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A review by alex_pcbff
A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash by J.F. Johns
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Mal Blackburn, the fourthborn princess of the Kingdom of Darkness, has to marry Ash Acheron, the prince of the Kingdom of Fire, to finally have peace between the kingdoms. But also there's a prophecy that "the chosen one" needs to kill "the cursed one" to stop a curse. It apparently refers to Mal as the chosen one. And you know with a vague prophecy like that, there is going to be drama 👀
It took about 10-15% of the book for me to actually get into the story, but once they actually got to the Kingdom of Fire, it started picking up.
The story is fun, and I had a good time reading this. Lots of court intrigue, spying, rivalries and alliances between kingdoms, backstabbing, etc. And magical creatures! I did find some parts predictable, and the romances didn't have as much buildup as I would have liked. BUT it was still a fun read!
There are a lot of really amazing characters! Mal's brothers, Kai and Kage, are both amazing in their own way. Not to be dramatic but I will die for Kai ❤️ Ash's sister, Alina, is also great. Lots of good sibling dynamics in this book!
I do wish the narrative followed the main couple a bit more. There are a lot of side characters who have their own storylines and POVs, which can be interesting, but I often wanted to get back to Mal or Ash.
For writing style, the 3rd person POV didn't bother me at all. There were a lot of single-sentence paragraphs, which is a personal pet peeve. I love them to emphasize a specific sentence, but when used too much it feels choppy to me.
Overall though, a good romantasy reminiscent of YA, but with more spice
Thank you Netgalley and J.F. Johns for the chance to read the ARC! All opinions are honest and my own.
It took about 10-15% of the book for me to actually get into the story, but once they actually got to the Kingdom of Fire, it started picking up.
The story is fun, and I had a good time reading this. Lots of court intrigue, spying, rivalries and alliances between kingdoms, backstabbing, etc. And magical creatures! I did find some parts predictable, and the romances didn't have as much buildup as I would have liked. BUT it was still a fun read!
There are a lot of really amazing characters! Mal's brothers, Kai and Kage, are both amazing in their own way. Not to be dramatic but I will die for Kai ❤️ Ash's sister, Alina, is also great. Lots of good sibling dynamics in this book!
I do wish the narrative followed the main couple a bit more. There are a lot of side characters who have their own storylines and POVs, which can be interesting, but I often wanted to get back to Mal or Ash.
For writing style, the 3rd person POV didn't bother me at all. There were a lot of single-sentence paragraphs, which is a personal pet peeve. I love them to emphasize a specific sentence, but when used too much it feels choppy to me.
Overall though, a good romantasy reminiscent of YA, but with more spice
Thank you Netgalley and J.F. Johns for the chance to read the ARC! All opinions are honest and my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny