Absolutely scorching hot in more ways than one. Would recommend this book to anyone that wants an intense romantasy with some hot spice. Will say that it does has some traumatic moments, but it only added to the intensity of the story. Will be grabbing any follow up books, because I definitely need more!

I will be blunt: this was awful. No logic, no nuance, absolutely unlikable and illogical characters, and a trite storyline. Within the first few pages, you can see how it is going to hit every bad cliche and poor writing decisions that are so rampant in the YA genre.

Story: Aemyra knows she is talented with fire magic and can't resist showing off, even though she and her brother would be killed immediately if it is discovered. When Prince Fiorean comes to her blacksmithy, he is inexplicably besotted with her nasty attitude and hubris. When the two are forced to work together at a corrupt court, he continues to be madly in love with her despite Aemyra having the personality of a buzz saw and the charm of roadkill (not to mention self obsession bordering on selfishly narcissitic). Oh yeah, magic, I guess.

It is always a sign of weak writing in YA when the protagonist is incredibly rude but also unbearably boastful: this is not a sign of spirit or confidence and instead is just a 'tell but be unable to show" weakness that is so rampant these days. Similarly, the lack of respect for danger and use of luck (or being saved by the male love interest) to escape poor situations rather than the use of intellect is painful. The author asks us to fall in love with a character whose pride and boasting comes from abilities she lucked out to be born with rather than earned - and it is a very hard sell. I haven't come across a more obnoxiously despicable main in a long time.

The family was the typical too good to be true and the Prince love interest as bland and overidealized as can be imagined. The quality of the writing is at fanfiction level and honestly I feel it would have been best if the author honed her craft more and waited to be published. Definitely one of the worst books I have read this year in terms of characters, plot, and romance. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Hazel McBride’s A Fate Forged in Fire is a fiercely gripping fantasy that hooks you from the first page and never lets go. Blending high-stakes political intrigue, explosive battles, dragons, forbidden magic, and just the right amount of spice, this novel is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and fierce female leads.

At the heart of the story is a young woman who is the true heir to the throne. When the old king dies, she sets off a relentless and often brutal journey to claim what is rightfully hers. But nothing comes easy. Between scheming princes, cutthroat court politics, and a rising religious sect bent on eradicating magic, her path is riddled with danger and betrayal at every turn. This sect, in particular, adds a chilling layer to the narrative, spreading fear and division in a campaign that eerily mirrors real-world extremism. Their growing power threatens not just the protagonist, but the very fabric of the kingdom.

One of McBride’s greatest strengths is her ability to keep you guessing. Just when you think you know where the story is headed, it pivots sharply, delivering twist after unexpected twist. Every betrayal hits hard, every alliance feels tenuous, and every battle is nothing short of epic. The combat scenes are intense and cinematic—chaotic, visceral, and full of consequence.

And then there’s the romance. The spice level is perfectly balanced—intense and emotional without overshadowing the plot. It adds depth to the characters and raises the stakes, especially when love and duty clash.

Overall, A Fate Forged in Fire is a powerful, fast-paced fantasy that delivers on every front: heart, heat, and high-stakes drama. If you’re looking for a story with a strong heroine, complex world-building, and a plot that never lets up, this book should be at the top of your TBR! I rate this book 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and with a spice level of 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Thank you #NetGalley for this opportunity to read this ARC. #AFateForgedInFire

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️.5

“I never knew what it felt like, to burn. So how can I be fire? If the only thing that makes me burn….is you. “

Blurb
To become the best queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt power ruling her kingdom. Aemyra has lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation on the current king’s death so she can bond with his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the kind dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her plan is foiled and she is thrust into a game of politics and plots. Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean who is a dragon-rider and fire wielder. Aemyra hates but as chaos ensues, they find themselves entwined to one another. Behind enemy lines and falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.

Review
First off, thank you to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy of this to read in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes
🗡️ Enemies to lovers
🐉 Dragons/dragon riders
🗡️ Magic
🐉 Cliffhanger
🗡️ Forced proximity
🐉 Marriage of convenience

This book was so good. Once it got going, I was sucked in and really enjoyed the ride. I gave it 4.5 stars due the slow start. Let’s start with the world-building. It was good. I felt like it could have been a little bit stronger, but overall I got an understanding of what their kingdom was like, the powers that people either had or didn’t, and the turmoil that was being faced.

Our FMC, Aemyra, was a total badass and I loved that for her and this book. That is another reason why I loved this book. I can get on board with any book that had a tough FMC and Aemyra was definitely that. She knew where she stood and what was to be hers and was willing to fight for it. She had quick wit and a sharp tongue and wasn’t afraid to strike someone down with her words. But she wasn’t only sharp-witted, she knew how to wield a sword and fight in battle.

The MMC, Fiorean, was a walking heart-throb. But he also took me through the gamut of emotions. When he was first introduced into the story, I kind of had an inkling that something was going to happen with him; however, I wasn’t a huge fan of him at first. He was a tool but also stood up for Aemyra when he first met her. Then he hunted her down and I continued to hate him until the marriage of convenience and their feelings started growing. At this point I was cheering and thoroughly enjoyed him. The speech that he gave to her gave me all the feels. However, that quickly changed at the end and went back to hating him with a passion when I found out what he did. Even though I hated him throughout much of the book, I did enjoy how he pushed Aemyra to be better and do better. He knew she was capable of everything that she wanted, but wanted her to realize it.

The relationship between Aemyra and Fiorean was a true enemies to lovers trope. There are lots of books today that say they are enemies to lovers and it isn’t a true trope. Aemyra did not want the marriage of convenience. At one point in the story she had a knife to his throat and they ended up kissing and vice versa. The progression of their relationship from “I loathe you” to actually feeling things for each other was great. Neither one wanted to admit it, but when it finally happened, the overall story was enhanced.

The cliffy at the end was painful. I knew something was coming, but couldn’t figure out what. Ugh…now I have to wait for the next book to come out.

Overall, this book was well-written and pieced together. I would 10/10 recommend this book to anyone. It was fantasy without being to over-the-top. You have dragons and magic. What more could you want??

Review submitted to Goodreads 6/12/25
Review submitted to IG 6/12/25
Review submitted to Amazon 6/12/25 - waiting on approval to go live

A Fate Forged in Fire surprised me - I started this story expecting a typical fantasy journey, but what I got was something quieter, more introspective, and deeply emotional. Hazel McBride’s writing has a gentle kind of strength—it doesn’t rush you, but instead invites you to sit with the characters, feel their grief, and grow alongside them.

The main character’s journey really resonated with me (shocking, I know). There’s a raw, vulnerable honesty to her that made even the slower moments feel meaningful. There were moments the pacing felt drawn out, but it gave me space to actually feel everything instead of just watching it unfold.

This book felt like a quiet ache in the best way. Stories like these, that are more about healing and identity than high-stakes battles, stick with me forever.

4.5 stars

The number of books I’ve read this year that have had many moments that mirror real world events or feelings has been numerous, and yet they are more palatable in fiction. This is because in fiction we know that the protagonists, the “heroes”, the “good guys”, are going to find a way to fix things (or begin to fix things) and save the world.

What did we have in this book? Well corruption, religious conversion (which also deteriorates the magic because this is a fantasy realm), a weakening of women’s rights. Oh, and a good chunk of the magic/lore/naming of this world is based on or inspired by Irish and Scottish culture and language.

Honestly, I was swept away into this story pretty quickly, and had to make myself slow down just a smidge so I could savor it a little longer. But I admit that it was nice for me to have a book that I didn’t really want to put down (thanks work for making it to where I had no choice and had to put the book down–yes, that’s sarcasm, because I didn’t want to stop reading).

Were some of the reveals predictable? Kind of, but I always find that to be the case because I have been a fantasy reader for around 30 years now, which means I’ve seen a lot of these tropes and ideas play out in various combinations.

I loved Aemyra and her family, and Prince Fiorean was certainly interesting. For a little while he had me semi-fooled as I hoped for a better way forward with their forced alliance. The push-pull of the enemies-to-allies-to-?? relationship, as well as all the historical and magical revelations kept me fascinated and flying through the pages.

Also, I’m a sucker for court politics and political intrigue type stories, especially when balanced with a world filled with magic and magical creatures, and intriguing interpersonal relationships.

I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel, and I can’t wait to have the finished copy of this one on my shelves.

3.75⭐️

I might’ve overhyped this one for myself a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, it was still great. The “my wife” trope in this one was hittinggggg. The plot twist at the end was also SHOCKING. Definitely can’t wait until the next book comes out. Everyone loves a good dragon bond and everything. I just feel like the stuff in between fell a little flat for me. I wanted more time with the dragon and diving further into the bond and how it comes about (maybe that is the Fourth Wing effect).

Overall, it’s a great story and I definitely recommend. The cover is beautiful and the feminism and darker themes in this book are immaculate!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for sending me this free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and it was my first from this author. I do feel it was a bit slow to pick up and overall for cliche. But I will say it had some good elements and loved the slow burn. Will read the second book. Thanks NetGalley!

This book had all the ingredients I usually love—Celtic-inspired fantasy, dragon bonds, enemies-to-lovers tension—but it just didn’t deliver. The world-building was interesting at first but quickly became overwhelming with too many names and not enough context. I liked the idea of magical bonds and the kingdom backstories, but the execution felt rushed. The romance didn’t help either—Fiorean was bland, and the chemistry between him and Aemyra never fully clicked.

But the biggest struggle for me was Aemyra. She’s framed as a powerful, rage-fueled heroine, but she comes off arrogant, immature, and deeply unlikable. Her constant need to remind everyone of her power, while making terrible decisions and judging other women, made it hard to root for her. I kept waiting for growth or even a spark of vulnerability, but it never came. The dragons were cool, the ending had a flicker of promise, but overall, this one just didn’t land for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. This is a voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars!!!

i can't lie. the first 50% of this book was rough & very hard for me to get through. it just felt extremely slowwwww and i wasn't engaged. BUT!!! BUT!! the last 50%????? wow i was obsessed!!! the protective 'who did this to you' moments had me screaming!! i was a fan of a few of the plot twists & literally fell in love !! and now i'm dying for book 2! i NEED to know what happens and how it all comes together ughhhhh i don't want to wait.

definitely recommend this book!

thank you Delacorte Press & Netgalley for the arc! this is my honest review.

I really thought I would love this book, but it overall fell flat. All the tropes that I love were there but I struggled connecting with the characters and thought the plot dragged. I overall found myself putting it down frequently and reaching for other books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Random House for the opportunity to read this arc!

This book was fantastic!! I have been in a reading slump for months and this is the one that pulled me out!!
The depth of the characters is great and even though I saw that ending, or something similar, coming well before the end...
I was still gutted.

I laughed and I cried.

Thank you so much for this book!

Perhaps it was due to not being pulled into the book, but I struggled a lot in reading this book. I gave it a few chapters but I just couldn't get into it. The magic system was confusing and I struggled with the chosen one path this book was taking in the first few chapters.

I went into this book completely blind and it was the best decision! A Fate Forged in Fire is a gripping fantasy read the has everything you will love: magic, slow-burn romances, and most importantly dragons!!! The first 30% was paced a bit to slow for me, which is why this took me longer to read then normal, but once I got passed that part I couldn't book the book down!! The world is vast but I do think McBride did a good job in explaining how everything flows together. I found Amerya to be a very strong and unique main female character. The chemistry that she has with Prince Fiorean adds all the tension that we love in fantasy!! The development and pacing of their relationship was perfect in my opinion. The ending was crazy and I am so glad this is a duology so that I can get answers immediately once book two comes out!!


Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride
Thank you to @hazelmcbrideauthor , @netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me the chance to read and advanced copy of this book!

I went into this book mostly blind. And I'm so glad I did! WHAT A WILD RIDE! It had me screaming, gasping, kicking my feet, and giggling. There was one evening while I was reading that I approached my husband with excited ramblings about a certain scene but I think all he understood was there was a daggar involved. 😂 I have already recommended this book to several friends! Excited for the series to continue!

This book is for you if you love:
•Celtic lore
•Matriarchal society
•Unique magic system
•"My wife"
• Badass FMC who is far from perfect
•Morally grey MMC with secrets
•Battle of religions
• The Banter
• Slow burn
• Feminine rage

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Extremely slow start, but I’m happy I got past the first 30%. Once it picked up, I was hooked. I wish it would have been a dual POV though.
It took a minute for the FMC to grow on me, but she surprised me. Then left me pissed with all her mistakes.😂 She definitely has some feminine rage in her!
This is a true enemies to lovers and it made me so happy!
That ending 🤯

🥀3rd person POV
🥀Rightful Heir 👑
🥀Dragon Bonding 🐉
🥀Royalty
🥀Elemental Magic 🔥
🥀Enemies to Lovers

If you want to feel anything and everything?... then read this book! You want feminine rage AND yearning?... READ this book. You want a love confession and a "my wife" moment, but also vengeance? Read this BOOK! Not to mention dragons!!!

Ugh cannot even begin to describe the emotions this book brought out. A MUST read.

A Fate Forged in Fire delivers a fiery mix of magic, dragons, and slow-burn romance. Aemyra is a strong, complex heroine, and her chemistry with Fiorean keeps the tension high. The world is rich and unique, though the start is a bit slow. A thrilling read with heart and heat!

I appreciated the author’s attempt to portray a hidden queen fueled by feminine rage, battling a misogynistic religion with her bonded dragon, but this ultimately fell really flat. The world building is so clunky and confusing, and I had a hard time keeping up with all the terms and phrases that had no context. It pulled me out of the story and left me so frustrated. I also think the FMC was really irritating and entitled. She’s the rightful queen, but made poor decisions and was so rash and mean, especially to her brother. I just wasn’t engaged at all and couldn’t connect to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Hazel McBride, and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, it took me a second to get into it, but once I was I couldn’t put this one down- I HAD to know what happened next! *cue book hangover.* The world building a plot development take a bit to pick up and get going- I was interested, but it was a slower pace. I think the FMC had a lot to learn and was humbled a few times- but she did recognize that she needed to learn more which made her interesting and not intolerable. I loved the enemies to lovers in this one. I felt like the relationship development was believable and never felt like insta love/lust to me! The ending?! Devastating. I HAVE to know what happened. I like kind of knew it was coming but couldn’t believe it would actually happen. I was devastated- I NEED the next book asap!