ARC Review: A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book made me furious—in the best way.

I’m angry for Aemyra, forced to dull her fire and hide in the shadows, waiting to claim a crown that is rightfully hers. I’m angry for the women of Tir Teine, silenced by a misogynist religion built to keep them small. I’m angry for the magical creatures, the Beathach, whose soul-bonded purpose has been twisted into something cruel, to pit magical against non-magical. And I’m especially angry that I have no idea how long I’ll have to wait for book two.

A Fate Forged in Fire delivers a rare kind of fantasy: deeply feminist, emotionally layered, and completely unafraid to let the consequences hurt. The worldbuilding is rich without being overwhelming, and Aemyra’s voice—furious, determined, raw—carries it all.

If you’re here for enemies-to-lovers with teeth (and knives), you’ll find it.

If you’re here for high stakes, political unrest, and dragons ready to burn it all down, you’re in the right place.

And if you’re here for heat? There’s more fire here than just the magic.

Aemyra reads like a blend of Aelin and Tory Vega, but more grounded—less spectacle, more grit. Her arc leans more Rhaenyra than Daenerys: self-directed, politically sharp, and willing to push back even when others try to pull the strings. She carries her fury with purpose—and it’s always in service of her people.

And Fiorean? He’s giving Darius Acrux meets Xaden Riorson, wrapped in the body (and kilt) of Jamie from Outlander. Their dynamic burns slow, sharp, and devastating.

Other standouts:

❤️‍🔥 I hated how real the stakes are—every loss lands with weight, and the pain lingers.

🗡️ There’s more heat here than just fire magic—the knife play (and occasional blood play) is intense, intimate, and genuinely well done.
🐦‍🔥 The intimacy surprised me in the best way. One scene completely wrecked me—it felt straight out of a Tory & Darius emotional crescendo.

🧡 We’ve only seen a sliver of this world, and I’m so intrigued to see how it expands in future books.

✨ The side characters shine, but Aemyra’s twin brother Adarian might be my favorite of the bunch.

🔥 The systemic misogyny in this world is infuriating—and deliberately so. It builds a villain you’ll genuinely loathe.

The ending left me unsettled, but not unmoored. Hazel McBride has earned my trust, and I’ll be first in line for whatever comes next.

TL;DR: Aemyra is fire and fury. A forced marriage, knife play, dragons, a searing romance, and a world built to break her—until she breaks it back. This is feminist fantasy at its boldest and I need the next book immediately.

I received a digital review copy from NetGalley. *A Fate Forged in Fire* takes place in Tír Teine, a territory once ruled by powerful queens now overrun with influence of the True Religion. Aemyra, the first female descendant in centuries must hid in plain sight as a blacksmith, waiting for the time she can rise and take her rightful place as queen. When the King dies, her plans are thrust into motion. Using her fire powers, she must bond with the late King’s dragon and claim the throne. When all goes awry, Aemyra is thrown into the corrupt court and is forced to enact her plans from the inside.

Truthfully, this book was a solid three for me up until the last bit. I felt it was pretty slow, but then we were also thrown into the mix of things when we could’ve used a little bit more information. But the forced proximity and betrayal sucked me right in. I am thankful this is a duology as it seems we are inundated with long series so I am grateful that I can read the next book and complete the story.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The story started off promising, with a matriarchal society and a WLW romance; but in the end, it lost its originality and became just like any other romantasy that’s on the market right now. I physically rolled my eyes when the author wrote about the “bonding” of dragons and how they can communicate through their “bond.”

This story could have been well improved as well by a WLW romance, since it was apparent that the FMC was attracted to women in the very beginning. When she ended up with a man instead, it just felt like a huge letdown and cemented this book into the categories I call “CLEARLY inspired by SJM and Rebecca Yarros” instead of a somewhat original, sapphic fantasy novel which it had all the potential to be.

Other than its few flaws (which mostly boil down to unoriginality) the story was well written and the plot was exciting; exciting enough that I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with for book two, despite the issues I had with this book. I also appreciated that this book (that was clearly tied to Scottish culture and Scottish Gaelic) was written by a Scottish woman instead of an ignorant American that butchers the Scottish Gaelic pronunciations in her book that she profits off of (*side eyes Rebecca Yarros*).

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for an ARC of this book!

A Fate Forged In Fire by Hazel McBride was absolutely enchanting!
No, this is the best type of fantasy! I don’t think I can quite put into words.
McBride‘s writing is captivating. She knows how to pull the reader into a magnificent and intriguing place.
The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb.
The attention to details in her writing really set the scene and tone.

“Born to rule. Blessed by fire. Broken by desire.”
From the fiery dedication to the brutal final pages, A Fate Forged in Fire hooked me. This is the kind of fantasy that doesn’t ease you in gently—it throws you straight into a world of political unrest, religious control, and dragons bound to royalty, and it works.

This is very much Aemyra’s story. A blacksmith, midwife, and heir to a long-lost matriarchy, she’s been raised in the shadows, taught she’s destined to rule—but given none of the tools to do so. She’s powerful but untested, determined yet uncertain. At times her choices frustrated me, but I always understood where they were coming from. Her internal struggle felt real, shaped by years of forced silence and buried strength.

While romance is present, it isn’t the focus. The connection between Aemyra and Fiorean simmers beneath the surface of shifting loyalties and dangerous alliances. He’s scarred, sharp-edged, and loyal to a corrupt crown—everything she’s fighting against. But when their guarded truce begins to spark, the payoff is worth the slow build.

There’s a lot happening in this book, but the pacing and structure kept everything clear. The Celtic-inspired worldbuilding is immersive without being overwhelming, and the use of Scottish Gaelic adds a layer of authenticity. Even with a large cast of characters, the narrative stays focused and easy to follow.

One of my favorite parts? The dragons. Their bond to the ruling class adds depth to both the political structure and the magic system, and I’m hoping the next installment dives even deeper into that mythology. Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger. And yes, I need the sequel immediately.

If you like your fantasy layered, your heroines flawed but fiery, and your enemies-to-lovers dynamic sharpened with actual stakes, this one’s worth picking up.

Content Warnings: Misogyny, religious oppression, SA (on page), violence

Stats:
Type of Series: Duology
POV: Single 3rd Person
POP: 78%
Tropes/Micro Tropes: Romantic Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Arranged/Force Marriage, Scarred Hero, Mythology, Dragons, Knife Play
Release Date: May 27, 2025
Available: Wide on all platforms

I finished reading about an hour before the official release, and I had so much fun.

If you want ACTUAL enemies to lovers — that goes beyond simply sneering at each other or being sarcastic — this is a book you want to pick up. Aemyra and Fiorean are on opposite sides of the conflict, and if you want the kind of romance where it is possible at any moment for your lover to have a knife to your throat, well. ENJOY.

There’s war and dragons, and “my wife” and “touch her and die”, and this book is absolutely a ride worth taking. I have a friend also reading right now, and I am impatiently waiting for her to finish so we can scream about it together.

The book got off to a slow start for me, but once I was in it, I was IN IT. I did wish that there was more interaction with and characterization of the dragons, but all in all, this is easily a book I’ll recommend.

If you liked House of the Dragon, you might want to check out this book—it shares a lot of similar themes and clearly draws inspiration from it. That said, I found it a bit tough to get into and keep my attention, and I personally struggled to connect with the female main character.

A Fate Forged In Fire
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This book definitely gives off Game of Thrones vibes. 🙌🏼
Two rival clans, both vying for the throne.
.
🔥Celtic-inspired
🔥strong FMC
🔥enemies to lovers
🔥arranged marriage
🔥dragons
🔥touch her and die
🔥banter
🔥fire magic
🔥political intrigue
.
I really enjoyed the banter between Aemyra and Fiorean, this is a true enemies to lovers story that leaves you needing book 2 asap.
My only criticism is that it took a long time for me to really be invested in the story. The first 50% was all world building and background, it felt slow at first. But when it ramps up, it really ramps up! 🔥
I will definitely be reading on!
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Thank you netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
3.5 stars!

arc read alert !! available tomorrow, may 27th

this was such a fun read. it was a bit hard in the beginning with learning how to properly say the names. but once it got going, i throughly enjoyed it and absolutely ate the book up

thank you so much to netgalley and random house publishing book for the arc 🩵

General vibe: enemies to lovers, dragons, fire 🔥, war, magic ✨
Could I put it down? Nope! Took a bit to world build but once I hit 40% I was sucked in
Would I recommend? Yes!

So happy I was able to get this early from @hazelmcbrideauthor via @netgalley 🥳 This was book 1 in her new series and I’m hooked. There were dragons, there was fire (lots of fire 🔥), magic and tensionnn 🤌🏼. I wish there was a little more spice but maybe in future books. Left kinda wrapped up but also with more story to tell. Looking forward to more in this series!!

The potential exceeded the execution but there were still some great moments and who doesn't love a dragon? I wasn't sure if I would rate it two or three stars but the potential and the dragons won me over.

I had really high hopes for this book given the blurb for it and it had just about everything I look for in a fantasy. It really fell flat for me. The pacing was really slow and the way too fast without much explanation, it struggled to grip me. I put this book down ad picked it up a lot, it took me over a month to finally finish it. I should probably have DNF'd it. Ameyra was a horrible character, there was no redeemable quality to her, she made me think of every woman I've ever met that made it a point to put other women down to make herself feel better and more important. Fiorean was a flat character, so much so, I felt anything for these two was be forced. Such a bummer.

A Fate Forged In Fire is a bit slow to start, but I got sucked in once we really started to engage more with the dragons.

Things I loved:
- Loved the bond with Terrea, wish we had more of it.
- Immersion into the worldbuilding and language
- Character development of Aemyra - she makes some dumb choices, but it felt as though she was being very real. I appreciated getting to watch her come to terms with challenges of claiming her birthright, even with continued betrayals and challenges.

Things I didn't love:
- Adarian - we had basically no mention of him while in the castle. Same for Sorcha. I know there were a number of other things going on, but felt a bit 'out of sight, out of mind' and like some of their importance to Aemyra was diminished.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and can't wait for the next one, especially with how this book ended.

Thanks to the author, Random House, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

Expect the unexpected!

The vibes of this book were giving House of the Dragon meets Cruel Prince. This book was easy to devour, and it had many quotable moments. I found myself unable to put it down.

The FMC was not without her flaws I will say. There were times her character felt very immature and ignorant, and it did make it hard to root for her at times. But overall, I do think we saw her character change throughout the book which helped. The MMC was a nice addition. His dynamic with the FMC added a lot of fun tension, but I do wish there had been more moments between them. Especially at the end! But I did love that ending between them, but I still wanted more. I cannot wait to see how it will develop in book two.

Overall, I think this series has a lot of potential. I love the dragons and the magic system. I think there is so much to explore, and I can't wait to see where this series will go.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

A Fate Forged in Fire is a new fantasy series by Hazel McBride. I really enjoyed this journey from hidden heir to Queen setting in a very engaging world and the political intrigue. I was very invested in the plot. It did take a a little while for me to become completely engaged in the book but once we got about 30% in, I was hooked. I found the Celtic inspiration behind the fantasy world, very beautiful. And as always, we love dragons!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fate Forged in Fire is an engaging fantasy story that keeps you wanting more the entire time. The world-building, political intrigue, and tension amongst the characters make this story one that immersed me from the first page. Aemyra must take her journey to learn how to be a queen and how to navigate the political sphere that she was never truly prepared for, and watching her learn how to do so while trying to be true to herself and her beliefs makes you feel and root for her. I was absolutely enthralled by this story and I can't wait for book two!

3.5 ⭐️

The story follows Aemyra, a hidden heir forged by fire and destined to reclaim a kingdom poisoned by power and corruption. It’s a Celtic-inspired fantasy with huge stakes and an even bigger promise.

But I’ll be honest: the first half of the book was extremely tough to get through. The pacing felt slow, and the world-building was overwhelming. Between the religious influence, political intrigue, magical systems, and a lot of similar-sounding place names, I struggled to stay connected with the story. There’s so much happening, and it was frustrating at times to be so confused.

Aemyra (FMC) is fiery, passionate, and determined, but her character often felt more impulsive than strategic, which made it hard to fully buy into her role as a future queen. It’s frustrating because her rage makes sense and could have been a more powerful force if it were channeled more strategically and consistently. 

Still, when the story finally started to heat up at the halfway mark. The enemies-to-lovers arc between Aemyra and Fiorean (a cold, calculating dragon-rider loyal to the very regime she hopes to destroy) is a classic slow burn that actually works. Their dynamic is frustrating in all the right ways, and while neither character is perfect, it’s filled with tension, distrust, and longing. I only wish we got more from Fiorean (he was a little one-dimensional for being the MMC).

Also, for a book with dragons... I wanted more dragons. More background, more bonding, more presence, maybe even more chaos?

If you’re in the mood for a fantasy novel with strong themes of power, legacy, and rebellion, and don’t mind a slower build through a world of religious power plays, corrupt rulers, and a crumbling matriarchy, this is one worth sticking with. Aemyra may be forged in fire, but it’s clear her story is just beginning. I’ll be back for book two in this fiery duology because I need to know what happens next!

And finally - thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine/Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A Fate Forged in Fire is a new novel by Hazel McBride that offers magic, political intrigue, and an enemies-to-lovers storyline that romantasy reads are likely to enjoy — but I do think there were some places where I wanted more from the book.

The story centers on Aemyra, a blacksmith with fire magic who is hiding her true royal ancestry. Unlike many romantasy books, this royal blood isn’t the big reveal. Aemyra quickly launches into a campaign to claim the throne in the face of the anti-magic “True Religion”, who would stand against her claim to rule. Aemyra is loyal to the “old gods”, where the society was previously ruled by a matriarchy of “goddess blessed” heirs.

The pacing and story structure was curious to me - I think the author packs a lot into the length of the book, and for that reason, sometimes I felt as though parts of the story were either rushed or could have used more development, while other times, I felt like the story was dragging. It could have been 2 books to give the characters and lore more room to develop, especially the main characters Aemyra and Fiorean - some of their relationship felt a little too reliant on tropes and I felt some of the dialog had the cringe factor, but the ending gives me some hope for the remaining book. I do think duologies are the perfect length, so I will definitely read the next installment.

I liked it, but wanted to love it! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Delacorte for providing an advance copy. It’s out May 27th. Opinions are my own!

In this first installment of the Bonded to Beasts duology, Aemyra has been waiting for an opportunity to strike and take back what’s hers. When the time comes, politics, oppressive religion, a marriage of convenience and the mighty calculated Prince Fiorean stand in the way. And he hides a dark secret that will change Aemyra’s story forever.

I really liked the world building and the matriarchy aspect of the old society. It’s a theme not explored often, but when you combine that with dragons… it makes a powerful statement. I also truly enjoyed the enemies to lovers in this book. The banter was exquisite and I wish we had more of it! More Fioreon, please!

I did have a hard time understanding Aemyra and her plans. She’s portrayed as plotting complex machinations that will help her accomplish her goal of taking back what she lost, but the results were lacking. Maybe this is part of her arc, but I had a harder time trying to root for her by the end of the book.

The dragon scenes GAGGED me! They were so cool and the way the author threaded the bonding with the characters and the throne was beautiful. Also, need more dragons! Can’t have enough dragons! Needless to say, I will definitely pick up the conclusion after that helluva cliffhanger!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Plot: 📚📚📚
World building: 🌎🌎🌎.5
Character development: 👤👤👤
Writing style: ✍🏻✍🏻✍🏻
Reading enjoyment: 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

I was so excited to dive into A Fate Forged in Fire. Celtic-inspired fantasy, dragons, and a magically blessed blacksmith destined to take down corrupt rulers? It sounded like everything I’d love. But unfortunately, the story didn’t quite live up to the promise.

The magic system was intriguing and the setup had real potential, but the world building just never came together for me. I found myself confused about the territories and the conflicts between them, and I kept waiting for it all to make sense, but it didn’t. And Aemyra, our main character, didn’t help much. She came across as immature and kind of entitled, which made it really hard to connect with her or root for her journey.

The side characters didn’t leave much of an impression either. Most of them felt flat and underdeveloped, which made the story feel a little hollow overall. Even with the way it ended, I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series. It had some cool ideas, but the execution just wasn’t for me.