Unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me. I ended up not finishing but wanted to give my thoughts of what I did read.

This felt much to me like I pickup the sequel on accident and had no idea what was going on. And I know some books make you work for the back story or have a grand reveal, but I honestly wasn’t invested enough to get to that point. The world build felt messy and not set up in a way that felt easy to imagine on the readers side. I also wasn’t impressed that we were introduced to 5-6 new characters at the very beginning all within a few paragraphs of each other. It made it hard to keep people straight.

I did enjoy the writing, I didn’t feel that that so much was lacking. I just didn’t feel a strong pull toward any of the characters or their interactions with each other. I’m hoping others love this though! Thank you for the advanced copy.

A gripping read from start to finish. I haven’t read a dragon fantasy heist book quite like this before, the rich and complex world feels wholly unique to me. Although the story is jam packed with action and tension, the pace and world building are balanced. I was amazed at how much information Lyons manages to drop so naturally into the story.

I love the main character and most of the other integral characters. They contain multitudes and feel like real people. This found family is a super relatable group doing things we all in the ordinary world wish we could be doing. Minus the traumatic pasts, some of the things in this book are quite dark. Despite that, the story has an almost whimsical feel and the interactions between characters have humour.

There’s great LGBTQIA+ representation and the queer normative society Lyons has created is something we could learn from. At least in this regard, not necessarily the oppressive dragons (although some dragons would be nice 🐉). The romance in this book is MOSTLY sweet and off the page.

All in all, a wonderful fantasy book. I will be thinking about this world a lot. It has that magical feeling that makes you want to jump in and explore.

This world has pulled me in, and I want more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. In a world ruled by dragons, what can mere humans do? I feel like we are meant to find out. One girl made a huge stir in this world and was killed by her own family 17 years ago. Is she really dead? What did she do to enrage the dragon ruler? How many times can one person be kidnapped?

Each of the characters are extremely interesting in their own way. They are unique with varying backstories, that are revealed at the appropriate times to keep the story moving. The representation of people's preferences based on rings is a nice addition. There are twists, turns, and obstacles throughout the adventure. Is everyone the bad guy? Are any of the dragons good?

The conclusion may have bean a little rushed but I was so excited to see what was going to happen that I was happy it wasn't as drawn out as some series. I love this world and would be happy to read more books based here.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Ms. Lyons for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

To be COMPLETELY honest I was drawn to this book by the cover. Frankly this book could have been about just about anything and I would have picked it up to read its jacket blurb based on the cover alone. Kudos to you, cover artist, you've more than earned your fee on this one.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that The Sky On Fire was a mashup of Dragonriders of Pern and Six of Crows, two books/series I enjoy very much. I mean, I guess so, if the dragon/rider partnership was subverted from a (mostly positive) symbiotic partnership to a (mostly negative) master/servant situation. I particularly enjoyed that about this book: so many of my favorite dragon-related books have taught me to expect something good and instead I was handed... this. Jemaeh's ongoing emotional and mental abuse by his dragon Tiendremos was ... surprising, and it made for a very original experience.

I both enjoyed and disliked the pacing of the book. Enjoyed from the standpoint that a good heist novel needs to keep things moving at a brisk pace, or risk getting bogged down by details (or worse, by boredom). Disliked insofar as the breakneck pace scuttled some of the deeper character-building and world-building details I would have appreciated. For example: throwing in new characters each chapter certainly kept things moving but it was a challenge to keep up with them all. And I was very interested in the bonding process between dragons and humans, and lots of dragon-related details, and was disappointed not to get as many as I hoped for. And, for all the buildup, the ending was over SO quickly. Anahrod was a great character though, and I enjoyed the crew a lot, particularly Naeron, and Ris' golden dragon Peralon. It was a nice change to see a gender and affinity spectrum portrayed straightforwardly and normatively.

Overall this was a fun ride and would have been practically perfect in every way if I could have just gotten all my dragon-related questions ANSWERED, goshdarnit! lol.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because this is my review.

I was so excited for this book and I’m bummed to say, it wasn’t for me. I read about 60% fully intending to read it all but had to DNF it at that point. The premise sounded so good and parts of it were executed well but it just wasn’t enough for me at the end of the day. It was such an interesting fantasy world but I also felt the world building was lacking. The characters were all one note to me. Everything was moving so fast, jumping from one place to the next, that I never felt connected to the characters or attached to any of them. It could have been a great found family story but relationships were not developed enough and like I said, the characterization was not good. The plot really began to meander and some plot points were just plain dropped without being referenced again. At the 60% mark I realized that it was becoming a slog to read and I just didn’t care what happened anymore. I wish the entire story had been developed a bit more and I wish I could have loved this book. Your mileage my vary.

Definitely a different take on dragon riders! Yes there is a bond between dragon and rider, but dragons are in charge here. I thought the magic was interesting and found the main character compelling. I love a heist story, and the set up to the heist took a good portion of the book. The ring system to designate preferences was such a cool idea. I would have loved this to maybe be a duology- then I could have gotten more background in the group of characters, the politics of the world, and the dragon lore. I would even love a novella in this world. The ending was left where the world could be expanded and I would be interested to see more.

3.5 - I think this was the right book at the wrong time for me, and I feel bad because I think this is something I would normally love. But unfortunately, my brain is so tired right now, and a standalone fantasy with a ton of characters and action and a lot of world building all in one book was a bit too much. I think I'm planning to go back and reread this in the fall though, and I expect I will enjoy it so much more then.

That being said, I loved the concept of this!! A heist, a world full of dragons and dragon riders, characters with so many different flaws/personalities/identities, and really great world building for a single book. Anahrod is saved by a group of misfits, who take them on their heist to rob the world's most powerful and famous dragon hoard. The characters were such a fun, odd, diverse bunch, with each character reflecting a different identity. I really enjoyed each of the characters, but didn't find myself connecting that deeply with any of them.

I really enjoyed the world that Lyons created, somehow an entire magical, fantasy world in just one book. The fact that she created such a diverse, particular world in a standalone, took us through the entire heist and wrapped up the storylines for many of the characters was very impressive. Some parts made me laugh, which I loved, and I thought the heist plot was cool. Overall, I think if you like heist plots (like Six of Crows), fantasy worlds full of dragons, and want to read a fantasy standalone where you don't have to binge an entire series, you would probably really enjoy this!! Thank you to Tor Books for providing me with this free book in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, things I liked:
I loved our main characters, flaws and all, and felt that they showed growth by the end of the book. I also absolutely LOVED the society & garden rings as a way to show preferences and career. Finally, I also really enjoyed the positive “alternative” relationship style. I can’t say more without spoiling part of the story, so you’ll just have to read to see what I mean.

Things I didn't particularly love or that subtracted from my score of the book:
I didn't like how "thrown into the deep end" of this world we were from the get go. This is my first fantasy book that doesn't do a huge world building front half and instead just threw words at us for animals/cultural items without an explanation for multiple chapters. However, I grew to enjoy this and it didn't subtract more than a star for me. It did take a full star though because it left me floundering and not wanting to read it for multiple days in a row because I didn't feel like struggling to understand what was going on.

All in all, I really did enjoy reading this book, just wish we got a little bit faster on descriptions of things in the world or what certain words meant.

From the publisher:Enter a world ruled by dragons…

The Sky on Fire is a daring new fantasy heist adventure that will thrill fans of Temeraire, Fourth Wing, and Dragonriders of Pern

Anahrod lives only for survival, forging her own way through the harsh jungles of the Deep with her titan drake by her side. Even when an adventuring party saves her from capture by a local warlord, she is eager to return to her solitary life.

But this is no ordinary rescue. It’s Anahrod’s past catching up with her. These cunning misfits—and their frustratingly appealing dragonrider ringleader—intend to spirit her away to the dragon-ruled sky cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon’s hoard.

There’s only one problem: the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas—and she wants Anahrod dead.

From Jenn Lyons, the acclaimed author of the Chorus of Dragons series, this soaring standalone fantasy combines conniving dragons, lightning banter, high-stakes intrigue, and a little bit of heat.

I've had my eye on reading a book by Jenn Lyons for awhile now, and when the opportunity to get a preview of the new standalone The Sky on Fire came along, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

The story is summarized pretty capably in the publisher's blurb. Anahrod lives on the very dangerous surface of her world. She has an mysterious background that is hinted at in the book's opening, but at this point neither she nor anyone else knows who or what she really is. She is wanted by a kind of warlord (I think) and goes on the run with her pet (friend) titan drake. She also has some power where she can communicate or assume control over animals. When she is attacked by the warlord's men, she is rescued by some people from the sky "world", or those who live on the very tall mountains (I'm a little unclear about this). This starts a tentative partnership, with potential romance (same-sex for those who care), and an attempt to take Anahrod to the sky.

I pushed through the first 50 or so pages but really had to force myself to read. I didn't find myself caring about what was happening at all and the characters weren't really very intriguing to me. I can't comment on how the story resolves because I just couldn't keep at it. There are too many other books I want to read to continue pushing through one I'm not enjoying.

The writing style was okay and I'll still probably try Lyons's Ruin of Kings series, hoping to be sucked into the story sooner.

I had the opportunity to preview the audiobook, as well. While the story is the same (obviously), I thought the performance was fine. Lauren Fortgang was the narrator and she did a nice job. It did not really stand out as poor or excellent, either way.

Overall, I can't really recommend The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons. It just didn't work for me.

I received preview copies of both the print and audiobook of The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons the best of epic fantasy. It has such a huge, complex world that captures you. It is so rich and detailed. With brilliant characters.
Lyons storytelling prowess that she can deliver such a well-crafted narrative that's both fulfilling and leaves you craving more adventures in the same world.
Full of misfits, heist, dragons and romance!

Thank You NetGalley and Tor Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a fun book to escape with. I liked the world building, quirky characters, dragons and a heist. The characters had great banter but the pacing was a little slow at times. Overall it was a good escape.

Good heist story! It’s doorstop length but this could actually be a stand alone book! It’s possible she’ll write more stories in this world and I’d happily read it but it doesn’t need a second book. I did think it was a little slow towards the start as the heist was set up and the myriad of characters are introduced but once the action starts the pages fly by. The ring system for folks’ preferences did seem a bit extraneous to the story. They’d have been interesting in a romance centered book. But if you could easily be eaten or burned to ash tomorrow because of your planned schemes then the preferences of random new acquaintances probably isn’t going to be the most prominent thought in your head. It could work really well in a romance though. 4 stars because I like a good doorstop fantasy, enjoy a heist story and liked the intricate world building.

Pacing is a major part of what makes or breaks a book for me. Unfortunately, I could not connect to this book due to poor pacing issues. I thought the world was great and really interesting, but at times it felt like we were skipping key scenes while dragging on through scenes that could have been a throwaway sentence; Overall, it was a very odd reading experience for me and it kept bringing me out of the novel.

I loved the concept but I think the execution of plot points, pacing, and explanations was difficult to sift through. Part of this is also because I found I couldn't connect to the writing style—it made things feel so much more dragged out than they should have been. I think that writing a standalone is difficult because so much of the worldbuilding and characterization needs to be parsed down, especially with such a large concept, I think that in this case, they could have parsed it down into something much more cohesive. I understand that people really enjoyed the author's previous trilogy, so perhaps I'll give that one a shot!

Despite having a longstanding obsession with dragons and anything dragon-related, I've somehow managed to not read any of Jenn Lyons' previous books. As I was immediately intrigued by the promise of dragons, a heist, and a group of interesting misfits (What a trio!) I requested a copy of this book to review pretty quickly. I had planned on waiting a few days after receiving my copy to start reading but the excitement of diving into a world of dragons and magic was too much to resist and I started it pretty much right away. From the very first page, the story of The Sky On Fire captured my attention so completely that I lost track of time and read through breakfast and lunch and was almost late for work! It was a fun and delightful immersion into a vivid and imaginative world that I just couldn't seem to tear myself away from.

While there was a lot I enjoyed about this book one of the things that stood out the most to me was how realistic and believable I found all the characters to be. Each character no matter how minor seemed to have their distinct personalities or backstories that really helped them come alive. Anahrod, in particular, is a compelling character whose survival instincts and complex past create a character that seems to just leap off the page. I also found The Sky On Fire's magic system to be really interesting as I love any book that contains not just people who can use magic, but the existence of magical artifacts as well. I thought Jenn Lyons did a fantastic job integrating such an interesting magic system so well into the world she created.

And I don't think it would be even remotely possible to praise Jenn Lyons' worldbuilding enough. The detailed descriptions of the characters, the jungles of the Deep, and the cloud cities themselves helped paint a vivid picture of a realm ruled by dragons and magic. Jenn Lyons' attention to detail and imaginative creativity make the world of The Sky On Fire feel immersive and authentic.

I would have to say that overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a captivating story from beginning to end. The way Jenn Lyons manages to blend adventure, magic, and a richly detailed world has left time eager to explore her other books. I'm not a little too excited to dive into her epic fantasy series a Chrous of Drgons to experience more of her fantastic storytelling. However I'm tempted to check out the audiobook of The Sky on Fire before I do so so that I can relive this adventure in a new format.


I received a free copy of this book in return or an honest review.

3.5 stars

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting, unique book but I will admit to struggling with it at times. The pacing felt all over the place for me. There were parts where I was hooked and parts where I was so bored I nearly gave up.

I’m glad I stuck with it through the parts I didn’t enjoy, though, because the story overall was such an interesting one.

I really loved the characters, but especially Gwyndinion. He was just so easy to love and I really enjoyed the way he approached everything in life. The few bits from his POV towards the end were some of my favourites.

I looooved the poly relationship in this book and honestly wish there’s been more of it. It’s so rare that I wish for my fantasy to have more romance but I do wish this had leant more into the romantasy genre. Something about Ris, Sycarion and Anahrod together and their one-on-one relationships had me so invested.

I really liked the relationship between the good dragons and their riders, which are unfortunately few and far between. But those relationships were so much fun to explore, especially with Anahrod being able to talk to all of them. This is something I would have liked to see more of, too, but I understand why that wasn’t really possible given the overall plot.

The heist felt like a huge let down, in all honesty. I was so excited for a heist with dragons but it was such a blip in the overall plot.

Despite my confused feelings on this book, I do recommend it to any lovers of high fantasy.

This book was very good from start to finish. I actually loved the descriptions and really felt like I was living in the book. Anarhod was a great character. The dragons were a very cool element.

Corruption, heists, dragons, magic, RAG TAG TEAMS!! Sign me UP! Lyons created such a fun and intriguing world with fleshed out characters that kept me flipping page and page and couldn't put down! I've read a lot of praise for lovers of Fourth Wing and Six of Crows and that checks out. Loved this book from start to finish! Definitely looking forward to reading more by Lyons.

The story was fun and I enjoyed the characters. I would have like a bit more world building and fleshing out of the magical connections- dragons vs. sorcerers, etc. but overall it was an enjoyable read that kept my interest.

Enter a world ruled by dragons and join a ragtag team of misfits who are hellbent on revenge. (4.5 stars)

17 years ago, Anahrod the Wicked was publicly executed, and the secret of how to successfully steal from a dragon’s hoard died with her…or did it?

If you ever thought Fourth Wing featured too much angst and not enough dragons, or if you loved Six of Crows but thought “imagine this WITH DRAGONS?!”, buckle in for a full length standalone fantasy feature with conniving overlord dragons, a daring heist, and a whirlwind worldwide adventure (also featuring lgbtqia+ and poly rep with a dash of spice).

*🐉 “Never trust a dragonrider.” 🐉*

I will note that I have recently seen some lower star reviews mentioning pacing and world-building, and I have some thoughts on that. I think we have become very used to consuming trilogies and larger series. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but as a standalone, this story delivers A LOT of story, all in one go. I think we’re getting less and less used to this experience. We’re more familiar with stories being given to us in pieces over years of book releases. I 100% can see the spots where this book could have been drawn out to create a trilogy, but I for one, really appreciate that Tor and Jenn Lyons didn’t choose to do that to us with The Sky on Fire. I think it is a brilliant ride and just perfect the way it is.

Thank you to Tor Books, NetGalley and Jenn Lyons, for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. The Sky On Fire comes out July 9th.

Dragons always get my attention. Dragons and a heist? I'm definitely intrigued. This novel has an interesting cast of characters with a web of interactions that are slowly revealed as the book goes on, but action starts quickly. Although it takes some time to understand the rules of the world and its magic, the explanations are happening as the characters are attempting to solve the various problems that come up along the way. Anahrod is easy to root for, but all of the characters seem to have both good and bad characteristics. The world is huge, almost too much for a single novel, but I enjoyed it anyway.