The saga continues. Tamsyn is trying to find her place among dragonkind while mourning the loss of her love. When she only begins to find comfort among the pride, secrets are revealed, changing everything she knew to be true.

DNF pour ce livre! Après un premier tome qui m'avait laissé un peu mitigé, je me suis dit allez je laisse quand même une chance ça peut le faire ça a du potentiel... Malheureusement au bout de 15%, j'ai abandonné. C'est toujours aussi confus, l'héroïne toujours autant tête à claque et clairement ça m'a exaspéré ... J'ai préféré abandonner que de continuer et de me frustrer

A Scar in the Bone?? Absolutely feral. Obsessed. Marked. Scarred. Emotionally and otherwise.

This book came for my throat—in the most romantic, rage-filled, beautifully unhinged way possible. It’s giving forbidden tension, blood-bound yearning, and just-one-bed-but-it’s-in-a-castle-of-doom energy.

The world is gritty and dark but so intoxicating. Every interaction between the leads crackled with danger and want. Think: knives, betrayal, passion, and that quiet “I’d kill for you” intensity that makes your brain go ✨static✨.

And the deluxe edition? Literal art. The sprayed edges and bonus scenes were the cherry on top of my emotional breakdown.

Read if you like:
🩸 enemies to lovers but make it deadly
👑 fierce heroines & tortured, touch-starved love interests
🔥 jaw-clenching tension with no chill
📖 special editions that feel like forbidden treasure

I didn’t read this—I devoured it. And I regret nothing.

⭐️⭐️.5
🌶.5
🔥

I’m honestly not sure how to feel about this book. I really wanted to like it more than I did.
When I read A Fire in the Sky, I thoroughly enjoyed being back in that world and reconnecting with the main characters. But this sequel left me feeling mostly confused and disappointed. It felt more like a filler than a true continuation of the story.

The book picks up a year after the events of the first, with a stronger focus on the dragon storyline that was introduced previously. That time jump made the narrative feel disconnected. It was almost as if I had missed an entire book in between. While some background was filled in gradually, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was constantly playing catch-up. I wish the story had done more to bridge that missing year.

The first half of the book was especially difficult to get into. I had to push myself to keep reading, and although the second half did improve, I found myself already somewhat checked out.

Tamsyn, in particular, really frustrated me. I understand she’s supposed to be an outsider still learning and growing, but her character arc felt stagnant. She didn’t seem to earn the respect of the Pride or show meaningful progress, and her reaction to Fell’s death felt surprisingly muted. It didn’t carry the emotional weight I expected, and maybe that is a me problem.

Even though this is supposed to be a duology, the ending didn’t feel like a true end, and left more open than I would have liked. I was expecting a satisfying conclusion after how much I enjoyed the first book, but instead it felt more hollow. It honestly felt like a step backward.

⭐️⭐️ - rounded down due to frustration in reading the book

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley***

Sophie Jordan continues to impress with Scar in the Bone, the second book in The Fire in the Sky series. It had been a while since I read the first one, so I felt a little lost at the beginning, but I quickly realized that the sense of disorientation was intentional and reflected the main character’s emotional state.

This story is rich with lore, tension, and emotional weight. The blend of fantasy with subtle historical elements creates a layered and immersive experience. Tamsyn’s character arc is especially compelling as she works through grief, complex family dynamics, and a growing sense of purpose. I was fully drawn into her journey.

The pacing kept me engaged throughout, and while I won’t share spoilers, there were several twists I didn’t see coming. This isn’t a predictable fantasy romance, and I appreciated that. The story is intense, a little dark, and deeply emotional. There is some spice (open door), but it fits naturally within the story and doesn’t overshadow the plot.

Overall, this is a strong continuation of the series. If you enjoy emotionally driven romantasy with dragons, magic, and a heroine learning to rise in the face of loss and responsibility, this one is well worth the read. I do recommend reading Breath of Fire first to fully understand the characters and stakes.

Sophie Jordan continued her amazing magical tale of dragons and witches in the second installment of the series. I was truly honored to receive an advanced copy of this book. This book stands out to me most because the FMC is your ultimate girl-in-need-of-saving turning into a super BA fighter. It's a tale of never giving up and fighting for what is right. I also feel like the theme of pride and prejudice blinding us to reality is really strong here.
Each character has their own story line and I really appreciated the multiple POV here, even though it isn't usually my favorite thing. I actually would've liked more of that. I feel like truly following each storyline would have made this a truly epic tale. I am already dying for the next one!

I expected a bit more from the second book to be honest. It started up very confusing and unnecessary, in my opinion. I do see, however, that the author definitely took the review of the first book into consideration and improved the writing style - there's less repetitions and more action.
Despite the abundance of emotions described in every chapter, the whole book just seemed like watching a movie. Very little connection to the characters and somehow all the events felt very distant to me as well. Just like the first book "A fire in the sky", second one reminded a YA creation with a few spicy scenes and a sprinkle of explicit gore.

At the same time, I'm still not a fan of the main female character's development. She is getting stronger, more resilient, getting to understand her worth, but it all seems fake and still not hitting the spot. The theme of "oh, poor me, I have been suffering through my whole life so much, and I have no one" is getting old.
Another disappointing thing is the number of predictable plot twists and character traits, like her ex best friend revealing himself as the true monster of their realm. I could tell what was going to happen a few chapters before it happening.
The scene of her being caught during rekon and brought to Stig's camp as a captive was extremely anticlimactic - she's a mighty, powerful dragon who posseses fire magic, surely she could have escaped leaving no witnesses any time during their 3 days on the road. Or at least knock them out in hand to hand and escape since she wanted to stay true to her moral values.
Another disappointing moment is Tamsyn being whipped again. I can't describe why exactly it felt disappointing but it seems like this topic should've been done with. And what do you mean she just burned down the tree in the camp full of soldiers and no one even noticed? And then no one will even have any suspicions about how it happened?
Another little detail is that names and world specific terms don't sound good to me. Maybe it's personal preference, but Vetr and svefn just don't sound like something I'd take from my favorite book to talk about and remember. I understand they might derive from some language, but it doesn't change my opinion that they don't roll off my tongue easily.
One more detail to think about is naming the chapters and parts because it was pretty easy to figure out how the plot will go on after finding out about how dragons "earth" their enemies in chapter 17, and then chapter 26, in the part called "the unearthing", is under the name "Fell".
However, I must admit the setting for the next book, pictured in the epilogue, sounds rather intriguing. I would probably like to read the continuation.
All in all, despite all the downsides, I enjoyed reading "A scar in the bone" and felt myself enchanted by it. Very pleasant read!

I enjoyed this book but I did feel the story line was off. I didn’t like that it picked up so long after A Fire in the Sky ended - I felt it wasn’t realistic and I wanted more of the in between story. Otherwise, I enjoyed it!

Wow ! Sophia Jordan is such a great author. A Scar In The Bone is the second book in the series, with A Fire In The Sky being the first. This is my first dragon-shifter romantasy. And I have to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. I didnt think id like "shifter" anything, although i love fantasy and romance. But I love dragons, heard the first book was good, and got approved for an ARC of A Scar In The Bone. Perfect excuse to dive in! I'm now glad i did! The first book pleasantly surprised me. And for book two, it's no different! I did not expect this story to go this route, yet it is all the better for it. It's not often a book surprises me at every turn. If i had to guess how this sequel would go, it went the very opposite of that. We get a lot more lore in this book. We get to see a lot more of Panterra. We delve deeper into Tamsyn and who she is without being the "whipping girl ". And she really comes into herself in this book. I love how it didn't solely focus on the romance. There's so much adventure, figuring out her new surroundings and trying to make a new home for herself. She learns a lot more about her dragon side during this time and comes to terms with who and what she is. There's a new friendship which I loved for Tamsyn !! And the romance is top notch too ! It's left on a note where it hints at so much more to come and I can't wait to see where things go !

Reading this felt like jumping back into a world that had clearly been through a lot while I was gone. There's drama, there’s magic, and there’s a girl riding it all out with grit and stubborn loyalty. It’s fast, intense, and occasionally chaotic, but I was into it.

Tamsyn is one of those characters I just clicked with right away. She doesn’t spend time doubting herself or trying to fit in. She knows who she is and what she’s willing to fight for. She follows her instincts, even when things get complicated, and I loved how steady she stayed when it really counted.

Vetr, though... he had me in a bit of a spin. I spent most of the book trying to figure out if I liked him or not, but that definitely made his character more interesting and fun to read. He’s wild & unpredictable and walking a fine line between brooding and totally unhinged. It worked, kind of, but I kept thinking, couldn’t you have solved half of this by using your magic earlier? That part didn’t totally add up for me.

The time jump at the beginning was rough. I had read the first book a while back, and even after trying to catch up with a quick recap online, I was still confused. There aren’t many reminders built in to help you reorient, which made it harder to settle back into the story. I would’ve appreciated a few more reminders about where things left off, because it took me longer than usual to settle into the story.

And the ending left me wondering if I missed something. Are we getting more books in this world? Because some characters felt like they were introduced with a purpose that never showed up. A few plotlines just sort of... wandered off. If this is the final book, it needed more closure. If it’s a setup for something new, I’d love to know that going in.

Still, I had a good time with it. It moves quickly, it’s dramatic in a good way, and I was never bored. There are definitely pieces that could’ve been stronger, but I enjoyed the ride.

This book was an interesting read! We follow the FMC Tamsyn as she navigates being a dragon and the loss of her mate Fell. After Fells death Tamsyn is allowed to remain with the pride (pack of dragons) which is led by Fells brother Vetr. Tamsyn was raised by humans and didn’t know she was a dragon until later, the pride is helping her learn all their ways. Tamsyn doesn’t want to pick between humans and dragons, she wants to help both live peacefully. I enjoyed watching Tamsyn fight for what she knew was right and growing into (both) her skins!

I will say I’m intrigued with that epilogue though..and kind of scared!

Read if you like:
✨An adventure
✨Fates mates
✨Magic
✨Shifter books (especially dragons)

I really loved the first book so I am sorry to say this was a disappointment. The first book had so much going on and Tamsyn was such a great character with her tragic story but unfortunately this book is borderline boring with no payoff. Tamsyn spends much of the book being looked down upon by the dragon pride as if it’s her fault that she does not understand their ways. There are so many people that mistreat her or even betray her and there is no satisfying vengeance. Likewise others who deserve better do not receive it. There’s just no emotional payoff. It’s weirdly muted on the obvious emotions. I think this is an ending to the series but there’s a lot left unexplained so it all just feels unsatisfying.

I devoured this book, too! It was just as fun and gripping to read as A Fire in the Sky, and I'm so thankful that I got a chance to read an ARC!

My heart broke for Tamsyn as she continued to fight to forge a life for herself in this new world she found herself in. I liked learning more about dragon lore and culture, and feeling Tamsyn's learning curve frustration. The otherness that Tamsyn feels is expressed in a way that is accessible and surprisingly relevant to today's social climate. However, at no point in the story did it become politically heavy.

In this book, I felt the love between Tamysn and Fell, even though Fell is gone. Their chemistry and mate bond isn't what is holding them together. It's that Fell is the only one who truly understands the otherness Tamsyn feels in the world.

I enjoyed the uncertainty of Vetr. I never knew if I should root for him or not, and I still don't. He's that wild card character, and it will be interesting to watch his character progression and where he ends at the end of the story.

***3.25 Star***
Thank you for this ARC!
SPOILERS FOR BOTH 1st and 2nd BOOK BELOW

As someone who loves dragon books but steers clear of shifters- I unintentionally picked up A Fire in The Sky last year and surprising loved it and thought the shifter aspect was done really well/did not IMO feel gross (which is how most make me feel). I loved the characters, liked the world, liked the romantic AND political tension, and loved the plot twist- I was really excited to see where we went in book 2...

Unfortunately I kind of hated the plot of A Scar in the Bone...

I genuinely felt like the sequel was not planned while writing the first book- it felt made/convenient. I understand not wanting a cliffhanger at the end of the first book but there kind of still was... the plot of this book would have felt better if Fell died and/or his brother was made aware in the first book. To me, it just really felt forced in to make another book.

I ended up skimming a lot as it was quite slow and lacking a plot overall... with the one year time jump she has already learned the prides ways and trained without us but is still sitting around being sad. I really only found one scene impactful and exciting and that was when she goes alone to Stig's camp.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the book or the writing or the characters- all of that felt consistent to the first book.
But like you could skip this whole book when/of the next one comes out and have missed like one easily explainable thing- maybe two.

I do recommend A Fire in the Sky to friends and I am going to pick up the next book (if there is another planned) as I do think that plot will be exciting and more true to the first book- but I don't think I will recommend A Scar in the Bone to friends currently.

As always, I love Sophie's writing. It's always engaging and I never feel like I'm trudging through a story but immersed in it.

I loved the growth and determination of Tamsyn. I feel like she has come in to her own by the end of the story. Being in the Crags has led her to a new way of life, new friends or enemies and a question of is it the life she desires.

I do think the time jump at the beginning isn't the best. I don't understand why the book doesn't pick up right as book one ended. I also am not a fan of Vetr and his interactions with Tamsyn.

I definitely wanted more Fell. The relationship between Tamsyn and Fell is so authentic that the book needed more of that to push it toward how I felt about book 1. Their chemistry is just a 10/10. no notes.

Overall, its a great exploration of Tamsyn and what she's made of. She had to grow and journey to become her best self and I think this book does that!

Thanks so much to Avon, Sophie Jordan and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

This book was not what I expected. First, there was little to no explanation of what happened before jumping a year ahead. The story was good, but the pieces were discombobulated to me. The ending was random snippets of what other characters were doing. Does this mean there will be more? Does it not? I was confused at the end. This book was given to me as an ARC but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Thank you William Morrow | HarperCollins Publishers for a pre-approved eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Oy where do I start... I think on the good side, Tamsyn is still an icon and I loved getting to read more of her progression as a dragon and I thought the ending was good and worth the read. Unfortunately, I think the rest was just a ride on the struggle bus. I think having a year time jump at the start of the book was just a bit too much to catch up on and I would have liked it a bit closer to the end of the previous book. I was also not a fan of how icky some of the characters in this book were with no redeeming qualities. Even though I love Tamsyn, she was a bit whiny and annoying (for good reason I suppose) throughout the book. I was hoping for more because I loved the first book and had recommended it to everyone I could.

3.75 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this book. I absolutely loved A Fire in the Sky and I had extremely high hopes for A Scar in the Bone. The book started off a year after the ending of book 1 and I was very confused as to what was going on. I found the pacing to be off and there wasn't much plot or action until closer to the end of the book which made it really difficult to stay interested in the story. I do absolutely love Sophie Jordan's writing style, so that was enjoyable. I am interested to see how book 3 picks up.

Books two rake place a full year after the first book. You have Tamsyn who is told that Fell is dead, but through their bond she knows it isn’t true but his brother tries to convince her to move on and be with him..she decides to leave the pride in search of him and gets in to some trouble along the way.

I was so excited when I started this book to return to the world that I left behind in 'A Fire in the Sky'. When we last left the world Fell, the Lord of the Borderlands, and his bride, Tamsyn, we have discovered that Fell has a long-lost brother, and that there are more dragons hiding in the mountains known as the Crags.

This book starts a bit awkwardly: Tamsyn is alone, Fell is presumed dead, and his brother, Vetr is definitely trying to worm his way into Tamsyn's bed. However, we don't know anything that has led to this moment. When we last left them, Fell was alive and well and staring down the brother that he never knew he had. Slowly, over the course of the first part of the novel we learn bits and pieces of what has happened in the year that spans between this novel and the first in the series.

While the first book kept me enthralled from start to end, the pacing of this second novel was a little harder for me. I believe we focus a lot on Tamsyn to see her come into her own, both as a woman who is no longer the whipping girl for her kingdom, and as a dragon, and Sophie Jordan delivers strongly on both. I do wish we weren't apart from Fell during the novel, because I feel like we never fully get to see their romance evolve into the great love story that Tamsyn hypes it up to be in her mind. I know that they are bonded, or mates, but I do feel like we didn't get a full progression of their romance in the first novel, and I would have liked to have seen more of it in this second one.

We get to see plenty of characters both old and new in this novel. Stig has me both screaming and crying for how far he has fallen since we are introduced to him in book one. While the pacing slows a little in the middle of the book, it quickly ramps up again to its climax near the end, but to say that I'm surprised at how the novel ends is an understatement. I never expected things to end as they did, and the actions of the main characters seem a bit out of character for many of the people involved. (Like how quickly Tamsyn just dismissed Kerstin after everything that the young dragon had done to aid her. I feel like this is going to come back and bite her in the butt in the future, and it does give the possibility that Sophie Jordan did this perhaps to be able to bring back Kerstin as an antagonist to Tamsyn in a future novel for her actions.) However, with the epilogue of the novel giving us an idea that all is perhaps not well in the kingdom, Sophie Jordan neatly sets us up for what we could perhaps expect in a third novel to this series.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, even if it didn't leave me as enthralled as its predecessor. I hope that our main characters get to enjoy some peace for a time, as we're left with the feeling that book 3 is going to throw them right back into the fire as far as politics - both dragon and human - go. I can't wait to see what the future holds for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Sophie Jordan for providing me with an eARC of this novel for review.