I was so excited for A Fate Forged in Fire. I was expecting a romantasy with dragons, a strong-willed heroine who becomes queen, lots political intrigue and plotting, and an enemies to lovers romance. However, it didn’t deliver on any of my expectations. The pacing was off and it was difficult to get into. I wanted more of the magic and dragons that I typically expect from a fantasy book. The characters felt one dimensional, and a little bit underdeveloped, so it was hard to connect with them. Aemyra was childish, arrogant, and blindly trusted the wrong people. And Fiorean had no personality or depth at all. He was barely present in the book. I wanted a lot more plot and world building, and I found myself missing the political intrigue that I was expecting. The romance felt like it came out of nowhere, so it fell flat for me. Aemyra and Fiorean are related and look the same, which put me off. They hardly interact at all, and then they’re forced to marry, so it wasn’t even enemies to lovers. It was more like strangers to insta-love. I really wanted to love it, but I found myself struggling to finish it.

Thank you to Delacorte Press, Random House, Hazel McBride, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔A Fate Forged In Fire
✏️ Hazel McBride
📆 May 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🔥dragons and fire magic
🔥political intrigue
🔥religious cult and persecution
🔥arranged marriage
🔥female rage
🔥enemies to lovers

A Fate Forged in Fire

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

“This is so you remember that a woman has her own power, and that you do not have any right to take it from her.”

A Fate Forged in Fire is a fantasy romance inspired by Celtic and Scottish lore. Aemyra is blessed by fire and next in line for the throne. Hiding until it is her time to claim the her crown, she takes the kingdom by surprise and they are not willing to accept her. Prince Fiorean is her biggest adversary - dragon rider, powerful fire wielder, and intertwined with his family’s corruption.

This story is a true enemies to lovers. Political adversaries with chemistry and tension. There are dragons, twists and turns, and lots of feminine rage. There is bisexual rep through our FMC. The characters are lovable while flawed as they try to navigate this complex political climate.

Thank you to Random House | Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

If you ever wondered what Merida would be like if she was a bi-sexual dragon rider with fire powers then you’ve found your next read! The FMC Aemyra is powerful, brave, smart and cares immensely about her people. Set in a world where previous queens blessed by goddesses have ruled for centuries the Tir has been without a queen as the male line has taken over using the threat of a new religion that does not acknowledge the goddesses. Aemyra the secret rightful heir to the throne must hone her powers and take back her kingdom in the name of the goddesses.

The pacing of this book was fantastic. I was never bored and I was also never sure who to trust. I felt that all of the characters were well rounded and the story was exciting while also being easy to follow for the most part. I do believe that the book could have better set up the current power struggles with a bit more background information at the start of the book. I’m not normally a fan of stories where we are dropped into an immediate conflict without enough background information, though this one continued to build on things enough throughout the story that it wasn’t something I would complain about. My one complaint is that the pronunciation guide was at the end of the book and it absolutely needed to be at the start. It may not be such a big deal when the physical book is released but people using E-readers or having digitally arcs like me will find it challenging. That being said I had a great time with it and will eagerly be awaiting the next one. I hope it has just as many twists and turns as this story.

A Fate Forged in Fire is the Celtic-inspired story of Aemyra - a fire blessed blacksmith fighting for her rightful place as the first Queen in centuries.

Fire wielder • Hidden heir
Forced marriage • Enemies to lovers
Political intrigue • “My wife”

This book was full of my favorites - dragons, elemental magic, and a fierce FMC. The strong family bonds, especially the brother sister relationship, were wonderfully written. The political scheming had me questioning who the true enemies were especially by the end. I loved Aemyra and Fiorean. Their chemistry was perfection with amazing tension and a delicious slow burn.
Pick this up if you’re looking for a romantasy with fire and feminine rage ❤️‍🔥

This is the first in a duology, and the emotional ending makes me so excited to see where the story goes. I will be impatiently waiting for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC

3.75⭐️

👻 book 1/? ongoing fantasy romance series
🍑 open door spice
👻 dragon bonding and fire magic
🍑 enemies to lovers
👻 kingdom politics
🍑 prince MMC x princess FMC
👻 heavy themes of misogyny
🍑 old vs new religion

Firstly thank you so much to random house / Ballentine for this eARC!

~My Thoughts~
This is for the readers who love a plot heavy, lore heavy world building book so y’all know I had a good time 🤭

The main plot point of the book is ‘f*** the patriarchy,’ its revenge, its ‘taking back what’s rightfully mine’, its feminine rage. All of this is the main drive for FMC Aemyra and as the plot unfolds, it forces her to be a strong badass female warrior. But not in a gentle way. Like the girl is vicious

It does take some time to properly get going (like half the book 😬) but when it does? 😮‍💨 there’s betrayal, death, action, more betrayal and more death, and again alllll the destruction of the patriarchy (or the aim to destroy it)

I’m undecided about the romance? And feel like it may be my least favourite part of the book? Rogue, I know but I’m not super sold on it yet. I think it’s because of how they come to be… I just wasn’t super convinced that the relationship fitted Aemyra’s character. Though, the ending did whet my appetite 👀

I think it’s a strong start to the series and I’m super intrigued to see where it goes.

If you’re down for destruction of the patriarchal royal family and a princess who tries to fight for her birthright (actually if you just enjoy destruction of the patriarchy) you’ll enjoy this

I really wanted to like this book. The concept had so much potential—fiery powers, mysterious politics, a morally gray love interest, and a powerful female lead? Sign me up. But unfortunately, A Fate Forged in Fire just didn’t work for me. I kept pushing through, hoping something would click, but it never really did. By the time I finished, I felt more frustrated than fulfilled.

Let’s start with the main character, Aemyra. From the very beginning, I had a hard time connecting with her—and honestly, that never changed. She’s introduced as this strong-willed, rage-filled, take-no-prisoners kind of girl, but instead of coming across as fierce or empowered, she mostly just seemed mean-spirited and self-important. She constantly looked down on others, especially other women, and it was hard to read lines where she belittled people who were in the same powerless position she’d once been in. It gave strong “I’m not like other girls” energy in the most exhausting way. Her personality wasn’t just unlikable—it felt inconsistent and forced.

What made it worse was that her actions didn’t match the persona we were sold. She talks big, sure—but when a major turning point hits (like learning the truth about who was behind her family's death), there’s no payoff. No explosion of righteous fury, no clever plan for revenge. Just more internal whining and vague threats about what she might do if she gets her magic back. All bark, no bite. And for someone who’s supposedly burning with rage, she barely even smolders.

Then there’s Fiorean. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you a single defining trait about him beyond “mysterious.” He felt more like a placeholder love interest than a real character. Their relationship lacked chemistry, depth, or even basic emotional connection. The romance just didn’t work for me, and that’s a problem when it’s such a big part of the book.

The pacing also gave me a headache. Everything moved so fast—new names, new factions, new magic systems—and yet none of it felt grounded. There was very little context or backstory to help me keep track of who was who and why anything mattered. I love complex fantasy with layered world-building, but here, it felt like I was being thrown into a whirlwind of terms and locations without a map.

And maybe the biggest issue? I was too distracted by my irritation with Aemyra to care about the world at all. Every time I thought we might get into some intriguing plot twist or dive deeper into the lore, her behavior would yank me right out of the story again. I’ve read plenty of flawed heroines—and I like flawed heroines—but they still need to be compelling. Aemyra wasn’t.

I don’t doubt that this book will hit differently for some readers—especially those who connect more with Aemyra’s rage or enjoy morally gray heroines with sharp edges. But for me, the disconnect was just too strong. Between the lack of emotional depth, the unlikable characters, and the chaotic world-building, I walked away feeling disappointed.

Dragons, fiery queen, elemental powers & an explosive love interest, all mesmerizing...but I struggled with this one. Aemyra is entitled, arrogant & temperamental. She expects the kingdom to bow to her, but she doesn't inspire faith or loyalty.

I, personally, struggled with so many characters & their names. Could be the Gaelic? The world building was beautiful, but stopped short of giving that last thrill. I think the next in the duology might hit that sweet spot I was looking for. I will definitely be hoping for Aemyra to grow & flourish in the next book!

Thanks to netgalley & Dell for the ARC.

Written by a Scottish author and base in Celtic mythology and lore, this book gave me major 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 vibes with two families warring for the throne of Tìr Teine.

I loved the female rage aspect of this story. Tìr Teine was always a matriarchal society, until the loss of a female heir led to kings in power and a new religion that oppresses women. Without giving spoilers, Aemyra is our FMC fighting to right the kingdom.

The dragons were one of my favorite parts of the story, and I hope we get to see more of them in the next book. I didn’t feel strongly emotionally invested in the relationship between Aemyra and Fiorean. I was more interested in Aemyra and her former lover.

With all the elements you’d want in a Romantasy, including a twist and cliffhanger ending, this is the perfect story for fantasy romance lovers. However, there is not much to differentiate it from many other similar books in the genre.

🎧 Narrator: Samara MacLaren
🎧 Length: 13h 21 m

Samara MacLaren was the perfect narrator for this book! I felt immersed in the mythology of the story. I had some trouble following along at times due to not fully catching on to many of the Celtic names, but I think I would have found it easier to understand if I had read instead of listened to the book.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and PRH Audio for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a wild ride. It started a little slow and I had difficulty getting into it until about 20% or so. Once I passed the twenty percent mark I couldn’t stop reading, At times, the world confused me a little bit and I only kind of understand it now but I understand why the author couldn’t just info dump. I would definitely read the next one when it comes out and I highly recommend this to fans of Fourth Wing or Throne of Glass.

3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐ 💫

“Even before I knew who you were, I wanted you.”

A Fate Forged in Fire is the debut novel in the adult fantasy romance series by the same name. Written in third person POV, the story follows Aemyra, a princess in hiding. Centuries ago, the maternal line used to lead the realm through golden ages alongside dragons but when only sons were produced it seemed a curse fell upon the monarchy...especially when there were no more dragon eggs produced. Years of kings ruling has savaged the realm and Aemyra is the only hope, the daughter of an exiled line…except the current ruling family wants to maintain power alongside a new zealous religion.

In preparing for a coup twenty six years in the making, Aemyra has lived among her people as a healer and blacksmith. When her time finally comes, though, things go awry and the person in her way? The second son of the current king, Prince Fiorean, who acts as the cold calculated arm of a corrupt family. In the game of war and court these two find themselves working together. As sparks fly between them can these two find a way forward behind enemy lines or will the rot consume everything...including the throne Aemyra is willing to put everything on the line for?

This book had a really great start but I will say not all of this was for me.

Aemyra comes off a bit cocky throughout the novel and I think this comes to her view on her heritage. Seeing her have to come to turns that she won't simply be handed the crown challenges and humbles her. She makes some pretty stupid mistakes but there is this glimpse into her that shows she cares a lot for her people.

Fiorean is a character that, even at the end, I struggle to fully understand. He is loyal to his family even when he knows there is corruption. He doesn't fully understand his dragon but his backstory shows that there is a goodness to him. In a situation where he is attempting to be three steps ahead of everyone he often is doing a lot of bad stuff to pave that way. I felt there was a connection between him and Aemyra but the ending has me confused about his intentions.

“...From that very first moment in the forge, when you blazed through my glacial pretenses, I knew I never wanted to be free of it. Of you. Because the intensity with which you burned simmered through me soul and left me forever changed…I never knew what it felt like, to burn…”

This book does contain spice - I would say 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. These characters take a LONG time before we see a romance blossom between them and there are good reasons. Romance doesn't start going until the second half and the spice really doesn't appear until 80% in. The spice is well written and highlights the feral and angry aspect to their relationship because they see each other as reluctant allies. Initially they hate each other and try to kill one another, in fact. I will say I found the romance flips like a switch. Once there is romance I really love it but this book does toy with your emotions and I didn't like where the romance went at the end.

In terms of the story, I loved the magic systems with the animal bonds. I enjoyed the setting of the stage with the opening chapter. I also found the political intrigue while Aemyra is a political prisoner to be engaging. At the same time I was a little lost in the chaos of what Aemyra wants and what her father is doing to help gain the throne - especially the whole way she comes across a dragon that we really don't get to unpack here. It felt like the characters didn't fully have a grasp on things as well which didn't lend itself because there wasn't really any strong antagonist to pull the strings. I also wished the romance was more fleshed out. The ending gives you a pretty big cliffhanger and I wasn't the biggest fan of it as a romance girlie.

Overall I think if you're in for the fantasy vibe with political coups, betrayal, and dragons then this will be good for you!

Thank you Dell for this arc!

Also please note a trigger - there is an attempted assault on the FMC on page.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

An enemies-to-lovers Romantasy featuring dragons & elemental magic

I enjoyed reading the book, but the ending felt a bit rushed and - as is typical in this genre - has a cliffhanger that could probably be solved by everyone taking an extra minute to talk & line up their stories

Still a good read & I plan to continue reading the series!

I had a really great time with A Fate Forged in Fire! I was hooked right from the start and honestly, I thought the pacing of the book was great. We’re plunged into the action pretty quickly.

I really loved Fiorean. Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn’t, but I unabashedly do. He’s morally gray, certainly, but I love the different sides we see of him. I’m really looking forward to his character arc in the next book. I have a theory about what his arc will be, but either way, I’m excited! He was giving red haired Aemond Targaryen vibes, and I was into it.

Honestly the main thing holding this book back from being a total 5 star read for me was that, at certain times, I found Aemyra to be so unlikeable. She’s very naive and doesn’t seem to learn from her mistakes. It could be frustrating at times. Overall, I do like her well enough most of the time, even more so when she’s with Fiorean, but I wish she had a little more character progression. I’m holding out hope that she’ll grow a lot in book two.

A Fate Forged in Fire is a great start to this epic romantasy duology, and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in the next book. I’m on the edge of my seat after the ending of the first book!

Thank you Random House/Delacorte for the early review copy of A Fate Forged in Fire! All opinions are my own.

I didn’t enjoy this book. The way the women are treated was just a huge turn off for me. Also, the world building felt chaotic and clunky rather than seamless. I was left confused on more than one occasion while reading it. Even though the book ended on a cliffhanger I doubt I’ll be continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Loved this! Dragon riding, hidden powers/royal blood, magical twins, and a sizzling enemies to lovers romance set in a beautifully written Scottish-based fantasy world. The pacing was good, plot was great and very interesting. Deducting half a point because the FMC was a bit frustrating at times and I felt like she was all talk and not as much action (not sure if that's intended, hence only half a point).
Overall, I had a great time and I cannot wait to read the next one!
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice Level: 2.5/5
Publication date: May 27, 2025 (US)
Thank you so much to @netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely loved the ending line for chapter one “and when he does, I will be ready to take everything I was born to be,”

I will admit though, it was a bit hard for me to get into the first 25%, and it dragged a bit in spots, but it was an overall good book! The writing is so detailed and well written and the plot is interesting.

The fmc was feisty, just how I like, but she came off a bit more childish to me, maybe arrogant.

I did enjoy this book, and the ending was good!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

TROPES: HIDDEN HEIR, SLOW BURN, DRAGONS, BANTER

2.5 stars

i wanted to like this more than i did, but the writing really wasn’t working for me. there’s a big emphasis on Scottish Gaelic and it made everything in the book so confusing to follow. it has a lot of things that i like: a strong and powerful fmc, TRUE enemies to lovers, dragons, etc and i did like those elements in here but it still wasn’t enough. Aemyra was angry and willing to fight tooth and nail for her crown and her people, while Fiorean does everything in his power to stop her.

i actually loved the romance, there’s an incredible push and pull between Aemyra and Fiorean. they skirt the line between love and hate in the best way tbh. if this focused mainly on the romance, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more. the world building was all over the place, there was so much happening but in a way that felt chaotic. it also gets very dark towards the end, the women aren’t treated well and Aemyra herself goes through something very traumatic. i love dragons, so all those scenes along with the romance were my favorite. despite all my issues, the end left on a cliffhanger that i wasn’t expecting and now my curiosity is piqued again.

Need 2nd book!!! This was a breath of fresh air. The main characters had great chemistry, Aemyra and Fiorean re great characters. This was nicely paced and I need the physical copy ASAP. Can’t wait to read more from Hazel.

While it made for easy reading I did not care for any of the characters. Sadly they were bland while the FMC was arrogant and bland. She made decisions without thinking and blames others for her mistakes. She did not grow nor did she back up her arrogance but once in the earlier chapters. I found the worldbuilding good but could have gone into a little more depth. Overall it was enjoyable.

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

Why did I wait so long to read this ARC??? A Fate Forged in Fire truly gave House of the Dragon/Game of Thrones vibes with the politics and succession war, rich world, strong characters, and of course, dragons. I did struggle to keep track of some of the names/places in the beginning of the story, but the map helped and I was able to get past this quickly. Also, the romance might be the closest to TRUE enemies-to-lovers in a Romantasy that I’ve seen in a while. I can’t believe I have to wait over a year for book two, because with that ending I needed it YESTERDAY!!!

With all of that said, definitely check trigger warnings - there is a graphic scene of assault that made me feel so disgusted and enraged for our main character; I’ve never hated the enemies/villians in a book more! I’m so ready for book two and to watch Aemyra get her revenge!

After 2 failed attempts, I thought maybe the 3rd time I could push myself to finish this book but there was nothing that captured my attention.

The story was hard to get into, the pacing was a little off. The story would drag and then everything would happen at once. It took me out of the story all together.

The world building would have been interesting if the story didn’t just dump information and do nothing with it.

I found Aemyra unlikeable and that made it hard for me to enjoy the story overall. Our main character being rude and arrogant could work if done right but it just made her unpleasant.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but unfortunately this was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!