Loved the setting in this one, fantasy but still futuristic. The characters felt naturally flawed (all of them), and I really enjoyed the detail of the races. I tend to get easily distracted/bored during those kinds of scenes, so I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case this time! Savita had so much sass that felt perfectly real for a domesticated wild animal.

I did not realize the epilogue wasn't included, so I've been sitting here for a bit wondering what just happened and what's going to happen and also feeling like I blindsided myself. I'll just try to wait here patiently, wondering if this is a standalone or not.

As much as I liked this book, there were a couple things that I wanted more of. The world-building seems to be glossed over. We're given the bare minimum of the other mythical creatures that exist and even the history of the phoenixes (and other creatures). There is a poem? song? legend? at the beginning of each part that tells a story to give a little bit of background, but that was the most we got.

The relationship between Kel and Coup had the potential to hurt me in the best kind of way. Unfortunately, as it was seeming like it might go that route... it did not. They were rivals until suddenly they weren't, which felt a bit jarring. The pacing was off for the romance, in my opinion, but I suppose if this is a standalone, then Mikayla Bridge only had so many pages to work with.

I will say this got a little dark with character motivations (you know who). And as a parent... I could sympathize. Both sides of that specific conflict had valid opinions, which provides the perfect ethical conundrum.

I can't fully say how I feel about the ending since no epilogue is provided in the eARC, but I am very interested to see how things will go.

Wow. I feel…I’m not sure what?
This was an amazing read and a phenomenal debut by the author and it was a 5 🌟 read for me until the ending…and not for the reason you may think of “oh, she just didn’t like the outcome”. No. It’s more of a “I don’t like open, loosey-goosey, noncommittal endings”.

I loved the authors take on Phoenix’s and the racing component. I thought the stakes were high and HOLY HECK was the twist at the end both guy-wrenching and satisfying at the same time!!?

Things I liked:
🐦‍🔥 the phoenix’s (duh!)
🏁 race scenes and stakes
❤️ found family
🤯 twists
🤒 the way the blight was handled
😠☀️ she’s grumpy to his sunshine

Things that could have been a little better:

- the romance was playful banter, supposedly rivals to lovers with forced proximity with some staged dating and I just didn’t buy the levels of complexity coming from two 17-year-olds.

- the ending. Uughhhhhhh.

It was a good read (great read!) and I’m so appreciative to have received an ARC! It will be interesting to see how the author decided to wrap this one up since they didn’t provide us with the actual epilogue but teased that there is one.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an early review copy through NetGalley!

I need to preface this review with the fact that I received a copy from NetGalley and it did not have the epilogue in it - therefore, I cannot comment on that portion of the book.

That being said, I’m also unsure if this is a series or standalone book. There are still plenty of unresolved questions and the world is really interesting so I’d love to see more but there is a smidge of finality in the ending so I can kind of see it going either way.

This was a slow read for me. I picked it up a few months ago and then put it down around 25% and only just came back to it. There was a lot going on and a decent amount of info dumping in the beginning.

I liked the concepts and characters and see a lot of potential for more in this world. I’d read more from this author as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This had a lot of elements of a YA fantasy + romance that I really enjoy, but was also missing some, so I think my overall feelings will really rest on the next book in the series.

The good: the concept of phoenix racing was interesting. I can see the F1 comparisons, though it felt more like pod racing in star wars than F1 given the number of crashes every single race. I remain confused about why, as a society, they are so open to the phoenixes dying during every race? Aren't these rare and valuable creatures that are going extinct? I don't get why they would just shrug and let a few die every race. Are they reborn? I thought that they were not, if they died of non-fiery rebirth causes, but maybe I'm wrong? I just don't feel like, in this hyper-capitalist society, the waste of resources makes a ton of sense. Maybe it will be delved into more in the next book.

The two main characters were enjoyable. The MMC was cocky and annoying, but the book did the work in humanizing him and making me come around to enjoying him as a character. I also appreciated that we regularly point out the FMC's hypocrisy in her judgment of him. I do wish that the romance had been developed a touch more; it felt like the slow burn was really slow burning and then a switch flipped to be immediately all the way in love. The found family aspect was fine and developed appropriately, though I did not feel much of a connection with the side characters.

There were a few "twists," though I wouldn't say this is a book that heavily relies on shock to move things forward. Some were painfully obvious from the first second the character was introduced, but at least one was genuinely really surprising. I appreciated that it did, looking back, fit into the story. This is how to do a first-person POV unreliable narrator well.

What I wanted more of: the world building, the situation with the rebel group, literally any information about AB and how its impacting society. All of that could be coming in the next book, though. I understand that you can't fit everything into the first book of a series.

Would I continue with the series? Yes, I think I probably would. It ends on a cliffhanger and while I am not honestly desperate to know what happens next, I am definitely curious.

3.25/5
The book claims to have "fourth wing" vibes. Unless riding on magical creature is the vibe you are looking for it does not fit it whatsoever. This book gives off trying to hard. The world makes me thinking of the Star Wars episode I racing scene paired with a trying to be hard Katnis and Peeta relationship to create a fake relationship of star crossed lovers for views.
The main character Kel is very basic she's a very stereotypical main character for someone who loves her animal and then introduced misunderstood "bad boy" romantic lead. The found family has no chemistry the side characters don't add super depth to the story.
The world building isn't there. I have no clue who the gods are or really why the races happen or even the rules of the race. It just is like "oh we have to bind the phoenixes so they don't become chaotic". And then the magic that is suppose to be from the Phoenix never explained as well.
This story is half written. Then characters "swear" saying alchemist and I'm like wtf is this supposed to mean to find out almost to the very end this is their gods. Every other chapter ends in a one liner ie. The world went black or all went silent (these are not the actual quotes just too of the head example).
This story had potential but it very much fell flat. Could i read it yes but I was skimming and still understood the story.

Seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her phoenix racing team, the Crimson Howlers, are forced to accept arrogant rider Warren "Coup" Coupers, onto their team following a disastrous race. When a viral video of Kel and Coup wrangling a loose phoenix catches the attention of tech mogul Casen Cristo, their team is given the chance at jobs and a sponsorship that could change their lives forever. But they, and their phoenix, are soon drawn into a conspiracy that could threaten everything they've worked for.

Okay, this is one of those books that I absolutely wanted to love but it just fell a little flat. The book starts off with descriptions of all the different subspecies of phoenixes, which got me super excited for the worldbuilding, but I feel like the author never quite delivered in that area. Salta is made up of a number of different islands and contains other magical creatures besides phoenixes, but we never get more than a cursory reference to any of them.

I also felt like the pacing felt a bit off, with a lot of slower development in the beginning (not all of which felt necessary), and then a lot of action crammed into the last section of the book. There's also a big reveal made toward the very end that felt like it was there to conveniently fill in some weird plot holes.

I did, however, really enjoy the character development and the romance. I find in a lot of romantasy novels, the FMC immediately lusts over her rival or enemy, while saying how much she hates him. I loved that Kel is willing to admit to Coup's good looks without being immediately overwhelmed by them, and Bridge gives her time to develop her physical attraction in tandem with her emotional one. It isn't until she almost loses him that she's willing to admit to having any feelings, and even then, she continues to feel conflicted over those feelings.

Read if you like:
YA fantasy
Phoenix racing
Rivals to lovers
Found family
Fake dating
Forced proximity
Grumpy FMC x sunshine MMC
Single-POV

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

It’s been a while since I’ve read YA but boy is this a great debut title!

In this world (Salta), humans live beside magical creatures and specifically in this installment, phoenixes. But it isn’t peaceful - phoenixes are wild and humans try to tame them so they can race them, kinda like super hot, fiery fighter jets. The more humans destroy phoenixes for their own benefit, the more Salta’s magic depletes, to the point of a careless disease called AB developing in humans.

Kel has owned her phoenix, Savita, since egg and is her tamer and part of the Howlers racing team. After tragedy hits, she is forced to accept Coup, a daring phoenix flyer, and his brother, into her team. They decide to race for Christo Industries, a research/conservation corporation, but red flags pop up and develop as the story does.

The world building is good, along with the rules of magic; Kel and Coup are matched pretty well, both in terms of the enemies to lovers and in terms of character development, and the only thing that bothered me at times is that there are parts of this story that are so full of angst and MELODRAMA. But well, I’m not a teen anymore.

I hope the next book is more NA/Adult since spice could really, well, spice up this dynamic. I also hope to see more magical creatures, not just phoenixes. All in all, a very good and original debut and I am looking forward to reading the next one!

Book Review: Of Flame and Fury
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Of Flame and Fury is a gripping young adult fantasy that delivers fast-paced action, moral complexity, and a refreshingly original setting. Centered around a world of phoenixes and high-stakes racing, this novel explores the timeless question of whether the end justifies the means, all while keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

The story excels in worldbbuilding. The setting is rich, vibrant, and immersive. The phoenixes and their connection to the races add a unique and captivating layer to the fantasy landscape. I found the setting to be one of the strongest aspects of the book, drawing me in from the first few pages and holding me until the end.

While there is a romance subplot, it never overshadows the central themes or the fantasy elements. Instead, the relationship adds emotional depth without detracting from the plot’s momentum. It feels like the perfect setup for a sequel that could dive deeper into the romance without sacrificing the story's integrity.

This is an easy book to binge. The writing is accessible without being simplistic, making it a great pick for both seasoned fantasy readers and newcomers to the genre.

If you’re looking for a YA fantasy with high-stakes action, moral tension, and a world that’s both vivid and exciting, Of Flame and Fury is absolutely worth the read. I’m eagerly awaiting book two to see where the romance and the rising tension lead next.

4.25

Really immersive story telling! I was invested in Kel and Savita from the beginning and began rooting for the Howlers as they went through race after race. The characters all felt fleshed out, and the world building - superbly done - was the real draw of the book.

The idea of wild phoenix racing akin to formula 1, but with an endangered species, was compelling. I wish we spent more time on the magic system, the phoenixes, and AB, rather than focusing on race details (as relevant to the core plot of the book).

I also liked how the relationships developed, and the slow progression from rivalries to reluctant trust to friendships. Excited to continue with the series!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Mikayla Bridge for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was AMAZING! I couldn't put it down and need book 2 immediately! (But obviously not putting pressure on Mikayla, just saying this because I loved it so much!!!)

The story starts with Kel, a 17 year old phoenix tamer and owner of Savita. Savita is the phoenix of the Crimson Howlers, a racing team.

After tragically losing their rider, the Howlers need a new rider. Enter Warren "Coup" Coupers, the handsome bad boy of racing. Coup is a risk-taking phoenix racer who pushes boundaries in racing. Obviously, Kel can't stand him!

In order to save their team, her farm and aviary, Kel and the Howlers team up with Coup and his brother. They're quickly offered a sponsorship by the best in the industry! In exchange for Kel's expertise on phoenixes, the team will be housed, allowed to race, Kel's aviary will be saved and it's a huge learning experience.

But as any story goes, there's trouble brewing. There's a mysterious illness that no one has a cure for and it's deadly if contracted. What do phoenixes have to do with this? Well, their rebirthes may be the answer to finding a cure.

I adored every part of this story. The enemies to lovers was on pointe. The prose was so descriptive and I could envision everything in my head. The phoenixes are incredible creatures. The cliffhanger left me wanting more. All in all and absolutely perfect YA Romantasy and I cannot wait for book 2!

fun enemies to lovers book about racing, but racing phoenixes this time! so much fun and i loved the bestiary at the start. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

🎶 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦.
𝘍𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦. 🎶

This fast paced debut came in HOT, serious as a heart attack. And I mean that literally. My blood pressure has never been higher. 😳
I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, all the things… the entire time.

🎶 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦.
𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 🎶

🐦‍🔥𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴
🔥𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆
🐦‍🔥𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
🔥𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
🐦‍🔥𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲
🔥𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆
🐦‍🔥𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱
🔥𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🐦‍🔥𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀
🔥𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆 𝘅 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲
🐦‍🔥 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 {𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺}
🔥 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸

🎶 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 🎶

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮. 😮‍💨

Y’all aren’t ready for Warren Coupers aka Coup.
The banter is top notch. It builds at a pace that makes sense, and the tension is 🔥 There are a few steamy moments, that had me blushing in the way only a YA novel can. Toeing the line, without going too far.

🎶 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳. 🎶

Apparently I’m in to racing. Who knew? Definitely not me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The racing was done SO well. Every race had different obstacles, themes, and action.
{𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗶-𝘄𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁.}

🎶 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 🎶

The chapters are perfectly short, action packed, and ending in such a way you’ll be saying just one more chapter until the very end. This was such a fun read, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

🎶 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘺. 🎶

But also. Mikayla. I have a bone to pick.

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘.

I’m going to melt away into a puddle of water crying, while I listen to the official soundtrack, while I wait impatiently for the rest. I need book 2 immediately. 😭🙏🏼
#𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨
I kid, I kid.
But hang on for dear life kids.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗽.
🧗🏻‍♀️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Of Flame and Fury
by Mikayla Bridge
Fantasy YA
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Macmillan Children's...
Ages: 14+


Kel and her team are the Crimson Howlers, who participates in the dangerous sport of Phoenix racing, but after an accident, they are now looking for a new rider, and Warren Coup is the only one willing to join the team. Kel does not like the arrogant boy, but if she wants to keep her phoenix, either she has to be the one who races or give in.

Much to her disappointment, Kel's phoenix accepts Warren, and the race goes great, and they are offered a sponsorship from a tech CEO, but she declines, not trusting their motives. Then there's a fire caused by old wiring, destroying her phoenix's aviary, so she accepts the offer, taking her phoenix and her team into the company's complex that specializes in tech and phoenix breeding.


I like the idea of racing a phoenix, though there are some obstacles to riding a fiery bird, but the author does a good job getting around them.

The story is missing some history of the world/people/places, and the phoenixes... There are other creatures mentioned, but there are missing pieces of how/why this world came to be. Also, there's a 'fairy tale' mentioned in this story that... spoiler... but where did it come from?

While falling into the typical good/bad, rich/poor trope, this is still a cute little story similar to others in this same genre/trope, but thankfully, this is innocent, almost cozy. There is a little violence and romance, but there is nothing 'adult' in these pages! The writing is 'simple' so it'll be easy for younger readers to understand, thus making this suitable for readers fourteen and older, though I could see younger, advanced readers liking this story.

I read the ARC and it is missing the epilogue... Imagine my irritation when I saw 'Epilogue' TK... To Come... Really!!! So why this could be the first book in a series, that epilogue could have confirmed or denied it, I don't know... What I do know is that I won't go out and buy the book just to read it. But I hope the epilogue ended the book because I don't think this would make a good series with these characters. New ones, maybe.

3 Stars

This was such an interesting and fun debut fantasy novel. This was basically a racing novel with phoenixes instead of cars. The characters were likable and the story fast paced. I received an ARC early copy from Negalley to review and unfortunately the epilogue was not included so I am guessing that makes the cliffhanger ending even worse! I am very interested to see where this series is going. This is also an upcoming Owlcrate YA book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this advance reader copy.

Definitely different. Really enjoyed her writing. Easily relatable and something I wasn't really anticipating. Everything it was compared to I've already read. Hopefully there will be more!

3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Of Flame and Fury on July 15, 2025.

Phoenix racing a la F1 and Mario Kart? Evil corporations and suspicious "conservation" behavior? A group of "cultists" who are trying to preserve the land and its magic but are vilified by the media? This book had so many fascinating concepts that, in some cases, were executed exceptionally well. However, the parts that fell flat for me fell REALLY flat.

If I had been in a different reading mood, the lack of character development and personality would have bugged me more. As it was, I was entertained enough by the races and various plot twists to coast on those vibes through the interpersonal scenes between our caricature characters. Our FMC, Kel, had the personality of a saltine, and our bad boy phoenix racer Coup had as much depth as a kiddie pool. The chemistry between them was non-existent, and the strongest connection I saw between any character was from Kel and her phoenix, Savita.

Again, the races?? Totally badass. The plot twist toward the end? BLEW my mind. But the "romance" we waded through in the middle was just meh for me. Others might find the characters more compelling, but I found them bland.

One other note -- this is a standalone book, and the epilogue was NOT included in the advanced copy. We are left on the cliffiest of cliffhangers in the last chapter, and I REALLY hope the publishers and author pull out an exceptional epilogue to appropriately tie up all the loose ends in the story.

All that is to say, pick up this book if you're intrigued by the premise, and hopefully, you find more depth in the characters than I did.

I went into Of Flame and Fury completely blind, like I picked it up because the premise sounds good (Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow) and the cover design is super pretty. However, the design and marketing isn't accurate in the slightest - I had no clue this book featured racing phoenixes but I loved that element so much! This book definitely had some serious high points: Mario Kart but deadly, the phoenixes in general, and the absolutely shocking twist towards the conclusion of the book. I found the characters, including our FMC whose POV is the focus, all background with almost a complete lack of personality. I wasn't invested in about ~80-85% of the book but when the final big twist was revealed, they finally got me on board. Unfortunately, the epilogue isn't provided in the early copy I received, so I have no idea how this truly ends since the last chapter concludes on a complete cliff hanger with no closure or even bread crumbs to what could possible happen in the epilogue. Do I think the rest of the book was a slog? Yes, and I don't necessarily think the twist or ending is/will be worth pushing through things but I will be finding out about the epilogue once this publishes.

Thank you to Fierce Reads, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

This is a debut novel that is sure to become a Tik Tok sensation ! High stakes action and plenty of adventure all with the added bonus of Pheonixes. Kel is a character that your heart will break for and be built back for as you travel through the story. There is so much packed within these pages that it is just a read that must happen.

Thank you for the ARC! Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The FMC was really difficult to empathize with. She was so irritable, and I didn't feel her connection to any of the characters except Savita. I think the idea is really interesting, but I don't think it's wise to compare a YA book to the very spicy, adult "Fourth Wing." I also don't think the death of Oska at the top was that emotionally impactful since Kel barely knew her. I think if this had been a good friend, it would have hit harder. Thank you again for the ARC!

Overall, I wasn’t hooked until 20% of the way through. However, I’m glad that I didn’t DNF this book, because around 75-80% of the book, it got wilder than uncollared phoenixes!! The ending was super poetic, but I definitely needed an epilogue or maybe more verses of The Gilded Lullaby to give me closure. Is there a sequel?! I’m sweating more than Coup during a race over here.