I wasn't very enraptured in the first place, but I immediately DNF'd the moment the MMC was introduced. Instalove? In this economy?

Thank you Sariah Wilson for the e-ARC.

*Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this eARC; the review is my own.*

From the moment I started reading this book, I was hooked. Until about 25%, I had difficulty putting it down. Then things slowed down quite a bit, exchanging that initial heart-pounding excitement for a period of training, learning, and sisterhood development. It wasn’t boring, but it was much slower than I had expected. Because of that, I would say that the biggest issue this book had was pacing. I loved the rest of it—the characters, the fantasy word based on Ancient Greece (see the author’s note), the romance.

Lia (18 or 19?) was fiercely loyal to her family and country, willing to do anything to save them, including sacrificing herself. Overall, I liked her. I appreciated that she trained and prepared herself for the race, that she struggled. What I didn’t like was that she second guessed Jason all the time, never understanding his meaning and choosing not to believe his feelings for her. Even more, I was very frustrated with her reaction at the end of the book and found it to be rather hypocritical.

I would have loved to get some chapters from Jason’s (early 20s?) point of view so I could see into his head. As Lia pointed out multiple times, he was an absolute charmer, but I’m sure there’s much more to him than that. I had suspicions and hopes about him, which I will neither confirm nor deny right here. But I will say that I have hope that they’ll both find happiness.

I regret having not read this sooner, as the second book is no longer available to request on NetGalley and I don’t particularly feel like waiting until it’s released in July. I very much look toward to reading it.

Note: Heavy kissing. Innuendo. Some references to sex.

Book: A Tribute of Fire
Author: Sariah Wilson
Series: Book 1 in the Eye of the Goddess series
Rating: 4/5

I have read almost every book from this author and she never disappoints! Her books are full of swoony male leads and strong female leads who fall in love in the most hilarious of moments. Having the author change the scenery from contemporary to fantasy was something my little heart did not know it needed. She expertly blends Greek mythology with her own brand of fantasy which makes for fantastic world-building. Throughout the story the reader is kept guessing how the story will end. So many secrets to be revealed. This story is more than a romance though, it is also an epic adventure of loyalty and friendship. I was not thrilled that there is a cliffhanger ending but the next book is coming out very soon so I won't have to wait very long which was a relief!

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Highly recommend this epic romantasy with dragons, curses, secrets and adventures!

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

4.5 ⭐️

What an amazing, epic Romantasy!!
Not only am I obsessed with Greek mythology, I’m a sucker for any kind of deadly competitions- so I was all over this one as soon as I read the description. And it did NOT disappoint!! This had everything I crave in an angsty, high stakes fantasy- including action, intricate world building, humor, plot twists, and slow burn romance. And the writing was gorgeous! 🤌🏻
The characters (including the cast of side characters) were fully fleshed out and complex, and I loved them all. The FMC was strong and determined, and the MMC was absolutely delicious. The enemies to lovers trope was done perfectly- I ATE UP their dynamic, and couldn’t get enough of them!
I was absolutely swept away by this one- the plot twists got me good, and cannot wait for the next book!

Tropes:
Greek Mythology
Deadly competitions
Badass FMC
Slow burn romance
Enemies to lovers
Banter

This is your traditional Romantasy book with all of the stereotypical tropes… however, I actually enjoyed this.

Was it the best writing in the world? No. Was it the best world building in the world? Also no. But it was so entertaining that I found myself staying up way too late to read it… and the ending?! How am I supposed to wait for book 2?

Thank you so much Sariah Wilson, Netgalley, and Montlake books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. Such an easy read to get into and I loved the world that she created. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Really enjoyed this one! The characters were realistic and the story and plot were easily immersible

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is the first book in her new series, The Eye of the Goddess. Lia, our heroine, is the princess of Locris; a dying nation that was cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess. Ilion is another nation that thrives, leaving Locris suffering for over 1000 years; the rival nation of Ilion annually brings food, and chooses two Locrian maidens to compete in a brutal life or death race, with men chasing the maidens. Lia is chosen as one of the maidens, and to her surprise, her younger sister, Quynh is also chosen.

On the ship before they arrive at Ilion, Lia meets a sailor, Jason, who both become attracted to each other; during the time on the ship, Lia and Jason become closer, with both able to have a connection during their dreams. Jason was sexy, intense and romantic; and Lia was totally into him.

The moment Lia steps off the boat, she knows that they need to find the temple, as they are being chased. Ilion men who are chasing the maidens from their enemy nation, but allow a chance at freedom and serving their goddess as a priestess. Things are hardest as Quynh is not very good running away, with Lia doing her best to force her along, until an accident causes her to fail. Lia manages to find the temple and in time she will play a large part of learning the abilities.

I loved how Lia became close to a group of girls, who considered themselves ‘sisters’. It was a great found family trope, as the group shared a very close connection between them; the sisters, Io, Suri, Zalira, Ahyana, Demaratus and especially Kungburu (a special pet). Lia’s training excelled, and she did have an enemy (Artemisia), who was determined to force her out of the temple. Though she was happy at the temple, and her wonderful friends, she was still on her quest to find a way to discover the powerful relic of the goddess, and save her people.

What follows is an exciting last half of the book, that had some surprising twists and turns along the way. A Tribute of Fire was a wonderful romantasy mythology that had me unable to put the book down. Lia was a terrific heroine, who was captivating and determined, as had a wonderful sister’s group. A Tribute of Fire was so very well written by Sariah Wilson. I will say that the cliffhanger was a total surprise, which leads us to hope that Sariah Wilson will us book 2 sooner than later.

This book is packed with adventure, mystery, fantasy, and just the right amount of romance.

Lia has spent her life training for battle, but nothing could prepare her for being chosen as one of the Locrian maidens forced to compete in a deadly race through Ilion.

The world-building was just stunning! And the tropes in this book are absolute perfection: Forced proximity, slow burn, enemies to lovers

Lia was so fierce, determined, and full of the kind of rage that makes you root for her at every turn.

This was such a thrilling read, and I loved every single page!

Loved every page! This story is filled with adventure, mystery, fantasy and romance. I really liked the FMC and found her relatable although some of her decisions are a bit rash. Loved the MMC and found some of the side characters to be intriguing. This book does leave you on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. There is a little spiciness in this book so I would recommend for adult readers.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! What the heck did I just read ? Hello? Like I need book two immediately. IMMEDIATELY!

This book is slightly predictable but still lots of fun! I'm looking forward to the next one already!

"A Tribute of Fire" the first instalment of "The of the Goddess" series by Sariah Wilson. This epic tale marks the beginning of a romantasy inspired by Greek mythology. Our tale begins with Lia who must lift the goddess's and restore Locris to its former glory, altering the fate of every young woman destined to follow her path. The narrative and world building kept me intrigued by high-stakes intense twists and an epic cliff-hanger ending that leaves me eager for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Admittedly I was really confused on if this was Greek Mythology inspired or not because I hadn't seen anything to advise it was and there was someone telling a story that was identical to the famous Helen of Troy one and other well known stories. Having finished it, I'm still unsure if it is or not.

Moving on to the length of the book. It absolutely did not need to be 500 pages long. It was unnecessary and was partly why I lost interest whilst reading.

The concept was really intriguing to me. A princess disguises herself to take part in a life or death race to try to break an old curse that was put on her people. Unfortunately it wasn't executed well. There was a lot of predictable plot points, including the ending, which I guessed pretty much head on. This book didn't have anything carrying it.

Lia was a frustrating character and I just couldn't get on with her. She wants to save her people but is easily distracted by her lust for Jason. I will say her relationships with the females in her life were good but not good enough for me to enjoy the book as a whole.

Disappointing as this was a book I would have enjoyed had I not found it lacking.

If you love found family, forced proximity, slow burn, enemies to lovers (and back again!), Greek mythology inspired with Hunger Games vines than look no further! A Tribute of Fire is exactly what you're looking for!

From the first chapter, I was totally pulled into the story. I may or may not have lost sleep to this incredible book (who needs sleep anyway?!) Whilst I adored the slow burn build of the relationship between Lia and Jason, I truly loved the friendships Lia made with the girls in her aldelphia. Sure, there we r e more secrets than any one person should be keeping track of between them, but even with them, connections were made. With mysteries, dragons, Goddesses and Gods, magic, and, did I mention dragons? It's got everything you want in a romantasy!

The only downside for me is that it is a cliffhanger!! 😭😭😭🤣 we all know how I feel about cliffhangers 😅 and yet, I keep doing this to myself! Otherwise, this slow burn, low-spice romantasy is definitely one I'd recommend!

A Tribute of Fire is book #1 in the Eye of the Goddess duology, with book #2, A Vow of Embers expected release in July 2025.

I had seen a few of my friends on Bookstagram reading this a few months ago and immediately added it to my TBR. It took me some time to get back to it, but I’m so glad I did!

A Tribute of Fire follows the story of a princess, named Lia who is from the dessert nation of Locris. Her lands have slowly been dying over the past few centuries, from a curse imposed on them by the Earth Goddess. Their rival nation, Ilion still worships the Earth Goddess and its lands are lush and plentiful. As part of their worship, every year Ilion’s for two Locrian maidens to survive a race to the Goddess’ temple. If they make it to the temple, they will serve the Goddess for the rest of their days. However, all the men of Ilion will hunt them during the race and will often kill them.

In order to save Locris, Lia offers herself as tribute to this race, in the hopes of infiltrating the temple to find a rare gem, that if she can bring back to her people, can heal their dying lands. Lia has been planning and training for this event for years, so she is not afraid…until she finds out that the other Locrian sacrifice is her sister, Quynh.

On their journey to Ilion, Lia meets a sailor named Jason. Jason is charming and he knows it. Despite her head knowing Jason was bad news, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.

This book was giving me Hunger Games + Daughter of No Worlds vibes. So if you’ve read either of those series, you are going to LOVE Tribute of Fire

When you read the Kingdom of Lies series, you should expect:
Romantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Posessive MMC
Black Cat FMC
Found Family
Forced Proximity
Touch Her & Die

Probably my favorite part about this book is Lia’s connection with her sisters in the temple. In a far off land, where many don’t want her, these women took her in and became her second family.

If you love Romantasy, strong and fierce FMCs, and found family, definitely add this series to your TBR!

Late to the party to review.

This is an excellent story to grab, somewhat reminded me a bit of Lord of the Rings not going to lie, but the main character is a female with a bit of rage to protect her kingdom, family, and their futures. The author reached out to me with a link to get it from Net Galley, and I immediately said yes based on some of the reels I saw. She definitely did not disappoint, the main characters are not whiny, or always complaining which I love the maturity in the characters. Right off the bat, she has a purpose, a reason, and that helps you go into the story with an idea of the why, when, and hows of what shes going to achieve. The world building is simple, and yet very understanding, creative. Do not need to learn or remember a bunch of creatures names, town names, that are difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to retain. Overall this book was one of my favorite reads of 2024, oh and did I mention Dragons? I know many of the Fourth Wing fanatics would love to hear that.

I really enjoyed this story it was exciting, the tension was palpable and the banter and the the friendship was heartwarming.

But, the first half of the book made the FMC appear obsessed with the MMC and I’d have liked to have seen her focus more on her journey than her one time kiss.

Looking forward to seeing where book two takes me now that the introductions are over!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author did an excellent job with characters, world building and story line. I was hooked from early in the book until the end. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley, Montlake, and Sariah Wilson

Haven’t had time to get to this one, but it’s still on my list so I’ll update this asap 🫶 it sounds amazing!!!