I didn’t really know what to expect going into this. I really liked the concept when reading the description and was quite excited.

The characters are all so individual and unique and I really felt like their personalities came through so well on the page. I really did end up loving the FMC and the MMC. I felt their situation/relationship was written really well. The side characters were all just as interesting as the main characters and I really enjoyed the multiple POV which gave us more insight into them.

The plot line was very slow throughout the first half of the book. It wasn’t repetitive it was due building up to everything that was coming later in the book that made it feel slower. The engagement dragged on for such a large part of the book and I felt it wasn’t until after the main characters were married that the pace picked up. However, I did really enjoy the plot overall. The curse and the mystery behind it really did keep me hooked wanting to know more.

Overall I did enjoy the book and felt it was very unlike any fantasy I’ve read before. I think it would be great for people that are looking for something heavy on the fantasy side that also enjoys the combination of magic, mystical creatures, arranged marriage, curses and much more.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved that it was almost multiple POVs despite it not being written in the 1st person. I really enjoyed the world building, the different kingdoms and characters and honestly I didn’t see the twists near the end coming at all! I kind of wish we saw a bit more development with the romance with the main characters - I think more yearning and tension between them would have been great. I liked that there wasn’t a naïveté to the characters that you sometimes get in this type of genre. I did like that there was more than one romantic story within the book. Would be super excited to read the next book in the series!

A Kingdom of Shadows and Ash is the kind of fantasy that hooks you with its rich world-building and keeps you invested with its beautifully complicated characters. The main character is a standout — fierce and loving, but forever marked as an outsider because of her witch-like eyes. Her journey is a constant balancing act between feeling deeply loved by her family and never quite fitting in.

But the real heart of this book is the romance — an arranged marriage between two enemies that’s anything but straightforward. What starts as a tense, guarded alliance slowly becomes something deeper, even as secrets and misunderstandings threaten to tear them apart. It’s a love story that feels earned, with a slow build full of vulnerability and trust… or the lack of it.

The prophecy at the heart of the story isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a constant, looming presence that twists the characters’ fates in surprising ways. And just when you think you understand what’s at stake, the plot pulls you deeper, revealing a connection to the gods that makes everything feel even more epic.

But beyond the grand magic and divine schemes, it’s the emotional tension that makes this book shine. The mix of sacrifice, betrayal, and transformation is handled with a perfect balance of drama and heart, leaving you both satisfied with this story and eager for what comes next.

If you love fantasy where magic is both a blessing and a curse, where love is as dangerous as it is healing, and where prophecies are more than just plot devices, A Kingdom of Shadows and Ash is a must-read.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. From the very first pages, you're completely swept into a rich and immersive world. The worldbuilding is incredibly well done, with eight distinct kingdoms, each with their own unique traits that are revealed gradually throughout the story.
The main character, Mal, is a total badass wyverian — strong, fearless, and independent. She's thrown into an arranged marriage with the Fire Prince, Ash, in a political move to reunite the kingdoms, all tied to an ancient prophecythat could doom or save them all.
The characters are so well written — complex, emotional, and deeply lovable. The sibling relationships are especially touching. I completely fell in love with the side characters, especially Kai and Aline!
The book also explores powerful themes like women's roles, sisterhood, and independence, all wrapped up in a world filled with magical creatures: wyverns, dragons, giant wolves, witches… what more could you want?
I highly recommend it if you love:
* Enemies to lovers
* Slow burn romance
* Arranged marriages
* Magical creatures (dragons, wyverns, giant wolves)
* Political intrigue and royalty
And the ending? Absolutely insane. A huge cliffhanger that left me speechless — I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Thank you so much NetGalley and J.F. Johns for the ARC!

Quotes :

« Mal’s smile was a sunrise against the darkness. And for a fleeting moment, Kai let himself believe that everything would be all right. »

« Two figures stood facing each other—one a beacon of light, the other a shadow poised to consume it. One a beam of light, another a swirl of darkness. »

« Mal Blackburn had been nothing but sharp edges and shadows, a lethal thing barely contained within mortal form—and yet here she was, giggling over a handshake. Suddenly, the idea of marrying her didn’t seem so terrible. »

« I do not care how well-trained the Red Guard claims to be. I am a demon born from darkness, a beast carved from shadows. You touch her again, and I will show you what the afterlife looks like. »

Thank you to the author for giving me the chance to receive an e-arc of this book. I really really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect mix of fantasy and romance. I thought the world building was quite unique and I had a great time with it. I thought the FMC was badass. The book really was written really well and I didn’t find myself getting lost or confused. I really cannot wait for book two. Thank you!!

I finished this book at 2am and I am devastated that it has ended. I absolutely loved every minute of this and the two main characters were perfect, the final scene between them made me actually gasp! I didn't see it coming. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be buying a physical copy when it's released.

This book pulled me into its world and didn’t let go. A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is full of all the things I love—dangerous powers, forbidden romance, and a kingdom on the edge of chaos. The vibe is perfectly dark and dramatic, with just enough hope woven through to keep your heart invested.

The main character is fierce and flawed in the best way, and watching her navigate a world full of lies, loyalty tests, and magic felt like a full emotional journey. The stakes are high, the twists are sharp, and that slow-burning tension? So, so good.

J.F. Johns created a world that’s both brutal and beautiful—where love is risky, truth is rare, and survival isn’t promised. And honestly? I was here for every single page.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed this read so much! I thought the story line was so interesting - and it kept me wanting to keep reading.

Usually I don't love multiple POV's especially throughout a chapter as it can be a little confusing, but I didn't find that with this book.

The magic system was easy to follow, which is a big plus for me.

I did feel like the writing was a tad choppy/needed some refining in some areas - but I could get past that with this storyline!

I loved both Mal and Alina's storylines, and I cannot wait to see where they go in the next book.

I enjoyed this book; it has many of the current popular tropes, such as dragons, fated mates, enemies to lovers, touch them and die, etc. The characters' relationship is great, and the world-building is done well. The only drawback is that the multiple POVs sometimes make it hard to feel connected to the characters. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if there were fewer POVs, but I'm still looking forward to reading more from this author 3.5 stars!

Oh my goodness where do I start?! I love this book. The plot twists, yes more than one, had me stunned! I love that it has so many POV and she writes in a way they all blend together and I love it! I can’t wait for the next book already! I wish I could hug Mal Blackburn!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash had a lot of potential, especially with its magical system and the different kingdoms it could have been really compelling. But the story struggled with focus. The main characters didn’t get enough of their own chapters, and there were way too many points of view from side characters who weren’t important to the main plot. Even maids were getting full chapters, which took attention away from the core story. On top of that, a secondary love story ended up overshadowing the main romance, which was disappointing.

6 FREAKING STARS

Lady of Darkness meets Serpent and the Wings of Night is how I best describe this with a sprinkle of TOG vibes.

I can so see this as the next big book to blow up! From the first chapter I was HOOKED. Romantasy DONE RIGHT! My thoughts about this book are so scattered because of the ending so here’s what you have to look forward to with this masterpiece!

-Multiple povs
-Enemies to lovers
-Dragons, wyverns and other REALLY cool creatures
-Slooow burn spicy romance
-Touch her/him and die
-Another romance with side characters that feel like main😮‍💨Kai is all I’ll say
-Strong, independent baddie FMC
-Golden retriever, blonde🥵(I’m usually a brunette girly) MMC
-Witches, warlocks, Fae, and other “races” (sorry idk what else to call the other baddies)
-And SO MUCH MORE😱😭😩

Best book I’ve read all year and I am being SO honest about that. I am so picky when it comes to a book scratching that 5 star itch and this one truly exceeded that! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this arc! I need merch of this book asap!!

Unfortunately did not finish this one. I’m rating it a 2 because I think that others will be into it. It has the workings of enemies to lovers, dragon and wyvern riders, a strong sassy FMC. But the writing just wasn’t for me.

I love when an author is able to have a wide variety of characters and still be able to keep the story flowing. This is one a the rare instances where I actually enjoyed a book that had multiple characters and their pov's that didn't drive me crazy. The story had a lot going on and I loved it. The different races of people was interesting and I love that they all had a different animal or mythical creature they related to. The plot was intense and kept me hooked. Im so ready for book 2.

The blurb and the cover for this book had me hooked right away. I couldn’t wait to dive in. It starts off super strong with one of the most gripping prologues I’ve read in a long time, and the ending really delivered too. But I have to admit, I struggled to stay fully interested through the middle portion of the book.

It’s written in 3rd person, but there are so many different POVs that it was hard to really connect with the main characters. I kept wanting to feel more invested in them, but the constant switching made that tough.

Some parts of the story (specifically the romances) felt like they moved way too fast to feel believable. I really wish more time had been spent fleshing out those moments because they had the potential to hit a lot harder emotionally. There were also a few chapters that felt like filler, like they didn’t really move the story forward or serve a clear purpose, which made the pacing feel a bit off at times.

Another thing that pulled me out of the story was how some characters’ accents were written phonetically instead of just being described. That’s more of a personal pet peeve, but it distracted me quite a bit.

There were some really interesting twists toward the end, which I loved—I just wish some of those had come earlier to help keep the pace up in the middle.

Overall, while the book had some great moments and a strong beginning and end, the pacing and character development in the middle just didn’t quite work for me. I think readers who enjoy multiple POVs and slower moving plots with fast pasted, twisty endings might get more out of it.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has potential, but there are definitely a handful of very specific areas where it fell a bit flat for me. I think it also suffers quite badly from "Is this book good, or is it the last 100 pages".

I enjoyed the premise of the world, the 7 unique kingdoms were great, I think the writer did a good job of making the princes/princesses from each kingdom very different from one another in terms of design, however a lot of the personalities were quite samey. Everyone is very distant, dark and mysterious and eventually a lot of characters started blending together and I forgot who was who.
I also really enjoyed Alina and Kai's relationship, their progression felt very natural and I liked watching their interactions play out.

I think where the story fell flat is having way too many POVs. This is the first book in the series and is supposed to establish the world and allow us to really connect with and settle in with the MC - and their love interest due to this being a romance. However, due to the constant POV switches every chapter (and sometimes even multiple times within the same chapter) it became increasingly difficult to ever really empathise with or understand a character's motives and feelings. It felt like the vibes from Throne of Glass were trying to be replicated, with the multitude of different characters being introduced, all with their own schemes and goals, that would eventually all come to a head. But these characters weren't introduced properly, we were given 6 different POVs before even getting 50% of the way through the book, it was honestly overwhelming and really took me out of the story. I felt like I was just coasting through the chapters, rather than being invested and immersed in their stories.

Alina and Kai's relationship was a real highlight for me, however, I do not think their romance should have been such a big focus in this book. It really, heavily overshadowed Mal and Ash's relationship growth, and I found myself constantly comparing the two and honestly, it ruined any potential Mal and Ash had in my opinion, as I just didn't like their relationship progression when compared with Alina and Kai. It was supposed to be a slow burn, with miscommunication at the heart of it, but it just fell incredibly flat when compared to the yearning and believable conflict between Alina and Kai. I do think it was a mistake to include two romantic storylines in book 1 of a series.

The naming conventions got very repetitive, very fast. I totally understand that coming up with names for characters, races, cities, countries, etc, is incredibly hard in a fantasy world. But these names bordered on parody at points. I was also fully expecting every kingdom to have access to some form of magic relating to their names, but that wasn't the case bar 2(?) of the kingdoms. So beyond living in different ecosystems and their connection to different types of epic beasts, there really wasn't any unique identifier between any of the kingdom's people.

The plot really kicked up a notch by chapter 40 and things started to feel a lot more cohesive by this point and I really enjoyed the writing towards the end of the book. Sadly, up until this point though, it did feel like the author had a plethora of cool ideas and scenes she wanted to include and tried to fit everything in as best she could, even if it didn't fully make sense in certain situations, or for certain characters. There were quite a few times where character's actions came across as a bit out of place, and almost like they were intended for someone else originally, but that character was tied up elsewhere so it had to be fitted in with the immediately available characters and it just didn't work as well.

I found things were incredibly literal at times as well. On multiple occasions chapters would end on what would try to be this big reveal of information/something that I assumed would potentially be open for interpretation in future, then in the next chapter the exact thing would happen word for word. We're basically told exactly how the story is going to play out from the start, which made me turn my brain off after a little while, as I quickly realised there wasn't a need for analysing and thinking about the potential imagery of things as we were told everything and anything that is going to happen.

All that being said there is definitely major potential here. The ending was not expected and I'm glad there was a major twist in what happened by the end of it all, that does admittedly have me very interested for where book 2 is going. The writing style is beautiful and descriptive and it flows very well. The descriptions of characters and locations were lovely and vivid and I do feel like I could easily picture what any character looked like at any point in time. There's a lot of very interesting characters to work with, and by extension, a lot of potential for expanding the plot through them.

Thank you for allowing me to read the eARC in return for my honest review!

this book was great! i loved the magic system and lore. the FMC was a badass and so much fun to spend time with. i enjoyed how much fantasy elements were spliced together! this was such a fun read. thank you netgalley and the author for letting me read your book!

While I did finish this book, it definitely took me longer than I thought to read. I wanted to like this story, I read the blurb and was instantly intrigued but once I started reading I had such a difficult time keeping things straight. This book is written in 3rd person, but there are so many different POVs in this story and each chapter focused on a different person with no indicator on who the chapter was going to be from until you started reading which was so confusing for me trying to keep tabs on what is happening and who is doing what.

The world building and different houses was something that kept me going with the story and I really enjoyed learning more about the world of the Eight Kingdoms and how things became what they are.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash was not the book for me at this time but I know that there is someone out there that will thoroughly enjoy this story! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this in exchange for my review.

How long do I have to wait for the next one now? 😩 I really enjoyed this book and the universe in which the story takes place. I loved how every kingdom was very different from the other, from the way poeple look, to how they eat, and talk, and fight, and more. I thought I would have a very hard time remembering who is in which kingdom, but it was surprisingly very easy.

The plot was great, although I felt like it did drag a bit. A lot of interesting twists were added towards the end and it would have been interesting to have some of those twists a bit earlier! It was getting a bit overwhelming in the last 60+pages in my opinion. I did enjoy the ride though and I will be counting the days until book 2 👀

Also, I REALLY enjoyed having multiple POVs, getting to know every character (and their love interest 👀). I have to say, I was instantly attracted to Kai. Such a playful, loyal and interesting character. And Ash ?? Loved him from the beginning. Loved the complexity of his character and his romance with Mal. Although I have to say Alina and Kai's romance might be my favorite 😩 The support, the loyalty, the growth from both characters and the chemistry 😮‍💨

Overall loved the universe, political schemes, and characters and I am very excited for A Kingdom of Sand and Ice!!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion 🫶🏽

3.5 stars - This story started off really strong, I felt really engaged with the writing style and the world building, and couldn't put the book down for the first 70%. The 3rd person narrative I really enjoyed! Writing the fantasy world this way allowed for more characters to shine over just the usual main characters and also allows for the story to shift from place to place or character to character in a way that makes sense, it allowed for there to be side plots away from the main storyline and I really enjoyed that aspect of it!

However, the grip the book first had on me started to slowly loosen as I continued reading. There were things that started to happen inauthentically fast from the plot line to the romances which on a couple of occasions had me furrowing my brow in disbelief. I really wish that more time had been put into further developing some of those moments that could have been so impactful. There were also some parts that I felt were way too underdeveloped and have been left as stray side stories with no clear conclusions, perhaps these stories will conclude in later books? Who knows.

Something rather distracting was that some characters have accents and instead of describing what those sound like they are written the way they are to be pronounced, this bothered me throughout but that's my personal quarrel.

Overall I did enjoy the read for the most part it just ventured off a little bit for me hence the rating.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading the E-ARC!