I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!

I was not expecting the last part of this book😮😮😮 normally this happens in book 3 in a series not in the first one 😮😮 was a good change!!
and all the plot twist's??? I'm still not over this book and i do infact need the next one asap!!!🤧🤧🤧


quotes:
••
"𝕾𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖊. 𝕴 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙. 𝕾𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖚𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖊𝖓."
••
"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓪𝓼𝓴 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓼."
"𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽, 𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮."
••
"𝕯𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊?"
"𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊?"
"𝕰𝖝𝖈𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖒𝖊?"
"𝖂𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖊?"
"𝕬𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖘𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖆 𝖉𝖊𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘?
••
"𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻."
"𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂."
"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝔀𝓲𝓯𝓮"
"𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼, 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼."
"𝓐𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱, 𝓱𝓾𝓼𝓫𝓪𝓷𝓭."
••

tropes:
☆🍁 dark romantasy
☆🍁 enemies to lovers
☆🍁 forced proximity
☆🍁arranged marriage
☆🍁 magical creatures
☆🍁 dark magic
☆🍁gods
☆🍁prophecies
☆🍁3rd multiple povs

Oh I loved this book so much 🤎
The story revolves around Mal Blackburn who has to marry the fire prince (Ash Acheron). She is an anomaly as wyverians don't have more that 3 children and she is 4th with the eyes of a witch. Mal accepts because she believes in the prophecy of the chosen and the cursed, her being the chosen and Ash the cursed, and she has to plunge a dagger in his heart.
Mal leaves her home with all her siblings and meets all the other princesses and princes (the lands have been kept separated since the great war so they don't know eachother).
Once Mal gets to know Ash more she falters in her decision of killing him and their love story is so sweet.
The prophecy is very vague and nobody knows what's going on exactly but it's so sweet to see them work it out together, and it has such a plot twist at the end. I loved how it unraveled.
This story is dark, pacing is very good, multiple POVs, it has magic, gods, curses, shadow familiars, dragons, wyverns, fae, great female characters and lovely men who like strong women. There is just so much that happens in this book. I don't think I was bored once.
Would recommend 1000000%
4⭐️ because sometimes the writing style breaks you out of the story, and 5 stars I reserve for great classics. But I think that's just me. Would read again, and considering getting a physical copy 🤎

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

This fantasy was so cool and addictive! A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is packed with everything I love—curses, revenge plots, enemies-to-lovers vibes, and DRAGONS. Mal Blackburn is the kind of fierce, complicated heroine I instantly root for, and the slow burn tension between her and the fire prince? Chef’s kiss. 👑🔥

The world-building was dark and atmospheric without being overwhelming, and the twists kept me on my toes. Everyone’s hiding something, which made it impossible to stop reading. If you’re into witchy power plays, morally grey royalty, and fantasy that feels fresh but easy to get into, this one definitely deserves a spot on your TBR!

3.5 ⭐️
This was a difficult book to review because there are a lot of things that I like and enjoyed along with a few that I didn’t. This book started out as a real slow burn with a lot of character-driven story progression but the last 30% was explosive with so much happening it was hard to keep up with.

This was a fun, explosive start to a romantasy series. It had all the elements one needs in a fantasy including court intrigue, romantic tension, familiars, dragons, wyverns, witches, and a decent story line that keeps you intrigued and constantly guessing what’s to come.

The main characters romance plot was just ok and, although it’s supposed to be enemies to lovers, it didn’t really feel like that. There just wasn’t enough yearning and chemistry between them. I wanted more from them as the main characters of the story. The better love story came from the secondary characters and I kept wanting to read more about them than the actual main characters.

One of my critiques here is the author’s writing style. It’s written in 3rd person POV and jumps around to a lot of different characters without much of an indication as to who we’re initially reading about. Her writing left a lot to the imagination with things left unsaid and needed to be inferred by the reader. It felt disjointed at points in that some passages were full of detail that allowed the words to easily lift off the pages to form vivid and descriptive images of the story, while others left too many words left unsaid. It was a bit strange and hard to get used to, particularly towards the end where so much is happening.

The pacing of the story also felt off as if it didn’t flow naturally, it felt choppy with some parts very slow-going while others that went for fast if gave me whiplash. It just felt a bit fragmented.

With all that being said, I’ll probably still read the next book because the cliffhanger has me intrigued enough to want to know what happens to these characters.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a romantasy with all of the elements we love as readers. A fierce wyvern-flying heroine, a brooding and misunderstood prince. An ancient curse and, of course, all manner of political intrigues between the Kingdoms.

I had a little trouble getting into the world building in the beginning (because I came off a string of contemporary romances.) But quite quickly, both the characters and world building became the things to pull me in.

The writing was beautiful, and it painted a very vivid picture in my head. The phrasing was almost poetic at times. It helped me become invested in the characters and their outcomes.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Where to begin? I haven’t felt this kind of feral, page turning rush from a fantasy since One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. This book resurrected me from the ashes and launched me straight into a kingdom brimming with secrets and slow burn peril.

The multi-POV format was chef’s kiss. Each perspective added richness and tension, layering the stakes and hinting that something BIGGG is stirring just beneath the surface. You could feel that buildup. And the love interests? Plural, of course. There’s a whole buffet of brooding, bold, morally grey delights to swoon over and I clearly wasn’t just rooting for one.

The world-building had bite. The magic system? Dark, dangerous, and delicious. And the characters? Fierce, flawed, and entirely unforgettable.

If I had to dock a point anywhere, it’d be the character names. A few of them felt a little too familiar, like echoes of other fantasy books. However, It didn’t take away from the thrill, but it did occasionally make me laugh.

Still, this book is fantastic. It’s fast paced, moody, sexy and cinematic as hell. I turned the final page breathless and desperate for the sequel. I immediately texted my book chat about this as soon as I was done!

The following review was posted to Goodreads on May 31, 2025:

"5 ⭐️

I can't even express how devastating it is to have loved a book THIS much but to be left with THIS big of a cliffhanger and have to wait so long for the next installment of the series -- meanwhile the first book only just released today. Okay, the pity party is over, but truthfully this was such an excellent read. Calling all Romantasy lovers, I have found your next summer read! I know we say not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the gorgeous cover art does match the incredible read within.

This is an enthralling story that will have you discovering an intriguing and fairly unique world and magic system in the most beautiful way. J.F. Johns' writing style is so immersive and lyrical, and there were some super surprising twists that had me gaping in shock. The characters have so much depth and, as a sister of someone with a speech impediment, the MMC having a stutter added a powerful personal connection for me that I wasn't anticipating. The author represented him struggling with his stutter and how others perceive him because of it so beautifully that it brought me to tears a couple times.

I will say that, while romance is definitely a part of this book, I would not say it is only one of the main plot points as this definitely leans a bit more into high fantasy than some of the other Romantasy books I've read. It's very plot forward and character driven, but there are a few romances going on throughout the story that are really beautiful. This book was light-er on spice, in my opinion, making it a 1.5 or 2 on the 🌶️ scale as well.

This story ends on such a crazy cliffhanger, that leaves me so ready for book #2. Thank you so much to NetGalley and J.F. Johns for the opportunity to read this ARC of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash!"

This review can also be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7515694480

I absolutely devoured this book and truly have no negative feedback. I fell in love with these characters and this story so quickly and the author's writing style to thank for that. It was an absolutely beautiful read and I am already very emotionally invested in the characters. Can't wait to read book #2!

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖

A Kingdom of shadow and ash
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: DNFed - 10%
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: Low key... IDK didn't make it far

I really wanted to like this story becuase the cover is beautiful and the summary sounded amazing! I mean, who doesn't like a good enemies-to-lovers romance? Plus I really enjoyed the original witches' journal entries at the beginning of the chapters.

However, I only made it 10% in the book, and I think that the FMC mentioned she had purple eyes and was different than her family 1 time every other page.... I was so annoyed. I get it you had purple eyes like the witches. Move on with the story.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this, but it wasn't for me, sadly.

Holy crap, what an amazing fantasy romance novel! I started it this morning and finished it in 6 hours, and I loved every minute of it. This book is classified as New Adult, Fantasy, and Romance and it fulfills all of those labels perfectly. This book made my chest hurt and my heart pound. The writing style is absolutely lush, everything is described beautifully but it's not tedious. The magic and and lore? Stunning. Tropes: slow burn, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, and chosen one. I need the next book in the series yesterday. I truly don't understand how this author hasn't been snapped up by a big 5 publisher yet? Believe every good review you see, read this book, you will not regret it!

Thank you to the author J.F. Johns for providing a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligation. I reviewed this book voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

💥💥💥 Book Review 💥💥💥

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash
By. J.F. Johns
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars

This book is one of the best Romantasy books that I have read in awhile. Do Not let this book pass you by. You will not regret it. The writing style is astonishing. The author brings the reader into the story with amazing world building and that you are experiencing the characters emotions/challenges firsthand.
A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is a dark, addictive fantasy that had me at the first page. Every box was checked. If you like- dark addictive magic, murder, betrayal, political games, romance, spice, danger, far, witches, wyvern, witches, and dragons.
This story revolves around an arranged marriage between kingdoms and an ancient curse. There were so many plot twists that I did t see coming and had me absolutely screaming at my kindle. The cover art is what hooked me from the start. The second book needs to come out now! Lol Dont let this book drop to the waist side. Go read it NOW!! Everyone needs to have this book on there TBR!

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

This book? It ate. I was locked in from the first cursed marriage threat and never looked back. The pacing is fast, the world-building is layered but digestible, and the vibes are dark, tense, and magic-soaked. Mal is a sharp, emotionally guarded heroine who’s absolutely done with everyone’s bullshit, and I loved her for it. The whole “I might have to kill my husband” plotline? Instantly iconic. There’s betrayal, tension, political scheming, and just enough commentary on power and patriarchy to keep my little rage-fueled heart happy. I’m feral for the sequel. Let’s burn it all down.

Holy heck!

From the very first chapter, I knew this was going to be a five-star read - and it absolutely delivered! The story bursts from the first page with relentless energy, keeping you hooked with action, intrigue, banter, romance, and edge-of-your-seat suspense in equal measure.

What really stood out to me was the vivid, immersive writing—especially the Homeric similes, which painted stunning scenes in the book. The character dynamics shine - especially the sibling teasing which felt genuine and heartwarming. And the banter between characters? Top-tier. I couldn’t help but grin through every single interaction. The romantic tension was perfectly executed, with slow burns, sparks flying, and multiple romance threads to keep you emotionally invested (Kai, in particular, has my heart).

The story follows Mal, the FMC—a strong, unapologetic badass who you’ll root for every step of the way. Mal carries the weight of kingdoms on her shoulders: a prophecy, a curse, and a dark task that will test her, forcing her to make a terrible choice.

If you're craving a high fantasy that balances epic world-building with heart-clenching romance, this one’s a must-read. With tropes like enemies to lovers, court intrigue, slow-burn romance, and betrayal, I implore you: pick this one up. You won’t regret it. I’m already itching to dive into the next book— the twists at the end had my mouth gaping on the floor, goosebumps lining my skin and my head spinning. That cliffhanger? Brutal!!! It is going to haunt me until 'A Kingdom of Sand and Ice' is released!

This story was definitely giving me some A Court of Thorns and Roses vibes with all the different kingdoms, magic, a curse, etc., but also different enough that I didn't feel like I was reading the exact same story all over again!

This was incredible! From the start of the story I was intrigued with the world: the different kingdoms and their people, magic, curse and all the politics. I loved the world and all the magical creatured (companions), the writting style took some time to get used to, but it was amazing how so many storylines worked perfectly together. I loved all romance storylines and while Mal and Ash were the main focus of the story - I absolutely fell for Alina and Kai story. I also hope to see the romance storyline for Kage. Pretty please? The ending was insane and I need to know what happens next to all the characters who survived the hell the ending gave us.

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.