Look if you really like romance fantasy as a genre, you'll probably like this book. For me this book was a little too jumbled for me to really enjoy. I felt like the magic system could have been better explained, the dialogue was clunky, and the main character Aemyra was kind of awful. Also, I lot of the plot was very heavy handed, there was almost no subtlety or twists. I did like the bad guys, The True Religion, but again it was just very heavy handed and it's been done before.

Aemyra is the princess hiding as a blacksmith's daughter waiting for the King to die so she can take his throne. That's it. That's the plan. Aemyra, her twin brother, and her father with like 100 soldiers basically just plan on a surprise coup at a funeral. Guess what, doesn't work. From there the plot unfolds like pretty much every other romance fantasy book.

Aemyra is also very fiery, you know because she has fire magic. She never really has a plan or shows any aptitude at ruling, other than saying she's doing things for her people. She says her father trained her, but it just feels like she's a little kid stomping her foot to be queen. I don't know, maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but I didn't vibe with this book and I won't be reading the second.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Delacorte Press for the arc, all opinions are my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allwoing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Fate Forged in Fire is the first book in the Bonded to Beasts duology by Hazel McBride. It is a Celtic-inspired romantasy full of magic and of course dragons. And politics. Aemyra is the FMC and heroine of the book. A blacksmith-turned queen, she is trying to overthrow the corruption ruling the kingdom. Also alonng the way she starts to fall for Fiorian in classic enemies-to-lovers style. It's a bit of a slow burn, but enjoyable.

I like this book, but it took way longer than normal to me to figure out the world-building. It is A LOT. Also, Aemyra's personality is not very likeable and can be off-putting at times. But the dragons more than made up for it! The plot was very good, and even though the pacing was a bit off, the cliffhanger at the end made me curious and eager to read the second book to find out what happens!

I think fans of Fourth Wing and the House of the Dragon series will enjoy this read. I will definitely be recommending it to my Romantasy friends and book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I was probably not in the right headspace for this one. It sounded like something I would enjoy immensely - enemies to lovers, political intrigue, and diverse characters.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with the story and the characters like I wanted and needed to keep being engaged with the story. Maybe if I was more in my House of the Dragon era.
Still, people who are more into dragon fantasy and religious conflict would enjoy it more than me and it is still a commendable read for the challenging issues, rich world, and complex characters it presents.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Hazel McBride for the eARC.

Aemryra is the first Queen in centuries, but she has to hide and wait until the current king dies so she can take her rightful place on the throne. There’s a lot of political drama, dragon bonds, and a enemies-to-lovers romance. Aemryra has to decide what she’s willing to do and sacrifice to save her kingdom.

Was this the best romantasy ever? No, but was it fun? Absolutely! It’s not perfect. Some of the characters could have been better, there are plot holes and confusing magic and political systems, but you’re really here for the vibes. You get a real enemies-to-lovers romance between Aemryra and Prince Fiorean that ends in a crazy cliffhanger and an act of betrayal that will leave you speechless.

I’m hoping the series will get better as the characters develop and the political and magic systems improve. The problems with this one won’t stop me from reading the next book. I’m curious!

A Fate Forged in Fire was such an unexpected gem! If you love fantasy with magic, dragons, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, this is one to add to your TBR.

Aemyra is an absolute badass. She’s been hidden away for years, but now she’s finally stepping into her power and ready to take control of her fate. The romance between her and Fiorean is so well done—it’s slow, full of tension, and their chemistry is everything. You can feel the push and pull between them from the start, and watching them evolve from enemies to something more was so satisfying.

The world-building is fantastic. The mix of elemental magic and dragons makes this world feel so alive and immersive. I especially loved how Aemyra’s fire magic is so central to the plot and her growth as a character. The dragon bonds were also a fun twist!

There were some slower moments in the pacing, especially with the political drama, but I didn’t mind too much. Honestly, I was more interested in the romance and the build-up to Aemyra finally taking her place as queen. And that cliffhanger? *My heart*. It definitely leaves you wanting more 😍

If you’re into strong heroines, a little bit of romance with a lot of tension, and dragons, this is a series you’ll want to keep reading. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This may have just been the wrong time for me to pick up this book. The main character is not someone I connect with, and I could tell the pace would be really slow. This is meant for someone who enjoys fiery main characters, fantasy romance, dragons, political intrigue, and high stakes. I do usually love all of those tropes, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me at this time.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Fate Forged in Fire is an adult fantasy romance with dragons, magic, political/religious intrigue, and enemies to lovers.

I think with some tidying up this would’ve been great. The pacing was all over the place. I would’ve liked to see better world building and more romantic development. The MCs went from enemies to lovers with nothing in between. I did appreciate that they truly were enemies though. Im on the fence about reading the next book but I’d say if the blurb interests you then it’s worth a shot because you may love it.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this review copy. Such a fascinating story with intense world building. I feel as if there is still much to learn and understand about this world and I’m deeply curious about it. All of the Gaelic was a little hard to read to be honest. There are a lot of words that are hard to pronounce even with the guide. Some might really love the authenticity though! About 40% in I got to a point where I didn’t want to put it down. The slow burn romance was satisfying and well done. Definitely curious to see where the story goes next!

Aemyra, a fire blessed blacksmith in hiding, prepares to seize her birthright and dragon bond to restore her matriarchal realm, Tìr Teine. After the king’s death derails her plan, she’s plunged into deadly court intrigue. Her nemesis, Prince Fiorean is a formidable dragon rider and staunch enforcer of the corrupt dynasty. He becomes her reluctant ally amid escalating chaos. As they navigate betrayals and power struggles, their forced partnership kindles an unexpected and perilous passion.

The book started out very slow for me, but really picked up so I’m glad I stuck with it. I was first drawn to the book because of the dragons and the enemies to lovers troupe. The fiery dynamic between the main charac ters starts with genuine hostility. Like blades drawn and vows to kill. This makes their shift from sworn enemies to reluctant allies feel earned and compelling. Aemyra shines as a fearless, quick witted heroine who never forgets her claim to the throne, yet reveals raw vulnerability beneath her fierce exterior. At times, she does also feel very immature, but im hoping that means we will eventually get a lot of character growth from her in the future. Fiorean, the arrogant dragon rider, twists readers’ emotions with a roller coaster of hate, sympathy, and reluctant admiration, keeping his true intentions tantalizingly unclear. Together, their evolving bond balances sharp banter and genuine care, proving that love forged in conflict can burn the brightest and most unpredictable. I will be picking up book 2.

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

Thank you to Dellacore and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f romantasy
-dragons
-marraige of convience
-rivals to lovers
-Celtic inspired

I really think this one will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones looking for romance with their dragon queen with plenty of twists and turns

“Aemyra had been forged in fire, but a queen would rise from the ashes.”

Thank you Delacorte press for my digital ARC!

Dragons, Brats and Deceptions

This Celtic inspired fantasy is a good start to the duology, with a captivating storyline and a not so likable FMC, it got me hooked from the get go. Aemyra is set for greater things and she is trained and ready to take down the empire that is heavily influenced by a religious cult like group with a very archaic, sexist ideologies. She might be impulsive and bratty but she knows that her people cannot continue to live under this oppression and that she would go to any lengths to take her rightful position as a queen even if she has to agree to a marriage of (in)convenience with the person she hates the most. Fiorean is loyal to the throne and after the last mad king passes, he is adamant to put his brother on the throne and keep the peace in the kingdom until Aemyra becomes a thorn in his side

One would definitely see the inspiration from House of Dragon/Game of Thrones and it is actually well done without making it feel like a copy/paste situation. I love fantasy books with political intrigue and this one had plenty of it including a stunning battle sequence with dragons. The court intrigue was also something I really enjoyed, its brutal and deceitful to create enough angst. My favorite parts were the enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience tropes, it had perfect vibes with quite a lot of knife to throat scenes and organically written "my wife" situations. I really enjoyed the push and pull between Aemyra and Fiorean, the tension that ensued because I wasn't sure who is gonna betray who first lol.

The only reason it wasn't a 5star is because it took a hot minute for me to get into the story, the beginning of the book was rough but after a while when the pacing and the world made sense I was completely hooked. The other reason is that I felt the MMC character could've been fleshed up a bit more, I really couldn't gather much about him because how little we get to see through his thoughts but I am hoping the next book will fill these gaps. I am very excited to see how this duology is going to end!

Overall, excellent book. Well written, interesting world building and take on dragons, delightful enemies to lovers/slow burn.

The ending betrayal wasn't entirely what I expected even though I knew it was coming from another review, but honestly it broke my heart.

However, there's one thing that bothered me - the pacing. This book was interesting in fits and starts. It didn't hook me until about a quarter of the way in, and it was having a hard time keeping me consistently hooked.

Otherwise, I definitely enjoyed this story and the characters - and will be looking forward to the sequel!

I received this book as a eARC thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Delacorte Press but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I first read the summary pitch for this book I was immediately sold on the premise — enemies to lovers, dragons and complex world building? Those are three things that I regularly scream about!

Unfortunately, I fear there are a lot of minor issues that were really holding this story back. The writing overall I think really stunts the twisty plot that is (on its own) actually intriguing. I almost wish we had multiple POVs to fully experience the scope of so many characters’ situations (ameyra, fiordan and even Adarian) because each are going through different arcs to do what they believe is best for the territory. This also would’ve helped incorporate a more of a show-not-tell for world building. I also thought it was very easy to predict where the plot was going (and I wasn’t mad at that) and a lot of the events in the first half could’ve been cut. Without spoiling one main event, our FMC throws herself into a situation in attempt of revenge but it happens so almost half way through the book when there really wasn’t enough of an emotional connection established with these characters beforehand. I also wish we leaned more about the magic system, bonding and really got to divide into how all of that works. Multiple times it seemed to easy to accomplish these “hard and rare” tasks. Lastly, the romance enemies to lover angle I think is a hard sell — because our FMC really fails to connect with anyone emotionally on the page.

Overall I was really disappointed and ending up DNF-ing this book at 50%, which is why I will not be giving it a more than a 1 star ranking.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

A bit of a toughie to review because who doesn't love a book featuring dragons? Unfortunately, the FMC, Aemyra is insufferable. She's one of the most arrogant characters I've read in a long time and her actions and demeanor made this book tough to get through. She just came across as a bit of a bully to be honest.

I like the overall plot and story, but it's hard to want to keep reading when you can't root for the characters. Undecided if I will continue on with the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I'm certain this is going to be a hit! A Fate Forged in Fire packs enemies to lovers, a Scottish-inspired world, a bisexual FMC, and political scheming into a fast-paced, brutal epic. If those things spark your interest you should definitely check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Dragons? Elemental magic? Forced proximity? Say no more, I was sold quickly on the synopsis of this book. AFFIF had a lot of Celtic references which I also enjoyed and somehow had no awareness would be involved before I went into the book. I also somehow didn’t realise there was a pronunciation guide until the end of the book and I read so many words wrong in my head 😅 (I read the ebook).

I did find myself fairly uninterested with this book at first, a lot of this is me as I’m not finding reading engaging currently due to life being a bit busy. I was enjoying the story, but it felt a bit long for the first 60% of the book and I couldn’t shake off the similarities to HOTD in my own head, but I kept persevering as a friend had already read this and raved about it. Boy am I glad I did! From the 60%-80% section I found I was getting more into a good rhythm and the story was going in a direction I was much more invested in, and that last 20% had me hooked and I read in one sitting. The book ended in a way I hadn’t predicted and I am definitely going to read the rest of the series.

Overall I gave this book a 4⭐️ rating, I really enjoyed the political elements of the story and the history of the matriarchal to patriarchal society. I liked the elemental based magic and would like to see more of the other elements in future books (unsurprisingly AFFIF focuses mainly on fire). The characters I had a bit of a love hate relationship with and kept changing my mind on them, some I found so similar to main HOTD characters that I couldn’t shake the lack of uniqueness to them. This and my perceived slowness of the pace for the first 60% of the book is why I haven’t rated it 5, but I still think this is going to be a really good series and I encourage you to pick it up.

(Maybe soft?) DNF @13%

I already don’t like so many things about this and I’m so early on in this book so I’m calling it quits for now. It might just be that I’m not in the mood for this particular type of story so maybe one day I’ll come back to it. But fair warning this book has:
- a self-absorbed, arrogant FMC who I already don’t love
- so much telling instead of showing, especially with the world building
- slightly different spellings of regular words to make them seem fantastical
- cliche rightful heir story line & elemental magic
- potentially hot brother and hot dad???

This was a fast paced and wild ride. Fights, Dragons, Fire magic, and more! Every action scene had me on the edge of my seat and Hazel McBride does an amazing job of writing those scenes! Aemyra is not your average FMC and I’m so excited to see where the sequel takes her! Definitely a bit spicy too. I only wish some of the writing included more details, as I felt a little lost in certain scenes. Plus, a glossary at the start of the book for many of the Scottish Gaelic words would be helpful. Overall, I enjoyed myself and will be back for the next one! Thank you to Hazel McBride and Dell for this ARC!

I got to page 200, 60% in before I DNF'd this book. I was honestly really excited to read it based on the summary and everything I had been hearing about it, but in actuality I'm surprised I lastest as long as I did reading it.


The writing never really gripped me, and I didnt like all the short paragraphs. Some of the thoughts felt like they were out of order, and it threw me out of the book, mentally, whenever that happened. Add in all the Gaelic that I had to keep referring to the pronunciation guide (which, in the few cases I checked, didn't really match actual videos I looked up per the author's note), and it was just SO hard to focus on the story itself.

And I could not stand the MFC. She was so arrogant and had quite the ego, so ready to be queen, but then she can barely hold her own in a fight despite her years of training, tires out quickly, can't hunt, and keeps making really stupid decisions without thinking things through properly.

There's also no actual slow burn or spice or really ANY sort of romance in the first 200 pages, it seemed to only just start building at the 60% mark. The MMC doesn't even actually come into play as per the book synopsis until around the 50% mark.

Also, then are the same clan, descended from a group of brothers, so that tells me that they are distant cousins? The lineage isn't really clear. But that is kinda weird as far as love interests go.

I was just not invested enough to finish this book.

Love me an angry fmc but it has to be done well. In this case, she was angry, but had nothing to back it up. It wasn't even like a character development moment, she was just unlikeable. The worldbuilding is interesting, but the mixture of the dialogue being kinda unserious and the fmc just made this hard to finish. I got to 65% before I had to DNF. Maybe I'm not the target audience, but I can enjoy romantasy but this was much less developed than I usually expect.