Today’s book is one I’ve requested from NetGalley a long time ago (months). Considering it was from TOR and they have rejected previous requests from me, I was convinced I wouldn’t get it. I know it has something to do with publishing rights. Imagine my surprise when I received an email saying that my request was approved. So stay tuned to read my thoughts on "The Sky on Fire" by Jenn Lyons.

What I Loved
The world-building in "The Sky on Fire" is nothing short of incredible. Jenn Lyons crafts a fantasy realm ruled by dragons, where humans are considered inferior and serve the dragons to prevent them from succumbing to madness caused by their magic. The setting is immersive and captivating, from bogs that could erupt into an all-consuming fire to the dangerous yet rewarding task of harvesting precious stones from flying creatures. I was hooked from the beginning (well, almost), eager to explore every corner of this fantastic world.

The characters are another highlight. Lyons excels in creating a diverse cast of quirky, distinct, and brash individuals. Anahrod, the independent and willful protagonist capable of communicating with animals, stands out as a strong lead. The dynamics within her group of misfits, who plan to rob the dragon queen’s hoard, are fun, bold, and compelling. Characters like Ris, the flirty and badass dragon rider, and Sicaryon, the charming rogue, add layers of charm and excitement to the story. Their rapid-fire banter and the relentless pace of the plot kept me engaged throughout.

The character development is exceptional, and the plot twists and betrayals add depth to the narrative. Lyons doesn’t shy away from making her villains truly annoying and well-crafted, which only enhances your investment in the heroes’ journey. The heroine’s ability to call the shots and save herself at the end of the day is particularly satisfying.

What Didn’t Resonate with Me
Despite its many strengths, “The Sky on Fire” has a few drawbacks. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m impatient and love fast-paced stories. Well, this story starts rather slowly, and it took me quite a while to get into it. However, once the plot picks up speed, it becomes hard to put down. So, all in all it was worth it.

Another issue is the main character’s portrayal. Although Anahrod is supposed to be in her 30s, she often acts more like a teenager or someone in their early 20s, which can be jarring and inconsistent with her supposed age and experiences. Keep in mind that this is a subjective opinion, and you might not feel the same way.

For instance, I did not enjoy TOG for the same reason. I felt the MC who was supposed to be a hardened assassin, acted like a regular teenage girl and whined a lot. I know she was sixteen, but she didn’t give me the assassin vive I expected. But I digress. This is a pet peeve of mine.

Tropes to look forward to in The Sky on Fire
This novel takes a few classic fantasy tropes and gives them a fresh twist.

- Humans who bond with dragons

- Found family

- “Why choose” romance

- A heist

The story’s unique twists and turns are woven together with these elements, creating a seamless and thrilling narrative.

Conclusion
This is my first book by Jenn Lyons, but I don’t think it’ll be my last. “The Sky on Fire” is a thrilling, imaginative fantasy with strong character development, rapid-fire dialogue, and a richly detailed world. Despite a slow start and some inconsistencies with the main character’s portrayal, the book ultimately delivers a satisfying and engaging read. I think it’s a great fit for those who loved Fourth Wing. If you enjoy epic romantic fantasies with dragons, found family, and daring heists, this book is definitely worth picking up.

"The Sky on Fire" is a mixed bag of brilliance and missed opportunities. The world-building is a standout, with unique touches like the rings tradition and smooth gender fluidity. Anahrod, the protagonist, brings an interesting twist as she navigates high-stakes intrigue with her titan drake in tow.

The book’s blurb and prologue promise an exciting adventure, and the heist plot does deliver some thrills. However, the characters fall flat, suffering from a lack of depth and development. The romantic subplot, especially the poly relationship, feels forced and unconvincing.

The narrative’s transition issues and writing style may confuse and disconnect some readers, leaving them wanting more emotional engagement. Despite its potential, the book ultimately struggles to balance its vibrant world with compelling character dynamics.

In summary, "The Sky on Fire" gets 3 stars for its imaginative setting and ambitious plot but loses points for underdeveloped characters and a choppy narrative flow.

I was thrilled when I saw an ARC available on Netgalley for a standalone fantasy about dragons, AND the cover is stunning too..Unfortunately this book could use some additional editing/reworking.

Anahrod was presumed dead(executed years ago) but she's alive and has been living in the Deep(jungle vibes). She is kidnapped by a ragtag group of people and reluctantly agrees to their plan of robbing a dragon's hoard. Of course the dragon they are stealing from is terrifying and a Queen so Anahrod and her crew end up facing some wild and crazy danger. Oh and Anahrod has secrets and so do others in the group and they all must confront their fears to survive.

This book synopsis sounds great. A world where dragons can control their riders, most often without the riders consent, gives the book quite a twist as we usually see riders being the "abusers". It's a unique storyline and yet a lot of the dragon drama doesn't unfold until late into the story. The beginning of this book is a name dump and c'mon Jaemeh?? We couldn't just spell it Jamie..I get it it's fantasy but within the first few pages so many ridiculous names are thrown out I almost stopped reading. The world building is good but a map would've been appreciated. The characters are funny and snarky but I didn't develop any emotional connection to them, it also doesn't help there are A LOT of people mentioned. I think a smaller group with more depth and some maturity would have been better. I think these were all mid 20s to 30 year olds but it felt like teenagers(there is one teenager and oddly enough he was my favorite character-Gwyndion.) Pacing was way off. The beginning was hard to get through and about midway through I finally began to understand the places and names.

This is somewhere between a 2.5-3 star. I'll be generous and give 3 stars because the end was somewhat redeeming. It can be a great book if some of the stuff above could be worked out.

Okay, so hear me out. The cover of this book is so disappointing!! It absolutely did not capture the story like it should have! I hate to think based on the cover people may not choose this-we are all guilty of judging! I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this! Action packed, world building, it was YUMMY!

I loved the idea of this book. But for some reason I just didn't connect with it. Anahrod was a great character, and the world was well written but I found myself really struggling to want to pick the book up.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I loved this book! It took me a little while to get into it, but after about the first 20-25%, I was hooked. The story was so good and I really liked the spin on identifying gender identities, sexuality, relationships, and boundaries. The closed door spice was a nice touch since there were already so many different tense relationships and events happening. I’m hoping the ending left it open for a sequel, but it was wrapped up nicely so that I will feel content for a while before begging for more.

I’ve finally learned my lesson: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Except, this time the cover reeled me in because it was stunningly created and told me I’d be entering a world of dragons (I admittedly requested this ARC on the heels of finishing some very popular, mainstream dragon novels).

Let me begin with the positive, and that is that this author does have a good story here. I was very engaged and excited to see what played out at many times.

However, not only did I struggle to become interested in the book at first (a typical struggle for me with world building), but it was a trudge for me the entire way through. There were so many characters, which became overwhelming and almost diluted my ability to care deeply for any one character. The other biggest overarching issue for me was how overly descriptive sections became. For lack of a better word, it was boring for me.

I really feel there’s a good story here. The “love story” here isn’t my usual cup of tea, and I often prefer to be somewhat aware of what I’m stepping into when I choose a book to devote so much to time reading… But that’s just personal preference.

Thank you to Tor for providing the ARC in exchange for a review

I had high hopes for this book. It contained all the elements I typically adore in a five-star read: dragons, fantasy, romance, found family, a heist, and a diverse group of characters uniting. While the concept is intriguing, it didn't quite capture my heart. Personally, I struggled with the writing style the most. I want to clarify that I don't view it as poor writing, just not my preferred style.

I found the concept of this book intriguing. I enjoyed the world building tremendously and felt like the action was engaging and fun. I love that the lgbt+ representation in this, but I think the romance/relationships felt forced and a little silly. I also will express that I was expecting one thing for the romance (as stated in the description) and it was totally different than actual book.

The Sky on Fire was my first Jenn Lyons book and it immediately sucked me in. As soon as I finished, I ran to the library and picked up Ruin of Kings because I was ready for more.

Synopsis: The cloud cities are ruled by dragons, from which Anahrod was *literally* ejected 17 years before. She now lives only for survival in the warm jungles of the Deep with her titan drake. A misfit group of saviors (not so) accidentally rescue Anahrod from capture by the local warlord, Sicaryon. She is immediately thrust on an epic adventure as she learns that her rescue was very intentional and her past has come to call, as her saviors require her help stealing from a dragon's hoard for revenge, and to hopefully save future dragon riders.

Lyons' world building of the sky cities and the Deep was exceptional and immediately drew me in, I loved the social structure and the use of ring wearing to denote things like careers, gender, sexual preferences, and bedroom activities. The characters were diverse in their sexuality, love interests, and gender expression and it was such a run, daring, and exciting read as we transverse through the world and far into the sky with Anahrod and her misfit saviors. Lyons built a lovely dynamic between the characters that spanned ages, gender, motives, skills, identity, etc. and created a really fun group of characters, and ultimately a very fun and engrossing read. This book is touted as a standalone, but I hope we get to join Anahrod and her friends as they transverse their changing world together.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 3.5 - for some I think it'll be much higher. This one is confounding me when it comes to a review because it had everything that makes books five stars for me - dragons, fantasy, romance, found family, a ragtag group on a heist. The premise was good, the language flowed, and I enjoyed the characters. Mostly, I felt the plot lacked urgency. I wasn't dying to pick it up and read it every second of the day. I enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get through because I wasn't obsessed. Overall, would I recommend it. To fantasy reader, yes - and hopefully they'll find the spark that I was missing.

"The Sky on Fire" by Jenn Lyons is a thrilling fantasy heist adventure that will leave readers captivated. Set in a richly imagined world with dragonriding and dangerous jungles, the story follows the strong-willed protagonist Anahrod and her drake companion as they navigate a daring heist that threatens to shake an empire.

Along with Anahrod, Lyons excels at crafting an engaging ensemble of characters who are quirky, distinct, and unapologetically bold. The diverse cast, varying in age, skills, and identities, creates a dynamic that's both entertaining and compelling. These misfits form a strong bond as they navigate the challenges of their audacious heist. Found Family is one of my favorite tropes, and audiences with similar taste will appreciate Lyon's cast here!

With endearing characters, loveable moments, and a satisfying conclusion, this book is a "soaringly" (:P) good read. Jenn Lyons masterfully blends fantasy and heist elements, creating a story that will keep readers engaged and wanting more, though as of right now I don't believe this is the first in a series.

Thank you to Jenn Lyons, Tor Books, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh yeah, I loved reading this book! I was a bit nervous when I started, because I really loved the Chorus of Dragons series, and this is unconnected, but oh, it was such a fantastic read! I've never read Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, but I saw another review that said this book was in conversation with it, so I might have to check it out!

This world of dragons, and being superior to humans, I've never read it to this extent before. Usually, it it's leaning that way, it's more of a partnership. But here, the dragon can take over the human's body, any time they wanted, without offering their own body. So very much a system that needed to be taken down.

Watching this group come together, and execute this heist, was so thrilling! Anahrod has reasons to want to stay away, given that they tried to kill her, but it's also an excellent reason to go along with the heist. And some mixed feelings about some members of the group that complicated matters.

I had no idea where the book was going to go, things had happened, but there was still like a quarter left of the book to go. I had to know what was going to happen next, and oh, it was so thrilling! The way things wrapped up was so excellent!

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Jenn Lyons!

Fans of Rebecca Yarros and the Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, etc) will enjoy this story. I’m always looking for a standalone fantasy and this one fit the bill.

There was quite a bit of world building. At times the pacing of the story is slow and other times it is rushed. However, I did enjoy the story overall. I think it could’ve easily been a duology.

Looking forward to seeing what else this author publishes in the future!

This fantastic fantasy novel will thrill fans of Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing. This novel offers a complicated, page-turning plot with excellent characters and awesome dragons. Unique world building and societies make the story even better. Witty banter and a mildly spicy scene make this a highly recommended read for adults and mature new adults. This book gets five stars and two thumbs up from me. (Age 17+)

I honestly wanted to love this book. The setting, the dragons, and basically everything around this book seemed too interesting and something I would have loved.

However, I struggled way too much with the writing style. I am not saying, nor implying, that it was bad cause it wasn't. It simply wasn't my cup of tea, I found it too pretentious and too unnecessarily elaborated (in a way that instead of being whimsically elaborated, it leaned more towards being boring elaborated for me) so it was really a struggle to get hooked into it.

I truly loved everything else, from the relationships that are formed, to the dragons and worldbuilding, and also the pacing of the story, but I simply couldn't stand the writing style (which, again, it wasn't bad, only not my cup of tea).

I've never read Jenn Lyons before and I'm so excited to read more of their stuff. This is a really solid book. Enjoyed it a lot.

DNF @ 11%.

I've picked up this ARC a couple of times since being approved, but I am not able to get any further. I wanted to like The Sky on Fire based on the premise but for whatever reason I couldn't get into the story enough to continue.

I loved the way the prologue was set up - giving us a little insight into the world and our main character Anahrod. But once the story got started, I didn't find it easy to like or connect with any of the characters. The story is written well and I enjoyed the way the setting was described.

I think this will end up being at least a 4 star read for the correct audience.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

gorgeous gorgeous cover. would hang it on the wall fr. however. the length is incompatible with how much story is in the book. it moves very slowly and unevenly. i liked the characters as much as i could given the circumstances