Thank you to Razorbill and Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

⭐⭐💫

Chaos & Flame is a dual POV that follows Darling Seabreak, an orphan thanks to House Dragon, and Talon Goldhoard, the War Prince of House Dragon. Talon's brother is the ruler (albeit an erratic one) with an obsessive interest in finding a girl he's been painting since childhood. Darling's mission involves destroying them, yet Talon realizes the girl who wishes him dead is the very one his brother has been painting. Are they destined for more than a swift, deadly battle?

I really enjoy reading fantasy books involving phoenixes, so I requested this book for that and the idea that there might be an interesting slow burn or enemies-to-lovers dynamic since the brother who seems to be the love interest is not the brother searching for her.

I read this book in February and March and couldn't really recall much now to tell you what happened or what I thought. I do have a great memory for book reviews! The issue is... even in March I didn't really follow what was happening or what I thought. 😂 The best parts were the characters (the relationship dynamics were in fact interesting!) and the intrigue. I listened to this whole book in only a couple of days once I got started! The plot just.... didn't seem to make much logical sense and the romance felt rushed and flat because of it (and there was so much potential!). There also.... was very, very little about House Phoenix and I'm still sort of confused as to the connection. 😂

I wouldn't recommend this book to my audience unless you like a no thoughts just vibes YA enemies to lovers romance. My cutoff for continuing a series in 3 stars, but... I do think I will round up and try book 2 just for entertainment purposes!

This book started off so strong. I found the narrative riveting, the characters and world rife with potential, and then it kind of... Flops. I think there's something to be said about post war books - after the chaos, how do we rebuild - and it's often hard to delve deep into books that are more politics heavy when we don't get much of the world. We missed all the action, summarized in a couple of paragraphs, and now it's all sit down meetings, whispers, and Talon's obsession with Darling's eyes.

I like the idea of the gifts people get - sometimes it's enhanced vision, sometimes it's healing, others are wilder and unpredictable. It made each character interesting and I found it fascinating how creative the gifts were. Darling makes a point at the beginning - her gift came with a shortcoming - her sensitivity to light; however, Talon's obsession with them is like if someone was obsessed with an amputee's stub - it's one thing to accept it as normal, it's another to fetishize it?? And the writing doesn't lend itself too well to that assumption either - the first chapter of the book points out her eyes in different measures - noting their "deadness". I hated that.

Anyways, this one wasn't for me and I'm super disappointed that it just didn't hit.

TW: war, violence, blood, injury detail, ableism; mentions death of a parent

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Razorbill via Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review.

Life got in the way and I could not finish the book. Thanks to the publishers for the chance to read the book.

The first chapter was chiefs kiss. I was so sucked in. And then the rest of the book happened 😒
I’m so sad the story didn’t focus on the first chapter’s character because Talon & Darling were incredibly cringey

I was very excited for this story, but sadly felt a bit disappointed by the end. There was a lot of potential with the plot and the characters, but there was something missing throughout. Although, I did really enjoy the relationship between Talon and Darling. The prologue was very good at hooking me in and I liked the writing style! Hopefully book two will redeem the story for me, especially after that cliff hanger!

Was hoping for more dragons but the story was more on the political side. I enjoyed the romance and characters!

Recenlty read this for a reading vlog I'm making for youtube but thought I would come on here and write my review!
Wow chaos and flame by Justina Ierland and Tessa Gratton is a first in a ya fantasy about dragons and an enemies to lover trope with morally grey characters and those r 2 of my buzzword for any fantasy novels! We follow two main characters darling who is the last member in the house of dragons and everyone he knew was killed. Then we follow our second main chatacter Talon who has always been a duitful Warp prince and is trying to retake the throne.... These two must navigate the complicated game they have instore for each other trhough trechouces planning and goverment issue...

Really love how fast pace this novel was but Iw ould say I'm mad it's only a duology because I really loved this world so excited & Nervous to see how this series end! Rating for this book is a solid 4 stars!!(:

Thank you for the early copy of Chaos & Flame. This was a really fun YA fantasy with a lot of political intrigue. I quite enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect of it and the characters were all really well done and had a lot of depth. The ending was explosive and it really makes you want to know what happens next.

The premise of dragons versus krakens lead me to an expectation of a lot of action. This was more political intrigue romantasy and not really any cool fight scenes with dragons. So, as long as you change your expectations you will have a good time.
Oh, also insta love. But, I like insta love so works for me!

The story is told in a 2 POV with an unexpected sweet romance. The story was enjoyable but I found myself wanting more. In addition, things were explained too much - and at times the explanations went on too long.

When you finish a book and beg for more is always a win in my book. This knocked it out of the park. Amazing world building, beautifully done character arcs, great back story, and fantastic character relationships.
I just couldn’t put this done.

Darling and Talon are set to be enemies. Her family killed his mother starting a house war….or so the story goes….

This is a novel that successfully takes readers on a journey into uncharted territory. With its well-crafted world, compelling characters, and exploration of profound themes, it's a story that captivates and engages. While it has its minor flaws in pacing and narrative voice consistency, they are overshadowed by the book's many strengths. This is a story worth reading and discussing, leaving you with a sense of wonder and a desire for more from the author.

My boy Talon is a SIMP- no I’m kidding- well I’m not but I came here to say this was literally everything I love about fantasy. It put the epic in epic fantasy. The world building and logistics of the world were phenomenal and the way in which they were described/revealed throughout the book was GENIUS. It really allowed for a building sense of ‘oh shot’ throughout the book but more than anything an explosive (…pun intended), mesmerising climax that still consumes my every waking moment long after finishing.

Chaos and Flame gave me really strong Graceling series vibes- this might not make a lot of sense as the world dynamics and literally everything is completely different, but it was similar in that all consuming old ya fantasy feel. It felt like one of those timeless stories/fantasies that live on through its history. It was really well done, I loved it!

The only thing is, while I’m a big romantasy girlie and love a good enemies to lovers romantic subplot I honestly didn’t think it was needed here. I would’ve loved for the romance to not be present at all and instead had the political intrigue/betrayal aspects been hinted at a bit more all throughout. I know the romance was intentional to create more tension… towards other things (really trying to avoid spoilers here) but I think tension could’ve been built in other ways. Overall, this is a 10/10 epic fantasy recommendation and I can’t wait for the sequel!!

“Chaos & Flame” is a young adult fantasy novel by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland. The book tells the story of Darling Seabreak, who cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon. She owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. When her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him–even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon. Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother’s erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon’s hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he’s ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she’s the key to everything. Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone

Mad Prince Caspian is a great character!
The prophetic High Prince Regent Caspian has drawn and painted pictures of a girl that he sees needs saving. His mother dies and then his aunt Aurora keeps his abilities hidden so the kingdom won’t thinks he’s unstable. 17yo Darling is the girl in Caspian’s artwork and she’s now a young woman trying to liberate her father so she plays the part Caspian wants her to play. At the ball, Caspian announces a tour of the kingdom that he’ll be taking and he plans on his brother Talon and Darling accompanying him. As they travel, their eyes are opened to the true state of their country and citizens and discover plots to take them down.

Likes/dislikes: I like the alternating viewpoints of Darling, Talon and Caspian. The world building is done well. I enjoyed the friction between Talon and Darling and also Caspian’s personality and humor.
Mature Content: PG for kissing and implied sex with no details.
Language: PG-13 for 11 swears and no f-words.
Ethnicity: Darling has deep brown skin. Alvin has an olive complexion. Talon has tan skin. Finn is pale skinned.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover, the concept, and the two authors. Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland write some amazing stories together, including the incredible Star Wars: Path of Deceit.

While there were many things I liked about this story, too much of it felt slow and disjointed. Chaos & Flame is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy in a world with warring houses and "boons" (near-magical talents) - all tropes I adore. This book had some serious Game of Thrones vibes, which I loved, but there were so many missed opportunities for more world-building and romance-building.

I almost DNFed this book, but those GOT vibes and the mystery unraveling kept me reading - though I switched to audiobook, which was much more enjoyable. Still, the plot and the romance subplot took way too long to get to their points and climaxes.

I do plan to continue the series, however, and I'm hoping for more fleshed-out characters and the world in the next book.

Darling Seabreak is the last surviving member of the House of Sphinx, taken in by House Kraken after the death of her parents. Her adoptive father is kidnapped by House Dragon, and she will stop at nothing to get him back and murder those who took him. On the rescue mission, she is captured by Talon Goldhoard, War Prince of House Dragon who wants only to protect his brother Caspian, the High Prince Regent.

Although slow at times, I was gripped by this story. I read it in one sitting, as I was that invested in what was going to happen next. I thought the concept of the boon magic (abilities) and how a lot of the characters had their own unique ones was really intriguing. The prologue explaining Caspian's powers was so interesting, I NEEDED to continue reading to know who the girl was and what her role would be. I love how through out the whole book, the reader was constantly trying to figure out if Caspian was going mad or not. I loved how he became increasingly more unhinged as the story progressed. I just want to know more about him, and hope there is a stronger focus on him in the next book.

This is told in alternating POVs of Darling and Talon, which I enjoyed being able to see inside both of their heads. I will say I didn't quite believe their romance, but I didn't entirely hate it either. I am a fan of enemies to lovers - so I did enjoy it... I just think it was far too short of an enemies period, especially since Talon's house MURDERED Darling's family... I think it should have been more of a slow-burn, longer period for me to truly enjoy their romance. I liked Darling, she was a warrior through and through and didn't take shit from her enemies. She is definitely the grumpy to Talon's sunshine. I loved Talon, a sweet little cinnamon roll playing the part of a War Prince. I really liked his relationship with Caspian, and how fiercely he protected him. He will kick the ass of anyone who tries to hurt his loved ones and I loved that about him. I loved the banter between the characters, especially Talon and Darling. They're so witty and funny.

This ends on such a cliffhanger and I'm definitely intrigued with where the story will go... I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

This was a DNF for me. I made it about 50% of the way but could not get into the story at all. The overall plot was interesting but the characters felt a bit awkward and disconnected with each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book to review!

Chaos and Flame is a fantasy story about Darling Seabreak, who survived the eradication of House Sphinx as a child and is now a soldier for House Kraken. When she is captured by House Dragon, which has almost completely conquered all other Houses, Darling ends up in a complicated game of politics as she interacts with the possibly insane High Prince Regent, Caspian, and the War Prince, Talon.

I think this book has a good balance of strategy and action; there's enough happening but there are also enough slower moments. I liked Darling and Talon a lot -- I'm not entirely sure how I felt about Caspian because he's so all over the place, but that's the point. The concept of each House once being led by a human who could actually turn into that House's animal (like phoenixes, sphinxes, dragons, krakens, and more) was pretty interesting, although some parts of the backstory behind the Houses was a little hard to keep track of.

Overall, I would give this book 4/5 stars. It's well-written and I thought the characters were either likable or interesting. There were some aspects that I found a little bit confusing or unexciting, but for the most part I was entertained and anticipated finding out what would happen next.

3.5 stars out of 5!
I loved the diversity between the characters and the plot was really different and fascinating! (kind of gave me GOT vibes) However, the first part of the book was a bit of a struggle for me. I almost DNF'd but read till 50% and then it really started to pick up! Last half kept me on my toes and had some crazy cliffhangers! I don't know if id finish the series, but id definitely recommend it to others.