A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns

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INITIAL THOUGHTS

I picked up A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash as an Advanced Reading Copy from Net Galley. It promised to scratch the itch for sprawling fantasy romance with big lore, found-creature bonds, and a broody prince. I was in the mood for epic scale, cozy-with-a-map vibes, and a story I could sink into after work.

I expected high stakes and a deliciously tense enemies-to-lovers arc. What I got was an ambitious world with eight kingdoms, a tangled curse, and a romance that did not fully click for me.

The first seventy percent reads like an immersive tour of the world, which will be a dream if you love deep worldbuilding, and a hurdle if you are waiting for battles, betrayals, and kisses. I settled in for the ride and found myself hooked by the side characters, the mythology, and the final act chaos.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT

The eight kingdoms have been fractured for a century after a brutal war with witches. A curse shadows their future.

Mal Blackburn of the House of Shadows agrees to marry Ash, the fiery heir, to end a feud. Only Mal has a secret plan to kill him to break a curse most people refuse to believe is real.

From there we tumble into wyverns, shadow creatures, court secrets, witch plots, and gods who are not done with mortals. The author’s blurb frames it neatly, “Mal Blackburn will end the feud between the kingdoms by marrying the fire prince… But Mal is not looking to conquer the cruel prince’s heart. She wants to stab it.” That sets the tone. It is enemies on the surface, secrets underneath, and an entire continent’s fate on the line.

MY REVIEW

Writing Style

J.F. Johns writes with a cinematic eye. The prose lingers on textures, colors, and ceremonial details. Thrones gleam. Cloaks whisper. Vows feel heavy. I could sense the heat of the House of Flames and the velvet dusk of the House of Shadows. If you like fantasy that lets you walk each corridor and memorize every banner before the swords come out, this will be your jam. The cadence leans descriptive and patient, often pausing to show you how power looks in a room or how a bond with a creature hums in the background.

The tradeoff is pace. At 595 pages, the book spends a long stretch laying foundations. For me, about seventy percent was dedicated to worldbuilding and positioning pieces on the board. Then the last thirty percent slammed the throttle. When the action hits, it hits. Necromantic cavalry charges, witches striking in waves, a volcano gambit, and a lore bomb that reframes the war. The final chapters made me turn pages quickly and made the map feel alive.

I also appreciated how the prose leans into mythic beats. The prologue crackles with a witch’s rage and grief. We learn early that Tabitha is not as dead as history claims, and her voice shapes the entire conflict. The writing lets her be furious, messy, and purposeful. That energy echoes later in the epilogue when Tabitha squares off verbally with a newly freed god. These bookending moments felt sharp and memorable.

Themes & Messages

At its core, the book asks what a curse really is. Is it a punishment, or a shield disguised as punishment? I loved the twist that recasts Tabitha’s act. Late in the story, when Ash opens his second sight wide and tells the truth, the curse shifts from a simple revenge spell to a complex protection. It raises questions about the stories victors tell, and how often the wrong things get written down as truth.

There is also a running conversation about inheritance and identity. Mal grows up in the House of Shadows as an anomaly. Fourth born in a line that welcomes children in threes. That small detail becomes cosmic when we learn she is the God of Shadows, child of Tabitha and the God of Death. I liked how the book uses that reveal to explore chosen family and the ache of not quite fitting. The “who raised you” versus “whose blood you carry” theme shows up in many subtle ways, from court politics to creature bonds.

The series also sits with the cost of power. Dragons, wyverns, shadows, and sand serpents are not just cool pets. They are mirrors for their riders and symbols for their houses. Power protects and corrupts. Love heals and complicates. I liked the recurring idea that love is not the opposite of power, but a power that must be wielded with care.

Characters

Mal and Ash: On paper, this is my catnip. An arranged marriage between a Shadow queen and a Fire prince with a secret murder plan. I wanted tension, thorny banter, and a gradual softening that made the first touch crackle. For me, their chemistry never fully took root. I missed the small connective tissue moments that make an enemies-to-lovers turn feel earned. They share battles and secrets, yes, but I did not feel those quiet beats where a smirk becomes a smile and a shared joke becomes a promise. The twist with Mal’s nature and the Phoenixian blood solution is clever and bold. Throwing Ash into a volcano to reboot him is an all-timer move. It made me sit up. Still, as a romance reader, I wanted more “I see you” moments before we got there.

Kai and Alina: These two absolutely worked for me. Their chemistry buzzes. He promises to teach her to fight, and you can feel the trust building in every exchange. The story of Alina’s first love, Hagan, curdling into cruelty sets a brutal stage. When Hagan cuts off Alina’s horns, it is a twist that shocked me and made me root even harder for Alina’s arc. The House of Sand warriors whisking her away opens a door for a future reunion that could be feral, tender, and fierce. Please let Book Two give me training montages, banter that bites, and a kiss that feels like a victory and a vow.

Tabitha: A favorite. She burns with grief and conviction. The prologue and epilogue frame her as the series’ pulse. She is not simply the witch who cursed the kingdoms. She is the woman who loved Hadrian, saw the gods’ cruelty, and chose to act. When the truth of the Great Battle surfaces, Tabitha’s choices make a different kind of sense. I loved her verbal sparring with the God of Death at the end. It is sharp, loaded, and promises delicious conflict.

Mal, the God of Shadows: I liked the reveal and the way it threads past mysteries. How did the God of Death become her father? Who adopted her and why? Why does fourth born matter? The book gives just enough to make me hungry for the next piece.

Ash: I liked him most when he is in motion. The seer turn near the end is a strong character move. It gives him purpose beyond the romance track and positions him as a truth teller. I hope the next book lets him carry that burden and complicates his leadership through it.

Hagan: Predictable, yes, but still effective as a villain. He is the kind of ex who makes your stomach drop when he walks in the room. His cruelty felt personal and intimate in a way that matched the book’s focus on bonds and bodies.

Vibes, Settings, and Tropes

The vibes you can expect are stormy courts, dark halls, ritual, and firelight on blades. There are lots of House creatures to meet such as wyverns for Shadows, dragons for Flames, and serpents for Sand. The creature bonds are a highlight. Nyx, Mal’s dead wyvern, remains iconic. When Mal arrives riding Nyx and raises the dead to strike at the witches, I had a little reader squeal.

The setting has eight distinct kingdoms with a history that is messier than the official line.

Tropes you will find are arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers energy, reluctant allies, found family through creature bonds, political marriages, ancient curse, gods meddling in mortal business, secret identity, and cliffhanger.

There more sensual hints than explicit scenes for me. I would call the romance closed door and hinted at. There is intimacy and longing, but the camera does not linger on the romance in a graphic way, which was a disappointment.

Favorite Quotes

“I will not apologise for who I am. Not for them” (Mal, location 741).

“Let it be that, on the night of my lover’s death, a hundred years from now, darkness shall descend upon them. Let them suffer as we have suffered. Let them know ruin as we have known it” (Tabitha, location 97).

“And yet, Queen Senka had fallen pregnant a fourth time. A curse, some had whispered. Perhaps they were right. Perhaps Mal was cursed. It would explain why her eyes—those cursed, unnatural eyes—were not black like the rest of her kin. The moment her eyes had opened at birth, the echo of the world’s gasp at the intensity of those purple eyes could still be heard through the cracks in the walls” (narrator, location 241).

What Worked For Me

Lore reveals that reframe the war. Ash’s seer moment and the final truth about Tabitha’s intent landed. I love when a story flips the accepted history and says, actually, you were protected, not punished.

Creature bonds that feel sacred. Shadow creatures, wyverns, dragons, and serpents are integrated into identity and politics. The Nyx cavalry scene goes hard.

Tabitha’s voice. The prologue and epilogue are electric. They make the book feel like the opening movement of a much bigger symphony.

Kai and Alina’s chemistry. Their promise, their spark, and the training thread made me feel things. I will show up for them.

Bold set pieces. The volcano sequence. The battlefield necromancy. The House of Sand’s intervention. These moments carry cinematic weight and make the last act roar.

What Didn’t Work For Me

Pacing. The scale is impressive, but the long stretch of setup softened my emotional investment. I wanted the plot engine to turn over sooner, even if we kept the lush detail.

Central romance chemistry. Mal and Ash have the ingredients for a combustible pairing, but I did not feel enough smaller, tender beats to sell me on love rather than alliance and destiny. Without those moments, the big sacrifices feel less romantic and more tactical.

Predictable villain beats. Hagan’s heel turn is harsh, and it still lands, but the pattern is familiar. I hope Book Two complicates him or moves beyond his orbit.

Final Thoughts

Would I recommend it? Yes, with caveats. If you adore intricate worldbuilding, creature lore, and court intrigue with a mythic backbone, this is a strong pick. If you want the romance to lead and burn from chapter one, you may find yourself impatient until the last third.

I am invested in the series, particularly for Tabitha’s arc and Kai and Alina. I also want answers about Mal’s parentage and the gods’ endgame. The cliffhanger does its job. I will be there for A Kingdom of Sand and Ice.

Let’s Talk

Which pair worked better for you, Mal and Ash or Kai and Alina? And what creature bond would you want in this world? Wyvern, dragon, or serpent? Tell me everything in the comments.