Of Flame and Fury is a fun, accessible fantasy that’s perfect for readers who want a taste of magic, high-stakes racing, and a fiery enemies-to-lovers romance. The story follows Kel, a determined phoenix tamer fighting to protect her beloved phoenix, Savita, while juggling debts and dangerous races. When she’s forced to team up with Coup — her arrogant rival — sparks fly both on and off the track.

If you’re not quite ready for the intensity of Fourth Wing but crave a fantasy with found family vibes, magical creatures, and a swoony slow-burn romance, this is a great pick!

Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge.

"On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly."

This was a random find while looking through Netgalley and I am glad I snagged it. There was a wonderful weave of passionate romance, confessions i never saw coming, politics and strategy and of course, MAGIC! Oh, and a battle!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for this review!

The idea of this book - F1 racing but with Phoenixes and some science - is top tier, but it seemed a little too plot-heavy (everything happens to Kel until the very end when she actually makes a choice). I found the antagonist to be cartoonish, and the plot twist to fall flat. I loved the rivals-to-reluctant-coworkers-to-lovers.

solid 4.5 stars rounded up for the ratings :)

PHOENIXES!! i also just rewatched httyd and yes it gives those fun, fast-paced, heart warming adventure fantasy vibes <3

loved the slowburn but chemistry filled relationship btwn kel & coup, kel's outlook on phoenixes (and how the narrative never lost the "they are meant to be their own creatures" plot), building politics

wish we got more development btwn all the found family characters (imo there were just too many for it be focused and explored enough) and some of the twists were a bit predictable

but eagerly awaiting book 2!!!

DNF at 41%

I can see why others would like this. The idea of Phoenix racing sounds enthralling and exciting!

I usually love enemies to lovers kinda plot.

I didn't stop reading this because it was poorly written. I just couldn't find it in myself to care for the characters and what was going on. I found Kel irritating at times which didn't help me at all especially as she was our main character.

I think the book moved just a bit too slow. For me to be at 41% and nothing bigger had happened yet wasn't a good indicator for me to continue.

3.75⭐️ a good standalone YA fantasy book!

Kel is a phoenix tamer working on a team that competitively races her phoenix, Savita. When she makes a deal to work with Coup, a reckless rider in the racing league, their team gains the attention of a billionaire tech mogul who wants to sponsor them. Kel and Coup agree to move their team and Savita to a new region to race under this new sponsor, but soon realize they agreed to more than they initially thought.

“Of Flame and Fury” is marketed to be like Fourth Wing, however I found it felt much more like reading Hunger Games or Divergent. It felt similar to how those FMC vs Government vibes rather than the academy vibes of Fourth Wing. Regardless, I enjoyed it.

The last 25% of this book went absolutely bonkers - everything tied up really well, the plot twists were twisting, and even one big one that I didn’t see coming but felt so dumb for not seeing it! I loved the ending so much, it made me so emotional and I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters and this world so quickly after meeting them.

This book fits its YA genre well. I feel like I would have related to Kel much more when I was younger. Because of this, in the first half I found it hard at certain points to agree with her decision-making - at times I felt like I could see something bad happening from a mile away and all I could do was watch it play out. I also felt like the romance component wasn’t really developed that much, there wasn’t much tension or banter in the first half and I would’ve liked to see more.

Tropes: found family, trials (racing), “enemies” to lovers
No spice

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), and NetGalley for the e-ARC copy of this book! Overall, I would give this 3.5 stars. This story is about a 17 year old girl name Kel who is known as a "tamer", and she alongside her team known as the Crimson Howlers, compete in phoenix riding races in hopes to win the annual races and gain the much needed money that comes along with it. When tragedy strikes during a race and The Crimson Howlers are in need of a new rider, Kel is forced to work alongside Coup, an arrogant yet talented rider who gets on Kel's nerves. Soon enough, their talents are discovered by Cristo Industries who have taken an interest in Kel and Coup as well as Kel's phoenix Savita. The story takes off from their as Cristo Industries may have ulterior motives which Kel and company seek to uncover.

Overall, the premise does feel quite new and fresh. I haven't read many novels centering around phoenixes and the racing component was quite exciting to read about and definitely got the adrenaline as high as any battle scene would read. Where the book missed the mark for me was in the characters and the way the book is marketed. It was a bit of a strange reading experience as the story itslef and the writing felt very YA, but at times the characters read as being older and more wise than what I was expecting them to be and behave. For the marketing, I see the blurb stating "Heart-pounding pages full of steamy romance, fiery confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate in a final twist readers will never see coming" and during my read, I didn't really get the "heart-poinding pages full of steamy romance" or "fiery confessions"... maybe it's because the relationship between Kel and Coup felt underdeveloped and their liking each other came out of nowhere for me, but also as someone who reads adult books as well, when I think of "steamy romance" it goes beyond the kisses we see in this YA book. The last 30% of the book was quite exciting and I think the plot definitely picked up. I'm not sure that I will continue with the series (if it is a series - unsure since the epilogue was not included in the ARC) as I just don't feel too strong of a connection with the characters. Those who would enjoy a fast-paced, competition-focused YA story with an organization with a darker underbelly will love this book!

Big thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book!

This book is definitely for fans of romance, fantasy, and fast paced storytelling.

DNF
The concept in Phoenix racing was interesting in concept, but as I was getting into the book it was more like reading an F1 racing story line which for some could be great, but for me was too much.

THIS IS A DEBUT?!

No way!

This book is addicting in the best/worst way.
I read half the book in one sitting, and I was so tense I wanted to pull my hair out! I had to keep reminding myself the MCs are 17 and that’s why they’re making all these dumb decisions 😂😂
I had to break at 60% or I would have thrown my kindle across the room!

The next day I woke up and finished it 🙄🤣
The ending is definitely worth the stress and the anticipation. But I NEED THAT EPILOGUE so I already preordered this bc how dare you end it like that?

If you want a new refreshing take on mythological creatures, bc all the dragons are getting old this book is for you.
If you like high stakes, enemies to lovers, this is for you.
If you like defying the odds and tense trials, this is for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge is a third person-POV YA Romantasy. Kel is a phoenix tamer who has been butting heads with Coup, a rider who recently joined her team, since they met. When they are given the chance to be sponsored by a tech mogul and keep their spot in the races (with a very tempting monetary prize), they take it. But something is wrong with Savita, their team’s phoenix, and the company they agreed to work with.

This is what I mean when I say ‘Romantasy.’ The romance plays a very significant part of the plot and has a romance voice and romance tropes and a romance structure, but the fantasy elements are not just present but are prominent. They are guiding a lot of the plot. There’s a lot of antagonism between Kel and Coup but there is that undercurrent of something else that the two are fighting. It’s not quite enemies-to-lovers because they aren’t really enemies but are more irritated because their views on Coup’s racing style are very different.

The tech mogul sponsorship aspects feel very modern and current. There are a lot of conversations these days around what tech companies do and do not own and how they are trying to buy artists or smaller businesses in order to take what they want and leave a husk behind. Given this and how many young people are interested in environmentalism and how this connects to the phoenixes, I think younger readers will see a lot of familiar themes and ideas in this book for them to engage with.

The worldbuilding is most strongly focused on what the phoenixes mean for the world at large. It’s stated clearly that phoenixes are the ones who created the world the characters inhabit and the book even opens with an explanation of the different species. What I thought was so interesting is how phoenixes are treated like gods by many people to the point that they shouldn't be collared and tamed but the races that do exactly that exist. Moreover, phoenixes are said to be very difficult to tame but Kel is capable of connecting with Savita in ways that are highly unusual. It’s sort of like Horse Girl trope but make it Phoenix Girl.

I would recommend this to fans of Romantasy that hone in on one or two worldbuilding elements and readers of YA fantasy who like a lot of tension between the romantic couple

I'm not typically a fantasy reader. There are a lot of genre I gravitate to first, but the premise of Of Flame and Fury was interesting enough that I'd be remiss to pass it by. The novel was fast paced with something happening on nearly every page. This worked well to keep me intrigued and wanting to continue, but I do think some development got sidelined in favor of the action. I felt the aspect most harmed by the quick nature of the narrative was the romance. It felt like everything happened too soon. You didn't get a lot of build-up to it and I would have loved to see more tension between the characters before the first kiss. This is not to say that the romance fell flat; it didn't, I just sincerely love long winded slow burn romances and hoping that Of Flame and Fury would be more like that.

My favorite part of the book was the world building, especially the lore surrounding phoenixes. I expect a surge in phoenix themed fantasy in the coming years. Of Flame and Fury will probably suffer Fourth Wing syndrome in its predicted rapid (and deserved) popularity to the point that people will refer to it as over hyped, but with its popularity will come a phoenix obsession that I for one look forward to.

My least favorite part of the book was the romance between Rahn and Dira. It felt forced and maybe it was because it was a limited narration, but there didn't seem to be any connection between them. It also undermines the found family, in my opinion, to have them pair up as well as having Coup and Kel as a couple. Suddenly Bekn is a fifth wheel instead of having an actual family dynamic.

Overall I loved the book. It makes me want to read more fantasy...maybe it's time to finally read Six of Crows.

"Of Flame and Fury" by Mikayla Bridge is a YA romantic fantasy and the authors debut.

I received an advance reader copy from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Netgalley.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- phoenix racing
- enemies to lovers
- fake dating
- secrets and corruption

Kel is a phoenix tamer that works with the phoenix Savita.
They are forced to work with Coup and his brother. Also Kel ends up fake dating Coup for publicity.

The phoenix races are full of adrenaline and action.
The book had a fast pace and there are a few unexpected twists.
I did not expect the ending and I hope there is another book.

The romance was not very well developed, but I liked the growth of the characters.

Overall I enjoyed the book and especially the phoenixes.

What I loved
- The whole idea of phoenix racing and how the story focuses on phoenixes. It's a fresh concept that hasn't been overused.
- The team’s found family vibes.
- The world-building is spot on. It really captures the difference between where Kel starts out and her new job, through both descriptions and character thoughts/conversations.
- That ending! 😶

What didn't quite click for me
- I didn't really feel the chemistry between Kel and Coup as much as I hoped I would.
- The crew's ages didn't match up with how old they seemed. Kel especially felt a lot older than she was supposed to be.

I'm definitely going to keep reading this series when book 2 comes out. Even though there were a couple of things I didn't quite vibe with, I'm really excited to find out what happens to the Crimson Howlers next. If you're into found family fantasy, you should check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Who needs dragon riders when you’ve got phoenix riders? I’ve always been partial to Phoenix’s in general, there’s something about animal that rises up from the ashes. This book was so good it tore my heart apart in the best way and then put it back together. Kel is everything you want in an FMC brave, selfless, and the epitome of strength. Her love for Savita is inspiring and I truly believe Savita loves her just as much. There were surprises and a twist I didn’t see coming and the whole book was so exciting.

Coup reminded me of that guy who can’t help but rile up the girl he has a crush on. You knew they would end up loving each other but that didn’t make the journey from enemies to lovers any less fun and sweet. Kel may have tried to fight it but it was inevitable and they are perfect for each other. The Howlers were all great side characters and each really added so much to the story. This is the perfect example of found family they have such a strong relationship and there’s so much love between them.

Of Flame and Fury is nonstop action story chronicling a world in which phoenixes are godlike creatures, steeped in myth and mystery. Phoenixes cause a divide among the inhabitants in this world. Widely accepted as truly "wild" and temperamental creatures, some see them as vehicles solely fit for the massively popular racing enterprise. This side seems to believe that phoenixes are for human use. They can be tamed and trained to race, which prevents them from running loose and torching everything and everyone around them. The other side--a "cult" known as the Flume--want the phoenixes to be restored to their former feral glory and despises any human-led enterprises which entrap the phoenixes.

The main character, Kel, is a part of a racing team known as the Howlers, and her job is to train the team's phoenix--Savita. Kel seems to fall somewhere between the two sides initially. Kel is joined by Dira (her best friend and race strategizer), Coup (Savita's new rider and her enemy-to-lover), and Bekn (Coup's brother and marketing guru). The group links up with Cristo industries, which promises training opportunities, the best tech, gear, and all sorts of excellent sponsorship support. However, Kel knows that there is something off about Cristo--the CEO equivalent of this business--and everything unravels as she slowly finds out what that something is through the course of the book.

The action and suspense is probably the most intriguing part of this book for me as a reader. The author is very creative in how she develops the lore behind the phoenixes as well as the inhabitants' relationships to them. Without spoiling anything, I thought that this aspect of the book--the myths, the history, etc.--is well thought out and creates a nice avenue into the sequel.

The characters, particularly Kel and Coup, and their relationship are probably my least favorite aspect of the book. They are both 17 and read as 17 year olds. However, I had a difficult time understanding why Kel dislikes Coup so much in the first place. She frequently cites Coup's dangerous riding style as one of her biggest complaints, but it seems not enough of a fault in order to warrant her opposition to him. I also wish the romance was more developed. Perhaps if they got together in a future book (since this is book #1), the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers trope might been more believable. It just seems a bit rushed here.

Despite my reservations about the two main characters, this book was a blast to read, and I cannot wait to see where the story goes after that emotional cliffhanger!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this early.

After finishing Of Flame and Fury, I can confidently say that the sample only hinted at how rich and compelling this story truly is. The full novel delivers on its early promise, expanding the world and characters in ways that are both surprising and deeply satisfying.

The worldbuilding remains a standout, with the phoenix-racing concept unfolding into something far more layered than I initially expected. It's not just a fantasy backdrop—it becomes a powerful vehicle for exploring themes of freedom, identity, and legacy. The races are exhilarating, but it's the emotional weight behind them that gives the story real depth.

The characters—already intriguing in the sample—grow in complexity as their relationships evolve. While some of the connections feel anticipated, the way they unfold is delightfully unexpected. The timing, the buildup, and the emotional beats are handled with a kind of creative charm that makes these moments feel fresh and genuinely cute without veering into cliché.

I especially appreciated how earlier moments—like the character’s haunting scream, which I initially felt lacked emotional grounding—gained greater significance as the story progressed. What once felt slightly unbalanced in the sample now feels like intentional narrative restraint, with the emotional payoff coming later and hitting all the harder for it.

The romance blends seamlessly with the plot, heightening the stakes without overpowering the story. And by the end, I was left longing for more—not because the book was incomplete, but because I wasn’t ready to leave this world or these characters behind.

My only real qualm is with the age of the protagonists. While the story identifies them as 17-year-olds, their maturity, thought processes, and emotional articulation often felt more aligned with characters in their early twenties. It didn’t diminish my enjoyment, but it did occasionally pull me out of the narrative, especially in scenes where their wisdom and emotional insight felt unusually advanced for their age.

Final Verdict:
A fiery, heartfelt, and fiercely original fantasy that blends action, romance, and character-driven storytelling with creative flair. It’s a story full of heart, heat, and high-stakes magic that only gets better the deeper you go.

Highly recommended for fans of romantic fantasy, magical creatures, and relationships that surprise you in all the right ways.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

Outstanding debut by Mikayla Bridge!

If you enjoy the Fourth Wing series, I believe that you will enjoy Of Flame and Fury. Instead of dragons, we have the Phoenix as the animal of choice. A speculated connection has been made between the rebirth of the Phoenix and the cure for a deadly affliction sweeping the world. The antagonist, Cristos, is doing everything in his power to prove this to be a fact, no matter the cost. Someone very special to him has contracted this disease, fueling his need to be successful in his quest.

Our MFC Kell is a Phoenix tamer trying to save her family business by becoming a member of CAPR racing, a company with which she does not entirely agree morally. Right out of the gate in this story, her team suffers the loss of their rider in a gruesome accident, prompting the need for the team to join forces with the sponsor-seeking, media sensation, and all-around seemingly bad boy Coup and his brother.

This story is action-packed, the world and character building are outstanding, and the amount of emotion on the page is amazing. We have a few blossoming relationships, friendships that are being tested, and subtle political innuendos. I appreciate the way therapy and mental health are addressed, as well as the effects that personal choices can have on those we love, and the way we show up for people when we recognize signs that the person is not okay. Having those "real" moments mixed in with this vivid world was a nice touch.

This cast of characters was perfect; they each held their own and added to the story being told. I wish we could delve a bit more into their stories, especially Dira's.

I had the pleasure of tandem reading this ARC with the advance listeners' copy, and it was perfection. It allowed me to become wholly immersed in the world of the Phoenix riders. I held my breath in anticipation of the outcome.

If you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, action-packed, racing, and mythical creature interactions, then you will enjoy Of Flame and Fury. I recommend purchasing this on release day, July 15, 2025.

The ending leaves room for a book two. I hope that this is the case!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), and Mikayla Bridge, for the entertaining advance readers' copy of this impressive debut!

Intense, Addictive, and Utterly Unputdownable

From the moment this book started to the very last page, I was blown away. Of Flame and Fury hits hard right out of the gate, delivering high-stakes Phoenix races filled with adrenaline, danger, and jaw-dropping twists. The competition is fierce, and the tension is real—this isn't just a sport, it’s a deadly game of survival.

Our FMC, Kel, is bold, stubborn, and willing to risk everything to win. She’s fierce and unapologetically determined. And then there’s Coup—the MMC who brings the perfect storm of arrogance and charm, making him as maddening as he is magnetic. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is flawlessly executed. The slow burn, lingering stares, and constant push and pull between them had me hooked from the start. Every interaction crackles with intensity and feels like a battle of wills.

But it’s not just about the racing. Beneath the surface is a deeper, darker layer filled with conspiracies, secrets, and dangerous revelations that could change everything. The world-building is rich, the pacing is sharp, and the emotional stakes are high.

Of Flame and Fury is a must for anyone who loves their fantasy fierce, their romance fiery, and their plots full of twists. It will be your next obsession.

I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the opportunity to read this highly anticipated fantasy ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I was so surprised at how much I loved this book! Definitely not my usual book but Mikayla kept me hooked and I didn’t want to put down my kindle! Now I want to buy the paper copy so I can read the epilogue!

Seriously, give this one a try. It has a slow burn enemy to lovers plot and a really interesting twist.