I enjoyed this book!! It has everything I enjoy to read dragons and enemies to lovers 😍😍 and slow burn 🥰!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I wanted so badly to love this book, but it was just kind of meh for me. I think I struggled most with the FMC. I actually did not like her at all. From her bratiness to over cockiness it just rubbed me the wrong way and made it hard to actually root for her.

The plot ended up being ok and the dragons were probably the best part. But I couldn’t justify giving it more than 2 stars when I dislike a main character as much as I did.

2/5 stars for me and I probably wouldn’t recommend this one.

Fate Forged in Fire

This was an interesting Celtic inspired fantasy that had magical elements I really loved. There were some moments I felt slightly confused on or moments I wanted flushed out more but over all I did still really enjoy this book and was along for the ride.

I also listened to the audiobook and found that to be so great! The narrator has an accent but it is beautiful and fits really well with the story. It also helped with some of the names and places and I read along.

If you like:
🇮🇪Celtic fantasy
🐉Elemental magic and dragon bonding
❤️‍🔥Enemies to lovers
🗣️Political intrigue
💍Marriage of convenience
☠️Touch her and die
😡Matriarchal society and feminine rage

Pick this one up!

I really wanted to love this, but I just didn't. The idea was great. The foundation was good. The execution just wasn't there. I found myself dreading picking this up.

Hazel McBride breathes fire into a dragon story that takes flight. This epic tale weaves together a history of a matriarchal society based on magic gifted by the goddesses, and a misogynistic religious priesthood bent on destroying it. Mix in dragons, a true heir in hiding and a forced marriage and an enemies to lovers plotline you have a formula for a surefire winner. Unfortunately, the main character makes some naive mistakes, resulting in disaster. With treachery all around, can she possibly gain her crown? According to biographical notes, the author is a bisexual with a Scottish heritage and feels it is important to include this into her novels. The bisexuality and the Scottish language feel tacked on in this novel. Dragons that understand Gaelic was a bit jarring. It felt like an attempt to combine Game of Thrones with Outlander. The religion was a bit heavy handed too. It was very obviously mid-evil Christianity out to destroy pagans. Despite these issues, the novel was engrossing and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the second half of this duology.

Reader warnings: cliffhanger, somewhat spicy sex scenes, sexual assault and graphic battle violence.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and publishing company for allowing me to receive an advance readers copy. A Fate Forged in Fire was absolutely fantastic. I absolutely devoured this book and finished it in two days. Hazel McBride transports us into a world of dragons and I was absolutely hooked. I was invested in the characters and the tension in the romance. I have purchased a physical copy and I can’t wait to share this amazing story with my students.

I was really expecting to love this cause I was craving a good fantasy story with dragons, but unfortunately, it didn't hit like I expected it to. It's good, it just didn't make me feel big emotions or give me the feelings that I look for.

I can't say what didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it was the FMC and how often difficult it was to understand her choices or get behind her attitude, the writing style, or the story as a whole. The dragons were really cool, but I just wasn't invested in this world; I didn't feel transported. That could be on me, so take my thoughts with a pinch of salt and check this book out if it calls to you.

Fun read and very much enjoyed it. Looking forward to books in the future from this author. She does an great job immersing you into the story

This Celtic-inspired fantasy romance blends political rebellion, magic, and slow-burn tension into a captivating ride. Aemyra is a bold, battle-hardened heroine with fire in her blood—literally—and her journey to reclaim a corrupted kingdom is both empowering and suspenseful.

The world-building is rich, the stakes are high, and the chemistry between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean crackles with enemies-to-lovers intensity. While a few plot twists feel familiar, the dynamic characters and fiery magic more than make up for it.

A strong start to a promising duology—perfect for fans of fantasy with heart, heat, and a heroine you’ll want to follow into battle.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this early!

4.25/5 stars

Thank you prh audio for the ALC and dell romance/Delacorte Press for the ARC!

I had SUCH a good time reading this Celtic-inspired romantasy! The premise of the book was so intriguing - the territory was once matriarchal in how it was ruled, with the women having more power. However, Tir Tiene has been ruled by a long line of kings while waiting for a queen to be born, and has become weaker under their reign. The rulers now are heavily influenced by the True Religion, who is oppressive towards women and is anti-magic.

Aemyra is the first daughter born in centuries to the family that is the true heir to the throne, but has been in hiding, raised in secret with her twin brother by adoptive parents, a blacksmith and a healer. She is biding her time until the current king dies so she can claim her rightful throne and save her people from the tyrannical oppression they have been suffering from. But when the king dies and she stakes her claim, things don’t go as planned. The late kings sons will not give up their power, and with their backing from the powerful religious zealots, Aemyra finds herself in an even more dangerous situation. But as she navigates the politics of court, she finds an ally where she least expects it in the king’s second son, Prince Fiorean, who is one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Forced to work together, Aemyra finds herself slowly falling for the prince, but will his loyalty to his family come between them? And how far will Aemyra go to save her people?

I LOVED the world building and setting in this book. She did such a good job in showing how the religious group twisted the people and really poisoned them into following their beliefs. There were some moments with the religious leaders that really had me anxious and honestly a bit terrified. This element was probably the best of the book imo. The pacing was also well done, especially when reading on audio. I feel like I was engaged the whole time and really wanting to know what was next!

Aemyra is such an interesting FMC. She is very headstrong, but also naive when it comes to politics, even with her birth father trying to teach her from a young age what is needed for her to become queen. She starts out the book being pretty easily controlled, even when she doesn’t realize it, but really comes into herself once she’s thrown into the deep end and truly gains her power. I’m really interested to watch her growth in the next book! Fiorean was a delicious MMC, fighting between his loyalty to his family and his growing feelings for Aemyra. I am SUPER curious to see what happens with him in the next book as well! Their chemistry and tension was a delight! I enjoyed the forced nature of their relationship and the way it developed over the course of the book and can’t wait to see what we get next.

I always love when a book has dragons in it, and this one was no exception (also I LOVE the power of the female dragons being better too. YES WOMEN RULE). I do hope we get even more with the dragons in the next book!

The cliffhanger nearly killed me at the end and I will be waiting with anticipation until we get the next one! I have no clue what to expect or where this one will go because it really had me shocked with how this one ended!

🎧: The audio was fantastic! Samara MacLaren had such a great accent for this book and I really flew through it with her narration. I was so engaged and loved her interpretation of all the characters!

Enemies to lovers is probably one of my favorite tropes when done the right way, but this was just maybe a little awkward? Other than that, i did really enjoy it! The pacing and world building was great!

This is my first read from Hazel McBride, they're a great writer, the book flowed well and character's actions matched their personalities This is a fun read for romantasy fans seeking a world with dragons and a storyline similar to House of the Dragon (Game of Thrones television universe).

We follow the Aemyra as she attempts to ascend to the throne after a life of hiding who she is, a magic-wielding dragon-rider with a claim to rule by birthright. She is a firey princess who knows she is powerful and how to handle herself, having trained for the day she would become queen in secret. Her father, though ruthless, is unable to assist her in claiming her place as queen due to the current ruling house challenging her. An arranged marriage is set between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean (also a magic-wielding dragon-rider) to try and unite the kingdom and bloodlines, but the bad blood between both families makes the union filled with animosity. Fiorean is a charming leading man, but he has his own family drama complicating the marriage. The ending of the book was packed with action and some surprises, and as much as I know it was important to spend time with these characters, I was hoping for more time with the dragons themselves. Looking forward to more action and dragons in the sequel (this is the first book in a duology). The last line of the book was perfect.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy to review.

🔥FEMININE RAGE🔥

*uncorrected ARC- SPOILERS*

I love a book where the relationships and plot are engaging and the deeper themes make you analyze the world and reflect. Really enjoyed the FMC and how justifiably angry she is at the patriarchal changes being forced upon her; she makes mistakes & is open about her flaws and felt realistic. Some of the world building felt abrupt/heavy-handed or clunky but the overall plot and character relationships were strong & engaging. HATE the main priest and felt physically ill during the scene where they hold her down and attempt to mutilate her. I am INVESTED in the enemies to lovers back to enemies (and hopefully back to lovers) storyline- I feel like there is more depth/nuance to the situation than we can see right now and I am rooting for them (that death vow felt like a gut punch)!!!

I spent so much of the book wishing there was a pronunciation guide only to find it at the end so that’s on me. This book really solidified how much Celtic/gaelic inspo other series (fourth wing, acotar) pull from, and it bothers me thinking people might compare to those series rather than the deeper lore bc of similar names/locations, etc.

(Review also on StoryGraph & Fable, Tome, Goodreads)

Edit- It’s been months and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book- I have to increase my original rating because that rarely happens!! 4.5⭐️+

The premise of the book is good, I just don’t think I could get into liking the main character. She honestly annoyed me. Her attitude and the decisions she made pissed me off, and I felt like the book was slow. I kind of got bored 40% through and found myself skimming the pages. Personally, this book was just not for me.

A fate forged in fire
Aemyra is a queen trying to reclaim her throne. She spent the better part of a decade training and waiting for the mad king to die for her chance.

When her chance to reclaim goes awry, she finds herself married to the enemy.

AFFIF is full of political intrigue and high tension enemies-to-lovers. Hazel does an amazing job at weaving Celtic lore, elemental magic, and dragons into a strong matriarchy story. I love the themes of fighting back against the oppressors and the strong feminist themes - leaning in with bodily autonomy.

I am obsessed with the tension between Aemyra and Fiorean. The true loathing they had for each other in the beginning was almost palpable with some great stabby moments. 😌

Dragons, some romance, fantasy, and magic, what more could you want. There were some moments that were a bit dragged out, but overall a great story.

I was very intrigued by this story and the incorporation of Scottish culture in a fantasy setting, but I decided not to continue the book. The writing was beautiful and the plot seemed juicy, but there were some themes introduced early in the book that felt overbearing. I wanted to continue, but my own personal experiences with some of the content of the book interfered with my reading experience enough to make me put the book down. I wish nothing but the best for this author, and I just know there are many readers out there who will fall in love with the story! It just wasn't for me. I'm giving it three stars because me deciding to DNF was completely because of my own experiences and not a reflection of the actual story itself.

This is hands down one of my all time favorite books!!! I definitely bed rot the whole day reading this & it’s the best decision i’ve made in a while.

The world was so immersive and kept me wanting more. Every time i thought i could put this book down to do anything else something would happen that would stop me from doing so. This book gave me everything i have been looking for a while. i loved everything from the world building to the characters & dragons!! The dragons were definitely my favorite part of the book.

i can’t wait to pick up my physical copy & annotate it!!

I had a hard time with this in the beginning. Between the Scottish names that my brain clearly cannot process and the bratty FMC, it took me a minute to get into it. The FMC was not feminine rage but just sheer bitchiness/entitlement and it really just didn't fit the character (or maybe what I wanted from the character). I'm glad it essentially died off once we got into the meat of the plot but I wish it would have been shaved down from the start.

By the time I got to the end I was invested but it took me a minute. I really, really try hard to not DNF ARC reads and I am glad I stuck around but it was a struggle at times (sorry Hazel). Overall, I'm ready to see where this series goes.

Thank you to Hazel, Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Hazel McBride for this ARC in exchange for my review. A Fate Forged in Fire is everything I crave in a fantasy novel and more. This is a story that grabs you by the heart and refuses to let go with a blazing tale of power, pain, passion, and resistance. Equally powerful is the book’s fearless confrontation with patriarchal systems. The heroine’s journey is laced with righteous feminine rage, not just as a reaction to oppression, but as a weapon of reclamation. Her fire isn’t just metaphorical, it’s transformative. Watching her rise, push back, and refuse to be broken is both cathartic and inspiring. If you're looking for a fantasy novel laced with stunning language, deep world building, true enemies to lovers and dragons of course, you need to pick this up. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I will definitely be reading the next book after that shocking ending.