I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

The story throws you straight into a fantasy world with almost no context, which left me feeling confused about the setting, timeline, and characters. I know this is the first book in a trilogy, but I really wish there had been a stronger foundation for the world-building and a clearer introduction to what’s going on.
Another issue for me was the narration. It kept jumping between past and present tense without any clear reason, which made it hard to stay focused and follow the flow of the story.
I also had a tough time connecting with the FMC. Her personality felt one-dimensional, and her "not like other girls" attitude came across as repetitive and frustrating. Lines like, “No one wanted a wife who could gut a deer or fight like a man” and “They were all so beautiful and dainty, not the type to scrap with men or hunt in the woods” felt overused and made her difficult to relate to.
The biggest struggle for me, though, was the writing style. It felt unpolished, with a lot of repetitive phrasing and awkward descriptions, like “I looked up at the edge of the roof, it was just beyond my reach. I jumped up, attempting to grip the hard edge of the rooftop with my fingertips. The edge slipped my grasp.” and “After barely eating anything last night, I didn’t expect to feel famished. But this morning, my hunger is an angry wench this morning.” Unfortunately, this style wasn’t a one-off but continued throughout the book, which made it hard to stay engaged.
That said, I do think the story has potential. With more polish, better pacing, and deeper world-building, this series could become something really enjoyable. For me, though, it wasn’t quite there yet.

Are you a fan of Lady of Darkness and Throne of Glass? If so, then this book is for you. Our FMC is an assassin who goes through many things from grief, hopes and vengeance. She's strong willed , determined and passionate which is why I loved following along her journey. The dynamic of the worlds of magic, royals and assassins definitely pulled me in and made for a very exciting read. It has action, fated mates and unexpected twist in the story. I can not wait for the next installment.

This was my favourite quote, "If it is, I'll live the rest of my life cursed under your enthrall. I can't help but be obsessed with you."

3.5 ⭐

This is an example of a good book that could be great with some more editing. Granted, I read an eARc, so I tried to look past the typos and tense inconsistencies, but there are also a few plot holes that were left dangling (maybe they will be cleared up in the other two books, but I don't like when books leave me that kind of unsatisfied).

That being said, I loved the story idea. Lor is on an incredible journey. My heart was ripped out a few times and I'm not okay after the cliffhanger. If you get anxious, you might want to wait for all three books to come out before starting.

I agree with other reviewers who note that we're missing things. The first few chapters are almost too long in their details and as the book goes on we're skipping and jumping and falling into insta-love. Where is the depth of the beginning once we get to the meat?!

Again, I think some more editing could have brought this from good to great. I do want to read more, but the way this first book left me dangling with basically no hope or satisfaction also kind of makes me want to forget about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

This book was a page-turning adventure that I could not get enough of. It was a super quick read, which I do enjoy - though part of me wishes it could have had more detail and story, it feels like it just get a new character and bam-at the next part of the story. This alone was honestly the reason why it's not 5 star read for me, but otherwise... The characters were amazing, and the plot was written well and I lost track of both time and place while reading it. I absolutely loved it, and I hated that it ended. I need the next one ASAP!!! There are so many questions to be answered!

Daughter of Shadows and Ash is a quick read fantasy book that basically combines every fun part of the genre into one. You have powers, assassins, dynasties, death and love all wrapped into one delicious book one of a fun series.

Our main character Alora battles death fairy quick in the start of the book, and readers get to see her battle through the 9 lives it feels like she lives throughout the book. While left on a cliff hanger, the tension felt in the last 50 (or so) pages keeps you guessing and throwing out theories of what you think is going to happen, which is something I always love in a book! I can’t wait to see where this series goes and what happens to our main character.

Daughter of Shadows and Ash wasn’t bad but also want my favourite. It was a fast read, especially since the pacing is quite rapid. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth and their motivations were curious. The direction of the plot threw me for a loop and not really in a good way, but I think that’s because the characters lacked a lot of depth and that’s why their choices didn’t make sense.

I probably won’t pick up the next one in the series, but this book could be for you if you like a fast and easy read with a little bit of spice.

This was sooo good!!

A book perfect for fans of Lady of Darkness and An heir comes to rise. Our FMC goes through so many struggles with grief, vengeance and hope.

This book includes betrayal, magic, romance, fated mates and feminine rage. I couldn’t put it down, I wish it was longer! Also, that ending OMG, bring on the next book.

2.5 stars for me. I don’t feel like there was a lot of depth with the characters. Lor, the FMC, seems to be bouncing around but you never get many details of jobs she’s on or the other characters that she builds relationships with. She meets someone and the next chapter it’s 2 years later and they’re best friends. So it just felt very rushed with not a lot of backstory. You do get some of Lor’s early 20s at the beginning and a little bit of her childhood is revealed.

I will say the story line got better and seemed to slow down a little once you meet Ryn, one of the many MMC in the book. And I mean that in the sense that the beginning, middle, and end, each place a different MMC in Lor’s life as her companion/lover. But I’m assuming Ryn is supposed to be the one to stick around the rest of the story.

The writing itself was great. The story flowed well. The author used a lot of descriptive words to help describe the people, villages, buildings… it definitely made it easier to follow.

Daughter of Shadows and Ash is a quick, fast-paced read with everything many fantasy fans love—strong female protagonists, assassins, a mate bond, shadow magic, and royals.

Alora, the main character, is a fierce assassin with shadow powers who is out for vengeance, making her journey both thrilling and emotional. As she navigates her world of magic and danger, the book introduces a mix of relationships, from best friends to enemies and even a romance that ties into the fated mate bond.

The book’s pacing is rapid, and it doesn’t waste time diving into the action. I loved the dynamic world of royals, assassins, and magic, all of which come together in a way that’s both exciting and intriguing.
The story takes unexpected turns, and the romance happens quickly
There’s a lot of action, power dynamics, and political intrigue mixed in with the romance, and I think fans of fantasy will really enjoy it.

It’s the first book in a why choose trilogy, so if you're into series that explore multiple love interests, this one is for you. The ending, of course, leaves you hanging with a cliffhanger that will make you want to pick up the next book right away.


Honest Thoughts:


It wasn't a bad read at all, and for people who like something quick, this is definitely for you.
I don’t mind fast-paced books, but I was a little thrown off by the direction of the story—first, the whole revenge and assassin thing, and then suddenly a one-night stand ends in a mate bond and arranged marriage?
If you like this, you’ll eat this book up, but I personally love development and don’t care for the “we’re strangers but if you say we’re mates, I guess we will be together now” vibe.
Still, it’s a quick read with fantasy elements that has something for everyone—a decent book, but don’t expect a mind-blowing new high fantasy.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is interesting and the world building felt immersive. I love that a playlist was included at the start, it really set the tone!

Alora is a strong FMC and the beginning of the book provides a captivating and emotional backstory to really understand her motivations throughout.

However, the story felt rushed as it developed. The relationship between Lor and Ryn needed more build up and tension, especially since they are fated mates, the bond seemed forced. With such an intriguing start, I wish the book had been longer to allow for balanced pacing and a deeper connection with the characters, as some of them fell flat.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The ending left me with a lot of questions so I’m excited to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cursebreaker Books for providing me with an ARC.

3.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

This book had me hooked from the beginning! I loved the opening scenes. I was completely on the edge of my seat for the first few chapters. I will admit I did not read the description so the plot felt super twisty in the best way. Lor and Maël need a HAE. I hope I’m not in denial that there is still a story there.

I loved Lor’s journey and her character development. I still have so many questions and Im holding out hope we get those answers in book 2.

“I was vengeance, I was power, and with newfound confidence, I was beautiful.”

What held me back from rating this 5 ⭐️
I wanted more details, with thicker chapters. A lot of this book was beautiful but many parts felt almost like a rough draft just waiting for the author to fill it up with more information. I was hoping for more in depth scenes some background on the side characters. Some parts of the story felt like they were rushed and towards the end many months are skipped over so while Lor may build a strong connection with the prince during that time, it was hard as a reader to feel that same chemistry. I think the ending would’ve had more of an impact if we had felt the same way she did towards her husband. It was also repetitive with the wording. Ex “Bracing myself, I steady myself.” The same character saying “you’d do well to…” twice on the same page. I might be a bit picky but I truly did love this book and can absolutely see the potential this author has.

I'd give this book a 2.5 stars.

It has so much promise but fell short on some of the delivery. I enjoyed the beginning, with the friends to lovers trope, and it was sad when Lor's village was destroyed. I understood this developing into a plotline about revenge and how she ends up becoming an assasin. The book is reasonably fast paced here which is a strength but there is a lack of world building. I have no real sense of the war that is going on. We have no real knowledge about Lor's powers, what other powers there might be out there. There is no wider context.

When Lor leaves for Epherinia I have no idea why she had to go see a Mage or why there is a prophecy or how it was determined really why she had to marry the Prince. It felt really random. Also when Ryn declares him and Lor as mates this felt a bit random. A bond was perhaps alluded to but I think I only identified this once the mate trope was revealed because I'd read other fantasy books. It did feel like a suprise and mates could've been introduced earlier, even at the beginning when Lor reveals she loves her friend.

When Lor is in the palace it's a bit surprising she stops looking for Vengeance. I get that she's falling in love and wants to embrace this happiness but it seems strange she'd forget the years she's tried to hunt down the people in her village especially with one having been seem in the palace.

When she is kidnapped at the end, this was exciting. We knew people were jealous of her. But again it felt a bit jarring and too random to find her being imprisoned in the castle, allegedly by the King and Prince. There was no previous indication of her being at risk from them. Perhaps with wider world building, information about her powers and the politics in the kingdoms this might make more sense.

Overall I enjoyed the direction of the book and the main plot and I think this book and world has so much potential. Just without the wider world building I was a times left a bit confused and some developments felt a bit random.

As a fan of fae, assassins, and romantic fantasy, I was eager to love this book. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Alora, despite her traumatic past, seemed to rely on luck and fortuitous timing rather than proactive agency. This and the other characters' one-dimensional portrayals gave the story a somewhat generic 'chosen one' feel.

The world-building, while interesting, lacked a truly unique edge, a common challenge in the saturated fantasy genre.

Ultimately, I found it difficult to connect with the story and lost interest. While I believe there's potential, the story needs work.

The premise of this is crazyyyy. 21 year old Alora seeks revenge for her loved ones. She’s hell-bent into finding the men who did that and make them suffer for what they did. No matter that she’s got a weird voice in her head (never was explained why) and she’s got an awful sense of direction. In her world, war’s raging on and she somehow ends up as part of the assassins guild. She’s sent on a mission to the capital and somehow becomes a chosen one for a prophecy of the bad guys???? Crazyyyy but.. I don’t have it hahaha I’m just angry it ended at a cliffhanger!

Thank you Netgalley, Cursebreaker Books, and of course Ember Johnson herself for providing me with an e-ARC to review! 🫶🏼

I’ll do 3.75-4 ⭐️ this was such a fun read!!! Overall I really liked the book and the story and I will absolutely be reading the second one.
I love the FMC. I can relate to her caring so much for those close to her, and being protective. And when she faces grief, she dives deep into the badass version of herself and becomes an assassin to seek vengeance. Are you kidding?!?

There were a couple/few jumps in the time which made the storyline feel a little gapped for me. I didn’t like the plot twist that happens pretty quickly in the story. I wished there would’ve been a little more build to those characters and relationships before anything happens. I felt as though I was starting to get attached just to be jumping to something else.
I also would’ve liked to have more back story on Alora’s powers/magic so I could see why she was so important to the kingdom and what happens in the end of the books events.

I WAAAASSSS kicking my feet + giggling at the relationship between Lor and Ryn. The things he said?! It was nearing an insta-love a little bit but there was yearn to it which I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF. His nickname “love”….. pls 😭😭 swooning

Tid bits:
•loss / grief
•badass FMC
•found family
•fated mates
•fae & human
•magic
•betrayal

Alora vows to avenge her family. But she is betrothed to the hateful prince who also happens to be her one night stand and fated mate. Lots of tragedies and a very dramatic storyline.... Love the characters. Lots of intrigue. It has a slow start but it got interesting half way for me. Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Awesome read. I love a female assassin. Always makes me disturbingly happy to read about savage woman doing shadowy things. I was hooked from page one. Finished it in 1 day! I loved it. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

3.5 stars
Daughter of Shadows and Ash by Ember Johnson is an intriguing mix of vengeance, magic, and fated love. Alora’s transformation from a grief-stricken survivor to an assassin and unexpected symbol of hope immediately captivated me. The emotional depth in the beginning hooked me, and her passionate, fateful encounter with the mysterious stranger set the stage for an intriguing romance.

However, after the initial 20-30% of the book, the momentum slowed, and some aspects felt underdeveloped. There were repetitive phrases that occasionally pulled me out of the story, and I wanted more depth regarding Alora’s magic and her grandmother’s role, which I hope will be explored further in the sequel.

That said, I truly enjoyed Alora’s character—she’s strong and determined, making her journey compelling. The ending left me excited to see how her story will continue. If you enjoy fantasy romance with fated mates, assassins, and dark forces, Daughter of Shadows and Ash is worth picking up, and I’ll be reading the next installment to uncover more of Alora’s story.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for letting me read this arc!

The story is very interesting but the execution was done poorly.

This is a fast pace adult romantacy that reads very YA. It starts of pretty good but goes from 0-100 very quickly. The world building was not there, and the story itself needed to be more fleshed out. It felt like we were jumping from one event to another without much context, so over all it fell very flat. The insta love from our fmc to another character also didn't leave room for any realistic connection between the too.

I can see what the author was trying to do with the story and I think with more fleshed out storytelling and world building this could be epic!

This is what you will call a fastpaced action-packed fantasy with romance, vengeance assassins and a bit of magic.

The world building and storyline was interesting, but I could have used a bit more of literally everything.
The maincharcter Lor was great, and she held her ground through every challange.

3,5 stars and a thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Post on IG the 28 jan. 2025 (one_fairy_tale_at_the_time)