It’s been a longggggg time since I have been hooked on a book since the end of chapter 1. The other thing I loveee about this book is the magical twist. It’s not something I have yet to come across and my jaw dropped to the floor when I read it. I reread the page at least 10 times to make sure I have understood correctly 😅😅😅 I loved this story and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Cause my heart is so happy and can’t wait to find out what happens next.

A fire in the sky was a great fantasy romance! I would recommend for anyone who likes dragons and shifters!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy! You can pick up A Fire in the Sky on September 24, 2024.

I absolutely loved diving back into Sophie Jordan's dragon-filled world! After refreshing myself on the Firelight series, A Fire in the Sky perfectly fit the mood I was looking for: dragons and adventure but with higher romantic stakes and adult spice. I'm so glad Sophie made the decision to explore the origin of the dragons and draki we meet in Firelight, and I loved all the cameos from her YA series!

The romantic tension was definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. Tamsyn and Fell had so much chemistry, from their first surprise meeting to their arranged marriage ceremony and beyond. I wish we'd seen even more on page romance, but given the political intrigue and betrayal and other factors at play, I can see why Sophie held off.

The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because the pacing could have been a lot better. The parts that I really loved REALLY stood out in this book. But it felt like there was way too much downtime spent in the characters' heads in between big plot moments. I wanted more action, more fantasy, even more character interactions. Something to keep things moving a bit quicker.

All in all, I think a lot of people will enjoy this one! Especially if they're marriage of convenience and forced proximity fans.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a copy of a fire in the sky for review.

This book has such a unique storyline and the dynamic between Fell and Tamzyn is literally palpable. I look forward to seeing where this goes to.

I didn’t know what to expect with A Fire in the Sky because I haven’t had the chance to read Sophie’s YA series but I have been in LOVE with her historical romances. The verdict? I’m obsessed. Sophie Jordan has a way of writing that just brings you into the story and you can’t put it down… this story in particular - the twists that i did not see coming - I felt so invested from beginning to end. From the idea of a “whipping girl” (that was new to me) to the lore and world building, A Fire in the Sky was definitely a book I will recommend to my fellow romantasy readers and I truly cannot wait for the next book in the series… it can’t come quickly enough!

So I love fantasy romance books ands I love dragons. But let’s be honest, there are only like 3 general story lines and ideas. Except this one is actually unique and I really enjoyed that. The plot really kept my interest with the romance interspersed but not overwhelming, allowing for a true fantasy plot.

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl whose entire existence is meant for taking punishment for the princesses. She has dreamt of being able to choose what she does with her life after the princesses are all married off into alliances. However, with The Beast shows up looking for a royal wife, he gets her instead. Fell (The Beast) wants a royal wife to ensure he’s part of the conversations to improve the lives of all people outside of the main cities. Things fall apart when he realizes who is wife is instead…

There’s passion(love and hate), intrigue, MMC being deceived, FMC used as a pawn, and enemies-to-lovers wrapped up in a really interesting plot.

The beginning threw a lot of information at you and I felt a bit bogged down but once I got into the story, I was into it. So much happened that really opened up so many options for future books. There were a few things that I really didn’t expect to happen or I thought would happen a different way, which kept me really engaged. There were a few spots that were fairly repetitious but nothing that pulled me out of the story line.

The FMC annoyed me a bit but I think it was more of a product of her upbringing and was intentional for the story. Overall, I’d give this 3.75-4 Stars for general enjoyment factor. I want to learn more about this world and I’ll definitely be interested in the next book of the series! This was my first Sophie Jordan book but it won’t be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager publishing for the arc copy of this book.

I loved this book so much! For a being a fantasy book it was a super quick read. This book has arranged marriage, betrayal, kill for her vibes. I really wish this book hadn’t ended so soon I need to know what happens! I really hope there will be a second book! If you liked fourth wing you like this book.

THIS.IS.EVERYTHING! I was immediately hooked from the very first page until the very last! And I read this so fast, in under a day because it was that good! Jordan uses some of the best tropes in this books and I'm all for it! This is one of my tope 2024 reads! Do yourself a favor and read it ASAP!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

Dragons, witches, arranged marriage, secrets, and a bit of found family.

This was an entertaining read with good pacing. I enjoyed the way that the secrets were revealed as I read. There were times where the wording felt a bit repetitive and there was some predictability to the story but overall I had a good time reading.

I would’ve liked to learn more about the characters that were mentioned in passing. By the end I was left with so many unanswered questions and wanting to know more. Still a good book, I just feel like it could’ve been more, either as a longer book or a duology.

This romantasy explores the origin story of Jordan's Firelight dragons and tells the story of Tamsyn and Fell, two people who seem to be opposites, and go from enemies to lovers. Tamsyn has been raised in the royal palace of Penterra, but as the whipping girl for the royal princesses. Fell is the Beast of the Borderlands, protecting Penterra from all bandits and other nefarious beings threatening the kingdom, but is viewed as a barbarian by the "civilized" city. Yet both are so much more than they initially appear to be, as they discover over the course of the story. There are so many twists and turns to the plot that it is quite a page-turner, and the ending is not at all what the reader would expect--but it is satisfying all the same. And there are DRAGONS! Well worth the read.

Fun plot with a lot of repetition. I enjoyed the characters but the romance was nothing to write home about. It made me want to reread some of my favorite fantasy novels which I haven’t wanted to do in a while.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley

This book! It was amazing! I never read the firefight series, but I’ll be going to do that now. I couldn’t put this book down, it was that good!!!

This book is a solid 3.5/3.75 stars for me, I loved the start, it had great pacing, HOWEVER, I don’t normally read shifter books, and I didn’t realize this was one until something happened. Honestly, this was a fun fast read for me, perfect for my cruise. I enjoyed the FMC and the MMC, they weren’t idiots, and the dragon stuff was interesting. I knew one thing, I was wrong about another thing- but I don’t want to spoil it for those that read. Bottom line, this was fun to read but I am not sure I’ll read the following books. The vibes were there though.

4/5 stars
I read the Firelight series a decade ago and was excited to see that Sophie Jordan was writing a more adult book. This is a good beginning to a new fantasy series. I was rooting for Tamsyn, a whipping girl for the princesses, from the start and can’t wait to learn more about Fell, the leader of the borderlands warriors. I would have liked to see a bit more side character development, especially Stig.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!) and all opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This was quite the adventure. What a cliffhanger though! I'm very curious to see where this story will lead. There has to be another book... I hope.

A Fire in the Sky is an adult romantasy about an arranged marriage between a royal “whipping girl” and a warrior who protects the border of their kingdom.

Tamsyn is a foundling who has been raised along with the princesses of Penterra and serves as their “whipping girl.” While she lives in relative comfort, she is also beaten anytime the royal daughters misbehave. When a warrior who defends the border, Fell the Lord Dryhten, demands a princess as a bride, Tamsyn is the natural choice for the king and queen, who don’t want to waste a royal marriage on a mere lord. But the deception of hiding Tamsyn under a heavy veil at the wedding is a gamble, and it’s unclear if their marriage can ever recover. However, Tamsyn and Fell have an almost spiritual connection, and there might be even more secrets between these two orphans.

A Fire in the Sky is an exciting romantasy with a lot of tension, chemistry, and intrigue. I loved the storyline of the “whipping girl” and an arranged marriage with a twist. It ends with a series of reveals, so I look forward to seeing where the story goes next!

Romantasy is one of my favorite genres & enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. I really enjoyed this book. Tamsyn & Fell might have had a rough start as a couple, but I'm glad it ended as it did. The twist/twists I could see coming as I don't think it was meant to be a big surprise (lots of foreshadowing). The cliffhanger bit at the very end was a good surprise. I hope the series continues as strong as the first book. The only "negative" for me - which isn't really a negative, was there were a lot of a one word sentences/short, incomplete sentences. I realize it's done on purpose to convey emotion, but I personally don't like it. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC opportunity.

I like fantasy books that keep my attention from the beginning and that's what the first 20 percent of this book did. This romantasy follows the fmc Tamsyn who lives in the palace with her 'sisters' after she was dumped in a basket on the palace grounds when she was a baby. Tamsyn plays the role of the whipping girl which means that any time any of her 'sisters' misbehaves or does anything bad. The fmc is oddly protective of them and decides to go in her 'sisters' place and marry a man Fell who they call a beast of a border lands. I liked how fast-paced the book was especially in the beginning though it kinda slowed down after the wedding. I liked how strong the fmc was and how the mmc was already into the fmc after the wedding day despite what she had to do. They did have chemistry and there were so spicy scenes but the romance kind of took a back seat from the middle of the book when the dragon-shifting aspect came into play. There was some repetitive stuff in the writing and there wasn't much worldbuilding but I enjoyed it overall, especially the ending and I'm excited to read the next book. Thank you Avon for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Romantasy
- Dragons/dragon shifters
- Arranged marriage
- Hidden identity
- Steamy scenes
- He falls first
- A mini love triangle but the fmc is not interested

I got sucked into “A Fire in the Sky” from the first chapter. Sophie Jordan nails it with this new adult romantasy, where dragons are extinct, witches are outcasts, and magic’s on the brink. Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl and not quite princess is forced to marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, and their relationship is full of enemies-to-lovers vibes. It feel similar to a Beauty and the Beast retelling. There is a very small amount of spice, not enough that I would consider this a spicy book. The world-building is good, setting up for some exciting twists in the next book and possibly a lot more spice in the next? If you love magic, romance, and drama, this book is a must-read! I will be excited to pick up the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Loved this! Tamsyn and the royal whipping girl and also kind of adopted princess to a royal family. A brutal warrior, Fell, arrives requesting a princess bride and the family gives him Tamsyn as his bride. Fell isn't happy but accepts her as his bride, while plotting revenge on the royal family. They head towards his home and face many dangers along the way. Both Tamsyn and Fell aren't quite what they seem.

If you enjoyed Sophie's young adult Firelight series, this is the sexy adult historical version of that.