I had to dnf sadly. The lack of glossary in the beginning was really hard to get over. And I felt like I was flying blind for a bit. I did find the one in the back eventually, but I was bummed to see it only included pronunciations and didn’t include terms for what each thing was in the world building section. I was so lost in the beginning, I truly had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know what half of the words meant and that made it really hard to follow the story. I had such high hopes for this one but I ultimately had to give up because it was only giving me a migraine. I think the addition of important world building information in easy to understand terms would make this much more enjoyable. If an updated glossary was added, I’d love to give this book another try. Thank you!

4.25 stars. I really enjoyed this! Loved reading again about dragons and the Celtic/Scottish lore being used in there, Aemyra was a very hot headed FMC who is trying to do the right thing and be the queen she should but things keep going wrong. I enjoyed the relationships between the minor and major characters and the world was interesting but I would love to have known more. I hope to see that in book 2, I enjoyed the enemies stage and flirtations between her and Fiorean but would have liked less of a quick switch between enemies and lovers. I do think that the quite graphic attempted forced sterilisation scene should have been indicated to be more severe in the content warnings. Overall I'm really excited to find out what happens next in the duology.

I really enjoyed this.

While Aemyra is impulsive and naive in a lot of ways, I understood why given her upbringing. She grew up knowing who she was and being trained to rule while also having the hide and not being equally matched. This kept the story moving quickly and interesting. While she grew as a character throughout the story, I'm hoping to see great character growth from her (and a few others) after the way this book ended.

I honestly have a lot more thoughts and theories, but they quickly get into spoiler territory so I'll leave it at that. This was an action packed fun read and I'm hoping for a second book.

I think readers who enjoy romantasy will love this book! I loved the dragon bonding and the slow burn, the enemies to lovers trope and ALLLL the feminine rage! Elemental magic is also always my favorite as a fellow Avatar: The Last Airbender fan!

I adored A Fate Forged in Fire. Between the true enemies to lovers vibes, the betrayals, the political intrigue, and the pacing of the plot, I quickly lost my footing and was swept away on an incredible ride. I'm not even sure that I was breathing by the time I made it to the last few chapters. I was not prepared for the ending and will not know peace until I have the next book in my hands.

This book only got better as it went. The more I learned about the world and the way that it was run, the more invested I was in the plight of Aemyra and her people. The beginning felt a little slow, but I think the main reason for this was a combination of intricate world building and the vernacular derived from the Gaelic language. I think that A Fate Forged in Fire could have been greatly enhanced by the addition of a glossary to the pronunciation guide at the end for reference. Once the plotline progressed a bit, it became easier to interpret the meaning of the Gaelic words that were used, but I did have a bit of initial trouble getting lost in the storyline while trying to interpret context clues.

I really enjoyed how headstrong Aemyra was and how she wouldn't back down when it came to those she cared about. Her character was relatable through her vulnerability, though she tried her best not to show it. It broke me that though her heart was always in the right place, so many sought to use her and manipulate her time and time again. Hazel McBrides writing evoked a sense of suspense that had me second guessing everything, but yet still caught me off-guard in the end. I loved the way that she incorporated Celtic Folklore into such an incredible story and the complexity of the political strife she created only added to the feelings of urgency and peril that Aemyra was facing. The story only more addictive as the stakes were raised and I finished the last 55% of the book in one sitting. I am completely obsessed with this world and was not ready to leave it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Fate Forged In Fire by Hazel McBride is a third person-POV romantic fantasy with Scottish-inspired worldbuilding. Aemyra is the first woman born to the royal family in generations, making her the rightful heir to the matrilineal line. However, the kings and priests in charge are not willing to cease control. When she is tricked into accepting a marriage with the younger brother of the current king, Aemyra will have to choose between her new lover, Fiorean, and the throne that should be hers.

This review is not spoiler free
The book opens with a series of content warnings and I do really recommend that readers take those warnings seriously. There is a scene towards the end of the book which is a somewhat detailed attempt at forced sterilization and it is very uncomfortable. The way the entire scene is set up makes it even more uncomfortable as multiple priests are in the room performing this ritual as if it’s some sort of religious ceremony to remove evil instead of a violation of body autonomy. I found the scene somewhat triggering on multiple levels so definitely exercise selfcare when reading.

Aemyra and Fiorean’s romance takes a turn about halfway through the book when they are both forced into marrying each other. Aemyra because she is determined to take the throne back, even if it’s by force, and Fiorean’s mother states explicitly that it’s time that he gets married and this is a way for them to control Aemyra. There is an attraction between them when they meet early on in the story but they don’t really act on it besides recognizing that attraction. If it hadn’t been for the forced proximity, Aemyra might not have ever considered Fiorean as he is someone standing in the way of her rightful place as queen and she tends to choose women as partners, including Sorcha, one of her allies and a bar owner.

The coding here is quite heavy. All of the names and worldbuilding terms are either directly taken from or inspired by Scottish Gaelic, there are tartans, and there’s a very obvious allegory of Christianity coming into a society that worships multiple goddesses and oppressing the original faith and culture as well as supporting whatever system will push a patrilineal society. If you know anything about the history of the Catholic Church and the part it played in the colonization of the world, it is very obvious what the True Religion is. The author herself was also born and raised in Scotland, adding a layer of authenticity to the worldbuilding and given the conversations right now in Romantasy and broader fantasy about how minority languages are used, it’s nice to see an author coming from one of those cultures being given space to tell a story that they want to tell.

Content warning for forced sterilization and brief depictions of sexual harassment

I would recommend this to fans of romantic fantasy who love dragons and forced proximity and readers of Romantasy who love Scottish-coded worldbuilding and want to support a Scottish author

What a great first book! This series definitely has a lot of promise. Dragons, a stolen throne, betrayal, love and hate playing a deadly dance, this book has it all! I'm almost sad I got this as an arc, because now who knows how long I'm going to have to wait for the next one.

DNF...I gave it a few chapters but the FMC is completely insufferable and writing style felt very fan fiction-y and not in a good way. You know how fan fiction tends to describe eye color a LOT? Be prepared for descriptions of sapphire and emerald green eyes as well as the slightly disturbing fixation Aemrya has with her brother's eye color.

Speaking of her brother, I honestly lost track of how many times Aemrya smirked and repeatedly belittled her brother, including in front of others. I hope the king's dragon eats her because she is just awful.

A shame, because the whole dragons and Celtic mythology idea sounded awesome.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

⁀➴☾ A queen in hiding, dragons, princes, enemies to lovers, and a throne to conquer? A Fate Forged in Fire was a thrilling ride that makes you crave the sequel! ⁀➴☾

While I did enjoy this novel, there were some key things that happened that I wish happened differently. There is so much assault in this book - I didn't expect it! I wanted to warn you all because there is and if you're not comfortable, please don't read this. I was suffering and in pain for Aemyra. She does get some revenge, but the acts and scenes are still very much present and it leaves you feeling heavy.

All the other things I loved! The dragons were amazing and I loved Aemyra's dragons especially! It was such an intriguing plot; about dragons bonding to royals and how they're each so different from the other one. How each of them have their own language with their rider.

The enemies-to-lovers romance was BANGING. I'm sorry, this is truly an enemies to lovers romance. They fought, drew swords, tried to kill each other MULTIPLE TIMES! It's quite insane but enjoyable for us readers. I'm not going to lie - I didn't know how it would go to love because these two hated each other, so many things were happening and I wondered how they would put that aside and fall in love. I think the circumstances they were into helped the romance develop but now that I finished, I definitely want to see what happens next in book two. I mean.... damn.

༄ I feel a little mixed about this book. Like I truly liked it and after the first 15-20% I was going through it, I was reading so much. Everything that was happening wasn't boring. The first part is rather slow and you get so much information that I got lost for a bit. But after it, everything is good and entertaining. You want to keep reading and finding out what will Aemyra do to get out of these situations. But... there are just some things that *ugh* I wish didn't happen or didn't go that way. I feel conflicted lmao!

Even though, I do really believe that I'm going to read the next book. I think this is a duology so it ends with that one. I hope it wraps up nicely and in a thrilling way. I hope the romance succeeds and everythnig works out for the best lmaoooo. OH YM GOD IM SCREAMING STILL ABOUT THAT ENDING.

My feelings can be summed up like this : I didn't care.
I didn't care about any of the characters, about whatever happened, about the romantic relationship (which is more lust for me). The book isn't terrible, it just clearly wasn't for me.

I didn't mind Aemyra, but she wasn't able to show me why she should become queen (except to get the misogynists away from the throne). Like, the girl barely had any wins! Either she's not strong enough , or she's incapacitated, she falls into a trap, or she needs someone to help her. We should have had more scenes that showed that she does have the capabilities needed to rule.

The mix of matriarchy and misogyny in the worldbuilding didn't fully convince me. Like, how can the True Religion guys get so much power and influence in a place that is so opposed to their values ? They're useful to assert the reign of the male heirs, but also they're anti-magic. Why would the royal family risk associating with them, when they're so against one of the sources of their power ?

Small nitpick : there's a paragraph where Aemyra says : "Women have the power to create life. To sustain it, nurture it. Regardless of magical affinity, the Chosen have forgotten that a woman's base power lies in her womb. Therefore the choice to use that power lies with them." I don't like that such a strong link is made between body parts and gender. Too close to gender essentialist and transphobic bs.

To close on a good note : I really liked that the first thing we know about Aemyra is that she's bisexual 🌈

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one sounds like something I'd enjoy, but based on the tws at the beginning, I'm going to pass for now. I might prefer to experience this one as an audiobook, so I will check it out in that format once it's published.

I appreciate the opportunity to review and am giving this a 4 star rating based on what I expected this read to be. Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine | Delacorte for the arc.

**I may return to this one before the pub date, and if I find that I'm able to read it, I'll adjust my review accordingly.

A Fate Forged in Fire is a thrilling and exciting fantasy set in a world of magic and contested kingdoms.

Aemyra is blessed by fire, and born to rule. As the contested heir to the throne of Tir Teine, she must bond with a dragon and fight for her place as queen. The matriarchal lines have been overthrown by men seeking power, and Aemyra is the first female born to the ruling clan in generations. But securing her place means fighting against the erratic king, and his brother, the mysterious Prince Fiorean. Aemyra needs allies. But can she find one in the Prince??

I really enjoyed this book!! Aemyra is not your typical reluctant heroine. She is ready to take her place on the throne and wants to rule. But she is young and naive, and still has a lot to learn. The relationship between Aemyra and Fiorean was a very slow burn, and a true enemies to lovers. The book has a lot of world building that comes at you quickly - the traditional matriarchal society of the magical Dùileach, the religious zealots the Chosen and their army, the different kingdoms and their magical bonds… its intricate and explained throughout the story, so I just kinda went with it and figured it out through context. I really enjoyed the Scottish Gaelic language and inspiration woven throughout. I also liked that Aemyra is written as bisexual - it makes sense for her character, especially one who is blessed by and reveres the goddesses. The religious aspect was tough at times - especially given what’s happening today - and the way the Chosen treat females was enraging. The feminine rage was on point in this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot packed into this story - political maneuvering, feminine goddesses vs the masculine savior, a romance, a war, oh and bonded magical dragons. It’s a lot, but it pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout, I’m looking forward to book 2 in this series!

Note: there are some difficult topics in this book I encourage readers to consult the content warnings.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Delacorte Press for the advanced copy!! All opinions are my own.

I devoured this book. The feminine rage was *chef's kiss*. The world-building was fantastic and infused with lots of celtic mythology. The enemies to lovers was of the sort that had me wiggling my toes. Butt he biggest thing about this book that brought me to love it from start to finish was the deeper message about how religion can and usually is weaponized against women. Aemyra is both fabulously flawed and unabashedly fierce and I loved her so very much.


This book is for lovers of dragons, real enemies to lovers, celtic culture and mythology, and feminine rage. Some loved tropes to look out for are forbidden romance, arranged marriage and forced proximity, touch her and die.

This book was absolutely beautiful for a debut. Hazel has woven her own story with her characters so beautifully. I absolutely loved the world building and the characters. The ending…WHAT A CLIFFHANGER. I can’t wait to see what her next book holds.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for the eARC.

3.5 stars round down to 3. We got the fantasy part down but the romance part was lacking.

Queue feminine rage that seemed to echo the injustice that women face in our own world. You wanted to fight against the patriarchy alongside Aemyra. The fight scenes including the inevitable dragon fight were on point.

However, the romance part failed in execution. What was intended to be a slow burn enemies to lovers vibe instead felt unnatural and forced. Instead of feeling the emotional damage at the end, you were left confused as things seemed to come out of the left field. Take the smut scenes as fan service if you would lol.

Review posted on Goodreads.

I really wanted to like A Fate Forged in Fire, but it ended up falling flat for me. The pacing dragged, and there was so much convoluted info dumping that I often found myself confused or disconnected from what was being explained. Honestly, it felt like a mash-up of House of Dragons and Throne of Glass, but without offering anything new or fresh.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with both the FMC and MMC. They were packed with flaws, which can work when balanced, but lacked the kind of personality and depth that make flawed characters compelling. While I’m curious enough to continue with book two just to see where things go, I wouldn’t personally recommend this one.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC of A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride.

2.5/5

I have to start this review by saying I think there are a lot of readers out here who will enjoy this and a significant part of my rating is that I'm experiencing romantasy burnout. A Fate Forged in Fire has a lot in common with a lot of other romantasy books that I've read - The Bridge Kindgom, The Hurricane Wars, Throne of Glass, and Fourth Wing. Readers who like any (or all) of those, and want more like it, might want to give this a shot (especially if they are also fans of HBO's House of the Dragon). On the other hand, readers looking for a romantasy that feels unique will not find it here. It shares a lot of tropes and plot points with those aforementioned books (enemies to lovers arranged marriage, political intrigue, a lost ruler attempting to reclaim her throne, bonding with dragons, etc.) but I enjoyed all of those books more than this one unfortunately.

I'm not typically a reader that cares if an adult book "feels YA" but I really struggled with it here. Aemyra, the protagonist, is supposed to be 26 but she reads more in the 18-21 age range (and I think if she was meant to be younger I'd like her more as a character). I also felt like the feminist themes of the book felt very heavy-handed in a way that would be less of a problem in a book geared toward younger audiences but felt annoying here. I liked that it is (unfortunately) quite relevant to today's society but I didn't need the book to straight up explain basic feminist issues and ideas to me. In addition, a lot of the humor didn't land for me and a lot of the dialogue felt jarringly modern.

The Celtic-inspired worldbuilding is interesting and I appreciated that religion played a significant role but I wish more was done with that aspect of it. Ultimately the religion seemed to just came down to patriarchy vs matriarchy which wasn't as compelling as I hoped it would be. Similarly, I liked the dragons (and other magical creatures) but they were significantly underutilized in terms of the plot (though perhaps they'll play a bigger role in the sequel?). The political intrigued also lacked layers and because of that it was all quite predictable. I never felt immersed in the world or invested the plot.

I also just did not care about the characters or the central romance. All of the characters felt one-dimensional and I don't think I'll remember them much in a few months. I was initially intrigued by the true enemies to lovers set up of Aemyra & Fiorean but they shifted to lovers too quickly for my liking (it was particularly frustrating when one chapter ends with the line "a queen could never take her enemy to bed" and then two chapters later that's literally happens (Aemyra please get a grip). Despite liking some of their scenes together, it felt as if their relationship wasn't built on much outside of physical attraction and relied too heavily on standard tropes instead of true relationship development. Though I will say, hopefully without being too spoilery, I did enjoy the ultimate ending and the state of their relationship by the end of the book. Their relationship over the course of this book became a bit more interesting in hindsight because of it and sets up a potentially interesting sequel.

Ultimately, my reading experience was significantly influenced by the fact that I've read a lot of books with a lot of these same elements and the entire time I kept thinking how much I enjoyed those more. I think it's likely that this book will have an audience that adores it (likely new romantasy readers) but overall I was underwhelmed.

What a rich world! I love all of the world building, though it did seem like it was A LOT at once and could have been better paced throughout the course of the book.

While the FMC was made to be very strong which at times came off as being too forceful.

There was a lot of potential in development of the plot and the romance between the FMC and MMC, but it just wasn't as fulfilling as I was hoping for. That said, I did enjoy the book even if it wasn't my favorite. It will definitely resonate well within the romantasy genre.

A Fate Forged in Fire started off really slow, debated even DNFing at one point but I’m glad I kept reading because things really picked up the second half of the book! I enjoyed the magic, the dragons, and the slow burn of the enemies to lovers. I do think the world building could have been better or clearer, I was very confused the first few chapters. Overall, a decent start to a romantasy series. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book after that cliffhanger!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Fate Forged in Fire is fierce, feminist, and full of dragons!!

Hazel McBride crafts a world steeped in Celtic myth, matriarchal legacy, and a rising storm of religious suppression.
Think dragons that are loyal to the bone, magic that simmers beneath the surface, and a heroine chosen by the Goddesses to reclaim a crown that patriarchy would see buried.

This book has something to say, and it says it boldly. McBride’s commentary on the weaponization of religion against feminine power is spot on!
It’s not subtle and that’s the point. There’s rage, resilience, and raw truth woven into Aemyra’s journey, and while her idealism sometimes had me yelling “girl, no,” it also made her growth feel earned. She doesn’t harden like so many warrior women written before her she softens with purpose… but that cuts deep. 🗡️

The romance is there, but this isn’t your typical swoony love story.. The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension simmers under a much larger story.
I did find myself wishing we had more depth in the magic system because it’s intriguing but too often mentioned in passing, especially when it comes to elemental powers. And honestly? More dragons, please!! 😍
The ones we do get are amazing.

This book is going to set Booktok on fire, I think, and I totally get why. Is it perfect? No. But it’s compelling and absolutely addictive. I’ll be first in line for book two!


Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Hazel McBride for the ARC!