The Making of a King: From Ashes We Rise

by Phoenix Kol

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 28, 2026

Reviews

[Amee]

ARC review. Thanks to BookSirens for the From Ashes We Rise ARC. Book one in The Making of a King series. Told in third person, we get quite a lot of people’s POV’s in this story, which serves as both a good thing and not for me. Was hard to build any kind of emotional connection to the characters being as we’re jumping around so much. On the other hand with third person we do know what the lot are all thinking or feeling. Takes the guessing away some too.

There’s also a lot going on within the story. Lots of different types of people and their own storylines getting merged, it’s a lot to keep track of who’s who, and how they are ultimately tied to AJ’s story, which my old lady brain has trouble doing sometimes.

Overall I enjoyed the mixed bag of tropes From Ashes We Rise turned out to be. Going forward I’d like to see AJ more fleshed out as well as his relationships to others. Maybe less telling and more showing is another way to explain it. My opinions are my own so take them with a grain of salt but I’d recommend for a good start to a series which kept me entertained and watching.

[Tammy -]

I have read a lot of sports and hockey romances, but I've never read one quite like this.

Every legend has a beginning.

This is the first book in the From Ashes We Rise universe, and the author warns you at the very start that this truly is just the beginning of this story.

AJ Blackwood has always known who he is supposed to be. His father is determined to make him a hockey star, but AJ has other dreams. After one night changes everything, AJ tries to make a fresh start, but can he really escape his past?

This book is told in third person POV, and I admittedly struggle with that unless a story really pulls me in from the start, and this book did just that. There are a lot of characters in this universe though, so it did feel a bit overwhelming at times.

Although I was expecting a dark, suspenseful story, I was still surprised by the turn that this story took. This truly is just the beginning and it's a page turner, but if you're wanting a story that's all tied up with a pretty bow at the end, you won't find that here. I can't even imagine where this story is headed next.

[Ruxi]

An interesting story with an even more interesting writing. I think it was the first time I read a book with so many points of view without being a fantasy one with a lot of pages. This made it easier to see and understand the whole story and some of the reasons behind the actions of the characters. It also made me attach faster to the side characters.

My favorites in this book were AJ of course (he is very sweet and kind but also competitive and focused when he needs to be, despite all he had been through) and surprisingly Gabi who is very protective of AJ and very smart in his businesses.

I liked the book, but I would have appreciated a little more romance and a little less sports details. I knew the ending was not going to give me all the answers but I was hoping for at least something to be good in that moment. Now I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next!

[Erica]

What a story. No other way to phrase it. Slowly slides in and captures your attention. Young love, deception, fear, and above all hope and dreams. Learning to start again after you feel your life has been thrown in front of a train only to have everything you have worked and sweat for, ripped away in the blink of an eye. And for what? Because there are people who don't understand that humans are not possessions and are there to do your bidding. To act and behave how you feel is right. To make their accomplishments, yours. Remember though, just when you think you are in control they snap and rip you apart. Fall in AJ's life and see where the Wolffe takes you.

[Rocki]

This was my first sports-based book, and I was hesitant, but the premise just kept calling for me and I'm so glad I was chosen for the ARC. This story had me captivated. I sat and read this book as much as I could in any window of free time I had. It reminded me of One Tree Hill, but with hockey and baseball instead of basketball. I could feel the pressure on the field with AJ and it carried through the entire book as Christian. Towards the end I was so connected with the characters I cried during one of the locker room moments and officially settled on Brooks as my favorite teammate.

If you're looking for a happy go-lucky kind of story, this one is not for you. This one tugs on the heart strings right out the gate and keeps you wanting more all the way until the last word. I had no idea how much I would enjoy a sports-based suspense, and maybe I'm bias because hockey and baseball are both my favorite sports, but I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. I have never loved having my heart torn out more than now.

[Tara Mcqueen]

I couldn’t put this book down. From page 1, the tone was set and I was on the edge of my seat. The narrative is written eloquently and with purpose, with a suspenseful undertone that captivated me. Each chapter ends with a statement that had me quickly turning to the next. The characters, so complex and well-rounded, were quickly established, and although there are quite a few viewpoints, each one adds another layer to the intensity of this story. And it is intense, with twists that keep coming and an antagonist that you love to hate. The foundation for conflict was established early, and it just kept building and building until the end…which, by the way, just leaves you wanting more. It’s a love story, but it’s mostly a story of growth, perseverance, courage, and a desperate need for our young MMC to find his own path and follow his dream. I absolutely devoured it. Highly recommend.

[Rosalily_Reads]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That cliffhanger!!!
I’m not going to lie, this took me a moment to get my head around, the way the story is told is different to what I am used to, but once I got my head around that I was locked in.

This is a Dark Sports romance, but it feels like something different,
Not in a bad way, in a different way. This story felt rather unique.

This book is the beginning of many stories to come, and the author warns you that you may not get all the answers you are after till down the track, and I don’t know whether to be mad about that, because ahem cliffhanger or intrigued, because we met some really amazing people in this story, and maybe we will see them in the stories to come. I really hope we do anyway. The answers will come, I will just need to be patient.

I really felt for AJ, watching this boy try to find himself amongst the demands that are put on him from his father, was really heartbreaking. This story is not just a romance story, nor is it just a sports romance, this story is about a young boy trying to find himself, and work out what his life could be, if he did not have the restraints put on him by his father.

I enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes.


"You gave your son a chance to follow his heart. That is not a mistake. Boys like him are not undone by one hard night. They are shaped by them."

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. - as always all opinions are my own.

[AC Sports Thriller Fan]

I did not see this book coming. I went in expecting a sports romance. What I got was a sports romance wearing a thriller's clothes, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Phoenix Kol does not waste a single chapter setting this up. Within the first few pages you understand exactly what AJ Blackwood stands to lose, and by the end of the book, you understand it was never really his to keep in the first place.

What got me most wasn't the hockey, and it wasn't even the romance, though both are genuinely well done. It was watching a boy try to figure out who he is when every single person in his life has already decided that for him. There's a kind of ache to that premise that hits different once you're actually in it. I found myself rooting for this kid so hard I had to put the book down a few times just to sit with it.

And the ending? I audibly said "no" out loud on my couch. That's how you know a cliffhanger worked.

If you love sports romance with real stakes, characters who feel like actual people instead of tropes in jerseys, and a story that isn't afraid to hurt you a little before it lets you hope again, this book is for you!

[Brittany Will]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to love this one because I think the premise had a lot of potential, and I’m always excited to support indie authors. Unfortunately, the structure made it difficult for me to connect with the story and characters.

I went into this expecting AJ Blackwood/Christian Wolffe to be the main focus, but with so many different POVs between each chapter, I never felt like I got the chance to really connect with him. Personally, I think the story would have been much stronger if it had stayed primarily with AJ, or even alternated between AJ and his father.

I also expected more of a sports romance/thriller based on the description, but the sports and romance elements felt secondary to the complicated—and very broken—family dynamics.

Overall, I think there was a good story buried in here, but the execution and number of POVs just didn’t work for me. I finished it, but ultimately found myself wishing the story had been structured differently.

[Suzanne]

I found this book predictable and cliché. Money buys everything and everyone. The story is solid but the language and vocabulary is very heavy on prior knowledge of the sports mentioned ie Hockey. I liked the story but it needed a bit more thought about the target reader.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.