The Sky on Fire is an epic fantasy featuring dragons and high stakes heists. Given that this is an epic/high fantasy novel, the pacing is on the slower side to start due to sheer amount of world building. Lyons did a masterful job creating an imaginative and unique world system both above and below. I especially loved the ring system used to designate individual preferences. I also loved Lyons magic system and unique powers the different dragons possessed. Once the world was established, the pace picked up quite a bit and kept my interest. I loved all of the elements of the heist from the planning to execution to pivoting for unexpected outcomes. There were also plenty of plot twists, world changing revelations, and betrayals to keep my interest. In terms of tropes, I love the found family trope which was well done from unlikely allies to family. The enemies to lovers trope was also well executed. I combo read this between the eBook, physical book, and audiobook. I especially enjoyed the audiobook narration by Lauren Fortgang. I’ve found Fortgang does well with fantasy audiobooks and this was no different. She does so well at exemplifying the anxiety and tension that comes with high stakes novels. I would highly recommend the audiobook for Sky on Fire.

First, I have to say this cover is so beautiful and the narrator did a wonderful job.
The main group of characters have great chemistry and played well off each other. I think this is the first dragon rider book I’ve encountered where the relationships between dragon and rider aren’t always that of love and friendship which was very interesting. Also, the garden rings were a very cool concept. I will say the start of the story was very quick moving and I felt like I was really missing something important for a while, but it all came together.

I really liked the idea but the execution felt rushed which caused me not to care for any of the characters like I typically would. I’ll also admit that the talking dragons had a really negative effect on my experience, and maybe I’m not the intended audience because of that.

The Sky on Fire is one of those books that has a good concept and some other good elements, but it just fell flat. I was able to receive a ALC and it seemed as though it never ended. Somehow, there was always more and more.... and more to listen.

In my opinion there are several reasons why this book just wasn't for me. (1) The writing and pacing was inconsistent; some points fast, other points slow and redundant. Part one of the book just seemed wildly long for no reason! And the high action portion (last part) seemed to be rushed and so confusing. It's as if I missed what happened to certain characters in the heat of the moment and there's a lack of explanation as to what was the truth. (2) The spicy bits? Yikes. There is one scene where the FMC is verbally trying to seduce someone and it just seems so out of context. It seemed that someone was like "I have this idea for a scene," threw an arrow at the dart board, and decided that's where it should go. (3) I would have enjoyed a little more explanation of these rings that everyone wears. Which I believe the rings explain to others sexuality, field of work, and possibly other things. (4) There were so many characters all at once. So many. My head hurt trying to keep up with who was who. I mean, I guess that's what you get for fantasy. (5) I'm not sure if this is slated to be a standalone, but it definitely did not end in that way. Is anyone else tired of cliff hangers? It had the potential of being a one and done, but nope, had to throw in that little bit of a loop hole.

What I did like: I did like the concept of how dragons were trying to control things and used humans to their advantage, versus the usual fantasy books that dragons were either fearsome and didn't cooperate with humans or how everything is lovely between creature and humans. Oh, I did enjoy the narrator, who did a great job with all the different characters and giving them a unique voice of their own.

For those who read a lot of fantasy/romantansy, The Sky on Fire is like Fourth Wing and Priory of the Orange Tree, spice level somewhere in between the two. At the end of the day, I don't think I will be reading the sequential books if there are any to come. It's two stars for me, folks.

Thankful to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio/Macmillian for allowing this ALC to enjoy.

I will be posting this review to Instagram, Goodreads and Storygraph.

Thank you to Tor Books, Mcmillain Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
In a world ruled by dragons, humans are of no consequence. Anahrod has lived her life far away from her home and prefers to stay hidden given the circumstances of her departure. When a band of misfits saves her and asks that she help them steal a dragon's hoard, she's thrown back into the world she has been hiding from for years. But it's no secret those from her home think she is dead after being banished for crimes she didn't commit. One dragon wants to see her dead and it's up to her and her found family to ensure the cloud cities are saved from destruction by a rouge dragon who wants it all.
It's so hard for me to review fantasy books without spoilers. But I'm going to try my best not to give too much away. One thing I will say, I rarely if ever see fantasy books that are stand alone. For the author to take on such a task is substantial and I give her major props for doing it. Because of this, the story is broken into many different parts, almost as if you are starting new books with each part. However, there is the allusion that the story doesn't quite end, especially with the epilogue she provides. I'd love to see her spin more of this and see where it goes.
First I want to say that I absolutely love Lauren Fortgang as the narrator for this story. Her voice is the perfect cadence for fantasy. The way she portrays each character with depth, the way she is able to show their differentiation with just the slightest adjustment to her tone, makes the story so much more enjoyable than any other narrator could have.
The world Lyons builds in this story is very unique. I saw dragons and knew I needed to see what it was about. Think Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing meets Six of Crows with just a bit of Ninth House thrown in. But unlike Fourth Wing, the bond between dragon and rider in this story is different. The dragons hold much more power, with the riders almost being somewhat of a slaves to them. And still, teens enter the academic school that will train them to take on this task. I would have liked to see a bit more of the academia in this book, but I also understand it was not at all about the school as much as the politics of the dragons versus the people. I loved the dichotomy she builds with the Skylanders (the rich) versus the Deep (the poor). And the way she describes these places had an almost Avatar like quality. Cities floating in the clouds and places deep in the ungle. As I read along, my mind just kept flashing back to the movie and how the world looked. Lyons weaves magic and powers into the story seamlessly. Dragons have magic to breath poison or fire, teleport to other places, and a slew of other powers. And the humans also possess powers which are referred to as blessings.
Underlying the magic and world building is a heist which has the characters always hiding, always running, always trying to find ways out of sticky situations. It made for an action packed story.
I think my most favorite thing about this story was the diverse cast of characters Lyons builds. Given I listened to this it was harder for me to know exactly what the names looked like: Aanhrod, Sicaryon, Gwyndion, Claw, Ris: names I could not have understood how to spell (thankful for my fellow reviewers who had Kindle or print copies to help me out!). The characters are very relatable and easy to understand. Some are brash, some are quirky, but all are well developed and distinct and on top of that they feel real. There is a lot of banter, many laugh out loud moments, and many tender moments during the story. The characters all have different motives and skill sets but ultimately these differences prove essential to the bonds they form and to the dynamic we see amongst them. Lyons addresses gender differences and sexual preferences with depth and a wide berth of understanding. I loved her twist on transgender and also how none of the characters are surprised by relationships no matter who they are between making it a queer-norm story. Her system of rings denoted gender and other preferences was really genius and made the LBGTQ+ inclusion easy and so much more meaningful for the reader. And I enjoyed the poly relationship, though I don't usually love those. Lyons did a good job not making me want to smack all involved. And, while the romance is there, it certainly is not the main plot.
While the world building is complex, the story is not. Though there is much intrigue and politics involved in the world, the main idea of taking back their world from rogue dragons is easy to understand.
Overall Lyons created a fun, fast, original, and entertaining story with a unique world and a wonderfully varied cast of characters that completely held my attention from beginning to end. I really enjoyed being part of it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Jenn Lyons, and NetGalley for giving me an arc of the audiobook for The Sky on Fire in exchange for my honest review.

This book is everything and more. The Sky on Fire follows Anahrod, who's only goal is to survive. While trying to escape a local war lord Sicaryon, Anahrod is rescued by an adventuring party. Just when she thinks she is safe, her rescuers kidnap her, wanting her to help them rob a dragon. From there Anahrod is thrown into this heist that she thinks will end in disaster, not that she has any choice in the matter. From the start it is clear that The Sky on Fire is very plot driven. For those like me who love character development, there is some, but it is not the focal point of the story. However, if you listen to this book on audiobook, the fact that the book is plot driven does not matter as much. The narrator does an amazing job at bringing the story to life, and making it feel as though you are watching a movie; the narrator brings the book to life.

Usually when I listen to an audiobook, it takes me about a month to get through, however the Sky of Fire only took me two weeks. From the beginning the story is engaging and readers (or listeners in this case) are sucked into the plot. The world building is outstanding, and I can very much picture what the world looks like in my head, something that it difficult to accomplish. While this story is a standalone, it does leave a lot of room for more stories told in this world, following other characters. I would love to know more about the deepers, and how the aftermath of this book plays out from the perspective of someone who was not involved in the heist. I cannot say enough good things about this book (and audiobook). 10 out of 10 would recommend.

This audiobook sucked me in from the very beginning. I love the narrator and adore the storyline. The characters were so vibrant in my mind, and all felt three dimensional and didn't fall flat like many characters can. Definitely recommend.

This was my first Jenn Lyons book, and I was not disappointed. I had heard wonderful things about her stories and worldbuilding, and dragons, and found them to be entirely true, despite this being a very different story than the ones she’s told before.

Anahrod just wants to be left alone. She’s content in the Deep with her titan drake for company, and she doesn’t need local warlords or dragon riders coming down and dragging her into their shenanigans, thank you very much.
But her past is finally catching up to her, and she’s not going to be able to go back to anonymity after this. Because the people who’ve found her have a plan, and they need Anahrod to help them commit the biggest heist anyone has ever imagined.

The plot of The Sky on Fire was twisty and turny and kept me wanting more. It evolved drastically as the story developed, and I loved all the little tidbits of information that were dropped for Anahrod (and me) to work out along the way.
I found the characters felt well rounded and their relationships were complex in the best way. Everything felt very believable - I mean maybe not the dragons, but a girl can dream - and I was swept into the world very quickly.
While the world was high fantasy and therefore completely different from our own, I didn’t find the rules and traditions hard to follow. I particularly loved the casual inclusion of ‘late blooming’ for transgender characters, and how this was clearly a happily accepted part of the world and culture.

While there were romance subplots within the book, they were definitely subplots. I would consider this a fantasy containing romance rather than a romantasy.

The audiobook narrator absolutely added to the story for me. Her narration was fantastic and really helped to drag me in and keep me engrossed.

Overall, The Sky on Fire was a fast paced high fantasy heist, and I would highly recommend it for fans of dragons, and fantasy in general.

DNF @ 15%

Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for this, but I found it really slow. Also, a lot of characters and names are thrown at you in the beginning which made it hard to get into the story.

DNFing the ARC at 63%.

I went in pretty blind, but knew there were dragons so I was like hell yeah.

First, what I did like: the casual queer representation, the biomes described during the characters’ travel, and the idea of a plot containing a heist and dragons.

What I did not like: almost everything else. The plot speeds off immediately, so fast that you blink and think “wait how did we get here?????” It continues on this way, and you quickly shuffle through different settings over and over with no chance to ever get acclimated to a location. The same goes for relationships. The main character gets flirted with once and afterwards she can’t stop thinking about kissing the woman and having a serious relationship with her. There’s also an ex boyfriend that you’re just supposed to feel the chemistry for by reminding yourself they used to date.

The “rings to show everyone your relationship status/sexual preferences” system made me roll my eyes every time it was brought up, and it’s brought up A LOT. All I could think of is the jelly bracelets all the local news stations thought signified willingness to do certain sex acts. Instead of being nonsense, this book has an entire culture based on them.

This book may work for someone, but not me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh my dragons! I really wish this wasn’t a standalone novel because I want to see more of this world. I want to know what happens next and to see more of the dragons and how their hierarchy works. It’s such a lushly described world with so many interesting things happening in it.

The society is built around humanity preventing dragons from going on rampages due to their own magic, by bonding with humans to share this magical burden. I really enjoyed this concept and the implications of what this means for humanity. I also love that there aren’t just dragons in this world but there were also wyrms and drakes!

And then the characters were all so fun and interesting! I love the complicated relationship between Anahrod and Sicaryon, as well as the bond that develops with Ris too. And all of the side characters have their quirks and create a fun group full of banter and interesting dynamics.

And the audio?! Oof. So good. I got lost in this world listening to the audio and thank the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, for transporting me there.

THE SKY ON FIRE is a book I generally enjoyed as I was reading it, because it's very plot focused, with constant action and scheming and moving forward with the story. After I finished though, there wasn't really anything that stood out from me other than a fast-paced plot. The characters are shallowly developed at best, with just the barest notion of what motivates them, and the setting is largely unexplored other than dragons and favorited humans up high, trash humans down low (geographically). I would love to have known more about the dragon society, how they determine hierarchy, how they fundamentally differ from humans, but all I really know about them is that they look down on humans and rule the world (and even the "ruling the world" isn't very clear, what are their motivations, why do they do anything they do??).

It does seem like the author tried to flesh out the human society with the concept of rings indicating gender presentation (yet only offering feminine and masculine options, nothing non binary unless I overlooked it) and sexual preferences, but this felt a bit tacked on, like it was mainly there to show that yes, there are queer and trans characters, and facilitate some very awkward sex dialogue.

I enjoyed the narrator; she handled the range of characters voices well and was able to show the character emotions without overacting. I generally find it helpful to have narrators for high fantasy novels with weird name spellings as well, so that I don't have to guess that "Jaymeh" is pronounced "Jamie".

Definitely liked the writing and the setting a ton! Also the narration was excellent. But the story left me wanting more. I've been reading big, sprawling epic fantasy and sci fi lately, and I think I had the wrong expectations going in. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

First of all, I think the narrator did a really great job. Her voice, tone, tempo, and accents were very well done. Fantasy has some challenging names and places and it can be challenging to switch between the characters. The narrator did this seamlessly. I listened between 1.75x and 2x and that was great.

As for the book itself - I think it has a lot of potential, and maybe should have been broken down into at least a duology. There are a lot of nuances to the world and I think some of the detail was pushed aside to make room for more action. As a consequence, I found myself forgetting who the characters were and what their roles/relationships were. There are a lot of people to keep track of (on audio this becomes especially challenging).

I love the fact that the dragons hold the power over the riders. For me this was a very unique take on dragons and riders in the fantasy world. There is of course a bond between the dragons and the riders, but this book introduced some new concepts about the relationship and power dynamic.

There is basically a band of ....friends? allies maybe? who are working toward a common goal. It wanted to be found family, but without a lot of background on each character it was a little bit of a miss for me.

There are some hints at romantic themes, some queer love, but no true romance (which is fine - but don't go in expecting it).

I would definitely read more by this author - especially if it is a series. I think with a little slower world building and character development, I would really enjoy her books. It is definitely challenging to stuff world building, romance, action, and a unique plot into one book in the fantasy world.

4.75/5 stars

Wow, wow, wow! I loved this book and was longing for an epic fantasy with dragons. Lyons' world-building is top-notch, and even with numerous places and large map, I could still picture every location with an accuracy that positively added to my read. I enjoyed the history-building, jumping between the past and present to help the reader understand the plot more deeply. I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the banter between them as they came together. The lore behind the dragons was interesting, pointing at a theme that stories can morph more than fiction as they're cemented into lore. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job at differentiating such a large cast of characters and made this read thoroughly enjoyable in the listening form. My only challenge with this book was the pacing - it was a tad slow to begin with then REALLY ramped up toward the end. However, it did allow for time regarding character growth and a good background explanation before jumping into the meat of the story. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jen Lyons for allowing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars! This. was. phenomenal. Top to bottom, this book drew me in with incredible characters and lush worldbuilding, which is always my favourite combination. There is nothing like reading an actually satisfying, concise story that is well thought out and executed well by the author as well. I read this in tandem with the ebook, and it was the best experience i've had reading a book lately.
The audiobook itself was really well done. The narrator was incredibly engaging and I absolutely loved their performance bringing this world and characters to life. I often have many opinions about the way audiobooks are narrated, but this one was perfectly done.
I really enjoyed the way this unfurled bit by bit as a (mostly) single POV story told from Anahrod's perspective, but occasionally peppered in with important folks to the storyline to give the other angles that were needed to carry the story forward if Anah was stuck somewhere or doing something. From the moment we arrive in the Deep to the Leviathan farming up in the skies, every ounce of this world is well drawn and beautifully executed - and the characters that play within it are some of my favourites of 2024. I loved how immediately we are introduced to their individual quirks and personalities, and the way they all shine off the page was exceptional. ALSO - It was SO FANTASTICALLY QUEER! I loved loved loved this. Bring on more sapphics with dragons!!!!

I really hope Jenn Lyons writes more in this world, because this was truly a treat.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced reader's audiobook. This was a super fun fantasy book for those who are jonesing for some dragons while waiting for the next Iron Flame book to be released. There are dragon riders, dragon-bonding, dragon school, magic, power hungry dragon, rider trying to steal a dragon's horde so expect LOTS of dragon fighting, a little bit of everything. Fast paced and lots of details.

All it all, I really enjoyed it and will definitely need to read it again to grasp the world building.

This book was just plain fun. Loved the heist. Loved the magic system. Loved the dragons.

The book does toss you into the world-building without much explanation. It felt a lot like stepping into a completely different culture and having to sink or swim. I kind of dog paddled, ha ha. The names are complex, so I recommend nabbing a print copy or ebook if you’re listening to the audiobook like I did. It was hard for me to keep everyone distinct without that.

I also thought that characters wearing rings to state their sexual preferences was an interesting choice, and one I haven’t seen before.

Per most dragon books, the dragons were my favorite part of this story. I loved their complex history and relationships with humans. I also really loved that this book was a standalone!

Epic fantasy standalone, that has dragons and is under 500 pages? Say less! We need more of these. This was an interesting story with found family. I highly enjoyed. The authors previous series has been on my TBR for a long time. I absolutely have moved it up now.

This book is so fast paced and unexpectedly good. It’s hard to write more than what the synopsis reveals without spoiling anything but I will speak volumes on this one.