3.75 stars

I loved the drawings at the beginning of the chapters.

I had a bit of trouble connecting to this one, I think maybe because of the multiple (three sets?) of third person POV. I think if that were first person, it might have helped me. Or maybe adding whose it is at the beginning so I could follow easier.

I liked the slow burn on Mal and Ash but imo thought the chemistry was between one of Mal's brother's and Alina. The action really picked up at the end and seems like it's setting up nicely to pick up in the next one.

"A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash" by J.F. Johns is the first book in the Kingdom of Gods series. The stunning cover immediately caught my attention—it’s the kind that’s going to be all over BookTok. I was captivated by the intricate plot and found it reminiscent of “The Bridge Kingdom” series, but with the added allure of dark magic. The court intrigue was compelling, and the enemies-to-lovers trope was executed beautifully.
Thank you to NetGallery and Independent for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh! 5 stars is not enough! This book masterfully weaves a tale of dark magic, gripping adventure, and unforgettable characters that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The world-building is rich and immersive, filled with intrigue, danger, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. The main female character is EVERYTHING I wanted her to be! I cannot wait to read more!!

I started this and was completely lost and confused. I had no idea what was going on. I needed more backstory or something.

3.75 stars. Rounded up.“A Kingdom of Shadow & Ash” is packed with cool elements like enemies-to-lovers, prophecies, and magical creatures such as gods, witches, wyverns, and dragons. I did long for more romance/spice, only because I could sense the tension between the FMC and the MMC. I wanted to see more of that need between them on page. It was easy to get lost in the overall story, in a positive way. There are some questions I was left with but I think book two will likely answer those. I would have liked to know at the beginning of each chapter the character I was reading about. I felt as if I had to figure that piece out on my own each chapter. I do look forward for book two.

I just became a huge J.F. John’s fan! This romantasy was everything I needed. Enemies to lovers. Prophecies. Witches. Wyverns. Dragons. These are the books you escape reality with and wish you could hop in and be a part of their world. Never a dull moment and the ending! Omg I already can’t wait for book #2!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel and was highly skeptical at first that too much inspiration had been taken from the Throne of Glass series. Although the summary does not state that it is for fans of ToG, it 10000% should! I thoroughly enjoyed how unique this world is and was happily surprised when all of my world-building questions were answered throughout the story. The writing structure keeps you salivating for more information as the author feeds it to you bit by bit. There were several instances when I thought to myself "why" and was pleasantly surprised when my internal questions were consistently being answered throughout the story.
The plot twists were delicious. I actually felt a little disappointed when around 80% completion I thought I had everything figured out. The only reason this was not a 5 star for me boils down to the fact that I just am not a big fan of the miscommunication trope and wish that particular aspect of the story would have been mediated sooner.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ARC opportunity!

If you love fantasy romance with dark magic, court intrigue, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic that burns, A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is for you! J.F. Johns weaves a gripping tale of warring kingdoms, forbidden secrets, and a heroine who refuses to be a pawn in anyone’s game.

The story is packed with tension, both in the romance and the political stakes, making it hard to put down. The slow-burn chemistry crackles, and the morally grey characters add layers of intrigue. While I wished for a bit more depth in the world-building, the twists and betrayals kept me hooked from start to finish.

✨ Tropes & Vibes:
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers
✔️ Arranged marriage with a deadly twist
✔️ Court intrigue & betrayals
✔️ Dark magic & witches
✔️ Slow-burn romance

Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and Serpent & Dove!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️
Spice: ⅕ 🌶️ (Sexual scenes, but with very limited details)

🐉Fantasy
⚔️3rd Person POV
❤️Enemies to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity

Woah, okay… Where do I even start? I have just put this novel down and I am feeling so many emotions, but what I do know is that the overall story absolutely captivated me to continue reading until the very end.

Let’s dive in and start off by saying this book took me a little off guard because it is in the 3rd person POV and there is a lot of chapters that we swap back from one person to the next. Our main characters, I think, I hope, is Mal. Mal is the fourth daughter of the King and Queen of the kingdom of Darkness. What’s unusual about this is that up until now, every king/queen from the kingdom of Darkness has only had 3 children. So when Mal is born as a fourth born and with purple eyes (which indicates witch abilities), not only does it defy the previous tradition of only having 3 children, but also leaves questions of if she is cursed. Having previously been enemies of the Kingdom of Fire, Mal is to be married to the prince of the Kingdom of Fire, Ash, in order to create peace between the two kingdoms. However, there is talks of Ash and Mal being the chose ones — the prophecy states that one must kill the other in order to truly break the curse of all 8 kingdoms.

Starting off this book, I was a little confused by the abrupt changes in POV’S. Mind you this is all 3rd person POV. One chapter, I am reading about Mal and Ash, then the next we are reading about a scene that is between Kai(Mal’s Brother) and Alina (Ash’s Sister). Then it goes back to Mal and Ash,only to then switch again to Kade (Mal’s other brother) and Wren ( A princess from one of the other 8 kingdoms). This makes it extremely confusing and lacks the depth and connection I usually crave for in my novels. Not only did it leaving me wanting more of my main characters, it made me very confused about the overall rules, and story building of the world. For the first half of the book, it felt like things were constantly thrown in without any previous explanations or mentions. It made me wish that there was just a little more attention to detail in the writing that fully explained things clearly.

I’ll be the first to admit, I never realized, until reading that this book, that I don’t think I have ever really read many novel’s in 3rd person before. With this being said, I am incredibly amazed by the author’s ability in the overall plot points, to still keep me intrigued and captivated to continue reading a novel that I didn’t fully connect with. It’s truly such a unique and very complex plot,that I am still intrigued by, but I feel if this was a dual POV written in 1st person, it would have truly been a hit with the book community. Something about the 3rd person POV is what truly throws the entire book off.

Moving on to the overall tropes of this book. We get enemies to loves, forced proximity, arranged marriage and a little bit of forbidden love from some of the other characters in the book. The spice in this book is little to non existent — we have a few scenes where it’s very loosely implied that it leads to more, but it’s not in depth for what I most new-adult novels would include. I think this is more of a YA fantasy than a new adult fantasy because of this alone. As a romance/ dark romance girly, I usually like my books with at least a few smutty scenes throughout the book and I was so sad because the slow burn build up was there, but it just fizzled out 🥺

While I feel this book was missing a depth of connection with the reader, I will still be picking up the 2nd book to find where the author takes us with this story. After all, after that cliffhanger, how could I not?! If you’re someone who is looking for a story that doesn’t have a whole lot of spicy, is very complex, and keeps you page turning, then you will enjoy this book!

Thank you for gifting me an ARC to read and review.I hope to read more from the author and hope the next book is even better 💕

Mal Blackburn, cuarta hija del reino de la oscuridad, ha vivido temida por sus ojos morados, como los de las brujas, aunque sus padres le aseguraron que no lo era. Su vida da un giro cuando una vidente le revela que para acabar con una maldición ancestral y poner fin a la guerra, debe matar al cruel Príncipe del Fuego. Sin embargo, poco después, su padre le anuncia que su matrimonio ha sido arreglado con nada menos que el mismo príncipe que debe asesinar. Todo parece que se esta alineando para poder cumplir con la profecía, pero cuando conoce al temido príncipe se da cuenta que no es nada de lo que esperaba y empieza a dudar.

Mientras secretos y traiciones surgen en un reino lleno de dragones y magia, Mal deberá enfrentarse a su destino y decidir si lo que oculta en sus ojos podría ser la clave para salvar o destruirlo todo.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you"re looking for a book with: An action packed narrative, Toe curling tension, and a storyline world you'll want to immersive yourself in through every page this is the book for you! Similar world building and development to Sara J Maas. The main character is strong, badass, and everything you want out of a woman! Did I mention its a slow-burn enemies to lovers in the midst of all this! A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash should be on your TBR ASAP!

“A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash” by J.F. Johns was absolutely incredible! I couldn’t put this book down! The world-building is phenomenal, with an amazing cast of magical humanoids—witches, draconids, phoenixes, valkari, and more. The story is full of everything I love in a romantasy: prophecies, romance, unexpected twists, and so much more. Every page kept me hooked, and I’m already counting down the days until the next book is released. If you love a captivating blend of magic and love with an unforgettable plot, this is definitely a must-read!