Phoenix racing and a plague.
🚫🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mikayla Bridges
Ya Fantasy romance( I’m using romance very very lightly and am the firm belief the YA designation is purely due to the graphic nature of the story)

Of Flame and Fury was a welcome reprieve to the normal fantasy animals in the form of a phoenix. I loved the found family that Kel has built. I know this is marketed as enemies to lovers (and boy, does Kel dislike Coop), but I still am not sure why she disliked him quite as much as she did. I will say it was a great grumpy x sunshine, as she was VERY grumpy and he was the sunshine. The phoenix racing itself was great (I loved that they were so hot to ride that riders could get burned and had to have special clothes to just survive that alone). When this one ended, I turned the page and went... WHAT? I will definitely be reading Book 2 when it comes out.

I was not ready for the emotional rollercoaster this book took me on. By the final chapters, I was heartbroken, gasping, and left desperately wishing I could flip straight to the epilogue. July 15, 2025 cannot come fast enough. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Mikayla Bridge, and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for giving me the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

Of Flame and Fury introduces us to Kelyn “Kel,” a devoted phoenix tamer whose entire life revolves around her fiery partner, Savita—an endlessly witty and stubborn phoenix who completely stole my heart. Kel races on the Crimson Howlers team with her loyal best friend Dira, but their world tilts off balance after a disastrous race throws them into the spotlight. Suddenly, they find themselves reluctantly paired with Warren “Coup” Coupers and his brother Bekn, whose turbulent reputations precede them. Their uneasy alliance soon draws the attention of Canen Cristo, a powerful figure with his own hidden motives, and from there the stakes skyrocket as secrets, corruption, and betrayal threaten everything Kel holds dear.

This book had so many things that pulled me in: the grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a tender yet fierce found family, delicious enemies-to-lovers tension, political intrigue simmering under the surface, and—of course—phoenixes front and center. The vibe felt like The Hunger Games colliding with Fourth Wing, yet it still held its own unique magic. I couldn’t stop smiling at Sav’s sass or swooning over the team’s evolving relationships, and the found family element gave the story a beating heart that balanced perfectly against the action and suspense.

That said, there were a few stretches where the pacing lagged and some scenes felt a bit repetitive, but once I leaned into its YA tone (a little younger than I expected from the blurb), it actually made me enjoy it more. The youthful edge gave the story an extra burst of energy and emotional intensity that fit the world beautifully.

Overall, this was a strong, emotional, and thoroughly entertaining debut. It left me reeling with every twist and completely invested in these characters and their phoenixes. If you love fantasy full of high-stakes action, heartfelt bonds, and just the right amount of heartbreak, this is a story you won’t want to miss. I’ll be thinking about it until that epilogue finally arrives.

This book was hard to get into in the beginning and I was really struggling, but it did pick up in the ending half of the book and I was braced for whatever ending could've been presented to me. The ending that was given I did not expect at all and it's sort of melancholy I have to sit on it for a bit to sort out how I really feel

I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different in the fantasty/romantasy genres. This book focuses on a team of Phoenix racers and the action will pull you in from the first page. It is fast paced, high stakes, has elements of found family, and the romance is slow burn. The plot twist at the end was great, I didn't see it coming at all. I am really hoping for a book two as I'd like to continue to follow these characters journeys and explore more of what this world has to offer.

If you enjoy audiobooks I HIGHLY recommend this one! The audiobook was so fantastic that I had a hard time choosing between reading and listening. The narration and production were both AMAZING!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Of Flame and Fury is basically F1 with phoenixes. If you like racing, this is definitely a book in your wheelhouse. It’s got the whole racing gambit with the technical pit crew and everything. On the other hand it’s another dystopian sci fi with a suspicious tech billionaire and probably evil government. If that’s not your thing right now then you should probably pass. There’s a solid enemies to lovers romance, but if I’m being honest I actually preferred Coup over Kel 😅

I don’t think there’s anything I really disliked about this book, but it just didn’t hook me. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but I probably won’t read the second one. That being said, if you like F1 racing you actually might really enjoy the story - there is lots of racing!

Thank you to Netgally & Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR) & Mikayla Bridge for the review copy.

If you ever feel like you love fantasy but would like different creatures from your run-of-the-mill dragons or what have you, maybe consider a book about phoenix racing.

I love the worldbuilding in this book. If you have creatures like phoenixes surrounded by flame, it’s going to cause problems. This book explains that well. Phoenixes are dangerous but important, surrounded in complex controversy and some different opinions of how they should be treated. We don’t get much of the world outside of phoenixes, but considering that Kel’s world revolves around them, it works. I occasionally wished we got more of the world (like what is the billionaire tech guy doing with tech other than with phoenixes), but what we got was intriguing and exciting. I also love the personality we get from Savita.

The racing is exciting and intense. None of them are the same, and the team coming together to strategize or worry or whatever they need to do works well. I would have loved to learn a little bit more about how a typical race team worked because it’s clear Kel and the Howlers are different (give me a rivalry or a name here and there!). I loved the found family nature of their team and how racing brought them together even when there is some animosity between them.

This is marketed as an enemies to lovers book. I sort of saw it, but I never completely understood why she hated Coop so much. It seems like from her complaints about him, it should be more dislike than the vitriol she had for him. Like a lot of enemies to lovers books, I’m afraid this one doesn’t quite deliver because it goes very quickly from despising him to being very into him instead of it feeling gradual and earned. I love a grumpy sunshine (especially when the girl gets to be the grumpy side!), but I needed more to show why she changed her mind about them.

The ending is great. It surprised me in a good way, and I loved how the elements came together to explain things and make parts of the world feel more relevant and important.

Overall, I thought this was a fresh new take in the world of fantasy. It’s a fun ride from beginning to end. I wish some of the character development and the world had been more fleshed out, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I got and hope for a sequel.

This story was amazing!! I need the next book asap!! I love an enemies to lovers story, and I saw the romance coming from far away, but I loved their connection. The way the phoenix racing was described was just imagine a nascar race but these teenagers are flying on the backs of phoenixes that got hotter and hotter the faster they fly. The dangers that these teens are put through, so intense. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Of Flame and Fury is a YA fantasy that hooked me right away with its mix of phoenix racing, political drama, and a hint of romance. Kel Varra, a young phoenix tamer and the heart of the underdog Crimson Howlers team, is determined to prove herself in a world that doubts her at every turn. When she’s forced to partner with her infuriating rival Coup, survival on the track becomes just as tricky as navigating their growing (and very inconvenient) connection.

The world-building is bright and immersive, with phoenixes that feel like real creatures—majestic, moody, and unforgettable. The race scenes are thrilling, the found family dynamic is warm, and the banter between Kel and Coup is pure YA romance gold.

The pacing slows a little in the middle with some heavier detail, but the final act makes up for it with high stakes and emotional payoffs.

Tropes

🔥 Enemies to reluctant allies

🪶 Found family

🐦‍🔥 High-stakes competition

❤️ Slow burn

This was such a fun YA fantasy that felt so fresh! Phoenix racing, scheming, a cool world with magical tech, and found family made for a really fun read.

The phoenix races were so exciting, and the main phoenix Sav was one of my favorite characters. She was so sassy and expressive without ever saying a word! I loved the bond the FMC had with her 🐦‍🔥

The world was so fun to explore, especially the high tech research facility the characters end up in. You can’t help be suspicious of it but it’s also so fascinating! 🧐

The relationships between the characters were great, with old friendships, new additions, and a blossoming romance. The crew worked together really well and it was nice to see their skills as a group develop

The action and mysteries kept me on my toes and I didn’t want to stop reading it. Lovers of YA fantasy should check this one out!

Thanks to Fierce Reads for the copy.

From the very first page, Of Flame and Fury throws you into a world of fire and ambition, where phoenix racing isn’t just a sport—it’s a deadly game of survival. The idea of phoenix racing is fresh and exhilarating, and the descriptions make you feel the heat of the flames and the rush of the wind as the riders battle for victory. The sheer intensity of this book had me on the edge of my seat! This is an electrifying, action-packed, and wildly original story that transports you straight into high-stakes races—only this time, instead of cars, we have phoenixes!
The enemies-to-lovers trope? Flawlessly executed! The rivalry between Kel and Coup crackles with tension, making every interaction between them feel like a battle of wills. The slow-burn romance, the lingering stares, the push and pull—it’s the kind of dynamic that keeps you hopelessly hooked.

Of Flame and Fury follows dedicated Pheonix tamer Kel, and her racing team, as they make their way to the city in the highest and most deadly phoenix races.

This book was slightly a struggle for me. The FMC would think something and do the opposite – all decisions were based on how to keep the plot rolling. There were interesting elements introduced, like a mysterious sickness effective random people, but with the lack of world building, none of the “big” moments hit. Everything is dumped on you at the end, with no hints leading up to it, which made everything feel very lackluster.

This book is promoted as an enemies to lovers, but it is really just not liking someone (for unknown reasons) to lovers.

There was no epilogue, which is important as the story ends very abruptly, and feels very unfinished.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Pippa Funnel: Phoenix Riders
Really solid YA urban fantasy debut.

Pre-reading:
Fourth Wing as a comp title makes me nervous. Cover is hideous.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Wait, that’s so funny. It’s like Mario Kart racing. I love anything horse racing adjacent.

The world-building for the races right now? I am live, laugh, loving.

I assume this has to be kinda like F1 now that I’ve read one of the romances written about that sport, but this also reminds me of Scorpio Races and This Dark Descent, and I fucking love these competition books every time they come out.

The Howlers is a stupid team name. I just think of howler monkeys.

This action is so well written!

Pippa Funnel’s ‘we have to win the horse race and save the farm!’ Oh, I eat it up every time!

Not to be a callous bitch, but I’m glad she’s dead because I did not wanna have to deal with them rehabbing a character all book.

How do you write such a cool world and then give them the most middle school team names and colors?

OK, it’s not his fault that he’s a stunt jockey and you had a shit rider.

That lint move is so tainted from ACOTAR.

Let’s light a goose on fire and ride it. I love this.

Yes, it literally was her fault. Fuck around and find out.

How old are these characters because they’re giving middle school, and I need this to grow up fast. And if you’re like Samantha, it’s a YA, it doesn’t have to be! This is ready for new adult.

You can tell this author knows horses.

I like that as soon as I ask the book a question, it answers it too.

She’s got my natural coloring lol.

AB instead of TB? Fun.

Religious PETA lol

A minty boy

I’m a bit confused on the cities at this point, and this is one of the few times the map has actually been helpful.

Camaraderie, I mean🎶

Pippa Funnel: Phoenix Riders

There’s no such thing as a moral billionaire.

Their “enemies” is so forced. Like the tropes and setup and framework are excellent, but he hasn’t done anything dickish, so it’s hard to believe she feels any sort of negative way about him.

This book is easy to root for. The races are FUN.

I assume they must be trying to harvest the heat energy from rebirth? (Like basically.)

Never trust a necklace in a fantasy world. (There's always spy jewelry.)

Such middle school fighting, and I know it’s a YA, but it’s pretty cringe because I am live laugh loving the sport part of this. I wish this was new adult. I think it would work much, much better.

I’m having such a hard time picturing bird. I keep seeing Pegasus. It’s too horsey in mannerism. But I think that’s a me failing because like I do kinda just wish this was Pegasus racing.

Some sort of sprite magic? (Nailed it.)

I love gay Pinterest house husband brother.

Wow, the emotions between them are so unearned, which is frustrating because the plot of this book is genuinely good.

I thought this was a standalone, but there’s not time to finish all the plot lines we’ve started.

Refuting keeps sounding so out of place because the book doesn’t exactly have high diction. It’s just odd in a YA.

This is the most done to death plot, but like it works every time.

Aw cute, YA mental health tangent.

YEAH, I WANT A REWARD

Live laugh, loving, but also I would be more comfy if they were 18, just saying.

He wants to harvest the rebirth magic so humans can rebirth to keep him immortal or like cure the illness. And the book’s gonna end with her uncollaring the birb or joining PETA to free all the birds. (Yup.)

Evil PowerPoint is so funny.

This is quite a villain monologue.

Laughs in 2025 US politics

I can only think of the girl in the hospital with her. I literally don’t know who else it could be. Unless it’s Oska and they faked her death?

Guys, time and place for horny!

Fighting when we should’ve been FUCKIN’. (Samantha, this is a YA. Settle down.)

Guys, you’re in prison without a condom and 17. Abort?

Wait, I forgot she was wrestling like a 40-year-old man and her boyfriend in a hospital gown lmao.

I feel so dumb for not knowing who this girl is.

Also, the way to save the world is for the birds to fuck-ahem, “re-populate.” That’s crazy.

OK, what in the plot twist is going on?!?

DOUBLE PLOT TWIST. WOW, GOOD JOB, POOKIE!

This silly YA book just pulled two crazy plot twists in the last 80%. Mad respect.

Wow, this is really gonna do numbers on his mommy issues.

So do we get to meet this new bitch or can we not even meet her because she can’t remember her?

Not them reminding us that they’re minors.

Let’s go saddle club!

Me: pull the fire alarm.

Rahn be double-crossing everybody.

The way I thought it was his mom‘s apron. Oh, I'm a dummy!

Dude, the hints were all there. She did that so good.

The logistics of all these people not constantly cooking themselves doesn’t really make sense to me, but I’m willing to just go with it.

So like book two when?

Post-reading:
What a good little debut!

Is it the plot of every horse game since the dawn of time? Yeah! Will you care? No! Win the big competition to save the farm is a classic. The horse girls will eat this up. It’ll scratch that nostalgic itch.

And although you can easily predict the plot as soon as you open the book, it’s so well structured and well paced that it’s satisfying rather than annoying. And cherry on top, there’s a genuine plot twist that might actually get you. As an adult reader listening with half an ear, I was impressed with how many hints she snuck by me.

The romance is the weakest part of this book. I think more time should’ve been spent developing Kel and Coup’s animosity towards each other if the author really wanted to go the enemies to lovers route. Their fights and hatred didn’t make much sense. And a tropey miscommunication solution is sitting right there. If you’re gonna use every other horsey cliche in the book, have her hate him because she’s convinced he killed his last mount or is using performance-enhancing drugs. Like it’s right there and would’ve made for toothier arguments.

This book is fine as a YA. I think tonally it skews towards younger YA at that. Everything’s very simple. It’s just enough world building to vibe, but you can’t think about it too hard or it collapses. You’ve gotta be willing to suspend some disbelief to enjoy your time here. They’re riding giant, flaming geese and NOT cooking themselves, you know? There’s some cheesy lines and phrases that will go over better with a younger audience as well.

And that’s where the romance hits another stumbling block. I think the characters go zero to horny a little too fast and with a little too much description if this book is targeting those younger readers.

But hear me out, this easily could’ve been built up into new adult territory, and I think it’d be a better book. Age the characters up into college territory and let them have messy affairs and substance abuse problems. Right now the villain’s so YA sanitized he makes a goddamn PowerPoint for his evil monologue, but there was room for darker plotlines. That’s the book I wanted to read because the concept is so fun.

I have to commend the action scenes in this book as well. They were visually rich, but communicated efficiently. The book’s pacing always ramped up appropriately. They never felt repetitive. Bigger names stumble writing scenes like this, and these were just so capable and enjoyable to read.

Characters are diverse but aren’t just ticking identity check boxes. There's a smidge of YA appropriate mental health rep.

I’m looking forward to the next book and its happily ever after conclusion. I will definitely be picking up this author’s work when she graduates from this series as well. I'd love to see an adult cozy fantasy from her. And while I’d hesitate to recommend it to my adult audience because it really is on the younger side, I’d throw it at middle and high schoolers.

Who should read this:
Horse girls
F1 fans
YA urban fantasy fans

Ideal reading time:
Summer

Do I want to reread this:
Probably not, but I will pick up the sequel.

Would I buy this:
Yes! Would totally give this to a younger reader

Similar books:
* Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater-same book, different font. It’s genre defining perfection. Argue with a wall. YA magical realism, competition, romance, rivals to lovers
* Crash Test by Amy James-gay F1 romance, family drama, found family
* The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean-cozy urban fantasy, queer romance, mystery
* This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson-YA urban fantasy, competition, ensemble cast, romance, enemies to lovers, queer
* Nightbreaker by Coco Ma-YA dystopian urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, competition
* Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros-fantasy romance, magic school, enemies to lovers
* Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto-YA fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, competition
* Voidwalker by S. A. MacLean-urban fantasy, monster romance, enemies to lovers, queer
* The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem-political fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, competition
* The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton-cozy, historical, urban fantasy, romance, competition, rivals to lovers
* A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizel-YA urban fantasy, heist, ensemble cast, found family
* Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo-YA urban fantasy, heist, ensemble cast, found family, queer

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is just an F1 romance in a fantasy setting (complimentary). But seriously this was so much fun, overall. I loved how the phoenix racing worked and how there is very much a debate of if collaring the phoenixes is the right thing to do versus letting them be free. The enemies-to-lovers romance made sense in a way - Kel and Coup seemed like they showed their love by hating each other, until they finally admitted their feelings.

Reading the ARC I was unsatisfied with the ending, but there’s an epilogue that wasn’t included in the ARC and I reserve the opportunity to change my rating based on what that epilogue might do to the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you to @fsgyoungreaders for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Absolutely fantastic and I was hooked from the beginning. Had everything I needed in a book. Action, adventure, and romance. Also Phoenix galore.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4.25 stars!! This is definitely the YA Romatasy of the summer, I neeeed the second book ASAP! Every Romantasy book I’ve read has been Fae and/or Dragons, so one completely based on Phoenixes was fun and new for me! I loved the action, the magical aspects, and the romance of course. This is based around Phoenix racing, which as previously stated is such a unique new concept to me. Definitely cannot wait for the second book!

"Still, each night, they stole more bricks from the old, serrated walls between them to build the bones of something new."

"But that's the point, isn't it? Life is finite..."

In this tale of hot headed team mates burning to have their mark made in the world of Cendorian Association of Phoenix Racing, they must learn to ban together and set aside their differences to soar ahead of the competition to complete their goals. When they catch the eye of a man with enough money to make all their dreams come true, will the price be too high or a dream come true?

I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC read! I'm a sucker for romance and fantasy; so a romantasy with enemies to lovers, forced proximity and magical creatures was something I definitely had to dive into. The complexity of teams that race phoenixes for sport, friends that become family and different isles that have their own magical beings, this book had so much that really captured my attention. Thank you to MacMillen Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book. My opinions on this book are strictly my own. The banter between Kel and Coup was as adorable as it was entertaining. The way the author also gave Sativa her own personality and didn't let her just be something that was a background thought was also another great aspect of the book. The story line had as many twists and obstacles as the tracks the phoenixes raced on. A couple of which I did not expect. The last chapter left me with so many different emotions. I highly recommend this to any who loves a good fantasy read.

The amount of times I walk (so to speak) into a book thinking I know what I’m going to expect, only to be knocked on my back and thrown for an entire loop is shocking to be honest. I expected of Flame and Fury to be a book I enjoyed, that I used to pass a few hours and come out the other side with a good feeling, instead I was hit with a book I was emotionally invested in, screaming at the characters, face pressed to my kindle, desperate to find out more about the story. I knew based on the synopsis that it would be my kind of story, and I now I know it’s also the one I’ll be watching like a hawk for next books.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC.

Did Not Finish.

Maybe this one was just not at the right time for me, but I ended up feeling bored. The story starts off hardcore action, with minimal world building, and I felt like I was tossed in towards the middle of a story. And perhaps because I didn't totally understand everything happening, I was less hooked or interested, so my mind kept wandering.

What a great book and the cover is beautiful. I really enjoyed the storyline of phoenix racing, the enemies to lovers trope and the family that the main character, Kelyn, creates. I will definitely be buying multiple copies of this book for my library. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.