ೃ⁀➷ 4/5 - 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝘾𝙡𝙮𝙙𝙚. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙄'𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧? 𝙄'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄'𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚.

Was quite a nice quick read, full of adventure, action and a touch of romance. The plot was good and the twist closer to the end was very interesting, made me feel for the villain cause poor guy.

"𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐝," 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧, "𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞."

It was a hard debate on what to rate this but considering that I liked the story I decided to give this novel 4/5 stars. Originally, I was going to go 3 or 3.5 due to some things in the story didn’t feel perfectly executed and that it kinda felt like it waffled. If the story was extended a touch more then perhaps it could’ve been great for the parts where it felt long, but after reading the authors notes then it made sense for certain scenes, especially surrounding the romance. On the romance side, it was low spice but it felt rushed for the two main characters. It would’ve been a bit better if there was more tension between them to build up that romance a bit more but the prince was a very golden retriever personality throughout, a good contrast to the FL’s personality. They both grew as characters too.

What I really enjoyed was that twist closer to the end of the book as well as the epilogue! I need the next book and I can’t wait to read it!

Prince Aeveus is accused of killing his father and flees the palace in search of the true killer. Karessa’s brother was one of the guards killed that night and she is determined to collect the bounty on Aeveus and save her family from ruin. When their paths cross, will they be enemies or allies in search of the truth?

This fantasy quest tale moved at a good pace, a balance of fun action sequences and friendly banter. Matthias and Esteriella were loyal friends and fierce fighters. The world-building was developed evenly and the lands and creatures were interesting. I would have liked more character development, especially for the romance, but there was enough here to feel satisfied by the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and D.CATZ Publishing for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this one — especially after stumbling across the author’s TikTok and getting hyped — but sadly, I just couldn’t get into it. The world-building was solid and the plot moved quickly, but I never felt connected to the characters, which made it hard to stay invested. They felt a bit flat, and I struggled to get invested in their journeys or relationships. The romance subplot, in particular, seemed underdeveloped and lacked the spark to make it compelling.

That said, the action scenes are well-executed, and the plot has some interesting twists that kept me reading. If you’re into fast-paced fantasy adventures and don’t mind a story that’s more plot-driven than character-focused, this might be up your alley.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

I found the dual perspectives refreshing considering so many authors opt for the usual "we all know a secret reveal/betrayal is coming but are left in the dark from the solo perspective of the FMC" trope that's become rather stale for me.

The author's choice to show Aeveus' (MMC) thought process and perspective from the very beginning was a nice twist on the routine.

Also, Karessa (FMC) is not your super strong/skilled headstrong trope type and is quite naive to the ways of the world outside the slums of the city she lives in. But it makes sense, because she's just a poor potato picker who loves her family, doing her best to bring them back from the brink of starvation and you know what? That's it's own kind of strength.

You might enjoy this story if you appreciate:

❤️ Innocent FMC/protective MMC
🪄 More traditional fantasy/adventure type story
❤️ Slow relationship build up
🥷 Hidden identity
❤️ Romance is a minimum, very slow burn

Looking forward to the next book to see how the shift in their relationship dynamic impacts the story going forward as well as where the final, unexpected reveal in the epilogue leads!

Thank you Net Galley and Dartanyan Johnson for the eARC, all opinions are my own. I was not paid for my review.

I really enjoyed this story. Karessa is an awesome character. She is determined, stubborn, full of attitude, and my favorite character. I loved her will of determination to see her journey through no matter the danger. Her journey was important for herself and her family and I know how powerful a motivator your loved ones can be. Aeveus was another favorite character. He is charismatic and maybe a little too confident, but he clearly cares deeply about those he loves.
The storyline flows smoothly, the characters are well written, and the chemistry between the characters comes across on the page.
I was left with a few questions, but I am sure I will get my answers at some point.

I apologize for sending this day of release! I have 2 year old toddler brain at the moment
Happy release day I really this book is wonderful!

3.75/5 Thank you NetGalley and Dartanyan Johnson for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I don’t usually (ever) read romantasy written by men, but I’m very glad I took a chance!
I genuinely enjoyed this book. The pacing was great and it was a wonderful quick read.
The world build was very good! It was interesting and had my usual beloved fantasy creatures (big bonus)

The only reason I did not rate this higher, is the character development felt shallow. There wasn’t much depth into what drove the characters and why they were who they were. The characters were interesting in the current timeline, but lacked depth.
I wouldn’t necessarily say this is enemies to lovers either, but it’s hard to describe without spoilers so you have to check it out for yourself!

All of this to say, I did really enjoy this book. It hooked me instantly and I will 100% be continuing this series.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC.
4/5 stars.
***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
This was a great fast-paced, action-packed romantasy book. This is book 1 of a planned duology and I love how the author finished part of the story, but then left a side door open for the next book (I'm trying not to give too much away). I definitely plan to read the second book once it's released. My only qualm with this book is (and here is where the spoilers come, so if you don't want any spoilers, please stop reading now) how the FMC falls for the MMC when he's wearing an old man disguise. The author describes the disguise as only affecting his face/head because the book states several times that his physique (young) didn't match his face (old and with a long beard). I don't know, it just felt weird and a bit icky to me. I realize that the author needed the MMC to be in a disguise for the premise of the book to work, but maybe it could've been done differently where a young woman isn't falling for a grandpa?

Karessa joins a traveling group of Elves and will work with them to track down the murderous Prince...or does she?

Chapters are a good length, with fun titles for each.

The plot twist at around 18% of the story was FUN and unexpected. There are multiple twists and turns along the way.

This world has magical restraints on a person's magic, magical potions, and multiple races. Ranging from elves and goblins to trolls, chimeras, and humans.

The story features a mix of cozy fantasy, a murder mystery, trials/a tournament, and some spice sprinkled on top.

The story ends with the style it kept throughout - with a plot twist!

Solidly paced, easy to follow, and enjoyable banter!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Ashes & Rubble (A Kingdom Cast in Shadows, Book 1) by Dartanyan Johnson.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC.

Where to begin?
To be honest, I had high hopes for this book. It sounded very promising but oh boy, what a disappointment.

I just did not feel connected to any characters. The story was not what I was expecting. The writing is not great. And the romance could be better.

Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea.

ARC Review-
“Ashes & Rubble”, is a uniquely fresh mash-up of action-adventure and romantic fantasy. The story is set within the Fehlik Kingdom and follows two main characters, one being poverty-stricken Karessa, who sets out seeking justice and to cash in on a bounty that would improve her small family’s financial situation. The second main character is elven Prince Aeveus, who is wanted for the suspected murder of his father the King, and is currently on the run with his two best friends Matthias and Esteriella. In my opinion, author Dartanyan Johnson, really crafted a special narrative within this book. He weaved together components of multiple genres and the product was a story that I absolutely didn’t want to put down. The characters were likable and had an interesting rapport filled with witty banter, sarcasm, and playful razzing which showcased the fullness of their friendships. Along with the fun characters, there are a slew of fantasy creatures that add a stimulating element to the story. The addition of elemental magic is also another enjoyable fantasy nod, and when combined with the action-adventure that is steadily happening throughout the tale, you can’t help but be 100% engaged. I will definitely be sticking around to see where this story goes. Would recommend to any action, adventure, and fantasy readers.

Thank you to NetGalley & D.Catz Publishing for allowing me to read this book pre-publication. This book was received for free as an ARC, all opinions expressed are solely my own.

DNF 25%
Storia poco interessante, ingenuità stilistiche e narrative.
Tempistiche che non tornano.
Lo stile è personalmente troppo descrittivo e in generale poco scorrevole.
Non sono riuscita a empatizzare con nessun personaggio nè ad interessarmi alla storia.

This was a book full of adventure and world building that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish the characters could form more of a relationship though but would definitely like to see what happens next

Ashes & Rubble is a fun, fast-paced fantasy adventure that gave me serious quest vibes—think bounty hunters, elves, magic, and a ragtag crew with great banter. The story follows Karessa, a tough human girl chasing down Prince Aeveus for a bounty that could change her life, and Aeveus, a runaway elven prince caught up in some major kingdom-level drama.

The plot moves quickly and has a good balance of action and quieter moments. The team dynamic is a highlight—there’s some funny back-and-forth and a nice sense of camaraderie. The romance between Karessa and Aeveus is sweet and subtle, though I was expecting a bit more edge from him. He’s supposed to be morally gray, but honestly, he felt more like a misunderstood softie (not that I minded too much).

That said, I did wish for a bit more depth. The world has potential, but it could’ve used more detail, and I never felt like I got a super clear picture of what the main characters looked like. As someone who loves strong character development, I found myself wanting to know Karessa and Aeveus better. A few more memories or emotional moments—especially around Karessa’s motivation—would have helped.

Still, I had a good time reading it. If you’re more into plot and adventure than deep character dives, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. It’s a solid start to the series, and I’m curious to see where it goes next.

A big thank you to NetGalley and D.CATZ Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an earc in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out May 16.

*4.5* I've enjoyed this. it was fast pace, fun, entertaining. Really love the plot and world. I think what prevents me from giving fully 5 stars is that although I thought the romance was cute, I really wish it was flushed out more. I feel like they didn't get to know each other enough to fall in love. other then that, I've enjoyed it and can't wait to see how this duology ends

Thank you NetGalley and Dartanyan Johnson for this advanced reader copy.

Reading the description of this book I knew it would be right up my alley. I love magic kingdoms, mythical creatures, and adventure!

I do wish there had been more of a back story for the main characters. While I liked them, I felt a bit disconnected to them for the bulk of the story. It was mostly fast paced with problems arriving or action happening quite frequently, which kept it interesting.

In the last 20% I REALLY wanted to unravel the mystery and see what would happen to our beloved MMC Prince Aeveus, and I have to say I didn’t expect the twist in the story at all.

This was also a sort of “enemies to lovers” story and the attraction build up flowed well. I would have enjoyed more world building, but overall an interesting magical adventure.

After being framed for the death of his father the king, Aeveus is determined to figure out the truth. But first he must escape the castle prison and hide his appearance under a disguise.

Karessa was directly affected by the violence that surrounded the death of the king and she is determined to hunt down Aeveus and claim the reward for his capture.

With the help of a band of trackers she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

Troupes include: found family, dark magic, royalty, Fae, quest and other types of creatures.

Overall I really enjoyed the relationships in this story, including the romantic relationship. I found myself rooting for them. Although, I did not get the amount of attraction as I usually enjoy in a romantasy. It felt as though they were friendly and then suddenly they were a lot more.

At times I found the plot disjointed and struggled to get through the story. I did enjoy a couple of the twists, but the big twist at the end left me feeling confused and disappointed.

🪨Ashes & Rubble💎
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️3.5 but I rounded it up.

When I read the summary for this novel, I was excited to read it. I think the plot is fun and reminds me of quest-oriented epic fantasies. The camaraderie between the unlikely squad was warm, and the banter funny at times.

Sometimes, though, the dialogue felt forced and cliché. I don't think the main characters were ever fully described. I know I'm the kind of reader who enjoys a clear image of what the characters look like. Because of that, I wanted more depth from the characters and felt that by the end, I still didn't really know them.

I would have liked more memories of Karessa and her brother to solidify her motivation for hunting down Prince Aeveus. By the end of the story, I wanted to know they would make it out on top, so even with me wanting more from the characters, I still cheered for them and liked them.

The romance felt very sweet and demure, which is surprising when Prince Aeveus is supposed to be morally gray. I didn't get morally gray from him, I misunderstood, and that while he was deadly with his combat skills, he's a big softy. Lol.

Overall, I feel like there needs to be more world-building and character development. Even with that in mind, I liked the pacing of the plot and the adventurous feel of Karessa and her comrades' quest. If you're not a character-driven reader like I am, you'll enjoy this book!

Thank you, Dartanyan Johnson and NetGalley for my ebook ARC!

Prince Aeveus is a wanted man. The kingdom has put a bounty on his head for killing his father. Everyone saw him kill the King but he didn't do it and needs to find the person who did. Karessa is determined to win the reward for the capture of the prince. She wants to help her family have a better life. She decided she will need some help on her quest and teams up with Clyde who is a tracker and his companions Matthias and Esteriella. They go on a wild adventure full of magical creatures, battles, and surprising twists!

I really enjoyed the plot. The fighting scenes were so good. I was never bored or wishing more would happen. It was very fast paced and I could not get enough of it. I do kind of wish the romance had a bit more build up to the relationship. But I still enjoyed it and loved their story. I absolutely loved that you explained a lot in the Authors note. It was like all of the questions I had were answered and that was so awesome!

Can't wait for the next book! Thank you Dartanyan Johnson and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of the ARC Team!

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 1.2/5 .ᐟ

ʚɞ ⁺˖ pros. i had high hopes for this, but it was just. forgettable? but a very quick read—i completed it in two hours—so at least it doesn't drag. matthias and ester were cute, somewhat. the "he'd wait for her for 100 years" bit is just adorable.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ cons. i didn't connect to anything, any characters, any storylines, or any of the romance. the writing, directly from wattpad. dr. seuss-y alliterations right from the prologue, descriptions that are written as asides instead of being integrated with the actual story. the plot was a sequence of very generic stock events in fantasy with no unique personality to any of them. karessaevius would have been normal romantasy slop either way, but whore male lead who "has never thought of women as people" until the female lead showed up is just icky when written by a male author. in general, the characters are immensely shallow, romantasy leads #5689 and #6723. they're stock people in a stock universe doing stock things. just extremely uninspired.

i received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ARC Review ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ashes and Rubble starts off with the king supposedly being murdered by the prince, but he insists he is innocent. Meanwhile, a girl whose brother died the night of the attack seeks to collect the bounty on the prince’s head to help provide for her brothers wife and child.

This story was a lot of fun to read. There were several great elements of fantasy written in, at times it felt like our characters were going through a D&D campaign traveling from one city to the next and facing various enemies along the way. The characters were well developed and had a lot of depth to them. Overall I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

Thank you to Dartanyan Johnson, D.CATZ publishing, and NetGalley for this free eARC in exchange for an unbiased review