3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I LOVED the idea of this - the phoenix racing premise was unlike any book I’ve read, and that made me so excited to read it! I’m such a fan of mythical creatures in fantasy, but dragons have been saturating the genre so the focus on phoenixes for this one was very unique.

The book was off to a great start, I was really engaged and loving the introduction to the plot and all of the characters. I do love a cocky MMC and a takes-no-sh*t FMC, and the blend of personalities of all the side characters - they made for a great cast. I do wish the relationships between the couples were developed a little more to make the attraction more believable; this is supposed to be a slow burn, but there wasn’t much tension or depth to their feelings, so the romance just felt a little out of nowhere.

The plot was super interesting, but it did seem a bit choppy. The second half of the book oddly felt like too much and not enough at the same time, if that makes sense. I began to lose interest and it was tougher to pick the book back up, but I didn’t want to DNF - I still wanted to find out how things ended. I did like how the book wrapped up and am interested in continuing the story (assuming this is a series), but I would like to see how the writing improves, seeing as this is the author’s debut. The author is clearly very creative, so this book is such a promising start!

As for the audio, I thought Safiyya Ingar did an incredible job narrating and I loved her voice. She brought a lot of personality to the characters and I very much enjoyed her performance.

Overall I liked the book and would recommend to newer YA readers who are interested in fantasy.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Mikayla Bridge, and NetGalley for the ALC!

Of Flame and Fury takes you to an exotic land filled with magic, but the people are the same. Much of this book is about respecting and advocating for nature and the ecosystem, while at the same time processing how corporations and people in power can struggle with "walking the talk" when push comes to shove.
I really enjoyed the passion of the FMC. The author did a great job weaving together the three major plot lines together in the end. However, during the read it does feel confusing at times as you are connecting the dots. Reading this book with the mentality of a mystery may help readers who are primarily fantasy readers connect with the book.

If you’re into powerful heroines and scorching chemistry, Of Flame and Fury delivers. The world is intense, the stakes are high, and the romantic tension? Chef’s kiss. I was absolutely hooked.

Kel and the Crimson Howlers are a young team destined for greatness in the phoenix racing circuit. When one of her teammates is tragically lost, her team is restructured, taking on her most despised competitors, Coop. A new location and high-stakes racing has them questioning everything and fighting to ensure their phoenix is safe. Can they learn to navigate the world of racing together with new challenges and dangers on the horizon?

This YA fantasy was a fun ride- literally! Phoenix racing?! Yes please! The characters are 16-18 year olds who are just trying to find their place in life, help take care of their families, and find meaning in it all. The plot moved at a great pace, and I never felt bored. The characters showed growth and grit. Overall, this story held me captive til the last page! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ALC. All opinions here are my own.

3.5 stars
Of Flame and Fury has an exceptional premise - I love any fantasy book with unique animal companions - but unfortunately, it really reads like a debut. There are some elements to the plot that feel very marketing-driven, such as the snarky FMC, the deadly trials aspect of the races, and the cocky love interest who turns out to have a heart of gold. Still, as a whole, I really enjoyed the plot. My issues fell more with the world building. As much as I wanted to fall into this world, the writing was very tell, not show, and as such, I never felt transported into the world. There also seemed to be some contradictions to the world building and character motivation in terms of the whole "phoenix/animal rights" aspect of the book. And finally, I don't really think there was any reason for this book to be YA. The characters behaved like adults, so I don't know why they weren't just aged up. Overall, I had fun with this book, largely in part due to the strength of the plot, but I'm not yet sold on this author's writing.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

So I just read that this is a DEBUT NOVEL from this author!!
Once again, kudos to the author! Phenomenal debut!!

And, if you would’ve ever told me that I’d be listening to, and enjoying, a book about Phoenix Racing and all the horrible things that go along with it, well, I would’ve told you that you were CRAZY, with a capital C!! And yet, here we are…

Kel is one of a group of people called the Crimson Howlers. She’s just a kid (17), but has formed a bond with her Phoenix, Savita. And, although Savita can be Deadly, Kel trusts her with her life… 🤔 Savita races, but it’s not just flying…oh no… the stakes are much higher than that! Each time you race, you are taking a chance with your life! And now, they are in a bind and need a new racer!

And who should appear, but her arch-enemy! Coup. Someone she would never want to work with, or trust…

And it goes on. And now they are training together. And although Kel really doesn’t want to believe it, they are GOOD together… and people are noticing…

So when of the top sponsors reaches out to them, well…they really don’t have many options.

But are things as great as they seem? Or is it all a smokescreen?

If this sounds like something you might enjoy, please give it a try! I was happily surprised and really enjoyed this one! (Minus all the blood and gore of racing…)

#OfFlameAndFury by @MikaylaBridge and narrated nicely by @SafiyyaIngar.

Of note: This is listed as a Young Listeners Book which I just realized now!
Also, I think this might just be book #1 of a series, although I do not see it listed as that…

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️for me!

*** THIS ONE HAS ALREADY BEEN RELEASED!! PLEASE LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES NOW!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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This has an excellent premise and really cool worldbuilding, but the execution of the story really did not work for me. This may work better for readers who enjoy reading fun and creative action scenes but aren’t the type to care if a story has a logical and well-developed structure. While the romance has an excellent set up, ultimately I found the subplot as a whole to lack tension and development. While this book very much feels like a debut that hasn’t found its footing yet, I do believe that the author seems very creative and talented, and I would be interested to see what they do after this series.

This was such a fun YA romantasy summer read!

It’s a debut for the author, Mikayla Bridge. Very light hearted, action-packed, and original story. I loved the topic of phoenix racing. This is what drew me in to read the book in the first place. I think I needed a change of pace from dragons, and this was similar yet different enough to satisfy my need to something new. The phoenix racing is akin to if horse racing and F1 racing had a baby. Very fun and accelerating.

I don’t get to say this often, but the characters were so fun and lovable. I loved their innocence, but still a very fiery bunch that kept me on my toes. They were just very enjoyable to curl up with at the end of the day. A true sense of found family with this crew of teens, and I felt like a Howler as I read as well. I also loved our non-brooding, cocky MMC, Warren “Coup”. I also have been reading too many broody leads lately and he was just the right fix of sunny golden retriever energy that I needed. While I loved our FMC, Kel, I would say, Savita, her phoenix, stole the show. I loved every moment with her, and missed her dearly when she wasn’t on the page.

Definitely pick it up! It’s compared to a Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow. I really think it had a vibe of its own though. It’s also marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, but I got more reluctant teammates, maybe even rivals, vibes from Coup and Kel than enemies. Plus it all starts with some fake dating! Very entertaining. As a YA, it’s pretty closed door, but I love that every once in a while too. The sweetness in the romance is so rewarding.

We were left with a great cliffhanger to pick up from in Book 2! I’ll definitely be looking forward to continuing with the series.

I loved immersive reading the ARC with the ALC. Safiyya Ingar did a fantastic job verbally bringing this world to life. There were many characters she plays and she gave each their own flavor and spirit.

Thank you NetGalley, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for my ARC, and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much action it hooks you from the start. Different fantasy romance with a great plot. I like it was full of action and I like the plot of Phoenix race it very different.

🩵Audio Book Review🩵
⭐️4 Stars|Audio book ARC🎧 received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all, how is this a debut novel?! This romantasy has a little bit of something for everyone. What made it so unique was the racing and how she made you feel like you were right there, part of the crew.

Right from the start, we are thrown into the world of Phoenix Racing. Of Flame and Fury takes off at lightning speed, just like the phoenixes, and it doesn’t stop for a second.

We follow Kel Berra and her team, who will do whatever it takes to win. This isn’t a game for them, it’s their livelihood. They’ll do anything, including adding Coup to their team.

Coup is reckless and arrogant, and everything Kel hates (insert all the slow burn enemies to lovers squeals here!)

When tragedy strikes, the team is forced to make hard decisions and potentially sacrifice some of their morals to do what it takes to win the fortune.

This is BARLEY scratching the surface of what all entails in Of Flame and Fury.

✨The Vibes✨
🩵for fans of F1 racing
💋fake dating
✨enemies to lovers
🍥political scheming
😷deadly disease
🤯sooo many twists and turns
❤️found family

I think this story is going to blow up, and rightfully so! This is the only fantasy I’ve read with fake dating. At least nothing is coming to mind. Y’all know fake dating is my jam 😂

Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in Of Flame and Fury by debut author Mikayla Bridge, and yes, it’s just as intense and addictive as it sounds. Set on a fiery island where phoenix racing is deadly sport and rebellion simmers under the surface, this YA romantasy is packed with high stakes drama, volatile magic, and slow burn enemies to lovers tension.

I was immediately drawn into Kel Varra’s gritty world and her fierce loyalty to the Crimson Howlers. Add in a cocky rival named Coup (who totally grew on me), a shady tech mogul, and a phoenix named Savita, and you’ve got a blazing story that had me flipping pages fast. Intriguing, steamy, and full of twists.

I thought this was a solid YA book. I didn't find anything inappropriate for the YA audience.

The story was different and creative. I enjoyed reading about the phoenix races and liked how the 'race tracks' changed and presented different challenges for every race. It wasn't just the phoenixes flying in circles; it was more like racing through obstacle courses.

I do wish there was a little more spark between the main characters. I had a hard time really feeling the love between them. I also had a hard time getting attached to the characters. The author could have written any character out of the the book, and I wouldn't have felt strongly about it either way.

This book is such a fun and easy urban romantasy read.
The suspense kept me hooked and I loved the F1 style vibes of the phoenix racing with high stakes, danger and drama. It's such a unique concept and is a perfect YA pick for anyone looking for something fresh and exciting.

From the very first page, Of Flame and Fury throws you into a world of fire and ambition, where phoenix racing isn't just a sport-it's a deadly game of survival. Kel Varra, our fiercely determined protagonist, is an underdog you can't help but root for. She's bold, stubborn, and willing to risk everything to win. And then there's Coup-arrogant, maddening, and yet utterly irresistible. Their rivalry crackles with tension, making every interaction between them feel like a battle of wills.
The enemies-to-lovers trope? Flawlessly executed! The slow-burn romance, the lingering stares, the push and pull—it's the kind of dynamic that keeps you hopelessly hooked. I found myself whispering "just kiss already!" Beyond the romance, the world-building is simply breathtaking.

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge is a heart-pounding, high-stakes blend of fantasy and sci-fi that had me hooked from the start.

Our main girl, Kel, is a phoenix trainer and part of The Howlers, a fierce team that races magical creatures like their lives depend on it. Alongside her best friend Dira, Kel faces danger, sabotage, politics, and secrets in a world that feels more like Speed Racer with firebirds than Fourth Wing. Honestly, they shouldn't even be in the same category.

There is a slow burn romance with a fake dating twist (and it's good), but this is not a romantasy. The plot is complex and layered, unraveling like a phoenix molting before its rebirth. It’s painful, it’s intense, and it pays off.

The stakes are sky-high and the characters are literally racing for their lives. This book made for an adrenaline-fueled read I couldn’t put down.

10/10 would race again.

Tropes/Themes:

Phoenix racing (!!!)
Found family
Sci-fi and fantasy blend
High-stakes competition
Conspiracy and political intrigue
Fake dating
Slow burn romance

***Thank you to the Author Mikayla Bridge and the publisher Macmillan Audio for the Audiobook Arc!***

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🔥Spice: 🌶️

Narrated by Safiyya Ingar
⏱️ 11 hrs 17 mins
Of Flame and Fury is a fast-paced, tension-filled fantasy that immediately grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until the final chapter. At the heart of the story is Kel, the fiercely determined FMC leading a scrappy underdog team of phoenix racers 🐦‍🔥. When her team is left short a rider, she's forced to partner with Warren “Coup” Coupers—the cocky, frustratingly talented MMC. Their reluctant alliance fuels an excellent enemies-to-lovers arc that simmers with tension but never quite boils over. No spice here, but the slow-burn buildup makes every moment between them count ❤️‍🔥.
The world of phoenix racing is creative and vivid, and the story acts as a powerful reminder: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It also hits a strong emotional chord about loyalty and protecting the people you care about at all costs 🤍🛡️.
The audiobook narration by Safiyya Ingar is phenomenal. Dynamic, emotionally grounded, and packed with personality, she brings Kel to life in a way that adds layers of strength and vulnerability.
While I would have loved a bit more resolution in the romance and a touch more depth in some character arcs, this was still a very solid, entertaining listen that left me excited for whatever comes next in this world.
Great pick for fans of slow-burn tension, fierce heroines, and high-stakes fantasy competitions🔥.

4.5 stars
This was close enough to a knock out of the park for a debut. I was hooked the entire book. The gamut of emotions this story makes you run through will keep you on your toes for sure.
What the heck was that ending????
I will say that without knowing that this is being marketed towards Fourth Wing fans, I did feel a correlation at the beginning.
The only thing that I didn't like, but made sense for the story, is that the FMC is 17.

*Spoilers*

Dragons—I MEAN PHOENIXES—with bad billionaires, a plague, and a compelling but YA-appropriate romance? I’ll take it, even if the MMC is a dragon—SORRY, PHOENIX—racer named…Coup.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook!

I loved 2/3 and liked the last 1/3 of this fantasy. I loved the fresh concept, the pacing, the character dynamics, the action, and the central conflict. I lost a little enjoyment as everything unraveled & there was one problematic plot point in particular for me, but overall, it was fresh & exciting with enough depth to keep me invested. It felt like fantasy mixed with Sci-fi. Definitely a contender!

Sadly, another DNF for me. I had high hopes since it promised high-stakes racing on deadly phoenixes.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. And while it's gotten many, many rave reviews, I think this one just isn't for me.

It's marketed as "Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers young adult romantic fantasy" but I really think too many books are tossing around that "enemies to lovers" trope. Coup and Kel aren't enemies, they're adversaries. They start off on different teams and Kel finds Coup's arrogance and risk-taking to be highly annoying.

It also claims to have "steamy" romance but it labeled as YA, so that was confusing.

Plus, the worldbuilding felt all over the place. These teenagers are, for the most part, unsupervised by adultier-adults in this highly publicized sporting event that often results in racers sustaining injury or death. It's a book that had me going "but where are all the actual grownups? Is this a society of teenagers that's self-governed?" Even though it's a fantasy book, the worldbuilding didn't feel very flushed out. Technology was mentioned but not enough to give a solid idea of what kind of society this book takes place in.

I'm sure this book will be a huge hit with a ton of readers. For me, it just wasn't enough to keep my interest.

4.5 stars || When Kel’s racing team, the Howlers, find themselves in need of a new phoenix rider, she isn’t thrilled that her rival, Warren Coupers, is the only option. Tensions are high, but the media soaks up their partnership both on and off the track. After a tragic fire at Kel’s farm, the team is forced to work for a major tech corporation.

In this gripping political fantasy, follow the Howlers in their efforts to build success as a phoenix racing team as they learn to work together against all odds. This book doesn’t wait to jump right into the thick of it, hitting you with raw emotion and trauma immediately. Mikayla Bridge spares nothing, with quick pacing that drew me deep into Kel’s world.

It’s clear the author had a vision - every word was strategic and meaningful. Her whimsical writing style, with many descriptive references to themes of fire, smoke, etc. brought the book to life, painting the picture of phoenix racing like an art.

The artistic tone really helped ground the fast-paced nature of the story. Despite a quickened plot, high stakes kept me glued to each chapter. The pacing felt appropriate as I built a list of things to learn and uncover. The conspiracies start early - and I was eager to decipher them!

Inversely to the action-packed, fast-paced plot line, we were eased into the romantic elements, sensing only the slightest hint of romantic tension between the MCs. I learned about the MMC and grew to like him alongside Kel, a very natural progression. This format helped prioritize the emotional bond with the team first, emphasizing the found family element before introducing the complexities of romance.

The pacing slowed down considerably through the middle of the book. My main criticism would be to tease more for readers to conspire about, and spread out the action toward the middle - between about 50 to 70% - so we could start to guess what was happening. So much happened in the beginning, and the end is packed, so it felt like a minor lull. Still, the author kept me hooked with the wonderful relationships between the characters and world building.

The narrator did a fantastic job of contributing to that, bringing not only the characters to life, but the artistry of Bridge’s writing. I revelled in feeling every emotion the characters experienced, as if I was inside Kel’s head - despite not agreeing with her character at all times, I somehow always felt connected to her, and I think this was largely due to the incredible narration from Safiyya Ingar.

Around 70%, the plot really started to take off - every stake was raised, and I was genuinely stressed (in a good way). At 90%, the suspense tripled, and it was full speed ahead to the end. There was no way I could stop listening at that point, no way to put it down. The twists, the shock, the anger and the fear… I was reeling. Not only was this book an artistic vision brought to life, but an important, thought provoking political statement.

Thank you to the author, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.