“I cannot fail. But you make me want to.”

This book follows Sachielle of House Roquebarre as she goes to become the consort of the Dragon God, fulfilling an ancient deal. Her handmaiden Zanya follows, however the two girls have a secret mission; kill the Dragon Lord, who is said to be vicious and cruel. There is no room for failure as Sachi’s life and soul hang in the balance. Yet the Dragon God isn’t how he was described and also has secrets of his own.

I really enjoyed this book, especially in the way the relationships were presented. The first relationship is between Zanya and Sachi, them being close from childhood. It was sweet to see the way they both cared for each other in their own ways. The Dragon being introduced was very well done in my opinion. He was not motivated by his desire but rather his love for Sachi (and then Zanya). He remained respectful to them both and I greatly admired the way in which the polyamorous relationship developed throughout the book.
Another thing I enjoyed were the background characters, the Huntress and the Wolf especially. I am hopeful to see more of them as it would be interesting to delve into them and their history. The magic they both possess is another factor which intrigues me, along with the entire magic system within the book.

I only have one main issue with this book and that is the way the conflict was set up, especially for the next book. The main plot line of the book revolves around the relationship between the three main characters, meaning it didn’t provide a clear cut villain within the story. At the end of the book we are then introduced to who (I assume) the main villain is, I believe it was a little late within the story to do this. The story line surrounding the villain was a sub-plot throughout the book but it was a bit late within the story when he was finally introduced. This is just a matter of my personal opinion however, and I did really like the book overall.

To conclude I found this book an enjoyable read and devoured it within a 24 hour window. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys poly-romance, fantasy and a great level of spice within their books. It was an addictive read and I am excited for the next book.

(I would like to thank NetGalley who provided me with an arc of this book in return for a fair and honest review).

Consort of Fire by K. Rocha is the first book in the Bound to Fire and Steel Series,
This was amazing, the world building is rich and full of intricate details and unique, interesting characters. I couldn't put this down and I had to see how everything turned out (I can't wait for the next one). This is a fantastic fantasy read full of twists and strong characters (especially the female leads.) I highly recommend.

Consort of Fire by K. Rocha is the first book in the new Bound to Fire and Steel Series, published by Montlake.
As history and pact requires, princess Sachielle is on her way to a dragon god as his consort. Accompanied by her handmaid and lover Zanya they brave many challenges.
And Ash, the dragon, isn't what someone would expected. He's the highlight of the book.
The author duo created a fantasy world full of magic, secrets, villains. A fantastic pnr read. mm-dragon.

Ahhh this was so fantastic! I am a huge fan of fantasy and also of Kit Rocha, so as soon as they mentioned writing a fantasy romance with grumpy/stabby/sunshine and horny dragon, I knew I needed it in my life. And gosh, this is such a fantastic book! I love the world building, the romance, the interpersonal dynamics so much. I love how Kit Rocha can always be trusted to take trauma and pain, and give you so much hope at a brighter possibility in the love and chosen family. I don’t think I can be wholly coherent in how much I adore this book, these characters (Zanya may be my fave, but Ash and Sachi are also excellent!) because I don’t want to give anything away. Just, as Katee Robert said this is a primal scream of queer joy and it’s definitely a book we need in this current age, and I highly encourage everyone to pick this up. Plus I would love to see more of the Dreamers get their own HEAs!!

This story is like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. Sachi and Zanya are an established, though secret, couple, and the dynamic of the Dragon coming in as a very respectful and adoring third to the relationship is something I've never seen in fiction before, even as a relatively avid romance reader. As the story progresses, we spend time in each of their perspectives, and get to know and love them all both for who they are and how they love the others.

The Rocha duo are also very talented at creating a world you want to see more of. The side characters are incredibly vivid, and the politics of the world really leave you wanting more, but I think in a good way. They weave hope into all their worlds and work, and this is even more true in a world where dreams are power. I do also love how different the dynamic is from their previous work, though. It can be hard to set up the high king of the land as an underdog worth rooting for and falling in love with.

All in all, a book I will absolutely read again and again. Even if you bounced off their Beyond or Mercenary Librarians books because of the setting, this one's VERY different, and plays into and subverts the tropes of the sacrificial princess in really fun ways.

While I've been a fan of Kit Rocha since their Moira Roger days, Consort of Fire is my new ultimate favorite book of theirs.

Consort of Fire is a new world for Kit Rocha, unrelated to their previous series. Sachi, the heir of the mortal king, travels with her handmaid Zanya to take her position as the Dragon's newest consort. The king has ensured through evil means that Sachi and Zanya will murder the Dragon within 5 weeks or face Sachi losing her life and soul forever. After The Dragon and Sachi are bound together, the characters travel around their world to see it and to be seen as they learn about each other. Each begins to recognize things are not as they assumed or have learned.

I loved that the romance and relationships between the characters is the focus of the story. I also loved being able to see the story through all 3 main characters. The worldbuilding was at the right level for me -- it showed they put thought into how the world works but the whys don't concern the characters as it's all they know. The intimate scenes with all three characters and a few secondary characters were so very well done (and hot, so so hot). It was a great read. I'm looking forward to rereading it and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.

*I received this as an advance reader copy from Montlake and NetGalley*

<i>*excitedly brandishes this book around*</i> SEXY DRAGONS! COME GET YOUR SEXY DRAGONS HERE!

coming off a 3 day modern romance bender (thanks, Ali Hazelwood) and still relatively hung over from Fourth Wing, the Consort of Fire is a much-appreciated change of pace that is right up my alley.

Sachielle is the dragon's promised consort, sent to him in fulfilment of a 3 thousand-year-old bargain. But she is no mere bride; she has come with her lover, Zanya, an assassin with the task to end the dragon's life. The mission becomes much trickier when they fall in love with him...

<b>Rating: solid 4/5
Spice: 3/5 </b>

What I loved:
-<b>Ash</b> (the Dragon) <b>is truly a man written by a woman</b> (or in this case two women). He is hot (duh!), has great arms, and is a man confident in his masculinity and sexuality and has 0 jealous bones in his body. We, unfortunately, have to stan

-Zanya, the handmaid and Sachi's lover, is easily my favourite in the book. Her love for Sachi is strong and pure, and I can feel the ache of her devotion as keenly as if it were my own.

-<b>Sachi's a girlboss</b>, I said what I said! We love strong confident, powerful, women who are not afraid to love and be soft and vulnerable with those she loves. Also, witty banter.

-Healthy, complex and <b>compelling polyamorous relationship</b> formed between the main characters. I absolutely adored the nuances between all three of them! The history of a long-established relationship between Zan and Sachi, the sudden forced intimacy of the bond between Sachi and Ash, the predatory dance between Zan and Ash 😍😍😍

- The spice scenes. You can read it for yourself - take this glass of water because you will NEED it 🥤

What I wasn't too hot about:

- Plot was a little thin at points. Somewhere halfway through the book, the plot had slowed to the point where it felt like I was reading chapter after chapter of smut without much plot payoff. Plot picks up much more rapidly after that, but I did catch myself wondering when we were going to deal with the issue that was Ash's assassination

- I want more focus on the Betrayer sub-plot. It was heavily hinted that there was something going on with the Betrayer, and that it was a very grave matter. A more macro view of the world and the various politics at play, and weaving the Betrayer into the story more tightly would have lent more gravitas and oomph to his appearance.

- too many characters; side characters lack depth. The Ravens, Naia, the wolf and the hunter - I wish we could see more of what makes them unique. In this book they are all presented as friends of Ash, and nothing more. I want to know what drives them to follow Ash, and if there are any interpersonal conflicts. No way is there no drama there!

<b>Overall, I'm still going to lap up the second book (and there better be one!) when it drops, and I will simp for my dragon, his consort and their lover ✨</b>

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

TLDR: Spice scenes that will cause bi-panic, light but well thought out world buliding with gods and a (not intensly explained) magic system, well written and enjoyable fight scenes and an emphasis on the Romantic in the Fantasy Romance.

First of all I want to say this was a delight to read. I devoured this book in one night and I can not wait to own a copy of it when it releases to savor it again. Even though I read an ARC I found myself wondering what the odds of it already having a sequal were.

This book rotates through three POVs, Sachi - the princess, Zanya - her handmaiden/lover and Ash the dragon. Following them through the next 50(ish) days as Sachi (and Zanya) work up the courage to kill Ash and he in turn is working himself into their bed.

> As a bi-woman I loved loved the spicy bits of this book.
I don't know how I've gone this long reading adult romance without coming across a book that was MFF. The romance between Sachi/Zanya and Ash never felt forced or exploitive.

> I felt immersed in the world without feeling like I was drowning in plot.
Sometimes in fantasy building the world takes so long. It's foreign and weird and there are gods and good and evil and there is so much that takes time to explain why. This book gave me enough of the world to be invested in and gave it to me in pieces. We didn't have to have the characters talking about the whole pantheon at once in the begining. We were going to meet them as necessary and it was lovely.

> The fight scenes were fun!
The fight scenes feel like they were written with as much care as the spicy bits. Maybe that is a credit to having duel authors as I sometimes feel like when I read a book with both there is an obvious favorite. The spice is really well written but the action feels one note or vice versa. I remember when reading one of the sparing chapters and was so entranced it felt tense and I was eager to see what happened.

> The turmoil about what Sachi must do is the central plot point.
I loved it and I don't mind that as a plot however I can understand if that turns people off of the book. There isn't really a huge big bad aside from the people that cursed Sachi but they feel more like background characters than actual antagonists. While the threads for the next book sound more typical fantasy (this is a guess) I wouldn't recommend a planned? series if you aren't going to enjoy the first book.

Looking for a book with gods, assassins, poly representation and a whole lot of spice? If so, add this to your TBR, stat!

Sachielle, a consort, and Zanya her handmaid travel together so that Sachielle can be bound to the Dragon. For three thousand years the Dragon has been given consorts in exchange for his protection from beyond the mountain passes. Sachielle and Zanya are not what they appear, and neither is the Dragon. They've come to kill him in order to break the curse that could destroy them both.

First and foremost, the bi panic I experienced while reading this! Zanya was hands down my favourite character, though I wish she put herself and her pleasure before others (but maybe that will take place in another book!). I equally enjoyed the side characters, Ulrich in particular. There's something about a character being called The Wolf that will never fail to intrigue me.

I've never quite read a book that has presented a polyamorous relationship in this way. Which is exciting! I'm not sure this is a spoiler or not considering the synopsis states that Dragon wants to possess both Sachielle and Zanya, so SPOILER WARNING, Sachielle and Zanya are in love and their love is both prioritised and a constant throughout the novel. I enjoyed how the Dragon was a respectful third to this and how he was motivated by love rather than solely lust. It was refreshing and different to what I've read previously in the Fantasy/Romance space.

My only issue with this novel is that the relationship between the them is the main plot of this book, and I couldn't help wanting more to be happening around them. I wanted a more clear villain perhaps, something external to the main love interests. In saying that though, that's simply a preference and if you don't mind a relationship focussed novel then you'll love it.

Excited to read more from this author!