This book is going to live in my head for months to come. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

I'm a huge fan of fantasy, bad ass stabby FMCs, dragons, Scottish culture - and this book had all of them combined. Huge Game of Thrones vibes with an enemies to lovers subplot that is so true to this trope, I can't even tell y'all... I was truly wondering how they'd ever reach the lovers stage because our MC's were literally nearly killing one another every time they were near the other!

This book was action packed and I genuinely felt I was watching it unfold, and not reading words on a page. I can't wait for the next installment of this series!!

I really enjoyed this book! I really got sucked into the book, life just kept preventing me from inhaling the book.
What to expect: names you can’t pronounce (lol there is a guide but this is one that I would I want the audio for), fire magic, dragons, goddesses/matriarchy vs men, betrayal, stabby and angsty FMC, “my wife”, fight for power.
There were times that I wish Aemyra was able to push back more (both to her father and the current rulers) but I think she weighed the costs to her people and goals very well. I loved the character dynamics and growth that occurred over the book (especially with Fiorean) and I look forward to the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced ebook of this book. This series is going on my audiobook wishlist for the future!

I wanted to like this book, but it was so predictable and felt way too rushed at times. We spent way too much time on the pointless rambling bits and then rushed through other major plot points to hurry us along in the story. It felt like we were in a big hurry to build these characters and this world into something great, but we lost a lot along the way.

There isn’t a single character except for the dragons Terrea and Aervor that I genuinely cared about by the end of this book. And they don’t even talk, they just fly around and defend their bonded riders! Sadly, the main character is so hard to root for. She makes stupid choices constantly and while supposedly being this female-empowered queen, she’s horrible to the women in the story that aren’t her mom or have some link to her upbringing who she rescued. The character of Sorcha? Absolutely pointless except to make the FMC bisexual. She is so unnecessary and unlikeable as a character and was a waste of space. Fiorean grew on me, yet the “twist” at the end (which was so painfully obvious) felt truly out of character for him and set him back from all the growth and depth that had been built throughout the book. Felt like a forced enemies to lovers back to enemies trope for literally no reason.

This is just another romantasy series being published that truly didn’t bring anything fresh or special to the mix. I wanted to like it, but by the end was just a fan of the dragons and their fighting.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm all over the map with my ratings for A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride. On the one hand, I love the magical world it's set in and all the Celtic history and folklore that's included. The magic system could really be built up into something fantastic, especially with the dragons, but we just don't see enough of it. I would hope to see more in future books, including the other powers besides the MCs fire magic. It took a little while to sink into the story, I think there was a lot of build up happening to 'reveal' things we already knew, because it's in the book synopsis. Once it gets past that, though, I did fly through it and it held my attention to the end.
On the other hand, Aemyra is one of the most unlikeable FMCs I've ever read. I have nothing to root for with her - she's egotistical, condescending, and her impulsivity causes every single problem in the book but she absolutely refuses to acknowledge that fact or accept any blame. I was excited to see a fanro character that's not freshly 18 but that means, in her late 20s, she should be better than this!
There's also not much romance. Not an issue for me, but it is billed that way and probably shouldn't be. Maybe in later books but here, we get enemies to insta-love and even that doesn't happen until 70% of the way through the book.
So overall I'm settling on a 2.5 rounded to 3. I want to see more from the really great fantasy world but the MCs need to shape up.

1/5

DNF at 42%

I could no longer do it. It took ages for the moment described in the synopsis to come to pass because the pacing was so slow. It was like pulling out teeth, attempting to read this book. There are no inklings of romance at this point in the story which I dislike as it has been advertised as having one, and the main character is…. awful. Aemyra is so dumb and annoying that I felt no sympathy for her over her hardships or cared for the fact that she was the rightful heir to the throne. She was impulsive and insulted everyone she knew time and time again. I could not personally connect with her. The other characters are much better but they do not feel well fleshed out from what I read.
Also, all the terms were flung at us and as all the lands had similar names, I would have liked a glossary at the front of the book.
Unfortunately this book was far too slow and had too annoying of a main character for me to continue.

On paper, this book had all the things I fall for in a typical Romantasy book - a map and pronunciation guide to start things off, a strong FMC, enemies to lovers, and the thing I was most excited for, DRAGONS! I was intrigued by this world that was completely dominated by women. Women are the ones in charge and the ones who inherit the throne. They are the Queens and there are only goddesses and no gods. The very beginning of the book was full of so much information though and didn’t get fleshed out well which left me confused. The world building felt rushed and could have been better developed.

The first half of the book felt very heavy in politics. The second half had a lot more action but overall I wasn’t a fan of how the FMC behaved. The way she talked felt more like the way a crude man would which just made me cringe. I also didn’t feel the chemistry between her and the Prince so found the romance lacking. He was often mean to her but would sometimes be nice but then switch back to being mean and by the end I was just confused about how he actually felt towards her and what his plans for the future really were.

For a book marketed as a dragon story, it took a long time for the dragons to appear. I was hoping that they would be a more central part to the story.

Overall, it was well written but I was often confused or turned off by what was happening. I don’t feel like I understood it well or connected with it in a meaningful way so I will not be continuing the series in the future.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

2/5 Stars | Dragons + Drama + Disappointing

What I liked: This gave House of the Dragon vibes, and I love House of the Dragon. Also, dragons. I really liked the idea of this book: that a queen hidden in plain sight would come back to rule her kingdom and protect her people.

What I didn't like: The world-building was lacking. The FMC was SO aggressively dumb and short-sighted. The plot felt like zigzagging back and forth from one place to the next, and it didn't connect well; this was so hard to follow that it took me 4x longer than it should have to finish this book. I kept avoiding picking it up because I didn't want to be annoyed again. The magic system was not fleshed out enough. Some of the scenes were so wildly violent. The relationship between the MCs was unbelievable and incredibly insta-lust. I struggled to get through this one, thinking there would be a payoff at the end, but it was predictable at the end as well. Unfortunately, this was a great idea, but it was less than a great execution for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy of this book!

*A Fate Forged in Fire* by Hazel McBride is an enthralling fantasy that weaves together rich world-building, intense action, and emotional depth. Set in a world on the brink of war, the story follows a determined protagonist who must navigate treacherous lands and confront powerful enemies. McBride's writing is vivid, immersing readers in a realm where magic, danger, and personal growth collide. The complex characters and their evolving relationships add layers of depth to the plot, keeping readers hooked. With its gripping storyline and compelling themes, *A Fate Forged in Fire* is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy.

This has the potential to be THE book people are raving about.
The beginning is rather slow, it took me weeks to get about 20% into the book. I almost gave up. I initially had quite a few critics in the beginning, but this mostly came with the language in the book. I was confused about some of the terminology and world building. But over time, I began to understand. I would recommend the pronunciation guide be at the very beginning as well as perhaps adding a glossary.
I would have liked more descriptions of the main characters physical appearance as well.

The end is very good. I definitely did not see that coming at all. Any of it. Bravo.

I completely lost myself in the pages of this captivating book. The author, Hazel McBride, masterfully transports us into a rich and detailed world of dragons, intrigue, and complex relationships within a ruling clan. I was immediately drawn in by the intricate world building, which is deeply rooted in Celtic mythology and filled with lush descriptions.
The deeper into the story, I found myself becoming increasingly engrossed in the banter and magic, politics, family structures, and social circles that were woven together.

"A Fate Forged in Fire" follows Aemyra, a sassy, stubborn and powerful fire wielder who is determined to reclaim her rightful place on the throne of Tir Teine. As the rightful heir, Aemyra is driven by a desire for vengeance and a deep sense of responsibility to the land, which is suffering under the oppressive rule of the True Religion, a group that demonizes magic use. However, reclaiming her throne isn’t for the weak.

Talk about enemies to lovers!! The dynamic between Aemyra and Fiorean is a perfect example of the enemies-to-lovers trope. These two characters initially despise each other, with Fiorean showing no mercy towards Aemyra for a significant portion of the story. Aemyra, in turn, attempts to kill him multiple times, and Fiorean retaliates in kind.

Despite their animosity, there is a slow and subtle buildup of tension between them. Fiorean is the first to fall for Aemyra, and he expresses his feelings first without words and eventually with small comments, carefully dancing around her and trying to hide his growing affection. The tension between adds an extra layer of excitement to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. DNF at 20% of the way through.

Aaugghhhh!!! Another book advertised as fantasy but is just a romance with a mild fantasy background!! Curse you, publisher!

I don't really like these romantasy titles that are just chasing behind the coattails of the more successful ones. (The successful ones aren't even that good anyway...)

So, this book has an incredibly annoying and egotistical protagonist. But it's apparently okay because she's the DESTINED ONE and is SUPER MEGA POWERFUL. She runs into this snarky obnoxious PRINCE who is very SEXY. I'm sure they meet again and make out later in the book but their dynamic is just "annoying self-centered idiots can't handle having the two biggest egos in the same room and NOT make out immediately".

It doesn't help that the worldbuilding is very scattered and confusing, which is why this falls under romantasy because it's not the primary focus--the annoying protagonist hooking up with an equally annoying guy is the main goal here.

No thanks....

It's been a hot minute since I read a book that gave me so many whip lashing emotions. This book truly has so many working parts and court intrigue, love, lust, hate, violence, hate, betrayal, twisted family bonds, hate...that I just want to take a good week long break from reading anything emotional. I may need a good Hallmark Original movie night to make myself feel good again.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Random House Publishing for the eARC!!! I was thoroughly entertained! I need the next STAT

The MFC, Aemyra is exceptional, while also being someone I want to just...smack and hug at the same time. She is the character that I felt the most for, as she so dearly wants to be a good queen, a protector of those she loves and to the people she is set to rule , and yet she is also the character most misunderstood, judged, and betrayed. No one trusts her because they judge her for what they hear or deduce through manipulated means, and not through her actions...that is insufferably irritating. The MMC makes me want to knee him in his balls. I have no words to translate my feelings for him at the end. I can say no more without spoilers.
If you are looking for a book that comes close to Fourth Wing while also in some cases superseding it, then this is the book you want to read next. Be prepared for a gauntlet of emotions. There are a few trigger warnings which include a attempted mutilation, so I would suggest looking at those trigger warning first before purchasing.
Can't recommend this book enough! Great job McBride!!!

NO REGRETS!!!!
5 outta 5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this!

I struggled in the beginning of this, I honestly believe it was because I struggled with pronunciations of the words. In my head, I couldn’t get a flow with the words/spelling. Moving the pronunciations guide to the front vs the back is highly recommended, I wanted to throw my kindle across the room when I finished the last chapter & the next page was the pronunciation guide.

The FMC was a little confusing or maybe bi-polar with her beliefs & what she stood for. One second she felt like a badass, take no shit & burn them to the ground FMC to sitting by & letting the world happen to her with minimal push back.
I wanted her to win so bad, I wanted her to succeed in everything she was doing but definitely felt those moments of inconsistency in personality.

I did enjoy the storyline, I was hooked & couldn’t put it down for the majority of the book. I love when an ending surprises me & thats exactly what I felt when reading the last couple chapters. I am hoping there is a second book & that we get the MMC’s POV. I think this book would have been a solid five with a chapter ending in his POV or dual POV.

It was a decent fantasy book, but wasn’t a fan of the MFC at all. While this book will probably appeal to many it just wasn’t it for me. Thank you for the opportunity to receive and review this book!

3.5 rounded to a 4 because the good stuff was really good. I loved the Scottish spin on this story, and while the plot wasn't necessarily bringing anything new to the fantasy/romantasy genre, I still found it interesting and was engaged throughout the entire book, especially after reaching the halfway point. The romance aspect was a highlight, and I felt myself really enjoying the character development between the two characters and their plots.

However, I felt like the pacing for the first 50% of this book was really wonky. There wasn't enough buildup to some of the most important plot lines (dragon bonding, political marriages, etc) and the parts in between those important chapters seemed to really drag. This would've been a solid 3 stars if the romantic aspect didn't make up for the pacing issues that made the first chunk of the book a slog to get through.

𐙚 - Enemies to Lovers
𐙚 - Fantasy World
𐙚 - Political & Religious Intricacies

The Fate Forged in Fire offers all the elements that Romantasy readers adore—dragons, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a rich fantasy world with a matriarchal twist. The writing is detailed, and the political and religious intricacies are engaging, though the world-building often feels overwhelming with a barrage of names and lore. Aemyra, the fiery FMC, is polarizing— strong and resilient, but at times insufferably, arrogant, and inconsistent. The romance, while present, lacks chemistry with pacing issues. The cliffhanger intrigues, but the book’s execution is divisive. It’s a mixed bag that may or may not spark interest.

Rating: ✰✰✰/5

Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

3 stars/5. This book has all the things the typical Romantasy fan loves - strong FMC, dragons, enemies to lovers, plot intrigue, a world map, and pronunciation guide. The pacing of the story was well done, but I felt the large world building information dump in the beginning made it hard to push through, especially because all the names of Goddesses and territories were thrown in randomly hoping we understood it. I love the idea of a woman lead dynasty, but I don’t think this struck the chord for me. I found the FMC annoying, trying to exert overly manly actions just to prove herself. The romance was appreciated in the second half, but I wouldn’t say I understood or connected with it. The way the book ended in regard to their relationship has me puzzled as to either of their true feelings because I never really understood them in the first place. I enjoyed the authors writing, but feel like some of the plot was missed opportunities or lacking. It was average, but I likely won’t be reaching for book 2.

Thank you NetGalley for this title- I was really excited for this read...

I love dragons, love female main characters, love fantasy, love romantasy.... did not enjoy this book...
Another tropy "trying to be like other popular books" rather than something with thought or originality.

The main character was trying to be a strong independent women but came off as a childish big headed bully- I guess this could make her more relatable but I did not like her therefore did not feel any attachment to her. And why do we repeatedly talk about how similar she looks to the love interest...? Gross.

The plot had so much potential to be so exciting and interesting, but it was slow and I found myself forcing to keep reading.
Maybe it's because I know this stemmed from GoT/HoD fanfic... but it felt a lot like fanfic...
Underdeveloped lore because the lore was intended to be known already from that universe...

I did think the magic system was interesting- though a little confusing/could have been explained better.

Enemies to lovers, a mad king, dragons, and women in power. When this book finally gets going, it takes off. But, you have to stick with it in order to get to that point. I originally didn't think I was going to continue with this one - there was a lot of backstory in the beginning that felt a bit convoluted, and I didn't know why I was supposed to care about any of these characters. And then Aemyra gets taken by her enemies and I NEEDED to know how she was getting out of that scrape. I 100% knew the love story was going to happen, seeing as this is a romantasy and all.. In the last chapter I knew how things were going to end before we got there. Having said that, there were absolutely parts of this book that were interesting, engaging, and bad-ass.

Aemyra is definitely a flawed character. She falls for someone she's not supposed to and this clearly blinds her to appropriate decision making. I've read some reviews that gave her a lot of flack for that but at the same time, do we all not remember being love struck young women? It turns us into idiots. She's also under a ton of pressure to become queen and is attempting to balance restoring her world back to the rule of the matriarchy and not killing a bunch of innocent people.

The second half of this book is what I could not put down, so if you can make it to that point you will not be disappointed. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book!

This Scottish enemies-to-lovers romantasy had me on the edge of my seat! It features dragons, a healthy dose of female rage, a fierce, fiery, & a little arrogant FMC, lots of magic, and a morally grey & broody MMC. I loved the matriarchy vs. patriarchy aspect of the book, as well as the world-building and political intrigue.

The book really explores what it means to be a good ruler and the difficult choices they have to make, as well as themes around family, revenge, and the oppression of women.

And I've been seeing everyone say it, but THE ENDING 😫😭🤪 I will definitely be anxiously awaiting book 2!

Thank you to Net Galley, Delacorte Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!