Let’s start with the good stuff:
I flew through this so if you’re in a slump, it’ll do the trick. I’m also a sucker for the whole “bad reputation, good guy” trope. I can totally see this book taking off with enough publicity because it’s an easy read & bingeable. I found that even though I knew it was fundamentally not a good book, I looked forward to picking it up in the evenings.

Now the bad:
This book would have been really enjoyable had it not been so repetitive. The author didn’t seem to know how to fill up the pages with substantial content and instead used fluffy filler that did not add to the story’s movement. I think that space would have been better used for world building, it was weak and made envisioning the scenes and characters difficult. You can skim 75% of this.

Overall, I wouldn’t have finished this had it not been an ARC.

*** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley ***

We meet our FMC, Tamsyn— 21 year old, whipping girl for the royal family. She’s adopted by the King and Queen but takes the punishments when the “real” princesses misbehave. We meet the MMC, Fell (yes, that’s his name), as he’s coming back from defunding the Borderlands on behalf of the King. Fell leads the warriors that defend against the humans since it been a 100 years without the dragons. Fell comes into the kingdom to demand the hand of one of the princesses, but the King tricks him into marrying Tamsyn.

I ate this book up… it wasn’t anything original but it was such a fun time! The narrative was repetitive at times, especially with explanations of the whipping girl "purpose." However, the pace of the book was fast enough that I overlooked it. There were a couple of plot holes but I let it slide, however they'll get explained in the second book. The spice was fun and I was enjoying the adventure!

I’ll be reading the second book when it comes out Also I’m definitely going to pick up some of Sophie Jordan’s regency books!

Amazing read! This book is the first book in a new series that is set in the same world as this author's Firelight series. This is a prequel to that series. This book was amazing! It has dragons, witches, political intrigue, and some unexpected twists. I binged this book in one sitting as I was unable to put it down. The FMC is a strong willed character that will win you over with her loyalty and love for her family, even if you feel they don't deserve it. The MMC is relatable and lovable. This was a different take on dragons, and I was here for it! There were scenes in this book that were so well written that I had zero difficulty envisioning it in my mind as though I were actually there. This is a POV book that alternates POV by chapter. There are more POVs than just the main character, and I truly enjoyed that. The ending was a small cliffy, and I'm ready for the next book! Highly recommend this book!!


Also note, this book does have some scenes that might be triggering to some. This is not a super spicy book. There are only a couple of spicy scenes. These scenes have awkwardness in them, but I feel that is part of the storyline.

In A Fire in the Sky, by Sophie Jordan, we have a fabulous story of Tamsyn, an orphan, who has been raised in the royal family in her region, as their daughter, but with the understanding that she was the royal whipping girl for her sisters. Her sisters, of divine blood, should not be marred by punishment, but Tamsyn stands as their proxy to take their punishment for any misdeeds they commit. Unfortunately, the King’s advisor loves to punish Tamsyn a little too much. While she loves her family, she hates her role and the punishment she receives. When Fell, a regional leader, whose role is to protect the kingdom from dangers at the borders, comes and demands a royal daughter as a wife, the King hopes to trick him by marrying him to Tamsyn rather than one of her sisters. After the wedding and Fell discovering the trickery, he still decides to take Tamsyn as his wife, and they begin the long, arduous journey back to Fell’s home. They never arrive. A unexpected twist comes in the book before Tamsyn is able to reach Fell’s home, and while she comes to love Fell, this twist could change everything. The cliffhanger ending is yet another twist to the story of these two characters’ love. I absolutely loved this book and read it very quickly. It is only about 300 pages, and it was very fast-paced and easy to read. The characters are complex, and Jordan shows much of their thinking. The only problem I had is that after the first twist, I guessed the second one. Other than that, this book very much deserves the 5 stars I gave it. Jordan has several other books on her backlist, and it shows in her polished writing style and this book actually builds on a theme that she wrote about in one of her previous books. This book is romantasy at its best, intended for an adult audience.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend A Fire in the Sky. It was a great read and I can’t wait to see the sequel.

I was super hopeful for this book to be awesome! I overall had a good time though! The lead up and foreshadowing in the 1st half of the book is what captured me. Once the magical twist was revealed, I felt like I was clumsily along for the ride that was the ending. I really liked the portrayal of the fated/blooded love story and I will consider the sequel because I want to know how that shakes out.

Tropes:
-blooded/bonded/fated love
-political marriage
-trick/false marriage
-dark/foggy mmc
-emboldened/loyal fmc
-witches/magic
-DRAGONS (shifters!)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

I ate this book up! I was hooked from beginning to end. Although some plot lines were a bit predictable, it did not take away from the story at all. I still very much enjoyed it. I wish there was just a tiny bit more adventure or action but, that is something that can be easily added in the second book. Which I will be reading! You have dragons, witches, betrayal, dual POV and a little bit of spice.

TROPES
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
⚔️ Arranged marriage
⚔️ Forced proximity
⚔️ Touch her and die MMC


Thank you to Netgalley, AvonBooks and HarperVoyagerus for the E-ARC.

I got this ebook from NetGalley. I got sucked into this book right away.

This book has
- historical romances vibes
- Arranged marriage
- Bride swap
- Faded mates vibes
- Love triangle vibes
- Touch her and die
- Magic
- Dragons

The book was pretty short. I enjoyed it a lot but I felt like there wasn’t enough time to feel the love blossom in the characters for me to enjoy the ending. Or enough time to build up a lot of the side plots. I think the ending falls a little flat in that I don’t care enough about the characters and it’s kind of a cliff / open ended ending. I really would have loved a better conclusion.

I was so eager to read A Fire in the Sky after seeing so many bloggers raving about it. Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I was cringing for most of the beginning. The sex was awkward (I really hate the loss of virginity plotline in a book marketed as Adult), and Tamsyn's maturity level was more on par with a YA level. I would think that by the age of 21 she would have questioned her circumstances a little more. I found her interesting when she was forced to make part of the journey North alone, but it was shortlived. The only character I felt any real connection to was Fell, but there wasn't anything unique or interesting about him that made him standout as a fantasy MMC.

Beyond that, the pacing was off. When there wasn't any direct action the inner monologues became long winded and repetitive. The story lacked conflict and tensions and the plotlines were predictable. The insta-love between the characters was not believable. I would like to know more about the dragons and witches, but probably ot enough to make me want to read the next book.

Thank you Netgalley and the published for the eARC.

This was amazing. It hooked me from the first page and kept me wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book!

i went into this book blind and i am so glad i did!

the plot gripped me in the beginning and held my
attention all the way through. it was a quick read and it was definitely setting the stage for the rest of the series to come.

i love that the world has legends and myths abound - magical creatures that few have seen and most prefer to pretend don’t exist anymore.

The tropes are:
- Enemies to lovers
- Arranged marriage
- Forced proximity
- One bed
- Political intrigue

…and one more I’m fairly certain of but sharing it would give it all away ;)


This was a solid 4-4.5 read for me and I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much to Sophie Jordan and Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars

Dragons, betrayal, multiple point of views, a bunch of plot twists, and a little bit of spice.

A Fire in the Sky follows Tamsyn as she leaves one brutal life of servitude for another only to discover a whole new world that she never expected. Tamsyn must choose between the love of her family and her own freedom; the easy love of the boy she grew up with and the deep desire she feels for a man she is forced upon. Duty and desire thrust her into a world of witches, magic, and dragons that she thought only existed in stories of the past. But will those she loves still accept her when they learn who she truly is?

A Fire in the Sky is a fast and fun read. A cross between romance and fantasy with just enough spice sprinkled in. The story definitely toes the young adult line. The plot felt a little rushed at times and the characters felt a little under developed, but the story and the massive plot twist at the end is enough to keep me hooked and waiting for book two!

I have recommended this book to everyone. I could NOT put it down. I loved the world-building, concept, characters, and forced marriage/proximity...all my favorite things. (Lol) It lost me about 2/3 through when there was a huge shift (IYKYK), but I kept reading because I was SO invested. It does end on a cliffhanger, and there is definitely some spice. I would give it a 3.75 stars if I could, just because it came to a crashing halt for me.

4 stars!

I absolutely requested this book because it had dragons in it, and quite frankly I ate this up. This was really fun, and the fantasy romance aspect definitely made me kick my feet and giggle a little bit. I also read this in one sitting and I really enjoyed the writing and I will definitely be reading the sequel.

I think where this wasn't perfect for me was that it did kinda feel like a prequel. Like upon reflection, not that much happened? And I definitely have more questions. Additionally, I don't really love a love triangle and granted this one is a teeny tiny FMC doesn't actually want to be involved love triangle but I still kinda hated it. I think that book two is going to be so fun. I need to know more about the dragons? And witches??? like tell me more. Also, I think the idea of the main character being a "whipping girl" with Sophie Jordan later talking about the historical background in the author's note was also very interesting. Anyways, more dragon books!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story of an arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, touch her and die is right up my alley! The story was thick, the spice was spicy, and the twist right at the end was perfect. Excited to see where this goes!

this book set feminism back several decades

Granted, it’s a political marriage, but this man admits he just wants a wife in order to bed her and for her to bear his children, and he immediately becomes so possessive of her despite being fooled into the marriage. also has the most unnecessary love triangle truly why can’t we leave those in 2008.

I really enjoyed this! It was a little short and predictable but still a cute story to follow. Intrigued on where the author is going with that ending.

This is my first Sophie Jordan read and I am quite impressed.

A Fire in the Sky is set in the same world as Ms. Jordan’s YA Firelight series. Everyone’s definitely all grown up in this adult romantasy😉 You don’t have to read the previous series to know what’s going on in the book. Ms. Jordan does an excellent job fleshing out this magical world of intrigue.

Tamsyn is a whipping girl in a luxurious palace court. Raised alongside the King and Queen’s three daughters, Tamsyn is punished for the princesses' misbehaviors and has since she was a small child. It’s supposed to be a position of honor in the palace, but she’s basically a glorified slave.

When warriors from the north come to visit the palace in a celebration of appreciation, the leader–The Beast of the Borderlands–has plans of his own. In recompense for the protection his clan of warriors provide the kingdom, Fell demands one of the King’s daughters to wed. He desires a position close to the king to effect change in Penterra for the better.

The King doesn’t want to give away one of his precious daughters to this barbarian so he and his advisor devise a plan to bait-and-switch with Tamsyn. I mean, she was raised up with the girls, so she’s technically a princess, right? Oh what a tangled web we weave…

What an exciting ride of mystery and masterpiece.

The book includes an interesting storyline, colorful worldbuilding, a strong heroine with unknown origins and unbreakable will, and a fierce hero with a quiet tenderness, steel core of loyalty, and unwavering sense of duty.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, the characters, and the lore. The story leaves readers with just enough juicy tidbits to keep us salivating for more!

A Fire in the Sky is a delightful read and I can’t wait for the next book!

I did not see the plot twist coming. I liked the world building and the story telling. The romance felt as though it lacked in some spots and the characters were a little mechanical feeling.

Tamsyn started as an interesting character. As a whipping girl she suffers when the royal princesses do anything wrong, though this isn’t the sort of story where her back is covered in scars. Instead they’re beatings that leave bruises, but almost never wounds — and she heals fast. Tamsyn loves her sisters, cares for them, and willingly takes on the role as bride to the Beast to protect one of her sisters from having to wed a barbarian and be taken away into the north.

On the trip north she’s still pragmatic, determined to do her best … but her personality slowly fades as the book goes on. By the time the big twist happens she’s simply someone who reacts to the plot rather than someone who has an opinion on it. Likewise the Beast, Fell. In his first chapter he has a strong voice with hints of character, but by the next time he shows up he’s just Love Interest. Strong, brutal, good at the sex, in love with the beautiful woman.

The twist was a bit predictable — but that’s not to say it was either not enjoyable nor well laid out. For Fell, all the breadcrumbs were there (some of them a bit too large). For Tamsyn, while not as obvious, it was still easy to guess what was going on with her and when the event happened, I wasn’t surprised. Personally, because neither Tamsyn nor Fell had much of a reaction to the thing, it didn’t feel that interesting. Again, it was well plotted, but I do think the characters faded away too much.

That said, I’m interested to see where this story goes. It ends on a cliffhanger, but the cliffhanger has dragons in it so … there you go. I’ll be picking up the sequel when it comes out. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

I could not put this book down! I drew me in immediately and I needed to know what would happen next. I loved both Tamsyn and Fell. Fell is just perfect. I do wish more stuff happened in the story though. But I need the next book immediately!