I loved this book. Everything about it. There is absolutely nothing I love more than a strong FMC and this book delivered. I couldn’t read fast enough. Love love loved it

first i’m so thankful for being sent an eARC from the author and random house

second THIS WAS SO GOOD, i was not expecting to be so fast paced, engaging and concise considering that it’s a higher level fantasy. the main character was flawed and made choices that i didn’t agree with sometimes but that just made her even more complex and engaging. all the side characters were also so interesting and added different elements to the story. i also really enjoyed how the battle scenes and action scenes were written so clearly and i could visualize them so well

so excited for the next one and can’t wait to get a physical copy in my hands on release day!

Okay, AMAZING! If I could give this 6 stars I would. The pace, the storytelling, the addressing of real trauma that women face, the politics, the drama, the fantasy?? WOW. When I say I nearly broke an ankle running to Goodreads to give this 5 stars, I meant it! Pure torture that book 2 isn't out yet. I can't wait to have a physical copy of this on my shelf come next year.

Minor minor details, just if someone could read through purely for grammar, that would be cool. I'm sorry I read this on my Kindle, but in Loc2127 in Chapter 15, I just picture her yelling during the scene where she's fighting with Terrea; maybe add a few exclamation points? Loc2293, or Chapter 16, it says Andarian "bristled with outrage" twice. Also, just wondering, why wasn't it Draevan's priority to get Orlagh, Pàdraig, and Lachlann out of there ASAP after Aemyra declared herself?? I feel like that was a little naïve to think oh hey I'm just going to walk into this very sexist and misogynistic castle that hates my absolute guts and think they'll let her become queen with what, no fight? Also, I'd just sliiiightly consider changing the name of her sword; first thing I thought of when I read Lightbringer was the series by Brandon Anderson. Maybe pick something fire related? Seriously minor stuff though. I know it's crazy but I just need to know that Aemyra and Fiorean are okay. I will be (impatiently... ahem, eagerly!) awaiting book 2!!

Thank you Hazel McBride for giving me the chance to read this book!

What a great book I just got done reading. I started it a few days ago and I devoured it the rest of today! I love you story and the arc of the FMC and also a strong MMC. Their chemistry was “chefs kiss” it had my eyes watery in a few sections and cheering for her because of what a badass the FMC is. Plus it has dragons!!! 🐉 great book. Looking forward to the next book to this series. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Hazel McBride and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of A Faith Forged in Fire in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! As a romantasy, it checked all the right boxes for me. The FMC, Aemyra, is a witty, stabby force to be reckoned with—she’s captivating and impossible not to root for. If you enjoy sharp banter, an intense enemies-to-lovers dynamic (with attempts to kill each other), a brooding MMC, and dragons, then this is the book for you!

This story had me hooked from the first page and kept me up all night because I simply couldn’t put it down. The spice level was perfect 🌶️🌶️🌶️. And that cliffhanger? Whew, it was insane! I’m already desperate for the next book in the series—I might not survive the wait! The wait for the next book is the worst part about receiving an ARC 😩

A Faith Forged in Fire is a must-read for romantasy fans, and I’m so excited to see where this story goes!

Thank you for the opportunity to read A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride.
With the fate of her world on her shoulders, she needs to determine whether she should pursue her rightful place as heir to the throne, being the first female born to the royal bloodline in a century.
Aemyra is the FMC with a snarky attitude. She was raised by a healer and a blacksmith and secretly gets lessons for the throne from her father, a disgraced Prince.
This will be a full fantasy world by Hazel with more to come. I can't wait.

Some of my favorite things in a book:
Romantasy
Slow Burn
Dragons
Banter
Enemies to Lovers

This book was amazing. It caught my interest almost immediately and I was immersed. Lots of world building and overall amazing read. Cannot wait for a physical copy to add to my collection!

This book gives house of the dragon vibes with a twist. There is some smut and enemies to lovers' theme. The Mc has quite the journey, I can't wait to see what happens next.

A classic enemies-to-lovers romantsy featuring a strong female main character destined for the throne. There is magic, dragons, and fighting in this story that will feel familiar from other books. This book brings in the reality of women oppression into a ‘once upon a time’ setting that has you feeling a close feeling to reality. Ready yourself for a cliffhanger setting up book 2. Trigger warning: there is graphic violence against women at points.

Thank you Net Galley and Dialogue Publishing for this ARC!

The only reason I regret reading this ARC is because I am going to have to wait SO long for the second in this duology to come out and my greedy self NEEDS IT.

This Celtic-inspired romantasy follows Aemyra, the most powerful fire wielder and rightful heir to the throne of Tir Teine. In a territory once built on matriarchal rule that has been overrun by the True Religion, an oppressive group of men who condemn all magic wielders, Aemyra hides as a blacksmith until the king of Tir Teine dies and it is Aemyra’s time to unveil herself as the rightful heir. But with the court overrun by the True Religion group, Aemyra is forced to endure games of politics and scheming, where she in thrust into a marriage with Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and brother to the usurper currently inhabiting the throne. While she refuses to lose sight of and her goal of bringing peace to Tir Teine, the fire between Aemyra and Fiorean ignites; and soon she will realize exactly what it takes to sit the throne.

I am a sucker for a romantasy with a bad ass FMC and Aemyra delivered. The heartbreak that she experiences throughout her life molds her to be a caring and just leader and I really enjoyed that. This is a true enemies to lovers in all the best ways with a few of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and a few “where is my wife” moments (obsessed). One of my favorite aspects of this book was the dragon bonding and the history of the dragons in general.

In true duology fashion, the ending had my jaw on the ground and my mind reeling at how this could have happened and WHAT IS COMING NEXT??

An enjoyable read, especially if you enjoy dragons *but not as the main attraction*. Great enemies to lovers vibe, although I felt like the characters could have been fleshed out a little more.

Very intriguing world and great world building. I will definitely read the next book.

Also, that ending! A shocking twist and it was so good!

3.5/5 ⭐

A Fate Forged in Fire is a Celtic-inspired romantasy filled with dragons, enemies to lovers and political court intrigue. This was a fun read, but damn did certain things frustrate me. The FMC continued to make reckless and irresponsible decisions without a second thought to the consequences. When she was aware of the consequences, she would often dismiss them anyway. I can forgive an impulsive character if I see enough development throughout the story, but I felt like that wasn’t present. I also couldn’t get a read on who she was as a character, as we saw different sides that didn’t always fit cohesively.

Overall, I did find the book enjoyable and was very House of Dragons coded which I enjoyed. I most likely will read the sequel just so I can see if our FMC finally learns how to think decisions through, as I WANT to love her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I really really wanted to like this book. It has everything I love in books.

Unfortunately, this book was torture for me.

The FMC is the most annoying, childlike character I’ve read in a long time. I disagree with damn near all of her choices and she is quite possibly the most annoying character in the book.

Her brother is sweet yet boring.

Her father is evil and seemingly purposefully cruel to her.

The MMC love interest is not only BLAH as far as romance goes, but possibly related to her, seeing is the author keeps talking about how much they look the same. It’s creepy.
ON TOP of him being a fool who is also corrupt.

I really wanted this to be a mix of fourth wing and throne of glass, but it was giving much more keeping up with the Kardashians with dragons instead of birkins.

Plus the sexual assault scene is horrific

I finished this book in two days. The characters grabbed me right away and the action was non-stop. Highly recommend!

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy of A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride. I absolutely devoured this book and finished it within a day. We have a strong FMC who is in hiding, waiting for the day when she is called forth to become Queen. She wants what’s best for her people and wants equal rights for all. We have true enemies to lovers, we have dragons, and magic.
I only had a few issues. One of them being about their religion. The majority of the book is about the magic blessed worshiping the goddesses, and “the chosen” who is trying to eradicate magic. Our main FMC asks for blessings from these goddesses and we really don’t know anything about them, yet we get parts where things get somewhat elaborated in a way where it feels like we should already know more about them.
Then, throughout the whole book we get shown that our FMC has been getting trained by her father since she was 5. She has scars all over her body from her training and she’s supposed to be this badass, the most powerful non bonded Dùileach in the world, yet every time she gets into a fight she almost immediately gets apprehended. I know the story wouldn’t be able to unfold correctly if she did defeat all of her enemies right away but I feel like the talk of her skills should then be scaled down for it to fit.
Besides that, I loved everything else. The author made us have feelings towards all these characters, even side characters. We had some fun romance scenes, and of course all the drama!!! I’m kind of upset that I read this book so soon and now have to wait probably two years or so for book two because that ending?!?! Ughhhhhh!!!

I had no idea what was in store when this was sent my way. If you want dragons that are much more cutthroat but still in the realm of fantasy romance this one is for you.

We start with a secret heir who’s lived a humble life in wait of her birthright. Upon her reveal, everything becomes a hot mess and they avoid death. From there, she seeks to claim a dragon and return to free her people from an oppressive religion that was brought to the land. She finds herself married off to the enemy and in close proximity to the mad king who took her crown. She’s caught between claiming her throne to free her people and an enemies to lovers trope.

A Fate Forged in Fire brings in a lot of elements that are refreshing in today’s climate, but please be sure to read the content warnings.


Thanks Netgalley for a review copy.

HOLY SH*T do we all have a new favorite dragon rider series?!?! I think YES

Amazing world building and magic system, Celtic lore, dragons, romance, enemies to lovers, he falls first, strong AF gritty badass FMC on a quest for vengeance..... literally what else does a fantasy reader want?!?!

I cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone I know!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for gifting me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley - all thoughts are my own.

BAMF bisexual fmc + broody, self loathing (super hot) mmc + dragons + a betrayal that will haunt me = a STUNNING fantasy romance

What a ride this book takes you on in all the best ways. There are a lot of dragon fantasy romances hitting shelves these days, but this story stood apart for me almost immediately. From the first page, Hazel McBride captures what it is to be a woman. The feelings, the struggles, the desire to lead and protect, and the journey that is coming to realize that decisions are often high stakes and come with real, tragic consequences.

This is a book that FINALLY delivers on the promise of enemies to lovers' trope. The relationship between Aemyra and Fiorean is unexpected and complicated. Steamy and touching. And builds it up to a devastatingly perfect cliffhanger. It's apparent that every line of dialogue, every beat in their relationship, was leading to the last moment, and it was flawless. I found myself wanting to immediately re-read and note each interaction with a new lens.

I love the world and characters (and dragons) McBride has imagined and brought to the page. Add in the rich, Celtic-inspired mythology, and it's a layered, enthralling journey that you can't put down.

I’m not familiar with Scottish Gaelic and even though there is a pronunciation guide in the back of the book I had to spend too much time looking up the pronunciation words and meaning of words or phrases to the point I didn’t enjoy the book. I just could not connect with the characters, the storyline was difficult to follow, and had to force myself to continue reading.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.