This is a tough one to write- my feelings are so mixed about whether I loved it or not. The plot, world building, and character arc are phenomenal. 5 stars all the way and really sucked me in. The FMC was strong and tenacious. She experiences so many events and emotions and navigates them in such a believable and relatable way that you really empathize and root for her.

What I struggled with was the pacing of the story. The very beginning was thrilling and sucked me right in. The middle dragged and felt like it jumped around a lot... almost like the original book was significantly longer, and when they pared it down, they didn't revise to help it flow better. The very end was again engaging, and the cliffhanger ending left me wanting to read the next- it's intended to be the first in a trilogy.

This is a captivating read for fans of epic fantasy romance, particularly those who enjoy stories of strong female protagonists, forbidden love, and the struggle between light and darkness, as it masterfully weaves together themes of vengeance, self-discovery, and the power of love to overcome even the most daunting challenges.

This intense, fast-paced fantasy had me hooked from the start. Alora, a morally grey assassin, embarks on a journey of vengeance after losing her loved ones. Unexpectedly, she finds herself betrothed to her fated mate, the Sunnevean prince she spent one passionate night with. The story is packed with action, romance, and political intrigue, creating a vivid and immersive world. I loved Alora’s strength and the emotional depth of her character, though the timeline jumps felt a bit rushed at times. With themes of revenge, love, and redemption, this book is perfect for fantasy romance fans. The cliffhanger ending left me eager for the next one.

Daughter of Shadows and Ash is a book perfect for fans of Throne of Glass with intense world building and descriptive imagery that really pull you into the world with the main characters from the get go. The characters have great development as the book progresses with great interactions and experiences that truly paint a picture of who and what they represent.

There were times where things got a bit repetitive and/or felt drawn out unnecessarily. However the FMC was badass and very likable despite a few flaws in her character.

If you're a fan of Throne of Glass. but make it YA with magic, romance, betrayal, and fated mates, this book is for you!

If I’m being completely honest, I’m still trying to untangle my thoughts after reading Daughter of Shadows and Ash, my first foray into Ember Johnson’s work. Did I love it? Hmm. Did I hate it? Definitely not. Let’s just say my feelings are currently residing in the murky middle, sipping tea and pondering their next move.
First things first—Johnson does not skimp on the action. There is a lot going on here. The plot? Solid. A vendetta-driven adventure with a touch of mated love (because what fantasy novel doesn’t throw in some romantic destiny?), and, of course, a prophecy. Because if there’s one thing fantasy authors love more than world-building, it’s a good old-fashioned ominous prophecy.
Now, about our leading lady, Alora. She’s sassy, she’s sharp, she’s magic personified—but half the time, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on with her. One moment she’s cracking jokes, the next she’s diving headfirst into danger, and somewhere in between, she left me flipping back pages wondering if I missed a memo. Still, she carries the story with enough charm and grit to keep things interesting.
The supporting cast? Plentiful. Maybe a little too plentiful. Some of them felt like they deserved more screen time to really shine, especially considering their importance to the plot. As it stands, they were a bit like attractive strangers at a party—intriguing, but not quite memorable enough.
And let’s talk pacing. The book oscillates between rushed sequences where I felt like I was sprinting to keep up, and moments that lingered a little too long, repeating details I already grasped. That said, the ending? Chef’s kiss. A breathtaking cliffhanger that left me staring at the last page, blinking in disbelief, and frantically searching for details about book two.
Despite my mixed feelings, Daughter of Shadows and Ash left me with a boatload of unanswered questions and a curiosity that won’t quit. So yes, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel, hoping for a little more clarity, a little more character depth, and a lot more sass from Alora.
Final verdict: If you're in the mood for a fast-paced fantasy with action, intrigue, and a heroine who bites off more than she can chew (but somehow makes it work), give this one a go. Just be prepared for a wild ride that might leave you with a few question marks floating above your head.

After her loved ones are slain, Alora embarks on a journey of vengeance that transforms her into an assassin, but when fate leads her to a passionate encounter with a handsome stranger who turns out to be her fated mate and the prince she must marry, she must choose between her quest for revenge and embracing love to save two kingdoms from dark forces.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of Daughter of Shadows and Ash and recognize that this is Ember's debut novel, but I feel the story has untapped potential that wasn’t fully explored.

In my opinion, the book could have been split into two parts to allow for deeper character and world-building, as there were several gaps that required readers to fill in on their own.

The first part could focus on the protagonist's childhood, helping readers form an attachment to her loved ones and her hometown, before diving into the beginning of her revenge.

The second part could then focus on her development, as well as her growing romance with the stranger who turns out to be her fated mate and the prince.
Tropes included in this book:
• Fated Mates
• Revenge
• Morally Grey FMC
• Found Family
• Magic

After reaching out with Ember to express my concerns of this book, she revealed to me that the final edits of this book were not included in this publication, and I am excited to see the how this improves the book.

I received this as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I had mixed feelings about Daughter of Shadow and Ash. The book started off slow, diving into layer upon layer of backstory that often felt like a backstory to another backstory. While I appreciated the author’s effort to build a rich world and complex history, it detracted from the main plot and left me feeling disconnected early on.

The connection between Mael and Alora showed promise, and I was starting to enjoy their dynamic. However, I didn’t feel their bond deeply enough to truly experience the heartbreak that the story seemed to demand. If the emotional weight of their relationship had been stronger, I think I would have been more invested in Alora’s transformation into an assassin.

By the halfway mark, I realized I still didn’t have a clear sense of the main plot. While some parts of the protagonist’s journey were enjoyable, the story lacked the tension and engagement needed to keep me turning the pages. The climax, when it finally arrived, was packed into the very end of the book and felt rushed.

The conclusion left me feeling more confused than intrigued. It seemed intentionally vague, likely to set up the sequel, but instead of building anticipation, it left me wondering, “What did I just read?” I even reread the ending, thinking I had missed something, but it was simply the way it was written.

While Daughter of Shadow and Ash had its enjoyable moments, the slow pacing, lack of clarity, and rushed conclusion made it difficult to fully connect with the story. If I come across the sequel, I’ll read it out of curiosity, but I won’t be waiting eagerly for it.

I loved the preface/concept of this book! unfortunately i just couldnt get invested in the characters and did dnf the book at 33%.

For me personally some of the journeys ended too soon not allowing me to really get invested in the characters or the story line.

I really enjoyed Eloras character she definitely was a strong FMC! unfortunately there was just too much of a disconnect for me with her relationships, i think we would have benefited from it being dual pov.

I need book two immediately. I have so many theories and ideas I just need to know what happens next. Lor’s story is one of heartbreak and resilience. While the book felt rushed in certain places, I enjoyed the story overall and cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you NetgGalley and Cursebreak Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️Review⭐️

📖 Daughter of Shadows and Ash by Ember Johnson

🖤Beware of cliffhangers!!! This is an addictive fantasy for Throne of Glass lovers. Absolutely loved reading this, and if you’re newer to fantasy this is an excellent place to start.

🤍After a traffic loss, Alora seeks revenge and turns into an unexpected hope for a torn land. Amid dark forces and a royal betrothal, she must choose between vengeance and an unforeseen love.

🖤A debut that will leave you reaching for more, book 2 is coming soon and I can not wait.

💬 “To readers who find their peace in the pages of a book no one’s heard about. Thank you for supporting indie authors”.

📆Release date: available now

✨Read this if you like✨
🤍Fated Mates
🖤Morally Grey FMC
🤍He falls first
🖤Revenge
🤍Found family
🖤Assassin
🤍Magic


💬Would you add this to your TBR?

3,75

- Fated Mates
- Morally Grey FMC
- He Falls First
- Revenge
- Found Family
- Assassin

Okay I was absolutely surprised by this book. It’s Ember her debut novel and she killed it with her first one. The story was captivating, the plot was good and the tension in this book had me in chokehold fr.

Some pieces could have been more extensive as far as I'm concerned, but I personally like a little more details at some part myself. I can never get enough tho when a book is good 😏

The book finished on a cliffhanger so yeah I have a lot of emotions going on right now 🥲

Ember you better hurry up with book 2, because I need to know the rest 🥹

I really enjoyed this, but it didnt feel like the first book.. i wish there had been more back story with our main character - she was so interesting, and her powers were something i wish we had the explaination to. there also wasnt as much world building as i wouldve like. saying that, after we met our MMC, the story really started picking up, and that ending?! defintely bumped it up a star. i will be continuing the series because now i have to know what happens.

This was a strong start to the Araceli's Blade series, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the fantasy romance of this. It was everything that I wanted based on the description. The characters had that element that I wanted and was glad I was able to read this. Ember Johnson has a strong writing style and am excited for the next book.

Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this book until the last 10% due to the writing style. I felt that it did not flow well and that there were jumps in the story that weren't explained (characters/names appearing out of seemingly nowhere, changes in environment without explanation). I feel that this book needs a fair bit of editing to make it make sense.
As I mentioned the last ten percent got interesting and made me contemplate picking up a sequel however due to the writing I probably would not.
Overall I can see that the plot itself would have been good but the writing style really wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Cursebreak Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

--

I absolutely loved the plot of this story and watching Alora’s incredible growth throughout her journey. She truly comes into her own as a shadow princess—slaying in every sense of the word, literally. The unexpected twists and turns kept me guessing, with the ever-changing direction of the story keeping me on my toes.

That said, I struggled with the pacing at times. There was so much happening, so quickly, that I often found it hard to keep up. I had to pause and reread sections to fully grasp what was going on and stay on track with the plot.

Despite the challenges with the pacing, the story's gripping plot and Alora’s remarkable transformation made this an enjoyable read overall. It’s a whirlwind of action, intrigue, and powerful character development that’s worth sticking with if you enjoy fast-paced, twist-filled fantasy. Alora’s journey will definitely leave a lasting impression!

3.5 stars for me!

I did enjoy this book, but I felt like the first 10% had me hooked and then the next ~40% or so was build up and the real story started after and that’s where I really felt engaged. Once I got to the 50% mark, I read the rest of the book in a matter of hours!

As a Caelena Sardothien stan, I love an assassin FMC. Especially one that is on a quest for vengeance! I really liked Lor, the FMC, and thought her turmoil choosing between vengeance and peace/happiness was well done. Since the story is from her POV and first person, the reader feels the constant conflict between her desire for vengeance and also her wanting to just move on and be happy.

The jury is still out on the MMC…I want to love him but I have to see what happens next! ;)

This story ends on a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book to find out what happens!

Happy release day to Daughter of Shadows and Ash! Overall, I would say this was a 3⭐️ for me. I really loved the concept of this book and I thought that the dialogue was really good, especially the love interests scenes with Alora.

I did spend a lot of the time feeling kinda lost. I feel like there was a lot of jumping forward in timelines and I didn’t know it had jumped forward until like halfway through the chapter.

I really did adore Lor as the FMC. It gives Throne of Glass vibes and Lor is also dark and twisty with the ability to manipulate shadows.

I really am hoping for some more world building and more foundation for things that are happening in the plot and maybe less big timeline jumps ✨

Thank you Cursebreaker Books, Ember Johnson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I grabbed Daughter of Shadows and Ash by Ember Johnson because the premise sounded interesting. Girl vows to hunt down the men who killed the people she loved and along the way she comes to realize who she is and what she is meant to do. While this may have been the intended story, it wasn't what I expected.

Alora is our fmc and she actually spends the first few chapters pining after her best friend but then it turns out he actually did have feelings for her and wanted to marry her all along but then tragedy strikes and Alora's life is turned upside down. The problem is, the story fast forwards and we don't actually see her going through any transformation. It's just a transition to now she is an assassin and I don't think that helps.

The pacing was a little slow in the beginning for me as well. To be honest, I could have done without most of the first part and just jumped right into the assassin portion of the story if Johnson could have figured out another way to share Alora's backstory.

When we meet the mmc Erynd (Ryn) things start to pick up as their one night stand leads into an unexpected betrothal. What Alora didn't know is that Ryn is not only the prince, but also her fated mate. Add to that, the fact that her magic has been what the King has been looking for and he isn't about to let her go.

With the way this book picked up at the end I'm actually interested in picking up the next book in the series. As I mentioned, I think that while the beginning of the book was slow and disconnected, the rest of the story kept me interested in and because of that it did end up being a solid read.

3.5 ⭐ Rounded up!

This was a fun debut!
Betrayal
Magic
Fated Mates
Bad Ass FMC

I would like to thank Net Gallery and the Author for the privilege of reading this ARC and providing an honest review.

The book started off very different than I imagined the direction to go. I went in to this story a bit blind but very happy that I did as things started to unravel and everything picked up in the second half. I loved the sass of our heroine Alora and great witty dialogue.

I will say it is very fast paced- in my opinion so if you are looking for a quick read this is your stop!
The ending was probably my favorite part and book two is looking like it's going to be a wild ride!

This book was given to me as an arc by netgalley.
Oh god. Where to start? The concept and story line were very good however, the execution and pacing required additional looking over. 

The story of Lor and her life was a great idea. It initially gave me very strong throne of glass vibes however, the book did not live up to the idea. 

In several parts of the book, I felt like we missed a few chapters that explained the situation, world building and characters. The book felt too short for the amount of things that happened in it. I think for a fantasy novel, I didn't fully understand the magic system, the way in which the society operated in order to be fully immersed in the book. 

When it comes to the characters, I felt like I didn't know them at all, so when deaths were occurring, I didn't have enough emotional investment in them to truly feel the loss. I didn't cry, and those who know me, know how easy that is to do. 

Mael felt like a fantastic character and kept me entertained throughout the whole book. I also wishes more focus was given to Lucas, who I think at one point got called Logan unless I'd been reading the wrong name in my head the whole time. 

Overall, I think this would have been an amazing draft but in my opinion required additional editing before publication.