This was a fun story to listen to! I really enjoyed following along on the adventures Anahrod has to not only pull off the big heist of stealing from Neveranimus’s hoard but also overthrowing the regime of a tyrant dragon ( conveniently it also happens to be Neveranimus). It is a case of killing two birds with one stone. That sayings is particularly apt as it all boils down to being a rock that solves all the problems and reveals a great secret. This was a fun world with the dragons and those loving with them high up in the mountains, as well as those who live way down in the tropical jungle of the Deeps. It was also a nicely diverse cast of characters and I grew to love the other crew members who had joined up with Anahrod ( even if their initial meeting was a staged kidnapping of Anahrod!)

I enjoyed reading Jenn Alyson’s previous series, the Chorus of Dragons, and was very happy to get the chance to listen to the audiobook version of this tale. The narrator was good and made the story come alive. Yes, this is a standalone fantasy with a complete ending but I would not mind diving back into that world, especially to find out more about the creator of the dragons and where she came from.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for an audiobook version of this book to listen to and review!

A couple of kidnappings, a power hungry dragon, sky cities, the Deep, spells, enchantments, and a high-stakes heist will keep you turning the pages of The Sky on Fire.

Strap in for the adventure and world-building; stay for the found family and the romance.

I especially enjoyed the bonds shared between some dragons and their riders as well as Anahrod’s gift with animals.

Note: while this one is technically closed door, the actions behind that door are implied and there is graphic dirty talk in one of the scenes.

I enjoyed Lauren Fortgang’s audiobook narration. This one has a vast cast of character’s, and I enjoyed her vocal choices for them, especially her portrayal of the flirtatious banter between some of those characters. With all of the world-building involved and the level of detail in the book, I did find myself having to focus more on this audiobook and having to rewind to make sure I caught everything. The audiobook is done well, but due to the content, some parts do not lend themselves well to listening while multitasking.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Rep: queer, poly, mental health (anxiety, PTSD, grief)

I loved the heist! It was fun watching things develop for our characters and how they overcame the dangers and obstacles they faced! Superb world-building but it does just throw you in with a sink or swim attitude so be prepared for that. I also don't recommend this as an audio because of that fact - it took me a while to get used to this new world and I got confused a lot more often than I wanted to. I literally got lost in this but not in a good way.

Audiobook
This book had good potential, but it missed the mark I had set for it sadly. But still not a bad book!
A book consisting of secrets, found family and a heist with magic and dragons.

Ill Start with what I enjoyed:
I really enjoyed the action scenes, they were written and narrated so well and it was a nice pace and great explanation. This was probably my favorite part of the book.
And the narrator did a great job! She added such passion and emotion and it was easy to tell characters apart. Loved her!

Now for what I didn't enjoy:
I'll start with saying this book probably would've been a lot more enjoyable and feel more like a complete story if it was just in first person and multiple POVs. I wasn't the biggest fan of 3rd person following 1 character but then being like "...Anahrod was told it went like this..." and that wasn't even consistent either, sometimes we just got another third person POV.
Next, it might just be me, but, there felt like some plot points were weak or so little explanation that I felt like i wasn't getting the whole story. It felt like a second book in a series and a lot of the world building was already done so they didn't need to dive as deep in this one. But I love world building, I would rather a book over explain than under explain. For how long the audiobook was, I don't feel like a lot was given to me regarding the story.
And lastly, I found it hard to care about the characters, they didn't feel deep enough. Very surface level reactions and you don't hear much about them to care. What you do hear is so quickly moved on or not explained which was sad to me. You don't dive into characters or why they have these relationships or how they formed to where they don't feel as real to want to care.

Thank you NetGally and Macmillan Audio for the arc opportunity to listen to The Sky on Fire.

I was excited to read this book because it is recommended for fans of Fourth Wing, however this did not meet expectations. The only thing in common is dragons that can communicate with their riders. There is no romance or extensive world building.

The Sky on Fire is considered an adult high fantasy, but I found it lacking in its world building and adult themes when compared to other adult high fantasy books I've read. Other than its out of nowhere sexual reference randomly given 75% into the book, I'd say this is more YA. The story had a rough beginning and I wasn't connected to the story until I was already 25% in. I was tempted to DNF, but wanted to give this book a chance. Considering I prefer fast past and high adventure books, this one was a struggle because it felt slow and I wasn't connected to any characters. I cringed at a lot of the names too. Parts of the world I enjoyed were the regent dragon and how the dragons used riders as a way to curb their rampaging. It was an interesting take on the dragon rider connection and I liked how that connection was explored. I liked how the FMC, Anahrod, was an outcast and brought into a heist to steal from the regent dragon. I appreciated having the heist in the middle of the book and exploring more of what happens afterwards.

As for romance, there wasn't any. People in the world wear special rings that tell what their sexual preference/kink is. I liked that idea, but it didn't grow into anything. What little romance was given felt forced and not romantic.

Overall, I was disappointed. It wasn't exactly my kind of read, but would be perfect for readers that like more story than romance when compared to Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing.

First of all, I cannot say enough good things about how well this audiobook is done. I love the narration and the overall pacing of the story via audio. It kept me very interested and I found myself wanting to keep listening.

I love dragons, I love books that feature dragons, I especially love when dragons are main characters! The Sky of Fire features a world in which Dragons rule and humans are inferior and exist essentially to stop the dragons from succumbing to their magic. I loved the dynamic and twist of dragons being in control of their rider and humans in general. The FMC, Anahrod, is tough and smart but is dealing with some intense trauma. Her ability to communicate with animals is incredible and was one of my favorite parts of her story.

Besides the dragons, I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It is rare that I have to re-listen to parts of books because I really need to absorb the dynamics of the world but it happened to me a few times during this book (which I love!). The imagery is so well done (especially the bog and crystal spire). There is a large cast of characters in this book and I found the development of the characters perfect. There are betrayals and surprises that come from all the characters. The FMC was my favorite character and I found her quirks and attitude believable and relatable. Also, the banter between characters was top notch and there is definitely a found family aspect.

The only thing I did not really enjoy was at times the book felt like there was too much going on. Between the dragons, the cast of characters, and the heist, some parts of the book did not flow as well as they could have. Overall a great listen though!

Thank you to MacMillian Audio, Tor, and Netgalley for this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
4⭐️ Narrator

First of all I want to say that the cover art of this book is absolutely amazing. I’m definitely going to be buying a hardcover just so I can look at it on my bookshelf.

I would classify this book as a fantasy romance but with much more emphasis on the fantasy than the romance. The romance is definitely there, but it’s a subplot rather than the main focus of the story. That being said, I love the romance that is there and both of the love interests. Also love the bisexual representation.

The world building is really well done. The magic system is super interesting as is the world in general. You get to see different parts of the world, different governments, and different races all of which are unique and well written.

All of the side characters are really well fleshed out and interesting, especially the dragons. I liked that the main villain was a dragon and not a human which I felt was unique in the genre. The human characters are all believably flawed and there’s some really good twists and betrayals.

The narrator is great! Her male voices are believable and the dragon voices are spot on. The sound quality is good and consistent.

Overall I loved the book and would read more from the author in the future. The book was well done as a standalone while still leaving room at the end for more books in the same world and I hope there will be more!

What a fun book! I had a blast reading this! Everything from politics to heists, add in some awesome dragons. So great!

I do think that this book was more fun than anything. No real deep dives into characters or twisty plots. Just great entertainment!

DNF at 32% of Audiobook.

I liked some of the ideas behind this, but I just didn’t care about any of the characters enough to be invested in their story. They felt a bit like characters who just slotted into a trope. A bit too surface for me to invest into, even at 30% of the book.
The garden rings that tell you someone’s romantic status and class idea was really cool, but from what I gathered so far it doesn’t actually play an integral role in the plot at all. Just a little plot device to hang the romantic tension on.

A motley group of weirdos on a heist mission to steal back a dragon’s hoard. I’ve seen it before I guess. However, the beginning of this book was a banger! to give credit where it is due.

This had a lot of elements I look for in a fantasy, engaging world building and fun characters to follow - I was hooked from the opening chapter!

We are introduced to a societal hierarchy world where dragons are all but gods, ruling the Skylands and humans alike. Anahrod has been in hiding for seventeen years. Executed for betrayal and presumed dead, only to be found in the jungles of the Deep by a rag tag team of characters wanting to steal a dragon’s horde.

Heists and dragons, this was a fun and chill fantasy, I really liked Anahrod and all the various characters we meet like Ris, Claw, and Sicaryon - they had an entertaining camaraderie throughout. The world building aspects had me eating up the story, everything flowed effortlessly from the magical system to the fluidity of relationships and sexuality. It was very refreshing in that regard. While this isn’t a full blown romance, I think it worked very well within the story and I made an emotional connection to these characters and their battles.

Slow burning to a larger climax towards the end felt a little rushed but I still enjoyed the ride! Performed by my favorite narrator Lauren Fortgang, the voice changes she achieves are always top tier, from the feminine characters to the gruff and rumbling dragons, playing out the story like a movie in my head, amazing! 4.5⭐️

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the listening copy to review.

This high fantasy adventure (can be a standalone) takes readers to a world where dragons are in charge. There is intense world building - the audiobook saved me. Every name is complicated. The characters move quickly from location to location (dragons will do that). I’m not a strong phonetic reader for new vocabulary. I’m not sure I would have been able to follow the story eyeball reading for this one. Lauren Fortgang was brilliant thought their performance.

Anahrod is a big mystery throughout this book. She assembles a quirky, diverse group to aid her in completing the most risky heist anyone in their land has ever dared to attempt. This character cast is so fun with a darling crass sense of humor providing loads of great banter. I wouldn’t call this book spicy - there is some kissing and closed door situations - but it does deliver a queer slow burn romance (not a primary plot driver) that evolves into a polyamorous relationship.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenn Lyons, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook ARC.

Thank you @torbooks @macmillan.audio #partner #macaudio2024 for the gifted copies of this book!

Calling all Dragon lovers! This is a heist book mixed with dragons ruling the world! Yes please. 😅 The group of characters in this book were fun to follow. They are strong willed, can communicate with animals (what?!), unique in their own way, daring and bold! I have to admit I did grab this one as it said it was for the likes of Fourth Wing lovers (that’s me! 🙋‍♀️) but I don’t know that I would actually put it quite in that category. It was more of a slow burn for me but still a satisfying read. This book has a great mix of eccentric and nonconformist characters, romance, a heist, a vivid world perfectly built and dragons. 🐉 This was a first for me by this author and I would most certainly grab more by her! The audio was done well and really made me feel immersed into this adventure.

I had to DNF this audiobook about 20% in. While I do see there being a lot of potential with the story line and I enjoyed the narration, I couldn’t stay focused on the story. This ended up being a little too high fantasy for what I’m used to and I was having a hard time connecting with the characters. I was personally thrown off by how unique the names were and found it hard to remember all the different characters being introduced and the world that was being built. The start of the story just seemed very rushed and not very organized. I do believe this could be a great book, but it was not something that piqued my interest while reading.

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons is a fu, standalone fantasy novel expertly narrated by Lauren Fortgang. This book had dragonriders, found family, and romance. I loved the diverse cast of characters, including a queer romance and a polyamorous relationship. Anahrod was a great main character, and the misfits added so much to the story. This took me quite awhile to get into just because there was an immense amount of worldbuilding. Lyons' writing flowed and I the banter was great.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I found it a fun read. I've read a lot of dragonrider stories in my life, and most of the time they can be placed in one of two categories: 1) dragons are just animals, like horses but cooler, or 2) dragons are people and form a close, amiable partnership with their human riders. So I found it super interesting that Lyons did something different here. The dragons are clearly the ones in charge in The Sky On Fire; and I mean that in every sense. While being a dragonrider at first appears to be an honorable profession, it becomes clear over the course of the book that they are their dragons' puppets. The dragons can literally take over their rider's body, acting and speaking through them. Many of them are not kind about how their use their humans, either. Generations of manipulation are hinted at, through some discussions or passing comments about the religion of the world. It's different from any other book I've read with the dragonrider trope.

The rest of the worldbuilding is pretty elaborate. The setting was fully developed, and it truly felt like a world as the narrative moves you through it. I liked the division of the higher altitudes and the Deeps, the differences in the environments of each and the way those reflect on the human societies established in them. While the magic isn't completely explained, I felt that we were given enough to understand how it fit in to the world and to the plot. The inclusion of LGBTQIA+ (most prominently transgenderism and bisexuality) in the worldbuilding was easy and unquestioned; none of those characters had to fight for their inclusion or identity. It is nice when readers get to have representation without having to rehash their struggles even in escapist fiction.

The characters were all interesting, though I have to admit my favorite was Sicaryon. The sort of bandit-king, unorthodox-yet-good-leader type character frequently is a favorite for me, so it was no surprise. I appreciated that Anahrod's relationship with him wasn't just antagonistic, as it might have seemed it would be at the beginning. I also liked Anahrod, she sort of came across as a disengaged, uncaring stoic at first but it quickly became clear that she cares way more than she really should, for her own good. Once she realizes what drives each of her companions and how she can sympathize with their motivations, she becomes determined to help them. Once she learns of an injustice, she becomes determined to correct it. I like good-hearted characters, sue me.

Overall, I think The Sky On Fire was a good read. An easy recommendation for anyone who likes dragons in their books.

Dragons, Heists, and Queer Romance? I’m in!

This book went beyond my expectations. I agree with some people that it does drag a bit at times but I think the Narrator did a great job of bringing your attention back to the story.

I thought the world building was really cool and the story had a really strong opening, I loved the Queer representation and the idea behind the identifying rings, just something cool I haven’t seen in a story before!

The characters were lovable and easy to care for, and I thought that everything seemed genuine and I even teared up at a few parts!

The romance was UGH *chefs kiss* for me. I loved the build up of and the actual scenes of flirtation between the two FMC’s, there was great sexual tension and this book is definitely something that would have made my gay little heart race when I was younger. I also loved that there wasn’t a ton of spice, I’m not really a spice girly so the tension and then fade to black moments were perfect!

All in all I really enjoyed the book and would recommend to a friend!

Thank you to the Author Jenn Lyons and the Narrator Lauren Fortgang for sharing your hard work with us!

Huge Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my free Audiobook copy of “The Sky on Fire”.

I received this advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a BEAST of a book, and I enjoyed so, so much of it.

I will preface everything with: I went into this with zero knowledge except dragons and that Lauren Fortgang was narrating it (and she is my FAVE narrator). She did wonderfully, and the story was a blast. However, it was definitely a complex enough plot/world that I’m positive I missed important bits by having the audiobook alone. I definitely recommend it, but I’d I could to it over if get the physical book as well and use the audio as a companion.

Anyway, this is a heist story with dragons, a queer normative world, lots of high fantasy details, magic, animal companions (dragons and otherwise), and a cast of misfits that become a found family. It’s, in short, everything I ever want in a story. It had humor and action, romance and familial love. It had some of the most unique world building details I’ve ever seen (especially the ring system for how people represent their identities, preferences and interests. I LOVED that so much). The plot is fast paced but not so much so that the story has no time to simmer, or the characters don’t have chances to develop. I just so, so enjoyed it.

Really the only reason I’ve given it 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the things I think I missed. It wasn’t because the audiobook lost my attention, but just that there was a lot of ground to cover and details to process for an audiobook on its own. I seriously consider picking up a physical copy and rereading it before the sequel, but this also reads really beautifully as a standalone if you want to see it as one!

Thank you so very much to Tor and NetGalley for this audiobook arc. I’m excited to pick up this authors other works now!

This was an action packed read with highly nuanced characters and an intricate plot. That said, the characters often were hard to really appreciate and the book moved at the constant pace of Michael Bay movie. It felt like a book that could use a good edit to trim down a lot of sections to find room to breathe.

15 years ago, Anahrod was framed and executed for a crime against the dragons. But she somehow survived the fall from atop a skyship and has remained hidden in the deep jungle since that time. It is a dangerous life and it is only through the unexpected help of a band of adventurers that she is saved from a rampaging monster one particular day. In joining them, she might just have found a group she can live with - if it turns out they are all they say they are and the dragon queen hadn't figured out she is still alive.

First - the elephant in the room is how this compares to the wildly popular Fourth Wing series. In some ways it is similar: with interesting dragon characters and a complicated rider-dragon relationship. But the romance that drew so many to that series isn't here, though certainly Anahrod is just as snarky and capable a lead. Unfortunately for this book, we don't really get to meet the dragons until nearly 50% through a very long book. So it does take a long time to get to the point most people are reading the book to find.

The characters are highly nuanced and very adult - not overidealized teens. Anahrod is in her 30s and only one member of the band of adventurers is young at 15. The romance here is very underplayed and really Anahrod is torn between a man she has known for a long time and a very sassy female dragon rider. We're not really given a reason for the intense attraction to the two, other than that they are very hot, so it was hard to appreciate or get into the relationships. There are some kinky BDSM undertones but nothing too overt or explicit (more implied).

The action is nonstop. It was hard to get bored with the book, even with the disconnect in really understanding or feeling for the characters. I can't say I ever really rooted for Anahrod and since she identifies as a troll, I had a hard time getting Shrek/Fiona out of my mind (thereby making the series feel somewhat cartoony). But by the end I did fall for most of the characters, including the side characters, and really enjoyed the read. They were all very distinct, including the dragons.

The one thing I can say is that it rewards the longer you stick with it. There are a lot of great reveals and nothing was telegraphed. I wasn't impressed by the beginning but it all pulled together nicely by the middle point, when we finally got to the dragons.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a solid job with all the characters. Honestly, because there were so many different characters, the audio version made it easier to distinguish them since the narrator gave them all unique voices. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This was my first Jenn Lyons book. I had a bit of a hard time connecting to the characters in this book. The narrator did a great job, and I did enjoy listening to the book. There was a ton of world building which seemed to have me lost from time to time.
3 star thank you to the publisher for the ALC

The Sky on Fire was my introduction to Jenn Lyons! I really liked the idea of this book- the world building was really interesting and I liked the political machinations/dragon lore. However, I thought it was a little bogged down and slow paced. There were so many characters introduced so early on, it felt a little hard to keep track of everyone. I love a heist and once we got there, the heist was really good…but it took so long to get there that I felt kind of bored throughout the middle. This was good but I did find it a bit lacking, unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.