Review update (January 2, 2025):
"House of the Dragon but make it Scottish."

In my initial review, I was too raw from emotions and that grappling cliffhanger that it took me a hot minute to recover from finishing it. I am both honored and horrified to have read this book early because of course, it was a privilege to be an advanced reader of such a thrilling book but it was also a double edged sword because this also marked the torturous wait for the sequel which hasn't been announced yet.

A Fate Forged In Fire is unlike anything I have read before, but also bore some similarities to other fantasy books I have read in a wonderful and comforting kind of way. I love how the plot goes where I could not guess where it will land but at the same time, there was this feeling of familiarity with the tropes well known and I have come to love in my romantasy books. It's also a joy to explore the many Scottish influences obviously ingrained in the story as well as the characters. Being written by a native Scottish, the book tugged at my heart when I think of how the author honored her roots. There's so many writers who were inspired by Scottish lore and while some did their due diligence and did research to properly include Scottish elements in their book, there's nothing quite like reading from a Scottish author herself whose love for her homeland shone in every page and every use of her native language in her book.

I really enjoyed the magic system because elemental magic is my favorite type of magic and the beasts just added to the factors that made me fall even more in love with the story. When a setting is described, it's simple and not overbearing but at the same time, I could vividly picture it in my head. So yeah, I guess simplicity is key when it comes to describing a fantasy world that is already rich and vast that it doesn't need any unnecessary flowery words or deep vocabulary.

The writing was solid and easy to follow through and I liked the pacing and how tension and calm were distributed in equal amounts whenever they're needed. I compared this book to House of the Dragon because the politics dynamics of Fire and Blood (and ASOIAF, really) mirrors that of this book. I swear, it was just as anxiety-inducing and blood curling. Nothing goes according to plan and I loved that so so soooo much. I was hooked from the very beginning and was kept dangling chapter by chapter with strategically well placed breaks in between.

Aemyra is a character I want to grow up to be, and she's a unique main female character that I can say I haven't read of. She and the other characters in this book were just so fully realized and also distinguishable from other character archetypes though they most likely have been molded by them. That is how real they felt for me. They were all flawed like real people, mostly Aemyra which I highly praise, and so it adds to the realness of the story and how I viewed them as true to life people and not just characters slapped on the page. I was anxious to root for anyone because I got the feeling that they all have their hidden agendas and it was hard for me to trust any of them, not even the fmc nor the mmc. This is what I've been looking for in my books. It's all very new to me and I really enjoyed the stress the characters gave me while reading.

Speaking of the fmc and the mmc, A Fate Forged In Fire has a true to the bone enemies-to-lovers trope. It's not instalove or "you're my enemy but I'm attracted to you from the beginning so I really didn't hate you, not really". Aemyra and Fiorean didn't only came from opposing sides of warring clans but they truly have different beliefs that became an obstacle in the progression of their relationship. They fought to kill each other and plotted to bring the other's family down. The trust they have built was truly from hard work and the willingness to open up and be vulnerable to a person who, despite the circumstances and the odds, they have come to care for genuinely. The passion that followed was so hot and it was so worth the two of them being angsty at the beginning.

The other thing that I loved the most aside from the enemies-to-lovers trope that was very well done it was chef's kiss, was the beasts. In fantasy books, I prefer the beasts to have interactions with the characters and guess what? This book has something even better than that because it gave me an HBO-worthy fight between dragons which had me gagging and plastering myself on my seat. I want to close my eyes to pause for a second because of how intense the scene was but at the same time, I. Couldn't. Look. Away.

While I appreciate the glossary very much, I loved how the author literally just threw me into the story and made me figure things out on my own. There were a lot of terminologies and stuff that I had to discover while I read because they do not come in expositions. It's not that I have any issues with expositions (when they're done well), but it's refreshing to read a book which didn't baby or coddle me and instead just expected me to piece the puzzle independently.

Overall, A Fate Forged In Fire is now high on my watchlist, or at least its sequel because again I'm mentioning that cliffhanger and how it left me in a free fall with no bottom in sight. Seriously, when is book two coming out? I could not wait to recommend this to all my romantasy book besties whom I just know will love reading it as much as I did. Hazel McBride did amazing in this debut of hers and I cannot wait for more of her books.

My deepest gratitude to Samantha from Random House for providing me an e-ARC of this book to read and review. It was such a pleasure, this gift.

Original review from December 15, 2024 (date finished):
I would like to say I didn’t see that coming BUT I DID AND NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO IT WAS AWESOME IT WAS AMAZING BUT

BOOK TWO WHENNNNN

I mean I’m so grateful for the ARC but this book doesn’t come out until May 2025 and so I’m just here thinking how long will it take have to wait for the sequel 😭

Yea selfish of me but it was just that CLIFFHANGER GOT ME

I need a break I need to breathe I need to calm down I’ll write a proper review later like more detailed and a bit more articulate than this one bc I’m just unstable rn

I couldn't get into this one no matter how much I tried. It was a DNF for me which I don't do often, I usually try to push through but I just couldn't with this one. I am not a fan of the FMC at all. I am a girls girl and love to read a rage filled empowering FMC but not one that puts other women down. I'll give it two stars since I did not finish and I may go back and try again but unfortunately for the time being this is the rating I'm giving.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I was really excited and looking forward to reading this book based on the description- it sounded right up my alley! But the execution just wasn’t my favorite. It picked up a lot in the last quarter of the book, but overall, this one fell flat for me.

Some things I enjoyed:
- The dragons!
-I enjoyed how the author incorporated Gaelic and historical influences into the story
-The best character, Adarian, needed way more story

Some things I didn’t:
-the terrible assault scene that felt super unnecessary and came out of no where
-Aemyra is very unlikeable
-The banter fell super flat and I was never into Aemyra and Fiorean as a couple

There is definitely a lot of plot and not a lot of character development so if you prefer plot over character this one might be for you.

I was sent this by the publisher and the synopsis sounded fantastic but pretty quickly into the book I knew it wasn't for me. I think there will be so many others who love it!

So this had a bit of a slow start, but that is not uncommon with the first book of epic fantasy - and this has the feel of an epic series.

Once things picked up - such an intense read. I love the Scottish flavor, I *loved* our fiery FMC, with a temper and passion to match her hair color. There is growth, spice, betrayal, TRUE enemies to lovers, slooooow burn & DRAGONS. Oh - and the spicy scenes! They match her fire. I needed a fan or a cold shower, to cool my ass down. Please give me more!!!

More of a 4.5 star read for me, but since I can't give 1/2 star ratings this book deserves to be a 5 star over a 4

“You should show your subjects the same respect you demand from them.”

- secret heir to the the throne mc
- HATE to love
- one pov (thank god)
- bisexual mc

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this! This review is already posted on my Goodreads. This book had a hell of a lot of elements of fantasy incorporated that I love. To dragons, elemental magic, good support system, and to female rage, this book definitely was not lacking. The only thing that really made this book not a 5 star read is the fact that Aemyra, the mc, was childish and very annoying. However, i’m the first to DNF a book and this was one actually worth reading. Such a good story line and focuses on the differences of religion in a kingdom. I quite literally felt rage the whole time I was reading this but could not put the book down. Don’t even get me started on Fiorean, the mmc, because I think their relationship was done amazing. Finally a story where the enemies to lovers don’t have eyes for each other in the first 30 or less damn chapters! Definitely worth the read!

Thank you for allowing me to read an e-arc of A Fate Forged in Fire!

I DNFed this book at 33%. I was so excited to read this. The cover is amazing and added to my excitement. Once I started reading I could not keep my attention on the story. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I don’t feel it was horrible. It just wasn’t a book for me.

This was such a good book!! I am so sad I have to wait so long for the second one.

The magic system and the world building are light, but well done. I am interested in learning more about both in future books.

I love the FMC, she is such a strong yet emotional character and I enjoyed living her story.

The story is well paced and well thought through, with lots of twists that I never saw coming!! I feel that even though it is set in a fantasy world, it feels relevant in today’s world.

I’d like to start with thanking everyone involved in allowing me to get an ARC copy of this highly anticipated book!

There will be spoilers.

I overall enjoyed the first 80% of the book! I would have rated it 5 stars based on that alone. The Gaelic words were a struggle at the beginning, but like most fantasy books you catch on quickly. I really liked the FMC, although I do wish she was more prepared for a lot of scenarios. If she’s been training to take the throne and rule as Queen for 26 years she should have anticipated some of the traps more. I loved that she is bisexual! I do wish that her brother Lachlan would have been spared, I was really rooting for the MMC to have saved and hidden him. Speaking of Fiorean, his character development I felt was kinda poor? The whole book he’s this devoted brother, then devoted husband, then the ending switches his character? I have theories on the ending but I’ll keep them to myself. Overall I will recommend this book as the vibes were great and overall pacing of the story I felt was done well. Also if the author is hoping for me to hate Draevan, mission accomplished.

I had the opportunity to read the book "A Fate Forged In Fire" by Hazel McBride recently. I have mixed feelings about it. To begin with (and now) I really like the cover art and the storyline seems to be exactly what I love to get lost in. Dragons, oh yeah! However, there are a couple of points that stop me from giving it a glowing top rated review.

I kept wanting to get behind and support the main character, Aemyra, but I kept shaking my head at her as she would make less than stellar decisions. She is definitely a character that you can care about and want to do well. You want her to get what she wants and succeed. However, she keeps making irrational decisions based on less than the best logic. Then, towards the end of the story, you think she is finally gaining some smarts, finally making some better decisions, making a shaky alliance with one of her nemeses. And the story turns. . .

The book really is a good read, but by the end of it, I was quite disappointed. I really wanted a different ending for the main character. I believe the author wanted you to yearn for more at the end, and there is probably a book two, but there is no happy ending at the end of book one. I would have liked to have a book you can feel good about finishing, instead of one where you really wished it had a different ending.

The book is full of action and characters that you can care about. It has great potential to be a wonderful series, and I look forward to seeing if Hazel McBride puts out a book 2.

I adored this book. It was a surprise, as a was expecting something more tame but damn. Hazel came into this book swinging. There was no emotion spared and I couldn’t help myself from reading this book all night. This is a book I am recommending to all my friends.
I adore books who have a romance that isn’t inherently obvious. In fact, with this book the romantic elements didn’t come into play until well into the last half of the book and yet, I was so engaged in the plot from the start. I loved watching the characters grow and trust and love. And then the betrayal! Oh my. So excited for the next one!!

I really wanted to like this book. The concept was so interesting but I found the main character to be rather unlikable. I struggled to understand the magic system in the world and had to restart several times to understand what was happening.

Dragons, enemies to lovers, a nerve wracking ending and a fire-wielding, anger-fueled, bisexual queen? What is there not to enjoy?
Definitely read the trigger warnings on this!

I got 25% of the book read before I stopped. While this book has all the elements I am normally interested in, it just wasn’t my jam. I didn’t find the main character relatable and didn’t connect to any of the side characters.

This book was so good!! The perfect amount of romance and plot that I look for in the romantasy genre. Once I got 15% in I could not put it down. The magic system was so unique. The enemies were actual enemies. I felt genuinely attached to the FMC and deeply felt every emotion that she did. The pacing was great once you were introduced to the world. I need book 2 yesterday!!!

DNF at 19%

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but immediately from the start I couldn't get into it. I kept trying and trying but found myself becoming in a slump. To me, it just felt like another Romantasy story being retold with a secret heir trying to retake a throne. Perhaps it's my fault for reading too much in this genre lately, but it just didn't feel all that original. None of the characters peaked my interest or had me liking them either. The FMC, Aemyra, did at first but very quickly did I find myself becoming uninterested in her journey for the crown.

I'd like to try this one again someday! Maybe it was one of those books I read at the wrong time and may feel differently, but for my initial thoughts I just found myself bored because it was like I had already read this story before. I do like that there are dragons in this though because they're definitely my favourite mythical creatures ❤︎

this book was beautifully written. loved the character development and the world building, and the Gaelic magic
i follow this author on TikTok and you can tell she put so much thought and love into this book.
10/10 read.

Fate forged and fire was an engaging read, particularly for its rich historical embellishments, and the intriguing dynamic between Amira and Florian. However, I did find some aspects of Amy‘s character, particularly her sexual preference is somewhat confusing. At times it seems as though the story might explore themes of a woman trapped in, had a normative marriage While harboring romantic inclination is toward women, but this ambiguity made it difficult to gauge the true direction in the narrative. The portrayal of her relationship and desires left me, questioning the context and where the story might be heading. The presence of a forced marriage – while a well known and troubling trope – created an uncomfortable tension throughout the plot. It raised the stakes in terms of emotional conflict, but also carried an excellent weight. I also found myself grappling with pronunciation and several characters names Which added an extra layer of challenge to the reading experience. Amy‘s character is defined by a fear sense of justice and the stubborn disposition which while admirable also make her particularly vulnerable to manipulation. Given her position as both a healer and an air, I expected her to demonstrate more caution and savvy, especially in navigating the political mind field around her. Her susceptibility to manipulation, while part of her character feels somewhat inconsistent with the strength and intelligence one would expect from someone in her position, secretive or not. Well, I initially anticipated a more adventurous storyline because lead heavily into political injury, blackmail, and power struggles. While these elements are compelling, they have shifted the tone and focus of the narrative in ways that may not align with what I was hoping for.

Uhm, wow!! 4.5 or 4.75 stars out of 5! Easily! I didn't have any expectations going into this book and it blew me away! I really feel like people that love Fourth Wing need to give this book a shot!

I loved the romantasy aspects and it being a slow burn. Even though it was slow burn the plot overall was still super fast paced and it flew by.

I loved the familial aspects between our FMC and her twin and I hope we can get more of their relationship in later books.

The magic was awesome and simple to understand, and can we talk about the DRAGONS!!!! I know dragons are super hyped right now but I loved that the amount of dragons were limited in this book and the relationship was unique for me. I wish we had a bit more time to develop the relationship between rider and dragon but I know with only so many pages not everything can be expanded. I hope to see more of their relationship in future books!

My only complaint is that the sexual comments in the first half of the book seemed so unneccessary and random. The book starts off making it seem like its going to be a bisexual/lesbian character and like that will be a strong trait through the book, but that just is not the case. I did love the romance in the later half of the book but felt like the characters sexuality could have been expressed better.

Wow, I absolutely devoured this book, a Scottish/Gaelic inspired dragon rider romantasy where things aren’t always as they seem. This book is for fans of House of the Dragon and Throne of Glass, with an elaborate matriarchal world built around an angsty, ragey Queen-in-waiting whose fire powers would be greatly amplified by bonding with one of only three surviving dragons. Our FMC has to overcome woman-hating cult religion trying to usurp her birthright, and in general has to navigate manipulation from mediocre men basically every step of the way. There are many of your favorite tropes here - an expertly done enemies-to-lovers that are never really either one if we’re being honest, an infuriating slow burn, arranged marriage, “one bed” (lol) - but for the most part it feels like a fresh story. This will be a duology and I can’t believe I have to wait extra long for the conclusion… this is definitely a con to ARC reading!