Oh. My. Gods.

This is very much a first novel in a fantasy series. There is world building and background information dumped on you for the first 40%. HOWEVER, once you get going there is no stopping.

Mal Blackburn is truly one of the most iconic FMC’s I’ve read about and I cannot wait to see how she develops in the rest of the series.

This book is in 3rd person and follows a lot of different characters but all of the different POVs play into the storyline so well. The last 40% had my jaw on the ground and tearing through the rest of the book. This will be on the top of my fantasy series list I already know it.


I was gifted this book as an ARC through NetGalley but the review and all opinions are entirely my own.

➳ 4.25 ★

This book had me SWEATING!! I was so anxious and nervous for the last 20-30% of the book. I stayed up reading for hours straight to know what happened. This book had me in a chokehold. However, the first 30% of the book was so slow that it almostttt made me DNF. I promise though, the initial slowness is worth the last 40-50% of the book. I cannot WAIT for the subsequent books.

As others pointed out, the book is in third person and the POVs switch between and within chapters, which can be confusing, but I didn’t really have trouble with it to be honest. I think it was pretty straight forward who we were following.

So like I mentioned, the book was pretty slow in the beginning; it really didn’t pick up until 40-45% into the book, so I had a hard time getting into it. It felt like not much was happening for nearly half the book both plot- and character-wise. However, I loved getting to know the side characters and Ash, the MMC. Kai and Wren are probably my favourite side characters and I would love to have a spin-off or novellas about Kai 🥹 This book honestly had a lot of representation, which I loved!! Ash and Kage being my favourites. I love the vulnerability of Ash, especially being a male character. The plot twists, the world-building, the character development was amazing. A truly fantastic romantasy!

Wow. I cannot think of other words to describe this book. I stayed up until 2AM to read more and had to force myself to stop reading. This book had me on a chokehold from start to finish. This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year.

The book revolves around Mal Blackburn, the key to ending a curse that is foretold to end everyone. However, no one believes the curse is real. Regardless, Mal sets on the course to end it - by killing her husband, the Fire Prince. With all the secrets and plots for revenge, will Mal do what she needs to do?

I love Mal Blackburn. I love FMCs who are strong and do not let anyone tell them who they should be. The way the author shaped Mal’s character is amazing. We see her struggle with the choices laid before her, but she stays loyal to her family.

Ash Acheron is a great MMC. He is not one of those perfect MMCs that are often depicted in romantasy books. His heart is true and kind.

There are many other characters in this book that will forever have a place in my heart. Wren and Kai are definitely two of them. The first one is a good friend and the latter is a protective brother. You would think that there won’t be enough time to develop the characters’ arcs in this book, but J.F Johns did that well.

Let’s talk about the ending: it was intense. I kept looking at the progress bar of my Kindle because I did not want the book to end. The twist was crazy! I did not see it coming. J.F. Johns put me on a rollercoaster and I am here for it.

My only question now is, when will the sequel come out?

3.5⭐️ I really enjoyed this book a lot. It had so many great aspects to plot and was not predictable, at least not to me. There were a few issues I had with it but I would still recommend this book and had a great time reading it. I spent a couple nights reading into the night because I couldn’t put it down. This book is written in 3rd person which I had a hard time with at times through the writing.

I loved the main characters Mal and Ash, I definitely would not consider this an enemies to lovers but I still really enjoyed their intersections and story. I didn’t know where the story was going to go because they obviously had chemistry and were set to be married. But I enjoyed their plot. Mal is a shadow mommy and I loved it! And Ash was such a good MMC I loved that he was strong but soft and vulnerable at the same time. I do love a morally grey MMC but found Ash to be a breath of fresh air.
I could have done without so much additional time spent on the other characters, especially Alina, I could not stand her. She was annoying and I did not like the relationship between her and her brother, gave me the ick with the unnecessary jealousy towards Mal. I did enjoy all the other characters Kate, Kai, and Wren.

All in all I had so much fun reading this and cannot wait for the next book to come out!!!

Advanced reading copy from Netgalley!
This book is written in the third person perspective, with chapters told from the perspectives of different primary and secondary characters. The diction, syntax, and grammar are sound throughout the book - I mention this because I’ve read a number of very popular romantasy/fantasy books recently where this has not been the case. The sentences and paragraphs flowed smoothly, the plot was compelling, and I felt invested in the relationships.
Would I consider this high fantasy? Not necessarily — Although the foundational fantasy elements were pretty solid, I felt that there was enough focus on the relationships between the characters to appeal to readers across multiple genres. I would give this a sold 3.5/5 stars (rounding up to 4). I’m usually a pretty tough critic, but I will put future books in this series on my reading list.
Based on my personal preferences for fantasy, I think what would have taken this to the next level is an additional layer of geopolitical complexity and court intrigue. I didn’t feel those aspects were as well fleshed out, but I also see how that might have alienated other readers.

3.5 - thank you netgalley for the arc! this was a really good, high stakes, fast paced fantasy book :P i really enjoyed it. i didn't like the many pov changes but eh

That ending! I loved the world building, the different characters and small intertwined stories. I hope to see more of Kai and Alina.
I read this as an ARC thanks to netgalley.

✨ ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and J.F. Johns ✨

3.75 ⭐️ — she’s morally grey, he’s soft, and I’m invested

Okay so… was this book revolutionary? No.
Did it give me all the vibes I needed to keep reading at 2AM like a feral little book goblin? Absolutely.


👑 The Setup

The worldbuilding felt familiar — like, if I had a dollar for every time I read about a kingdom called something vaguely ominous like Kingdom of Darkness or Kingdom of Fire, I could afford therapy and a custom sword. But you know what? I didn’t mind. It’s giving cozy cliché, and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for.


🖤 Characters & POVs

We’ve got multiple POVs, and while I appreciated the range, I lowkey found myself speed-reading through a few just to get back to Mal and Ash. Like sorry not sorry, but they were the main event.
• Ash was actually a surprise fave. He’s soft, a little broken, and has the kind of quiet loyalty that makes me emotionally unstable. Normally I don’t go for the cinnamon roll types, but he got me.
• Mal is the moral ambiguity we all crave. She’s stabby, strategic, and trying her best not to crumble under the weight of an entire kingdom and her own trauma. Queen behavior.


📝 Writing & Vibes

The writing? Flowy but accessible. No purple prose overdose, no cringe dialogue. Just solid pacing, clean descriptions, and the kind of tone that lets you sink into the story without feeling like you’re doing mental gymnastics.


🔥 Romance (aka me screaming at my Kindle)

Slow burn girlies, rise. The tension was there… but I needed more before we got to the payoff. Like give me a scene with emotional tension so thick I want to scream into a pillow. Once they finally talked (and, um, did the deed), it felt like a switch flipped and suddenly they were all heart eyes and soulmates?? I needed a bit more internal struggle or messy vulnerability before the insta-true-love vibes kicked in.


📚 Final Thoughts

Will I read book two? The moment it drops.
Am I already manifesting more angst and morally questionable choices in it? Always.

If you like:
• morally grey female leads
• soft MMCs who would 100% die for you
• familiar tropes but executed with vibes
• and slow burns that almost burn you alive

…then yeah, you’ll probably devour this.


💬 Favorite quote:

“She had been prepared to kill, but he made her wish she had been taught how to feel.”

(Okay that’s not real but it should be??)


📖 see you in book two. I’ll be waiting for more chaos and longing 🫶

#KingdomOfShadowAndAsh #NetGalleyARC #SlowBurnAddict #NotLikeOtherKingdoms (but kinda)

This was a very compelling Romantasy story. Mal and Ash were fantastic main characters, with so much to unravel in their lives. I loved the multiple POVs of the siblings and members of the other kingdoms, and look forward to the rest of the series!

I really enjoyed this book!

The world building is exceptional but I did feel like at times the pacing was a little slow. The writing makes it easy to connect with the characters and I enjoyed the 3rd person POV. This book is filled with it all! Action, witches, dragons, betrayal and slow burnnnn. This book made me laugh, cry and left me flabbergasted at times with the twists.

Not quite what I was hoping for.

While the premise had promise—a cursed kingdom, shadows, secrets, and the eternal pull between light and dark—the execution fell short for me. The prose lacked the richness I look for in fantasy; it felt more like a draft than a fully developed narrative. There were moments where the story could have taken off, but the writing just didn’t carry the weight or atmosphere needed.

The characters felt familiar—but not in a good way. Another angry “bad girl” FMC paired with a broody love interest whose depth didn’t go much beyond a clenched jaw and haunted eyes. I’ve read this dynamic before, and unfortunately, this version didn’t bring anything new to the trope.

If you’re into surface-level drama and dark aesthetics, this might scratch the itch. But if you’re looking for originality, immersive prose, or truly layered characters, you may want to look elsewhere..

3.25⭐️

A unique New Adult Fantasy Romance with:

• Court/political intrigue
• Multiple 3rd person POVS
• Disappeared gods
• Prophecy
• Light vs Dark magic
• .5 🌶️

🌟 Synopsis: Hundreds of years ago, 8 kingdoms lived in peace. Until forbidden love resulted in the annihilation of the witches & their kingdom as retribution. Since then the remaining 7 kingdoms have lived in a state of feuding turmoil. To bridge the gap towards peace, Mal Blackburn accepts an arraigned marriage with the notoriously cruel Fire Prince. But, long ago a prophecy was foretold of a chosen one & cursed one and one must die at the hands of the other for peace to be found. Mal finds her heart developing conflicting feelings towards the Fire Prince, but she cannot forget her true purpose: to stab the Fire Prince in the heart.

🌟 The book did a good job of setting up the world/lore with a unique & compelling plot for future books in the series. I enjoyed the blend of past & present being told simultaneously to fully comprehend how the actions of the past affect present and why. While I did find it hard to connect with the characters, the plot was compelling enough to keep me entertained despite minor pacing issues.

🌟 I enjoyed how multifaceted the characters were outside of just a romantic aspect. Mal was both fierce and compassionate, strong willed yet empathetic. Ash had a composed borderline aloof outward persona that hid all the insecurities and turmoil within. While I enjoyed their individual character developments, I struggled to root for their romance as it was more insta-lust/reluctant attraction than enemies to lovers. They lacked the emotional depth I normally like to see in relationships, but feel like this can be developed in the second book. I loved how the Ash wasnt your broody, perfectly eloquent warrior and there was a disability rep.

🌟 While at times I found it hard to pick up this book, the lady 20% gripped me and I did not see that plot twist coming. The cliffhanger ending and the new twists definitely ensured I will continue the series!

I had high hopes for this one, but the writing pulled me right out of the story. I didn’t like how it switches POV’s mid chapter and the third person was hard to understand and fully immerse myself in it.

Wow. This book had me up all night! I loved this, a lot of PoV which really added to the story and made it more interesting, I had my favorites but didn’t find myself wanting to skip anyone’s chapter.

The fire prince(Ash) is not your typical mmc & it was pretty refreshing. The shadow princess(Mal) was strong, but not in a “not like other fmc” kind of way.

My only complaint, and why it wasn’t a five star read is, I wanted more of the “main” characters & I really wouldn’t consider this a slow burn, definitely insta-love but again that was because the interactions between them felt few.

Overall a very enjoyable read, and will absolutely be continuing this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and author for this Arc.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash tells the story of Mal and Ash, who are about to be married to bring the eight kingdoms closer together.

The story is told from many different perspectives, which I really enjoyed. I also loved the overall concept. However, I felt that much of the story was told rather than shown, which made the beginning less engaging for me. Additionally, the enemies-to-lovers storyline didn’t feel very believable.

The last 30% of the book was excellent and sets up the next book really well.

Thank you to the author and net galley for providing me with an e-ARC for an honest review

4⭐ Exciting first book in a series by an indie author to watch and cant wait for book 2!
Tropes:
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 He falls first
📖 Shadow Mumma
📖 Some spice 🌶️
📖 Dragons and Wyverns
📖 Political scheming and secrets
📖 Magic

Plot (avoiding spoilers) :
Mal Blackburn is sent to marry the Cruel Prince of the House of Fire to rebuild alliences with another kingdom. However she is sent with the intention to kill him to break a secret curse places on the kingdoms.

What I loved:
- I loved the story of the side characters Kai Blackburn and Alina Acheron, in fact for me, they were the characters I felt the most invested in. I really hope that book 2 will show us more of their relationship and Alina's character growth.
- The FMC was the shadow mumma with the "burn the world for him" vibes
- The world building and back story was well crafted and kept my invested in the storyline
-excellent side characters as mentioned above (Wren was a personal favourite especially her relationship with Kage)
- the ending was excellent and I went straight to find out when book 2 will come out!

What I disliked:
- this may be controversial, but I didn't like the MMC as a character. I found the stutter very off putting (don't come for me) and didn't add anything to the storyline. I felt the switch from enemy to lover felt forced and out of the blue. I would have much preferred some angst between the MMC and FMC- writing in first person would have helped massively I think.
- The Tabitha sections at the beginning of the story didn't make much sense and I felt the time line was all over the place with that.. I found myself skipping these.
- The book was about 100 pages too long in my opinion. The pace felt quite slow at tine until the last 25%.

Overall take away:
This is an exciting first book in what I think will be a great series. It is definitely a book that felt like a slower introduction into an epic story line (gave from blood and ash vibes in that sense!) will I read book 2? Absolutely! Would I recommend this? Yes!

4.5⭐ Thank you to J.F. Johns & NetGalley for this eARC! Chaotic review ahead:

Firstly the cover?! Instant yes.

Mal Blackburn the fourth born of the Kingdom of Shadows is tasked to break a 100 year curse by murdering her betrothed Ash. The arranged marriage trope here is executed perfectly and I LOVED reading how this relationship unfurled. Despite this pairing being the main plot line I couldn’t help but love the yearning between Kai Blackburn, (the fierce protective brother to Mal) and Alina. Their story of duty vs desire was heartbreaking💔

This book felt like it had everything?
-Powerful FMC
-Multiple love stories to invest yourself in
-Sibling bonds to love
-So many mythical/ fantasy creatures
-Witches/ magic
-Rival kingdoms/ political alliances
-Interesting side characters

I really really enjoyed this plot and actually was engrossed in almost every character which I think has a lot to do with the multi povs!
I thought the 8 different kingdoms with various characters and overlaps between them would be confusing but I found it very game of thrones-esq and loved learning about the history between the warring kingdoms and how that impacts all the alliances.

Plot twist I didn’t see coming too?! ✔️

Finally, I loved the diary entries from Tabitha’s pov at the start of each chapter which tells her story around the curse 100 years prior in parallel to the main plot.

This is set out to be a very captivating and binge worthy series! Can I have the next book please🫢 xx

Wow, I was truly blown away by this book. It gives "Shadows Between Us" mixed with "A Touch of Darkness" with a sprinkle of Manon Blackbeak and FBAA romance. The FMC Mal and MMC Ash were likable and have a forced marriage relationship slow enemies to lovers that you can root for. I was completely obsessed, however, with two of the side characters more and would love to see more of Alina and Kai.
Plot was beautiful, spice was 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (we had an Elide Lorcan moment sadly) and I wish there was more, it wouldve definitely added to the burning chemistry. The story moved at a good pace and the world-building was manageable and not overwhelming at all.
I cannot wait for book 2 and book 1 hasnt even been published yet.
There's nothing I would change except to give me more spice! Well, maybe make the map more detailed too, like a true cartographer's map.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this.

This is a fantasy filled with enemies to lovers, curses, revenge plots, dragons and more!!! I still can’t get over the end of this books!! Need the second book ASSP. The world building was a little confusing, but the characters will pull you in. Our main characters are Mal Blackburn and Ash Acheron. Mal is a princess of the Kingdom of Darkness. She has to go through an arranged marriage to Ash Acheron, the Fire Prince. A prophecy puts them in each other’s paths. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two, especially as they got to know one another with feelings behind it. The enemies to lovers energy eats!! Looking forward to seeing where this series goes!!

Who doesn't love the start of a new obsession?! Here you go, everyone… You're welcome!

Mal Blackburn, princess of the Kingdom of Darkness, knows what she must do. She must go through with her arranged marriage to Ash Acheron, the Fire Prince. The prophecy demands it. But Ash isn’t the cruel, hardened prince of legend—he’s kind, and he looks at her with such softness. Ultimately with a war against the witches looming, Mal has to do whatever it takes to protect her people… even if that means killing the man she was never supposed to love.

Some books are a fast-paced romp, but this book holds weight. This book is rich, ominous, and as beautiful in its darkness as in its light. It is a complete and fully realized world that I soaked up and found myself languishing in. I took my time with this read, so I was able to absorb and digest every word and nuance.

First off, I love the dynamic: the dark princess forced to marry the light fire prince. You don’t see that often, and I adored the switch-up. Mal is stunning—both in her insecurities and in her confidence. She’s fierce and stabby, with a power she’s only just beginning to tap into. But her real strength lies in her heart. Ash is the classic hot, strong, golden-boy prince—but what makes him unforgettable are his vulnerabilities: his anxiety, his stutter. I loved seeing that kind of representation in a male main character. It made him feel so real.

Every character was treated with care and given a vibrant, distinct voice. When side characters don’t feel like side characters—and I’m eagerly scanning each scene for a glimpse of them—you’ve officially won me over. It takes a delicate hand to craft an intricate plot without letting it spiral into chaos, and this book nailed it. It was an intricately woven masterpiece.

And the ending? I was gasping, crying, pacing, yelling. At one point, my daughter crawled into my lap to comfort me. So, like I said earlier… obsessed.