It did give me fourth wing vibes and had similar parts and vibes, but I think it delivered what it was supposed to.
It's enough for me to be excited for book 2!

3/5

I received an ARC from netgallery

I would not say it’s a cross between fourth wing and iron widow. I loved both and this was not really like either. The writing, characters, and plot were ok. This just wasn’t a huge hit for me.

Of flame and fury is a enemies to lovers new series. About dragons,war, romance, friendships. I did enjoy this book but it was very similar to fourth wing.

The concept of this book sounded very intriguing. The blurb also had me hooked and I knew I needed to read this one. Unfortunately the book just fell flat for me. The concept didn't feel fleshed out, or I just couldn't grasp the mix of technology and fantasy. The characters just never grabbed my attention. I do feel the writing style was mostly to blame. I couldn't connect to the characters, and it was very difficult to not put this book down while I was reading it. This just wasn't what I expected, and even with the cliffhanger, I probably won't read the sequel.

Fast-paced, fiery, and full of heart—Of Flame and Fury delivers everything I love in a fantasy read. This debut author deserves to be trending this summer and I predict she will be! Between high-stakes phoenix racing, unpredictable twists, and a cast of characters you actually care about (yes, even the side ones), I couldn’t put it down. Kel and Coup’s tension? Chef’s kiss. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.

I really genuinely can’t decide if I liked this book or not. I keep seeing it described as “the hottest book of the summer,” and I don’t know if that is the case.

It’s definitely fast paced, and the story is intriguing, but I don’t know if I loved it.

It’s like the phoenix-riding version of Fourth Wing mixed with the action-adventure of Once Upon A Broken Heart.

If you liked Heavenbreaker, I could absolutely see you loving this book.

Some details you might like to know:
-third person, single POV
-young adult
-fast paced
-action packed
-cliffhanger ending

Thank you very much to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the manner in which I received it.

This was honestly such a fun book to read! I kept thinking Fast and Furious but with Phoenix’s, which is a unique take on racing.
A grumpy/sunshine enemies to lovers romantasy with fake dating! I absolutely loved the banter between the MMC and FMC. Nothing gets my love language going quite like good lovers banter. Chiefs kiss!
Something I really loved about this book was Kels love for Savita. The bond they shared was so special.
The first chapter of this book was very engaging and had me intrigued immediately! I could feel the intensity of the race and what was at stake.

Really love and appreciate how the story starts off in the middle of some action, zero info dumping. This story is full of action. There were a few small moments during action scenes where I would get a little lost and be confused.

The love story was adorable. Love the banter. Very YA. Adored all the characters, The Howlers and Savita are the coolest and have my whole heart. I never quite caught up to our villian's sudden shift of tone, it wasn't believable to me and felt a little over the top. However, that twist, I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner! As a reader, you feel like it's happening to you too. So good!

As someone who questions the humane conditions for horse racing in our world, I'm overjoyed how phoenix racing is similarly questioned in this fantasy world. Is it safer for humans to tame these wild creatures or let them roam free like nature intended? I wish we were given a straight answer.

My copy included a blank epilogue. It's a beautiful cliffhanger of an ending. The last few chapters had so much action and climbing (and stress!) I need closure desperately. My rank might be higher if I just had something more, I feel a tiny bit cheated. I'm grasping flaming feathers over here!

A final note is regarding the advertising of Fourth Wing lovers will also love this and I don't think that will be true. While I've enjoyed both stories, they're totally different in every way. If you don't like YA, you won't like this. The bond between a dragon and rider vs a phoenix and tamer are not comparable to me. I think it's an injustice to this story to compare it to FW, as it truly stands well on its own.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I connected to the characters and loved the plot. I look forward to what this author writes next, and you owe me a epilogue! 😜

3.5 stars, I'm rounding up in hopes there's a few more pages to tie up that ending after publishing.

I really enjoyed the book. It was an interesting story the pacing was excellent. I didn’t expect all the twists and turns with was really nice. I cant stand when I can guess where a book is going!

Needless to say I’m chomping at the bit for the next one!

Loved this! If you're a Fantasy/Romantasy fan you will devour this book. I really enjoyed the phoenix racing and learning about all the ins and outs of racing. The politics are also excellent, and really get going towards the end of the book. Everyone has something to lose, and the found family has to navigate their way through wild chaos. I can't wait to follow this series - highly recommend!


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

I really liked this book. There was a lot of action and the author did a really good job of keeping me hooked throughout the book.

I really wanted to love this story. The concept had so much potential—phoenixes, enemies-to-lovers, magic—but unfortunately, it never fully delivered for me.

From the beginning, I struggled to connect with the main character, and that didn’t change by the end. The emotional distance made it difficult to care about the stakes or feel invested in the journey. The romance, including a fake-dating plotline, felt more like a device than something emotionally earned. I never fully bought into the chemistry between the leads.

The pacing throughout felt choppy—events moved quickly, but the narrative lacked grounding and detail. Around Chapter 25, the story showed promise and picked up a bit, and I began to feel some anticipation. However, the momentum wasn’t sustained, and the conclusion, while not predictable, felt emotionally flat.

World-building was one of the weakest elements for me. I didn’t get a clear picture of the setting or the phoenix magic system. It wasn’t always clear what kind of world we were in—fantasy or otherwise—and that lack of clarity made it harder to become immersed.

Ultimately, this book had moments of intrigue, but it felt underdeveloped in character depth, plot cohesion, and setting. Readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy with minimal exposition may find something here, but it wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title before its release on July 15, 2025.

I guess I’m the outlier here but I kind of hated this.

Part 1 really sucked me in. It was a solid and start and an intriguing world. I really like the main character to start with and thought the world was interesting. I did think the writing was a little clunky at times - two characters asking what the hell someone is doing within a few page. Also, some of the plot needs a suspension of disbelief - in a sport where people routinely die, I am not sure a risk taker would be so ostracized.

Part 2 continued to build the world in an interesting way but I started to check out on these characters. Everything felt kinda stilted between them and the dialogue felt awkward.

Part 3 is when it just went off the rails. The villain is portrayed as a straight evil man, but I think there is some nuance to what is happening. Yes he is experimenting on animals but I didn’t think the author portrayed it in a horrifying way. There was no torture, he was just taking feathers and blood? With the noble aim of curing his daughter and other people of a horrible disease. Ultimately we then find out he was willing to let the main phoenix die, but still there was no even consideration from our main characters that this might save countless other lives?? Then at the end of part 3, the big reveal made me think the characters might start to see nuance.

Part 4 proved me wrong. At this point, I gave up and kind of skimmed. We kept getting reveal after reveal of things I barely saw foreshadowed and were just told about things that happened “off camera.” I think focusing the book on Kel and not exploring other povs really got in the way. And then it just ambiguously ended?

Awful.

** Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for giving me this eARC**

I've just finished Of Flame And Fury by Mikayla Bridge, and I'm honestly still catching my breath. This has been an exciting, adrenaline-packed ride from start to finish. Right from the opening phoenix race, Bridge plunged me into a vivid, thrilling world, making my heart race as fast as the fiery creatures tearing through the skies.

Kel Varra quickly became a heroine I couldn't help but root for—a strong-willed leader of the underdog Crimson Howlers, desperate for victory and fiercely protective of her phoenix, Savita. The shocking death of their rider, Oska, in the opening race immediately raised the emotional stakes, gripping me from the start.

Kel’s personal life was deeply compelling—she struggles with the emotional distance from her mother, who lives elsewhere, and the lingering pain of losing her father. When Rube, the Howlers’ trusted technician, announces they're leaving town for college, the team’s setbacks pile up fast. Thankfully, Kel’s best friend Dira remains fiercely loyal, a bond I deeply appreciated.

Enter Coup—Warren Coupers—arrogant, reckless, infuriatingly charming. Kel despised him initially, but when he shockingly gets booted from his own team and needs a new one, their paths collide. Their tense relationship evolved slowly and believably, especially after a wild phoenix attack forces them to work together. Kel bravely tamed the wild phoenix, badly scorching her hands, while Coup’s teasing—"not bad for a first night on the Howlers!"—made it impossible not to enjoy their dynamic.

Bridge creates a vivid, thrilling world where phoenixes are wild, dangerous creatures—not gentle pets. The political intrigue and secrets surrounding Cristo Industries kept me turning pages late into the night. I was genuinely shocked by the twists, especially when Kel uncovered disturbing truths about Cristo's motivations, and about her own missing memories and hidden struggles.

The climax was emotional and powerful, leaving me heartbroken yet hopeful. Kel’s journey had me fully invested—especially her complicated relationship with Coup, the bond with her best friend Dira, and her deep connection with Savita. Kel reluctantly leaving Coup behind broke my heart—I genuinely felt her sadness in that painful moment.

The ending was powerful yet hopeful, leaving me desperate for more. Of Flame And Fury masterfully balanced thrilling action, emotional depth, and high-stakes romance. I'm sincerely hoping this is just the first book in a gripping series because I'm not ready to leave Kel, Coup, and Savita behind just yet!

A high-stakes romantasy set in a world of phoenix racing, deadly conspiracies, and undeniable chemistry. I absolutely loved Kel and could not get enough of her enemies-to-lovers with Coup. Along with all the twists you won’t see coming, pick this up if you loved Fourth Wing or Iron Widow!

𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐲 started off with a 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠—✨𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕, 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈✨—but somewhere along the way, the story lost me in the smoke. 🌀🔥

The phoenix racing? 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆. High-stakes, fast-paced, and absolutely thrilling—I was so here for it. But the world itself? I couldn’t quite figure out where (or when) we even were. Was it modern? Dystopian? Fantasy? A little bit of everything but not enough of anything to ground me? My GPS was 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 in this one, and the late introduction of the AB disease only added more fog to the road. 🤔

✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅:
🔥 Adrenaline-fueled phoenix races (𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎)
💖 Sweet romance moments tucked between the action
🏆 That glorious underdog energy in the races

✨ 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆:
🔥 fierce underdog vibes
💘 soft romance with a rivals to lovers energy
🐦 legendary magical creatures (𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠)
🚩 classic high-stakes tournament

𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓:
I 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 to love this more…but by the end, it felt like the story forgot where it was going. The pacing hit the gas when it should’ve slowed for the emotional turns, and before I knew it—𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟. 😭

I closed the book feeling…𝑢𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑. Because I read the ARC, I didn’t get the full epilogue, and honestly? It felt like the story ended mid-sentence. I’m still not sure what really happened—or if the emotional payoff I was waiting for ever actually arrived. It left me with this quiet, 𝑠𝑎𝑑 feeling…like I’d been promised a grand finale and instead got a flicker before the flame went out. 😩😩

It wasn’t the most satisfying conclusion 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒, but I do think younger YA readers and those new to fantasy will really enjoy the fast pace, sweet romance, and high-stakes excitement. 💕

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰! ✨

It’s a good story but I was expecting a little more in the end. The ending is a cliffhanger but left the reader with more questions.

Very first of all, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for providing an eARC in return for an honest review!

First things first: The comps make no sense.
Second: I still had fun and enjoyed this book despite (in spite?) of the comps.

There are small overlaps (feminine rage, dragon/phoenix riders, big background conspiracy), but none big enough to warrant these comps in my opinion.

I can definitely see readers being disappointed by the book if they go in expecting differently.

Onto the book:

I enjoyed our very flawed main character POV (I did not see the twist coming at all! Kudos!).
Kel is a very seventeen year old seventeen year old who has had to handle more at ther age than she was supposed to. Fiercely protective of what she has (even if it is falling apart), dead/missing parents, an explosive bird and a rag tag team of phoenix riders. When her team is falling apart and her home burned down, she makes hard choices to keep her precious phoenix bird safe. She tries hard to keep her integrity intact and disliking handouts and selling herself away for resources chafes at her. Her suspicions and paranoia start early on and culminate later. I give her kudos to be a very realistic main character who loves her phoenix more than is good for her. Love me a competent female main character.

Warren Couper aka Coup is the "antagonist" at the beginning but joins Kel's new team at the Big Tech Corp. He seems cocky and antagonistic, but he is actually rather capable and his act was easy to perceive. His stupid penchant for self sacrifice is very noble. I do think he's competent tho, which is kind of rare nowadays.

The athmosphere seemed kind of split to me. First I perceived the setting to be in a dusty dry and hot desert - with the phoenix racing, their heat signatures and greenhouse setting at the farm. And then, pretty quickly after, we realize it's more of an actual urban setting, surrounded by tropical (?) jungle. This gave me a bit of whiplash and I had some trouble picturing the actual setting and areas. The big corporation was shown and told easily as a dead clinical setting - a dead (ha!) giveaway that someone sinister was at play.

The plot advanced quickly after the initial setup, although the pattern of traning, PR dates, racing was a tad predictable. But predictable is good because then you can throw a wrench in this pattern to crash the final race. I'm still not quite sure what the initial goal was for the final race through the jungle. It felt like it was a giant risk for all the phoenixes (which were apparently so precious). The hidden antagonists making their play during the race was a really fun surprise. I also loved that there was no holding back in showing that the "wild" / uncollared phoenixes were actually dangerous. (I do guess they are also territorial and dont take kindly to strange collared birds invading on them).

The reason behind the big phoenix conspiracy being a Tech Mogul Trying To Save His Child is not quite that unique - still gave some humanity to the Big Boss. I felt nothing for him when he got incinerated by the Phoenixes later on. (Comeuppance, f-yeah!).

In terms of relationships in this books, I also think the "enemies-to-lovers" trope does not fit either. Kel and Coup start out as rivals more than "enemies", and they do learn to tolerate each other quickly. Not every small interpersonal conflict means people are enemies nowadays. Their romance was quite sweet tho, how slowly it progressed. I do think Kel was a tad overly aggressive at some point. Coup should have come clean earlier that he knew her via her father. The side relationship with Kels teammate and the tech girl was predictable (ofc the lesbian is evil corp!) but at least they didnt get fridged - yay for character development.

Even though this book's comps were not what I would usually pick up (FW was so-so, and have not yet read IW), I had a lot of fun with this book. I rooted for the characters to find out, to make up, to omg just kiss already, and to please survive. (the ending was a brutal cliffhanger). If you loved The Phoenix Keeper (person totally in love with their animal charge, hashtag I Would Die For Savita) and some sports romance (F1-romance maybe???), then this book is for you!

4 stars!

I may be in the minority, but I just couldn’t get into this book. I couldn’t buy into the main characters and their enemies to lovers romance. Kel was one of those heroines that I still don’t know if I really cared for in the end. The premise is great and I really was so excited to read this one. It just didn’t live up to keeping my interest. I found myself having to make myself finish it. Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced eARC.

The following review is taken from Storygraph:

"If you like Fourth Wing, read this.

Of Flames and Fury reads like something that was directly inspired by Fourth Wing, changing around a few elements (dragons for phoenixes, army for racing, etc). If you go into it understanding that, it's a great time. I was gripped by the action, Kel's character development, and the Coup/Kel enemies-to-lovers dynamic. If I had one complaint, it's that the book wasn't longer to allow for a slower burn -- but then it could have dragged. I spent the last 40 pages glued to my chair to see what would happen. The book is essentially an exploration of the human-animal bond, so great for environmentalists or animal rights lovers. It's also quite clean compared to most romantasies.

At this moment it does have an ambiguous ending, as a warning. I read this as an ARC, so it looks like there will be an epilogue of some kind in the final copy that hasn't yet been fully written/edited."

Specific notes for the publisher:
- Your move to market this as a Fourth Wing comp title is a good move. It reads as VERY similar vibes. I would genuinely not be surprised if Mikayla Bridge was directly trying to write something similar. This book has a very strong chance of going viral on Tiktok if you can get it into the Booktok communities, and I would anticipate the main criticism will be that it reads as a bit derivative (which, when has the romantasy community cared about that?) The only barrier you might face is the fact that it isn't very smutty -- which, as an ace reader, is actually a bonus in my book.
- Seriously?? I'm going to have to check out this book from the library to find out how it ends. I know you probably just didn't have the epilogue ready yet but that ambiguous ending was EVIL.