So I was not able to read all of this but I'm still giving it four stars. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the book. I loved the characters, the plot was insanely interesting, and I wanted to continue reading it I just couldn't, This was much more fantasy heavy than I was expecting and fantasy is a genre I very much struggle with. I have a hard time keeping things straight and tend to just end up confused. Everything that I read of it was fantastic I could just feel myself losing what was going on.

For people who love House of the Dragon and Throne of Glass as much as I do. Court politics, gender/religious hierarchies, magic, dragons, Celtic mythology, and beautiful family bonds, with a huge epic ending. Need the next book asap.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The dragons were a highlight! I loved their presence and only wish we had learned more about their bonds and lore. The central relationship felt unconvincing.

Thank you NetGalley and Random house for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Fate Forged in Fire is a Celtic-inspired Romantasy with a captivating storyline perfect for fans of House of the Dragon.
Our FMC Aemyra is powerful but young, emotional and impulsive. Half the time you love her and half the time you want to give her a good “what the heck are you doing?” shake, but I love that she was so polarizing and I really got invested in her growth.
The world building is deep and complex. It dives into religious extremism, political scheming, gender roles and other social intricacies that can pack a serious emotional punch - be sure to read trigger warnings before reading!
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC!

All of the romantasy girlies are gonna eat this one up!!

This will absolutely be all over Booktok and Bookstagram, but, as we all have learned from personal experience with the Booktok obsessions… your mileage may vary.

I enjoyed the world building in this one more than the romance, but I also wished we’d learned a little more about all the magic. Two or three times we are told that characters are wielding water and ice magic but it’s just in passing.

If you like dragons you might enjoy this! I really liked all the scenes with dragons and wish there had been more of them 😅

This was solid but not a major standout for me. It *was* addictive, though, and there’s definitely something special in there somewhere. I’ll be interested to check out the next installment when it’s out!

Thank you to Hazel McBride, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This one wasn't't for me which was overall a disappointment since it was a highly anticipated book for me. Overall, I found the writing to be inconsistent in tone, the world building to be juvenile and characters to be one dimensional. I had hope that by halfway many of the difficulties in the world building be vague and overall flat would decrease however I felt the author focused less on actual fantasy and more on attempting to copy Game of Thrones vibes,

The first fiery installment of a dragon riding, enemies to lovers, Celtic inspired romantasy series.

This book was spicy, fun and intense! I had a blast exploring the world of Tir Teine and its elemental magic system. Especially through the eyes of our FMC Aemyra- a feisty, fire wielding, secret heir to the throne with many a score to settle.

The feminine rage was incredible. The commentary on religion was topical and cutting. The romance was spicy and piping hot. The court intrigue, politics and secrets were gripping. The dragons were everything. I can't wait to follow Aemyra's journey throughout the series!

Definitely check out the content/trigger warnings before beginning this book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Hazel McBride and Random House Publishing for the ARC <333

The dragons were incredible—each unique, with their own language and bond to royals, and Aemyra’s especially stood out. The enemies-to-lovers romance? Chaotic and intense. They literally tried to kill each other, and I had no idea how they'd ever fall in love, but somehow it worked.

The beginning was info-heavy and slow, but once it picked up, I couldn’t stop reading. I’m definitely diving into book two to see how it all ends—especially after that ending. Whew.

A Fate Forged by Fire by Hazel McBride is a rich and emotionally driven fantasy tale with compelling worldbuilding and a strong, determined protagonist. It balances introspective moments with bursts of action, making it a satisfying read for fans of character-focused fantasy. The slow burn of the plot is worth the investment.

Unfortunately this one was just way too spicy for me. Overall, I don’t mind spicy books but this one just had too much of it intertwined into casual conversation.

As a A Song of Ice and Fire lover and a certified Targaryen defender™️, I was excited to see a story that dealt with dragons and a queen in hiding trying to assert her given right to rule. I really thought I’d love this, and for half of this book, I was convinced it was going to be a five-star read.

The world-building felt solid, with this Scottish-inspired fantasy setting and a strong, outspoken FMC. I was intrigued by her claim to the throne and the political tension surrounding her secrecy. It all started off so promising.

It’s also pretty clear early on that this story is deeply rooted in House of the Dragon lore, just under a slightly different coat of paint. The parallels are hard to miss: Queen Katherine is basically Alicent, Aemyra feels like a blend of Daenerys and Rhaenyra, Daevran is Daemon (without the incestuous relationship), and Fiorean might as well be Aemond. If you’re familiar with the source material, it’s not subtle - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did make the story feel more derivative than inspired at times.

Like I said, I did enjoy the first half, but from the middle point of the story, it kind of devolved for me. The arranged/forced marriage to the enemy prince had potential (I usually enjoy the trope), but the romance just didn’t work. The MMC went from deadly enemy to deeply possessive love interest way too fast, and the emotional shift never felt earned. The FMC’s feelings flip-flopped so quickly - one minute she’s grieving or angry, the next she’s flustered and distracted by him - and the whole romantic arc felt rushed and unconvincing.

There wasn’t enough build-up or meaningful development between them to sell the bond, and by the time the “I love you” moment hit (with an extremely cringey confession from the MMC, no less), I was just done. The MMC saying things in the vein of him not being made of fire, but ice being the nail in the coffin for me - it felt like a parody of a dramatic love speech.

I also found the religious themes lacking. The bad guys in this follow a belief system called the True Religion, and it’s portrayed in the most cliché, one-note way possible: oppressive, misogynistic, rooted in evil with no nuance or depth. It felt like a generic placeholder religion meant to hammer in a moral point rather than an organically developed aspect of the world. It was just incredibly generic and uninteresting.

In the end, this book was a really mixed bag. I enjoyed the action scenes and the early setup, but the rushed romance and shallow thematic elements really bogged the story down for me.



Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to have to sit on this one for a while...

This had all the feels of House of the Dragon - did I imagine a spark between relatives or just men ogling a woman before they knew who she was? This was full of ruthless betrayal and fighting among the rightful heir to the throne and the crowned prince, who feels like he should be king because his father was king and he's a man.

🔥 Court Politics
🔥 Fighting against the Patriarchy
🔥 Religious persecution
🔥 Bi-sexual FMC
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers
🔥 Forced marriage
🔥 Touch her and ☠️
🔥 Slow burn
🔥 You're mine

WORLD BUILDING
I enjoyed the intricate world Hazel McBride has created. The Celtic inspired elements (which thankfully includes a much needed pronunciation guide) and language made it a struggle at the beginning. There were a lot of words that were new and different, and many of them did not have context as to what they meant. So, this felt a little clunky to me and made it difficult to get into the book. However, once I got used to the language, I found I was interested in where the story was going.


CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Aemyra says to Fiorean she no longer has to pretend to be helpless. However, she never came off that way in the beginning of the book. If anything, the way she spoke to him was confident, arrogant even, and reckless. It would have actually made more sense if she had acted helpless instead of entitled when she was in his presence. Or if he reacted to her talking to him in the way she did by mentioning he could have her arrested or killed for her behavior. She knows she is the rightful heir to the throne, but he doesn't. This was simply the first of many poor choices Aemyra makes in her fight for the throne.

Aemyra also acts naive and arrogant when it comes to political matters as well. She's rash, impatient, and misguided. When it finally catches up with her... boy, does she fall!

I am in love with Fiorean! He isn't unjust or cruel. He challenges Aemyra, complementing her, and I enjoy their banter. They clearly loathe each other, being on opposite sides of the feud to determine the line of succession. However, they are also clearly curious about each other, which grows into an attraction. The two of them together are fire (pun intended)! 🔥🔥🔥


PLOT
The plot is fast-paced, cutthroat, shocking, heartwrenching, brutal, and every moment was a fight for vengeance. Even when I was infuriated by Aemyra's choices, I was invested in what was going to happen next. Once she was forced into marriage to another prince, that sealed the deal for me. They're both stubborn and arrogant, bring out the worst in each other, and yet are absolutely perfect for one another. He would burn down the world for her, and I felt that in my soul.


SIDE NOTE
I'm going to need the Audiobook now! The things Aemyra and Fiorean say to each other had my mouth gaping, I was laughing, and then I was blushing...


I can't wait to continue this series to see what happens to Aemyra and Fiorean in the next book.

A Fate Forged in Fire | Hazel McBride | 4 ⭐️

“Weak men would rather guilt strong women than become strong themselves.”

A Fate Forged in Fire, the first installment in a Celtic-inspired romantasy duology, is a fierce and breathtaking tribute to raw, unrelenting feminine rage.

The story follows Amerya, a seemingly harmless blacksmith who has spent her life hiding a dangerous truth — her identity as the chosen heir to a lost matriarchal throne. Gifted by the fire goddess Brigid, Amerya is destined to reclaim the crown in a kingdom now ruled by generations of kings allied with the True Religion — an oppressive, anti-magic force that has warped society and suppressed the goddess traditions. Her best chance at reclaiming her power? Bonding with a dragon. Her greatest obstacle? Prince Fiorean.

This book is heavily plot-driven. Once I found my footing, I was fully immersed, constantly guessing what would happen next. There's a political marriage of alliance, deep religious conflict, the unraveling of an intricate world with long-hidden histories, and even a dash of murder mystery.

Our bisexual FMC is an absolute force — bold, sharp-tongued, and burning with purpose. She’s driven by a clear and passionate desire to free her people, especially the women who have suffered under patriarchal rule. Amerya isn’t perfect; she’s impulsive, raw, and has room to grow — and that’s exactly what makes her so compelling.

The book weaves together dragons, elemental magic, and a once-matriarchal society teetering on the edge of reclamation. I adored the setting and its feminist undertones — though “undertones” may be too soft a word for the rage that simmers on every page.

I won’t sugarcoat it: this book was a tough read at times, and it hit close to home. Hazel McBride is commendably transparent about the trigger warnings, which include but are not limited to themes of child loss, assault, women’s rights issues, delicate family dynamics, and deeply emotional religious trauma. These themes are handled with care but pack a serious emotional punch. If those are difficult topics for you, I’d suggest reviewing the warnings before diving in.

Still, despite (or perhaps because of) the heavy themes, A Fate Forged in Fire feels timely and necessary — the kind of story that demands to be heard. The final chapters left me absolutely stunned—the multi-faceted betrayals!!! I’ll definitely be following Amerya’s story into book two.

A heartfelt thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC. And, of course, a huge thank you to Hazel McBride for writing such an important story and sharing it with the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This book includes enemies to lovers, forced marriage, elemental powers, and DRAGONS. I really enjoyed the world building and would love to have seen more description of the different fire creatures that those blessed by Brigid bond. I feel like the story has so much potential. The development of the relationship of the FMC and MMC was very well done. Would love to know more about the future of these characters.

A Fate Forged in Fire
by Hazel McBride
Bonded to Beasts #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Random House
Ages: 18+

Aemyra is in hiding, at least until the king dies; then she will take back the throne as she, the first female born with the gift of flames, is the rightful heir. But not only will she have to fight against the king's male heirs, she must also defend her people against the priests of the True Religion, a group of men set out to destroy magic and oppress women.

The coup fails, and she escapes, but 'weeks' later she falls into a trap because she's rash, and is imprisoned within the castle she swore to reclaim, and forced to marry Prince Fiorean, the second in line.


While this started out slow, it did pick up here and there, and the action scenes were pretty violent. The characters were really good, though I feel that there needed to be more of a history about the dragons and how the magic between them and the humans started, plus the history about how the magic began to fail, and no females born without the magic. It was all hinted at, but more details would give readers a deeper understanding, thus feeling more a part of the world than just an observer. And anyone with any type of knowledge of 'real world' religions will have no problem guessing which one of them inspired the religious practice in this story.

As for the characters, the idea of Aemyra was good, but some of the things she did were just stupid. I did not like Fiorean or his brother, though that might have to do with their names being so weird. A lot of weird names, at least for me, take some of the enjoyment away from the story because I have to spend more time implanting the names in my brain, with who, what, why, etc., than it coming automatically as with simpler/common names. I'm not saying unique names are not cool, but too many of them cause the issue.

The story was good, though I was not surprised by the 'twist'. I figured as much, but hoping not because without it, this could have been a stand-alone... so now I have to wait for the next. And I had to take a star away because of the adult content; it was not needed, and I skipped it. So, because of that content, and not the violence, this book is not suitable for readers under eighteen. I also don't consider this a romance. Sure, it's there, but it is the cringey stuff, not romantic.

3 Stars

I know it is only April, but I can already tell you that A Fate Forged in Fire by @hazelmcbrideauthor is one of my favorite books of 2025. This is the best dragon book I have ever read. The BIGGEST thank you to @delacortepress @penguinrandomhouse for this stunning arc!

If you like books that explore themes on all that is wrong with politics, misogyny, the wealth gap, and especially religion, you have to pick this book up.

You follow the story of Aemyra who is trying to win back her crown, in a society that used to believe in the matriarch and follows the religion of the goddess. Aemyra has to fight for her place as the patriarchy of the divine religion takes over society and threatens to both physically, mentally, and emotionally devalue women and reduce them to only their womb. Not only does this patriarchy look down on Aemyra for being a woman, but they have vilified magical powers. Previously only women have ever ruled, and the world started falling apart once the men took over.

This book dives deeply into some real serious problems we are experiencing in the world today. So real, In fact, there were certain parts of this story that I definitely struggled to read. The abuse of power is felt by not only women, people with wombs, the lower class, the disabled, but by people of all minorities, and this book explores it all.

I was excited for a brash, spitfire, bisexual FMC, and Aemyra didn't disappoint, though she does come off as an unlikeable protagonist. There's a lot going on without nearly enough world-building to back it up, unfortunately. A lot of potential, but needs some more love.

Romantic Fantasy
Dragons and Magic
Female Rage
Queer / Bisexual FMC
Political
Celtic-Inspired

A FATE FORGED IN FIRE - HAZEL MCBRIDE

I always make notes on my phone when I read, and once I was about midway through A Fate Forged in Fire, I wrote: brilliant - no notes. The idea of 'no notes' - which means that I can't think of anything I'd change - remained the same right through to the last page. I think this book is excellent.

Aemyra is the protagonist; the secret heir to the throne, she has the power to wield fire and has been raised to take back control over Tìr Teine, which was once governed by a long line of matriarchs. But, of course, nothing is ever that simple, and the book starts explosively with a coup that goes wrong.

The book manages to maintain this intensity throughout, and the action ramps up significantly as Aemyra and her forces represent Celtic-inspired pantheism fighting against those that support the New Religion. And there's so much more: dragons (I loved the bond between these and their riders), enemies to lovers, spicy romance, betrayal and court intrigue, to name but a few.

If you love fast-paced romantic fantasy that doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of war, this one's for you. Always check the trigger warnings.

Thank you to Hazel McBride, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Release date: 27 May 2025

Review score: 5/5

TWs: injury detail, d*ath, s*xual content, medical trauma, s*xual assault

Dragons, Celtic lore and a spitfire FMC; this book has so many good things going for it. I was intrigued when the story started with a bi FMC that has a strong body and backbone. The magic system was slightly unique and the idea of a ruling matriarchy was intriguing. I love the relationship Aemyra and Adarian, it felt like a solid sibling bond. Beyond that, the relationships felt a little weak in this story. The romance between Aemyra and Fiorean felt like it came out of nowhere with no real foundation to hold it together. I also wasn't sure I bought the bond between Aemyra and Terrea. It felt like it came on too quickly without much struggle. A lot of this book felt like it was dragging then all of a sudden we would have action that did not last long enough. The heart of the story is one we've heard a thousand times. Common nobody is actually chosen one is actually a hidden princess with overpowered magical abilities. The execution could have been improved to help it stand more but I still enjoyed it mostly. All of that being said, I am excited to see what happens in the next book.

Fast-paced, but often left me feeling annoyed. The female main character frustrated me the most — her attitude toward other women was baffling. She’s not someone I could support; calling her condescending would be an understatement.