In all honesty, I did not finish this book and will not be posting reviews for it on goodreads and amazon.

This book had a lot of disappointing points in the 25% that I read through before dnf’ing… but my biggest issue with this book is that I think the author misrepresented the fmc. I *think* that the author meant for Aemyra to be head strong, brave and resilient but what the author produced with a winey, immature, overly sarcastic juvenile of a FMC.
I wish this author the best of luck in the future but this book was just not it.

2.5⭐️

I’m so sad right now because this book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and I wanted to love it. Unfortunately I did not. It’s been a week since I finished because I literally had to step away and try to get my thoughts in order. It’s been days and I’m still so irritated by almost the entire book. I didn’t care for most of the characters, the pacing wasn’t great, and don’t even get me started on the ending😑

Needless to say I will not be continuing the series.

*4.75

UM HELLO?!? THE ENDING ?!?

I'm going to read this again when it comes out. This book was so good. Loved it so much.

This was genuinely enemies to lovers. The FMC was amazing. I loved her, strong and bi. She is also so badass. So so good

Best romantasy book I've read in a while!

Thank you so much for the arc!!! And for sending me a physical copy!!

A little slow in the beginning but once it picked up it started to get really good. I was so frustrated for the main character in so many situations but then felt her grief and pain every time something awful happened to her. And it felt like she couldn’t catch a break. I loved the relationship between the FMC and MMC and was furious how the book ended! It makes me want book two now. Thank you for the arc and chance to read I can’t wait to purchase my own copy in May!

FINALLY FINISHED! This one is an ARC that comes out in May. Amazing vibes
- Scottish/celtic fantasy
- dragons
- so much feminine RAGE
- house of the dragon vibes

It was quite challenging at times due to pronunciation (there’s a guide and I didn’t realize until 60% through, oops)

I also felt like I would finally get into it and the scene would change abruptly.

I think it’s a duology? I would definitely read the second one when it comes out because I have no idea where this is going.

3.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

What an absolute treat this was to get an ARC for A Fates Forged in Fire! Thank you to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for this opportunity. I always feel a little nervous about ARCs because I love relying on the reviews of others when choosing books to read. However, I can 100% recommend this book. I purposely didn’t read the synopsis again before starting, so it took me awhile to fully get into it. The Scottish Gaelic was new to me, so I had to guess what the author meant in the first quarter of the book. About 100 pages in though, I was totally hooked.

Things I loved about this book:
The tension and slow burn of the FMC and MMC
Dragons!
The cast of characters and the diversity they added to the plot line
Spice, done well
This is a great blend of fantasy and romance, not too much of either in my opinion.

I’m devastated to see this isn’t out until May. I need the second book stat. I’m so excited to see where the author takes this story.

This book is a must for fans of House of the Dragon and Fourth Wing. It's similar enough to both of these but adds its own twists. Aemyra was a great main character, and I was thoroughly entertained the entire time I was reading. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist at the end and I'm excited to find out what happens next!

*No spoilers review!*

Quick highlights:
-TRUE enemies to lovers
-Magic
-Dragons
-Resistance against a religion/government
-Family drama
-Bisexual FMC
-Pronunciation guide

Read if you like the heart palpitations typically brought to you by Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J Maas, or Jennifer L Armentrout.

If you're looking for a TRUE enemies to lovers, as in, they genuinely hate each other and legitimately want the other to die for a while, this is true to that trope. That means it absolutely includes a slow burn, complete with a dose or 2 of yearning.

World building was done without large info dumps and we always appreciate that! If you're not used to reading Scottish names/locations, definitely utilize the guide in the back of the book!

The end of this one had me STRESSED. I need a physical copy to annotate ASAP. I finished this in the middle of the night because I needed to know what happened... and I ended up feeling like I'd been smacked by a Rebecca Yarros book again! IYKYK!

A huge thanks to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! The one downfall of this being an ARC is that the book hasn't officially released yet and I NEED BOOK 2!

I loved this! Aemyra was a fun bisexual lead and though she was reckless in her choices I couldn't wait to see what she did next. Can't wait for next book with more dragons and magic!

A pronunciation guide is included which helps with the Scottish names

‘To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.’

A Fate Forged in Fire opens with a sedated beginning, unfurling a slow burn enemies to lovers with a tough female lead. Throw in some magic and of course my favorite mythical mofo’s, dragons! Gahh, Ima sucker for some dragons. Gimme a saddle, hand me a lasso and beam me up!

This was drama-filled, clever and unique. I have wildly mixed feelings about the FMC, Aemyra, not sure if I love her or hate her. But that’s not a bad thing necessarily. At least my emotions are in involved, right..? Religion and politics at play, & ughhh, just typing those two words makes me gurn and roll my orbs, but fortunately it played out well enough. Andddd naturally, it wouldn’t be a romantasy without leaving my ass on a crag, would it?! Noooo, of course not!

So yea, I'll just be over here, dangling and waiting for book two! I can't wait!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for review!

Pub date: 5.27.2025.

Thank you to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Aemyra, our fire wielding FMC, has been hidden away in place sight as the lost rightful queen. As news of the king's death arrives - it becomes time to strike back against and claim her place. But the kingdom has been infiltrated by the "True Religion" who demonize magic and taken over by those who will do whatever it takes to stop Aemyra and her family.

Thank you for actually delivering on 'Enemies to Lovers'. I'm still recovering from the whiplash that the ending of this book was, and I genuinely cannot tell how I feel, especially considering how long we'll have to wait for the follow up in the duology.

Read for:
* Dragons
* Elemental Magic
* True enemies to lovers
* A strong but stabby Bisexual FMC with sarcastic banter
* Political and Religious conflict
* Slow Burn Spice

3.5 stars

House of the Dragon meets Kingdom of Ash. I loved it and I’m only sad because I have to wait longer for the next book in the series.

I loved the Scottish setting and the feminist themes of the book. The FMC can be frustrating to read about but she’s at least self aware enough to know she has some growing to do. The MMC is… interesting to say the least, and I’m afraid I need to keep my mouth shut because this is a spoiler-free review. I enjoyed the magic system and the world building. There’s definitely some crumbs to follow for the next books and I can’t wait to see how those play out.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this e-arc!
Further thoughts to come but OMG that ending! I can’t wait for the next book!

I will say at first the main attraction to me was that it had dragons in it, but I left with an even better story, it was very well written I could feel these characters pain and also their rage. The main character was a force to reckon with I haven’t read too many books with a strong female character but Aemyra is definitely a well written character. The only flaw if even that was that I predicted the ending but I was also suprised at how we got there, things I didn’t think that would happen, happened.

This was my first time reading a book that is Celtic-inspired and it was difficult to get into initially. There was so many names of places, people, and clans that I was getting confused with what was what. I wish the pronunciation guide was placed in the beginning, I was afraid to turn to the back to look at it for fear of potential spoilers. After getting through ~20% of the book, I really started to get into the story. The relationship between Fiorean and Aemyra felt like a true enemies to lovers where at times I couldn’t fathom how they could possibly fall in love. This book is definitely more heavy on the politics of ruling but there was a good mix of fights and action thrown in too. The battle scene at the end of the book was chaotic, but that feels on par with the author describing war as pandemonium in the book. I wish we could have seen the fmc come into her own more and step into her role as a queen more, but I feel like she only got slightly better than how she was at the beginning of the book. Considering how the book ended, I can’t wait to see her grow more in the next book. Lastly, gotta love a book with dragons and dragon riders.

so grateful to have received an ARC of this book because OH MY GOD

this is a true enemies to lovers and slow slow burn that is worth every single second of tension. aemyra, the fmc, is so iconic, strong and powerful fighting for her rightful place on the throne while our mmc, fiorean, is on the side against her. THE ANGST THE TENSION between these two is just insane

this book really has everything you need for a fast paced, engaging romantasy:
-magic
-dragons
-enemies to lovers
-betrayal
-a power hungry, controlling father
-strained family dynamics
-insane cliffhanger

i felt that the world building was very straightforward without information dumps while still giving the reader all of the necessary history and information. this book is action packed and engaging from page one and it was nearly impossible to put down for a break

THE CLIFFHANGER and THE PLOT TWIST had my jaw on the floor while tears streamed down my face. i don’t even know what to do with myself

i loved every single second of this and cannot wait to have the physical copy once it comes out as a reminder on my shelf of how much i loved it. already needing the next book but i will practice patience because i know it’ll be beyond worth the wait

The worst part of this book was that it’s an ARC and not even out until May and I have to wait god knows how long for book 2. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, however!

Enemies to lovers? ✅ Slooooow burn? ✅ Female rage? ✅ Dragons? ✅ I devoured every minute of it.

I see a lot of negative reviews that the FMC was annoying, but to the FMC’s point in the book, she’s been kept in the dark for so long and you expect her to figure it all out immediately? I personally enjoyed the rollercoaster of her enacting a plan she thought was right, only to realize she has a lot more to learn. Character arc, people!

Our possessive MMC who’s only a softy for her? Yes. The spice when it spiced? 🔥

The parallels between the current state of the world and how women are viewed in this book? A lil haunting.

The plot twist at the end? 🗡️ I saw it coming from 1-2 chapters away, but it still hurt.

Hazel McBride if you have no fans I am dead.

Thank you to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC! 

Aemyra is a fire wielder. Her character is powerful, headstrong and determined. She’s desperate to take over the throne and waiting for the king’s demise to claim her birthright. Unfortunately, Aemyra's plans to take over ends with her being captured by the prince and now she’s not only outed herself by attempting to stake a claim over the throne but she has to navigate the danger she’s put herself in. 

The characters were interesting and the world building was unique. I soaked in every detail about the magic systems and history of the kingdom because I was completely intrigued. This story was heavy on the enemies to lovers trope and I loved every minute of it. 

Overall, I think this book is a good start to a series and I will definitely be reading book two when it comes out.

I always appreciate a fantasy where the lead female character is a strong one and I am not cringing about the overly abusive relationship she is in. I loved the world that McBride created, and I appreciated that the main character was older and not an 18 year old helpless virgin. The ending left it open for another book - which I hope the author writes! Overall this is a fantasy series I would recommend over others and I look forward to the continuation of the story.

Prior to reading this I heard someone say the love interest was inspired by a Targaryen… so you know I was excited to receive this arc from NetGalley. It had a premise I haven’t read before. It was everything a romantasy book needs to keep me interested. The fmc wasn’t insufferable and I related to her sneakiness ALOT