I was so excited when I got accepted for an ARC of this! I've been hearing about it from all my bookish friends and couldn't wait to get stuck in.

I went into this read totally blind, running on vibes from the synopsis I'd read and the things I'd heard about how good it was. This book is a romantasy which seemed to be inspired by/take influence from Throne of Glass. What I found was a world full of tension and political intrigue, slow burn enemies-to-lovers, betrayal, and an interesting unique magic system.

My main enjoyment was how the romance didn't take away from the plot. In so many romantasy books nowadays I often find myself wanting more plot and less romance (I know, I'm weird), but this delivered on both fronts, and Mal was an FMC I could get behind. There was some spice, but it wasn't overly explained or fade-to-black, which I really enjoyed.

The world building contained every romantasy lovers dream: dragons, witches, curses and wars. With it being the start of a 5-part romantasy series, I really cannot wait to see where J. F. Johns goes with the story and all these fantasy elements.

This is definitely one of my top reads this year, and if you're a fan of Throne of Glass, Game of Thrones and ACOTAR, this is definitely a read for you!

This may be a romantasy read however at no points whatsoever did the plot lines get lost between the romance inside the read. Lack of world building and setting the scene at the beginning of the story did make some details tricky to process however this improved throughout the storyline. The romance was the focus of the storyline however the concept of mythical creatures and the feud between the kingdoms was written so well within this story making for a truly page turning read. The plot line was pacey and kept me guessing all the way through making it a highly enjoyable fantasy read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars - if Goodreads would let me do that haha!

This was a crazy ride of a story but it was SO GOOD! I felt that this had a unique storyline as I have not read anything like this in my reading journey. There are many characters and many different creatures but I did not feel overwhelmed by all of the information. I am curious to see who and what we will learn about when the story continues in book 2. Like many fantasy novels, the last 100 pages (10% - 15%) was a lot of gut wrenching and heartbreaking moments. I mean the ending was just… mind-blowing!!!!

I cannot wait to read Book 2 in this series!!!

BIG thanks to NetGalley and J. F. Johns for this eARC!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars - if Goodreads would let me do that haha!

This was a crazy ride of a story but it was SO GOOD! I felt that this had a unique storyline as I have not read anything like this in my reading journey. There are many characters and many different creatures but I did not feel overwhelmed by all of the information. I am curious to see who and what we will learn about when the story continues in book 2. Like many fantasy novels, the last 100 pages (10% - 15%) was a lot of gut wrenching and heartbreaking moments. I mean the ending was just… mind-blowing!!!!

I cannot wait to read Book 2 in this series!!!

BIG thanks to NetGalley and J. F. Johns for this eARC!!

W O W This one gave me all the feels that TOG did and I savored every minute of it. It's got it all!
Witches, Dark magic, War, Dragons, Wyverns. What more can you ask for? J.F Johns knew what she was doing with this one and I'm excited for the second one!

This was a refreshing fantasy to read. I felt like the plot, world building, characters, etc were different enough to make this interesting and really grab you. However, they were also still well known (ex: dragons, wyverns, phoenix’s, fae, witch) that it was easy to picture them while you read the story. Ash & Kai were everything to me, always waiting for their POV🥵 such great MMC’s.

My only real complaint is that sometimes it was a bit choppy when changing POV’s. This is multiple POV but also in 3rd person. I really enjoyed this overall and am definitely excited for the next book.

What you can expect in this:
- multiple POV/ 3rd person
- political intrigue
- strong FMC / MMC
- curses
- forbidden love
- strong family bonds
- all kinds of creatures 🐉🐦‍🔥🐺


‘Do not let them clip your wings.’ 🪽

Thank you to NetGalley + J. F. Johns for the E-Arc! 😊

3.5 rounded up

I was really excited for 'A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash' because of the huge favorites that it was compared to, but it unfortunately hit just average for me. That might just be my own expectations, so take it with a grain of salt. Reviews are glowing otherwise. While the premise of Mal infiltrating the fire prince's kingdom to assassinate him has potential to be this epic enemies to lovers, the execution fell flat with disjointed pacing that had it hard to return to. Side characters didn't feel fully fleshed out, and I found myself not caring for them or remembering them. However, there were some enjoyable moments and a decent enemies-to-lovers setup,

Great world building, interesting premise. The romance seemed a little rushed considering it was over 400 pages, but overall an original and intriguing story.

Before I get into this review, I want to offer my deepest apologies to the publisher for the delay in submitting my thoughts. Life got unexpectedly chaotic, and I never intended to fall behind. Thank you so much for your patience and for granting me the chance to read this incredible book early. I’m beyond grateful, and I want you to know that this story truly swept me away.

A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash is an epic, immersive fantasy that had me hooked from the very first page. J.F. Johns crafts a world that is as dark as it is dazzling, filled with political intrigue, forbidden magic, ancient prophecies, and characters who practically leap off the page.

The romance? LOVED IT! Although there are multiple threads woven throughout the story, but I was especially invested in Mal and Ash. The arranged marriage trope mixed with enemies-to-lovers tension? Absolutely flawless. Their scenes together carried so much emotional weight and slow-burn chemistry.

My only complaint? That I don’t already have book two in my hands! Now I’m stuck waiting (impatiently!) to return to this world. Huge thanks to J.F. Johns for trusting me with an ARC of this incredible story!

Thank you again to the publisher for the ARC and your understanding. I loved every second of this story, and I can’t wait to return to this world.

I need more. This was so good. I cannot wait for the next the next book. World building 10/10. Characters 10/10. Cover art 20/10. This was so good im going to read it again just because I can.

I just finished this book and I already want to read it again. The story, the world building, the characters? 10/10. It's so hard for me to 5 star a book but this was instant for me. Absolutely cannot wait for the next book to see where everything goes!

Favourite Quote: "Because if she - a princess with cursed eyes, a girl who should have never been - could be the one to save them all... Then maybe - just maybe - she would not be the monster she had always feared she was."

Feels as multi layered as Game of Thrones. The world is huge and has many different facettes which I think could be really interesting yet I feel like it is not well enough developed. Don't get me wrong, the story is interesting and I like the setting but I think it could be a little more detailed. At the same time, a lot is happening while simultaneously it fells like not much is happening at all. At 60% into the book I still wasn't sure where this was going. There are a lot of characters and things happening but I often felt like I didn't know in what timeframe. I don't know how many days - weeks? months? - have passed.
But I really did enjoy the last 30ish percent. This was where the story picked up it's pace.

2.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this Arc but sadly this isn’t for me!

I dnfed this around 55%, once I met Wren I just couldn’t get over the way she talked! Honestly I had quite a few issues with this book, Mal and Ash literally barely interacted and it was annoying me!

I feel like this book was very heavily inspired from throne of glass & acotar, even the names were too similar. It kinda made me feel weird at how similar they are.

I messaged the author personally to ask about the cover as I suspected it was AI, however I was told it was not. For some reason I can’t shake the feeling that it was AI inspired and honestly that put me off reading it.

The world building was great, I think the writing was good but I just really couldn’t get into this and didn’t wanna force myself to read something that I didn’t want to pick up. Thanks again to NetGalley! 💖

I was absolutely hooked from the very first page! A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash swept me into a rich, tension-filled world where political intrigue and cursed kingdoms collide with an intense, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. If you're anything like me and love stories that blend magic, betrayal, and passion—you need this book on your shelf ASAP.

The chemistry between the main characters was everything I wanted and more. The banter, the emotional push and pull, the vulnerability hiding beneath the anger—it felt so real and raw. Their dynamic had me rooting for them even when I probably shouldn’t have been, and that cliffhanger? Brutal. I mean it. Emotional damage levels of brutal (in the best possible way).

J.F. Johns creates such a vivid world—one filled with long-standing curses, divided kingdoms, and power struggles that kept me glued to the story. I read this in a single sitting because I simply could not stop. Every chapter brought something new, and the pacing was just right to keep me breathless without feeling rushed.

Yes, it plays on some familiar tropes, but Johns makes them feel fresh. Fans of Fourth Wing or Serpent & Dove will definitely find something to love here. And knowing that this is book one in a five-part series? I’m fully invested. Book two cannot get here fast enough!

Highly recommend if you're craving a romantasy full of tension, curses, and characters who burn for each other as much as they try to resist it. This one’s going straight to my favorites shelf!

OHHHH wow!! This book was everything to me. When I tell you this was a perfect romantasy, it was perfect.

Spice: 3/5

Family Dynamic
Political Intrigue
Unique Magic System
Arranged Marriage
Multi POVs
Chosen One
Prophecy
Wyverns, Dragons, sand snakes, wolves, pegasus (I think), and so much more


The balance between the romance and the fantasy was perfect. From the immersive world-building to the beautiful writing, it was perfect. I enjoyed every aspect. I loved the pacing of the book, I loved the characters. And don't get me started on the plot twists that I couldn't guess from miles away! I love it when a book can surprise me. This book did just that.

Let's start with the writing. It was beautiful. The description was just enough to keep me intrigued and place me in the story, and I could imagine it in my head. The world-building was heavy, but it was so good. It wasn't dumped on me; it was spread through the book. It's such a unique world with 8 kingdoms, each with a different culture and type of 'special' animal companion. (it's a lot to explain)

Now to our main characters:

Mal was nearly perfect as an FMC, truly. She was strong, smart, she thought things through, and wasn't hasty in anything. It's so hard to find an FMC that actually thinks. Her focus was on the situation at hand and not Ash, which was great. But speaking of Ash, HOW ADORABLE WAS THAT MAN! A king with a stutter, and is ashamed of it. But holy cow was he cute, and he loved Mal so much. Honestly, think of them like Mal from Descendants and Ben. That's literally their dynamic!

Then we follow Kai mainly, and I LOVED HIM. Talk about SHADOW DADDY! He was everything to me. Honestly. He was cocky but loved his family like no other and the way he was with Alina! My heart!

I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book, but I'm going to stop here. If you're debating on reading this, don't. READ IT! It's sooo worth your time!

Incredible story! A Kingdom of Shadow & Ash is the perfect romantasy that pulls you in from the very beginning, with the world building and wonderful characters.

Mal Blackburn has to break a curse by marrying the prince of an enemy kingdom and then kill him. But to do that would start another WAR against ALL kingdoms, but if she doesn’t, everyone ceases to exist?! Whewwww talk about an impossible decision.

Multi-POV, with many intersecting story lines, but very easy to follow!

This is one of my favourite reads this year. I couldn’t put it down, I lost sleep over it, and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about what was going to happen next!!
The world building and story telling is unmatched in A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash. I felt like I was right there with the characters, feeling what they felt and seeing what they saw. Not only was this beautifully written, the twists and turns throughout and especially at the end had me speechless, wanting more & waiting impatiently until I can read book 2.

The tension and slow burn between Mal and her arranged husband Ash was perfect. True enemies to lovers. A prince and a princess from different kingdoms, each born to play their part in a curse set in place 100 years ago. Their misunderstanding of each other had me biting my nails in anticipation of what might happen.

The spice was PERFECT. It wasn’t closed door, but wasn’t overly descriptive. It felt intimate and real.

I love the story building & history. Politics between ruling families. Old curses, Witches, Fae, Valkyrians, dragons, wyvern, giant wolves & serpents, phoenixes, shadow wielders and more. Each character has their own story, and as the book goes on we learn more about each individual, their character arcs, good & bad.

It’s a dark fantasy ride that delivers exactly what it promises: moody magic, simmering tension, and a kingdom on the edge of ruin. And I was into it.

Right from the start, the atmosphere is rich—Johns knows how to build a world that feels crumbling and enchanted all at once. The shadows are real, the danger is constant, and there's always this sense that something ancient and powerful is just beneath the surface. It’s the kind of world where you don’t fully trust anyone… and you kind of love it for that.

I adored this and was so sad when I went to find the second one and realised this is the only one out so far.

Definitely one of my favourite fantasies of the year so far.

I had so many favourite characters in this and I loved that there was more than one romance story within it. Even though the world is complicated with a lot of different elements and kingdoms, the introduction of them was so well spaced and done, that I didn't get confused who was who, and I didn't feel as if I was just being info dumped on.

A wonderful read that leaves you wanting more after having you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

I genuinely didn’t expect to fall this hard for A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash. From the first chapter, I was completely hooked. If you love dark fantasy with rich world-building, complicated politics, forbidden magic, and the perfect balance of slow-burn romance and brutal twists, this book absolutely delivers.

Mal is the kind of fierce, layered protagonist I adore; calculated, powerful, but also deeply human underneath the weight of her mission. And Ash… let’s just say he surprised me in all the best ways. Their dynamic is full of tension, distrust, and chemistry. Watching that shift was so satisfying. The arranged marriage, ancient curse, and enemies-to-lovers tension? Perfection.

The world is massive in scope but never overwhelming. I was blown away by the detail: wyverns, witches, phoenixes, cursed kingdoms, political alliances, and a brewing war that feels dangerously close. It’s cinematic without feeling overly complex, and every POV brought something important to the story. Kai and Alina’s subplot especially hit me right in the heart. I wasn’t expecting to love their romance so much, but now I’m just as invested in them too.

Also… the pacing?! The last 100+ pages flew by and had me on edge. I kept gasping aloud. The ending is brutal (in the best way), and I’m already desperate for the next book. If I could preorder a special edition right now, I would.

Truly one of my top reads this year. If you're into enemies-to-lovers, magical creatures, powerful heroines, court scheming, and emotional gut-punches, you’ll want this book on your shelf..