I didn’t know what I was getting into when I requested this book, but the phoenix racing hook sold me instantly.

First off, Kel Varra is a good protagonist. She’s stubborn in all the right ways, tough but deeply in tune with her emotions. And her phoenix, Sav? A sassy, fiery little menace, and I loved every moment of her on the page. Honestly, I need more of Sav’s POV. There’s so much untapped emotion and instinct there, and I’m dying to know how she sees Kel, Coup, and the world around her.

The pacing was a bit fast, especially for a first book, but it didn’t take away from the worldbuilding. Mikayla Bridge has created something genuinely original here (at least, I haven’t read anything quite like it). The politics, the sponsorships, the twisted corporate interests, it all felt modern in the best way. The romance was also a little fast paced, but it did feel genuine.

The found family dynamic between Kel, Dira, Bekn, and Coup is what kept me going. Found family always gets me, and here it felt raw, tender, and messy. And that moment when everything crashes down and Kel sees the truth for what it is? I was shook. Don’t even get me started on the ending, I sat there and just blinked for several seconds.

This is a strong debut and an exciting introduction to a new world. Honestly, it deserves the same hype those big dragon books have been getting. I’m so excited to see where book two goes. I just really hope we get more from Sav’s perspective, or at least more insight into how she feels about Kel. This story showed us so much of Kel’s love for her phoenix, but I’m craving the other side of that bond.

I also can’t wait to learn more about the broader phoenix world and the tech being built around them. I loved how Mikayla blended urban fantasy with touches of sci-fi. That mix felt bold and fresh, and I’m 100% here for it.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Safiyya Ingar is a fantastic narrator and did not give any of Kel's secrets away.

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge is fantastic. I was surprised that I loved it so much. The reason I say this is because young adult (YA) books have not been my friend lately. I've really been struggling with them as of late. I recently attended an event hosted by Fierce Reads featuring a few debut authors, and hearing Mikayla talk about her book had me rushing to NetGalley to see if I still had time to request an early copy. I found that I could instantly download a preview, but an e-arc was no longer available. I kept digging and found that I could request the audiobook. Figured I would give it a shot.

I am so glad that I did!
Once I was approved for the early audiobook copy, I started listening right away. I was hooked instantly. I've been waiting for a good Phoenix book since Crown of Feathers. Mikayla definitely achieved this with Of Flame and Fury. This book is so action-packed that it was hard to put it down.

Why would you want to put down a book about high-stakes phoenix races?
Think Formula 1 but on very large mythical birds.
Tropes and Themes:

* Enemies to lovers
* Found Family
* Conspiracies
* Fake Dating
* Only One Saddle
* Political Plot
* Racing (high-stakes)
* Grumpy/Sunshine (FMC is the Grumpy & MMC is the Sunshine)
* Slow Burn (but not too slow)

Of Flame and Fury focuses not the race team Crimson Howlers. The team has an unfortunate incident, and now they need a new rider. In steps Warren "Coup" Cooper. Coup was just kicked off his previous team for being too reckless. The last thing Kelyn "Ken" Varra wants is for Coup to join the team. She despised him and his reckless behavior. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, these two and the rest of the team have to team up.

Each Phoenix Racing Team has five team members and one phoenix:

* Kelly Varra (Kel) is the tamer. Tamers train and care for the phoenix.
* Dira is Kel's best friend. Her job is the winger. She is in charge of strategy.
* Warren Couper (Coup) is the rider. He is the one racing on the back of the phoenix.
* Bekn Couper is Coup's brother, and he is the publicist. His job is to secure sponsorships and help with their media presence.
* The last position is the engineer, which the team is initially missing and needs to fill the spot.
* Last but not least, we have Savita (San), our phoenix.

With this new Crimson Howler team, they end up attracting a sponsorship from Cristo Industries, which is run by Canon Cristo. Canes has taken a special interest in Save, and no one knows why. Due to this new sponsorship, the team has to relocate to the facilities at Cristo Industries, where they have to deal with lies, secrets, and tension. Ken knows something is up, but she can't seem to figure out what is going on.

This book takes the reader on quite an adventure. I loved the races, the slow-burning romance, and the political intrigue. I really enjoyed Of Flame and Fury. It has hands down become one of my favorite reads for this year. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I wish I had book two in my hands already.

Now I have one pet peeve with Of Flame and Fury. The use of CAPR (Ceridorian Association of Phoenix Racing) was used way too frequently. It was CAPR this and CAPR that. I think we could have dropped CAPR a few this, and the reader still would have known that it was CAPR involved. Out of the whole book, this is the only complaint that I really have.

On to the narration, since I did listen to the audiobook for this review. Safiyya Ingar did a great job with marketing. Safiyya added emotion that keeps the reader's attention, and she was easy to understand even at 2x the speed. The characters didn't come across as having distinct voices, so I wish this had been better, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Safiyya's narration. I would highly recommend the audiobook. Definitely check it out.

Street racing meets phoenixes in this exciting debut novel. This story starts out action-packed, in the middle of a race that ends in disaster, introducing us to the conflicts that carry through the novel. I would say this novel reads more sci-fi than fantasy, as there is a lot of tech involved in this world, so keep that in mind to keep your expectations straight. This is an easy read that keeps you engaged, though parts do feel slower in the middle. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Kel and Coup while not dismissing the side characters. The last part of this novel introduces twists that I think many readers will not see coming. I can only hope we get another book soon!

Overall, this is a fantastic debut, and the audiobook is a great way to enjoy it.

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 the ARC of this book as well, and it was perfection. Safiyya Ingar did a fantastic job of bringing each character to life and conveying the emotions felt in every scene, especially in those tense moments where the riders' lives were in danger. 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 Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners, and Mikayla Bridge, for the entertaining advance listeners' copy of this impressive debut!

Sometimes I annoy myself by reading early release books, because what do you mean I have to wait even longer to see if Kel and Coup’s story continues?! What a fun listen! And an incredible end to the book! It seriously leaves you wanting/NEEDING more!

The entire time I listened to this story my brain knew it was about phoenixes but in my mind they were literally dogs. The bond between Kel and Savita for whatever reason reminded me a of a 20-something girl and her dog and it made the story that much more relatable.

Seriously yall, read/listen to this one. I can’t wait to get my book trophy on release day 🤩

Thank you Safiyya Ingar for narrating this story, Mikayla Bridge for putting your words to paper, & NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy to listen to!!

Of Flame and Fury is a YA fantasy standalone featuring the fast and dangerous sport of phoenix racing. Kel is a phoenix tamer and needs a new phoenix rider who also happens to be her handsome dare devil rival. It’s all a recipe for forced proximity, fake dating, and tons of banter. I enjoyed their romance, but the phoenixes, and especially Savita are really the stars of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the worldbuilding. While it is a standalone, I felt the epilogue could have been expanded upon more, and I would be interested in other connected books in the universe. I want to read about more the phoenixes! 🐦‍🔥

The narration by Safiyya Ingar was well done. The quality of their voice was very raspy, which I personally liked.

What to Expect:
- Rivals to Reluctant Allies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Fake Dating
- Phoenixes! 🐦‍🔥
- SLOW burn

Thank you to Mikayla Bridge and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for providing an audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟
Of Flames and Fury I have mixed feelings about this story. While this story's premise is very eye-catching, phoenix racing is a sport, compared to fourth wings but without dragons, and the cover art is beautiful! The story starts off extremely strong, but then it starts to drag a little, and the pacing just felt off. I don't know.

The audiobook is narrated by Safiyya Ingar. She did a good job telling the story and bringing it to life. She was easy to understand and also listen to. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this story and the way the beginning catches your attention! The narrator did an amazing job, I really enjoyed her voice. I was invested in this story from the beginning to the end. The vibe was definitely F1, I’m usually not into that sport but after reading this, I have an urge to get started. The concept of phoenix racing is so unique. Coup and Kel had me sobbing, they were so cute even with the dislike they had for each other. The plot twist shocked me so much that I was also second guessing everything. I knew I should have paid more attention to a specific topic, but I still chose to ignore it and now I will be rereading. I had so many “I KNEW IT” moments which made the book more fun for me. I liked the ending but I would have liked more of an actual reunion and conversation.
I didn’t see the Fourth Wing or Enemies to Lovers part of this book but that’s ok it didn’t need it.

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I loved this story and the way the beginning catches your attention! The narrator did an amazing job, I really enjoyed her voice. I was invested in this story from the beginning to the end. The vibe was definitely F1, I’m usually not into that sport but after reading this, I have an urge to get started. The concept of phoenix racing is so unique. Coup and Kel had me sobbing, they were so cute even with the dislike they had for each other. The plot twist shocked me so much that I was also second guessing everything. I knew I should have paid more attention to a specific topic, but I still chose to ignore it and now I will be rereading. I had so many “I KNEW IT” moments which made the book more fun for me. I liked the ending but I would have liked more of an actual reunion and conversation.

I didn’t see the Fourth Wing or Enemies to Lovers part of this book but that’s ok it didn’t need it.

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

This book was a fast read and I enjoyed it. I really thought having Phoenix’s as the main fantasy creature was unique and just as thrilling as some of the main dragon books out today. Instead fighting in a war they have races which was a nice reprieve from characters constantly being one breath away from dying. Although, it’s still high stakes and just as deadly. It felt less jarring due to the fact only one team member races at a time only thing I can compare it to would be like nascar there’s the driver(flyer) and the pit cure essentially. Hoping there will be a continuation of the story. I wouldn’t categorize this as enemies to lovers but revivals to almost lovers. Rated 3.5 on story graph but rounded up on here.

This book immediately grabbed my attention because it's a book about Phoenixes– and honestly, I really needed a break from dragons and fae! The story opens with a thrilling scene of a competitive race where riders are flying Phoenixes. It takes a team to make this happen, a rider, a tamer, and more. After a dangerous and deadly race, Kel's team finds itself in need of a new rider, and who should step up but the cocky, arrogant Couper, or "Coup."

Kel can’t stand Coup and his reckless racing ways. They quickly gain media attention after impressively taming a Phoenix without its collar, leading to an offer to take their racing team and go work for a major corporation that researches Phoenixes. Kel finds herself torn: she desperately needs the money to save her father's farm and keep her Phoenix, but she's uncomfortable working for a corporation that doesn't treat these majestic creatures the way she feels they deserve. Her father was a strong advocate for Phoenix rights, pushing for less controlling collars and a sanctuary where they could fly free. Kel and Coup quickly team up on their new adventure, learning more about the intricate political schemes in their world and finding themselves at the center of a powerful tech mogul's agenda. The book definitely has a blend of dystopian and fantasy feels, with elements of surveillance, mythical creatures, and questionable science and research.

For a standalone fantasy, it was okay. It can be hard to fit all those complex world-building components into a single book, and while I enjoy a nice standalone, it means you don't always get the full fantasy experience you might expect from a series. I didn't connect really hard with the characters, but the story did deliver a good amount of mythical creatures, betrayals, and corruption, which kept things moving.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/15/25.

I was lucky to listen to the audio of Of Flame and Fury by Makayla Bridge.

The reader Safiyya Ingar was easy to listen to. I was able to speed up the audio and follow along. Overall, I would listen to her again.

I didn't know what to expect of the story because I went in blind. I was excited to find out it was about Phoenixes. The author jumps right into the story and keeps you wanting to listen. There is romance but the plot is the main focus. There is a whole section in the beginning that explains the different Phoenixes, which got me excited. I was hoping to see that be more part of the plot. Overall, I enjoyed the story and hope to hear more of it in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of Of Flame and Fury. This book is fast-paced and full of action/adventure. This is going to go over very well with the teens at our library. It does read very YA, so readers looking for more world-building and character development may not find this as compelling as younger readers. Plot twists are pretty predictable for seasoned readers. Phoenix racing was a great concept that I haven't read before! Overall, this is a very enjoyable story.

I was not expecting a book about F1 phoenix racing to have me sobbing, but here we are.

Despite (alright partially because of) the tears, I had such a good time with Of Flame and Fury. I was immediately hooked by Safiyya Ingar's narration! Opening the book with such a catastrophic loss sure was a choice, but it beautifully set up the high stakes tone for the rest of the novel.

Savita is truly the star of the book (and she and everyone in the story knows it), but her bond with Kel had me misty eyed at multiple turns.

And if you ever get an offer from a tech mogul that seems too good to be true, well, you know what they say.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free copy of the book!

Goodness gracious. From the very beginning to the last page of this book… it feels like you’re shooting through the sky on the back of a phoenix. It’s not a tame experience. It’s a wild ride. You have no idea what’s coming next around every single turn but you’re trusting the one who is orchestrating it. Even though it feels like that’s a phoenix, in our case it’s actually Mikayla Bridge. And with Of Flame and Fury, she asks for and earns your trust. Spoiler alert: Mikayla absolutely sticks the landing.

I thought I had an idea what this story would look like but boy was I wrong. It was so much bigger and richer and more compelling than I could have imagined. Every character we got to know felt like a gift. Kel and Coup and Bekn and Dira. But Savita absolutely stole the show and is the character that made me burst into tears while reading. The ambiguous characters in the story had you unsure where they truly stood with each new page, which is just the way I like it. This book was simple enough to follow but not simple enough to have figured out before you were supposed to. What a clever storyline!!!!

Not only did we get an incredible book with such beautiful characters but you’re telling me there is a literary soundtrack for the book on Spotify?!? What. A. Treat. I can’t recommend listening to it enough during/after reading the book.

And if you enjoy audiobooks, I cannot recommend this one enough. Safiyya Ingar is so easy to listen to. She narrates in the most compelling way and the voices she does for each character is transformative. The way Safiyya navigates through complicating accents is incredible. I loved the differences between characters like Kelyn and Rahn and Dira and Coup and Cristo. Everyone had their distinct sound and Safiyya made it sound seemless. I was fortunate to have access to the ALC of the audiobook and the ARC of the ebook and I loved being able to see how unique all the names were spelled. I also really enjoyed that so many of the girls had traditionally masculine sounding names spun to look entirely different. (Rahn/Ron and Oska/Oscar) Just added another layer of cool and unique to this book.

The end of this book made me want SO MUCH MORE and I really hope this is part of a series and not a standalone. But either way, thank you for this story, Mikayla. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies of this story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook! I found this whole story very interesting. I love the uniqueness of the Phoenix is the fact that reminded me so much fourth wing, but without the dragons! I cannot wait to tell my followers about audiobook. This will probably be a new most wanted most liked book This summer because this was an absolute masterpiece!

I had no idea this was a debut. This author did an amazing job in this magical book. I loved the uniqueness of the Phoenixes, and the descriptions that were given was amazing. There were so many great elements to this book including: action, romance, and suspense. This YA fantasy novel was so well done and I cannot wait to keep reading this series.

The audiobook was narrated by Safiyya Ingar, and she did a very good job. She kept me engaged roughout the entire book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to the audiobook

I felt like things were a bit confusing. So it involves phoenix racing which is very different but hard to follow. I did like the romance of Kel and Coup but I wish there was more. I feel like I need a reread to understand it better I think. Not sure if I will though.

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and publishing company for the arc of the book and audio

4.5⭐
This book had me at the edge of my chair. I really enjoyed this debut book. I was hooked from the very beginning. There were a couple of chapters where I was confused or didn't know what was happening but the someone interesting happened and I was back to being interested. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a good book to have them on there knees. The audiobook was amazing. I loved the narrator she made it seem like I was there.

Well, I finished it. 2.5 stars rounded up.

The sunk cost really got to me. 50-75% through the book and I was rolling my eyes at every other page. I should have cared. I knew I should have cared. I just didn’t, and that annoyed me.

I think it was the shift between everything being perfect, to everything being not good. I just didn’t feel involved in the story.

The closest comparison I can come up with is the Scorpio Races. It has a similar vibe as far as the animals go.

I loved the theme. This book reminded me how special it is that we have domesticated animals. I’m a dog person, so it really made me appreciate my dogs. I sat there, just utterly amazed by the fact that I have family who is not even my own species. I don’t take that for granted.

And the last 25% after the villain became clear I enjoyed. It just wasn’t worth the middle to get there.