This is easily one of the best books I have read in a while. I was really struggling to pick up books and this one has me devouring books again. The romance is a true enemies to lovers. It’s cute, passionate, vulnerable, and yet they still hold secrets to meet their goals and ends. The main character was what I disliked most about this book. I think it’s great that she’s a strong character and she stands her ground and speaks her mind, but she also seems to purposefully antagonize and pick fights with everyone. Her personality definitely because more tame and palatable as the books progressed however. Lots of twists in this book and despite having an idea they may happen they are surprising and exciting anyway. I am very excited for the second book to come out and see how this story will play out.

I’ve read quite a few fantasy romances, but this one definitely stands out as one of my favorites lately! I really enjoyed the magic system and the political intrigue, and the way that everything was Celtic-inspired.

It has dragons, enemies to lovers, and a queen desperately trying to claim her throne amidst an uprising of a misogynistic religion desperate to repress women with powers. Aemyra was a well-developed character, with strength and softness and a heart for justice. Fiorean, her one time enemy whom she gradually develops feelings for, is intriguing in his own right - and their chemistry together is great.

I will say that I did not realize it was first in a duology, so I expected a resolution and got a cliffhanger instead. But I’ll definitely read book two to see what happens!

I came very close to DNF'ing this book. After the first chapter I put it down and read something else. The first opening line just was a turn off to me. The whole first chapter honestly. As you read on and learn about the religious beliefs that one group has, you kind of understand that background more. But it really bothered me that the FMC (Aemyra ) is all about women standing on their own and not being defined by giving birth and being wives, and yet the first chapter literally tells you this through the Aemyra.

I ended up going back to read it because I've never DNF after one chapter, much less one line. Once things picked up at the 20% mark, I got into it more. I didn't mind Aemyra. I did like her as a character. Her and her brother though were the ONLY characters I liked. I did not like anyone else in this book. I had really high hopes for MMC (Fiorean). I started to like him and his relationship with Aemyra even though there wasn't much depth to Fiorean other than his desire to protect his brother and encourage him to be a good King. I liked the action scenes, I think the battle with the religious zealots were spot on and they were so impactful and worrying. I was so disappointed, and quite honestly mad, at the ending. Everyone just showing their true colors and crapping all over the FMC really just set me off. It made me cheer for Aemyra more, but I swear I never hated so many characters in a book before in my life.

I will read the next book though because I am interested in what happens and what Aemyra would do. But I'm telling you, this is what makes villains, what everyone put her through. I would be so happy if she was a villain in the next installment for 90% of the story, because she deserves to be.

Thank you so much Netgallery/publishing company/author for approving this ARC and allowing me the pleasure to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The enemies to lovers aspect definitely had me from the beginning and the characters along with the world building tied everything together.

I can definitely say I can’t wait for the next book because that ending was something to be left desired, and now I need to know what happens next!

A Fate Forged In Fire by Hazel McBride is an enemies to lovers romance, with steamy chemistry, push and pull, dragons and so much more. Here we have Aemyra who has been hiding her true identity, waiting to claim her birthright. Once the current king dies, she is poised to take her rightful place. What ensues is mayhem, conflict and betrayal. In her way, Prince Fiorean, who is arrogant, stubborn and a fierce dragon rider who yields fire. Aemrya is determined to do right by her people, yet she is young, stubborn and impulsive. She has the right intentions, but who can she trust?

When Aemrya finds herself tied to Fiorean, she must keep him at arm’s length and survive a court that is conspiring against her at every turn. But when lines begin to blur with them, can they form an uneasy alliance? I enjoyed this story and found myself captivated from start to finish and am excited to get my hands on the next book! That ending had me gasping!

Happy reading!

DNF @ 47%

I tried really hard to get into this book. I have been trying since May, got really into the beginning, saw where it was going, then decided to put it down.
A queen in hiding finally taking her rightful throne with dragons and magic? Sounds awesome, right? Our main character Aemyra started out pretty interesting, I was invested in the beginning. But she started to become extremely cocky and aggravating to the point of me not wanting to read more about her.
The writing was good, I just wish the main character was not the way she is. Maybe I could’ve finished and enjoyed this book.

I was provided an ARC for this book by Net Galley. I'm so glad I was. I loved this book and can't wait for the story to continue. There is enemy to lovers, magic, and dragons. Twists enough to make you gasp, with one of them completely blindsiding me. I have recommended this book to friends and family, as well as strangers I've met in a bookstore. Well worth the time I spent immersed in the book. Thank you

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The first 30% or so of this book had me hooked! I was so into the world building and plot. A matriarchal society under attack, following the promised queen being denied her throne, and then you add dragons and queerness in? Sounds like a win!

What first bothered me with the male lead was him being a familial relationship. I was able to personally overlook that when I was able to determine that they were distant cousins at most, but it was definitely off putting at first.

I was then botherer by Aemyra’s refusal to grow up. I am all for the overpowered and headstrong female lead, but the amount of traps and stupid decisions she fell into were mildly infuriating. If she was supposedly trained by her father for this mission her whole life, shouldn’t she be a little bit smarter? And shouldn’t she have a little bit better impulse control after living in the shadows for so long?

Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but I wished we had more focus on the world and less on the romance, which is honestly a first for me. I will definitely be getting the sequel when it releases, but mostly due to my enjoyment of the world, the dragons, and the overall plot. I hope if we are to follow the romance closely again that it can be fleshed out better and not feel so built on nothing but lust. I rated this book 3.75/5 stars.

This book didn’t hit the mark for me. It was slow and didn’t hold my attention.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved this book! I was hooked from the first page. But damn that cliff hanger at the end?! I need the next book as soon as possible!

A Fate Forged in Fire is a fast-paced, emotional fantasy with strong characters and a rich world. The heroine is fierce and relatable, and the plot blends action, romance, and magic in a satisfying way. The pacing keeps you turning pages, and the twists are well-placed. Some parts may feel familiar if you read a lot of fantasy, but the author's voice makes it fresh. Perfect for fans of strong female leads and slow-burn romance with a supernatural edge.

For the little girls who were told to put their fires out, Burn them all to the fucking ground."

Without a doubt, this will go down in history as my favorite dedication of all time.

Why do I do this to myself? Why do a start a series that I am clearly going to love, to become attached to the characters, when all of the books in the series aren't available? There are multiple romantasy series out there that I'm obsessed with (some even with dragons), but Aemyra speaks to my fiery, dragon-loving heart. No spoilers, but with the way that A Fate Forged in Fire ended, I need to know. The characters, the plot, the world building, the DRAGONS...all of it is just perfection, and I can't wait to go back to Erisocia.

This book had all the foundations of a story of love. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. The story dragged at the beginning and the FMC was a little too bratty about her position. Once the action started moving along I never managed to feel a connection to the characters.

This was hard to get into, along with it kind of dragging at times. I was super hype about this book going into it as I loveee celtic forklore/mythology. It definitely hit the mark on that aspect of being powerful and the magic. I think the author did a great job with adding setting the scene and also the world building/story background. Aemyra though, she was fine. It is tough for me when I love everything about the book but not a fangirl for the fmc. That could be because her story is just beginning and I may grow to like her more. I did think that the pace and slow burn of the romance was great, and also the dragons were epic!!!

A Fate Forged in Fire is a book full of Celtic Mythology, magic and political intrigue. Oh and don't forget DRAGONS! Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be continuing the series especially afte that ending!!! The pacing was a little off at times especially towards the beginning but once you settled in it was a really good story. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two MCs and the growth of their characters especially the FMC. The elemental.magic and the unique dragons bonds were definitely a high point of this book.

I love the premise, I love a lot of the characters, and I love the dragons. But that ending? UGH. I get that it’s a series, so it needs to continue, sure, but the FMC is so gullible and walks into so many traps that the men in her life have to get her out of. She’s the most powerful character in the story but also the most powerless in every chapter, it’s so upsetting. It almost feels like this book was written with tropes pulled out of a hat. Good ones, to be sure, but frustratingly so. I’ll continue the series, but I’m not sure how happily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! All views are entirely my own.

DNF @ 25%. I think this is a fun and promising story, but I just never felt connected to any of the characters, and it seemed like it was taking just a little bit to get to the meat of the book. Even in the first quarter of the book, the pacing was variable. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for this one right now, but I think a lot of people will like it. So if you're into a gal who is a blacksmith and is coming to claim a throne, dragons, and fantasy, give this one a go!

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte for the e-ARC.

This book really felt like the first book of what could ultimately be a really cool series. The premise is awesome, and I was definitely drawn in by that. But I had a bit of trouble with the pacing. It was pretty inconsistent but leaned towards too slow. I also didn’t love the characters right away but I can see how they would grow on me and grow as this goes on. It’s a really promising start and I’ll likely continue with the series sometime, I’m just not itching to in the way I thought I would have.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This had such a promising setup. Fire magic, dragons, and a blacksmith heroine trying to claim her throne? I was in. The Celtic-inspired world felt fresh, and I liked the tension between the old matriarchal traditions and the rising religious control.

I did struggle a bit with the pacing. Some parts slowed down too much, and I found myself wishing the characters had a little more depth. Aemyra had the potential to be a really powerful lead, but I didn’t always feel fully connected to her. Fiorean had moments, but their chemistry didn’t completely land for me.

That said, there’s a strong foundation here. I’m still curious about where the story is headed and would be open to picking up the next book to see how things evolve.

This book!!!!! OMG!!!’ 5 stars! The romance, the family, the betrayal, the atmosphere, THE DRAGONS!!!! Aemyra is now one of my all time favorite FMC of all time!!!! The royalty, the political intrigue, the twists!!!! Read this book RIGHT NOW!!!!!