This book felt almost as F1 as the actual F1 romance I’ve read this year. From out of the gate to the finish line, Of Flame and Fury captivates and keeps you locked into a high-stakes plot and simmering current of political tension and intrigue.

Bridge’s story burns as hot as the phoenixes at the core of this world, while somehow serving up a deliciously slow burn. The races here were fantastically suspenseful, with real stakes and creative designs and set-ups. The danger inherent in these phoenixes has you on the edge of your seat for potential fallout from any wrong move.

Kel and Coup serve up enemies-to-lovers fantastically. Their hate felt a little too contrived for me at times, but on the whole, you get just the right amount of denial before they inevitably collide. Surrounding them was a great cast that I’m hopeful we’ll see more of in the next installment.

My favorite, though? Obviously the fiery Sav. She gave just the right combination of dangerous beast and animal sidekick. I loved her bond with Kel, and felt fiercely protective of her throughout the sinister twists this plot took.

Overall, a strong, unique YA story with great potential as this series continues. Excited to come back for the next adventure!

Thank you to @mikayla_bridge and @macmillanusa for the #gifted e-book and @Macmillan.audio #MacAudio2025 for the #gifted audiobook.

This debut novel is nothing short of phenomenal, instantly captivating from the very first page.

It’s a relentless adventure filled with thrilling phoenix races, a compelling romance, and tantalizing secrets. The evolving relationship between Kel and Coup, from fierce adversaries to passionate lovers, added intriguing depth to the story. Their romance is beautifully sweet, providing a perfect balance to the exhilarating racing scenes that are packed with a heart-pounding pace sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The friendship among the teammates shines, highlighting themes of loyalty and unity.

The conspiracy involving the phoenixes is both fascinating and cleverly woven into the story, while the world-building is masterfully crafted, making it easy to vividly visualize every detail. The conclusion left room for a sequel, which I am absolutely eager to explore.

The narrator brought the characters to life with distinct voices, which enhanced the intensity that compelled me to keep turning the pages.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced fantasy that intertwines romance with gripping conspiracy, this book is a must-read. Mark your calendars for its release on July 15, 2025—you won’t want to miss it!

This is quite possibly the most YA of YA books I've ever read, and I've read my fair share. The characters in Of Flame And Fury read like kids fresh out of high school. Bickering, jealousy, overconfidence, and uninhibited hormones are prevelant.

Despite a few eye rolls, the story was fast paced and engaging, with at least one plot twist I didn't see coming, and an ending that was both tragic and hopeful.

Of Flame and Fury surprised me with its animal rights themes. Although Kel tames and races phoenixes, she is plagued with doubts of taming them for their own good vs letting them be free with a chance of coexistence.

e A R C • R E V I E W ✨
Of Flame and Fury by @mikayla_bridge
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, this is Mikayla’s debut novel and OMG, I am speechless… this book is a beautiful written fantasy book. I’ve never read a book that contained phoenixes and WOW, I am mind-blown. 🤯

The slow burn romance in this book was perfectly written… Coup and Kel their story is magical. Mikayla did an amazing job writing this book, I enjoyed reading it. I felt all the raw emotions, the friendships and passion. The ending however, left me on cliff hanger I need answers @mikayla_bridge… is book #2 coming soon? 😭

I highly, highly recommend this book. 🪶

Thank you @netgalley and @mikayla_bridge for gifting my an eARC, I absolutely adored this book!

#bookrecommendations #bookreview #netgalley #netgalleyreads #books #bookcommunity #booksbooksbooks #fantasybooks

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to! I wouldn’t say the Fourth Wing comparison is super accurate aside from the flying on a winged creature bit, so don’t go into it with those expectations. I really enjoyed the phoenix racing aspect - the races were brutal and exciting and had me wanting to keep reading. I also enjoyed the mysteries and plot twists even if some were more predictable than others.

The hate to love romance between Kel and Coup was really cute and included a bit of fake dating and hurt/comfort. The found family aspect between their racing team was nice as well. I can’t really tell if there’s going to be another book, but I hope there is. I’m not a huge fan of ambiguous endings and I feel like there’s definitely room for more. I would love to continue if so!

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Listen—this book had me hooked from the jump. I cracked open the excerpt thinking I’d just dip a toe in… next thing I know, I’m fully submerged, chasing phoenix flames and dodging secrets like I owed somebody money.

Set in a high-octane world where wild phoenixes race through the skies and a shadowy virus creeps in the backdrop, this story brings straight heat. Think futuristic tech meets feral magic, with creatures that don't just fly—they fight back. The phoenixes aren't your cute fantasy pets. They're untamed, untouchable, and dripping with danger. I loved that. No instant bonding, no soft dragon eyes—just wild power and speed.

Now I was skeptical at first—when folks start throwing out comparisons to Fourth Wing or Iron Widow, I tense up. But surprisingly? This one held its own. The writing is fast and breezy, sprinkled with snappy banter and some real-deal tension. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic? Gold. She’s on edge, he’s a mess, and together they light the fuse.

Was it perfect? Nah. The main girl’s paranoia had me side-eying her a few times, and yeah, some twists I saw coming from a mile away. But then the ending came through and slapped me clean across the face. I didn’t think too hard—I was just vibing—and bam, jaw dropped.

The fake dating, the enemies-to-lovers energy, the underground racing, the secrets bubbling just beneath the surface—it all makes for a bold, cinematic experience. And that found family theme? Sweet as syrup.

This book had the spirit of How to Train Your Dragon with teeth sharper and stakes higher. If you’re into adrenaline, magic, and messy feelings on fire, go ahead and buckle up.

I love this beautiful world Mikayla created because it's unique and it revolves around my second favorite mythical animal, phoenixes. I haven't read a book about them so her building this fantastical world and the logistics about riding one has me fully captivated and intrigued. It's very detailed to the types and her descriptions are beautiful. This book started off strong already with jumping straight into an intense race. But the FMC irritated me in the beginning because of her stubbornness and how she thinks she more knowledgeable about phoenixes than actual experts. But her character growth helped to redeem her. This really had me second guessing on who to trust and who's being truthful. This is a great read and the banter with the enemies to lover and slow burn are a perfect mix.

First off I would like to thank NetGalley for the e-ARC/DRC, as well as the author’s personal interactions with me via Instagram throughout reading her debut novel. One that is certainly a thing to proud of.

While my rating for this book is low, that does not negate the fact that I did enjoy the overall story.

My reason for rating this a 2* was a decision that was truly took me time to contemplate. And those reasons are as follows:
*For the US publication I would have suggested to change the usage of “quietened” to “quieted”, and “quieten” to “quiet” for geographic linguistic purposes. Initially, I thought “quitened” was a typo. Upon research I realized this was a British linguistic spelling choice. That noted, I still would suggest the spelling changed for its US target market, and remain its original spelling for its British/UK target market market.
*First major predictability- enemies to lovers. (This isn’t necessarily good or bad, just obvious. I would have liked to have seen a more build up to it considering this is likely the start of a series.)
*World-building was about average. I would have liked to have this built up more transparently. (Unless, of course, that’s the plan for future books?)
*One of the larger criticisms I had with the story is that of (aside from phoenixes being mythical), how to explain the inconsistent, and confusing riding leathers rules within the story’s own guidelines. Some scenes riders had them and still got burnt. Another scene a rider rode a phoenix with no leathers and barely got their hair singed. All that forgiven, then way deep in Chapter 50 (nearly the conclusion), the author gives a faint hint of an explanation that could have truly been moved to the beginning of the novel for clarity and consistency.
*Following up on that note: If 30 phoenixes generate so much heat, and even riding with leathers (just exactly what leathers are these even, how thick are they, etc that sometimes burn and sometimes not…Russian roulette really), then how does a thin sheet of metal protective barrier from audience to racers/phoenixes not combust and melt during these races?
*While the Vohre Forest was predicted.
*Excessive use of “maw”. There are no other synonyms? No other way to rephrase the repetitive usage of this word?
*Quote: “Slowly, the wild phoenixes attacks grew slower.” This is redundant. Editors should have tagged this for a rephrasing.
*While sex (supposedly) sells, a potential sex scene took away from the story. If any person was trying to save something from death, I don’t think they would stop everything and say, “Let’s fuck.” My rephrasing, not the authors.
*Everything revolving around Estra’s character, and the AB virus truly deserves a deeper dive by author/editors at plausibility, consistency, and the narrative timeline. Another part where I would have highly encouraged further drafts.
*And my final critique: How does Coup manage to ride a phoenix multiple times, spends months of training with it, and cannot manage to pick it out amongst others, but his teammates can. Even the newest one who hadn’t been a part of the team for very long at all, easily did so? It’s like having a pet dog, and you can’t manage to find your own dog out of all the others at the dog park? Really!?

While the critiques I had might make this story sound worse than it really is, it’s not. This is a great story. Honestly, if it had been through further revisions, had additional editors look at it, this could easily have been a 4* or higher.

Of Flame and Fury is a suspenseful read, no disagreement. It is filled with characters you love, love to hate, death and survival of characters you love/hate. It’s a unique story of a father’s unwavering love for his sick daughter, but also the story of a grieving teen who fights against all odds and to do what she believes is the right thing. The pace of the story stays at a medium level from the start til about the middle, and from there, it’s a rollercoaster.

This book will be great for fans of YA sagas like Hunger Games, X-men (Jean Grey/Phoenix), but also for fans of mythical creatures (phoenix and otherwise), and those who love fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian literature.

I do look forward to a sequel to see the evolution of this debut author’s writing, and the adventures of Kel, her friends, and the seven subspecies of phoenixes that are clearly detailed prior to the story’s beginning.

5⭐️ FOR PURE ENTERTAINMENT

I am genuinely shocked by how much I loved this book? from the synopsis, I thought I would enjoy it but never would I have predicted just how much fun it ended up being. I finished it over a day ago and am still thinking about it!!

I loveddd the concept of phoenixes as the main animal in this world, I feel like dragons have been slightly overdone in the last few years and this felt like a breath of fresh air. the racing component of the plot was also super interesting, it kept me on my toes and the way I was rooting for these fictional characters to win every time was slightly concerning 🫣

I loved our cast of characters as well, they felt like their own people and contributed meaningfully to the plot, which can be difficult to do at times with a large cast.

kel and coup?? OBSESSED WITH THE TWO OF THEM I need more!!!!! every interaction between them had be giggling and I ate. it. up. 👏🏼👏🏼 this felt like a true enemies to lovers in the context of the story and I appreciated how it genuinely felt that kel disliked him from the start for valid reasons. one of my least favorite things is false advertising of enemies to lovers, where from the start the FMC constantly comments on the looks of her “enemy” and the hate feels so forced. safe to say this was not the case!

this read like a YA novel, but in the best way possible! I think the pacing was well done and the way the story came together by the end was wild to read about. the cliffhanger def had me screaming and I cannot wait for book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am struggling with this book. On the one hand I'm totally on board with the focus on phoenixes (something new we haven't seen before), phoenix racing, and the meta commentary the author is clearly having about deforestation, the destruction of nature, and climate change.
On the other hand, this book is described as "Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers young adult romantic fantasy," and that is not what I got from this. AT. ALL.

A little synopsis, Kel our FMC is your classic underdog - she lost her father at a young age and now must have her beloved phoenix, Savita, compete in dangerous races in order to stay afloat and keep her family's farm. Savita's racer? None other than the local bad boy (because of course) Warren "Coup" Coupers. Their racing team, the Crimson Howlers, catches the attention of a weathly tech CEO who offers the team essentially everything their heart desires if they race for him. Throw in a mysterious illness killing this word's inhabitants and people with nefarious motives and you got yourselves a book.

This book would have been so much better without the romantic subplot. I did not care about Coup and Kel, I thought their chemistry was lacking and I found myself skimming the scenes when they were together. Conversely, give me more MOREEEEE!!! scenes with Savita and Kel - that is the true heartbeat of this book and the reason why I didn't DNF in the middle.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe? If there is a second book, I might read it? The epilogue was not included in the eARC so I'm not sure if this is a series that is even going to continue (I put this book on hold at my library so I can read that epilogue). All in all, I gave this book 3 stars - it exists - I can see a lot of people liking it. The Romantasy genre is really saturated right now and unfortunately, I am looking for books that don't fit that classic romantasy mold (namely, enemies to lovers) so this just didn't land for me.

🐦‍🔥🎧I listened to the audiobook for Of Flame and Fury. Safiyya Ingar does a great job at narration. She gave a distinct voice for each character so it was easy to understand as she brought the story to life.
The book itself focused a lot on the Phoenix racing itself which was really fun and different. I have always loved phoenixes so this book was right up my alley. In this book, phoenixes are wild, aggressive, and unapologetic which makes the races deadly. There’s also a mysterious illness going around so that’s a big storyline as well. The tagline for this book compared it to Fourth Wing and I just want to say that while it has some similarities its overall vibe was not the same. At least for me. It’s still fun though. There’s a great found family and the last 30-25% was so much fun! I’m excited to see where this story goes. 💜
Also, for anyone who read the eARC but not the audiobook of this be sure to check out the epilogue. It’s in Coup’s POV! 🥰

If you enjoy reluctant allies to lovers, found family, and young adult fantasy then grab your copy today!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC of this book this was my introduction to the author as well as her debut and it was so good. I loved it!! It was very engaging. I found myself flying through the book and I’m definitely looking forward to more. This is a magical fantasy enemies to lovers book and I ate it up. It also had fake relationships. There’s also a little bit of suspense which I love because it adds some drama and I’m always down for drama in a book. Our main characters are Kel and Coup and the tension between them I promise you it’s so worth it. It’s amazing!! It is a slow burn romance, so you’re gonna get like bits and pieces because bits and pieces are gonna do it for you. Kel has a phoenix racing team, to picture it in your mind think of F1 racing. The races are pretty dangerous and awesome. Coup races on the phoenix’s and he can be pretty reckless. I think this was a great blend in this book and I’m really hoping to hear something about a second book.

“She needed to test his words. To see if he truly craved her the way she did him. To know if the fire he lit within her would destroy her, or bring her to life”

-5 Stars

Tropes:
🩷 Enemies to lovers
♥️Teammates
🩷Quest


”it might be a lost cause, Bek,” Coup said. “Kel certainly is. The stick up here ass is wedged so deep, every time she opens her mouth you can see the other end”

Spice:
1.5 🌶️

This is a great book! My favorite book this year! There is so much emotion and tension between the MMC and FMC. He, is swoon worthy, and she is a badass. Perfect power couple. The banter and their dynamic is to die for. I love seeing the development and growth between—and of the characters. Also huge thank you to Tatiana Merced-Zarou, and Mikayla Bridge for the ARC copy I recived! Can’t say thank you enough!


“Theirs wasn’t a bond built from kindness an care. It was forged from barbed confessions and crimson flames”

4-4.5⭐️

finished on pub day!

‘Of Flame and Fury’ follows Kel and her phoenix racing team, its incredibly tense, mysterious and i couldn’t tear myself away for pages at a time. I found this book to be unique from what I normally read and liked the phoenix racing (sorta mimicking F1 racing) a lot. Had suspense and had me stressing to find out what would happen.

I think Kel is a great main character, with a great supporting cast as well. She has character growth over the course of the story and i promise her outbursts have a reason behind them. At first i wasn’t convinced of her and coup’s (love interest) “hate” for each other but realistically two teens who have different opinions on racing and different attitudes, are going to clash. so when they finally came together, i really enjoyed it, the romance scenes were well done.

I think the author’s writing and world building really stood out, i felt immersed in the world without having to be drowned in information (there’s still mystery to the world with magic and alchemists i hope we get to learn about) and i enjoyed getting thrown right into the story.

savita seriously has my heart

I think my only struggle was it got a little slow around 25% to 35% but then picked back up and had to finish it within the day

(praying for another book!)

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an early copy of OF FLAME AND FURY by Mikayla Bridge in exchange for my honest review!

Move over, dragons, because phoenixes are on the rise! I absolutely loved all of the phoenix lore in this story! That was my favorite part for sure. The way the author built this world and the magic around these powerful and terrifying creatures was refreshing and also left me wanting to read more books with phoenixes and firebirds.

I thought this was a solid upper YA fantasy story. The tone felt appropriate to the age group of our main cast which I really appreciated. I can always get behind a competition based story. The phoenix races were dangerous and epic!

The thing that lost the book for me was the romance. I think it held a lot of potential, but I wasn't really sold on their chemistry. I would have preferred there to be either no romance at all, or a slower burn that had a payoff in the next book.

While it was a bit predictable at times, the ending was satisfactory and I would be keen to pick up the sequel!

3.5/5 stars

Racing phoenixes, fierce rivals, and a world on the edge of burning.

In a world where phoenix racing is both deadly and lucrative, seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her underdog team, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races. To do so, they need a new rider, leading Kel to team up with her arrogant rival, Coup. As tension builds on and off the track, Kel’s home is destroyed, and she’s forced to take a job from a mysterious tech mogul with a dangerous interest in her phoenix, Savita. Amid political intrigue, growing romance, and volatile magic, Kel uncovers a conspiracy that puts everyone she loves at risk—especially Coup, as her feelings for him ignite into something much more intense.

Of Flame and Fury blazes a fresh trail in the genre, turning away from overdone creature tropes and diving headfirst into something far more original: phoenix lore. The worldbuilding is rich and vibrant, with different breeds of phoenixes, a mysterious and poorly understood magic system, and a dark societal structure that demands their magical beings be collared.

One of the book’s most compelling twists is its choice of setting: not a war-ridden battlefield or an enchanted college, but a high-stakes racing circuit. The Howlers deliver just as much adrenaline - but with a focus on speed, rivalry, and grit. These scenes are dynamic and immersive, making you feel the heat of the wings, the roar of the crowd, and the rush of magic-infused competition.

Layered beneath the action are subplots that add even more depth: the stirrings of rebellion, a desperate scientific search for answers, and the looming threat of a deadly, incurable disease. These elements build pressure on the characters, driving them into desperate choices and reckless decisions.

If you’re a sucker for a slow-burn hate-to-love romance, this one delivers. Kel and Coup’s banter is razor-sharp, their tension palpable, and while their romance remains a background thread, it’s an addictive one. However, the PG-rated closeness only hints at what might come later.

At its core, though, this story is about found family. Kel and Dira’s relationship is especially moving, capturing the love, conflict, and deep-rooted loyalty of sisters by choice. Their bond is the emotional backbone of the story, anchoring the fantasy elements in something deeply human.

And that ending? Absolutely jaw-dropping. Just when you think you’ve pieced everything together, the final chapters sweep the rug out from under you. Confusing, emotional, and wildly unexpected - it sets the stage perfectly for a sequel (hopefully!) full of magic, mystery, and perhaps a little more romance.

I loved this book and can not wait for the next one.... I read "Of Flame and Fury" by Mikayla Bridge on NetGalley. This book has it all...phoenixes, intrigue, romance...it was hard to put down! The main character has had a rough life with the one of the only happy things in it being her phoenix. She has to race the phoenix in brutal races to try and earn money. Life makes a drastic change when her new racing team is offered a job from a rich man.

ARC Review of “Of Flame and Fury” by Mikayla Bridge

⭐ 4/5 Stars

“Of Flame and Fury” is a high-octane, enemies-to-lovers romantasy set in a world of volcanic ash, political scheming, and deadly phoenix races. Think Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow, with a fierce heroine, a brooding rival, and enough heat - romantic and otherwise - to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

I was immediately pulled in by the rich world building and the intense, atmospheric setting. The stakes felt real, both on the racetrack and in the emotional undercurrents between Kel and Coup. Their tension sizzles, but it’s the blend of found family, layered betrayal, and unexpected twists that really sealed the deal for me. Kel is a force of nature - flawed, loyal, and full of fire - and I loved seeing her clash (and connect) with Coup. The phoenix lore was fresh and vivid, and the pacing balanced action and character development so well. I am so eager to see what Mikayla Bridge writes next!

Thank you NetGalley, Mikayla Bridge, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group / Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own ♡

Review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7392673251
And StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3349b2bc-6e60-4867-8993-02c8aa1b962b

I had been putting off this ARC for a while since I wasn't in the YA mood, but it was pretty good! Obviously, not much spice but the tension between Kel and Coup was top tier. I though the world building was easy to understand and unique. I am pretty annoyed that the epilogue was not included and it's not on KU. So, I guess or me this ended on a cliffhanger.

Thank you to MacMillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book a lot and am getting a SE from Owlcrate, which I am excited to see. I was hooked from the very beginning. If you like phoenix's, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance, then you will enjoy this book.

This was like F1 and dragon racing, only with phoenix's. I enjoyed the scenes when they were in races, but I wanted to see more rivalry and some tension with the Howler's and other teams. I feel like Coup in particular has caused a lot of waves with his team hoping and risky stunts, but we didn't really see that come into play much. We only saw the tension with him and Kel, which I enjoyed, but I feel like Coup would have brought more enemies wanting to beat him on the circuit.

I enjoyed the family aspect of the Howler's. There was tension in the beginning, but they really meshed well as a team. I would like to see Coup's POV in the next book. I would have enjoyed it in this book.

I wish we had learned more about AB. It seemed similar to COVID in the sense that people can catch it, but it doesn't affect everyone. Coup and Bekn's mom died from it, but neither of them seem to have. But, then later when another character gets AB the story makes it seem like it was because they were in the same room as someone with AB. I hope they go into more detail about it. Maybe some people are more susceptible than others.

The ending was very intense and emotional. I'm curious to see if the next book picks up where the first leaves off or if we will get some kind of time skip. The only thing I was bummed about at the end was the missing epilogue. I thought maybe it was just my copy, but after looking at a few reviews, I see that it seems like it wasn't included.

I can't wait until 2026 when the second book comes out. I saw on Goodreads that there is a listing for it, so hopefully that is accurate because we can't just end it there.