An excellent YA fantasy of betrayal and forgiveness, resulting in a romance between 2 people who have every reason to hate each other. Can't what for book 2.

A lot of this book follows typical genre tropes for YA fantasy but I still enjoyed it. I wish I knew which author wrote which parts because some parts I loved and could not pull my eyes away from while others I just read through. I have read and absolutely loved Justina Ireland's works (three 5 stars thus far, all three books of hers I have read) but I have not read any of Tessa Gratton's works. I wish more emphasis had been placed on the political intrigue, the best part, than the romance which I could have predicted from the first couple chapters. I will definitely be picking up the sequels.

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book was definitely a fun interesting read. I didn't love the insta-love part of the story, but overall, a good book.

I think this was a great book, but it wasn't for me. The plot is complex and interesting and the writing style is beautiful. All that being said, the politics of this fantasy world were just a too much for me, almost like I had to force myself to keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Darling Seabreak's family was murdered by House Dragon and she doesn't remember anything before it. She only knows she spent her childhood in the sewers and now she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken. So when her adoptive father is captured in battle, she's ready to do anything in order to save him. Even if that means killing everyone of House Dragon.
On the other side, Talon Goldhoard is the War Prince of House Dragon, leading elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But his brother's rule is threatening their House's hard work and factions want Talon's help to overthrow him. When Talon is ambushed by the same girl his brother has painted obsessively for years, he thinks she could be the key to save everything. Forced to ally with each other, Darling and Talon have to face their world's politcs, Prince Regent's games and ancients prophecies and blood magic that could ruin their whole world.

Chaos & Flame is the first book of a YA fantasy duology written by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton. A story filled with warring factions, politics, ancient magic and two rivals forced to work together to save themselved and their own world. It's an enemies to lovers, set in a wonderfully captivating worldbuilding and I found it very intriguing and interesting. Darling and Talon are such interesting characters and I love them individually, but I wasn't particularly involved in their romance, to be honest. BUT I loved the intrigues and politics and the blood magic, I've found it very thrilling and I can't wait to know more about this captivating world.

Authors Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland begin their newest YA Fantasy duology with a roar. In the first book, Chaos & Flame, readers become quickly caught up in a world of political intrigue, ancient blood magic, and fiery prophecies. Set in a realm where individual Houses vie for power in a bid to survive, this fantasy novel delivers an enthralling tale of two unlikely heroes whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways.

Darling Seabreak, haunted by the murder of her family by House Dragon, carries the weight of her past on her shoulders. Rescued and raised by House Kraken, she is fueled by her determination to save her adoptive father from those who killed her family.

On the other side of the conflict is Talon Goldhoard, a loyal War Prince for House Dragon. Despite his allegiance, Talon faces his brother's unstable rule, threatening to dismantle everything. As factions rally around Talon, he is ambushed by Darling, whose image haunts his brother's art. Realizing she holds the key to unraveling the web of secrets, the two form an unexpected alliance building a fragile bond amid chaos.

Chaos & Flame is an engaging fantasy novel that will captivate readers with its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and immersive world-building. Fans of fantasy and those seeking a gripping tale of unlikely alliances and epic battles will find themselves eagerly turning the pages of this fascinating novel.

This YA tale is told from dual point of views. The male lead is Talon, brother to the not entirely sane High Prince Regent. His family house is mostly in control of the world and they are fighting a war against the one house who is still fighting against them. The female lead has been adopted into the house who fights against the region as her original house had been wiped out by the ruling one. The story did not go the way I expected from the beginning. The two main characters from warring houses were brought together early on and had to learn to get along in order to bring peace to their world. There are also unknown prophecies at work and the main characters are trying to figure out what is happening. I was disappointed at first because I loved Justina Ireland's Dread Nation duology and this seemed more like a run of the mill fantasy. And the enemies to lovers trope moved faster than I thought was believable. But it surprised me in the end, and I look forward to finding out what happens next.

4.5 rounded up

what is it with these fantasy books surprising me!! that was really good!!! while this book def doesn’t serve a true enemies to lovers (more like enemies with insta lust, as most “enemies to lovers” are) it DOES serve a morally grey king: caspian. technically he’s a prince but whatever. he is the singlemost chaotic character i’ve ever read, but it never felt like his actions were random. i really did believe he had a plan, and when that plan came to fruition…. girl. i was gagged. the worldbuilding was also intriguing, and i liked seeing all the different boons and how people used them. anyways now i guess i have to look out for the sequel to this.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book! all opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of chaos and flame. this was interesting about a fantasy world and house politics. two friends trying to make there way through the world.

Welcome to a book that keeps you guessing all the way up to the final page. Chaos & Flame is a book that wasn’t on my release radar for early 2023, but I was hooked immediately after reading the synopsis. The premise of ancient magic and political House drama mixed with different abilities (boons) and regional Mythic creatures excited me beyond belief. And even better, Chaos & Flame features an incredibly ambiguous antagonist in the form of Caspian Goldhoard, which is one of my favorite book tropes.

I have seen a lot of mixed reactions to this book shortly after its publication. Personally, I enjoyed it. I’ve seen the hottest takes regarding the insta-love between Darling and Talon, and while I can agree that their attraction grew very quickly, I also never found myself feeling annoyed by their growing attraction. In fact, I was actually rooting for them from the beginning. I think I gripe with insta-love when it feels unfounded because there are no prior meaningful interactions to support the romantic connection (see: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna). But with Chaos & Flame, a book so heavily influenced by the nebulous concept of chaos karmic magic and fate, it felt almost excusable that they’re attracted to each other despite being sworn enemies. I also think I was rooting for them because they’re on the same page morally (i.e. they both want the war to be over with already).

Moving on, the actual plot of Chaos & Flame is quite peculiar in a good way. We follow our main characters on a “tour” of all of the territories of the Houses (Dragon, Cockatrice, Barghest, and Gryphon. Minus House Kraken, because well yknow, the war). I enjoyed being along for this journey because we learned of the customs and political affairs of each House, making the setting feel more alive and well-rounded. And while Darling is busy taking in her surroundings and Talon is focused on ensuring the convoy’s safety, Caspian grows increasingly erratic during this journey (which ties into a jaw-dropping ending!)

All and all, my thoughts on this book are simple: It’s a quick, higher-fantasy young adult book that will presumably gain depth through the untitled future sequel. If you’re in the market for a book about mythical creatures, mystical abilities, and a whole lot of political drama, Chaos & Flame is the book for you.

I was hooked from the first page with this novel- the beginning sequence is stunning & I could read it over and over again. This has the style and themes that I know a lot of people are enjoying right now and I feel certain that I will be suggesting my library pick this one up so I can recommend it to readers.

* ARC courtesy of NetGalley - thank you for the opportunity to give my honest opinion! *

Based on the description and the prologue, I was so excited to read this book! I was ready for fantasy, political intrigue, struggles and angst, epic world-building, and even a slow burn romance.

What I got fell very short, unfortunately. Each chapter switches POV from Talon and Darling, and while the writing in Talon's seemed slightly better (if only because he was a slightly more interesting character), this overall was just not super well written. Everything from the characters to the world to the story itself just felt so flat and one dimensional.. Nothing was fleshed out - the characters meet immediately and within just a few chapters start developing feelings even though they're supposed to be sworn enemies, their storylines go from point A to point B in a painfully straight line, and the world itself just feels... empty. The Houses, the war, and the history could have been SO GOOD. There's so much potential here yet it goes nowhere.

In one paragraph where Talon is being described, each sentence is "His eyes (yada yada). His hair (yada yada). His face (yada yada). His body (yada yada)." I couldn't believe this actually made it through editing like that. And the entire book is much the same. I was 90 pages in when I nearly gave up, but I forced myself to get to the end to give a fair review.

I will say the end of the book FINALLY caught my attention. I hope it means a strong set up for a better formed sequel. Also, Caspian was the most interesting part of this entire book! I loved the mystery behind his visions and the strings he was pulling behind the scenes. The balance between his madness and his witty side really drew me in to his character.

Overall, this feels more like a juvenile book versus YA. I truly hope the sequel digs deeper and fleshes out the kernels of promise found in Chaos & Flame.

Rating: Loved It, 4.5 stars

I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was phenomenal, but after a really strong prologue to start, the beginning seemed to suggest that it was going to be a bit cliche and tropey. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I think that the world is a really interesting one that sets up some good political intrigue. We have houses at war, vanishing magic, and lots of myths and legends.

We follow Talon, the scion of the reigning Dragon house, and Darling, an adopted member of the Kraken house. While I love the dual POV, they are both in first person, which I kind of hate, BUT I liked everything else so much about this book that I didn't even really mind it.

So while it had the feel of a very trope-filled read at first, I think that the pacing really evened out as the book progressed and the plot just took off. I think that the star character was Caspian, the high prince, and Talon's older brother. Talon and Darling weren't bad characters, they just weren't as well fleshed out as I'd like. I enjoyed the angst though that ran through their relationship. The enemies to lovers wasn't annoying, even if it did have that insta-love tendency that I find happens with all relationships set up like that. I enjoyed the political intrigue and the mystery that Caspian posed to both Darling and Talon.

By the end I was very drawn in and invested in the story and where everything would go. It ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I definitely am looking forward to the next book. I thought it was well-written and a really interesting world.

I highly recommend this if any of those things sound good to you. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.

I gave Chaos & Flame 5 Stars! This book is like Game of Thrones for the YA crowd. This book was so easy to get into. The world building and characters were fantastic. I loved the magic system in this book. I definitely kept thinking about this one and couldn’t wait to read more.

Chaos & Flame alternates between the POV of Darling Seabreak and Talon Goldhoard. Darling is a member of House Kracken and a sworn enemy of House Dragon. Talon is the War Prince of House Dragon who doesn’t see the point in the endless war. When Talon stops Darling from killing him, he recognizes her even though he’s never met her before. That’s because his brother has been painting portraits of Darling all his life. Talon captures Darling and brings her back home to meet his brother and try to find the reason to why he’s been painting her.

This sets into motion a series of events that leads everyone to believe that Darling is the lost heir of House Sphinx. Darling is not used to the political atmosphere of House Dragon. She’s not sure who she can trust. It also puts Talon and Darling into an enemies to lovers situation. Their houses have been enemies for so long that they find it hard to give in to their newfound feelings for each other.

This is definitely a book to add to your 2023 TBR. It has action, mystery, and romance. There’s bound to be something for everyone in this one.

I will be the first to admit that I do tend to judge a book by its cover, and this cover was what originally drew me in! Unfortunately, I don’t feel as engrossed in it as I hoped I would. It was difficult for me to get in to the book starting on the first few pages and I think that ultimately set the tone for me on how the rest of the book was going to go. Understandable that as a fantasy book, it sometimes doesn’t introduce world building immediately by building it up but rather throw you right in to it and this one did just that - threw me in to the world. I feel it was missing something for me to fully immerse in the story and the characters and was unable to truly get on board with the plot for me.

I actually got approved for this ARC after the book had already been released, so luckily I have already read the finished copy! I thought that this was okay--I've read a few books by Justina Ireland, so I knew a little bit of what to expect writing style-wise, but I've never read anything by Tessa Gratton. I wish this book had delved a bit more into...everything. The characters had some interesting backstory bits but I thought they could have really used some more depth and nuance--they felt very surface level, almost bland. The plot idea is really interesting, but the pacing was too slow for my tastes and I wish we could have gotten a bit more world-building to support both the plot and the characters. I think one of my biggest gripes with the book was the combination writing. The writing was, on average, pretty solid in this book. But, when there were weak moments they were really weak. I can only imagine how hard it is to write a book with two separate authors, though, so I can forgive that a bit.

Overall, this felt like interesting set-up for a book but I found it not really going anywhere/it needed more space to breathe and really unfurl. It was an okay read, but I wish that everything was just a bit deeper and the pacing a bit faster.

This is definitely a YA fantasy for fans of enemies to lovers, where the main couple's' idea of showing romantic intention is using their fighting styles to influence their ballroom dance moves. I was generally entertained by the story and enjoyed the politics and history that goes into the formation of this world.

Yet, as an avid fantasy reader I found the story a bit formulaic - to be expected for YA fantasy, so not a deep critique. That said, the end left enough for imagining that I look forward to catching the next installment of this series.

I'm a sucker for kingdoms at war and multiple points of view in my fantasy. It has romance, ancient magic (also known as boons),prophecies, fantasy creatures and a fantastic cliffhanger.
I really enjoyed learning about the characters and trying to figure out motives of the multiple side characters we are introduced to. I liked how Talon and Darling are fiercely loyal to those they love and care about, but also are constantly trying to do the right thing. Caspian is one of my favorite characters with his eccentric personality. He is always keeping you on your toes. I would love to get scenes from his POV in the future.
I appreciated the diversity in this book, and it's nice to see this popping up more and more in fantasy.

DNF @3%

This writing style was painful for me to read and wasn’t engaging at all. Why oh why would you call a character the “young scion”? I hated that so much. Very prophesy heavy in the beginning & it immediately turned off my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the e-arc, but I will not be finishing it.

DNF at ~ 50%

I was really excited for the novel because it seemed like it was up my alley and I’m sad to have dnf’d it at around 50%. I spent the majority of the time confused as to what was going on and trying to find at least one character to root for. Eventually I had to give and just say that this book wasn’t a good fit.