3.5 STARSSSS
This book was a fun ride! Whisking you away on the first page to a world of dragons, I was surprised at how quickly the book grew on me.
With the representation (of both LGBTQA+ communities and disability communities), this book felt very "real" even though it is a fantasy realm. LOVE the queer-norm world. and the idea of the garden circles to pronouns?? Unique and absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed feeling a connection to each of the characters in their own little way. Anahrod is a wee bit chaotic, which was absolutely perfectly written and definitely more relatable than I care to admit haha!

I thought the narrator did a beautiful job at portraying all the emotions, as well as jumping between the many characters with ease. Although I had already read the eARC, I felt like I actually understood and took away more with the audiobook, due to the portrayal of the emotions and dialogue between the many descriptions. There's a lot of world building in this one, and I think the way Lauren Fortgang uses her flection of her voice sucks you right into this magical adventure.
Sicaryon, Peralon, Claw, and Gwyndion were each memorable, although I wish we had spent more time with all of the characters, At some points in the book, it felt a little rushed and I think that the book could be a little longer to allow for more fleshed out back stories into the characters, and more room to dive into the magic world. Some of it is a little 'bizarre' but it's also so nice to read a unique world with unique magic system and the relationships between all the characters and dragons! Between the sorcery, characters having ability to talk to animals, and all the different magical and nature affinities, it would have been nice to dive even deeper into all of the magics. I think the characters could have been developed a little bit more and that would help with the connections from the audience to the characters, but also between each character in the world.

Thank you again to NetGalley and TOR for the early copy! Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!!

The cover immediately captured my attention, and when I saw who the narrator was, I immediately signed up! I absolutely love Lauren Fortgang as a narrator. Her tones and inflections are spot on, and I know I will always enjoy Lauren's voice.

I absolutely loved the world-building. It was incredible. I loved how rings played a roll in this book and how it tells everyone your house and status—truly genius and unique. Anahrod is a total badass. I really enjoyed her character, as well as Ris and Sicaryon.

There were many other characters in the book, and I'll be honest, I ended up forgetting many of them. I couldn't keep track of them, and some were, sadly, unforgettable. But the narrator kept me engaged, and the world-building kept me hooked. I was also invested in the heist.

A very special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

Dragonriders, a band of misfits, a heist, political intrigue, and romance. A fun, twisty time with a diverse cast of characters. I appreciated the high to low world the author created (the Deep jungles to the cloud cities). While I was interested in the plot, I didn’t feel connected to the characters or the romance, making for an uneven read. Still a fun time, 3.5, rounded up.

DNF 3%

I loved Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series and was very excited that she had a new standalone coming out, but for whatever reason this is not pulling me in or making me want to read. The opening world building is intriguing, and maybe I’ll give this another chance, but for now I’m not getting hooked enough to be invested.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Sky on Fire is the first book in a new series by Jenn Lyons, author of the Chorus of Dragons series. I loved that series. It was crazy and often confusing, but I loved the ride. I was hoping for a repeat with The Sky on Fire. I love heist novels, as well, so it seemed right up my alley.

Unfortunately this book didn’t end up being the hit I was hoping for. It was definitely confusing at times, which I expect with Jenn Lyons, and it is clear there is a lot more about the world to be revealed in future books. The heist was fun and the end actually had me interested in picking up the sequel when it comes out. The beginning, though, was not great. The insta-love between Anahrod and Ris was really jarring. I felt like I kept being told things without any real understanding of how it was happening or why I should care. However, I feel like after the heist’s crew was fully formed and it started that the story was flowing better and it actually engaged me.

Overall, I will give it a 3.25 stars. I may hold off and see what the sequel reviews look like before picking it up, but I hope it takes the momentum from the end of this book and carries it on.

The audiobook narrator did a good job. I greatly enjoyed immersion reading this story.

This book seemed like everything I wanted in a fantasy book, but for some reason I had a very time connecting to the characters. The cast of characters is very diverse and the pacing of the story is very well done, I just couldn't get immersed enough to care about the characters. I don't think that is the author's fault, just rather my own. Overall I do think the book was very good and narrator for the audiobook was great!

From the acclaimed author of the Chorus of Dragons series, this propulsive new standalone fantasy is Dragonriders of Pern for a modern audience.

Enter a world ruled by dragons…

Anahrod lives only for survival, preferring to thrive in the jungles of the Deep with the titan drake she keeps by her side. When an adventuring party saves her from capture by the local warlord, Sicaryon, she is eager to return to her solitary life, but this is no ordinary rescue. Anahrod's past has caught up with her. And these cunning misfits intend to spirit her away to the cloud cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon’s hoard.

There’s only one in the cloud cities, dragons rule, and the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas―and she wants Anahrod dead.

Fans of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and Rebecca Yarros's The Fourth Wing will enjoy this page-turning adventure with conniving dragons, high-stakes intrigue, a daring heist, and a little bit of heat.

While I actually did not enjoy her previous series, this standalone was miles ahead of what shes written in the past. There are not enough fantasy standalones out there and this is forsure one of the best that I've read. Anyone who likes dragon rider fantasy should pick this up!

A world ruled by dragons? Yes, please! That sounds wonderful, and in many ways it was. The dragons were awesome! I loved the dragon lore in this book. It wasn't all just your typical fire-breathing beasts hoarding valuable treasure stuff, and I found the diversity of the dragons to be interesting and refreshing. The way that they interacted with their human riders and the purpose for those riders was also intriguing. So, the dragons, great. I couldn't have asked for more.

The human characters were also quirky and fun. Anahrod, our main protagonist, was complex and well-developed. I would have liked more of her backstory as we get some really interesting tidbits along the way that could totally be expanded on in the future if the author chooses. The other characters were ecclectic and diverse and I appreciated the great dynamics between the cast.

The plot was fast-enough moving to hold my attention throughout, and as this is, at least currently, a stand alone, it gave me enough information to make the action seem believable while still wrapping things up nicely at the end. I think that's quite a feat for a book set in a high fantasy world. If you like dragons, heists, revenge schemes, betrayal, etc; this book has all that.

The part that kept this book from being great was the romance. First of all, I unfortunately didn't find it very believable. It was fast, without a lot of build up, and the steaminess, of which there was admittedly only a little, went in a direction that I did not enjoy.

Overall, I recommend this book to adult fantasy fans who like a well-crafted stand alone. Just be aware that, if you're anything like me, there are a few pages that you're going to want to skip.

I was very excited for this book. Dragon overlords, a heist, a group of misfits... It's got everything! And the narrator for the audiobook version did a great job.
It starts really strongly with a fantastic prologue, a diverse cast of characters, a good pacing and some kinky undertones.
The story in itself is satisfying and well crafted, but unfortunately I couldn't connect to any of the characters and so I didn't care enough about them to feel fully immersed in the story.
It was a good book, but something was missing for me.

Thank you Macmillan audio for giving me early access to this audiobook

Okay I loved the world in this book! First of all, it's a world where dragons aren't just human pets, they have immense power and actually exploit humans. It just felt so realistic to what dragons would most likely do if they had that power (rather than just existing to serve human purposes). I loved how morally grey the dragons were. That was a major plus of the world. Second of all, I loved how queernormative the world was! It was so fun to see trans and poly characters accepted as a natural part of the world. I will say I felt like the story took a bit to get started. For a heist novel there was a lot of deliberating and very little action for the first half of the story. Once it got going (and once I switched to audio) I had a much better time. The audio really helped me feel more connected to the characters and feel the tension more which I greatly appreciated. I definitely recommend reading this book that way.

"The Sky on Fire" is a standalone fantasy centering a heist to steal from the most powerful dragons hoard. The story follows Anarod, a woman who had previously been framed for a crime she did not commit and left for dead at the bottom of a chasm. Years later, Anarod is kidnapped from her new life to help a crew with a new heist.

Unfortunately, this book just did not seem to work for me in audiobook format. It was very confusing to follow, especially since the main group performing the heist are all introduced at the same time. 33% of the way through the book and I still could only remember the female characters names, with no distinction between the 2 male characters. One of the male characters spoke in quotes that only Claw could decipher, and I really didn't understand why. I also had a difficult time following the plot in the audiobook format because it was quite complex; however I think had I read the physical book I would have been able to reread passages to increase my understanding. The world building is very interesting; there are the skylands(where the dragons and "normal" society live) and the deeps(people who live in a dangerous chasm filled with monsters and swamps, etc). I thought the use of rings to signify gender preference and jobs was really intriguing, but at the same time I feel like I would hate giving that much information out to the whole world. The author did a nice job of including LGBTQ+ representation in the novel in a way that was unique to this world.

The audiobook narrator was a huge drawback to me. While she did a great job of maintaining different voices for each character, all the female characters sounded evil. I personally did not enjoy listening every time Ris and Claw spoke, because I've never heard someone sound so ridiculously "evil" in reality. I was also unable to tell from the authors vocal inflections that Ris had been flirting with Anarod for the entire beginning of the book, and when it was mentioned through Anarod's thoughts, I was just like "I did not get that from the way it was being told." Unrelated to the narrator, I felt no romantic connection or chemistry between Anarod and Ris despite that it is being brought up constantly. It got to the point that it was annoying to keep hearing about because I was thinking "Why would Anarod even be interested in Ris after the kidnapping?".

While this book is well written with an intriguing plot, I think it was just not for me, or not for me in audiobook format, However I still would encourage the adult fantasy audience to give it a go, especially those who are interested in dragons, heists, morally grey characters, and a diverse world with lots of queer representation.

3/5 stars

Thank you so much to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

“The Sky on Fire” by Jenn Lyons was a thrilling journey through a world brimming with dragons, daring heists, and enchanting magic. Jenn intricately crafts a vivid setting where dragons reign over the lofty mountain peaks alongside the elite, contrasting sharply with the harsh realities of life in the lawless jungles below. Her rich portrayal of dragon society, complete with intricate politics, added layers of depth and intrigue to the narrative.

The novel’s plot-driven approach maintains a gripping and fast-paced rhythm, driving the story forward with constant surprises and swift changes. While the characters are distinct and colorful, they often lean on familiar archetypes without delving deeply into their complexities. One standout aspect was the inclusion of LGBTQ representation and the innovative concept of garden rings, which added depth to the world-building. However, the romantic dynamics between Anahrod, Ris, and Sicaryon felt rushed and lacked emotional resonance throughout the story.

Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, the audiobook brought an added dimension to the characters, making it easy to distinguish between them and enhancing their individual personalities. Her narration skillfully captured the essence of the story, enriching the listener’s experience with her expressive delivery. Despite some minor critiques, “The Sky on Fire” remains a captivating high fantasy adventure that will appeal to fans of intricate world-building and thrilling escapades.

Didn’t love it but to be honest I’m really thinking I might just not be the best audience for this one. The beginning scene had me so into it but it didn’t keep up after that. I really honestly felt myself lost and struggling to listen at times. The story hits you right away with so much info that doesn’t really let up. The plot was really interesting but I felt very little for the characters so it was hard to keep my interest. I will say that the narration for the audiobook was great and I enjoyed listening to it!

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons is a fantasy read that hooked me from the start. The plot centers around a thrilling heist for a magical artifact, with dragons playing crucial roles as actual characters, not just props.

One of the book's standout features is its rich world-building. Lyons has crafted a society ruled by tyrannical magical beasts, creating a compelling and immersive setting. The characters are quirky and distinct, each with their unique backgrounds and motivations, contributing to a delightful band of misfits vibe. There is also so much diversity in age, species, motive, life experience, and skills, that make it such an interesting dynamic.

Anahrod, the main character, is fiercely independent and stubborn, making her a standout. The romance element is fresh too, with a love triangle turning into a polycule—something you don't see often and was done well. !!Publishers and Authors!! We want more of this in our books!

However, there was a bit of a lack of chemistry, and I think that is largely due in part to having so much packed into such a short story. Some of the romantic aspects felt a bit juvenile at times, with playful teasing about who likes who. It was apparent what Lyons was trying to do, but for me, it missed the mark ever so slightly. I also struggled a little with pacing. Another small issue was pacing. At times, the narrative moves too quickly, glossing over scenes that could benefit from more detail, while at other points, it slows down too much, reminiscent of the pacing issues in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

My recommendation; The Sky on Fire is a must-read for fantasy fans. Its rich world, engaging characters, and innovative take on romance make it a standout in the genre. Jenn Lyons has delivered a story that is both enchanting and thought-provoking, that left me wanting more. It can easily be read as a standalone, but the epilogue does hint a little more

Audiobook note: The narration is absolutely fantastic!

I read a lot of (primarily) fantasy books. Of course I enjoy dragons. But would I be so inclined if many of them were jerks? Say, society only really existing because they allow it, we do come up with clever things. So when I was able to get my paws on "The Sky on Fire" by Jenn Lyons (out July 9th, 2024) who made some nutty dragons in her series, A Chorus of Dragons, I was as pleased as a wyrm in its lair. Did get audio as well so I didn't have to stop reading once I started.

Anahrod has a problem. That problem being her past has crashed into her current life. When a meeting goes absolutely sideways and she ends up being absconded with by a crew from the sky cities (did I mention they are down in the jungles) to carry out a plan based on her (alleged) crimes, and require her (alleged) knowledge to do so. See, she was tossed out/executed years ago, but didn't exactly die. Now they need her to steal from the hoard of a dragon. One who is kind of in charge of all the other dragons. And is incredibly magically competent. And is the one who had Anahrod executed (didn't take though).

Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, always a pleasure. Fantastic vocalizing of banter. Why does spice on audio always start when I'm in the grocery store???

Reasons to read:
-Big dragons doing stuff with crazy powers, just fire breathing is boring
-Banter
-Overbite
-BPPT confirmed!
-Sometimes folks just need a good stabbing
-Did magic grammar save the day?
-The characters are fantastic

Cons:
-No dholes, but I already knew they weren't in the story before I started

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

To start with the audiobook/narrator quality - top notch, loved it! Production value was great, the narrator hit the tone perfectly, and it was really fun to listen to.

As for the book itself, WOW I loved it. This was what I wanted from Fourth Wing and felt similar to what I got from the Fireborne trilogy....amazing dragons (with and without riders), fantastic ensemble cast, a heist, magic, a true love triangle (goes all 3 ways)....seriously, it has it all. The fights were epic and easy to follow, the banter was great, the flirting was SPICY (especially the scene on the airship....), the magic and lore were interesting, and to bring it all together it was really well written.

I don't want to give too much away but this hits all the best parts of a heist book and has amazing dragons too. This was perfectly up my alley and if you enjoy Eragon, Fireborne, Fourth Wing, The Founders Trilogy....I think you'll love this one too!

I'm not going to say I didn't like it, I just didn't finish it.
It dragged, I felt no affinity to any character except maybe the mayor, and at 20%, I decided I had better use for my time.
I do thank Tor and Netgallery for the advanced audiobook, I hope you find your reader base.

⭐️⭐️.75/5

The Sky on Fire is a fun but messy fantasy with interesting characters and an intriguing plot.

This one did not work for me. I enjoyed the characters but wanted to see even more world and character development. The plot was great, but the execution felt thrown together, with many scenes feeling oddly placed. The pacing was fine, but the story felt long. I loved the diverse characters and world, but parts of the romance felt odd. Though this story had a lot of fun aspects and ideas, I would not recommend it unless the reader has already had their eye on the read.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrator! She used accents that fit the characters well, and I loved the personality she brought to the read.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

This was sooooooo much fun!

🏃‍♂️Fast paced
♀️Sapphic - level 1 🌶️
🐉Dragons (good & evil)
🏡Found Family
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👧Throuple

Anahrod has been in hiding for years after a failed assassination attempt from a high-ranking dragon. She is then kidnapped several times 😂 and forced into a heist in order to protect her brother (The dragon she is stealing from is also the one trying to murder her). Chaos ensues ....

The banter between characters is so fun; I lol'd several times. I like how the romance didn't dominate the plot. There are several lovable characters, and most importantly, the plot itself hasn't already been done a million times. Really refreshing summer read!


Release Date: July 9th 2024

I loved this! Ocean’s Eleven meets Fourth Wing, and I’m so into it. I thought the world in which dragons rule over humans, instead of the other way around, was fun. I’ve already recommended this to several friends who enjoyed Fourth Wing. As an audiobook, Lauren Fortgang (who I know from other audiobooks, and always does well) was a great choice; she does different voices for each character so well, it makes it easy to follow the ensemble cast.

This would have been a complete five star read for me if it weren’t for just a couple of points (one, really), and let me preface this with, I love a stand-alone. Sometimes I don’t have the time for a long saga, and a fun ride that I can move on from quickly is so appreciated. That said, this could have been a duology or trilogy and I wouldn’t have been mad if it meant we got just a bit more world building. The world was SO interesting and creative, and the core cast was large, so I felt like I never got as much development on any one character as I would have loved, despite how long the book already was.

Still, I was very satisfied with the ending of this and how the ends were tied up, and felt like I enjoyed the (long) ride the whole way. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.