This is the type of romantasy book I enjoy! It is filled with exciting world building, political intrigue, magic, dragons, and an enemies-to-lovers romance! The story was a bit of a slow burn plot but I enjoyed it from start to finish! I can't wait for the next book!

5 stars

HELL YES.

This is how you do a fantasy romance book!!! We are dropped RIGHT into the plot. I felt like I had to run to keep up with the characters.

It’s HTTYD meets a matriarchy and feminism all wrapped up. The way things played out I could not have guessed.

She has to fight SO HARD for what she is rightfully owed. The magic and political system was easy to follow but still complex in the way it worked.

The ending was so intense. I need book two now. I need to know what happened.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has a killer start! I was originally intrigued by this book because of the political battle, the inclusion of dragons and an enemies to lovers trope. Overall though, this one was a disappointment for me.

The first 50% of this book is so strong. I was immediately connected to our female main character, and her family. We have a strong, confident woman and the premise set her up to be a woman claiming what is rightfully hers. The plot naturally develops into one that creates a fast-paced storyline, and puts our fmc with her love interest. But at this point it’s when the book. Feels like it lost a lot of its originality and intrigue.

The story became predictable, the enemies to lovers timeline progressed way too fast, and the dialogue felt unnatural. It got to a point where the author felt like they were checking boxes off a list of what tropes to include just so that there would be buzzwords for the Romantasy genre.

The ending left a lot to be desired and I don’t think this book felt original enough for me to be interested enough to continue the series.

Aemyra is the true heir to the throne and is waiting for the king to die so she can claim the throne and his dragon. She is a part of a resistance that fights for the true heir.
Once the king dies, she declares herself then is confronted with the king's heir who claims the throne as his own.
The story started slow with a fabulous build up where I couldn’t read fast enough. The story is full of surprises, has a bisexual MC and a story that easily captivated me. I fell in love with this world and the characters and I’m so happy it is a duology!

Thank you to Penguin Random House/Ballantine/Delacorte for the copy. I loved this one!

This book had a slow build up for the first 30%, but then the pacing really sped up I ended up getting hooked on the story and thoroughly enjoyed it! Aemyra could not catch a break, and it seemed as though every step forward brought her back two places. I was bounced between feeling frustrated, hopeful and distraught. The oppressive religion was represented so accurately, and I could definitely relate it to some of my experiences while living in a predominantly religious area. Side note, I could not stop picturing evil men and their followers in hooded robes and True Religion jeans.

I loved the way that this slow burn romance played out. I felt like the connections happened at a realistic pace and I wasn't left feeling like I missed a chapter. I do wish that we learned a bit more about our MMC, but after finishing the book the amount of information that we're given makes sense. There were a lot of funny and lighthearted moments between our MFC and MMC that helped ease the underlying tension and trauma that was taking place throughout the book. The dialogue was natural and descriptive which let me believe that I really understood our characters perspectives. I didn't find myself wishing that this were in 1st person POV (until the very end...).

Speaking of dialogue, I really enjoyed the use of Scottish Gaelic! It always made sense given the context, and I honestly found myself dictionary-ing less than other (usually overly written) fantasy novels. The pronunciation guide was super useful, but I'm also not the type of reader who gets hung up on the pronunciation of real words that I am unfamiliar with. I hope more Scottish and Irish people feel comfortable sharing their knowledge and use Gaelic in their works!

I do wish the setting of our world was described a bit more, but overall the world-building and plot were strong! There were some common tropes but I think they worked with this book. There are many dark moments in this story, so it was nice to have that comfort-reading feeling to lean back on. The ending ruined me and I need to know what happens next! I will definitely be picking up the next novel.

ARC provided for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones or The Hurricane Wars, this book will sweep you away.

Our fierce and loyal FMC, Aemyra, is deeply devoted to her family and country—so much so that she’s willing to risk everything for them. She also happens to be the realm’s lost heir. After hiding her magic for a decade, she seizes the chance to claim the throne following the king’s death. But her path is anything but easy, with rival claimants and a powerful religious faction determined to keep her from the crown. Also dragons.

Enter Fiorean. What begins as an act of mercy—Aemyra sparing his life—slowly transforms into a complex, tension-filled relationship. Eventually, a forced marriage ties their fates together. Sparks fly, secrets simmer, and despite their opposing loyalties, they begin to see just how aligned their hearts truly are.

Fiorean’s speech in the meadow was straight out of a Pride and Prejudice moment—raw, emotional, and unforgettable.

The book grips you from the first chapter with its fast-paced plot. The middle is where I truly fell in love with certain characters. And while I braced myself for a tragic ending, I was desperate for more. There’s so l left unresolved, and I cannot wait for the next book

A Fate Forged In Fire by Hazel McBride is a Romantasy book I am sure that people will really enjoy. The enemy to lovers trope is true enemies to lovers in this story between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean, and DRAGONS!!! Need I really say more? Those two things together make for a very interesting story, and this book had lots of twist and turns that kept you intrigued until the end.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but some of the scenes and wording used did take me out of the story. I had to put it down a few times and walk away or else I honestly would have probably DNF it. I am glad I stuck with it though through the end, and I am excited to see what book 2 brings. Also, that cliffhanger was brutal!! But well done.

Such a great fantasy romance! Adored the writing and the setting, and it was so easy to fall in love with the characters. I can't wait to read more of this author's work!

This was a steamy political romantasy that is inspired by Scottish mythology and House of the Dragon. While there were some elements that I liked about the book, there were others that didn’t and the fact that I was able to predict the plot rather easily at times made for a rather interesting and conflicting read for me. 🫨

The story follows Aemyra, a 26-year-old princess hiding as a blacksmith’s daughter as she waits for her chance to win back her birthright. At first, I liked how kickass she was and that she took no bullshit from anyone. She was the kind of woman that was very conscious of how people perceived her and while that might sound a bit pretentious, it worked in her case since she is about to become very well known and knows that the way people see her will be a make or a break for her image. The one thing that I just struggled with here and there is that she made such rash decisions for someone who is supposed to be schooled into diplomacy; it also kind of made her out to be rather immature for someone in their mid-twenties which is another annoying straight that I’ve noticed in other romantasies that have mid-twenty something year old MCs who just can’t act their age. 🫠

The romance part is (funnily enough) what kept me going for this book, and I actually rather liked it. I liked the tension that fills the space between Aemyra and Fiorean and how they can’t seem to help their attraction to each other despite loathing the situation that forced them together. While I’m definitely not a fan of the open door spicy scenes, I thought their mutual respect for each other rather charming. 🤭

Despite the fact that I guessed the ending pretty much half way through, I still liked the build up to it. All in all, the whole book just kind of irked and fascinated me at the same time and thus I’m left with a rather confused liking for it. Will I be continuing the series? For now, I would say that it is a yes simply because I want to know how the story goes after the book’s ending. I would definitely recommend this to those who are interested in reading a book that has House of the Dragon vibes and want a male love interest that resembles Aemond Targaryen personality wise. I also think this book would definitely satisfy lovers of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen and need a new duology (I think it’s a duology) to obsess over. 🗡️

Huge thank you goes out to Dell Romance and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review; and to the author for crafting such an interesting Scottish mythology/House of the Dragon inspired romantasy. ❤️

Publication date: May 27

Overall: . . . I’m going to round this up to 4/5 ⭐️ since I really did enjoy parts of the book

I was excited to receive an advanced copy of this book via NetGAlley - dragons, romance, political intrigue...sign me up! Unfortunately, it took me forever to get through. I truly despise when readers can't handle a flawed character who acts their age, but woof, Aemyra was difficult to relate to. It's not that she's bratty or headstrong, it's that her choices seem to be completely off-base for who she's meant to be as a character. Like, when Fiorean admits to what he did, her reaction is...nothing? Also, I found it difficult to believe any chemistry between the two of them. Sorry to say this just didn't land for me.

I gave it a good try, but I gave up about half way through.

Firstly, it's more of a plot based fantasy, and the main character is such a self righteous person I couldn't root for her to rule a house let alone a whole country. She kinda gave Yzma energy at times. And all the talking parts of the book were interesting and I should have enjoyed it, but I don't think the melange of all the tropes and the characters worked for me.

All of those things being said, I appreciate what the author was trying to do, and the angst they were trying to create with the main characters. The forbidden romance part of it would have been great if the main character had not been so insufferable.

Thank you to Celadon and Netgalley for an early copy.

Wow that ending has left me absolutely stunned and I desperately need the second book in this duology! The first half had a lot of worldbuilding and plot that was being built and truthfully it dragged but I love a story with dragons and a fierce FMC. This is definitely higher fantasy than what I was expecting and I think with all the names and terms, it slowed down the pace just a bit. The second half once I was more familiar with the world was so fast paced and I enjoyed every word of it.

Aemyra is a fiesty FMC hiding as a blacksmith and is the heir in a matriarch throne. The world is in a battle between those who believe in the matriarch rule and the Chosen who believe male heirs should reign. Oh and dragons are in the mix too! Aemyra is working with part of her clan to take back the throne so we’re fully within a battle the whole time. She ends up in some tricky situations. Lots of “my wife” moments!!

This was really good and I highly recommend!

~I received this eARC free from NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, Hazel McBride, and Random House! My opinions are my own and voluntarily given~

This had a lot of potential for me but fell a bit flat.
While i do believe the author has great potential, it was hard for me to keep engaged in the book. Romantasy is such a popular genre so it’s hard to stand out against the other books. By the end i felt as if I wouldn’t remember this story,

The first several chapters of this novel were off to a good start and grabbed my attention. After the king died, the story was full of tension, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Shortly after that, pacing ground to a halt - for me, anyway. I tried to get back into the novel, but it failed to regain my interest, and I grew more annoyed with the female MC as the story progressed. I also felt as if the world-building/religions weren't explained very well. Looking at other reviews, it's obvious this book found it's audience, but it just wasn't for me. It won't prevent me from reading further releases by this author.

Hello!

Unfortunately, I did not finish (DNF) this book. It was a bummer - I definitely had high hopes. The writing style for me is the main part of the issue. The main character leaned so heavily into an introspective whiny tone.

The world-building seemed like it wanted to have political tense elements, but never gave enough to make me care. While the characters lacked depth and the pacing dragged.

I could tell I wasn’t going to like it from the first page. I’ve never read a Hazel McBride book before either. Might just be a style preference because I’ve seen good reviews.

I’ve linked my goodreads review.

With my feelings aside, thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.


~Grace

Am So Pissed at Myself for Not Reading This Sooner

I was graciously given an advance eARC of A Fate Forged in Fire, and gods, did I mess up by not devouring it the moment it hit my eReader.

This book didn’t just grab me, it had my heart racing, had me pacing the room, and raging right alongside Aemyra.

Aemyra is everything. She’s a queen carved from steel and spitfire, and she is absolutely not here for anyone’s bullshit. From the moment she steps forward—not just as a blacksmith’s daughter or a midwife, but as a force of prophecy and power—she walks through fire in a way that absolutely channels Daenerys Targaryen vibes. She commands the page.

The twists? Brutal.
The stakes? Unforgiving.
And Aemyra? Unbreakable.

Not even Prince Fiorean and their shaky alliance can hold her down. She’s determined to be the queen her people need, and she’ll do it without needless bloodshed, even if it costs her everything.

This is the kind of romantasy that grips you by the throat with pagan fire, dragon bonds, and whispered oaths of vengeance, and refuses to let go. Aemyra doesn’t just survive. She claims destiny by the throat and dares anyone to stop her.

On a side note: this is very Paganism(Brigid) vs Christianity (True Religion) coded.
Trigger warns: Knife Play

This one had all the elements for an instant classic - feminine rage, dragons, familial drama, elemental magic, royal intrigue, the list goes on…

Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. I still think it’s a SOLID book, but not the blockbuster it had the potential to be.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

Sadly, I'm only 1/3 of the way through the book after a month. I just can't get into it. To be honest, the character and place names are really throwing me off. I feel like I'm spending so much time trying to figure out how to say things that I am unable to absorb the actual story. If the book had a pronunciation guide and glossary maybe I would have enjoyed it more. But it just feels like a slog and I'm giving myself permission to call it quits! DNF at 32%.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the gifted book!

First of all, this is the start of a duology, a FANTASY GOLD STANDARD. Secondly, there’s Celtic lore, redheads 👩🏻‍🦰💁🏼‍♀️, a morally grey FMC, an arranged marriage, political intrigue, magic, and DRAGONS THAT BOND TO HUMANS. I know, I know, why haven’t you read this yet, right?!

Aemyra is a magic-wielding blacksmith who’s set to be the first Queen in centuries. Her arranged marriage to her enemy, Prince Fiorean, threatens to be her hardest challenge. His family is corrupt and goes against everything she’s working to change. But they find themselves tangled (in more ways than one 😉) when and forced to forge an alliance.

I’d say the first thing to know about this book is that it’s set up kind of like an SJM book, where the front is slower-moving and the end is more like WTF JUST HAPPENED. There’s some good action throughout the book, but I was really intrigued during the dragon bonding process toward the middle and then with the immediate twists that followed. There’s so much depth to this book with the lore and the politics, but mannn that romantic relationship also delivered! I saw some reviews saying that Aemyra is unlikable, but girl if you’re going to be Queen, you’d better be ready to take some names and threaten to cut off some balls, and I’m here for it. I loved her. Per usual, the ending was rude since book two isn’t out yet and I’m going to need it by tomorrow so I can know what happens next. I’m also left once again wishing I had a dragon.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for eARC.

Truth be told, I DNF’d this book. My main issue was not being able to connect at all with the main character. Also, we are thrown right into the magical world, but somehow the pacing feels slow. Now that it has been published, I may try to revisit it as an audiobook to see if it’s easier to get into.