girlies that enjoy SJM's writing style and Rebecca Yarro's world building. The book was beautifully written, and the world building was lush and vivid. While it takes time to build the story, the payoff is 100% worth it.

The book includes many different POVs and relationship storylines, which was a risky decision to make in debut book as it slows the pace down significantly. There is a lot of time spent getting to learn the nuances of each character, and while it can seem slow and forced, it raises the stakes at the end of the book. I can see that this first book was intentionally written in a way to get the readers used to the characters and the world so that we can hit the ground running come the second book.

Highlights:
✨️ Fierce FMC
✨️ Enemies-to-lovers
✨️ Lush World-building
✨️ Multiple POVs
✨️ Extensive Magic System
✨️ Spice Level: 🌶

All in all, I did end up loving the book! The book is out and available now to read! I was also able to snoop enough to learn that the second book will be released in Sept 2025! I am beyond excited that we get the second book this year as well!

First of all, thank you so much J.F. Johns for letting me read this masterpiece early!

Okay. This book is amazing!!! I was hooked from the very beginning and I absolutely could not get enough of the different POVs!! It really brought everything together!! Mal is such a badass, Ash is such a sweetheart and all the other princes and princesses that we meet along the way really made this book for me! I love when I guess when something will happen and I did with Nyx at the end (and then I squealed) but I did NOT see the rest of the end coming!! Finding out who the seer is and who Mal’s parent are had my jaw on the floor!! I can’t wait for book 2!!

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a slower paced fantasy novel involving ancient curses, an arranged marriage to improve 2 kingdom's fragile alliance, and incredible world building with deeply detailed characters.

I am very critical of fantasy books. I do not like when they start to feel too similar. This is not another cookie cutter fantasy novel, it has unique themes. Her writing style brings something new and enjoyable to the table, which I was very thankful for. I cannot wait for the next book in this series, and I will definitely check out more books by the author.

slow burn
enemies to lovers
romantasy
arranged marriage

"I really do believe we were condemned from the start."

"Despite the armour of ice she wore, there was fire within her."

"Filling the silence with words because silence meant acknowledging things too painful to say aloud."

"Time is a river. No matter how much we wish to control it, to twist it backwards and forwards and to even stop it, we cannot. The river continues to flow. All you can do it let it guide you."

Thanks so much to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for this ARC.

This book is definitely in my top favorites list! It has everything Wyverns, Fae , Wolverines, Valkyrie, Witches, Dragons, Seers and more !!
Our MFC Mal, 4 th born may be cursed or chosen. Either way she has to kill the evil Fire Prince she’s promised to in order to break the curse. Is the prince really as evil as they say or he something completely different ?
This is going to be the next big hit ! Best part it’s by an Inde Author !! Slow burn, amazing plot, characters are amazing and the ending … Chefs kiss !! This is a book I will read over and over.

I was able to read an eARC thanks to NetGalley and J.F John’s
Thank you all for allowing me to do so !!

Romantasy is one of my go-tos so I was looking forward to this one! I did really enjoy the story however could see the inspiration from several other romantasy / fantasy books. I also at times struggled with the multi povs but overall really enjoyed reading this! The action picks up towards the end and sets us up for book two really well! Will definitely be looking forward to the next! .

Dark magic, romance, forbidden love, fierce characters and past mixed with present - mix them all together and here you are - new, great romantasy book to add to your neverending TBR!




It was a nice, enjoable romantasy. I am not always a fan of multiple POVs, but it was working great here.
I thought it will be a little confusing considering there are multiple POVs from multiple characters but it was so well done, it was easy to catch up.
What i liked the most were the stories about Tabitha Wysteria - the witch which were a nice add-on to the whole plot.
Kai and Alina absolutely stole my heart and i loooooved them!




I can't wait for another book to be released!

What truly elevates this book is its vibrant cast of side characters, especially the Wyvernian family. Each character—from the smug yet soft-hearted Kai to the brooding and unexpectedly endearing Kage—is memorable and nuanced. The bonds between them, built on love, loyalty, and quiet heartbreak, provide a strong emotional core that’s hard to resist.
The story is told through multiple POVs, which are well-executed and easy to follow, adding layers of perspective without sacrificing clarity. The lore of the kingdoms, the presence of mythical beasts, and the cultural depth woven into each region make this world feel both expansive and intimate. It’s clear the author put immense thought into every detail, and the result is a fantasy universe that feels lived-in and real.
While magic is central to the plot, it’s handled with elegance—powerful but not overwhelming, and always in service to the story.

This book had so much potential, but honestly, it ended up feeling more like a patchwork of other popular fantasy stories rather than something original. The heavy (and I mean really heavy) inspiration from other works is hard to ignore—at times, it felt like I was just reading a remix of well-known names, and structures. “House of X”-type factions, overly familiar character names, and dramatic world-building shortcuts make it hard to stay immersed. It’s like the book was trying to be ten different famous fantasy series at once.

On top of that, there are way too many characters introduced way too quickly. It gets overwhelming fast, and most of them don’t get enough development to feel meaningful. The story jumps around so much that it ends up feeling kind of messy and unfinished, like it needed a few more drafts to really pull everything together.

All in all, if you've read a lot of fantasy, especially YA fantasy, this one might feel more exhausting than enjoyable. The lack of originality really drags it down. I’d give it a 2.5, but I’m rounding up to 3 because there is an interesting idea buried in there—it’s just drowned out by everything else.