First of all, what the HELL.

Anyway onto the actual review. This is such a strong debut novel and truly has all the makings of a great YA fantasy novel. I’m obsessed with the phoenixes and thought the author did a fantastic job of showcasing the moral ambiguities that come with the phoenixes and the debate surrounding whether or not they should be collared or allowed to roam free. Especially seeing this from Kel’s POV as she grapples with being part of CAPR while also holding grudges and her father’s ideals of how phoenixes should be treated. I enjoyed all the descriptions of the races and Kel’s love for Savita shines through everything, even if her teammates tease her for being overprotective of Savita.

There were parts that felt a bit rushed at times, I definitely feel like the last half of the book flew by and would’ve liked to spend a bit more time letting things fall into place, especially the very end. That being said, I still greatly enjoyed this book. It has your tried and true tropes between rivals-to-lovers, fake dating, found family, and the likes—and I ate it up. I adore all these characters and was rooting for them, a bit surprised at how fast they grew on me.

I can’t wait to see more from Mikayla Bridge, especially with a debut novel as fantastic as this. -and I’m anxiously waiting for the US release so I can get this epilogue I was teased with-

Thank you, Mikayla Bridge, NetGalley, and Macmillan Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The phoenix racing concept was awesome! I feel like there aren’t enough books about phoenixes, and Bridge did a fantastic job at exploring the magic of these cool creatures! I loved the thorough guide included at the beginning to help readers better grasp each type of phoenix featured throughout the story.

I absolutely loved the big science corp vibe! Wanting to know which direction that would go in sucked me in pretty quickly.

The characters were lovable, and relatable. I loved the reluctant but playful allies to lovers trope. It kind of reminded me of the playful relationship between the main characters of the movie Twisters .
This was an amazing debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more from Bridge in the future!

My rating system:
1*: DNF or hate finished. Bad writing, bad plot, bad characters.
2*: Only finished because I already spent time on it. Story is interesting enough but major issues with plot, characters, or writing style.
3*: Enjoyed the book but nothing really stuck out.
4*: Thoroughly enjoyed the story, characters, and writing. Some critiques but nothing major.
5*: Will read again. LOVED THIS BOOK.

Rating for of Flame and Fury:
3.5 stars rounded up.

 PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SPOILERS.

Of Flame and Fury was a captivating read. I loved it from start to finish. I really hope that there's a map included in the print edition of the book; it would be nice to picture the geography that we're working with in the story. I would not classify this as Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow as stated in the marketing. Frankly, for a YA I don't really like the idea of comparing it to Fourth Wing as that book is a little too steamy for young readers. I would not classify Of Flame and Fury

I thought the characters were loveable and well rounded; no one was perfect or terrible. Everyone felt very human and balanced. The plot moved at a good clip; it never felt slow or rushed. I loved the mystery element of the book very much; I think Kel having AB was an interesting and heartbreaking twist. I really wish I'd been able to read the epilogue! The book had a beautiful ending but now I'm itching for that epilogue!

I thought the concept for this book was very unique and I haven't really read another story like it. I think there could have been some improvements to the history of phoenix racing to expand on the world a bit more would have been nice but given that this is a YA novel, I think we got just enough to keep younger readers hooked without spending too much time on world building.
 
While I enjoyed the story, I would have liked MORE; there were some background elements to the story that I feel were not well fleshed out. For example, I feel like we should have gotten a little but more exposition on Dira and Kel's friendship; I think their friendship lacked some depth because of this. Kel mentions Dira being her best friend on many occasions throughout, but I don't think we got enough background to really feel the relationship.

I also didn't love Kel's disdain for Coup and his willingness to play into it. We never really learned why she dislikes him so much other than he's a well-known, cocky, pretty boy, risk taking rider in the CAPR circuit. Her dislike of him feels a little too deep to just be as surface as not liking a kind of famous person. It felt a little too much like forcing the enemies to lovers trope when really, Kel and Coup could have had a rivals to lovers sort of relationship that was less mean and contentious. Giving their relationship a more competitive vibe would have worked better for me than the outright disdain Kel expresses toward him.

One small plot hole that I got a little stuck on was glaringly obvious at the end of the book. I wondered throughout how the collars controlled the phoenixes. At the end, Cristo was able to force the phoenixes to fly and control them like angry RC cars. Are collars always able to control phoenix movement like this? Were these all his special collars?

All in all I would recommend this book to a friend as a fun and entertaining read. Despite some of my issues with character development and some mild plot holes, I had a great time reading this book.

Spoiler free edited reviews have been posted to Goodreads and Fable!

3.5/5

I want a phoenix! Gimme one! Or a dozen! I mean, I competitively ride horses, I think it's safe to assume that I'd be pretty decent at riding and racing phoenixes. Just sayin.

I really liked the guide at the beginning of the book, I thought that was really cool. Did I retain that information? No. Did I still really like it and think it was cool and then later remembered that information when it mattered? Yes!

This book has unlikely alliances, discovered secrets, and phoenixes! This was a cool read and I did enjoy it, but the characters did fall a little bit flat for me. I am thinking that might be because it is technically YA and I can find YA characters to feel quite flat and young. And YA enemies to lovers has to be executed so perfectly for it to work and that doesn't always happen. I can definitely see a younger (and by that I mean younger than me) audience enjoying this and not minding that slight lack of chemistry.

Also, I think this cover is so pretty. Such a nice color palette.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I thought this book had a really unique concept of phoenix riders instead of dragon riders. The suspense was amazing. However, I wasn’t really into the NASCAR vibes of the the racing, and the mmc was your stock overly cocky and arrogant bad boy. I still think my teen readers will love this book.

I dove into Of Flame and Fury not quite knowing what to expect, and honestly, it hooked me right from the first chapter. The pace was fast, in the best way possible. There’s no slow buildup—it just throws you into the thick of things, and I loved that. It kept me turning pages way past when I meant to stop.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the banter and tension between the main characters. The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. Their dynamic felt sharp and natural, and I found myself grinning through their back-and-forths or internally screaming during the more intense moments. It gave the story so much energy.

But what I really adored was the bond between the main character and her phoenix. It wasn’t just a magical creature sidekick situation—it felt emotional and real, like they were two parts of the same soul. Their connection was honestly beautiful, and I loved how central it was to the story.

And can we talk about how cool the phoenix lore was? Each phoenix had its own vibe and unique traits, and the way Mikayla Bridge described them made them feel like fully fleshed-out beings rather than just background magic. That attention to detail made the world feel so rich and vivid.

All in all, this book gave me everything I love in a fantasy read—fast pace, great characters, a little romance, and some seriously magical creatures. I’m already itching to get my hands on the next one. Thanks, NetGalley!

Just finished this book and I really enjoyed it. The cast of characters had a really good dynamic. Kelyn is a likable heroine for this story. She has good chemistry with Coup in an enemies to lovers story line. This book does end on a cliff hanger so I hope there will be another book.

My rating is 4.5.
Oh. My. Goodness!!!! I loved this book so much! And the way it is left off I sure hope there is going to be a second book! I absolutely loved Kel as a main female character! She is a badass when she needs to be, but soft when the time is for it. Coup is absolutely hilarious and you can tell he uses comedy as a facade! I absolutely loved everyone in this book! I did guess 2 things in this book, which I never get right. But I got them right this time and right after that I was yet wrong. It's so hard to explain. The description of the phoenixes in this book is so interesting and the world with the phoenix races is very cool! Read it!
Thank you Net Galley for approving me to read this book!

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story focuses on 17 year old Kel, the tamer and owner of the phoenix Savita. Kel and the rest of her team, the Crimson Howlers, race Savita in intense and deadly phoenix races in the hopes of making enough money to keep their lives from falling apart. When tragedy strikes their team, Kel and her best friend and teammate Dira must make an unlikely alliance with the Coupers brothers. Warren ‘Coup’ is Kel’s longtime enemy because of his recklessness as a rider but when he becomes Savita’s new rider she is forced to work together with him to keep their team, and her farm, going.

I had a really hard time with the first half of this book. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the only one I found remotely interesting was Coup but even his cockiness was off putting at times. Kel was my main issue with the characters. She was irritable all the time and was cruel to everyone around her, even her friends. She was so self absorbed with her own problems she was oblivious to how her actions affect everyone around her. She was also a self righteous hypocrite, something that a few of the other characters pointed out throughout the book. I could not relate to her actions or thoughts even if there was a reason for this behavior. Dira, Bekyn, Rahn, and Coup did get some character development to make them more likable but not nearly enough time was spent on them. Coup remains the best person in this book with the most development and explanation of his character. However, their enemies to lovers story also did not work well for me, possibly because I had a hard time believing why they hated each other so much to begin with.

I had a difficult time with some of the writing in this book. There were many times I kept going back to reread paragraphs and even pages because I felt like I missed something and I didn’t understand what was happening or couldn’t imagine a scene. Perhaps this is because it was an ARC but it just felt incomplete to me.

The pacing was also extremely strange in this book. The first half was a bit of a struggle for me but the second half just took off and never stopped. It was intense with back to back races (the best parts in my opinion), mysterious religious groups with confusing goals, and a sketchy tech mogul with many secrets and questionable motives for helping them. The phoenixes and their magic were very interesting but I felt the information about them was muddled.

While the second half of this book was gripping, the characters were not compelling or likable enough and there was too much confusion and plot holes for me.

4.5 stars rounded up - high school me would've been in love with this one.

I was intrigued by the premise of Phoenix racing and this book does not disappoint! I appreciated that the Phoenixes were portrayed as truly wild animals.

The book begins with a race and manages to break down how the racing works and the different types of phoenixes without feeling like an overbearing info dump. The pacing was relatively quick, though it does slow down a bit at points in the middle. The last 20% truly flew by and I couldn't put it down until I'd reached the end. I was able to guess most of the twists except for one that took me by complete surprise.

There was a good balance of fantasy and romance, and the relationship build-up felt quite natural. The characters are unique from each other and felt well developed. Kel, our main character, did come across as quite abrasive in the first half but she absolutely did grow on me in the second half. Coup felt charming throughout and I'm glad his character had more depth. I loved Dira's character, though she did make a frustrating decision or 2 over the course of the story. Bekn and Cristo unfortunately did feel a little more flat in comparison.

There are plot points and characters that I wish were expanded upon more - specifically the Fume! They're mentioned briefly early on and then aren't brought back up again until about 75% of the way in. I'm hoping that there's a sequel and the Fume will have a bigger role. I'm also super intrigued by Rahn's backstory and would like to know more!

Tropes:
Found Family
Rivals to Lovers
Magical Creatures

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

My rating system is as follows for any ARC book:
1 star = DNF, wouldn't recommend this to anyone and found significant flaws in it
2 stars = Finished, not something I would recommend but some may find it good
3 stars = This is a good book, nothing too spectacular but I enjoyed the read
4 stars = This was a fun and intriguing read, would talk about it and look for other works by this author
5 stars = An amazing book, would re-read

Overall rating: 4 stars
While you could say this follows the standard formula for the genre, the world and the characters are nearly perfect. There were a few times where things happened faster than expected or there wasn't as much development as I thought there should have been but the story was very intriguing and I kept wanting to read more and more.

Specific feedback:
The actual relationship between the main characters seemed to lack some depth. I know it was there because it was certainly within the unwritten subtext during many of the scenes, but I know that many people will have a hard time reading below the words to find some of those small tidbits that would make the relationship and romance even better.

This book jumps right into the action-packed and dangerous world of phoenix racing. Kel and her team, the Crimson Howlers, are forced to join forces with her rival, Coup, after tragedy strikes their team. Soon, the team decides to start working for NAME, who has an unsettling interest in Kel's phoenix, Savita.

It took a tiny bit to get my bearings since this book dove right into the action, but once I did, I was absolutely invested. There are tons of high-stakes, and lots of action and danger that had me on the edge of my seat. Kel was a bold and strong FMC who fiercely loves her friends and phoenix. Coup was arrogant, frustrating, and absolutely the perfect love interest for Kel. I also found myself immersed in the political scheming. The actual phoenix racing wasn't the only danger faced by Kel and her crew, and it was so dramatic and engaging. This was an fantastic debut and I was so iimpressed by the world building, perfectly timed twists, and complexity of the plot and characters.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

Mikayla Bridge’s Of Flame and Fury is a magical fantasy that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s got a strong heroine, epic battles, and a slow-burn romance that adds depth without getting in the way. The world-building is immersive, and the magic system is unique. This book was marketed to fans of Fourth Wing, and I think that is pretty accurate. If you liked Fourth Wing, and you like YA fantasy, you’ll definitely like this one. It’s got strong characters, a thrilling plot, and emotional moments that’ll make you feel something. It’s a promising start to a series that’ll leave you wanting more.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC!!

Of Flame and Fury has REALLY good bones. To me, it just did not fully deliver on what is was promising. I wanted more phoenix racing, more of the enemies to lovers vibes, more rebellion, more explanation, just more! The plot hit every beat that it needed to to tell a good story, I still enjoyed it, but I wanted more depth out of everything. Because there was so much that happened in this installment, some things felt surface level and not fully explored. It's almost like the first half would have made a great first installment, with the second half being the next book.

The entire Cristo Industries portion felt so choppy, and certain aspects felt so easy for our characters to work through. Like yes their team was competitive at their home location, but they move to this new island and suddenly win every race? And it's so easy for Kel to access any information she's on the hunt for? Some of it just felt too convenient and also rushed. This book would have benefited from a longer page count where we could sit with each place that they went to, sit with seeing the Howlers race more races, sit with even character relationships. I felt like I was told more than shown each relationship that Kel had with the surrounding characters, especially Coups. I knew they were going to be coupled up, but their development felt like it was out of nowhere.

***SPOILERS***
I did think the reveal at the end of Kel having AB was interesting, but it also felt unlikely. The biggest reveal was her not remembering someone in their circle that they had been talking to for months. I find it very hard to believe they didn't mention her in passing or talk about this person more if she was interacting so closely with Kel and the Howlers.

Additionally the epilogue was not included in the eARC, so I'll probably check it out when the book comes out to see if it gives any insight to what might be next or help close out what happened in the last chapter of the book. All in all, that last chapter gave me interest to potentially continue the series (if there is a book two) because I'd be curious to see where we go from here.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️
Themes/Tropes: Fantasy, Romance, Magical Creatures, Betrayal, Found Family

When I tell you I screeeeched when I got approved for this ARC!!! And my goodness did it ever live up to my expectations. I read the synopsis of this and was sooooo intrigued by the premise, and wow did Mikayla Bridge really pull it off.

We have phoenixes and phoenix racing and found family and evil mega corporations and unlikely romance and just omg there’s so much good stuff in this book. It was so unique while still having hints of so many of the things that I love in my fantasy books.

I absolutely adore the bond that Kel has with Savita, and the love that Kel has for all phoenixes. Reading about her fighting to protect them and their home had me in tears multiple times, and I think this installment only scratched the surface.

Now that Kel understands the freedoms that these magical beings truly deserve, what lengths will she go to in order to ensure they get it? I’m really excited for this series and can’t wait for the next book!!

Phoenixes >>>>> Dragons

Of Flame and Fury is a YA romantasy debut focusing around one of my favorite fantasy features: phoenixes. I've always been a lover of phoenixes in books, so I had to request this as soon as I saw it on Netgalley. I was mildly surprised by the truly wild nature of phoenixes in this book, and I really appreciated the questions of freedom and exploitation of nature.
I've seen a lot of reviews comparing this to Fourth Wing, but I honestly preferred this book immensely. Kel is a phoenix tamer who trains phoenixes for racing, and she's desperate for the money that comes with winning. The only issue? She'll need to work with her rival, Warren "Coup" Coupers. I thought the pacing and action were well done, and maybe I'm finally breaking out of a two-month-long reading slump, but I read this in two days, and it kept my attention piqued the whole time. Some of the plot twists were a bit predictable, but there was one major one that I missed completely. I thought the balance of romance and fantasy worked well. Overall, I just really enjoyed the fast-paced, action-packed plot of this book. My only complaint is that the ARC didn't include the epilogue, so I definitely missed some closure there, but I'm hoping this becomes a series.
I liked most of the characters, too, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the Howlers. Bekn was the unsung hero, in my opinion. I mean, dude wears a fancy apron to cook pancakes...we love him for that. I really liked Dira as well, and her friendship with Kel was nice to see. I wasn't super fond of Rahn, but I think that was because we didn't have much time to connect with her. Kel was fine as a protagonist; I liked seeing her connection with her phoenix, Savita, and her character arc was super fun. I didn't mind Coup too much, and while I wouldn't say he's my favorite book boy ever, he's definitely better than a lot of them. If there ends up being a sequel, I'll be interested to see how the dynamics change with certain developments here.
Of Flame and Fury is the perfect YA romantasy for fans of magical creatures and magical competitions.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4/5

Almost 4 stars. I'm a fan of YA fantasy but sometimes, books can be just a little too YA for my preference. But given that I'm in my mid-30s, that makes total sense, as I am not YA, nor have I been YA for quite some time. I'm truly just not the target audience for this one. That said, I still really enjoyed Of Flame and Fury, but it wasn't without some flaws. Let's start with what is probably the best part of this book. Phoenixes! Anyone that has read reviews of mine knows that I am a sucker for books with animals, and a bigger sucker for books with magical animals. So you better believe that I was HERE for everything phoenix related in this book, and especially the phoenix racing, which was essentially like car racing but with phoenixes. PERFECTION! What didn't I love? This is marketed for fans of Fourth Wing and I just didn't get that with Of Flame and Fury at all. I think that really messed with my expectations. I also found the plot to be kind of predictable and the pacing was off. It took me a bit to get into this one (which to be fair, is often the case with fantasy books), and the first part of this was a bit slow. All in all, I did enjoy Of Flame and Fury, just not a much as I hoped I would. The concept was super unique (again- phoenix racing), and I can see a lot of people really enjoying this. I also think that this was a pretty strong debut that again, had a really cool concept. Was this Fourth Wing but with phoenixes? No. But that's ok, not everything needs to be Fourth Wing. Thank you so much to Bridge, netgalley, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. Describing the book as "Fourth Wing meets Iron Window in this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy---! --- pages full of steamy romance, fiery confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic --". The book is in no way comparable to Fourth Wing. While being described as "enemies to lovers" and a "steamy romance", they share a few kisses towards the end of the book, but that is all.

If I could give 10 stars I would!!! From the very first page you’re pulled in to a world of phoenixes magic racing and slow burn love interest. This book had me constantly on the edge of my seat or pacing the house. The MFC is an underdog you can’t help but root for. She’s stubborn but willing to risk it all. The author does such a great job of world building and edge of your seat drama that makes it impossible to put down. The ending couldn’t have been better executed. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan publishing group for the arc. This is my honest opinion

After a phoenix race goes a bit awry, Kel and her Howler team, what’s left of it, is forced to team up with Coup, a reckless racer and his brother. They don’t get along well at all, but after they both receive an offer from a the mysterious millionaire, Cristo, the Howlers find they have no choice but to accept it and are soon thrust into more wild races, interviews and more. The team will find that there’s more going on at the industry than they imagined.

This book was quite the whirlwind, paced really well and filled with excitement. It was hard to put down, but I let myself soak it in over a few days. I really enjoyed the phoenix magic and the races, the connection that Kel has with her own phoenix, Savita. Savita is such a fun bird, I enjoyed every moment of her.

The romance was *chef’s kiss,* the bickering, the crushing of walls, the growth. Perfect.

The ending took me by surprise and left me wanting more. I highly recommend to those who love fantasy, phoenixes, romance and dangerous races.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the chance to read this incredible arc.