I love S. A. Cosby! This book took me a little longer to get into, but once the story starts rolling it plays like a movie in your head. It’s rough and gruff. Not a story for everyone, but definitely a good time.

4.5 ⭐️ Oh wow, this could be a BET movie or even a TV show! The action in it was crazy! And the plot twist...😳 What in the world! And I'm so happy I was granted the opportunity to listen to the audiobook because wow 🙌🏾 he did amazing.

King of Ashes was a profile in grief and loss. Loss in the present, loss in the past and possibly loss in the future.. This book was a gritty, suspenseful thriller that was indeed a wild ride. The main characters were at the same time likeable and flawed. This was an amazing book that will stay with ,e a very long time. The narrator was superb.

Book Review 🎧


Another 5⭐️ read! If S.A. Cosby writes it, I will read it. I love his books so much! If Adam Lazarre-White narrates, I will listen. He definitely brings each book to life with his narration. I loved that they continue to team up for each book. King Of Ashes is such a compelling story that you won’t want put down. The audiobook was stellar, definitely felt like I was watching a movie. Pick up a copy June 10th, you will not be disappointed.

Swipe for synopsis

Thanks to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for the ALC! 🎧





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#kingofashes #sacosby #gabbyellabooksntea

A dark and suspenseful thriller that teaches you can't trust anybody, not even family.

Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via NetGalley. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free ALC. All opinions are my own. This is my honest involuntary review.

This was my first SA Cosby book and man, it was a banger to open up with. I'm officially obsessed and must read all of his backlog.

Audiobook:
The audiobook of this was done very well. I felt the deeper baritone voice really resonated with the main character Roman. I even felt that he gave the women in the novel distinct voices despite his low tone. The book was clear and concise, and I never had to change my listening speed.

General Thoughts:
This book was much darker than I anticipated it being. But it was so well done and kept my attention throughout the entire book. I felt that the pacing was very reasonable and well done as well. I never felt like I was bored or I was in a downtime for too long. There was no info dumps that took me out of the story. Every character and their motivations were well explained and decisions made sense to the characters.

This book definitely lived up to the genre of thriller! I definitely was surprised by many of the twist and turns within this book. I was desperately trying to figure out how this was gonna wrap up at a certain point because it was getting to crunch time and I couldn't see a real resolution. But even that was superbly done, even though I couldn't see the outcome prior. SA Cosby did an absolutely fantastic job of building up the suspense and dread associated with the storyline. I was stressed through this entire book. But in the best way possible. I really enjoyed the way SA Crosby wove all of the subplots in with the main storyline. It all fit together so well and left no plot holes I could see.

The twist and turns throughout the novel I've already mentioned were not predictable for me. But they also definitely seemed realistic. I had no problem believing the things that were happening could actually happen and that no point did I question the reality of the narrative. They were definitely some tough points in this book to read. But they all felt like they belonged in the book and in no way felt overzealous or there for shock value. All of the hard to read parts absolutely made sense to the plot characters in storyline.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if dark thrillers with lots of crime, gore and sinister people are your thing. I had a great time and I think people who enjoy the same type of subject matter would as well.

⏰: 13 hours and 9 minutes
🎤: Adam Lazarre -White
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Southern crime epic/Family Drama
Triggers: murder, torture, drug and alcohol use, Light BDSM
Rep:southern setting, Black cast
Spice: 🌶️
Gore:🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️
Release Date: June 10, 2025

"Everything burns."

Absolutely stunning - a gut-wrenching story about family and what we will do to protect them.

Roman is coming home because he received the call that his father has been hurt in an accident. He's gravely injured and he needs to get home. He's come home to the two siblings that were left behind when he left their small town, left them to run their crematorium family business.

But they were a fractured set of siblings before he left. Their mother has been missing for years. The town, the police - everyone believes their father did it. The kids have always struggled with missing their mom and continuing on with their lives.

However, Roman isn't in town long before he realizes something very big is wrong with his little brother. The time has come for Roman to come back to town and protect his siblings as they are buried deeper into a very dangerous game.

Wow, I was so completely sucked into this one! I did as an audio book and it was hard to stop once I'd started. Each new turn just dropped my jaw and I was amazed at how messy the danger was, how horrifying it all was, and just how major every twist was. I liked how complex and gray every character was. What would you do to protect your family? Roman is willing to risk it all.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

In King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby, Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown after his father's suspicious car accident, only to find his brother tangled in dangerous debt and his sister struggling to keep their crematorium—and family—afloat. As buried secrets surface and threats close in, Roman is forced to use his skills in ways he never expected to protect the people he loves. This was such an explosive and gripping read! It’s my first S.A. Cosby book, but definitely not my last. The writing was raw, sharp, clever, and the audio pulled me right in. I loved the timeline shifts between past and the present, and the mix of family drama, mystery, and tension made it a wild ride!

Thank you to Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar and Macmillan Audio, for an ALC. This book will be out June 10th.

This was magnificent! From the writing to the production the characters were so layered. The drama was intense, I just loved every single minute of this audiobook. I heard several reviews of the authors work on Book tok but this was my introduction and I am blown away.

People say they would anything for their family, but this book begs the question, is there a limit?
SA Cosby is really solidifying himself as the leader of urban crime fiction.
You will like this book if you are already familiar with the themes of crime fiction. If violence and murder make you queasy, skip this one.
As for the audiobook, Adam Lazarre-White could narrate me taking a poop and I would probably fall on the floor. You can tell he has a deference for the source material. And he really brings the characters to life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first SA Cosby book I’ve listened to and I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator and the way he told the story and his different voices. What is it about SA Cosby's books that has that “oh no oh no oh no no no” tik tok sound playing in mind through their entirety?

Like I’m literally thinking “wtf” through so many parts. I thought “All the Sinners Bleed” was dark but somehow this is just as dark if not darker… throughout the book I just could not see how a resolution is possible without everyone dying. Seeing Roman’s descent from desperate family member/problem solver to true gangster was terrifying but also incredibly well done. The gory violence was not really my taste.

Also, admitting to liking women who were physically alike to his mom was really weird!!! And this gets weirder by the end of the book.

Dante pissed me tf off throughout this entire book, like why can’t you do anything right/makes sense. Cassidy even more so.

Even though I think the audiobook was done really well, I may have liked this book more if I had read it vs listening to it because listening to the gory parts was really difficult. But that’s just a me thing.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was so gritty, gory, and violent! I was so hyped about the ending of this book i had to make a review video immediately. Our MC, Roman, was definitely one of those morally grey characters that story was fleshed out so perfectly. The ending was heartbreaking and scary af! The writing and the narration is def one of his best yet. Retribution was served but at what cost…

5 Southern Gritty stars

This author has always been a winner for me, and this one is no exception. This time, I enjoyed the fantastic voice of Adam Lazarre-White on the audio version. Cosby introduces us to memorable and complex characters and family dynamics that I’m still thinking about long after I’ve finished this one. His storytelling is impressive and brings his characters to life.

This immersive read put me in Roman Carruthers's world. He’s a successful money manager in Atlanta, having escaped his small hometown and the family crematorium business. That life is about to change, though, when he gets a call that his father has been in a terrible accident.

He returns to Jefferson Run to find his father in a coma, his sister, Neveah, working way too hard, and his brother, Dante, hiding out. Dane is supposed to be helping Neveah run the crematorium, but he’s gotten into deep debt and trouble with the local criminal element.

The town's criminals are ruthless and violent, and The Farm is their dreaded hideout. The Farm is out in the country, and they use their dogs as punishers for those who cross them. The men are involved in drugs, corruption, and everything criminal in Jefferson Run.

As Roman learns of the depths of Dante’s debt, how much trouble he is in, and why his father is in a coma, he naively thinks he can outsmart the thugs. He can pay back some of the debt, but the gang wants more and more.

This one gets very dark, and it is uncertain if there is any way out for the family. Roman offers to work for the syndicate, making them money in unorthodox and very usual corrupt ways. Even the crematorium is used as a tool for the gangsters.

Neveah knows something is happening, but her brothers don’t want to tell her what they are doing. She becomes wrapped up in finding out what happened to their mother, who disappeared when they were teens. Her body has never been found, and many in town are convinced that their father is responsible.

I was rooting for these family members, but everything seemed so dire. Much of the book has a sense of impending disaster, with tension and danger building at every turn. Even one wrong word could lead to death. I feel like I really came to know these characters and didn’t want anything bad to happen to them.

The title of this one is appropriate and totally fits the book—King of Ashes indeed! I am eagerly awaiting this author's next book.

This is the second book I’ve read by S.A. Cosby and I think it will be my last. Although it was suspenseful and fast paced, there is too much violence for me. The audio was well done.

This was my first SA Cosby book and I can definitely see why he’s hyped up!

King of Ashes is intense from the beginning and doesn’t let up all the way through. The writing is smooth and skilled, and the characters were so realistically flawed.

This book brought suspense, family drama, and mystery that led to a surprising twist towards the end. It was also beautifully tragic.

I enjoyed the audio version and would recommend it as a great option for consuming this book. I have listened to other audiobooks from this narrator and I like his style and cadence.

I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

S.A. Cosby continues to prove he's a master of gritty, emotionally charged storytelling. King of Ashes was more action-packed than what I usually read, but I found myself fully immersed—drawn in not just by the plot, but by the deeper themes of family, loyalty, and the lengths we go to for those we love.
The protagonist, Roman, is a complex character. He's clearly shaped by past trauma, and you can feel how much he wants to protect and repair the lives of those around him—often times to a fault. His complexity kept me invested from start to finish.
One of the standout characters for me was Dante. There’s a real sense of sadness around him—he's a bit of a lost soul, but you feel his humanity deeply. The unwavering support from Roman and their sister Nevaeh made those family dynamics feel real and touching.
Part of Nevaeh’s storyline is trying to uncover what really happened to their mother—added a compelling layer of mystery and emotional weight. It wasn’t just a side plot; it gave the story more texture and meaning, especially in how it tied back to family pain and resilience.
This novel is intense, at times even scary, but that tension was necessary to make you feel what the characters were going through as they faced violent and unpredictable threats. It’s nerve-wracking in all the right ways.
The ending, though tragic, stayed true to the story’s tone and emotional core. Overall, this was a gripping, powerful novel—equal parts adrenaline and heart—and it confirms that Cosby is an author I’ll keep coming back to. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audio book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian for the advanced audio copy, in exchange for a review with my own opinon.

first allow me to say, i love SA Cosby down - i have not come across a read from him yet that i do not throughly enjoy.

book details:
King of Ashes is narrated by Adam Lazarre-White [which is a perfect duo btw] and follows the story of Roman Carruthers, an established financial advisor who returns to his hometown after his father is involved in a car accident. We also meet his sister Neveah, who runs the family’s crematorium and his brother Dante, who can’t seem to get his shit together and has found himself in trouble with some local drugpins. throughout the story there are so many twists and secrets that im more than sure will have you on the edge of your seats.


my thoughts:
as i previously mentioned i love SA Cosby down, so i was extremly excited to start on this arc read. as expected cosby gives us another thrilling, intense and twisty southern crime drama that left me shook.
his ability and passion to develop these characters and make it feel so real is amazing. i could see a writting like this on the big screen - manifesting MBJ for the lead - cause this defintley gives a little bit of Sinners vibes. [not following the full plot, but the ambience]
i feel like majority of cosby’s writings KOA is fast paced, with a few moving parts but not too overwhelming to the point where you can’t keep up [whites narration - again is chef’s kiss]

Happy to see Cosby back with another story that had me filled with anticipation. The characters were kind of hard to love, but you wanted to see them get through the tragedy that befell the family. Ready for the next one!

There’s a quiet kind of heartbreak in this audiobook that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. The story doesn’t just tell you about pain and loss—it makes you feel it deep in your bones. Listening felt like stepping into a world where every word carries weight, and every silence between the lines screams with meaning.

What amazed me most was how the writing managed to be both heavy and beautiful at the same time. Even when the story was tragic, there was a strange comfort in the way it was told—as if sadness itself was wrapped in something tender and unforgettable. The narrator’s voice was like a thread weaving through the emotions, pulling me closer to the characters and their struggles.

This isn’t just an audiobook to pass the time. It’s an experience that shakes you, breaks you open, and then quietly rebuilds something inside. It stayed with me long after I pressed stop—and I don’t think I’ll forget it anytime soon.

Everyone seems to love this author but I just can't get into it, It seems like there is too much detail and not enough action for me.

Another great novel by S.A. Crosby! This one had a little more violence than some of his other books, but it is still not to be missed! This is a story about protecting your family at any cost. It is dark, suspenseful and kept me listening until they end!