Sophie Jordan’s A Fire in the Sky is a thrilling, imaginative take on the fantasy genre, blending dragons, magic, and romance into a whirlwind adventure. In a world where dragons are extinct, witches are outcasts, and magic is slowly fading away, the novel paints a picture of a society teetering on the edge of collapse. Amidst this backdrop, the relentless human lust for power persists, driving the action and setting the stage for a tale filled with tension, passion, and danger.

I devoured this book quickly, and while it wasn’t perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. What stood out to me most was how refreshing it felt—A Fire in the Sky isn’t just another cookie-cutter fantasy romance. The premise alone feels different, offering a unique twist on familiar fantasy tropes. The storyline blends high stakes with deep emotional beats, keeping me hooked from start to finish.

The characters are where this book really shines. The relationship dynamics were a highlight for me. The arranged marriage trope, which can often feel cliché, is executed well here, and I couldn’t help but love the tension it brought to the story. The "touch her and die" vibe surrounding the male protagonist—gruff, powerful, and a bit of a brute—added a layer of intensity and excitement. Meanwhile, the female lead is more than she seems, which adds complexity to her character and makes her journey all the more satisfying.

This book delivers on what I was hoping for: a powerful and captivating romance set against a fantastical backdrop of dragons, magic, and danger. While it may not be perfect in every way, it certainly hit all the right notes for me. If you're a fan of fantasy novels with a strong, dynamic romance and a plot that keeps you on your toes, A Fire in the Sky is definitely worth a read. It’s everything I wanted it to be—and more!

Holy shiitake mushrooms! I just finished that in one sitting and OMG!
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! I am so grateful I ordered a copy of this before I even finished because I definitely want a copy of this on my shelves. I also want book 2 now please!

Will come back with a full review

*Back with the review lol*

Tamsyn holds a unique role in the court as a member/non-member of the royal family. She is the royal whipping girl, which means she takes all punishments on behalf of the princesses. Her life takes a turn when Fell, the legendary Beast of the Borderlands, requests one of the princesses' hands in marriage. Tamsyn, considered a princess of the kingdom is given to him in their stead and many secrets come out of the woodwork.

Fell and Tamsyn grow to appreciate and respect each other and that slowly turns into love.

The author described the world beautifully and the character building is a bit slow but super interesting. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2.

Tropes:
- Arranged/Forced Marriage
- Forbidden/Dying Magic
- Touch Her & Die
- Romantasy
- Court politics
- Love Triangle Adjacent
- Magical Secrets
- Multiple POV

Unfortunately, this was a disappointment. I think it had promise, but the execution was lacking. The writing was repetitive with too much internal monologuing, and Tamsyn is a very passive character, which makes it hard to be in her head at times. The plot itself takes too long to get going, the world building is lacking, and the romance felt rushed and forced.

There’s also not much in the way of dragons until the very end, but it seems they may feature more in the next book. However, I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.

I would like to thank the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

I'll start by saying that I was captivated by the story when I read the synopsis and I was very excited about this book, so I was quite upset when it didn't meet my expectations.

The beginning of the book was quite pleasant and seemed quite promising, until it suddenly got distorted. I'm the kind of person who loves well-written and long-lasting romances, usually when they happen at a percentage of 40 to 50 percent I get a little uncomfortable, but I can still continue reading without much irritation, however, for me the fact that the character saw her romantic partner for the first time and already felt sexually attracted made me quite uncomfortable. Lust is also something that I value a certain construction and I hated how hers was so sudden, this really undermined much of the pleasure in reading this book.

As for the rest, I'll sum it up by saying that I didn't find anything very amazing. The premise and story ended up being boring and meaningless, and I couldn't connect with the couple or them as individual characters. The book also ended up not being as original as I had hoped.

Even so, I am very grateful for the opportunity to read this book.

I am completely obsessed with this book! Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl, has come to accept the life she’s been dealt. But when The Beast, or Border King, demands to marry a Penterran princess, Tamsyn is thrust into a marriage with a man who stirs up a whirlwind of emotions within her. This forced marriage is the ultimate enemies-to-lovers tale. Jordan’s writing style pulled me into this world, and I never wanted to leave. I adored all the characters, whether they were villains or heroes, and the dynamic they brought to the story. Even though the spice was minimal, the love story between Fell and Tamsyn was both steamy and heartbreaking. And the ending… wow, I need more of this world and story right now!

*Thank you to Sophie Jordan, Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Weirdly entertaining if read like a fairytale, but not really a great book: Minimal worldbuilding, superficial characters, some very cringe moments and lots of plot holes. If you’re just there for the dragon romantasy vibe, it might be your book.

I just finished this and really enjoyed it more than I thought I would! This was another FairyLoot pick that I wanted to read after receiving a beautiful copy. I will say that it was not the most in depth 5 star fantasy world that you have ever read, but it is an easy and entertaining read. I liked this different take on a dragon story line and I am intrigued to learn where that goes. I hated that she was a "whipping girl", but ugh it could have been worse I guess. I would have loved to have seen a deeper connection between Tamsyn & Fall er Fell? What was his name ... FELL. Okay sure, moving on, I would have loved less of an instant love connection between the two and a bit more resistance and haaated that one of our only spicy scenes was a super awkward "royal wedding bedding" with an audience that included her parents, sisters, and boy best friend that loves her (ofc). Really could have done without that or would have loved FELL to refuse their customs, just closing the curtains wasn't enough for me. Anyways, if you want an easy fantasy read this one is good for a brain break - enough action to keep you interested, but not too complicated of a world and history.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This ended up being a dnf for me. I tried to do my best to get into it but unfortunately it felt like the plot dragged on slowly and there was no buildup to the love interests meeting. I was looking forward to trying another dragon story since they have become quite popular and the cover for this was gorgeous! It just ended up not working for me but I see the potential in it for others.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this book still. It wasn’t very good and I was so disappointed! It basically had no plot. Also there was so many details that didn’t really matter or lead to anything.

It’s been over a decade since I read one of Sophie Jordan's books. I loooooved this authors Firelight YA Trilogy back in the day. I brought this book on my vacation and devoured it. It took me a little while to get the flow of the writing style in the beginning. This is a VERY slow burn romance and almost in reverse? The plot was so unexpected and honestly refreshing! I’m really excited to see where this story goes next.

Everything I wanted and needed from a book! This is definitely one of my top read for the year! I wish I could give it more than five stars!

This plot lost me. By 40% the only thing that had happened was the arranged marriage..? IMO the first person internal monologue takes away from experiencing the world building and even the romance didn’t land for me. Wasn’t rooting for either of the characters, and the dragon component wasn’t at all what I expected.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sophie Jordan weaves together an fascinating premise paired with complex characters in her novel "A Fire in the Sky." Jordan did an excellent job exploring the ideas surrounding duty versus self-advocacy. I also thought Tamsyn, the FMC, was a compelling character, especially with the whole concept of the "whipping girl" and how Jordan fits that role into the medieval-inspired world she created. There were also a few beautifully written moments, and the take on dragons in this magical world was interesting.

Yet, the execution and pacing fell short. For a majority of the novel, not a lot happened. In fact, most of it took place on the journey to Fell's homeland, which led the ending, where a lot of moving parts connected and were set in motion, to ultimately feel too rushed. Also, dragons did not even become relevant and appear until over halfway through the book. I also wasn't a fan of the "marriage trick," as it put a bad taste in my mouth.

One of the most heartbreaking parts of this novel surrounded the character Stig, as his whole character arc was squandered. At the beginning, he was complex and likeable, paired with a history and upbringing that allowed the reader to understand why he made the choices he did. His and Tamsyn's relationship was deep and interesting as they stood on the line between friendship to something more their entire lives. Yet, as the novel progressed, it felt as if all of his character development sputtered out. Where his motives were clear in his point-of-view, Jordan rushed through his few chapters and had him make confusing, almost foolish choices at the end. And his final act, that ultimately led to his doom, was so out of character for him, which I imagine was done for "shock factor"--which may have worked if there had been hints of that throughout the story.

Thank you to HarperCollins NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review

For the romantasy vibes and DRAGONS, this became an unexpected favourite. I loved the worldbuilding and plot, as well as the lead character.

I was given this as an ARC a while back and never started it because I wasn't in the mood. There are so many multi-part romantasy novels coming out that this got 'lost' on my book shelf. I ended up getting the audiobook and listening to it. The audiobook was well done and I enjoyed listening to it.

~~What I liked~~
-The plot was interesting enough. It wasn't super original and nothing stood out to me as Earth-shattering, but the pacing was good and it was short enough that I didn't feel bored.
-The characters were good. There were four POV in the book, but the majority were from the FMC, Tamsyn. She was an interesting character, but nothing too exciting.
-The writing was also decent.

~~What I didn't like~~
-The romance came out of left field. I'm not sure how all of a sudden the MMC <I>needs</I> her, when she is gone.
-There were some plot points that just didn't make sense, like her unquestioned healing abilities.
-The plot wasn't super convoluted, but there were enough things about the world and history of the world, that it was a bit confusing.


Overall, I didn't hate my time reading this, but it didn't blow me away. With so many books to choose from, I'm not sure I'll be finishing this series.

Thanks Netgalley, Sophie Jordan and Harper Collins for letting me read this E-ARC!
Overall I found this to be a fast read with likable charaters and Great world building without it going into heavy detail..
I would recommended this novel for anyone who likes the Arranged/Forced Marrige trope.
My personal rating is a solid 4.5 stars !.

Fire in the Sky was an amazing introduction to this new fantasy series I was captivated and cannot wait for the next installment!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"I don't know which is more treacherous. Humans or love. In the end, both will fail you."

I would like to thank Avon and Harper Voyager, Netgalley, Harper Audio and Libro.fm for a copy of this eARC and audioARC. You give me dragons and an enemies to lovers, arranged marriage and i'm there. I'll beg if I have to for more of it.

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones world, and the story telling style of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen, this is a book for you. I wasn't even half way through this book before I was screaming at my cousin and best friend to read it. I couldn't talk about it enough.

I've said it once and I'll say it again--nothing ever hits quite as a hard as a good enemies to lovers, and while I love a slow burn story, I adored that the bedding scene allowed us to get a sneak peek rigth away at what their dynamic would be for the romance of this book.

I will say I was incredibly confused at the beginning because they kept refering to her as a princess, and that the other princesses were her sisters, but also "not by blood", so I went through the first waurter of the book thinking she was a bastard to the king if i'm honest. It didn't stop me from enjoying but finally understanding that they view the whipping girl AS family, gave me clarity I needed to continue forward.

Speaking complex court relationships, Stigg's proposal made me cringe and nausous the same way Criston Cole did in House of the Dragon. Read the room bro. And him sitting in on the bedding ceremony was just the biggest ick ever for him. Obviously we get more insight later on why, but lord, that was rough.

I feel stuck now trying to figure out what to talk about next, it was all just so good. The dynamic with Fell, her own revelations about herself and the magic she carries, the secrets the Queen had kept from her, the betrayal of who she trusted most in the world, and the protection of who she never expected. The story kept me enthralled from begining to end, and I spent half the book thinking it was a standalone and trying to figure out how she would wrap it up in the next few chapters, only to jump for joy when I found out it would have a sequel.

I need more of this relationship, I need more of this world, I need more from this author, and I will continue to pick up anything and everything Sopie Jordan writes. Book two cannot come quick enough with the cliff we were left hanging from.

When I first requested this I didn’t know that it was going to be connected to this author’s YA series Firelight. I read those back when I was in high school and enjoyed them a lot! So when I found out these were connected I was even more happy to read this.
I was disappointed.
I do enjoy the idea that this is pretty much an origin story for the dragon shifters that are introduced in the YA series but it was done poorly.
The romance made no sense. Forced/arranged marriage trope where, as soon as they consummate the marriage, the guy is entranced. He’s possessive and believes she’s everything and they barely had a real conversation. While in her case, she just wants to have more sex with him and is stupid the whole book.
The pacing was all over the place. Nothing was happening for a fantasy. I was excited for dragons but they weren’t relevant until past the halfway mark. Why market this as a dragon book when it’s not the main focus?
Reading this makes me question if the original trilogy was good or maybe it was just my high school self enjoying anything with dragons.

A Fire in the Sky offers an addictive blend of fantasy, romance, and political intrigue, with a forced marriage trope and the promise of dragons. Tamsyn, raised as a royal whipping girl, is thrust into a dangerous situation when she’s given as a false bride to the warlord Fell, sparking slow-burning chemistry and a journey filled with secrets. While the dynamic between Tamsyn and Fell is engaging, the pacing feels uneven at times, and some plot points lack depth. Despite its intriguing premise and moments of tension, the story ultimately feels surface-level, but it’s still a fun and accessible romantasy read for those looking for a quick escape.