“A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash” truly surprised me—in the best possible way! I’ve read quite a few romantasy books lately, and honestly, many of them are starting to blur together. But this one? It felt like a breath of fresh air in the genre.

I absolutely loved the characters and their romance—it felt genuine and well-paced. But what really stood out to me were the fantasy elements. The world-building was stunning, and the magical aspects were beautifully woven into the story. I’m a total sucker for anything witchy, and this book delivered that vibe perfectly.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced fantasy that’s easy to read, has a solid plot, and just the right touch of romance, this one’s for you. Highly recommend!

There were a lot of things I liked about this book - disability rep in a main character, unique physical features, and a lot of novelty when it comes to fantasy. I was definitely intrigued by the story but ultimately felt like there was just a bit too much going on: too many character POV's, too many groups of people, and a lot of lore. There was also a bit more telling rather than showing in the authors writing. I think there is a ton of potential for this series!
Overall 3/5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and J. F. Johns for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so shocked by how great this book was, couldn’t put it down!

I hate a naive female lead, so I loved that Mal, our FMC, was so strong and powerful.

I also love love loveddddd Kai and Alina!

Although the plot was great, I sometimes struggled with the writing style. I just felt like the descriptions were very dull in places and factual, rather than descriptive and emotional, if that makes sense?

This book is absolutely everything. There are not many books that I would compare to Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and Throne of Glass (Mal gave me Manon Blackbeak vibes and I am obsessed) - In fact I have yet to really read a book that compares at all- until I read this one! J.F. Johns is such a phenomenal writer, reading her book was like watching a movie in my mind. This book is so wonderfully descriptive, vivid, and immersive, leaving me begging for more!

The book follows Mal Blackburn - the fourth-born of the Kingdom of Darkness who has been betrothed to the prince of the Kingdom of Fire. This marriage is supposed to break a century old curse- a curse placed on the lands by a witch – Tabitha- meant to place everyone in all 8 kingdoms in an eternal slumber. Before meeting the prince, the plan is simple- get married and stab the prince in the heart. Now that she is married to him things have become much more complicated!
I absolutely love that the story also gives the side characters mini arcs within and how J.F. Johns ties everything together at the end!

Did I mention there is a twist at the end?!?

I have not been more excited for a sequel in a long time!

Unfortunately, I dnfed this book @50%. I loved the premise, I loved the writing. In the beginning I got hooked, but as the story progressed, I didn't find myself invested in it. The characters felt rather flat, the world was enormous but at the same time not spoken enough of. I didn't understand the rules.

I think the potential was there, but the execution didn't get me hooked and when I was putting the book down, I didn't feel like coming back. I'm sorry to write this, maybe it just wasn't for me or maybe I'll come back to in the future and change my mind.

Thank you NetGalley and to J.F Johns for letting me read this book!

Really enjoyed A kingdom of shadow and ash. The world building creates such an atmosphere, so descriptive in a way that pulls you in. The characters are interesting, funny and at times dark.

I love the relationships between the siblings and also the relationship building between them. Each character has charm and you feel invested to know more about them. You can feel the tension between them and I was definitely routing for them. You are able to see the view points of most of these characters and their siblings, getting know them more through their interactions, which increases your understanding of them and the choices they make.

The plot is interesting and I found myself hooked to know more. Mal is given a task that will break a curse, she fully intends to uphold this responsibility. But as she gets to know her betrothed and then husband she realises this task may be harder than she first though.

There is so much to this story majestic creatures, witches, magic, love, betrayal, torture and so much more. The pace starts slow for me but as the story progresses you start to see that it develops and quickens in pace. The writer knows how to make you feel for the characters, even the ones you feel like you don't want to rout for. You are left wanting to know more as there is always some revelation that leaves you thinking and you really want to know how it ends.

enemies to lovers ⚔️
⚔️forced marriage⚔️
⚔️slow burn⚔️

Summary:
There was once eight kingdoms that lived in peace with one another. Then someone decided they wanted to put love over expectations of their kingdoms. The world went into turmoil and a witch cast a spell on the people of all eight kingdoms.
100 years later Mal Blackburn comes into the picture and finds that she is the one that is to break the curse and save everyone from the fate of what the witch has cast upon them.

This story featured multiple POV through the story which REALLY pulled it all together nicely. You got so many emotions and saw things through different peoples perspectives and it really wrapped it together great. At first I will say it was a little confusing but once I realized the book jumped through multiple POV I quickly got the hang of it and really enjoyed it.

The story itself was great but I found the pace of it just a tad slow for my liking. I had to turn to another book and then come back to this one because I needed a change in pace BUT that is just me.

I truly cannot wait for the second book to come the cliff hanger left me with my jaw on the floor and speechless. There was many different plot twist especially in the last 20% that really took me by surprise.

Favorite quotes:

“It is terrifying how all those you love so deeply could so easily turn their backs on you.”

“He thought to have known hunger. But this—this was something else entirely. She was like a drug, a fever in his blood, and if he was not careful, he would drown in her.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and author J.F. Johns for this Opportunity to read A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash in return for an honest review!

From the very first page, I was completely hooked! I devoured this book in mere days (which is fast for me given life); I could not put it down!!
Unlike anything else I have read this year, this story was beautifully and intricately written, with just enough twists and turns to keep you invested and guessing what would happen next without being convoluted or confusing.

I quickly fell in love and cannot wait to continue this story!

I think this was my most surprising read so far this year. I did not expect to enjoy it this much but this book really delivered!

⚔️ PLOT: 5/5

Family. Arranged marriage. Enemies to lovers. Court intrigue. Magic and a curse.

None of the concepts in this book are anything too unique or new, but the way the story was put together was extremely well done and didnt leave anything to be desired, because it felt perfect as was. I was shocked by a couple of the deaths, and although the "twist" at the end made a lot of sense and I saw it coming, it was the best way to end the story and leave it on a note where there could easily be a sequel (which there will be).

✒️ WRITING: 5/5

Sometimes I think multi-POV can get really confusing, especially when the character's name is not mentioned at the top of the chapter, but this was very well done and easy to follow. Off the top of my head, I believe it was 3 POV, which is not too many to keep up with.

A couple of the characters have interesting speech patterns, and the way their quotes were written were in a way that was true to their speech patterns while also being easy to read for the reader. (Ash has a stutter and Wren is just silly haha)

🐲💗 CHARACTERS & ROMANCE: 5/5

Mal and Ash were both well-formed characters, albeit slightly bland at the beginning of the story. There are a lot of characters in this book but I never felt like I was forgetting anyone or getting storyline confused. There are a few separate romances going on at the same time, and the spicy scenes are very well done, believable, and not too over the top, while still giving you that fun blushing feeling.

There are a lot of kingdoms in the story, so a lot of siblings to keep track of, but each character had their own personality and I felt like each one of them was needed in the story at some point or the other.


Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!!!

II have no words to describe how I’m feeling. Like being on a roller coaster, jaw dropping twists, love, betrayals, burn the kingdoms down epic. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves fantasy reads. Amazing. Simply amazing. I loved every single second of it.

This story pulled me in with its dark, immersive world and the intense enemies-to-lovers dynamic that added real emotional depth. The political intrigue is sharp, but what stayed with me most was how the characters’ complicated relationships — full of tension, mistrust, and slow-burning connection — made the stakes feel personal and raw. The rich world-building sometimes slowed the pace, but it only made the moments of vulnerability and trust between the leads hit harder. Overall, it’s a layered, thoughtful fantasy that balances epic conflict with deeply human emotions.

“However … all that glitters is not gold”

“I am a demon born from darkness, a beast carved from shadows. You touch her again, and I will show you what the afterlife looks like”

So cool and interesting. This book surprised me and I fear this series has, without fail, a great potential to become a newest obsession of mine. Mal, Ash and Alina … all different people with different purposes with different paths in front of them. Alina is such a strong and resilient character and the relationship she develops with the Prince of Darkness is not as simple as it seems in this book. I cannot wait to watch it unfold !!!
And Ash and Mal … arranged marriage, enemies to lovers … slow burn … mild spice … betrayal and salvation … what more could we want from a fantasy romance book!!! The dynamic between the two made me slightly salivate but not to the point where I already know it’s an obsession … I’m simply biding my time before they can become one. The secrets of Mal’s heritage and her powers … her eyes hold it all but we, readers, are too blind to see it until the very end!!! I was suspecting something to be fair … but definitely not what happened in the end. And because of that … I cannot wait for the sequel !

“A king … can be whatever he chooses to be. That is what makes him a king. And strength, Fire Prince, comes in many forms”

Three words.. WOW!! What a fantastic read! It had everything I love in a fantasy! MAgic, Wyverns, forbidden love, plotting.... Incredible!!!!!

¡Qué viaje fue este libro! Me costó un poco al principio—entre el sistema de magia, la cantidad de personajes y los múltiples puntos de vista—pero una vez que agarré ritmo, no pude soltarlo. Este fue mi primer contacto con una historia de fantasía con brujas, y la verdad es que superó mis expectativas.

Algo que me gustó muchísimo es que, aunque está narrado en tercera persona (que no suele ser mi estilo favorito), la alternancia de POVs entre Mal, Ash, Kai, Alina y algunos secundarios más logró mantenerme enganchada todo el tiempo. Sí, en algunos momentos puede resultar un poco confuso con tantos cambios, pero el desarrollo emocional de cada personaje lo justifica bastante.

✨ Lo que más me gustó:

Mal. Una protagonista con todas las letras: decidida, fuerte, con carácter y convicciones. Me encantó que no fuera la típica “princesa víctima”.

Ash. ¡Por fin un MMC que no es el típico “alpha” tóxico! Ash es reservado, dulce en su forma silenciosa, y cuando se abre, ¡ufff! El slow burn entre él y Mal es todo lo que necesitaba.

Kai y Alina. Esta subtrama me atrapó casi tanto como la principal. El nivel de angustia y tensión que manejan estos dos… increíble. Kai es el toque de humor y encanto perfecto.

El mundo. Wyverns, dragones, valquirias, brujas, sombras vivientes… es como si alguien hubiese juntado todos los ingredientes épicos de la fantasía y los hubiese mezclado con precisión. La ambientación está tan bien construida que sentís que podés tocarla.

🔥 Lo que me dejó con ganas de más:

Algunas cosas se resolvieron medio apuradas. El final me dejó con el corazón en la mano, pero sentí que el cierre llegó demasiado rápido o que le faltaron unas 50 páginas más para que todo terminara de asentarse.

El romance entre Mal y Ash, aunque hermoso, pasa de slow burn a intenso en cuestión de páginas. Me hubiera gustado ver un poco más de desarrollo emocional antes de que explote todo.

Algunos huecos en la trama que, aunque no arruinan la experiencia, te dejan con preguntas (¡que espero que se resuelvan en el segundo libro!).

En resumen: si te gusta la fantasía con mucha emoción, personajes con capas, tensión romántica que te deja al borde del abismo y un mundo riquísimo en criaturas y política mágica, este libro te va a encantar. ¿Perfecto? No. ¿Atrapante, conmovedor y adictivo? Totalmente. Ya estoy esperando la segunda parte.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing an ARC of this title with me. This was an exciting romantasy, with forced marriage, enemies to lovers, “touch her and I’ll kill you” energy that was an overall enjoyable time. The main FMC Mal was empowering to read about, being genuinely herself throughout the entire book - strong, witty, caring - and never apologizing for who she was and where she came from. The authors writing was very descriptive and lush. After I got into the book I bit, I found it easy to vividly picture what the setting was for each scene and also felt like the authors choice of words evoked so many emotions beyond simply describing what was happening or what the characters were feeling. One of my other favorite things was how the various other characters were introduced. The author used the middle chunk of the book to build political intrigue, introduce characters from other kingdoms and in my opinion, made some of those other characters really shine. I expected this book to be about one FMC and MMC, but the character building had me feeling things for other people and other relationships just as much. I will admit that that same middle of the book section was at times a bit boring for me and I would have liked to have even more action throughout the book if possible, but the ending was ultimately well worth the wait! I will definitely be looking to read more from J.F. Johns in the future!

Really enjoyable read! Will definitely look forward to reading book 2. Love the world building and the twists! If you love enemies to lovers you will enjoy this! Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I will be posting my review to TikTok soon and will tag the author/publisher when I do.

The book started off very strong. I was hooked by the plot and I liked the characters that were being introduced. At 30% it started to drag and I felt like there were pacing issues. They were married by the 50% mark and I felt like that was dragged out way too long, but then they were in love around 80% but I just don’t feel like they had enough interactions or conversations to get to that point. Idk I’m conflicted because I really loved aspects of the story but had moments where I wanted it to move along faster.

I really enjoyed this book! I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. The world-building was super cool, I loved the idea of the Eight Kingdoms and how each one had its own unique vibe. It wasn’t just one big, generic fantasy world and every kingdom was described differently; That variety made the story feel bigger and more interesting.

The plot had some great twists too. A few I saw coming, but others totally surprised me, especially near the end — which kept things exciting. As for the characters, I really liked Mal and Ash as the main couple. They have a good dynamic, and I’m definitely rooting for them. Alina, though… she kind of got on my nerves. She just felt a little too much at times.

Still, I think the author did a great job setting up the next book, and I’m really looking forward to reading more. I’m hoping this turns into a trilogy (at least), because I’m not ready to leave this world yet.

If you like fantasy with strong world-building, enemies to lovers romance, and some solid twists, this one’s worth checking out!

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait until the sequel! There was not a single passage in this book that left me disappointed. All the beautifully placed twists and turns had me begging for more in the best possible way. There were heart wrenching moments, but I can’t wait to see where they lead to.

I really really tried to love this book after reading the reviews. However it just wasn’t for me. Too many POVs and too many similar characters to other fantasy books maybe? It’s not you, it’s me.