Ashes & Rubble

A Kingdom Cast in Shadows Trilogy, Book 1

De: Dartanyan Johnson

Narrado por: Sami Ro

Karessa has always lived by one rule: Trust no one. The moment you do, that’s when you’ll find a knife in your back. When the high king is assassinated, and her brother is slain in the crossfire, Karessa—a former thief turned struggling laborer—sets her sights on the ten-thousand-gold-coin bounty placed on the culprit. Armed with a dagger and an unyielding determination, she hires a charming tracker named Clyde to hunt him down.

Despite Karessa’s confident demeanor, she’s never been outside of her city, so when she’s thrust into an unknown world of monsters and magic, she finds herself relying on Clyde’s lethal swordplay to keep her safe. But even more dangerous than his combat skills is her growing affection for the man prone to attracting trouble. From goblin hordes to deadly trials, she must survive Clyde's infuriating sense of justice and her crumbling emotional walls before confronting their quarry.

But she’s not the only person on the verge of reaching her target. Leo Fanoya, captain of the high king’s personal guards, is in close pursuit, and he holds a secret that could cost Karessa the bounty, her life, or her heart.

Ashes & Rubble is a high-stakes, action-packed epic fantasy with witty banter and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers tension. For fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night, The Bridge Kingdom, and Kings of the Wyld.

©2025 Dartanyan Johnson (P)2026 Dartanyan Johnson

5 starts across the board

This story was so great. I didn’t see the ending coming. The narrator was amazing at all the different voices. The characters were all really captivating and I can’t not wait for the next book!

Phenomena!

Loved it. I was a little bit worried at first, because I was having a hard time following all the story pieces at first… but by chapter 5, I was completely hooked!

A fun jaunt into a new magical world

For starters, I loved this book.

I usually listen at work and multiple times I found myself laughing out loud(literally) and wondering who would hear me.

All of the characters are masterfully written and brought to life by Sami Ro.

The world building gives you just enough to want more. You can see the wheels turning in Dartanyan's head as the world comes to life.

If you are looking for an adventure into a new magical world, I HIGHLY reccomend Ashes and Rubble.

I loved this book so much

It’s like a D&D adventure in the best kind of way. The narration was great but the storyline was so enjoyable. I love the whole concept of the tracker being the man he’s looking for. It opens to door for so many fun shenanigans. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see what else the author has lined up.

Such a great mix of fantasy and mythology!

I laughed and side-eyed, giggled and kicked my feet swooning. I had no idea where the author was going with this book when I first opened it, another than what he’d posted online, but now that I’m here, I need to take the whole journey!