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!

Kingdom of Ash and Shadow had a solid story and romance, with side characters that really stood out. The world-building and political intrigue were interesting and added good depth. That said, the pacing felt off—some scenes dragged and could’ve been cut. Still, the twists and reveals kept me hooked, and I enjoyed the overall ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you for letting me read the ARC!!
I could not put the book down. This is the first ever fantasy book I’ve read that involved witches and it didn’t not disappoint. The title of the book feels like I’ve seen it multiple times it nothing new the cover gorgeous.. I’m not a big fan of 3rd person pov, and it didn’t find it kinda hard to keep track with all the jumping around from the different pov’s.

Overall it was a fairly easy story to read. The pacing was really fast moving and I loved it, the authors does a good job of being very descriptive about characters and world building. The banter between the MFC (Mal)and MMC (Ash)was fantastic. The ending left me wanting more. I felt like there was some plot wholes here and there. I also loved that the MMC isn’t your typical “Alpha” male that you usually see in fantasy books. The romance parts did feel a bit rushed Towards the end of the book. It started off a a slow burn then bam it just kinda hits you. Wish there was a little bit more to them. I feel like we saw more detailed relationships with Kai’s and Alina. Can’t wait to read the second book.

A strong FMC, a curse, an epic love story and multiple betrayals…. I couldn’t put this book down after I started it!!

“The world was on fire.” This book was on fire!! A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash was a pleasant surprise. Betrothed into a foreign kingdom, very different from her own, Mal is expected to save all the remaining kingdoms from a hundred-year-old curse. She was raised semi-hidden from the world because she carries a trait that has long been intentionally forgotten. This trait will ultimately lead to twists and turns that promise to keep the reader captivated.

The story is briskly paced and effective. The exploration of the various characters and their interconnected lives was engaging… Tabitha’s diary entries at the beginning of each chapter proved insightful without taking away from the primary storyline.

J.F. Johns strings words and ideas together in a way that kept my interest the entire time, oh, she is good! This book blends fantasy with romance, offering enough excitement for fans of both genres. I look forward to following the characters and their journeys in the next book!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall Impressions

I have to be honest and say that I dove into A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns purely because of its cover. It's beautiful, the protagonist, Mal Blackburn, on the cover is absolutely stunning — menacing, powerful, and just as lethal as the book describes her. I didn’t know what to expect other than a magical fantasy. Although the premise and the lore had me excited in the first few pages, this book is somehow doing both too much and too little at once. The lore is so broad that the characters and events only scratch the surface and never dig in deep enough.

Characters

The cast is huge in A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash, with glimpses of characters from all across the kingdoms. However, every character seems dialed up to their most extreme traits. Mal is the most beautiful, lethal, amazing warrior there is — period. That same pattern follows for the rest of the cast, where each person quickly becomes a single trait (for example, a chatty character is only chatty across the pages), which makes them feel one-dimensional and either overly flawed or too perfect. I think this stems from the book introducing too many characters and parts of the world too quickly, without allowing enough time to develop the kingdoms or give the characters the attention they deserve.

Plot

The lore and premise are incredibly promising. Every time a new region was introduced, I ate up the details, hungry for more. However, this circles back to the book doing too much, too quickly. The characteristics of each region weren’t explored deeply enough, and a lot of the lore came in the form of exposition rather than letting the reader naturally discover the world through character and story.

It definitely gave me Lightlark vibes, or what Lightlark could’ve been with a more mature writer, so it had that going for it.

I loved the overall premise: a princess and a prince, with a bit of enemies to lovers tension, though it leaned pretty hard into my least favorite trope, miscommunication.

There’s just so much lore packed into this book that even 600 pages couldn’t handle it. It definitely could’ve used some editing down and trimming of the worldbuilding, which often took the spotlight away from what I personally think should’ve been the focus, Mal and Ash’s story.

The ambitious breadth of the lore took away from other key elements like rushed character relationships, non-descriptive environments, and outfits that were basically just “a slip of cotton in a solid color” (💀). I wanted to love this book so badly, but it was so broad that it never got to dive deep into any of the parts I was excited about.

That said, I enjoyed the plotline, the misdirections, and even the ending landed okay for me. Honestly, I would’ve loved to see this story stretch into a second book just to give this amazing world time to breathe and flourish.

Writing Style

I love multiple POVs, and with a cast this big, the book definitely needed them to tell a comprehensive story. It gave me strong Throne of Glass book 6 vibes. But then again, Throne of Glass waited six books to get to five-plus POVs, and I really think this book would’ve felt more special if the pacing had been slower.

The writing style was probably what pulled me in and out of the story the most. Similar scenes were often described using the same repetitive phrasing. The characters “consumed each other” and “became vengeance” a lot. The tone stayed very "epic" for most of the book, and I usually need a bit more build-up before those high-drama paragraphs land with full impact.

That said, I did enjoy the dialogue. It felt fantasy-esque and grounded, although I struggled with the talkative character’s dialogue (trying to avoid spoilers here). I appreciated the attempt at distinct speech patterns, but I think it went a little too far and pulled me out of the immersion. There were also a lot of “as you know” conversations, where characters told each other big chunks of plot instead of letting those details unfold naturally through action and events.

Closing Thoughts

I struggled with this book when I wanted to love it. I was absolutely GIDDY about the premise the first hundred pages or so, the world is so vast, there are so many creatures and different cultures that we could've experienced and learned about, which sounds like there was an opportunity given the second book's name.

However, the world moved so much faster than for us external readers to consume its content, and it didn't build quick enough for me to continue being invested in it. The focus for me in the first book was the main couple's chapters which I desperately wanted more of and enjoyed plenty! I wish there was more of them.

I think the story was good, but it's not really an enemies to lovers, so maybe label it as forced proximity / arranged marriage instead? I think as a community we're using enemies to lovers too often when it's just characters not speaking to one another.

I don't think I can recommend this right now or jump into the next book, however I do want to follow the author in the future as their work gets a bit more edited as an author!

Rating: 4/5 stars

This was such a solid read. The writing was genuinely beautiful—easy to follow, but still vivid and immersive. One line that really stuck with me was: “The Dark Library was a sanctuary of splendor and wisdom, a vast chamber where the echoes of history were carefully preserved, each archive a thread in the tapestry of their world’s past.” It captured the worldbuilding perfectly.

Mal’s character arc was definitely a highlight. Watching her go from feeling small and overlooked to becoming this powerful god of shadows was so satisfying. It gave me the same kind of energy as Aelin from Throne of Glass or Violet from Fourth Wing—a quiet strength that builds into something huge.

Ash was a refreshing change from the typical male lead in romantasy. He was still charming, but not the usual broody, morally grey type we see all the time. He felt more grounded and a bit different, which I really liked.

The ending left off on a good cliffhanger that definitely makes me want to pick up the next book. If I had to nitpick, I wish there had been dual POVs—I would’ve loved more insight into their thoughts and feelings. And while the connection between Mal and Ash was interesting, I wanted more from their relationship. A bit more tension, more build-up, more of that emotional pull.

Overall, a great start to the series. I’m really curious to see where it goes next.

This book totally grabbed your attention from the start. If you’re looking for a slow-burning story, this isn’t it. I have a ton of questions because I haven’t read the first part of this series, which I definitely plan to do. I can’t wait to find out more about Mal. The full series is called the Eternal Darkness Universe, and since you can read this as a standalone, you’ll definitely want to know more! Not just want, but need to know more!

To me A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash leans more into high fantasy than romantasy — lots of lore, multiple kingdoms, and a rich magic system.

While I appreciated the ambition, it was a bit too heavy on the fantasy side for my taste.

The third-person POV and constant perspective shifts made it hard for me to connect emotionally. I was more invested in Mal and Ash’s dynamic than the wider cast, and I wish their storyline had stayed more central.

That said, the worldbuilding is creative, the prophecy element is intriguing, and fans of slow-burn fantasy with light romance may find a lot to enjoy here.

ARC received via NetGalley

I had so much fun reading A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash! This was such a fast-paced, captivating read that had me hooked with all its twists and turns The world-building wasimmersive, and I loved all the different kingdoms and houses within the book. Even though it was a little hard to keep track of everyone at times (there are a lot of characters!), it didn’t take away from the experience. I found myself loving the entire cast and getting invested in all their stories.

While the beginning started off a bit slow, it didn’t take long for the pace to pick up—and once it did, I couldn’t put it down. The story had a great balance of action, mystery, and character development that kept things fresh and exciting. I’m already looking forward to book two and can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

By the third chapter, I was all in on this world of 8 magical kingdoms. The love stories - and I saw many developing - are what pulled me along, page after page late into the night on my three day marathon to get to the finale. I enjoyed the high and lows, even when I wasn’t sure if it would end in war or happily ever after. I especially liked that there were multiple heroes . There is still so much I want to unravel and understand. So this book goes down into my “addiction” bookshelf.: and now I must console myself and wait for the next book in the series.

Wasn’t to sure how this one would go but the title has me thinking it would be a good book and it was! Absolutely beautiful book!

I was sent a note by the author that this book was part of a series . I feel like the story line is so fluid and cohesive that it could be a stand alone . I fully understood the plot , characters and story line with just this book . I loved this book , it has so many elements to it , enemies to lovers , female heroines , family dynamics. I love witches and warlocks , this book combines witch magic with other types of magic and creatures . To read a book with so many different elements was a treat . The character building is fantastic, you want these people to succeed or ( die ) , given the character! I will definitely be checking out the prior books in this series !

Okay, so A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash totally pulled me in from the start. The atmosphere? Immaculate. There’s this dark, slow-burning tension that builds beautifully, and the world feels rich without being overwhelming. The main characters actually have depth, and the romantic tension had me invested. I wasn’t just reading—I was fully in the trenches with them.

Pros:
• Loved the morally gray characters—felt layered and real, not just “dark for the sake of dark.”
• The world-building was lush but digestible. It didn’t feel like a lore dump, which I always appreciate.
• Pacing kept me hooked. It was slow in parts, but in that simmering way that pays off later.
• The vibes? Peak broody fantasy with just the right amount of angst.

Cons:
• Some moments felt predictable (especially if you’ve read a lot of fantasy romance), and I guessed a few plot points early.
• The heroine had a couple of choices that made me pause—like, girl, really?—but she redeemed herself eventually.
• Not a huge deal, but I wish the magic system had been fleshed out just a little more.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It’s the kind of book that leaves you needing the sequel immediately, and I’ll definitely keep going with the series. Would recommend if you like your fantasy with a bit of grit, emotional stakes, and a slow-burn romance you can feel.

So I normally don’t like multiple povs or 3rd pov but….. I could not put this down, the representation of the mmc condition was just chefs kiss imo. Dragons, wyverns, magic, arranged marriage, all the tropes you need!

I had read that this book is part of a series in the eternal darkness universe which I haven’t read YET! But the world building in this book did not disappoint and the side characters were perfection, my only criticism is that I now have to wait so long for the next book! Definitely a contender for one of my favourite books this year.