Did not finish.
I really wanted to like this but the pacing wasn’t my favorite. The plot had potential but it didn’t hook me. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters either. Maybe it’ll work better for others, just not for me.

When I grow up, I hope to be as cool and badass as Mal Blackburn. This book follows the FMC Mal as she enters into a marriage contract with a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Sent to be the cruel fire princes bride, she secretly plots to kill him in order to end a curse no one else seems to believe is true. When she arrives, the prince is not what she expected and killing him may not be as easy as she originally expected.

This book immersed me in this world from the start and using multiple points of view and following the story line of several different Royal characters from each kingdom, all of the twists and turns of the plot unfold. For the last third of the book I was on the edge of my seat as more betrayals and twists continued to occur and while I was devastated at some of the losses, I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us!

Thank you to both Netgally and the author for gifting me this arc, all opinions are my own!

I absolutely love everything about this book. I cannot wait to share this with my family because they are definitely asking for a book that fits that perfectly. I love this like I love the character characters. I watched the action through this book I was sitting on my seat the whole time needing to read the next chapter staying up until 3 AM just to finish because of how much I adore this book.

This is a great first book, instantly when I saw the trope enemies to lovers I was intrigued and it certainly delivered with an incredible storyline and don’t even get me started on the ending?! Incredible. I can’t wait for the second book

4.5⭐️
Dark magic, forbidden love, wyverns, and court intrigue? I’m OBSESSED. Like unhealthy obsessed.

The kingdoms haven’t spoken in a hundred years—not since they wiped out the witches and left their land in ruins.
Now, Mal Blackburn is supposed to marry the Fire Prince to make peace. Too bad she’s planning to kill him instead.
If she succeeds, she could break a curse no one even believes in. But nothing’s ever that simple—especially in a land full of dragons, revenge-hungry witches, and way too many secrets.
Mal has a few of her own. Like the one that could burn everything down... or save it.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash had me hooked from page one—assassins, curses, DRAGONS, and a fierce heroine on a deadly mission. Mal Blackburn is everything.
Bonus? I’m fully invested in Kai and Alina’s slow-burn, high-stakes romance. That ending wrecked me—I need book two yesterday.
If you love dark fantasy with spice, danger, and emotional twists, add this to your TBR now.

This book had me hooked from page one! The intense, emotional prologue set the perfect tone for a fast-paced, magical story filled with dragons, dangerous secrets, and court intrigue. Mal Blackburn is a powerful, confident FMC I instantly loved, and her chemistry with Ash was electric. The worldbuilding was rich, especially the unique courts and the curse storyline, which added a dark, compelling edge. I also adored the Tabitha Wysteria chapter snippets, They brought such depth and history

With tropes like enemies to lovers, forbidden love, found family, and ancient curses, this is a must-read for fantasy fans. If you love Throne of Glass or ACOTAR, you’ll be obsessed. I can’t wait for book two!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

With a strong FMC and plenty of romantasy tropes, this is a solid start to the series. I originally felt as though the first several chapters gave away too many reveals much too early with very clear hints. However, although my early guesses were often spot on there were quite a few twists and turns in the last 100 pages or so that threw me for a loop. These final plot twists and the last hundred pages or so were extremely redeeming for this tale and had my eyes glued to the page. Without giving anything away, my only issue with these twists is that the final major one (and details around it) do not seem to mesh with earlier details even for a plot twist. I am extremely hopeful that the sequel will find a way to explain how certain aspects fit together though.

Unfortunately, it took me a minute to get into this book. While fantasy worlds can take a minute to explain & set up, the first half felt unnecessarily slow. Additionally, there are at least a couple of names and details that feel as though they may toe the line between being inspired by other stories and being suspiciously derivative. Overall, I wanted to love this book but much of it felt too much like it was written to fit what is expected of romantasy rather than a unique tale.

I liked this book but didn't LOVE it. I usually dont like more than 2 POVs but I actually didnt mind in this book. I do think you should put the characters name at the beginning of the chapters.

This book felt more like it shouldve been either longer or split into two books.

I do think the romance needed more development. Maybe acknowledgement of his speech impediment, i know it says they talk all night but more context is needed. It would be a lot more beneficial to show us instead of tell us. If its the page count youre worried about I wouldnt be. if the books needs it, the book needs it ya know. I mean KOA was almost a thousand pages and it needed all of it.

Loved this book!! The world building and plot was so good. I could not get enough. I like Mal from the start. I love how she was not afraid to stand up for herself or others. Ash is such a sweet man. I did not know what to expect out of him at the start but really loved what I got to know. He was a character that really grew as the story went on. I liked how many plot twists there were. I was not expecting everything to kind of explode there at the end. Cant wait for the next book!!

Thank you J.F. Johns and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of the ARC Team!

I binged this book in one day and I’m itching for the sequel already!! It felt so different and refreshing from most of the fantasy books I’ve read recently and the world building/plot was so intriguing. The characters were so loveable and hilarious, even the “side” characters were so well ingrained into the story that it was hard not to be invested in each one!

Seeing an actual strong FMC throughout the whole story was incredible and I LOVED the MMC! The dynamic between Mal and her siblings is just incredible. Even though it was full of suspense all the characters had comedic moments that help you through.

The only thing I would say is I got a little confused with all the revelations near the end but I’m sure it will become clearer in the next one which I cannot wait for!


100% recommend this book Thankyou for allowing me to read this on NetGalley it was an amazing read

I honestly LOVED this book. For me, it's on the Throne of Glass / Fourth Wing / Spark of The Everflame level 😍

This book had me HOOKED! Wyverns, dragons and other magical beasts? Check! Loving and supportive siblings, who each bring a unique vibe to the table? Check! Detailed magic system? Check! Detailed and interesting world building? Interesting side characters you actually cared for? Arranged marriage? Slow burn romance? Cinnamon roll MMC? Strong FMC? Cliffhanger ending that leaves you wanting more RIGHT NOW?! Check!

I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you so much to J.F. Johns and Netgalley for the ARC, what a fantastic first ARC for me! Already pre-ordered on Kindle, and absolutely need a physical copy for my trophy bookshelf 🙈

I cannot wait for the next book! I NEED IT NOW 🙈🤣

Protect Ash and Kai at all costs 🙈🖤

I really enjoyed this one! One of my favourite parts was the different Kingdoms—each felt so intriguing and full of potential. If anything, I would’ve loved a bit more detail and time spent exploring them all.

Mal and Alina were the standout characters for me—their arcs were so well-developed and compelling. I wasn’t quite as sold on Ash, but I’m curious to see how things unfold with him in the next instalment.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, imaginative read with a vivid world and a cast that keeps you turning the pages. Can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc copy of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash.

A kingdom of shadow and Ash is a slow burn, found family, forced proximity fantasy read. It includes eight different kingdoms that are introduced and a plethora of characters. The book is written in multiple points of view, and it is easy to follow along, I thought it was unique compared to other books because each chapter begins with a journal entry. I also think a lot of people will like that it is semi closed door spice. While you could tell this was a first book in a series, I enjoyed it and I will be continuing on reading the series as it is published.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

This novel has all of the makings of an incredible fantasy story. Beautiful world-building, strong fmc, likable side characters, mythical beasts & magical combat. I wanted a little more battle action but I also understand the first book in a series bears the burden of laying the foundation of a magic system, politics, creatures, etc. I loved the politics in this & relished in the drama between different kingdoms. I especially enjoyed learning the different landscapes & creatures of each royal family. The small details that contributed to differing cultures in the realms gave the series a depth that others struggle with. The romance was convincing to me & felt organic to the plotline. There were a few scenes I felt went on a little longer than needed but didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I absolutely plan on reading the 2nd book & can’t wait to tell everyone about their next romantasy obsession. J.F. Johns has a permanent spot on my bookshelf after this read. So excited to see what’s next.

✨ A searing fantasy full of secrets, slow burn romance, and shadowy magic! ✨

This book had me in a chokehold from page one! I didn’t expect to get so emotionally invested, but wow—J.F. Johns has created a rich, devastating, and truly unforgettable world full of cursed kingdoms, ancient grudges, fiery slow-burn romance, and characters that feel like real people.

Mal Blackburn is exactly the kind of heroine I love: strong, sharp, deeply scarred, and unwilling to bend. Sent to marry the Fire Prince as a political pawn, she has every intention of killing him instead. But what unfolds is so much deeper than a simple enemies-to-lovers plot. Secrets, magic, betrayal—it’s all tangled up in a gorgeously crafted world of wyverns, witches, and dark gods.

Ash was such a surprise. He’s cold and closed-off at first, but beneath all the fire and control is someone vulnerable, loyal, and quietly powerful. Their dynamic is full of tension, sarcasm, and longing—a slow burn that’s worth the wait.

And can we talk about Kai and Alina?! I genuinely didn’t expect to get so swept up in their romance, but their emotional pull and inner battles made them impossible to ignore. I need more of them in the next book!

The multiple POVs were so well done—I never felt lost or pulled out of the story. Instead, it added so much depth and made the world feel massive and alive. The pacing was near-perfect, though I wouldn’t have complained about 50 more pages because I did not want to leave this world. And the chapter openers from the cursed witch Tabitha Wysteria? Genius storytelling device!

This is one of the best high fantasy romances I’ve read in a long time, and I already know I’ll be recommending it constantly to readers at my bookshop—especially anyone who comes in asking for something dark, romantic, magical, and completely addicting. This is that book.

If you love:
Dangerous court politics
Found family
Strong heroines & morally complex love interests
Forbidden love & prophecy-fueled destiny
And DRAGONS 🐉

You need this on your shelf. I’m already dying for book two!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC—I’m so grateful I got to experience this early. Truly magical. 🖤

I really enjoyed this!

Magic, dragons, witches, wyverns, scheming, politics, curses, gods, romance, multiple pov, spice, rebellion, betrayal - it’s all packed in there.

Having multiple povs really made this book for me, it added more depth to the story and plot as we followed multiple characters and got glimpses and understanding of the politics and history of the world. I like a story that has more to it than just a romance and this really did.

The two main romances were good, I thought the characters suited each other, but i didn’t really connect with it that much, I would have liked more angst and lust between them and development of their relationships.

I enjoyed the pace - felt a little rushed towards the end but that was okay. The overall writing I thought was so good, but there were some parts that felt a little repetitive with the same words being used multiple times on a page to describe things - or the same feeling or thought being described and then described again a few sentences later - but that was just a little thing niggling at me.


Overall - really looking forward to reading the next book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author didn’t seem to fully understand their own main character, which made it hard to connect. For the first 100 pages, it really felt like the story was setting up an enemies-to-lovers arc between Alina (who had way more main character energy) and Mals, who didn’t.

It’s not a great sign when the side characters are more compelling than the main character. Mals was flat, especially compared to the rest of the cast, and the romantic tension with Ash felt incredibly forced.

Chapters didn’t flow naturally into one another, and the pacing was all over the place. One moment dragged, the next felt rushed.

The world-building had some interesting ideas and a promising magic system, but it never went deep enough. The author introduced many kingdoms and gave NOTHING; the many POVS didn’t feel distinct or necessary. It felt like the book was trying to do everything.

Overall, this read like a draft that needed more focus and restraint.

This was such a great read. Having each kingdom paired with a different magical creature was really interesting. I love a good prophecy and mythology so this book was right up my alley. The pacing was great from 0-40% and then from 80-100% but man did the middle drag. I think this is a great setup for the series, as there are still many unanswered questions. but the book still had a satisfying ending. I liked each of the characters, but I did want a little bit more from them. I felt really close to connecting with the characters, but I just needed a little bit more time with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for the free eARC!

This book ticks the boxes for dragons,witches and love.
Mal and Ash seem such a lovely couple. I did feel sorry for Mal as she believed she was a witch which made her feel like a outcast in the society! But later in the book you find out she isn't a witch but a .... I don't want to spoil it. Author truly makes you feel like your there so descriptive on your surroundings. I got Mortisha addam vibes when author describes Mal at the beginning.

**Firstly I would like to thank J.F. Johns & publisher for giving me a copy of this eARC; here are my honest thoughts.**

Johns has created an enticing, semi-closed door romantasy novel about Ash—a brooding, stuttering, misunderstood Fire prince, and Mal—a lethal wyverian princess. Their star-crossed / enemy relationship was beyond compelling, and had me aching for more and more of their interactions. It hooked me from the start and never let up.

I struggled, though, with caring as deeply for the other relationships in the novel, and the abrupt changes in POV to even those outside the central narrative was difficult for me. But Johns is clearly skilled with prose, writing, and dialogue, and to those who like multiple POVs may enjoy this more than I.

Each storyline was well thought out, and the ending came bitterly for me. I wanted more, and see myself reading the second book when it releases.

Lastly, I wanted to note the clear similarities between this novel & other popular fantasy novels—namely Mal/Alina & then the other K names—of course, coming from Shadow & Bone by Leigh Barduogo. If this was intended—it was a nice homage.

xoxo,
Maeve.