Let no one say this novel lacks ambition. There's a ton of world-building up front, from big, broad strokes (there are dragons, they're jerks, and they're terrifying) to tiny intriguing details (an entire system of jewelry carved with flowers in a complex language signifying people's sexual proclivities). But there's so much all at once that it becomes difficult to unpack, to latch onto what's important and what isn't, and at times (especially in the early going) to even follow what the protagonist wants or who she is, given everything there is to absorb in the basic setup of her world.

I eventually felt like I'd caught up enough to at least find most of the story threads compelling, especially once some of the characters start planning a big heist that follows the usual heist beats, except with signature magics and a dragon as a mark. Large chunks of this book just breezed by in following the action. At least one of the heist twists shocked me and set up some intriguing new developments.

I appreciated some of the spins on familiar genre tropes, like the fact that the dragon riders in this world aren't generally extra-special Chosen One types who get to lord their special connection to fantasy beasts over everyone else, they're almost more like accessories who might be abused or disposable to their dragon masters. And there's a lot in here that I haven't seen in a fantasy novel before, mostly small details like those rings, or the conceit of dragons ruling over anything above a certain height, and everything else eking out a living in the jungle wilds below.

But there were times when I struggled to get through this one because the pileup of details about the setting and culture outweighed any detail about the people living in it. And there were other moments where I just had a hard time buying that, for instance, the king of an unstable, chaotic region would walk off and leave it alone to manage itself while he chased the protagonist into the sky kingdoms. It's the kind of romantic fantasy that readers are expected to find endearing, but it didn't seem all that well-justified to me.

Dragons, daring heists, and misfit heroes—an addictive fantasy adventure!

I received an ARC of The Sky on Fire in exchange for an honest review, and it’s a thrilling ride through a vividly imagined world ruled by dragons and high-stakes intrigue.

Anahrod is a fierce, resourceful heroine, and the heist-driven plot is fast-paced and fun, filled with twists and camaraderie. Lyons’ unique take on dragon society—entitled rulers more than noble allies—adds fresh intrigue to a familiar trope. The immersive world-building, from jungles to cloud cities, is a highlight.

While the pacing sometimes left little room for deeper character connections, the story’s thrilling action and clever twists kept me hooked.

Final Thoughts:
Perfect for fans of dragon-filled high fantasy and daring adventures, The Sky on Fire is an engaging, fast-paced romp that leaves you eager for more.

Jenn Lyons continues to deliver unique attention capturing world building! I love dragons so any story that involves them is a win in my book. My only complaint is that the book started a little slow and took some time to get into, but once the plot started moving it didn't stop. Overall it was an enjoyable read, 3.5 stars.

I was really excited about The Sky on Fire—the premise sounded intriguing, and who doesn’t love dragons? Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me.

From the start, I felt like I was dropped into a world with no context or explanation. The lack of world-building made it difficult to get a grip on what was happening, and there was a lot of telling instead of showing. I also struggled to connect with any of the characters—none of them really grabbed my attention enough to keep me reading.

I pushed through and made it about 20% in, but I still wasn’t invested. I skimmed ahead to see if anything picked up, but nothing caught my interest, so unfortunately, this one became a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Tor Publishing for the ARC. This just wasn’t for me, but I’m sure others might enjoy it more.

What would happen if a girl, accused of a crime, went into hiding, only for her past to catch up with her years later?

This is the story of Anahrod, who, as a child, was accused of stealing something precious from the Dragon. Many years later, the Dragon decides to find her, believing she is not, in fact, dead. In the meantime, Anahrod has created a life for herself. Now, she is dragged back into the world she once escaped.

This story has everything: dragons, heists, a funny group of people, sapphic love, and complex friendships.

The writing initially drew me in, and I was enchanted by the worldbuilding. However, after the 60% mark, everything fell flat. The never-ending, overly complex world descriptions became tedious, and I found myself losing interest in the characters. The story felt dragged out—so much happened, yet nothing seemed to move forward. I finished the audiobook production with no real interest in finding out how it ended. Honestly, if you asked me now, I couldn’t tell you what happened.

That being said, if you enjoy epic fantasy and alternative takes on dragon riders, I would still recommend giving this a try. Just because it bored me doesn’t mean it won’t interest someone else.

Thank you so much for the advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read a dragon book that revolves around a quest!! I love a main character who is super closed off and allows themselves to have friends aka LOVE!! All while dealing with fantastical beings and action of course. Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

*Fiasco* by Constance Fay is an engaging and dramatic exploration of personal turmoil and the consequences of poor decisions. The story centers around characters whose lives spiral out of control, each facing the fallout of their actions. Fay's writing is sharp and raw, capturing the emotional depth and complexity of her characters. The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers hooked as they witness the characters' unraveling. Themes of redemption, failure, and self-realization are thoughtfully explored. *Fiasco* is a compelling read for those who enjoy character-driven stories that delve into human flaws and the messy realities of life.

I knew this book was going to sweep me away and yet I was not prepared for just how much I was going to love every page.

Jenn Lyons is an absolute master of her craft and an auto buy author for me. She weaves epic fantasy in an effortless way and yet each element of fantasy is well thought. And also always surprisingly funny.

A queer normative world always brings me joy and this book was no exception. I would like to request 12 more in the series.

Also the dragons - so different and so amazing!
Cannot recommend this book enough.

Anything with dragons and I am sold. "The Sky on Fire" was no exception.

I was so fascinated with the twist that the dragons ruled the world. It was truly enjoying to read the world building that was taking place along with the story of a heist. I believe this would be a fun read for fantasy lovers and fans of the found family trope.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me this ARC. I enjoyed it and can't wait to tell people to get this one.

Heist fantasy with dragons.

This book was a wild mix of many things, started as an escape from hunters and confusing as hell with this world building where no much made sense, and for a moment I even thought it would be a competition fantasy or that it would lean heavily in the romance, which it didn't in either case.

There are dragons plotting against dragons, with dragonriders using magic and a heist in the core of it.

It gave me Treasure Planet vibes for a moment but that was a faint.

The world building seemed rather small, and it's heavy on the character work, but the characters were rather funny and unique.

There was even a super horny conversation very out of pocket.

I would be down for another standalone in this universe with these characters.

This book was honestly set up well in the synopsis, but the journey with Anarhod was a bit cumbersome and to be frank, also a bit lacking in the personality department.

The cast of characters also started to blend for me, and at times I couldn't tell if the dragons were the one talking or the humans were the one talking.

By the time the heist happen, I just wanted the book to be over. I felt as if there was too much in the plot trying to be executed all at once.

DNF at 10%.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the story and was just confused about what was going on. It felt like I was thrown into the deep end without any explanation or information.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A beautiful story that transports the reader to a world filled with danger, fantasy, dragons, and a world that is so rich in detail it feels alive. Jenn Lyons' has done it again.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Sky on Fire is an interesting story about a woman named Anahrod who teams up with a group of misfits to execute the biggest and most dangerous heist of all time. I had a good time with this one but I felt like a lot of the story was underdeveloped. I never felt connected to the characters or fully understood their motivations. I felt like there was a bit too much going on at times and we didn't get to spend enough time in one place or focus enough on certain aspects of the world. I would of liked a lot more from this story and would have loved to see this expanded into a series to be able to add more to the story.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Fun fantasy book in the realm of Forth Wing. I would recommend this book to most.

Good book, incredible world building and characters. I just wanted to see that this book would have been better fleshed out as a trilogy. One book was simply not enough for me especially when the ending left me wanting more about how the rebuilding world would be.

This felt kind of all over for me. You get thrown into a battle right off the beginning, but then there's dialogue that felt like it went on for ages. I liked the idea of the dragon riders and the non riders, but I just really struggled to get into this one.

I started this book, but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for the writing style, so I decided not to get all the way to the end of the book. I had similar issues with another book by this author, so I would actually recommend this book to people who like the author’s writing style and are interested in the premise!

Hot damn, I do not like this book. I had an eARC and tried for too long to get through it prior to its release date, but put it down at over 60%. I decided to wait for a library loan of the audiobook to try and finish it that way, and after ten days of trying that I’m pulling the plug.

What initially put me off was the constant insta-lust. It’s jarring and takes me right out of the story. Then, the story has a weird habit (trope? maybe?) of the FMC getting knocked unconscious. It seems like a lazy way of resolving conflict, and it just forces characters along in the plot. This happens at least three times that I can think of. The pacing itself had me constantly questioning why it was either dragging along or at a peak seemingly out of nowhere.

Outside of all that, there are a few characters that I can appreciate. I still don’t know for sure who is who when it comes to side characters, but a couple of them had funny quirks and were fairly witty.

I don’t typically like to write “negative” reviews, but maybe there’s someone out there who loves the things that I don’t about this book. I hope that’s the case because honestly the cover is really cool and I was genuinely excited about this one.