This was an excellent read. There is tons of story building, character building, and lore. It feels very slow, but once you get a picture of the past, then you get the story of the present. I really enjoyed all the kingdoms and learning about how each one runs and who’s in line for the throne. It was really interesting as well to see Tabitha’s diary entry’s at the beginning of each chapter. It really helped see into the truth and the past. The ending was immaculate! It left just enough cliffhanger to prepare for the next book, but didn’t leave me hanging with an ending. I hope Mal and Ash get an eventual happy ever after, but this book threw so many curve balls I have no idea. 10/10 would recommend if you like fantasy with romance and very little spice.

This book completely captivated me from start to finish. The female main character is an absolute powerhouse—fierce, unapologetic, and fully walking in her truth. Her strength and presence command every page, and I was enthralled by the way the world seemed to bend to her will. The plot was gripping, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, the twists near the end left me absolutely stunned. The unraveling of secrets was executed flawlessly. I genuinely loved every moment of this story and I’m eagerly awaiting book two—it cannot come soon enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and J.F. Johns - the lovely author - for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review 🧡

I just have to say this cover!!! 10/10!! It’s so beautiful

✨The Fun Bits ✨

This book completely sucked me in! I can already see it becoming a hit in the booktok/ bookstagram world. I flew through it with barely any breaks because I couldn’t put it down. It’s definitely a long read, but the fast-paced chapters made it go by quickly.

The world-building was rich and immersive—so many kingdoms, layers of history, and hidden secrets that I’m hoping we’ll see more in the next book. There’s magic and dragons, wyvern, witches and so much more mythical beings!

Every character introduced had depth, and surprisingly, I enjoyed reading all the different POV’s. I usually struggle to care about secondary characters (loyalty to the main ones and all that), but I really enjoyed following all of them here. The third-person POV didn’t bother me either and actually I preferred it!

✨ MC Spotlight ✨

Mal and Ash are the main characters and they were bittersweet. The spicy scenes were on the light side- present but a little soft but honestly the story and action was much more interesting 🤷‍♀️ What’s different about the male MC is that he is not a regular alpha kinda a guy which is a refreshing change for this type of genre.

✨ What Else to Expect ✨

It ends on a cliffhanger—one of those that flips everything upside down and leaves you desperate for book two. While there are some familiar romantasy tropes, the story still manages to feel fresh and stand out on its own, which is probably why I loved it so much!

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

✨ Tropes ✨ (might be considered a spoiler)

⭐️ enemies to lovers, almost instant love
⭐️ court intrigue
⭐️ arranged marriage
⭐️ multiple POV
⭐️ Many kingdoms
⭐️ prophecy

Reading this book was an absolute delight—I found myself completely captivated and reluctant to put it down. Mal Blackburn, our fierce and complex protagonist, is bound by duty to marry Ash Acheron. However, to break a century-old curse, she must make an impossible choice: kill the Fire Prince before time runs out, or risk unleashing an unknown fate.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Mal and Ash was executed brilliantly, adding tension, depth, and heart to the story. I adored every moment of their development. The plot was fast-paced and filled with twists—especially toward the end, which was pure chaos in the best way possible. I was flying through the pages, desperate to see how it would all unfold.

With its irresistible blend of forced proximity, romantic tension, and unrelenting suspense, this book checks all the boxes of what I love in a romantic fantasy. Never a dull moment. A solid 5 stars—and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!✨🐉📖

This was the most incredible book I have ever read! I feel like I could talk about this book forever and still have things to rave about. There was just so much thought and detail that went into every character, every setting, every kingdom, every storyline - just incredible. I was completely amazed how the author was able to weave together so many storylines and still keep it a cohesive story. I also loved the overarching storyline from Tabitha Wysteria - the witch who originally cursed the 8 kingdoms. I enjoyed coming back to her retelling at the beginnings of every chapter as a little insight into what happened in the past.

I truly think the growth of all the characters was very well-done. We start off with Mal Blackburn who is quite headstrong and is hell-bent on killing the Drakonian Prince thinking he is a brute, but we see her quickly come to realize that things are not always as they seem once she meets Ash. I loved the vulnerability in Ash's character as well, it made him more relatable and I could empathize with the way he acted in the Drakonian court. I do have to say that although Mal and Ash were the stars of this particular installment in the series, Kai and Alina stole my heart. The yearning between the two was out of this world and I can't wait to see how their side of the story unfolds in upcoming books (hopefully!!).

My only critique would be that I don't have the second book in my hands already and I now have to wait an unknown amount of time until I can jump back into this world hahaha Thank you JF Johns for trusting me with an ARC of your book!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review.

This book took a little bit to get into, but once I got into it I really couldn't put it down! It was fast paced, definitely not a slow burn... but the twists and turns in it really kept me wanting to read more. The world building was really interesting and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Mal Blackburn is the fourth born daughter of the Wyverian royal line. She loves her life in the kingdom, which she enjoys with her 3 siblings. Alas for Mal, her fate has been decided for her: she is to be married to the Fire prince, who is said to be cruel. Will she survive this marriage under oath?

For fans of wyverns, witches and warlocks, dragons, fae, valkyrians, phoenixes and huge wolves: this is a story for you. Even though the title is a bit basic (A blank of blank and blank is very popular among authors these days), the book starts in a slow simmer until it ramps up to the grand finale, leaving you wanting the next book stat.

What kept me reading?
- What STARTED me reading was the stunning cover. I know, don't judge a book by its cover, blah blah, but it definitely does help in my choices to pick up a book.
- Alina is a meanie in the beginning, but she for sure grows along with the book.
- *does grabby hands* Kai.
- Had me wondering what was going on with certain characters and OH BOI does the plot deliver.
- Just the drama of it all. Oh my lord.
- The Wyverians are just badass.
- Love the extra layers that the Fire Prince has.
- It has people who can kill you but are cinnamon rolls, people who look like they'll kill and actually will kill you, and just killers who end up being cinnamon rolls I guess.
- The dynamic between Kai and Kage was chef's kiss. Would love to see more of them.

What icked me (a little)?
- The tidbits at the start of the chapters (by Tabitha Wysteria) seemed a bit random and after reading, I still haven't really found their function.
- Sometimes the relationships feel a bit rushed, this is definitely NOT a slow burn.
- The rotten food thing was a bit weird in the lore, but I guess we'll just take that as their quirk.

All in all it took me a little time to get into the story but by the time I got to the end, I couldn't put it down. And I am really excited to read the next book.

This book was provided by NetGalley as an ARC. Thanks to them and the author for this opportunity!

3.75 stars
thank you netgalley.com and JF Johns for allowing to read this arc for my honest review

this first book of a multi-book fantasy series follows mal blackburn as she decides whether or not she will break the curse set upon the seven kingdoms by tabitha wysteria after her husband was killed.

this novel includes multiple POVs, oath marriages, fae, witches, and more. if that is something you are into, this may be the novel for you!

this novel was well-paced and had some interesting characters. though, i will say that i felt as if the character names were lacking originality.

some things i really loved about this novel: the prologue!!! that prologue was possibly one of the most engaging prologues i have ever read.

alina acheron! she was my favorite character! i loved her inner monologue and her inner battle to find a place where she belongs. her growing tension with kai blackburn also kept me kicking my feet and giggling.

i loved how different each of the blackburn siblings were (kage, mal, kai and haven), you can tell that they really each had a separate purpose for the story.

somethings i didn’t love about this novel: waaaay too many POVs, i like a lot more mystery especially for the first novel of a series. i also don’t love when novels switch POVs in one single chapter. another thing i didn’t love was the sudden change between mal and her “love interest”, they went from barely acknowledging each other to instantly in love making it feel more like insta-love than slow burn enemies to lovers.

otherwise, i am very excited to read the next book and hope the story continues to be as exciting!

view this review on fable and instagram (@readingbyleisa)

this has everything you want in a fantasy book! so good and so amazing. it kept me on the edge of my seat! i can’t wait for the next one.

The story line of this book was top notch! I did get a little confused a few times throughout, but I wonder if that was also due to the many POVs.
The world building intrigued me right from the beginning and I was instantly hooked.
The FMC seemed like such a timid character in the beginning but then all of a sudden was this badass fighting and threatening to kill people-threw me off a little bit.
The MMC is just a beautiful cinnamon roll even though he's known as a cruel prince. And the poor guy-I felt soooo bad for him!

I'm interested to see where the next book takes us!

I found this book stunning from beginning to end, full of excitement! I was fully immersed with the characters and the world and didn’t want the book to end. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this ahead of release and cannot wait for the buzz and fans to start gathering in mass when it is released!

This book was pretty fun and filled with a lot of interesting twists and did a good job keeping me hooked throughout. The main characters were very interesting and i liked the depth to their characters but i wish we had a bit more depth and different personalities for the side characters.
The writing style is really nice and kept me engaged with the gothic style the author created. the pace is a bit slow due to the many different character perspectives we get but i actually liked seeing everyones thoughts.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for letting me read the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, even the side characters (Wren). I am curious to see what will happen in the next book. I am curious to see if something will spark between Wren and Kage or if he really prefers men.

I do feel like the author could have gone into more detail about the magic and the overall plot. To me it was missing some explanation.

The spice wasn't crazy which I often prefer.

Overall I would say a 4 out of 5 rating for me.

Love the artwork for the front cover.

I don’t know if I can even formulate words for how incredible this book was. For 100 years the eight kingdoms have not spoken until Mal Blackburn is betrothed to the Fire Prince. But a curse is whispered and rumoured and the only way it can be broken is by Mal killing the Fire Prince.
This is a world filled with witches, dragons, wyverns and other mythical and mystical beings. I absolutely adored the book and the storyline, I was kept on the edge of my seat and every twist had me gasping!
The slow burn, enemies to lovers… incredible. Mal and Ash have my heart.
Mal is a badass FMC and she had these beautiful pockets of wisdom for the other characters in the story I just loved reading what she had to say.
I loved that the story followed so many characters and not just the main plot line, we got to know so many of the characters and their intentions/ motivations through 3rd person POV. This is an addictive dark fantasy with plenty of political scheming and old feuds reignited.
This is one of my top 5 reads of the year and I will be recommending this to everyone I know.

This book had a really good plot line filled with twists that kept me hooked throughout. The characters were well thought out and almost all had depth to them. The only critique I could give to this book is the lack of chemistry between the main love interests, each of them said they lived each other but you couldn't feel it and there wasn't much depth given to that side of it. Other than that it is such a good book.

Stars: 2 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this.

I would like to say this is just my opinion. The book was not for me. With that being said it may be someone else’s 5 star read. This synopsis pulled me in and made me want to love this book. A cursed girl trying to help break a 100 year old curse by marrying and killing the chosen on.

I am ok with 3rd person POV, but this story felt like we were jumping from one person to the next. It was harder to remain engaged in the story because it was slightly choppy. The POVs did transition well and they felt abrupt. This story had such potential, it just felt like it was in the early stages of writing and brainstorming. The reader really did not get to know the characters well enough. Their stories felt rushed and unfinished. The magic system really was not explained in depth either, and I feel like that was an important part of this story. As I read through the book I felt like I need more background information on our characters. The spotlight was never truly on Ash and Mal, and their love story felt like it took place off the pages. I’m not sure why but his character just really bothered me. While I loved that he was vulnerable, I just did not love his character. I enjoyed Kai’s character more.

While I don’t think I’d recommend this book quite yet, however I will be following this author to see what they come up with next

So to start, I loved the writing style of the book. I feel like it has very unique descriptions of things that come across in a bit of a gothic style. I love the main character (Mal) who is strong, independent, but also has so much love for her family. She is one of the strongest fmc I’ve read.

I gave this book 3 stars because there are a ton of good characters and it’s told through each of their perspectives. It did get to be a lot though because there were constantly more character perspectives being added which seemed to slow down the pace of the book and get a bit confusing as far as when everything is happening in the timeline.

In the beginning until about 65-70% of the way through I couldn’t put it down, but then it seemed to slow down a lot until about 90% and then the ending was amazing!

Overall very glad I didn’t dnf but came close to it at points. I do plan to read the sequel!

This book got me with the cover and kept me hooked with the FMC!

This fantasy romance follows Mal Blackburn, a badass Wyvern riding princess who finds herself agreeing to an oath marriage with a prince from the fire kingdom to break a generations old curse. Mal is fierce, protective of her family and people, and will stop at nothing to make sure those she loves are safe.

With multiple 3rd person POVs, you are able to experience this world from a variety of characters.

• Forbidden love
• Magical creatures, Witches, Wyverns & Dragons
• Sibling bonds & complicated family dynamics
• Found self

Spice 1/5
The romance element has good chemistry and tension, though I found myself wanting more spice and deeper emotional development. As much as I loved Kai and Alina, I wish we had gotten a bit more from Mal and Ash.

Overall I loved this book and I can't wait for a Kingdom of Sand and Ice!

This is a story with a lot of potential, it's just that much of it felt like idea storming more than a complete story. I never felt like I got to know the characters enough to care about anything they went through.

This book promises to be about a prince and a fourth-born princess of rival monarchies, Ash the prince of the Kingdom of Fire, and Mal the princess of the Kingdom of Darkness. What we got was more POV chapters from side-characters than from Ash and Mal. There was a POV chapter from his sister before we heard from him. There was also a romance between Mal's brother and Ash's sister that was more developed than between the characters who were supposed to be the main characters.

The magic, was not explained much, if at all. I wanted it to have more of a focus than it did because it felt like it was an important part of the story. Mal has a mysterious magic that is both not talked about among her family, and there's a whole society of witches/warlocks. This is another thing that might be nitpicking, but all the realms are called "kingdoms" but some are Queendoms, and some are lead by the first born regardless of gender. There were also some odd choices when it came to world building, the Kingdom of Darkness, they eat rotten food... which I just don't understand. If there is little to no sunlight in this realm, I would assume they eat a lore more fungus or fermented food, so cooking fresh food weeks ahead of time so it can sit and rot is... odd.

All that aside, the focus of this book didn't feel like it had a central focus. It should've followed the Prince and Princess more closely, they "fell in love" off page from my perspective. So their sacrifices at the end of the book didn't feel earned. Not to mention the two bait and switches that happened, honestly came out of nowhere.

There is a good and interesting story in here, I just feel that it needs more refinement.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash had me hooked from the prologue and refused to let go. A forbidden love, a kingdom set ablaze and a curse forged from revenge that reshapes the entire land? Yes please.

The third person storytelling allows the reader to follow each path in the story, getting glimpses through the eyes of the Wyverian princess, Mal; the Fire Prince, Ash; a maid hiding more than she’s letting on and royalty from other kingdoms.

This story is built on betrayal, with twists and lies so deep, they tangle into the very core of the main characters. Everyone has secrets. Everyone thinks they know the truth and how to break the curse. But only Mal can uncover what’s been buried for a century and how to save their kingdoms.

Shocking, thrilling and beautifully written. It’s easy to get lost in the world, characters and tension.

Final thoughts: obsessed with Kai Blackburn and desperately rooting for a Bryn & Kage romance in the series!