This was a very interesting read. I enjoyed it so much Would recommend it to everyone
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read it

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book.

While the magic system and world building in this book is great, and the overall plot makes you want to keep on reading, the rest of the book reads like almost every other fantasy romance with well-known and semi-overdone tropes. It's a semi-fast paced book, and readers who enjoy angry female main characters fighting against a sexist world would enjoy every minute of this book. However, I could not get into the book.

I absolutely loved this book, even more so than anticipated. In so many Romantasy series you have to read an entire first book to discover the lost heir at the end - this one jumps right into the lost heir taking her rightful throne and I relished it.

The FMC is powerful but makes understandable mistakes as she grasps with her new role while the MMC is broody and matches her angst.

Trope checks:
✅ true enemies to lovers
✅ dragons
✅ feminine rage (I lived for this trope in the book)
✅ magic wielders
✅ religious intrigue
✅ did I mention dragons?

Thank you NetGalley and Hazel McBride for the opportunity to read this ARC ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Hazel McBride for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Wow oh wow did I love this one! I loved the FMC (what a badass) and the moody love interest. And there are DRAGONS?! Sign me up. Completely obsessed!

ARC provided by NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

WOW. This book was incredible and I ATE it up. This was the epitome of enemies to lovers, slow burn, political intrigue and such an amazing elemental magic system. Top it all off with dragons? I am SAT. There are some heavy topics in this and the trigger warnings *should* be paid attention to. One scene in specific was nauseating to read, but god it was done in such an incredible way. It really only adds to the real pain and relationship you build with the characters. 4.5 stars, I can’t get enough.

This was a promising and okay start to a romantasy series, I'm interested to see what comes next. This is a single pov set in a Celtic world with vampires, magic, and mythical creatures. The fmc leaves her family to go take her rightful place as the queen and matriarch which is dangerous and leaves her prisoner by the king and prince. I liked the overarching plot and I think the worldbuilding was cool. I was confused about some parts and some of the other parts were a little slow. This is a slow slow burn and true enemies to lovers where they hate each other badly. It took a while before I saw anything romantic between the main character and the love interest. The political intrigue was interesting and I thought the dragon element was unique. Yes, I did want a little more from this but I think it's a good and different romantasy. Thanks to Dell for the arc.

Read if you like:
- Romantasy
- Dragon bonding
- Slow burn
- Female rage
- Celtic-inspired world
- Enemies to lovers
- Elemental magic

Scottish triumph!

This new romantasy has so much depth. If you are looking for plot heavy, strong FMC who has GROWTH, a true enemies to lovers story, something a little darker and sinister, twists that make your heart ache and dragons....you're gonna LOVE this.

This story lives in a Scottish inspired world with names, locations, and lore rooted in Scottish Celtic culture. The world is visually rich but the characters are the heart of the saga. Aemyra is fiery (literally and figuratively). She is emboldened by her destiny and it is the driving force of her actions. In the beginning, I felt myself getting annoyed at her occasional petulance, but then I realized it is a part of her arcing growth. McBride showed Aemyra's character transformation through events and traumas that felt authentic to a hero's journey without feeling done before.
The other characters in this story are multidimensional and show that there is a lot of nuance in the big decisions that we make that cannot define as as "good" or "evil".

On the romance: WOW. What a back and forth, idk what to believe, yes I love this, wait what just happened, this is hot, this is suspicious, idk about this guy, ROLLERCOASTER. Yes, there is spice and it is good but it is so ingrained in the story that its not the stand alone star.

Anyways, I just couldn't put it down and half of me regrets reading the ARC because the sequel hasn't even been announced! I am dying to know where this story goes. I think it will be a big fantasy in 2025 and I am dying for everyone's fanart!

Thank you Netgalley, Ballentine, and Delacorte Press for this incredible ARC!

Enemies to lovers....chefs kiss.

The tension and the dragons and just all the things. This book just might have pulled me out of a severe book slump. I am just sad I didn't start it sooner!

Great writing, incredible pacing! Stayed up late reading this because it was so hard to put down. Loved how it started well into the action, and found all the characters to be really fun!

While the beginning of this novel took some time to snare me (likely due to the amount of worldbuilding/lore dropping that happened early on), I was eventually HOOKED. Aaemyra’s journey had so many struggles despite her best intentions and attempts, which was quite enjoyable to see since so many novels lately seem to have the MC’s being immediately good & accomplishing their goals so easily. I didn’t see many of the twists coming, especially the end there! Even the ones I did see coming still had great payoff as they unfolded. I could immediately devour a sequel if it was available right now. This just gripped me in a way that many recent fantasy novels have failed to do (and I can be quite picky). Thank you for the ARC!

Overall I enjoyed the writing style and pacing of this book. Definitely a fun and an easy read. The slow burn was gratifying and the spice was sprinkled throughout. They are at each other's throats, ready to kill before being forced into an unwanted alliance. I found the FMC to be childish at times but mostly fun and feisty, definitely defying the constraints put on her by a patriarchal society. The political intrigue and familial dynamics were well constructed. Big bonus point for the dragons, elemental magic, and queer rep. I gave this read 3.5 out of 5 stars and would continue the series to see when the next book has to offer!

Spice 2/5
Stars 4/5
This book was right up my alley. Marketed for fans of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon I knew I needed to read this book. A Fate Forged in Fire is the first book of a Celtic inspired romantasy duology.
What I loved about the book:
*The world building
*The Celtic/Scottish inspiration
*Ginger, Bi-sexual, arrogant FMC
*Matriarchal rules and goddess worship
*Female rage/empowerment
*and of course DRAGONS (I'm a sucker for dragons)
The book was fast paced and grabbed me from the start. The world building was excellent and the magic system is cool, (nothing to original). This was the first story I've read that is Celtic/Scottish inspired and I really enjoyed that aspect immensely (always love seeing something new in a romastasy story). Aemyra is the bi-sexual arrogant FMC. Some may find her arrogance off putting but I don't mind an arrogant FMC if it fits the narrative. Although I don't mind the arrogance in my FMC I was slightly off put by her naivety towards the middle/end of the book. In the beginning she comes across as badass and sure of herself but that changes later in the story and she keeps making mistakes and falling for traps too often and it takes away from the badass title quite a bit. I understand character development and events/trauma are needed to shape a character but it just happens too often for my liking. The enemies to lovers is true enemies to lovers and the burn is just slow enough. The plot is full of religious and political intrigue that kept me interested until the very end. This book is the first in a duology and ends with a BRUTAL cliffhanger, like seriously I could not believe that was the end! I LOVE the dragons and the bond most have with their riders, I also love how female heavy this story is from the matriarchal rule (people and dragons), to the touch on women's rights. I can't wait for the next book and if GOT, dragons, feminine rage and political/religious intrigue are your thing I highly recommend!

Review

Thank you Random House for sending this arc my way! As an enemies to lovers die-hard fan, this was absolute perfection. If you want a book where the two main characters absolutely LOATHE each other, and I mean truly despise with festering anger, then this is the book for you. This story follows Aemyra who inherits a throne that she absolutely did not ask for. We see how she navigates a life of royal politics and a raging war within her first few moments in power. Much like in our world, these people are afraid to see a woman in power and all hell breaks loose the second Aemyra comes into some semblance of power. I love how this author executes Celtic lore with a truly enemies to lovers romantic fantasy. I’ve seen so many of these elements in the current market, but none truly done as seamlessly as this. I will say, this one was a painfully slow burn in my book, but it does not dull the impact of this book one bit. The banter makes this one so worthwhile, and not to mention we have a stabby, bisexual female mc who will have you rooting for her the whole way through. Our MMC is as broody and possessive as they come. He is infuriating at times but it makes you appreciate him all the more. The writing style of this author is so captivating and I cannot wait to read her future work.
If I had to put this review into one sentence, it’s this: Come for the enemies to lovers and dragons, stay for the court politics, painful plot twists, and next level banter.

I enjoyed this! It encompassed a lot of things I love (fantasy, romance, dragons, hello). While it started slow, the last 1/3rd picked up. I can say it was a lot spicier than expected so if you enjoy that, this is for you, and if not, be warned. I liked the characters, BUT I can say I wish we’d sat in moments longer and gotten to know them better because it left them feeling meh in places. Might continue? Not sure

book review

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

To start I just want to say that this review is just my personal opinion, and may not mirror the opinion of the general public, as this was not a bad book. I just don’t think this book was for me. This doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on the author, these are just my thoughts!

A Fate Forged in Fire felt like a culmination of all of the most popular romantasy books currently on the market. Take that for what you will - some may see this as a positive, others will see it as a negative.

Aemyra was the bisexual fmc we didn’t know we needed, and while I was excited to learn more about her, I just ended up a bit disappointed. Frustratingly, she was written in a way that the reader is led to believe that she’s an untouchable badass, but half way through the book you start to understand that maybe this isn’t really the case. Aemyra continuously finds herself in positions where she is being attacked and cries out for help instead of just… handling it herself. Honestly this made her keep coming across as weak, which wasn’t really my favorite trait. If the character is written as being able to fight, then surely they should be able to fight off someone who grabs their arm too hard. To be fair, this is a somewhat personal opinion - I prefer to read about strong women who don’t take shit from anyone.

It seems like a lot of names were inspired by some of the more popular fantasy book series, with a few letter changes here and there, but the magic and dragon binding mechanics were written unique enough to not make this a carbon copy. Unfortunately for someone who reads a lot of fantasy, the similarities do tend to pull you out of the story when you notice something a bit too alike another series, especially when it occurs so many times throughout this book.

The dialogue was kind of cheesy and I stopped reading a few times to stare at the page wondering if I truly just read that. There was also some “mate speak” (ex. you are mine, I am yours, etc) without outright coming out and saying that mates exist - but I really wouldn’t be surprised if it was talked about in later releases in the series. Personally I think the author should avoid this, as it seems a bit overdone in the genre.

I hated the mmc from the beginning and really had a hard time trusting him throughout the enemies to lovers transition. It could be the way it was written but I don’t really trust him - on the other hand, I also kind of don’t believe the ending was really him? Maybe he was putting on an act again - so who really knows the truth about who this guy is? The chemistry also felt forced and kind of awkwardly rushed, enemies to suddenly lovers? idk that was quick lol

The ending was a huge plot twist that I started speculating about when a certain someone wasn’t found on the battlefield. We were left on a huge cliffhanger that made me wanting for answers, so don’t be surprised if you see me reading the second book for exactly that reason.

Regardless of all that I mentioned, I really could see this book being popular amongst those who liked Fourth Wing and SJM and are left wanting to read more along the same category. This book is the perfect recipe for a successful romantasy series, but for someone who reads a lot of fantasy, this felt like something I’ve already read before.

I am giving a bit of a higher rating because while a very similar read to other books, this one was still very interesting to read and I had a hard time putting it down.

3.5/5 ⭐️

rating 4⭐️

this book has the potential to be the next popular romantasy! this book was fast paced, heart wrenching, intense, gritty, and centered a female main character that was every bit strong and empowering as she was humble and caring.

the story featured so many impactful moments that had me feeling absolutely wrecked. also yes i did cry. the rawness of the story at one point was so overwhelming and written so well.

also that ending! waiting very (im)patiently 🫣 for book two!

I almost DNF'ed this book at 30% because I found Aemrya so insufferable. I hate it when people call sassy, morally gray heroines unlikable and I didn't want to be that person, but Aemrya acted like a petulant, spoiled, entitled, shallow, naive child whining about how she was Queen and the light who would save her people but never acting like a ruler or interacting with her people. She was Queen of the forge I guess? Her rebellion always seemed like clutching at straws to me, manipulated by a father who didn't understand the existing court. Her father could lead an army but I doubted she could lead her people.

The side characters in this were all flat, I felt like I never really knew her brother, and directly inspired by Game of Thrones. Katherine was a copy of Cersei. This story also claims to be Celtic-inspired but I saw nothing of Celtic culture in this story. It only used Celtic names and the old religion but it otherwise was typical medieval Europe.

I did like how Aemrya was bisexual, though I didn't care for how she was the stereotypical bi woman who was hypersexual and preferred women. That's just one way to be bi but seems like that's the main rep we get now. I also liked how she was stabby, vengeful and spirited. I liked her and Fiorean together and their enemies to lovers arc; I even liked that crazy betrayal at the end. Their relationship made me appreciate Aemrya more. Their sex scenes were steamy. I like seeing stories about bi characters in M/F relationships. I also liked seeing the clash of the old matriarchal religious order and the new religion that oppressed women.

I liked the dragon bonds in this and the pacing was brisk and never muddled. The writing style was another thing that almost made me DNF but I found it entertaining enough to finish.

Just wanted stronger character development. And it is very typical of your standard romantasy with nothing new here. I'm getting tired of how the romantasy genre has to stay so rigid within the conventions of conventional romance lately. I like fantasy when it's edgy and not tropey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This experience was far from my preferred taste. The main character left much to be desired; I found them unlikable and lacking depth. As for the love story, it felt rather mediocre—neither captivating nor inspiring, just passable at best.

Rating: 4.5 that I'm rounding up to a 5

This book isn't perfect, but the absolute range of feelings that this book had me feeling made up for nearly all of the hesitations that I have with this book. If you are used to instant gratification - this book isn't for you. This book involves a heavy political and religious system that are interconnected, and we don't get spoon fed all the details right out the gate. Due to that focus as well, the romance in this book does not come out swinging right out the gate. It even takes a little time for our main couple, Aemyra and Fiorean, to actively be engaging with one another. These are aspects that I really enjoyed. I loved trying to peace together who some of the people on the chess board were and what their roles are.

I also believe the basic back drop of the story is fascinating. We have a matriarchal society that is slowly succumbing to a patriarchy and Aemyra, as the first female born into the royal family in over 100 years, is trying to prevent that from happening. And can we just imagine a matriarchal world and society for a few minutes? Do you feel the same things I do? Now imagine that slipping away and the rage and anger you would feel in helplessly watching it be chipped away bit by bit - both physically and metaphorically speaking. Some of the interactions that Aemyra had almost brought me to tears or even had me wanting to rally behind this fictional character.

But Aemyra wasn't perfect, and hence the knock of half a star. For someone who had prepared for this role her entire life...she pretty quickly messed up. More than once. Like the central conflict in the story was caused by her just simply not taking time to think for more than a few minutes. But I also understand there being a need for some sort of conflict arising.

That aside, I did enjoy Aemyra and Fiorean's relationship. They are a true slow burn enemies to lovers and the plot twist at the end had me having to put the book down to breathe (even though it was a wee bit predictable). But we need to do away with the insta romances and lust because these two truly were trying to kill each other to begin with - and they became some sort of friends first before the romance really kicked in, which just makes it a bit more of a believable tale for me. There were a few spicy scenes that were not out of my mind amazing, but still very entertaining.

Both Aemyra's and Fiorean's families played key roles in this story and I think McBride does a great job of incorporating their backgrounds into the main story. I absolutely loved Aemyra's twin brother, Adarian, and their found family they had in terms of the family who truly raised them. Getting additional insight in Fiorean's mother and her motivations were actually very insightful and hit me in the feels.

In terms of other story settings:
- I see a few reviews of the magic systems and I don't think it was very complicated. Some people are born with inherent power blessed by 'the Goddess' that can be increased by Bonding with certain creatures.
- We do have dragons, dragon lore, and dragon fights. There are some sections of the book when mention of dragons kind of taper off for a bit but again...just because it's a dragon book does not mean there has to be dragons 24/7.

If you want an easy read or a heavy romance focused book, this probably isn't for you - but I can see a lot of people enjoying it.

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

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!!