A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a captivating blend of dark magic, political intrigue, and slow-burning romance that immerses readers in a richly crafted fantasy world. From the very first page, the novel hooks you with its complex characters and intricate plotlines.

The story unfolds in a realm where dragons soar above, witches plot beneath, and ancient curses threaten to unravel the fabric of the kingdoms. At the heart of the narrative is Mal Blackburn, a fierce and independent fourthborn from the kingdom of darkness. Her mission is to end a centuries-old curse by assassinating the Fire Prince, Ash. However, as with all well-crafted enemies-to-lovers tales, things don't go as planned. Ash proves to be more than just a brooding royal; he's a character with depth, vulnerability, and a surprising tenderness that adds complexity to their evolving relationship.

Mal's journey is one of growth and self-discovery. Initially driven by a singular purpose, she learns to navigate the complexities of leadership, loyalty, and love.

The novel delves into themes of destiny, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. The slow-burn romance adds an emotional layer that resonates with readers, making the characters' journeys all the more impactful. The tension between Mal and Ash is palpable, and their evolving bond is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a promising start to a series that promises to deliver more of the magic, romance, and intrigue that fans of the genre crave. With its compelling characters, intricate world-building, and emotional depth, it's a must-read for lovers of fantasy romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and author J.F. Johns for this Opportunity to read A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash in return for an honest review! It was a great experience :)

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash was a Solid 4⭐️ that follows a 100 Year old curse dividing eight kingdoms that left behind destruction that was unfixable until now, follows Princess Mal Blackburn; who is sent into an arranged marriage to Unify the Kingdoms through a marriage to the Cruel Fire Prince. The curse has one cure and that is for Mal to Kill her newly beloved to put an end to the curse once and for all. Mal’s task does not prove to be easy with revenge, secrets and love on the table. Can she successfully save them all or are they bound to be doomed?

This story was beautifully written, and there is only one way to consume it - a binge read! While it was a solid 4/5 stars. The story had so many complex and intricate structures due to the phenomenal writing style the author has carried from start to end. It was told both elegantly and enchanting which excelled the reading experiences for certain scenes, character interactions and honestly I was shocked in the sudden vast improvement when the last 20% was reached. The story itself as previously mentioned, is complex and intricate in structure and this is due to the world building being so rapid. For so much information, it was really hard to adapt till about the 50-70% mark. While it was well done, I think this was due to the switch in perspectives through out the book. Having multiple character perspectives sometimes made the story confusing and lacklustre as we fell away from the main characters Mal and Ash. I feel, if these perspectives we’re implemented later or less frequently once we got to know the characters better - it would have assisted in the flow of the book, but I do understand that these perspectives helped us look into the bigger picture for other important roles and may be carried into the next instalment of books.

Another detail was that I really enjoyed Mal’s perspective of the book when she did have time to shine. Her story and History is rich and for that alone I would love to dive into book 2 out of pure curiosity for where we are headed. The concept of war being foreshadowed combined with mysterious elements such as why we are getting know the history of ancestors, the influence of Gods and having unique magical elements really pulled everything together within each stage of the book. The best I could describe this would be How to Train Your Dragon meets Maleficent and if these movies resonate with you then this is your sign!

Overall, A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash has a lot of promising components and is a solid read for the most part across a range of details. I definitely think it’s going in the right direction with that ending and that over all it followed a steady story flow. It is marketed as a New Adult Romantasy - but I’d like to add it feels like it borders between YA and NA with the exception of the occasional explicit scenes that carry into NA. So with all of this in mind, I hope you’ll give A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash a try!

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns 🔥 REVIEW

My rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

Two enemies. One cursed fate.
The eight kingdoms have been divided for a century, ever since the witches’ land was destroyed and left in ruins. But when Mal Blackburn - fourthborn of the Kingdom of Darkness—is sent to marry the ruthless Fire Prince, the fragile peace starts to crack.
Mal’s mission? Kill the prince and break a long-forgotten curse.
But nothing is as it seems in a land of fire and dragons. Everyone has secrets—including Mal herself. And hers might be the one that decides the fate of them all.

'𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓐𝓼𝓱 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷, 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓬𝓮𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀, 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓔𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶𝓼. 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓴 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰'

'𝓗𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓼𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭. 𝓗𝔂𝓹𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭. 𝓡𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭.'

Wow. Wow. Wow. I was hooked from the first chapter. This book has everything I’m looking for in a fantasy; dark magic, curses, political scheming, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, murder, betrayal, wyverns, witches, kingdoms and MORE.
There are quite a few characters and kingdoms but it never felt overwhelming - the worldbuilding was fantastic without being confusing and I felt fully immersed. Mal and Ash are great main characters but I love that it doesn’t just focus on those - we get multiple POV’s and the siblings and side characters were EVERYTHING - It was giving found-family vibes and I loved it.
The twists in this book? Absolutly wild I was literally screaming at my poor kindle.
I can’t wait to see where this story goes especially after that ending!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for blessing me with an arc of this book. My life will never be the same again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my goodness. I have no words that was amazing!!! I loved this book so much. I’m usually good at figuring out the plot twists but this book had me shocked so many times!! The prophecy, the curse, all of it was not as it seemed and I was shook. I adored every relationship in this story. Kai and Alina were my favorite tho, their relationship healed something in me I didn’t even know still needed to be healed. I hope we get more of their story in the next book. Hagan what?!?! He just seemed broody and jealous you’re telling me that was all an act looking back I see it now but oh my gosh!! Mal and Ash the opposite of every other story she’s the one with shadows and his stutter ahh so cute!! All in all this book is worth every second I spent reading it and I can’t wait for more!!!

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns completely captivated me from the very first chapter. The atmosphere is haunting and magical, immediately pulling me into its world. J.F. Johns’s prose is beautifully written with every scene being vivid, and full of effortless emotions. The story is rich with themes of love, power, prejudice, and the danger of misunderstanding entire groups of people. The worldbuilding is layered and complex, with royal secrets, forbidden magic, and political tensions that keep the stakes high throughout the book. The characters are incredibly likable and well-developed. Their dynamic is so compelling and emotionally satisfying, especially the slow shift from mistrust to something deeper. The romance is a slow burn, with an enemies-to-lovers tension that unfolds naturally and meaningfully. I also really appreciated the emphasis on family bonds and inner strength. There’s a thoughtful exploration of identity, legacy and what it means to fight for your people, while also delving into self discovery. A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a fantasy with emotional depth, strong character arcs, and a storyline that kept me turning the page, It was absolutely worth reading and had me in a chokehold! I already can’t wait for the next book!

As soon as I started reading A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash, I was hooked. The introduction to not only the characters but also the world was so immersive, I knew this book was special. I absolutely loved how the FMC embraced what made her different & though others shamed her, even spit at her, she was stronger because she knew what she was greater than the thoughts of others.
Which brings me to our MMC. Despite how things may look on the outside, you truly never know what someone is going through. Sometimes all it takes is one person standing by your side to let you know it’s okay to be afraid, but not to let fear hold you back from living.
The relationship between Mal & Ash was so beautifully done, & my only complaint is that I needed more of them. Their journey, which began with schemes & was accompanied by compelling supporting characters who also stole my heart, turned into something so much greater.
This is an excellent example of how romantasy should be done. The world-building, characters, & plot twists come together in a page-turning adventure you do not want to miss.

Witches, wyverns, fae, dragons and…phoenixes. This book has it all!

I was hooked from the very beginning. A prophecy? Say less.

I usually hate multi-pov’s, but this one was done in third person and it added a lot to the story. I was never bored during any characters pov and it kept me wanting to know more. I absolutely love Kai and Alina. And Ash *sigh* I just wanted to give him a hug.

That ending? Hello??

I cannot wait to see where this story goes. I’m ready for book 2 now!!

The pacing was off in a few chapters where it would jump from one scene straight into another with no explanation as to how they got there or what was happening. That is my only negative about this book. Immediately pre-ordered because I need that cover on my shelf.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the eArc and a chance to review

Thank you for the publisher and net galley for letting me have this as an ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I was intrigued from the start to finish, the plot, the darkness, and emotions. Truly such a great book! A great dark fantasy!

A lush, immersive romantasy with layered worldbuilding, multi-POV storytelling, and a juicy slow-burn plot. I loved the tension between duty and desire, the morally complex characters, and the vivid contrast between kingdoms. The final twists completely stunned me—I’m already eager for book two. A must-read for fans of moody, emotional fantasy.

𝗪𝘆𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀, 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 — ''𝗔 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗵'' 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.

OH MY GOODNESS this book was incredible! Those plot twits?! Hello?! With only 10 hours access to the book left, I devoted a whole day to finish reading this book, I devoured it — I just couldn't put it down. This book grabbed a hold on me and didn't let me go. I was fighting to finish this book in time, with only a few minutes left at the end, but I did it. And I fell in love along the way. This book is so so good! And so so clever. I was truly impressed by the world-building, the immersive writing style, and the characters. It has many fantasy/romantasy elements included that I adore — dark magic, political scheming, betrayal, romance, danger, dragons, witches, and wyverns. Eight kingdoms to learn more about, and lots of interesting characters we get to meet along the way. I felt myself being completely immersed into the story. And I loved every part of it.

We follow Mal Blackburn, the fourthborn daughter of the Kingdom of Darkness, who has been chosen to marry the Fire Prince as part of an intricate plan to unite their warring kingdoms. Yet, hidden beneath her poised exterior lies a far more dangerous mission: to assassinate the prince, shatter a long-buried curse, and rescue her people from a sinister fate that has lingered in the shadows for generations. As tensions rise and alliances are tested, and as the weight of her task presses heavily upon her, will Mal be able to find the strength to break the curse?

At first, ''A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash'' felt quite overwhelming to me, but in a good way. There’s a lot happening in the story, with multiple POV's throughout. Because of the many perspectives, I found myself a bit lost at times, trying to figure out whose POV I was following. However, as I continued reading, it became easier to follow. I love how there were so many characters we get to meet and how each one plays an important role in the story. They were all so interesting to read about, and I genuinely loved each of them. There’s so much depth to every character, with layers to unfold and discover. The characters go through so much character growth, inner struggles, longings, and so many emotions that really can be felt through the pages. I felt a lot for them because they seemed so alive and It just felt like we truly got to know them, their dark and bright sides.

And the romance in this book? Wow! It’s been a while since I read a book where the romance felt so alive, powerful, vulnerable, emotional, and moving. It’s not just an enemies-to-lovers or a slow-burn—though those are some of my favourite tropes. The romance in this story just hits differently; I believed in it and was truly moved by it. Mal and Ash are to be married to unite the divide between their two kingdoms. Despite their differences, they find out they have quite some more similarities than that they thought they would have. They face the duty of fulfilling this obligation, even as their hearts begin to beat for one another. Then there’s Alina and Kai. Alina has never really had the opportunity to make decisions for herself, bound by expectations and duty. But then there’s Kai—he sees her, believes in her, loves her, and helps her realize that she can choose for herself this time. His support for her, no matter the consequences for his own feelings, was incredibly beautiful and moving. Watching Alina grow and stand on her own two feet was my favorite part of the book. I can’t wait to see how her character development progresses in the next book. And oh my goodness, Wren! She’s just so adorable. Her rambling and the way Kage, despite appearing irritated, secretly smiles at her antics, is the absolute cutest! She’s chaotic and funny, and I love her for all of it.

The worldbuilding in this book is amazing. It's detailed and immersive, and the writing is incredible. It's a story that's both being told and shown, it's complicated yet strong. The author had my full attention with everything she wrote. And that ending? Absolutely brutal but so, so good! During the last 100 pages, I was on the edge of my seat with all the twists and action happening. I gasped a few times, and I just was completely hooked. Everything was just so cleverly crafted, unfolding, and intertwined. I need book 2 right now, please! I'm completely obsessed and can't stop thinking and talking about it. I feel like I could ramble on and on, just like Wren, about everything I liked about this book, but I’m afraid I won't have enough space to cover it all! :')

I think you'd like this book if you'd enjoy to step into a world filled with strong heroines, character growth, third person multiple POV's, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, forbidden love, sibling relationships, eight kingdoms, dragons, wyverns, witches, ancient curses, court politics & high-stakes betrayal. Then go read this one! I think you'll love it!

Because I had to rush to finish through the last few chapters a bit to be able to finish this book, I'm definitely going to buy the book to reread a few chapters more slowly, to soak up every word, and just spend a little bit more time with the characters and their world. I rambled about this book the entire day long to my boyfriend, and he said he wants to read it too now, soooo, I guess that says a lot, heh.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was an incredible read; I loved every part of it and it's definitely on my list of my favorite reads of this year. Without a doubt, 5 twinkling bright stars!

My rating is 3.5 stars but I’m rounding up.

I loved both of the main characters in this, Mal and Ash, and I really liked a lot of the side characters. They all went well together and each of the characters were thoroughly explored, we get plenty of background story and detail for each character that we get time with.

The world is really interesting but I wish we got a bit more detail and exploration of it. I also really liked the characteristics of the wyverians and drakonians. Each house is pretty unique in appearance and I liked learning about them.

The romance between Mal and Ash was pretty well done, there was lots of tension and the push and pull was great. I liked each of their point of views and getting to see what was going on in their minds.

I really wish this book would have separated the POVs. I believe there is eight different character POVs and they switch between subchapters where you have to read several paragraphs before you get the name of which character you are now reading the perspective of. The battle scenes get pretty choppy sometimes but they are still interesting to read.

I will be reading the next book because it leaves off on a minor cliffhanger and I’m pretty interested to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for an eArc of this book!
This book had everything! The world building was so good but didn’t feel like a bunch of info dumping while I was reading. Hearing about all the different provinces within this fantasy world was so interesting and fun! And the author’s use of animals/mythological creatures for each different kingdom was unique and so fun!
The romance was sizzling! I usually find myself gravitating just towards the main character’s romance in novels, but this one had me loving each of the other characters’ lives and love interests as well! It got me so excited for where the author goes with the rest of the kingdoms and characters!
Easily a 5stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Can’t wait to grab a physical copy when it comes out ❤️

The world building was a hella lengthy process, I was scared about where the author was taking us, but damn it was worth it. EPIC finish!
I’m curious where this will lead 😏

✍️ Writing 10/10
🔮 Magic 10/10
🥰 Romance 7/10
📃 Plot 10/10
🌶️ Spice 3/10

Thank you for the author and NetGalley for the ARC! 🤓

I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend this book to others! Characters kept surprising me threw the whole book. The plot twists were also very good. I can not wait for the second book!

I had such a good time reading this book it absolutely succeeded my expectations! Immediately the writing and world building had me hooked and I quickly fell in love with the characters.

This was definitely inspired by some well known fantasy titles, however the world still felt unique and I found myself so invested in this story.

I absolutely recommend this to fantasy lovers!! Can't wait for more to come🖤

I really enjoyed A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash, it was a perfect blend of fantasy and romance but more on the fantasy side, which I loved.

I loved the lore that has been created throughout the book and the world building, I felt like I could easily picture where it was all taking place which I really like as it helps me be more invested in a book.

I also found it easy to follow the multiple POVs - sometimes that can be hard for me to keep track but I found it very easy thanks to the authors writing style.

It did slow down a bit in the middle, but that ending!! I was left in shock for the last 15% of this book and I could not put it down, I had to know what would happen.

I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes as I am hooked, and need book two!

Thank you NetGalley and J.F. Johns for providing me with an ARC of this book.

ARC REVIEW ✨

Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, kingdoms divided. Secrets and curses. Miscommunication.

I loved this book. I have had the most amazing May reading month with so many five star reads and this did not disappoint. I was reading it on a flight and was so disappointed when we started to land before I finished it!

I requested the ARC based of the cover and title because both it looked like the sort of book I’d like, and it did not let me down! My only issue is that the the twists at the end I absolutely did not see coming and the cliffhanger absolutely bowled me over… and now I have to wait for the second book 😂

The character development and world building in this book are both brilliant. While the story focuses mainly on Mal Blackburn, a Wyverian Princess who has to marry the Drakonian Prince (the fire prince - Ash Acheron), the story is told from multiple points of view which allows us to understand the motives of the different characters are a depth that propels this books from ordinary to amazing.

There is a bit of spice as the story progresses, but the action and plot are definitely the main focus here. Mal approaches her arranged marriage thinking the fire prince is cold and cruel, but we soon discover that this outward perception is actually hiding a man that is not your regular alpha male - a refreshing approach in this genre. And there is a point at which Ash does something ever so sweet for Mal (trying to avoid spoilers so you’ll have to read it and see what I mean!). That being said, both the MMC and FMC can fight well, another thing I like to see.

There is a decent amount of world building, as you would expect to find in any well written multi-book fantasy series. Because of this the start was a little slow, but it picked up quickly, and it didn’t feel as though the world building was being shoved down your throat. Instead it continued alongside the story as the plot progressed.

This book releases 31 May 2025 and I would strongly recommend everyone go out and buy it on release day it is that good! I know I will definitely be buying a shelf trophy 💕

A huge thank you to the amazing author J F Johns and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, wow. This is probably one of my favorites so far this year. It has my favorite: enemies to lovers and slow burn romance

The world-building is so good, so rich and immersive, and so well written. Have to love it since it has everything wyvern, dragons, fae, and witches. I love it all I need more

Thank you for the advanced reading copy

WowWeee! Did I enjoy this book! It is the kind of book that pulls you in from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s dark and intense at times, but also beautifully written, with just the right balance of fantasy, romance, and political tension.

Mal is a wyvern—a member of the fierce and feared Wyvarian people—and as the fourth-born royal, she’s always been something of an outsider. The Wyvarians aren’t exactly known for diplomacy; they’re known for power and chaos. So when Mal is chosen to marry Ash, the Fire Prince, as part of a shaky alliance to keep peace across the eight kingdoms, she’s not thrilled. But the real kicker? Her mission isn’t just to marry him… she has to kill him. Talk about pressure at the wedding altar.

The story moves fast, and I loved how vivid everything felt. J.F. Johns does a great job building this world without it ever feeling overwhelming. I found the characters to be easy to picture, the setting is rich and atmospheric, and the stakes feel real from the very beginning.

What really stood out to me, though, was the romance. The slow burn (I adore a slow burn!) between Mal and Ash was so well done. It wasn’t rushed or forced—they took the time to get to know each other, and watching that trust and tension build was such a rewarding part of the journey.

This is a fantastic start to the series—perfect for readers who love arranged marriage tropes, strong-willed heroines, and slow-burn fantasy romance with high stakes and plenty of secrets.

Big thank you to NetGalley and indie author J.F. Johns for the eARC! I’m really excited to see where this story goes next. 💕🔥

5 STARS

One of the worst things that can happen to a reader? Reaching the last page and realizing... the next book isn’t even out yet.

This was my very first ARC review, and I genuinely can’t believe how much I loved it. I hadn’t heard anything about this book before, no recommendations, no hype, but the cover caught my eye on NetGalley, and I decided to give it a try. I was thrilled to get approved, and even more thrilled when it turned out to be a book I absolutely devoured.

I read it in one sitting. I ignored everything else for a full day just to soak in every word. The worldbuilding was immersive, the plot was full of momentum and twists, and the slow-burn romance was perfectly paced and emotional. And the characters? They completely stole my heart.

The ending left me reeling. In the best way. I need the next book. Desperately.

If you enjoy enemies to lovers, dragons, ancient curses, dark secrets, betrayal, and the kind of fantasy that makes you wish you could live inside the story, you’ll love this too.

This one’s going straight to my favorites shelf. I’d love a physical copy (please!) and can already see myself rereading and annotating every page. J.F. Johns, thank you for writing this. I’m officially hooked.